Western Bulldogs not reaching heights of premiership season so far in 2017

[Axe Man]

Western Bulldogs not reaching heights of premiership season so far in 2017

THE most memorable premiership in football history was won with extraordinary coalface power and a manic forward press.

The Western Bulldogs dominated contested ball, clearances, inside 50m and time in forward half differential throughout last season and then went to another level in four incredible finals.

But three rounds into their premiership defence, the Dogs aren’t doing any of those things.

Luke Beveridge’s band of gritty stars have gone from bashing rivals in these areas to languishing in the negative after three matches.

Is an old dog learning new tricks? Is it cause for concern? Or is this simply a premiership side with less preparation time warming into the season?

Whatever the reason, the change is stark.

The Bulldogs ranked No.1 for the 2016 home-and-away season in contested possession differential (+14.4 per week) and No.2 for clearance differential (+5.7). So far this season, they rank 10th (-1.7) and 15th (-4.7) in those categories, respectively.

Inside 50m differential has gone from +8.9 per week in 2016 (ranked No.2) to -4 (ranked 12th) this season.

Time in forward half differential has plummeted from an average +7min2secs in the 2016 home-and-away season to -2min20secs in 2017.

Interestingly, there’s also changes in the way the Bulldogs are scoring, too. Last season 15.6 per cent of their score was launched from the defensive 50m — the sixth-lowest of any side.

This year 25.4 per cent of their score has been generated from the same area of the ground — the highest percentage of any side.

Yet the Bulldogs were poleaxed by Collingwood in contested footy, clearances, and inside 50s in Round 1. They have basically broken even in these areas in the last fortnight against Sydney and Fremantle.

DIFF’RENT DOGS: The premiers are playing a different game so far in 2017

(Source: Champion Data)

In the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s shock loss to the Dockers, Beveridge was asked for the reasons.

Was Liam Picken’s concussion a factor? Was complacency an issue?

Ross Lyon said his side beat the Dogs at their own game.

“I thought we tackled and pressured really well. The Bulldogs went to a premiership on pressuring and tackling and then exploding away,” Lyon said.

This isn’t a swipe at the Dogs, who are A) 2-1, and B) only three rounds of footy into the season.

But for a side who last year regularly beat up on rivals at stoppages and pinned them inside their defensive half better than any other side, it’s been a massive drop off.

[comrade]

We've selected a surplus of HB flankers and have generated a quarter of our scores from defensive 50. We're also conceding big clearance numbers and contested ball. I don't think this is a coincidence.

[Topdog]

Who wrote this? I thought when you write an article you offer up a reason for xyz happening? It's basically just stats on a page, bloody useless

[comrade]

Who wrote this? I thought when you write an article you offer up a reason for xyz happening? It's basically just stats on a page, bloody useless

The headings should just read: Bulldogs 2017 stats differ from 2016

[Axe Man]

Who wrote this? I thought when you write an article you offer up a reason for xyz happening? It's basically just stats on a page, bloody useless

Sam Edmund.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Well as much as it is just stats on a page, the stats are pretty damning. No excuses really. We are struggling at our own game. Whether by design or not, it's affecting our success where we've been far from convincing in any of the 3 games.

[Topdog]

Well as much as it is just stats on a page, the stats are pretty damning. No excuses really. We are struggling at our own game. Whether by design or not, it's affecting our success where we've been far from convincing in any of the 3 games.

We've been convincing in parts of games, just never for 4 quarters. I don't see how a 2-1 start is affecting our success.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

We've been convincing in parts of games, just never for 4 quarters. I don't see how a 2-1 start is affecting our success.

Yeah we have played in spurts no doubt. But against Freo, that spurt was one quarter and it cost us. We should be 3-0 and in the top 4. Instead we are 2-1 and sitting 9th. Yes it's still early but in such a close competition that loss may cost us top 4.

[SlimPickens]

Yes it's still early but in such a close competition that loss may cost us top 4.

7th will do

[LostDoggy]

Bevo lulling all the other teams and coaches into a false sense of hope with our different approach and structures that we have adopted this year.
When we get to the business end of the year Bevo will flick the switch and lower the sonic boom back to how we played last year.
By then it'll be too late for the other pretenders to switch back and cope with our Men of Mayhem style.

[1eyedog]

Edmund is not worthy of understanding the mind of Bevo. We're up to something and no-one has the slightest idea what it is. Its clear we are trying to play a different way. Maybe Rough is hurting that.

[comrade]

Edmund is not worthy of understanding the mind of Bevo. We're up to something and no-one has the slightest idea what it is. Its clear we are trying to play a different way. Maybe Rough is hurting that.

I think Roughy was a bigger loss than we've realised. He has an ability to at least compete in the ruck and neutralise the opposition. He is also good for 2-3 contested marks a game. Dale out is a big dent in our defensive set up and we're missing Dickson's ruthless finishing.

The joirnos who are questioning the game plan haven't even seen our plan A yet.

[boydogs]

Edmund is not worthy of understanding the mind of Bevo. We're up to something and no-one has the slightest idea what it is. Its clear we are trying to play a different way. Maybe Rough is hurting that.

He's trying to get us to play more like Hawthorn - more scores from defensive rebounds, more efficient. We've established ourselves as a contested ball, tackling and pressure powerhouse, but in a premiership year we didn't win a single game by more than 50 points. He wants us to be more capable of piling on big scores and putting teams away

The game plan has changed so it's not surprising we're still adjusting to it in round 3

[Mofra]

He's trying to get us to play more like Hawthorn - more scores from defensive rebounds, more efficient. We've established ourselves as a contested ball, tackling and pressure powerhouse, but in a premiership year we didn't win a single game by more than 50 points. He wants us to be more capable of piling on big scores and putting teams away

Statistically, Sydney launched far more scores from their back half in 2016 than Hawthorn did.
Sydney were actually far in front of any other club last year for this. They're now struggling too - perhaps footy has moved on and it's a strategy that is far less effective this year than it once was.

[DOG GOD]

To me, those stats are already quite damning. If it wasn't for 3-4 good quarters out of 12 we would've been sitting 0-3 without playing anyone of note (Sydney on a slide). Contested footy was OUR thing last year...first use of the ball. We hunted and we succeeded to the point of a premiership. To be honest, what I've seen so far I'm not impressed with. Other than the game plan, the players look slow, and they look disinterested in having to work hard to get reward. Maybe the premiership has given a few a false sense that another will just happen.

Concerning, we haven't played anyone of real note yet. No game is going to be a given, and if their thought process and that of fans as well, is to just make the 8 and then we can peak, then that will mean squat if we finish 10th.

Whatever bevo is trying to do, it doesn't look like its cohesive at the moment. Yes I know it's only round 3, but if we come out tonight and give the kangas a start, then the pressure will be really on....and with Bris, GWS and rich to follow....nothing is a given.

Roughead and Morris are MASSIVE losses....