Where did it all go wrong?

[FrediKanoute]

Lots and lots. But if I can adjust the question to why didn't we make finals?

We smashed GWS early in the year but couldn't kick goals. Loss.
Both games against WCE they gave us a good look, but couldn't kick goals. Loss Loss.
We had Freo (14th this year) on the ropes at 3/4 time. Loss.
We were going ok until 3/4 time against Geelong. Wildly bad umpiring and limp last quarter. Loss.
Leading Port Adelaide during the last quarter. Loss.

Win some of these and we are not having this conversation. So my question back is, 'are we not able to close games out, and if so, why?'

Fitness 80%; Attitude 20%

Don't underplay injuries though. we have copped a tough run for the last 2-3 seasons and it was bound to catch up with us. Crammers and Cloke going early disrupted our forward line. Morris, M Boyd and Adams going down put holes in our defence. We have been plugging gaps all year in 2017 and after doing that in 2016 it all came to a head.

[SonofScray]

A lot of factors. Worth noting that for all of it though, if we weren't so wasteful in front of goal against GWS, WCE & Freo we'd be in the 8 and feeling a bit less deflated. Its all been in the margins, in a lot of ways. Deep down I didn't feel like we were good enough by about round 6, the fervour and perfect football displayed in parts of 15/16 just not present.

Changes to staff and roles in the off season. Certainly there was a different approach to some player's role and tactics for sections of the team which we just didn't manage well at all.

Rule changes by the AFL. The disruption caused by the third man up rule has had an impact. Negated a key strength of our best player and exposed a weakness in our ruck stocks. Our efforts to work something out there earlier in the year were bizarre.

The number of post premiership surgeries. A lot of guys were under done and chasing all season.

The shorter preseason + sense of satisfaction that settled in post premiership.

In-game injuries. I can think of at least 4 games now where we went down a man, or more, on the bench early in games. In a tight competition, that stuff hurts. Picken, Boyd, Stringer, Wood, Jong, Morris all went down in game. We have had a torrid run of injury. Less serious perhaps than last season, but more consistent and drawn out across the year.

MRP ridiculousness.

The #freekickbulldogs campaign in the media and lead by the Swans.

Key players having horrible season's individually. Libba the most absurd decline you could imagine.

[LostDoggy]

A lot of factors. Worth noting that for all of it though, if we weren't so wasteful in front of goal against GWS, WCE & Freo we'd be in the 8 and feeling a bit less deflated. Its all been in the margins, in a lot of ways. Deep down I didn't feel like we were good enough by about round 6, the fervour and perfect football displayed in parts of 15/16 just not present.

Changes to staff and roles in the off season. Certainly there was a different approach to some player's role and tactics for sections of the team which we just didn't manage well at all.

Rule changes by the AFL. The disruption caused by the third man up rule has had an impact. Negated a key strength of our best player and exposed a weakness in our ruck stocks. Our efforts to work something out there earlier in the year were bizarre.

The number of post premiership surgeries. A lot of guys were under done and chasing all season.

The shorter preseason + sense of satisfaction that settled in post premiership.

In-game injuries. I can think of at least 4 games now where we went down a man, or more, on the bench early in games. In a tight competition, that stuff hurts. Picken, Boyd, Stringer, Wood, Jong, Morris all went down in game. We have had a torrid run of injury. Less serious perhaps than last season, but more consistent and drawn out across the year.

MRP ridiculousness.

The #freekickbulldogs campaign in the media and lead by the Swans.

Key players having horrible season's individually. Libba the most absurd decline you could imagine.

Could we add two trips to Perth early didn't help?

Pretty much the perfect storm. Get everyone on the track at the same time and reload.

[KT31]

From last season to this season our list didn't improve, if anything it went backwards.
Not picking up a ruckman and losing a key back really hurt.
Also a bit miffed we kept Campbell when he may have had some suiters, then we didn't give him any real opportunities.

[Eastdog]

Could we add two trips to Perth early didn't help?

Pretty much the perfect storm. Get everyone on the track at the same time and reload.

Never easy travelling twice to Perth both fairly close to each other and also travelling to Canberra in Round 6. In 2016 our first 8 games were in Victoria.

[Sedat]

Lots and lots. But if I can adjust the question to why didn't we make finals?

We smashed GWS early in the year but couldn't kick goals. Loss.
Both games against WCE they gave us a good look, but couldn't kick goals. Loss Loss.
We had Freo (14th this year) on the ropes at 3/4 time. Loss.
We were going ok until 3/4 time against Geelong. Wildly bad umpiring and limp last quarter. Loss.
Leading Port Adelaide during the last quarter. Loss.

Win some of these and we are not having this conversation. So my question back is, 'are we not able to close games out, and if so, why?'

The close losses, had they been wins, would have been papering over the cracks. We just aren't in the frame with the real top echelon teams at the business end - Sydney, Adelaide and GWS toyed with us later in the season, Port and even Melbourne did likewise. No team completely got the better of us last year - Geelong maybe but at the Cattery we pushed them all the way - whereas this season we've been non-competitive in a number of games. That simply didn't happen in 2015 and 2016.

When you have 44 players on your list and maybe 2-3 have genuinely improved year-on-year, you're in big trouble. We banked on incremental improvement within and it never really eventuated.

[Rocket Science]

Our hideous innacuracy routinely cost us momentum in games, numerous results and I reckon you could argue a premiership defence.

We must do something about rectifying what's now a league-worst trait.

[Eastdog]

Our hideous innacuracy routinely cost us momentum in games, numerous results and I reckon you could argue a premiership defence.

We must do something about rectifying what's now a league-worst trait.

Yes this must be reviewed in the offseason. There has been games where our kicking actually has been quite good at goal but a lot of others where it simply has not been good enough. A great example is against GWS earlier in the year. That was a game where I felt we were the better side and had we just kicked a bit straighter we definitely would have won the way we were coming at them at the end.

[Daughter of the West]

I have a slightly left field contribution.

Our distinct lack of First Dog cartoons this season.

There hasn't been one since our Sydney win, and that was the height of our performance for the year...

I understand First Dog is all important now, holding politicians to account, attending budget briefings in Canberra, campaigning human rights causes and the like, but surely that all pales in comparison* to how the Bulldogs are travelling?





*All said with tongue planted firmly in one's cheek

[Bulldog4life]

From last season to this season our list didn't improve, if anything it went backwards.
Not picking up a ruckman and losing a key back really hurt.
Also a bit miffed we kept Campbell when he may have had some suiters, then we didn't give him any real opportunities.

I am sure Tom's best footy is still to come. His last 2 games before he was injured were arguably his best for the Club. He had just under 50 tap outs each game and his work around the ground was improved. Unfortunately the poor bugger got injured again. If he can get good run at it the team will benefit greatly and he will improve too.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

I am sure Tom's best footy is still to come. His last 2 games before he was injured were arguably his best for the Club. He had just under 50 tap outs each game and his work around the ground was improved. Unfortunately the poor bugger got injured again. If he can get good run at it the team will benefit greatly and he will improve too.

Campbell is still our best tap ruck man but requires an uninterrupted preseason to improve his mobility around the ground.
There was a disastrous run of injuries throughout the year which was a major factor in our decline. At different times we were minus Morris Murphy Adams Dunkley Stringer Jong Roughead T Boyd and Cloke. Heavy knocks suffered to Liberatore and Picken saw them struggle throughout the year. We lacked quality forwards without Crameri together with Dickson and Stringer who both had ordinary years. Our style of play is a very demanding one and eventually our lack of physical strength took its toll. There also needs to be an adjustment to our game with far too much handball being executed, often poorly, at the expense of better and longer disposal by foot.

[Mantis]

I am sure Tom's best footy is still to come. His last 2 games before he was injured were arguably his best for the Club. He had just under 50 tap outs each game and his work around the ground was improved. Unfortunately the poor bugger got injured again. If he can get good run at it the team will benefit greatly and he will improve too.

He's durability must be questioned though... He just can't stay on the park for any length of time.

[1eyedog]

He's durability must be questioned though... He just can't stay on the park for any length of time.

Massive problem he's held together with masking tape and cable ties.

[The Doctor]

He's durability must be questioned though... He just can't stay on the park for any length of time.

like half the team

you have to wonder what is going on with our conditioning and fitness and all the bloody injuries. Or is it our game style thats the problem? I don't know. Frustrates the bejesus out of me we can never have our best team on the paddock

Campbell was going into to 2016 as our Number 1 ruck.

[LostDoggy]

like half the team

you have to wonder what is going on with our conditioning and fitness and all the bloody injuries. Or is it our game style thats the problem? I don't know. Frustrates the bejesus out of me we can never have our best team on the paddock

Campbell was going into to 2016 as our Number 1 ruck.

It frustrates me too but surely bad luck only goes so far before it becomes something else?