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First things first, it’s time for the name ‘Western’ to go. We’ve got Greater Western, Western and West Coast – and only one of those three clubs has ever been known as anything else. The Dogs are the Sons of the ‘Scray, not the sons of the west.
Does anyone really think people in the non-Footscray western suburbs of Melbourne will be less likely to support the Dogs if they revert to their true name? Teams named after suburbs have nation-wide following, for goodness’ sake.
North Melbourne saw the folly of their ways after experimenting with being called ‘Kangaroos’, and I live in hope the Dogs will do the same.
Here is Part 1 of The Contenders series, on the Geelong Cats.
Now for the second thing. Aren’t the Dogs just a joy to watch? The Dogs take the game on at every opportunity, and have a fleet of players with leg speed and quick hands to match.
Relentless pressure must be applied to the Dogs to keep them in check. A little bit of space and they shred their opposition.
More AFL:
» Eleven rounds in, here’s my mid-year All-Australian team
» AFL Power Rankings: Round 11
» The Roar’s AFL MVP: Round 11 votes, leaderboard
The downside is high-risk football is exactly that. There’s a reason the free-wheeling Geelong team that boasted so much firepower in the 1989-1995 holds the record for the most goals kicked in a game by a losing side. Against West Coast, on multiple occasions a Bulldogs player to the mark and played on immediately to a teammate either about to run into a tackle, or with an opponent within an arm’s length. The latter can make for heart-in-the-mouth stuff, the former is more like head-in-the-hands stuff.
The Dogs like to run and carry, ripping the ball up the guts with chains of handballs. When it works, it’s magnificent. More often than not they’ve delivered the goods this season. However, averaging 438 possessions per game while being a relatively low-scoring side – (10th for points for in the league) – reflects a style that could come unstuck in a high-pressure finals. No other team averages more than 394 possessions per game. North (362), Hawthorn (370), and Geelong (378) are way behind.
While the Bulldogs midfield is prepared to take a lot of risks, the defence doesn’t muck around. They pour pressure on their opponents, and teams rarely get an easy shot on goal against the Dogs. The Eagles forward line is undeniably potent, but was five goals down on their season average on Sunday. Still, they fared a slightly better than most teams have, as the Dogs have conceded a miserly 69 points per game. Statistically, this makes their allegedly ‘short’ defence the best in the business.
This is particularly remarkable given their backline has been hampered this season by injuries to Easton Wood and boom recruit Matt Suckling. Hard running defender Josh Prudden showed a lot of promise in a handful of games last year, and is out for the season with a knee injury.
The Dogs defence is reminiscent of the remarkable West Coast backline of 1990-1994, despite the vast differences in the style of the game played in that era. That backline was the foundation of two premierships.
Elsewhere on the park the Dogs have had a rough run with injuries, worst of all Robert Murphy gone for the season. Clay Smith’s knee has kept him on the sidelines. Jason Johannisen has been missed, as has Tom Boyd. However, the Dogs have shown plenty of depth in personnel and in character. With those qualities – they can go deep into September.
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