How Lobb’s switch and accidental innovation has King regarding Dogs as genuine contenders

David King has been hugely impressed by the Western Bulldogs in recent weeks.

The Dogs took care of the Cats at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday night winning 48-95, backing up wins against Carlton, North Melbourne and Fremantle since Round 14. In that stretch, they’ve lost just once.

While King still sees a flaw with their bottom six players, he believes that Luke Beveridge’s coaching is now asking less of those players while some of his other moves - including moving Ed Richards into the middle and Rory Lobb to defence - have been masterstrokes.

“I think they've got the equal top six players to any of the contenders, but I do think their bottom six is still extremely vulnerable, so I'm not walking away from that,” King explained on SEN Whateley.

“But the fact they've been asked to do less right now than what they were asked to do earlier in the year is how it should be. So it looks better now because you're asking less of those guys.

“Most of the correction or the innovation at your football club happens by mistake.

“‘Libba’ (Tom Liberatore) goes down, so they put Ed Richards in the middle and it’s, ‘Hang on, we can’t put him to half back now, he’s become one of our best midfielders’.

“Then it’s, ‘We’ve got too many tall forwards, I’m not moving Aaron Naughton so I have to move someone. Let’s just try Rory Lobb’.”

Lobb in particular was huge in the win over Geelong, keeping Jeremy Cameron to one goal and just six disposals while picking up 21 of his own to go with nine marks.

The former key forward has played in defence across the last month and King revealed how the Dogs are a completely different outfit since he made that move.

“Since Rory Lobb's gone back, they've been a different team, they really have,” King said.

“In the first 15 weeks of the year, they lost one in one in nine one-on-ones down back. Since he's gone back, they’re losing one in 20. That's a massive improvement.

“If you look at their intercept numbers pre-Rory going back they were AFL 14th, since he’s gone down back they’re seventh.

“That (seventh) doesn’t sound like a great number, but you can't win it when you're 14th.

“You can't win a prelim final when you’re 14th, but you can win when you’re seventh because they're a territory team and they're a clearance team.

“Only Ben McKay has more intercepts than Rory in terms of all the defenders and only Brandon Zerk-Thatcher has taken more intercept marks (per game).

“They've also gone from conceding 80 down to 74.”

With all factors considered, King can see the Dogs going all the way in 2024 if things continue to click in this fashion on the run home.

He also thinks they’re a genuine shot of upsetting Sydney at the SCG on Sunday. If they do that, he’s convinced that the whole AFL world will be thinking the same thing.

“In my mind's eye, I can see the Dogs winning it,” King said.

“They can beat Sydney on Sunday and everyone will be talking about them (if they do).

“Sydney are a bit banged up, they've got some injuries, it’s a great time to get them.

“They’re building and they are coming with a rush.”

Sunday’s clash against Sydney is set for 3:20pm (AEST) at the SCG.