Cameron Ciraldo was the architect of the Panthers’ defensive system that helped drive them to four premierships in a row.

When he arrived at the Bulldogs as head coach for season 2023, he logically brought the system with him. Most importantly though, he stuck with it, because at first it was a failure. Of sorts.

Not because the system didn’t work – he knew it did – but because the players and the culture at the rock-bottom club couldn’t, and in some cases wouldn’t, make it work.

The Bulldogs were in a massive hole when Ciraldo arrived.

A distant wooden spoon with only three wins in 2021 was followed by an improved effort, but still a lowly 12th-placed finish in 2022 with seven wins.

In Ciraldo’s first year, they actually went backwards on the ladder, with the same number of wins (seven), finishing 15th.

In that year, there were some massive floggings.

As Ciraldo stamped his style of defence-based play on an outclassed, and at times unwilling roster, he was prepared to dig the hole deeper as part of the grand plan to eventually fill it in.

Matt Burton races away for the Bulldogs.Credit: Getty Images

In 2023 they leaked more than 40 points against seven different teams. The Knights put 66 on them, the Rabbitohs 50 and the Sharks 48.

They also had 30-plus totals put on them a further eight times.

The season........

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