The Western Bulldogs are dominating the AFL, but the way they play may surprise you

[Hotdog60]

A month and a half into the 2021 season, the AFL landscape is becoming clearer.

Surprise packets the Sydney Swans have come back to earth after their fast start. Winless North Melbourne have sunk perhaps even further than the gloomy pre-season forecasts predicted.

At the other end of the table, the unbeaten Western Bulldogs have joined the list of serious flag fancies.

The Dogs have burst out of the gates, running and grinding their opponents into the ground. With a rock-solid midfield rotation and a rising key forward, at face value they have all the hallmarks of a conventional premiership contender.

Scratch below the surface though, and you'll find they're defying convention too.

The ground game



To outsiders, one of the standout features of Australian Football is how much time the ball spends in the air. Of all the many and varied types of football around the world, the Sherrin might well earn the most frequent flight miles.

It's long been held that in order to win games — and premierships — you need to dominate in the air. Talented big men are among the most prized possessions in football; a key to contender status.

But while the Dogs have unearthed one of the brightest young forwards in the game, Aaron Naughton, their style of play is still largely based on ground-level dominance.

The Handscray Bulldogs

The Dogs like to control possession through their use of handball. At the same time, they stop opposing sides from doing the same.

If they can maintain their current pace, the Dogs will have the highest season handball differential for at least four decades.
With a plethora of talented midfielders, the Dogs have decided to lean into their strengths and work for the right kick rather than simply take the first option. This has led to a massive inside 50 differential so far this year, gaining roughly three entries (and scoring opportunities) for every two opposition forays.
The Dogs have also led the way at stoppages this year, winning first use of the ball more often than any other side.

A key factor is their tight inside midfield rotation. The Dogs have used by far the fewest number of players at centre bounces, with only five non-rucks winning a single centre clearance. Only one other, Bailey Smith, has attended a centre bounce this year — and that was only after the injury to Josh Dunkley against GWS.
This is a concentration unique in the league this season, and helps maximise the talent at their disposal. But coach Luke Beveridge insists it's not a totally new development.

"It was a bit of a misnomer that Josh Dunkley wasn't playing midfield last year," Beveridge told the ABC.

"What had happened was that when Dunks came back from injury last year, we were — I wouldn't say outstanding — but we were going really well at the centre bounce. And the four main boys going through there in Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Macrae, Tom Libratore and Bailey Smith, well they were doing an extraordinary job."

Winning the ball is just one part of the equation though. What you do when the opposition has it might be even more important.

Total control

The aim of the game in footy is pretty simple: Kick the ball between those two big sticks. But how you get the ball into a position to do that isn't quite so straightforward.

Some teams like to retain possession by using the kick-mark game, inching down the ground one chip at a time. Others throw caution to the wind and embark on lengthy handball chains, taking risky options through the middle.

The Dogs have clearly put a lot of thought into how to best adapt to the rule changes introduced by the AFL this season. While a lot of discussion has centred on the attacking element of the "stand" rule, it's the defensive side that's seemingly been far more of a focus for the Dogs' coaching staff.



"You've got to defend it differently. You can't rely on that front line of defence – sometimes it's just not there," observed Beveridge after last week's win over the Giants.

Defending in 2021 is undeniably different than in years past. Regardless of whether a side leans more zonal (like the Dogs) or man-on-man, there has been a period of adjustment for everyone.
The Western Bulldogs have quickly become adept at denying space in the corridor, forcing sides to either switch their point of attack or kick it long to a contest down the line. When the opposition takes a mark or wins a free kick, the Dogs rush to clog the usable space in front of the ball carrier.
The strategy requires great discipline with regard to spacing and commitment to covering switches, but so far it's holding up.

Marking mostly where it matters

It's a key reason why the Dogs have lost the general aerial battle for the year (80 to 103 marks outside forward 50 per game), but have won the battle inside 50. They've taken a league-leading eight more marks inside 50 per game.
They can concede a lot of turnovers occurring higher up the ground, sometimes leaving their defence exposed. This places a bit of pressure on the deeper defensive troops such as Alex Keath. If they get isolated, they can be scored against.

In defence, Dogs prefer to hunt in packs

Despite this, the Dogs have been exposed down back less than any other side, with the deep defenders communicating well so far. It's early days, but the strategy looks like a solid blueprint for defending under the new rules.

Can you beat the boys?



This week the Bulldogs play the Tigers, who are fresh off a loss to the competition's other undefeated side, Melbourne. Facing the reigning premiers is tough at any time, let alone when they're out for revenge. Richmond has not only set the pace for much of the last four years, but they also present a vastly different stylistic test for the Dogs.

The Dogs will also face Port Adelaide and Melbourne in the not too distant future. Despite their flawless record so far, it feels like there's still a lot to learn about how they'll fare against other contenders.

If they can carry their perfect record through this weekend, hope will be truly rising in the West.

There are graphs supporting this article if you would like to see them here the LINK

[DOG GOD]

This is the main point for mine, and it starts tomorrow night...

The Dogs will also face Port Adelaide and Melbourne in the not too distant future. Despite their flawless record so far, it feels like there's still a lot to learn about how they'll fare against other contenders.

[bornadog]

Mantis posted this in the GWS game day thread, but worth having a separate thread.

Great Article and analysis of how we play. Bevo showing the competition that he is a unique coach. The game plan can come unstuck if the mids get beaten.

[jeemak]

Mantis posted this in the GWS game day thread, but worth having a separate thread.

Great Article and analysis of how we play. Bevo showing the competition that he is a unique coach. The game plan can come unstuck if the mids get beaten.

It's been that way for a while with us, most of our in game malaise kicks off when the mids don't run both ways, don't go defencive when they should at centre clearances and stoppages etc..

[azabob]

It's been that way for a while with us, most of our in game malaise kicks off when the mids don't run both ways, don't go defencive when they should at centre clearances and stoppages etc..

Fair to say since the Wallace and Eade eras also.

[jeemak]

Fair to say since the Wallace and Eade eras also.

I guess it's probably the same across the board, and only masked by really good defencive units from time to time.

[Hotdog60]

Mantis posted this in the GWS game day thread, but worth having a separate thread.

Great Article and analysis of how we play. Bevo showing the competition that he is a unique coach. The game plan can come unstuck if the mids get beaten.

Sorry Mantis, I missed the link in the thread.

[Happy Days]

It probably goes a fair way to explaining why (to an outsider anyway) Bevo has been so hard on guys like Lipinski and RVDM for mental lapse indiscretions. We’re the best by a mile at defending the moving ball between the arcs and and as the article points out that takes a ton of discipline.

[Grantysghost]

This part is a fair insight into what might happen without Dunks :

A key factor is their tight inside midfield rotation. The Dogs have used by far the fewest number of players at centre bounces, with only five non-rucks winning a single centre clearance. Only one other, Bailey Smith, has attended a centre bounce this year — and that was only after the injury to Josh Dunkley against GWS.

[Ghost Dog]

AFL is one of the most analyzed games in the world. This article certainly shows that.
That guy on Jackson looks like he escaped from maximum security.

[Axe Man]

AFL is one of the most analyzed games in the world. This article certainly shows that.
That guy on Jackson looks like he escaped from maximum security.

Oleg Markov - looks more like the type that ties women to railway tracks to me.

[macca]

After tonight's game against Richmond, can we remove these type of articles ?

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

After tonight's game against Richmond, can we remove these type of articles ?

Why? Our system didn't fail, the way we played after a qtr and a half did. We're 6-1 not 1-6...

[Mutz]

It's been that way for a while with us, most of our in game malaise kicks off when the mids don't run both ways, don't go defencive when they should at centre clearances and stoppages etc..

Spot on - this is what didn't happen last night against Tiges.