WESTERN Bulldogs brought in a handful of players during the National AFL Draft, targeting several areas of the ground and strong characters to boot. Their haul was headlined by the first round selection of Cooper Hynes, a powerful 190cm midfielder-forward the club rated highly.

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DRAFT HAUL

National Draft:

20. Cooper Hynes
29. Lachie Jaques
31. Josh Dolan
51. Sam Davidson
62. Luke Kennedy

>> CLICK each player’s names for full profiles & highlights

The Bulldogs were one of many teams looking to push up the order on night one of the National Draft. They were reportedly keen on midfielder Murphy Reid, tabling pick 20 and a future second round selection to get into West Coast or Port Adelaide’s picks – 15 and 16.

With that deal failing to go through, and Port dealing with the Eagles instead, Hynes was the prime target. Had he been snapped up before the Bulldogs’ first pick, they would likely have traded back down the order. Luckily enough, the Dandenong Stingrays product was there for the taking.

Hynes’ one-on-one strength and ability to play both in midfield or up forward appealed to the Dogs. At 190cm, his power makes him a force in both roles and he is creative with his disposal in the front half. Speed and endurance are the main queries, though his level of performance this year was outstanding.

Having made one call on night one, the Bulldogs were poised nicely to strike early on night two. They added running power at either end of the ground, first selecting dashing rebound defender Lachie Jaques with pick 29, before going on to snare high forward Josh Dolan at pick 31.

Jaques, who co-captained the Geelong Falcons this year, was lauded for his aerial ability and reliable output each week. Dolan had his year cut short by a meniscus injury but showed plenty with his hard running in a specialist small forward role, as well as a terrific kicking game going inside 50.

The Bulldogs then had some time to breathe before getting back in on the action a little further down the order. They ensured the famous streak of Fothergill-Round-Mitchell medal draftees continued by taking Sam Davidson with pick 51, a hard-running mature-age talent suited to the wing or half-forward.

With a good deal of athleticism and running power underpinning their middle picks, the Bulldogs finished with a natural footballer in Luke Kennedy. The dual-sided phenom won a senior best and fairest with Ormond last year and is the type of on-baller who is not afraid to do the defensive running.

Having passed on making a move at the Rookie Draft, the Dogs have one list spot left to fill. Inspirational Werribee premiership captain Dom Brew has been invited to train at the club, hoping to add midfield depth if given an opportunity via the supplementary signing period.