Why premiership skipper believes 2024 Dogs are in better form than 2016 flag winners

Western Bulldogs premiership captain Easton Wood is loving how his former side has grown into the 2024 season.

The Dogs have won six of their last seven to roar into finals contention, with those victories coming at an average of 39.16 points - they’ve also beaten finals hopefuls Fremantle, Carton, Geelong, Sydney and Melbourne across that stretch.

With the Dogs flying, Wood was asked whether he sees similarities between this side and the one he led all the way to a famous premiership victory in 2016.

While Wood is excited by the club’s momentum, he thinks that this side is in better form than the 2016 Dogs at the same stage of the season - as they went 3-3 to end the home and away season - before going on an incredible September run.

“A few people have asked me, ‘Are we starting to see the same from 2016 with the current team?’,” Wood told SEN’s This is Your Journey - thanks to Tobin Brothers.

“We weren’t going half as well at this time of the year. The boys at the moment are doing incredibly well.

“We just had a run in 2016 that took off across those last four games of the year.

“It’s very exciting, I’m very much looking forward to the boys securing their spot in the finals and seeing how far they can go.”

Wood was also asked if this recent stretch shows that premiership coach Luke Beveridge is still on top of his game eight years on from the flag, despite the criticism he’s faced in recent campaigns.

“Of course it does,” Wood said.

“Look at what Rory does and Ed Richards’ move and how impressive he’s been.

“It’s just the dynamic nature of our midfield now with Ed, Adam Treloar and Marcus Bontempelli in there with the foot speed, watching the Melbourne game on the weekend, they couldn’t contain it.

“Bevo deserves a hell of a lot of credit for seeing that, and I think that’s when he’s at his best … he’s more interested in what we could do instead of what we couldn’t.”

The Dogs face the Crows at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday afternoon.

Listen to Wood’s full chat with Sam Edmund below.