When you taste the ultimate success, it’s inevitable other sides will attempt to emulate your style.

That’s what has faced the Western Bulldogs in 2017. Opposition side have used elements of the play which made the run to last season’s premiership so memorable, starting with focusing heavily on winning the contest when facing the premiers.

The contested possession numbers show what sides have done against the Bulldogs this season compared to 2016.

After 12 games last season, the Bulldogs were +293 in contested possessions, more than double the next best side.

So far this year, they rank eighth in contested possessions at +86 through Round 13. It’s a huge departure from the same time period last season.

The immediate flow on effect from the contest being more of an even battle, is that the Bulldogs’ defensive unit has been under more pressure.

While the defensive numbers are close to identical – conceding a goal on 20.6 per cent of entries this year compared to 20.1 per cent last season – simple weight of numbers is having an effect.

In conceding seven more inside 50s per game this season, it’s giving sides more opportunities to break a defensive unit which has had its share of availability problems.

Dale Morris has missed eight games, Robert Murphy three and Marcus Adams two, although the latter pair have spent periods of time at the other end of the ground as Luke Beveridge continually reshuffles his side.

The Bulldogs have conceded more than 85 points eight times in 12 games, already more than the seven times opponents managed the feat in 26 games last year.

But even for all the above, the margins are fine in what is an incredibly even season.

On the run to the premiership in 2016, the Bulldogs made a habit of excelling in close games. Of the six decided by single figures, they only lost one.

Already in 2017, they have lost two – to the Giants by two points and West Coast by eight. Win both of those and they’re sitting a game clear inside the top four and well placed for a second successive deep run into September.

Luke Dahlhaus is having arguably his most consistent season yet, with at least 23 disposals in every game. Marcus Bontempelli has continued to show why he’s one of the very few players in the league who can break a game open while still doing all the dirty work, averaging seven tackles a game.

While the forward line is still a work in progress, the scoring numbers were comparable with 2016 before the latest two-week swoon.

Recent matches between the Bulldogs and North haven’t seen the highest of scores; indeed it was an uncharacteristic second half on Good Friday which propelled both sides to 12 goals each at the end of it.

Indeed, in the four matches with Brad Scott and Beveridge at the helm, the highest first half score by any side has been just 35.