Throughout the final years of the 1990s, AFL clubs across the land looked backward rather than forward, with selectors, historians and superstars converging to name their Teams of the 20th Century.
So, as we near the quarter-time mark of the 21st century, what better time to run the rule on which players are likely to feature when the selectors of tomorrow get together in several decades' time?
While every club has an array of deadset legends that can be called on, we here at Zero Hanger have employed the following rules of selection:
For our final instalment, we head west to assess who the top Dogs are at the Whitten Oval.
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1 x best and fairest (2007)
2 x All-Australian (2009 and 2010)
197 games, 6.4 marks per game, 3.7 rebound 50s per game
Ahead of his successful move to Hawthorn, Lake - or Harris in his earliest days - was a full-back more than worth his salt.
Tasked with quelling the greatest spearheads of the era, Lake would often come out on the winning end, routinely guiding the Bulldogs into September from his post at the back.
1 x All-Australian (2008)
1 x premiership player (2016)
253 games, 4.2 marks per game
From the rookie list to premiership glory, Morris' career mirrored his style perfectly, with the Doutta Stars product routinely getting the job done, all without any fanfare.
Beloved at the Kennel and tougher than a two-dollar steak, Morris gave his all to the Bulldogs' effort, including playing the entirety of the 2016 finals series with a fractured vertebrae.
2 x best and fairest (2010 and 2013)
1 x All-Australian (2013)
202 games, 21.8 disposals per game, 64 Brownlow votes, 0.3 votes per game
Marrying a hard edge with high-end skills, Griffen acted as a key cog in the Dogs' engine room for the better part of a decade.
While a fan favourite in his pomp, Griffen eventually left the Whitten Oval in bitter circumstances, departing for Sydney's following his sole season as the Bulldogs' captain.
1 x Brownlow Medal (2008)
1 x All-Australian (2008)
219 games, 21. 8 disposals per game, 82 Brownlow votes, 0.4 votes per game
While a galaxy of stars has called the Kennel home, only Cooney can claim to have earned Brownlow honours this century while wearing red, white and blue.
Some may believe that Cooney had gears he never shifted into during his 11 seasons as a Bulldog, but few have matched his 2008 output, a season in which the former No.1 draft pick averaged 25.5 disposals and four clearances a game.
2 x All-Australian (2011 and 2015)
312 games, 17.8 disposals per game, 5.4 marks per game, 3.1 inside 50s per game
While far from the most decorated Bulldog in the club's storied history, few have given more to the cause and embodied the club's blue-collar ethos better than Bob Murphy.
From a wafer-thin draftee to a wily and still wirey defender, Murphy will forever be remembered for his fighting effort, poetic soul and for being called up to the dais to help hoist the Dogs' 2016 premiership cup.
3 x All-Australian (2019, 2020 and 2021)
1 x premiership player (2016)
230 games, 28.6 disposals per game, 106 Brownlow votes, 0.5 votes per game
If leather poisoning were a true ailment, Jack Macrae would be forced to the sidelines every second week, with the Oakleigh Charger well-acquainted with the feel of the Sherrin in his hands.
While Macrae is not the Top Dog in Luke Beveridge's engine room, few have ever stuffed the stats sheet with greater ease and frequency than the former first-round draftee.
3 x best and fairest (2009, 2011 and 2012)
3 x All-Australian (2009, 2011 and 2016)
1 x premiership player (2016)
292 games, 25 disposals per game, 108 Brownlow votes, 0.4 votes per game
Like his partner in crime, Dale Morris, Boyd elevated himself from the rookie list to glory, tasting premiership success in 2016 as well as becoming one of only 11 Bulldogs to have passed the 250-game mark.
While Boyd's professional footy career would begin off-Broadway at Frankston City Oval, it would end with a trio of Charles Sutton Medals on his mantel and a trifecta of All-Australian blazers on the rack.
4 x best and fairest (2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005)
4 x All-Australian (2000, 2004, 2005 and 2006)
177 games, 27.7 disposals per game, 113 Brownlow votes, 0.6 votes per game
West by name; West by nature, the gun ball-winner was a beacon for the Western Suburbs side on both sides of the millennium.
While West never broke through for any number of the Brownlow Medals he was seen as a shoo-in for, the see-ball, get-ball operator left a lasting legacy at the Whitten Oval, one that is still being added to by his son and current Bulldog, Rhylee.
2 x best and fairest (2002 and 2006)
5 x leading goalkicker (2001, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008)
5 x All-Australian (2000, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007)
240 games, 456 goals, 1.6 goals per game, 20.5 disposals per game
Whether hunting the footy, busting the pack or splitting the big sticks, Johnson routinely had Bulldogs fans on their feet.
Across the course of 17 seasons, 'The Smiling Assassin' acted as the perfect half-forward, booting more than 450 goals this century, making him a sure-fire All-Australian selection for half of its first decade.
2 x Leigh Matthews Trophy (2021 and 2023)
5 x best and fairest (2016, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023)
5 x All-Australian (2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023)
1 x premiership player (2016)
216 games, 23.7 disposals per game, 169 Brownlow votes, 0.8 votes per game
As just about the best footballer in the contemporary game, the question isn't whether Bontempelli is the best Bulldog from this century, but whether he is the best Bulldog of all time.
While Ted Whitten's record still stacks up, if Bontempelli can eventually add a Brownlow or two to his already gilded mantel, the superstar will no doubt prove impossible to pass up.