If you wanted to make the game shorter rito...

That would be uninteresting. Not to mention that the gold doesn't get your anything until you go back and spend it. And the whole reason to focus the buffs over gold is to make dragon worth something in the late game.

That in mind, I do feel like the dragon should be more heavily contested in the early game. If people took dragon Earlier, their would be more threat of a 5th dragon as time progresses. I'd probably say weaken it in the early game to make it easier to take. (Might be bad if dueling Junglers are common) Or to take your gold idea, and apply it only as an Early game Bounty on the Dragon. (Like, within the first 8 or 10 minutes.)