The Bulldogs are barking in September in both the AFL and VFL, after Footscray upset Collingwood by 119-points to win through to next Sunday's VFL grand final at Etihad Stadium.
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The Bulldogs' decision to field a stand-alone team in the VFL in 2014 paid dividends, as they look to contend their second grand final in three years, after the comprehensive preliminary final victory at North Port Oval.
Certainly after Footscray's history-making flag in 2014, then coach Chris Maple signalled the immediate advantages, after splitting with Williamstown, who too have experienced a flag after winning last season as a stand-alone team.
"I think it shows you can still develop and do Ok," Maple said. "We haven't compromised where we want to play players, the length of time we want to play them, some weeks we've taken them off at half-time and things like that.
"We haven't changed that and we won't change it. But winning's the cream on top, it's an enjoyable whip of cream, I have to admit, but we won't go away from this is our development team and we want to develop our players," he said.
"Part of playing in front of big crowds in pressure situations is development." Jason Johannisen, Jack Redpath, Lin Jong and Alex Greenwood were a part of the 2014 VFL flag.
More recently, it has also given players such as Tom Campbell, Roarke Smith, Lukas Webb, Koby Stevens and Mitch Honeychurch further game time to prove their worth ahead of next week's AFL preliminary final.
Coach Ash Hansen echoed Maple's sentiments. He will coach in the VFL grand final against the winner of Sunday's preliminary final between Casey and Williamstown. The Scorpions, the minor premier, will begin as favourites against the reigning premier.
But it would be fitting to see the two best teams of the past three years – Footscray and Williamstown – go head-to-head, given the teams were pretty much brothers in their alignment.
Although Collingwood VFL coach Dale Tapping was named as the VFL coach of the year, Hansen's rise in the coaching caper, along with Casey coach Justin Plapp, proved they would also have been deserving recipients.
Just as hard-running and purposeful were the Dogs from defence to attack, Hansen clearly had the upper hand – and not for the first time – after ending the Pies' 12-game winning streak in the final round of the season.
Hansen said defensive pressure has been "the cornerstone" of the clubs' game plan.
"And with that comes opportunities offensively," he said.
Admittedly, the Pies were without Ben Moloney and Jack Frost to injuries sustained in the qualifying final win over Williamstown.
Collingwood was a flag fancy, but their AFL depth diminished to just nine players. Brent Macaffer and Alan Toovey, both playing their last matches, were among them. This is the closest the Pies have been to any VFL success since launching a stand-alone team in 2009.
Geelong, with flags in 2007 and 2012, was the pioneer as the other stand-alone VFL club that has achieved success.
The Bulldogs were frenetic from the start. Smith had three intercept marks in the opening term, Bailey Dale kicked two goals as they held a 20-point lead at the first change.
Minson's goal to kick-start the second term continued their resurgence, before Liam Nash was reported for striking Jordan Kelly, who returned to the field from concussion. Nash, who has been a revelation this season, is in doubt for the grand final.
The Dogs ran rampant in the second term. The margin was out to 58 points before the Pies kicked the last three goals of the quarter to reduce it to 41-points at the main break.
Consecutive goals to Honeychurch and Ben Long resisted the Pies' challenge, in what ultimately became a cakewalk.
They led by 61-points at the final change – and Hansen was quick to tell his players to "enjoy the final quarter" and "continue to be true to our style". The Bulldogs crushed the Pies with a 10-goal last quarter to win, 27.19 (181) to 9.8 (62).
"I don't think you ever expect to win a prelim by over 100 points, it was a credit to the boys just to stick at it for four quarters of great footy," skipper Jordan Russell said.
Long, with six goals as the 23rd man, was prolific, as was Honeychurch and Lukas Webb.
Long, 19, was playing just his sixth VFL match. He kicked five second-half goals, and will clearly enhance his AFL draft credentials.
After a 70-point shellacking to Casey in the qualifying final, the Dogs' stunning turnaround in form is coincidentally in line with their AFL teams' sparkling form.
VFL Sunday
First preliminary final: Casey Scorpions v Williamstown, North Port Oval, 2.40pm
