A composed and mature on-field leader, he took over as skipper after much-loved captain Bob Murphy suffered a devastating knee injury early in the season.

It was only after the match that Wood was overcome with emotion, after he raised the cup with Bob Murphy to the roars of Bulldogs fans at the MCG.

After embracing his family, Wood said he could barely believe the Doggies had won.

"It's unbelievable, it's been so much work, so many dreams, so much we've put on the line, it's phenomenal," he said.

When Beverage, a former Hawthorn assistant coach, took over at the club, the Western Bulldogs looked to be nowhere.

They finished had finished the 2014 in fourteenth position on the ladder, they made finals in 2015 and won the ultimate prize in 2016.

Murphy took over as a difficult job.
"He took over the job in very stormy waters and he steered us out of the storm, we wouldn't be here without him," he said.

"He's very close to me, I just love him," he said.

"It breaks my heart that he couldn't be next to me out there, but to hold [the cup] up with him, [I was] very, very pleased."

In the last five minutes of the game, it looked clear that the Bulldogs would win, but Wood said he did not allow himself to become complacent.

"So much work's gone into it, in that last five minutes every single second, every single moment, it all counts," he said.

"In that last couple of minutes you starting to think you're going to get across the line, but just make sure you don't let that creep in, to try to keep doing everything you can."

Wood said he could not trust the Doggies had won until the final siren sounded.

"This club's had a lot of heartbreak and tired moments, and we fought it out right to the end and brought it home," he said.

Asked how it felt to wear a premiership medal around his neck, Wood said it was surreal.

As the players said their final goodbyes to fans at the MCG, the Bulldogs' rooms pulsed with excitement as family, friends and die-hard fans crowded in.

Gary Zimmerman was there, grinning from ear-to-ear beneath his bushy moustache - he has been club doctor at Whitten Oval since 1997.

Coach Luke Beveridge slipped in unnoticed at first, hugging the mums and dads, even taking selfies with a few journalists.

As the players arrived they raised the roof, the cheers were deafening at Wood and Murphy marched in with the cup, followed by all the young faces that over the past year or so had become household names.

Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Boyd and Luke Picken, who had been so exciting in front of goal all day.

Norm Smith medallist Jason Johannisen arrived, after using his wit and his speed to tear up the wings of the 'G, running rings around the taller Swans side and setting up goals.

Fresh from the ground, the boys in red, white and blue moved in closely together to sing the song, a tight-knit group who overcame all the odds.

"Sons of the West, red, white and blue."

The first side to win the grand final after finishing seventh on the ladder, the club's first premiership since 1954.