Western Bulldogs soft, spiritless in embarrassing loss to West Coast at Etihad Stadium
IF 2017 was a hangover, what is this? The Western Bulldogs’ excuses about complacency and injuries doesn’t wash anymore after a disastrous loss to West Coast at Etihad Stadium.
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WE called it a premiership hangover.
When the Western Bulldogs slid down the ladder last year on the back of a flag, we all gave them a season’s grace to work it out.
But the excuses about complacency and being hard-hit by injuries doesn’t wash with us anymore.
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Forget the 2016 flag, the footy the Dogs have dished-up over the first fortnight has been junk.
Thank goodness for West Coast jack-in-the-box Liam Ryan, whose continual attempts to take Mark of the Year not only helped lighten the mood, the mature-age WAFL star showed he can make an instant mark at AFL level after 73 majors in the state league last year.
He reeled in a screamer in the second term and added to the highlight reel after half-time with a right-foot checkside goal on the run.
“Flyin’ Ryan”, we are calling him.
But the Eagles weren’t the story in the 51-point win at Etihad Stadium.
It was the slump-shouldered blokes in red, white and blue after a second-straight thrashing.
Naturally, we all thought the Western Bulldogs’ snarl would return in some form this season, but the cold-hard reality is their start to the year has been putrid.
And their headaches need more than a Berocca and a good night’s sleep.
We’ve said it a bit, but there was again none of the manic intensity, desperate defensive pressure or thirst for the contest that was the hallmark of their play two years ago.
Now, they are just a soft side, the Dogs.
A nice side. An average side, at best. They deadset looked spiritless at Etihad Stadium.
After an 82-point shellacking from Greater Western Sydney last week, the Dogs produced arguably their most dismal first-half performance in Luke Beveridge’s three and a bit year reign as coach.
They just had to respond, but instead they served up only 21 tackles and had kicked three goals at half time.
The back line got exposed again without injured pair Dale Morris and Marcus Adams.
And if Beveridge gave them a cook at half-time, it barely worked as the Dogs managed only another 11 tackles in the third term.
All we want is to see some effort, at least.
So let’s draw a line on the 2016 flag, now.
Yes, it’s been a dramatic drop-off, but the premiership is no longer a relevant reference point, they are so far off that level.
“They’re a shadow of their former selves,” Paul Roos said on Triple M.
At half-time, the Dogs trailed by 39 points and had been belted in contested possession 73-50.
The Dogs went goalless in the second term, got punished by Nic Naitanui and Scott Lycett in the ruck and were toothless in attack.
In the third term, Billy Gowers was the Dogs’ most used target in attack. He was in his second game.
If we were to colour-code the Dogs’ effort, we would go with vanilla, or maybe grey.
Beveridge, who had all the secret herbs and spices back in 2016 look flummoxed midway through the second term as he put his head in his hands.
He must have lost count how many times the Dogs’ new-look defence was outnumbered by Eagles’ jumpers in the back line.
Early in the third term West Coast had three spare players in the goal square when the ball landed in their laps again. West Coast had 21 marks inside 50m by midway through the last term.
That’s a belting, and there were sirens wailing in the first few minutes when Shannon Hurn kick-started the rout with a few of his 50m bullets into the West Coast forward line.
The Eagles haven’t had an easier day than this in Melbourne in a long time and four-goal star Jack Darling cashed in, while Gaff, Ryan, Jetta, Lycett, Naitanui were all major contributors.
Darling was last year dubbed the biggest under-performer in the AFL, but he was excellent on Sunday, showcasing his marking power and mobility inside 50m.
We all had question marks on the Eagles this year but they were encouraging against the Swans last week and yesterday will deliver another hit of confidence.
Coach Adam Simpson handed the reins to Jaymie Graham after flying back to Perth to be with his daughter, who was ill.
Dogs’ president chairman Peter Gordon said last week’s loss was embarrassing and you wonder if we will be allowed to print the word he might dish up to describe this effort.
Beveridge has been creative and surprising at selection, leaving Mitch Wallis, Shane Biggs, Tory Dickson and Tom Boyd in the emergency list.
But you wonder if it’s the right move and which big name will be next to be left out.
At the main change, stars Luke Dahlhaus had six touches, Jordan Roughead four, Easton Wood six and Jack Macrae.
When Ryan booted his second goal from point blank range Jason Johannisen didn’t even bother to chase, which is always a damning look.
We just hope Ryan continues to play with this sort of freedom and flair because it was a joy to watch.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.3 3.6 5.13 9.16 (70)
WEST COAST 3.5 9.9 12.10 18.13 (121)
GOALS
Bulldogs: Macrae 3, Dunkley 2, Hunter 2, Bontempelli, Gowers
Eagles: Darling 4, Ryan 3, Venables 3, Waterman 2, LeCras 2, Lycett 2, Gaff, Cripps
BEST
Bulldogs: Macrae, McLean, Hunter, Bontempelli
Eagles: Darling, Hurn, Gaff, Lycett, Yeo, Ryan, McGovern, Naitanui
INJURIES
Bulldogs: Roughead (concussion)
Eagles: Nil
Reports: Nil
Official crowd: 22,868 at Etihad Stadium
VOTES
3. Jack Darling
2. Shannon Hurn
1. Jackson Macrae
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