SWFL: Big name recruits and developing youngsters create a commanding line-up for Bulldogs in 2026

Bunbury have assembled their most potent squad under coach Troy Hollands after an off-season recruiting spree which has them primed to mount their strongest premiership assault since he took the reins in 2024. The Bulldogs were knocked out of the flag race by Busselton in the preliminary final last year, 12 months after being outgunned in the grand final by 42 points by arch rivals South Bunbury. The Dogs have been found wanting against the competition’s big guns, failing to beat back-to-back premiers South Bunbury in their past eight derbies and losing two of their three encounters against Busselton last year. But the return of homegrown WAFL stars Aiden Clarke and Harry Creasey, the acquisition of Swan Districts defender Brenton Hilton and the continued development of a batch of promising young talent has Hollands buoyant about his side’s prospects. “We’ve got the best squad in terms of buy-in and hunger,” he said. “Names on paper don’t win premierships, it’s mentality and group unity that win premierships.” Clarke claimed the Pike Medal for best afield in the Bulldogs’ 2017 grand final victory and returns after amassing 100 games with Swan Districts. He will form a powerful on-ball combination with Dogs premiership teammate Creasey, a best and fairest winner with the West Coast Eagles WAFL side in 2022. “To have club people come back to the club is enormous for us,” Hollands said. “Those guys with the maturity and seniority will help with the development of the young guys.” Hollands has big plans for Hilton, who played 31 league games with Swans. “We didn’t get him down to play a lockdown role, we’ll let him off the leash as an attacking half-back,” Hollands said. “A player of his calibre could spend some time in the midfield as well.” There’s a midfield squeeze going on at Payne Park with more than 10 players capable of having an impact in the engine room including former Perth and Claremont star Haydn Busher, ex-Sydney Swan Durak Tucker and Denholm King and Trae Field. Hollands believes it is a weapon he can use to his advantage. “We’ll try and get them all explosive and run at short bursts and rotate though the ground,” he said. “Not everyone will be able to be in there at the same time, but it does strengthen other lines and overall midfield depth.” But the Bulldogs will be without former Port Adelaide midfielder and Sandover medallist Kane Mitchell who has taken up the reins as the West Coast Eagles AFLW midfield coach. Holland is excited by what the array of young talent he has at his disposal can achieve with the influx of quality recruits. “We’ve been getting experience in those younger guys and we’ve got that now,” he said. “That’s where our biggest development is going to come from. “I’m super excited to see where they can go.” Bunbury had one of the most dangerous forward lines in the competition in 2024 when they amassed a percentage of 197 on their way to the grand final, with former Fremantle big man Joel Houghton dominant with 83 goals. Their percentage plummeted to 133 last year without him as their focal point, with the responsibility handed to Baiden Parsons and Dylan Heasman, who combined for 60 goals. The Bulldogs have regained key forward Oscar Armstrong to provide another aerial threat and Hollands has faith in the young charges he has been developing for the past two seasons, led by Parsons and Fraser Gilchrist. “When Houghton stepped aside last year we just wanted to keep backing in the younger guys,” Hollands said. “With development and maturity of the younger guys they’re the ones that are ready to step up.”