They have gone through the regular season undefeated, swatting away teams, and now stand at the precipice of a premiership for the ages.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Put simply, the 2020 Bulldogs are the best Gunnedah side in the club's 43-year history, said Brian Lenton, the club's founder and the coach of five of their seven premiership-winning outfits.
"Right across the ground they're pretty talented: even their reserves, too, and players who are gonna miss being selected [for the grand final], who would normally of gotten into most sides," he said.
Read more:
On Saturday at Wolseley Oval, Gunnedah will be overwhelming favourites to beat the Swans and win back-to-back premierships and their third title in four years.
Coach Doug Meagher has got them playing a relentless brand of attacking football, with gun Victorian recruit Josh Chiavaroli - the 2020 Gillies Medal winner - and other midfielders providing the side with rapid and surgical penetration up the field.
Awaiting that envied delivery is a forward line that Lenton said was "probably as good as I've seen" at the club.
"You've got three or four players who could probably kick five or six goals [each a match]," said the club great, recognised as the best-ever Bulldog - someone who had multiple seasons of 100-plus goals.
"They're undefeated," he continued, "and I don't think I've seen anyone get within 80 or 90 points of them this year."
In a COVID-shorted, 10-game regular season, Gunnedah scored 1639 points and conceded 315.
If Gunnedah win on Saturday, they will become only the second Bulldogs side to go through the season undefeated: the Lenton-coached 1986 Dogs achieved the feat.
Lenton founded the Bulldogs in 1977, and was instrumental in the league being launched that same year.
Since their foundation year, Gunnedah have enjoyed great highs and great lows. But this season is the first time they have fielded three team, with the addition of women's and under-14 sides in 2020.
All three outfits made the grand final.
Lenton said it was "fantastic" to see the Bulldogs' and the AFL North West's evolution.
"To think that on Saturday we're gonna have four games of AFL: it's something you just dream of," he said.