The Western Bulldogs have the weekend off. As I've done in past years, I have written a mid-year report on their season so far. This morning is no different as I look and review the season that the Western Bulldogs have had so far
2018 So Far
Round 1: L v Greater Western Sydney – 7.9.51 v 20.13.133 – Manuka Oval
Round 2: L v West Coast – 9.16.70 v 18.13.121 – Etihad Stadium
Round 3: W v Essendon – 14.20.104 v 12.11.83 – Etihad Stadium
Round 4: L v Sydney – 11.13.79 v 13.8.86 – Etihad Stadium
Round 5: L v Fremantle – 16.12.108 v 8.6.54 – Optus Stadium
Round 6: W v Carlton – 11.14.80 v 8.11.59 – Etihad Stadium
Round 7: W v Gold Coast – 11.15.81 v 10.12.72 – Mars Stadium
Round 8: W v Brisbane – 16.11.107 v 14.9.93 – Etihad Stadium
Round 9: L v Adelaide – 2.14.26 v 9.9.63 – Adelaide Oval
Round 10: L v Collingwood – 13.12.90 v 8.7.55 – Etihad Stadium
Round 11: L v Melbourne – 15.10.100 v 7.9.51 – Etihad Stadium
After 11 Rounds
14th Position
Wins: 4
Losses: 7
Points For: 758 = 68.9 Points Per Game (15th in the league)
Points Against: 1008 = 91.6 Points Per Game (15th best defence)
The Pre-Season Expectation + Has It Been Met?
After a dismal second-half of their premiership defence last year, which resulted in the Dogs missing out on Finals last year. My pre-season expectation of the Dogs was them to bounce back and contend for the finals in 2018. I had tipped them finishing in the bottom half of the top eight this year, expecting to be between 6th and 10th at the midway mark of the season with at least five or six wins.
Right now, half way through the year, the Dogs are nowhere near where they were two years ago and are currently staring at the face of missing finals once again. No team in this century has managed to miss back-to-back finals campaigns immediately after winning the premiership, but there are a number of problems down at Whitten Oval, which will be addressed as we progress through this article. But in a nutshell, they're not playing the brand of footy that supporters and overall football fanatics fell in love with two years ago.
What I Don't Like The biggest problem at the moment is that there is no forward structures whenever the Bulldogs go forward. Skills aren't as good as they have been in recent years, but they still can move the ball out of defence reasonably well. It's when they get past the wing is where it all flounders for them. They are fifth in the league for garnering inside 50s, yet they are 15th in the league in scoring, 16th in the league in goals kicked and are fourth in the competition for registering behinds. Too many players have missed pretty easy set shots this year and as the old saying in football goes – Bad kicking is bad football.
I found it mind boggling over the past week to read what Chris Grant said in the Herald Sun, saying that he was anticipating the slide after their flag due to the majority of youth in their list. Even more so when Luke Beveridge admitted that winning the flag back in 2016 'Hasn't done anyone any favours' following their loss to Melbourne. What in the hell is this suppose to mean? Did this club overachieve in 2016? I think what both Grant and Beveridge have said is purely cop-out excuses. 2016 was supposed to be the start of something special, but for one reason or another, things just haven't been the same since.
Of the 22 that played in September, only three have left the club – Joel Hamling and Jake Stringer to trades and Matthew Boyd to retirement – the rest of them are still on the list. The only few players that have actually improved since then, would've been Jack Macrae, Lachie Hunter, Zaine Cordy and Toby McLean. The rest have either form that has stagnated or they have been injured more often than not. They've missed Liam Picken's veteran presence up forward so far this year, but he's close to coming back. On the other end Dale Morris has been sorely missed in defence and only just played his first AFL game of the year and Tom Liberatore's knee injury in round one was deflating.
Other than that, they need more from Jason Johannisen, who won the Norm Smith Medal in 2016, they need more from an out-of-contract Luke Dahlhaus, who is demanding a four-year contract, but is playing with such disinterest, he is only warranting a push out the door. They need more from Josh Dunkley and Shane Biggs, who are both currently languishing in the VFL, and captain Easton Wood needs to be more consistent. His best football is certainly match-winning, but I've got to see more of it and the fans demand an overall lift. This club has the talent capable of great things, but at the moment they are a long way off this potential. Age is not an excuse and inexperience can only go so far.
What I Do Like
The recruits that the Western Bulldogs have managed to bring in have made very good starts to their career and there are at least a trio of them that I believe will play a huge part in the Bulldogs' next premiership assault. Ed Richards picked up a Rising Star nomination at the conclusion of round 10 for his efforts against Collingwood and has the pace and the skill to be a lethal weapon across half-back over the next decade. Aaron Naughton has had a rough initiaton in defence, but has handled himself extremely well and Billy Gowers has a tremendous work ethic and has been somewhat of a find this year, leading all Dogs in goals kicked so far with 14 for the season.
They must continue to persist with young forwards such as Patrick Lipinski and Josh Schache as they possess goal-kicking ability that will grow as they get older. Schache has only played two AFL games for the Bulldogs since crossing from Brisbane, but has been very solid at VFL level and so far has shown enough in his two games to suggest that he will be a big piece in their plans beyond 2018. Tim English has proven that he can be a star at AFL level, but he needs the big body to compete with league's elite ruckmen, and Bailey Williams has had a greatly improved 2018 season and has played all but one game so far this year after playing 18 games in his first two seasons.
The Mid-Season MVP I mentioned earlier that there were only four people from the 2016 premiership team that have improved. However, it's hard to go past Jack Macrae after 11 games in the season. He has been arguably their best player so far this season and would probably be a fair margin ahead of both Lachie Hunter and Toby McLean who would possibly round out the top three. He has notched up 30 possessions or more in 10 of his 11 games which is a true indicator of his consistency. Averages career-highs in disposals, tackles, clearances and inside 50s. His form is so grand that he is among the favourites to take home the Brownlow and a huge chance for his first All-Australian Selection.
The Mid-Season Most Improved Player
Aside from Bailey Williams who is providing drive from defence and has also shown his capabilities as an intercept defender, there are is one player that has improved a fair bit. Toby McLean's transition from half-forward to full-time midfielder has resulted in statistically, a career season, averaging career-highs in disposals (25.7 per game), tackles (6.5 per game) and clearances (4.4 per game). He has more than proven his worth as an inside midfielder and at 22 years of age, he's only going to get better.
Dogs Potentially Under Pressure
The out-of-contract Bulldogs are struggling right now. Luke Dahlhaus wants to stay at the club but is horribly out of form. I'm not sure what's going on with Jordan Roughead at the moment, he's missed a few games with injury this year, but I'm confused why Luke Beveridge wants a full-forward in Tom Boyd rather than Roughead, who seems to be playing more as a key position player. Mitch Wallis has been tipped to go to Carlton in the off-season over the past week, but if he continues to play VFL then the writing could not be any clearer on the proverbial wall. Shane Biggs' form has been a puzzling one too, as he has only played two games and the rest in the VFL.
The Run Home Round 13: Away vs Port Adelaide – Adelaide Oval
Round 14: Home vs North Melbourne – Etihad Stadium
Round 15: Home vs Geelong – Etihad Stadium
Round 16: Home vs Hawthorn – Etihad Stadium
Round 17: Away vs Melbourne – MCG
Round 18: Away vs West Coast – Optus Stadium
Round 19: Home vs Port Adelaide – Mars Stadium
Round 20: Away vs St. Kilda – Etihad Stadium
Round 21: Away vs North Melbourne – Etihad Stadium Round 22: Away vs Carlton – Etihad Stadium Round 23: Away vs Richmond – MCG
The final 11 games of the season doesn't bear many good tidings for the red, white and blues. Eight of these games are against teams currently sitting in the top eight. The only games that are really winnable come in round 20 against St. Kilda and round 22 against Carlton. The only good thing is that there is two more games interstate including a trip to Adelaide next week. The other is an excursion to Perth to play the ladder leaders. The round 16 game against Hawthorn could also provide the Dogs with a winnable game and maybe the second meeting against Port Adelaide in Ballarat could get interesting as well.
Final Verdict The old saying, 'It's Not How You Start, It's How You Finish' is a phrase that I can use to describe the Bulldogs right now. Sure, things don't sound overly grand right now and supporters have every right to know why it is so, but things can turn around promptly. Remember Hawthorn from last year? They were a rabble in the first part of the year, and then turned it around in the second-half of the year, winning six of their last 10. The talent is there in this list, but it's just a matter of how much these players want it, because it is clear that they are miles away from the desire, the want and the nothing-to-lose mentality that we witnessed through September of 2016.
If You Enjoyed This Piece, Make Sure You Help Keep This Page Going By Jumping Onto www.patreon.com/AlexDocherty and support the page!