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How the Bulldogs are attacking their way to September, the Malcolm Blight way
23 goals in the past week between Sam Darcy and Aaron Naughton has switched the Dogs’ narrative in a masterclass that has legendary coach Malcolm Blight's premiership theory ringing true.
THEY don’t beat anyone in the top eight, their defence is no good and their bottom six isn’t up to it.
That’s generally been the consensus on the Western Bulldogs as the calendar has turned towards the business end of the season .
On Thursday night they beat the sixth best team in the competition by 88 points - the biggest loss for the GWS Giants in almost six years - limiting a team who kicked nine goals in the third quarter last week to just six goals for the entire evening.
The easy assessment is to call it a mulligan for the Giants. They were off from the start and never got close to getting into gear against a team they’ve historically struggled against in recent times.
Or you can adopt the great Malcolm Blight’s attitude about the Dogs and say the best attacking side in the competition can do anything in September.
Blight’s mantra during his coaching days at Geelong and Adelaide was a simple one - if you kick more goals than the opposition you win so attack, attack, attack.
The Dogs have the best attacking midfield in the competition and two of the best tall forwards in the game in Aaron Naughton and Sam Darcy who as a combination are becoming almost impossible to stop.
Giants full-back Sam Taylor is considered the best defender in the game and the stats backed that up but he was mauled by Darcy (5.3 goals) while the much-hyped Leek Aleer was probably hoping his suitors weren’t watching as Naughton (5.2 goals) took him to the cleaners.
That’s 23 goals in the past week for the dynamic duo who torched Essendon last Friday night. It’s the first time in 17 years two players from the same team have kicked five or more goals in back-to-back weeks.
“We can’t be too Sam- and Aaron-centric – we have to make sure we spread it,” Dogs coach Luke Beveridge said.
The coach has to say that but the two-pronged monster is quickly becoming the Dogs point of difference as they battle for a finals spot.
Before half-time the Bulldogs had already reached the AFL average for marks inside 50 for an entire game (12) and ended up winning the stat convincingly 20-6. Ten of their first 14 goals came from marks.
The goal blitz certainly had some former greats starting to believe in Blight’s theory being resurrected by the Bulldogs.
“They’re not going to shy away from playing offensive football, they’re going to push the envelope and take risks. It might backfire defensively, but this is how (Beveridge) wants his team to play,” former Saint Leigh Montagna said on Fox Footy.
“If they continue to play like this the last four weeks of the season, watch out come September.”
Hawks legend Jason Dunstall also backed the Dogs, doubling down on their offensive brand.
“A lot of people talk about who does defence better than the Dogs. Well, no one does offence better, so why not do what you do well, better than everyone else does? And make it your number one strength and big weapon. It’s what sets you apart,” Dunstall said.
While the Giants are renowned for their orange tsunami, the Dogs running in waves might not have such a catchy nickname but it’s as brutally effective.
Captain Marcus Bontempelli had 27 touches and nine clearances, Tom Liberatore 26 possessions and eight clearances, Matt Kennedy 23 and one goal with Ed Richards also kicking a goal from 21 disposals.
Throw in a dominant display from Tim English who embarrassed Kieren Briggs with 20 possessions, 11 marks and two goals.
At one stage the Dogs had 34 consecutive possessions and kicked two goals in the second quarter without a Giants player touching the ball. (The AFL record is 44).
Giants coach Adam Kingsley was livid with what he saw on the stats sheet afterwards with the Bulldogs leading every category: +42 possessions, +20 kicks, +22 handballs, +22 inside 50s, +17 clearances, +51 contested possessions, +14 marks inside 50, +12 contested marks.
“We got belted in the contest, plain and simple . . . can’t really compete when you’re getting belted like that,” Kinglsey said.
“The problem is there’s never one thing that’s the issue while you’re losing the contest . . . we were just off tonight, I don’t know why.
“Bulldogs clearly playing for their season and it just felt like we weren’t so that’s disappointing.
“They were really strong and they’ve been like that in the past. They’ve been a hump we haven’t been able to get over for the last couple of years.”
The Giants have now lost nine of their past 10 meetings against the Bulldogs with midfielder Tom Green shattered afterwards.
“Pretty pathetic. Anytime you get beat by 50 in the contest (contested ball), we just haven’t rocked up as a side. That’s just not good enough by us,” Green said.
It was a rubbish performance but what did it tell us about the Dogs back six and the bottom six which the critics had been focusing on in recent times.
Rory Lobb kept Jesse Hogan goalless, James O’Donnell was all over Aaron Cadman (two goals) while the unheralded Luke Cleary did a more than solid job on Jake Stringer (one goal). And Jedd Busslinger, who is being preferred to veteran Liam Jones, again showed he was capable at the level.
Can that quartet stand up in a final?
As for the bottom six. Caleb Poulter was best-on-ground in the opening quarter, Lachlan McNeil kicked three goals, Riley Garcia (15 possessions) did some nice things in the middle, Oskar Baker (14 touches) ran hard on a wing while Cleary and Busslinger also got ticks.
Again, would you back that group to deliver in an elimination final?
Every team would be asking the same question of their bottom end but what the Bulldogs are showing the competition is maybe that doesn’t matter anymore.
Maybe, it’s all about Blighty’s way. When your best players have the ball a lot, and you have a forward line that kicks lots of goals, who cares about the rest.
23 goals in the past week between Sam Darcy and Aaron Naughton has switched the Dogs’ narrative in a masterclass that has legendary coach Malcolm Blight's premiership theory ringing true.
THEY don’t beat anyone in the top eight, their defence is no good and their bottom six isn’t up to it.
That’s generally been the consensus on the Western Bulldogs as the calendar has turned towards the business end of the season .
On Thursday night they beat the sixth best team in the competition by 88 points - the biggest loss for the GWS Giants in almost six years - limiting a team who kicked nine goals in the third quarter last week to just six goals for the entire evening.
The easy assessment is to call it a mulligan for the Giants. They were off from the start and never got close to getting into gear against a team they’ve historically struggled against in recent times.
Or you can adopt the great Malcolm Blight’s attitude about the Dogs and say the best attacking side in the competition can do anything in September.
Blight’s mantra during his coaching days at Geelong and Adelaide was a simple one - if you kick more goals than the opposition you win so attack, attack, attack.
The Dogs have the best attacking midfield in the competition and two of the best tall forwards in the game in Aaron Naughton and Sam Darcy who as a combination are becoming almost impossible to stop.
Giants full-back Sam Taylor is considered the best defender in the game and the stats backed that up but he was mauled by Darcy (5.3 goals) while the much-hyped Leek Aleer was probably hoping his suitors weren’t watching as Naughton (5.2 goals) took him to the cleaners.
That’s 23 goals in the past week for the dynamic duo who torched Essendon last Friday night. It’s the first time in 17 years two players from the same team have kicked five or more goals in back-to-back weeks.
“We can’t be too Sam- and Aaron-centric – we have to make sure we spread it,” Dogs coach Luke Beveridge said.
The coach has to say that but the two-pronged monster is quickly becoming the Dogs point of difference as they battle for a finals spot.
Before half-time the Bulldogs had already reached the AFL average for marks inside 50 for an entire game (12) and ended up winning the stat convincingly 20-6. Ten of their first 14 goals came from marks.
The goal blitz certainly had some former greats starting to believe in Blight’s theory being resurrected by the Bulldogs.
“They’re not going to shy away from playing offensive football, they’re going to push the envelope and take risks. It might backfire defensively, but this is how (Beveridge) wants his team to play,” former Saint Leigh Montagna said on Fox Footy.
“If they continue to play like this the last four weeks of the season, watch out come September.”
Hawks legend Jason Dunstall also backed the Dogs, doubling down on their offensive brand.
“A lot of people talk about who does defence better than the Dogs. Well, no one does offence better, so why not do what you do well, better than everyone else does? And make it your number one strength and big weapon. It’s what sets you apart,” Dunstall said.
While the Giants are renowned for their orange tsunami, the Dogs running in waves might not have such a catchy nickname but it’s as brutally effective.
Captain Marcus Bontempelli had 27 touches and nine clearances, Tom Liberatore 26 possessions and eight clearances, Matt Kennedy 23 and one goal with Ed Richards also kicking a goal from 21 disposals.
Throw in a dominant display from Tim English who embarrassed Kieren Briggs with 20 possessions, 11 marks and two goals.
At one stage the Dogs had 34 consecutive possessions and kicked two goals in the second quarter without a Giants player touching the ball. (The AFL record is 44).
Giants coach Adam Kingsley was livid with what he saw on the stats sheet afterwards with the Bulldogs leading every category: +42 possessions, +20 kicks, +22 handballs, +22 inside 50s, +17 clearances, +51 contested possessions, +14 marks inside 50, +12 contested marks.
“We got belted in the contest, plain and simple . . . can’t really compete when you’re getting belted like that,” Kinglsey said.
“The problem is there’s never one thing that’s the issue while you’re losing the contest . . . we were just off tonight, I don’t know why.
“Bulldogs clearly playing for their season and it just felt like we weren’t so that’s disappointing.
“They were really strong and they’ve been like that in the past. They’ve been a hump we haven’t been able to get over for the last couple of years.”
The Giants have now lost nine of their past 10 meetings against the Bulldogs with midfielder Tom Green shattered afterwards.
“Pretty pathetic. Anytime you get beat by 50 in the contest (contested ball), we just haven’t rocked up as a side. That’s just not good enough by us,” Green said.
It was a rubbish performance but what did it tell us about the Dogs back six and the bottom six which the critics had been focusing on in recent times.
Rory Lobb kept Jesse Hogan goalless, James O’Donnell was all over Aaron Cadman (two goals) while the unheralded Luke Cleary did a more than solid job on Jake Stringer (one goal). And Jedd Busslinger, who is being preferred to veteran Liam Jones, again showed he was capable at the level.
Can that quartet stand up in a final?
As for the bottom six. Caleb Poulter was best-on-ground in the opening quarter, Lachlan McNeil kicked three goals, Riley Garcia (15 possessions) did some nice things in the middle, Oskar Baker (14 touches) ran hard on a wing while Cleary and Busslinger also got ticks.
Again, would you back that group to deliver in an elimination final?
Every team would be asking the same question of their bottom end but what the Bulldogs are showing the competition is maybe that doesn’t matter anymore.
Maybe, it’s all about Blighty’s way. When your best players have the ball a lot, and you have a forward line that kicks lots of goals, who cares about the rest.
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