(James Rosewarne is a Melbourne-based freelance writer and BPL contributor.)

On Monday, Mark Robinson of the Herald Sun reported that four Melbourne-based clubs had shown an active interest in luring Port Adelaide's John Butcher back to Victoria. The Western Bulldogs was not one of them. 

In a season which simply didn't meet expectations, which cost Rodney Eade his job, confirmed Barry Hall's retirement and which looks likely to claim Callan Ward, the Bulldogs ought to be active in the market for out-of-contract and disgruntled players. 

Chief among priorities for the Bulldogs this off season - along with finding a coach- is securing the services of someone capable of fulfilling the power-forward vacuum which for too long has been the Dogs' millstone. 

Butcher is from the Victorian town of Maffra in Northern Gippsland. He's part of a club seemingly going nowhere fast and his family has expressed a strong desire for him to return home. 

Adding to the intrigue is the fact Butcher's present contract is set to expire this year.

He's a former top-10 pick whose last three games have been scintillating. He's kicked 10 goals in his last two games, and is averaging 3.5 contested marks, a number that even Travis Cloke might be happy with.

That there would be at least four Melbourne clubs actively interested in the 197cm Butcher is hardly surprising. 

That the Western Bulldogs aren't apparently one of them is baffling. 

The Dogs have been crying out for a key goal-kicking option for the last 20 years. An arrival came in the form of Barry Hall, however his time at the Bulldogs was fleeting and as brilliant as it was, didn't produce the long sought-after premiership. 

In the meantime, the only key forward to really take genuine strides at the Dogs has been Liam Jones whose sophomore year has been excellent. He's operated as a true centre half forward, played every game and collected a team high 43 contested marks, bettered by only four players in the competition.  

Jones, however, hasn't seriously troubled the scorers this season with Hall and Daniel Giansiracusa the preferred inside-50 options. With the former set to play his final game this weekend and Giansiracusa well and truly in the twilight of his career, the Dogs' forward set up looks as precarious as it was before they landed Hall.

Outside of Big Barry and Giansiracusa, the Bulldogs have had little return from guys supposedly equipped to be target men: Jarrad Grant has offered precious little, Ayce Cordy's still extremely raw while Jordan Roughead looks far more adept in the ruck than when operating as a forward.

Most alarming is that the Bulldogs are the only team in the competition to have just one player (Jones) to have taken more than 20 contested marks this season. It's a damning statistic and evidence that when it comes to big bodies up forward, the Bulldogs are sorely lacking.