It’s a sign of the Bulldogs’ regeneration that three of those names – Josh Harris, Bowen Pearce and Gareth Holt – are aged 19 or younger.

At 17, Harris will be the youngest on the ground come Saturday’s grand final, but will not be treated as such having kicked five bags of three goals or more this season.

Aside from a year at Old Scotch in 2017, the NTFA representative player has played all his footy at the Bulldogs.

“Gazza’s been a year above us so he was the next age group up, but me and Bozza have played together since under-12s,” Harris said.

“We’ve played footy all through juniors together so it’s pretty cool to now play in a senior grand final.

“He knows how I play and I know how he plays, so we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and stuff like that which is pretty cool.”

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Saturday’s grand final will be Pearce’s second in as many years after the 18-year-old forced his way into the senior team at the start of 2017.

The running defender spent just three weeks fulfilling the role of under-18 captain last season on his way to becoming the youngest player in the Bulldogs’ premiership team.

“It was an unreal feeling,” Pearce said of his maiden senior decider.

“At the start of the year I definitely didn’t think I was going to play in a senior grand final, I thought I was just going to tick along and play under-18s and just get one or two games, but Spreader (Leigh Harding) and the coaches up there had faith.

“This year is obviously a bit different having already played in one, but the nerves and all of that are still there - that’ll always be there I guess.”

Nineteen-year-old Holt is the oldest of the trio but has the least club footy under his belt having only stepped up from school footy four years ago.

The winger returned to the Bulldogs in 2018 after lining up in Launceston’s TSL development league grand final loss last year, and was excited at the chance to play on his old home ground at Windsor Park. 

“It’s so cool,” Holt said.

“I don’t think there’s anything better than playing in a senior grand final, especially if you go on to win it, so I’m really excited about that.

“The group is one tight-knit family up there as well, everyone is playing for each other and it’s very professional the way we go about things which is probably why we’re in the grand final.”

Harris and Pearce were named in the forward pocket and half-forward flank respectively, while Holt will start on the bench. 

Grand finals at Windsor Park, Saturday

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