Our most disappointing loss for 2019?

[GVGjr]

I'm looking more at the home and away season because I think most people will nominate the final against GWS but by my reckoning two losses stood out for the 2019 season as our worst.

The loss against Carlton in round 5 was just so disappointing.
A 44 point loss, letting Sam Petreveski-Seton run amok and we simply refused to ask anyone to even attempt to curb his influence. Cripps was produced a monster performance and like SPS we didn't look to tag him.
Harry McKay made a mess of our match committee selections of going into the game with an undersized defence probably playing his best game of the season. They really caught us napping

The upshot of this loss was when we played them again in round 13 we had players running with Cripps and kept him to a more modest 22 possession performance. The match committee also got it's act together after this game as well


The other heartbreaking performance for me was losing to the North in round 10. Scott's last game at North got their team up for a big performance and we failed early on to meet that challenge.
Our goal kicking was an issue and English couldn't do anything to curb the dominate Goldstein. Zaine Cordy moved into the ruck for a quarter and got us back into the game while English moved forward and kicked a couple of goals

What are the losses that you considered our worst for 2019?

[Mofra]

The game against the Suns. Yes they were at their peak but we should be beating any team who has a remotely similar age profile to us. It's a huge part of why many of us were so bullish for the next few seasons - how well we perform despite our relative inexperience.

It was one of the games we went in with Cordy & Wood as an undersized KPD duo which were uniformly agreed was not a long term solution. From memory, Trengove came into the side the next week and structurally we looked 1000% better.

[mjp]

Carlton. Not prepared, no interested, pathetic.

Worst loss of the season by far. I understand the disappointment with the Gold Coast game but at least we dominated the match for 3/4's and seemed to actually, you know, have a go.

I agree with GVGjr that the North loss was disappointing - but to me the disappointment was from FINALLY getting in front...then just allowing them to march straight back in and score.

The loss to Brisbane at the Gabba late was a bit of a pointer to the GWS final where we let their prime movers rack 'em up and just backed ourselves to 'win more than them'...no respect.

[bulldogtragic]

I'll add St Kilda to the above. I don't know if disappointed or putrid is the best description though. That first quarter, and first half we made some vanilla footballers look like absolute guns while we were impotent. One goal in the first, three in the second and 43 points down at half time. The result of 27 points at the end flattered us considering they had 13 more scoring shots.

Then a month later at the same venue we kick 21 goals straight. Go figure.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

The Carlton loss had me livid. I couldn't believe how poorly we were prepared and it seemed we just thought they were no chance to beat whatever side we rolled out.

[GVGjr]

I'll add St Kilda to the above. I don't know if disappointed or putrid is the best description though. That first quarter, and first half we made some vanilla footballers look like absolute guns while we were impotent. One goal in the first, three in the second and 43 points down at half time. The result of 27 points at the end flattered us considering they had 13 more scoring shots.

Then a month later at the same venue we kick 21 goals straight. Go figure.

I've said this a few times this year but the one thing players can control is the level of energy they bring to a game
The Saints game was another in what was becoming a semi regular occurrence where we knew the opposition team had a bit to play for and we just didn't match their intensity early in the game.

It's certainly something that we need to address in 2020. We can't allow teams to bring more heat to the contest than what we do

[GVGjr]

The Carlton loss had me livid. I couldn't believe how poorly we were prepared and it seemed we just thought they were no chance to beat whatever side we rolled out.

We structured up poorly and just thought we would overrun them but the fact we didn't try and shut a couple of their guys down was confusing. I get Bevo doesn't like us to tag but at times we need to be prepared to use that option

[Twodogs]

I had to watch the North game at my mum's place. She ended up throwing me out when I kicked something (I think it was a pillow-problem was it had a teacup perched on top of it) and it hit the telly...


I really, really hate those cow *!*!*!*!ers.

[Go_Dogs]

The Carlton loss by far. They were an absolute rabble and we got killed by them. Disappointing for all the reasons set out above.

[GVGjr]

The Carlton loss by far. They were an absolute rabble and we got killed by them. Disappointing for all the reasons set out above.

In the round 5 game Cripps had 37 possessions and was a dominate player bringing others into the game (32 handballs) but we learned a lesson and manned him up in the round 13 game keeping him to a more modest, by his standards, 22 possessions.

It's hard to know why we are at times lackluster in the early part of games

[Go_Dogs]

In the round 5 game Cripps had 37 possessions and was a dominate player bringing others into the game (32 handballs) but we learned a lesson and manned him up in the round 13 game keeping him to a more modest, by his standards, 22 possessions.

It's hard to know why we are at times lackluster in the early part of games

We need to iron it out. We improved as the season wore on, but being consistent with effort and application should be a non negotiable every week.

[bornadog]

The Carlton game stands out, with very little effort from the midfield who got smashed that day. To top it off our backline was short and the pressure was really on with the Carlton mids pumping the ball into the F50 so many times.

Not sure if Trengrove, or Lew Young could have been more effective if the ball was coming in so many times, with Cripps winning so many centre clearances. Hopefully lesson learnt, more effort needed from the mids, and team selection is vital - just showed we can't play Wood tall, and Cordy is not a true KPP.

[MrMahatma]

Spoilt for choice on this one!

Blues and Roos an even split for mine.

[hujsh]

This thread could also be called "Welcome back down to Earth: Don't get too cocky just yet"

Some pretty horrible performances to go with the great finish to the year

[Eastdog]

I'll go for the Gold Coast and Carlton games. Really bad losses against 2 teams we should have beat. Was at both games and we just weren't on those days. The GC game in particular disappointing on to back up from our great first 2 weeks of season 2019. I would have liked to have got one against the Pies as well but it wasn't to be and I'm hoping we get it all right come Round 1, 2020.

[Eastdog]

We need to iron it out. We improved as the season wore on, but being consistent with effort and application should be a non negotiable every week.

If we are consistent throughout the season we give ourselves every chance to finish top 4.

[jeemak]

Hard to go past the Blues game for the reasons others have mentioned. It will be interesting whether this year we come out with more intent more consistently against all comers, or whether we still have elements of complacency within our game.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Saints game was more disappointing than the Norf loss.

We knew what was coming having played Norf under the same circumstances and again failed to counter it. Saints were rubbish too and at that time we had everything to play for to keep pushing for finals.

Blues loss a pretty bad one obviously too. GC we dominated but couldn't score.

[SonofScray]

I had Bevo sacked at 2 points. Carlton & St Kilda were awful performances.

[Twodogs]

I had Bevo sacked at 2 points. Carlton & St Kilda were awful performances.

That's what my main concern was. That we'd lose our shit and sack Bevo. I could see it coming in a kind of fever dream where I am one of the few saying "Are you people completely insane?" I said to Gvg that we needed to appoint someone who's sole responsibility was to mind Bevo's back. To make sure there were no rumblings in the player group or around the club and that if there were questions being asked then we get on top of them immediately.


We must keep Bevo, foe one thing we'd look like a prime lot of dickheads if we lost him and he went on to coach another club to 50 000 flags-because that's how many AFL premierships Luke Beveridge will coach-the man is a genius.

[strebla]

I never thought we would have a better coach than Malthouse but Bevo has him covered easily. If he ever gets the chop I would be shattered

[azabob]

The saints game for mine was our most disappointing.

Again we thought it was just going to happen, kicking the first goal within 30 seconds didn't help. From there we looked uninterested and allowed the saints to dominate us in all areas of the game.

As pointed out if our energy levels and desire isn't there week in week out Bruce and Keith won't make a difference at all.

[jeemak]

The saints game for mine was our most disappointing.

Again we thought it was just going to happen, kicking the first goal within 30 seconds didn't help. From there we looked uninterested and allowed the saints to dominate us in all areas of the game.

As pointed out if our energy levels and desire isn't there week in week out Bruce and Keith won't make a difference at all.

Well not sure I agree with the part in bold. We'd get them to look a whole lot worse than they're used to looking. I don't think, apart from the odd performance under Eade at important times (qualifying finals in 2008 and 2009 come to mind), that our not being switched on has ever been more pronounced in terms of outcomes as it does with our current playing group. When on we look like a million bucks, tough, skilled, quick, decisive, accountable and dangerous. When off it's literally the opposite to all of those things and I just don't want to see it this year.

[bornadog]

the odd performance under Eade at important times (qualifying finals in 2008 and 2009 come to mind), .

Would have been nice to have a tall target in the prelims in those years.

[Twodogs]

Would have been nice to have a tall target in the prelims in those years.

I can remember texting another poster during the halftime break in the 2008 prelim and asked if Barry Hall would make a difference. He texted back that hopefully he was already in the dressing room and could play the second half.

[G-Mo77]

The Gold Coast and Carlton losses. Gold Coast was a close one but in no way shape or form did we deserve to win that or even be that close. Both games were absolutely woeful! I walked out early from the Carlton loss and didn't return to the footy until mid July, I was in a pretty dark place at the time though but footy, most notably Western Bulldogs footy was not helping the situation at all. It's partly why I was never confident going into the finals. I still carried the stench from those games all season.

[bornadog]

The Gold Coast and Carlton losses. Gold Coast was a close one but in no way shape or form did we deserve to win that or even be that close. Both games were absolutely woeful! I walked out early from the Carlton loss and didn't return to the footy until mid July, I was in a pretty dark place at the time though but footy, most notably Western Bulldogs footy was not helping the situation at all. It's partly why I was never confident going into the finals. I still carried the stench from those games all season.

There is always a Carlton type of game every year, even in our Premiership year, we had one really bad game - the game v Geelong. We were never in that game.

I just wish we don't see one like that Carlton game again, especially against a low team.

[Twodogs]

There is always a Carlton type of game every year, even in our Premiership year, we had one really bad game - the game v Geelong. We were never in that game.

I just wish we don't see one like that Carlton game again, especially against a low team.

I reckon we were in that game up to our eyeballs up until Libba did his kinee. He was destroying Dangerfield that night.

[bornadog]

I reckon we were in that game up to our eyeballs up until Libba did his kinee. He was destroying Dangerfield that night.

I was thinking of the earlier game in round 13.



Team
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Final


Western Bulldogs (https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/th-western-bulldogs)
0.5
1.9
5.12
5.13
43


Geelong (https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/th-geelong-cats)
5.3
10.3
11.4
16.4
100

[Twodogs]

I was thinking of the earlier game in round 13.



Team
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Final


Western Bulldogs (https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/th-western-bulldogs)
0.5
1.9
5.12
5.13
43


Geelong (https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/th-geelong-cats)
5.3
10.3
11.4
16.4
100



The one where we DIDN'T tag Dangerfield and HE destroyed US.

[Sedat]

There was no performance as insipid and reactive as our effort against GWS in the EF. In terms of planning and execution, and in particular our response to a willing opponent, it was as bad as I've seen for a number of years.

I am hoping it will have a galvanising effect on the entire club, and that we never perform in such a meek and submissive manner again.