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GVGjr
22-08-2017, 06:20 PM
This from RoCo
http://www.footyology.com.au/analyse-this-bulldogs-just-havent-been-hungry-enough/

874

In the complex world of modern-day AFL football, there’s always going to be plenty of analysis into different team’s failures. But sometimes there’s a more fundamental explanation.

Unless a series of unlikely cards fall the way of the Western Bulldogs this weekend in the last home and away round of the season, they will become only the second reigning premier in nearly 20 years to miss the following year’s finals.

There’s various explanations regarding injuries, structure and game plan, but none as significant as this. In 2017, the Bulldogs simply haven’t had the same hunger.

Since 1999, only Hawthorn in 2009 has failed to back up a flag with at least some finals action the following year. And the parallels between those Hawks and the Bulldogs this season are strong, namely youth and inexperience.

Indeed, the Dogs’ successful 22 of 2016 was even younger and less seasoned than Hawthorn in 2008, with an average age of 24 and average games’ experience of just 82, significantly less than either the Hawks then, or another very young premiership team, Collingwood of 2010.

What did that mean? That after one of the most famous of premiership wins, the young Bulldogs, having achieved earlier than expected and unseasoned in the ways of dealing with sudden top-dog status, failed to deal with the psychological pressure that entailed.

In retrospect, the signs weren’t good even shortly after the grand final win, when the likes of Tom Liberatore, it’s fair to say, let their hair down so to speak on various overseas adventures.

Perhaps the Bulldogs stuttering early-season form masked the extent of the malaise as well. While they never managed to reach anything like the heights of last September, they still managed to win four of their first five games, occasionally, like in the round two victory over Sydney, getting closer to the required standard.

But from there, it’s been a real struggle, just seven wins and nine losses. Even a recent run of four wins in a row came with an asterisk, three of those victories against teams all in the bottom four on the ladder.

They’ve consistently come up short against the best, their record against current top eight teams a miserable 3-7. And the unmistakeable signs of a diminishing appetite for achievement are everywhere.

There was an obvious hunger for the contest about the Dogs in 2016 which gave them a differential ranking of No.1 for contested possession and No.2 for clearances. Their equivalent rankings right now are eighth for contested ball and 12th for clearances.

Last year, the Dogs didn’t score much, but had even less scored against them with a ranking of third for fewest points conceded. This season, seven other teams concede fewer points per game than they do.

On a purely individual level, the picture is even more bleak. Indeed, it’s hard to think of any of the most important parts of the Bulldog machine who are playing even as well as, let alone better, than last year. Maybe, at a pinch, Marcus Bontempelli has maintained his level.

But of the top 10 in last year’s best and fairest, just one player – Caleb Daniel – is getting his hands to the football more than he did in 2016, and even that’s only fractionally more.

Liberatore, fourth in the best and fairest last season, is arguably the biggest disappointment, averaging four fewer disposals per game this year. He’s been nigh on invisible in some big games, and in 17 appearances, has only three times managed more than 20 touches, a very poor return for a senior midfielder.

Liam Picken, so critical last September, is also down four possessions per game. So is Lachie Hunter. Luke Dahlhaus and Jack Macrae have at least managed around the same amount of football, but are both winning less contested football.

And Jason Johannisen’s struggles to deal with tight checking as opponents zero in on the importance of his rebound from half-back have already been well-documented.

Injuries certainly haven’t helped, particularly those to two of the Dogs’ three most experienced hands in Matthew Boyd and Dale Morris. Skipper Bob Murphy has missed time, too, while in a largely undersized defence, the loss of Marcus Adams with a foot injury took a greater toll than many might have expected.

There’s been further complications in the mental health battles fought by key forward pair Tom Boyd and Travis Cloke, both of whom have required extended spells out of the game.

All are legitimate explanations for the struggle that 2017 has been. But the Bulldogs had more than their share of injuries and absentees last season, too, and somehow still managed to find a way over the obstacles. This season, they simply haven’t been able to dig deep enough into their reserves of both physical and psychological energy.

Which is the bottom line here. For all the number-crunching, discussion of the impact of the loss of key defender Joel Hamling to Fremantle, the injuries, the Bulldogs in 2017 simply haven’t been up for the fight to anything like the same level.

The good news is that Dogs still have time, and youth on their side. If nothing else, the Dogs now know through bitter experience just how difficult it is to be the hunted rather than the hunter.

And the case of Hawthorn in 2009 is also a very handy measuring stick. There’s certainly no better example than the Hawks’ three flags in a row between 2013-15 of a club turning a premiership hangover into something a lot more fruitful in subsequent years. That, rather than a fleeting finals appearance, is the Western Bulldogs’ bigger challenge now.

By Rohan Connolly on August 22, 2017

always right
22-08-2017, 06:49 PM
I'm amazed that whenever "experts" talk about players who have improved on last year, they never mention Toby McLean. Are their eyes painted on?

GVGjr
22-08-2017, 07:02 PM
I'm amazed that whenever "experts" talk about players who have improved on last year, they never mention Toby McLean. Are their eyes painted on?

Good point. Luke Darcy corrected Wayne Carey when discussing us and McLean wasn't mentioned.

anfo27
22-08-2017, 07:05 PM
You can add Zaine Cordy to the improved list.

kruder
22-08-2017, 07:17 PM
I'm amazed that whenever "experts" talk about players who have improved on last year, they never mention Toby McLean. Are their eyes painted on?

Its because the so called experts don't know our list back to front, there are very few people in the media that live an breath football enough to be a good analyst it continues to be about celebrity.

Mclean is now showing the midfield form he had in his 18's year where he can win a ball inside and get outside in one continuous motion. His two way running on the weekend was fantastic he has improved out of sight for mine.

bulldogtragic
22-08-2017, 07:33 PM
I dunno, I reckon Bailey Dale is a smidge better this year.

Remi Moses
22-08-2017, 08:14 PM
Staggered they haven't noticed Bailey Dale's year, but the rubbish trotted out in the last few days , I'm not shocked .

bornadog
22-08-2017, 08:20 PM
Improvers this year:

* Bailey Dale

* Bailey Williams

* Toby Mclean

* Caleb Daniel

* Jack Macrae

* Lin Jong

* Zaine Cordy

bulldogtragic
22-08-2017, 08:21 PM
Improvers this year:

* Bailey Dale

* Bailey Williams

* Toby Mclean

* Caleb Daniel

* Jack Macrae

* Lin Jong

Zaine Cordy

bornadog
22-08-2017, 08:24 PM
Zaine Cordy

I was about to do an edit - thanks

bulldogtragic
22-08-2017, 08:24 PM
I was about to do an edit

Too slow! :D

Twodogs
22-08-2017, 08:27 PM
Did Marcus Adams play enough footy to qualify as an improver? His form when he played seemed pretty good. His kicking improved, well it was less haphazard anyway, and he was playing forward and kicking a few goals.

With Hamling gone we really missed Adams a lot.

boydogs
22-08-2017, 08:42 PM
Tom Boyd had one game with more than 14 hitouts in 2016. In 2017 he had more than 30 hitouts in 3 of his last 4 games

anfo27
22-08-2017, 09:19 PM
Its because the so called experts don't know our list back to front, there are very few people in the media that live an breath football enough to be a good analyst it continues to be about celebrity.

Mclean is now showing the midfield form he had in his 18's year where he can win a ball inside and get outside in one continuous motion. His two way running on the weekend was fantastic he has improved out of sight for mine.

Needs to improve his tackling for mine though, too many missed tackles.

Hotdog60
22-08-2017, 09:25 PM
Did Marcus Adams play enough footy to qualify as an improver? His form when he played seemed pretty good. His kicking improved, well it was less haphazard anyway, and he was playing forward and kicking a few goals.

With Hamling gone we really missed Adams a lot.
The thing with Adams was his long kicking, handball was another story with his short kicks but I reckon he could brake zones with his kicks. If only he can stay on the paddock.

hujsh
22-08-2017, 09:33 PM
To be fair

He did say it was hard to think of players who were important last year who improved this year and then worked through the B&F top 10.

The likes of Dale, Williams, Jong and Mclean (though he was good in the GWS game) were not exactly our most important players last year

soupman
22-08-2017, 09:35 PM
It's a fairly accurate article to be fair. Sure it doesn't mention our improvers but as it states none of our key players from our successful 2016 qualify. All the players that have noticeably improved were fringe types last year and they are overwhelmingly outnumbered by underperforming senior players.

We deserve to be bagged out for this year, we have been crap. If there is an article about who has improved I would expect to see the likes of Mclean, Dale, Cordy all given attention but if it's an article about how we have failed to live up to expectations then none of them have been so good as to warrant mention.

Edit. Hujsh I think we are in agreeance.

Bulldog4life
23-08-2017, 01:22 AM
To be fair

He did say it was hard to think of players who were important last year who improved this year and then worked through the B&F top 10.

The likes of Dale, Williams, Jong and Mclean (though he was good in the GWS game) were not exactly our most important players last year

Yes agree hjush.

Ozza
23-08-2017, 10:39 AM
Its very easy to nitpick at the one or two players not mentioned in the article - but not overly productive for the conversation.

I think it is a pretty solid comparison of the difference between last season's performances and this seasons - from both an individual and team perspective.

The scores conceded is of particular interest to me. Are we conceding more points now because the backline has been unsettled & inexperienced at times and less able to intercept mark with Wood being given different roles due to lack of personnel? Or is it that our midfield and team defence is not as fanatical this season - thereby giving the opposition better quality entries?

At the other end of the ground - I would like to know how often the opposition are marking the ball inside our 50 compared to last year. Although we have generally been taller, I doubt that Cloke and Redpath (when they have played) have necessarily been better at creating ground balls by competing in the air, then perhaps Cordy and Boyd were able to late in the year.

Twodogs
23-08-2017, 07:01 PM
Its very easy to nitpick at the one or two players not mentioned in the article - but not overly productive for the conversation.

I think it is a pretty solid comparison of the difference between last season's performances and this seasons - from both an individual and team perspective.

The scores conceded is of particular interest to me. Are we conceding more points now because the backline has been unsettled & inexperienced at times and less able to intercept mark with Wood being given different roles due to lack of personnel? Or is it that our midfield and team defence is not as fanatical this season - thereby giving the opposition better quality entries?

At the other end of the ground - I would like to know how often the opposition are marking the ball inside our 50 compared to last year. Although we have generally been taller, I doubt that Cloke and Redpath (when they have played) have necessarily been better at creating ground balls by competing in the air, then perhaps Cordy and Boyd were able to late in the year.

We've missed Cordy's tackling and attack on the ball in attack too.

Not so much the moustache though

Sedat
23-08-2017, 09:24 PM
Its very easy to nitpick at the one or two players not mentioned in the article - but not overly productive for the conversation.

I think it is a pretty solid comparison of the difference between last season's performances and this seasons - from both an individual and team perspective.

The scores conceded is of particular interest to me. Are we conceding more points now because the backline has been unsettled & inexperienced at times and less able to intercept mark with Wood being given different roles due to lack of personnel? Or is it that our midfield and team defence is not as fanatical this season - thereby giving the opposition better quality entries?
Bit of column A and column B. Our defensive stocks have been depleted all season but our inability to provide defensive cover from our mids by way of winning clearances, CP's and the territorial battle has contributed to our points conceded blowing out this season.