Luke Beveridge says loss to Adelaide one of Bulldogs’ worst defeats since he took over as coach

A SHATTERED Luke Beveridge has slammed his players for an “unacceptable” performance in the 59-point loss to Adelaide, which has left the coach and players searching for answers.

Disappointed Bulldogs players leave Adelaide Oval after the loss. Picture: Getty

A SHATTERED Luke Beveridge has slammed his players for an “unacceptable” performance in the Bulldogs’ 59-point loss to Adelaide on Friday night.

The reigning premiers trailed by just three points at halftime but were blown away in the second half in an 11-goal-to-one onslaught from the Crows.

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Beveridge offered no excuses for his side’s performance which leaves the Bulldogs languishing outside the top eight.

“We are not going to give ourselves any pats on the back for a reasonable first half because what happened in the second half was unacceptable,” Beveridge said.

“(It was) one of the worst (losses) since I have been at the club, absolutely.

“Yeah, I am (gutted). We all are. We’re gutted.

“The Crows are very good. They competed extremely well in the air and at ground level but we obviously matched them for a little while, but to fall away so poorly is not good enough.

Disappointed Bulldogs players leave Adelaide Oval after the loss. Picture: Getty

“So, yeah I am (gutted) and we are. We are all gutted. Because obviously we don’t like to sit in the front row and witness that, we feel like we are made of a bit more substance but it was too disappointing.”

The Bulldogs have lost four of their past five matches, leaving the club’s premiership defence in tatters.

They were beaten last week by West Coast at Etihad Stadium — a team that has struggled in Melbourne — and have defeated only North Melbourne, which currently sits 17th on the ladder, by one point since their Round 11 bye.

Beveridge said his side travelled to a hostile Adelaide Oval keen to make a statement but fell well short.

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“To come over here and to feel like we are on a bit of a mission and that every game is important but we’ve had some really marginal performances where we have questioned, we’ve been questioned by the outside world about what our identity is now,” he said. “We had a solid one previously and that grates on you.

“We need time to make sure that quarters, halves like that just don’t happen.

“Again, I pay credit to the Crows. They are a very, very difficult team to combat, especially in the current scheme of things. They’re going well. They were strong and they looked good.

“But we should have been closer.”

The Bulldogs have a favourable next month to get their season back on track, with matches against Carlton, Gold Coast (home), Essendon and Brisbane (away).

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge was left searching for answers.

Beveridge says it’s “line in the sand” time for his side.

“There are a lot of variables that creep in and affect performance and it’s difficult to identify what they are first and then quantify the effect that they have on your group,” he said.

“But there (are) line in the sand-type experiences, and we have had a few already, where you say, ‘That can’t look that way again.’

“But tonight’s second half was definitely one of those experiences that was just too disappointing for a team and a club that has come a long way.

“We don’t want to regress but tonight we regressed a bit.”

The premiers simply must beat Carlton at Etihad Stadium next Sunday but Beveridge said there was a lot of soul searching to come between now and then.

“We have got a lot of time process it, which they say sometimes isn’t the best, that you like to play straight away,” he said. “But we don’t deserve to get another look at it straight away.

Marcus Bontempelli had 24 disposals in the loss. Picture: Sarah Reed

“We have to sit down and look at each other and get through it together and work out how we can find our way forward.

“(There’s) still plenty left in the season. We are still right in the mix (for finals) but on tonight’s performance, we’d be an also-ran if we go there.

“So we’ve got to try and change it around. We will work with our players earlier in the week to endeavour to do that.”

Stand-in captain Easton Wood said the players haven’t been able to find the spark and hunger for the contest that propelled them to the premiership last year.

“I don’t know about regressed but we haven’t been able to find the spark that we have had,” he told Channel 7.

“We haven’t been able to find our best. That’s a tough thing to swallow.

“We have prided ourselves at our best. We have had a great contribution from all 22 and been able to overwhelm teams that way.

“For some reason at the moment that has gone.”