The Melbourne Football Club is in the most dire state of any AFL side since Fitzroy in 1996, yet their stunning on-field mediocrity has been made to look positively finals-like by the Western Bulldogs in the last twelve months between winters.
From Round 12 last year and onwards, the Dogs have been ice-cold, only able to secure one victory, equal with the infant GWS, and three behind Melbourne.
Gold Coast, the other expansion club and their conqueror on Saturday afternoon, has won seven matches in that time.
They did so playing an opposite brand of footy to their victims, exciting, daring and skilful, as opposed to stale, slow and error-riddled.
Question marks will be asked of coach Brendan McCartney in his second season, but unfortunately he has one of the saddest playing lists in the league.
For all the talk we hear of systems, structures and gameplans, you still need a cross-section of players that complement each other’s various and unique skills.
The Dogs simply don’t have enough versatility in their playing group, and importantly, not enough speed or skill.
Ryan Griffen is the only genuine, bonafide, midfield gun, a top 20 or 30 player in the league on talent and output, capable of performing acts on a football field few could match. A combination of acceleration, courageous gut-running, smarts and skill, he also gets his hands dirty when required, which is more than when the Dogs were finalists not so long ago.
There are going to be big clubs throwing serious money at Griffen when he’s next out of contract, testing his loyalty to the utmost. I fear for the Dogs if someone is able to prize him out of the kennel.
Adam Cooney played explosive, match-winning football in his Brownlow year of 2008, but hasn’t been the same player since due to a combination of a natural decline and injury.
His kicking has always had a question mark attached, but this year has seen him return to something like his best. This was expected to help propel his team up the ladder, but unfortunately it hasn’t.
Bob Murphy is certainly the finest writer in the league, as his weekly columns in The Age attest, and he’s also one of the better movers on the field.
After playing back for a few years, he’s once again the lead-up target needed, and gets most of his possession 60-80 metres out from goal. His polish with the final kick inside fifty is sorely required in a team largely bereft of skill.
Outside these three players, the quality, class and match-winning ability drops alarmingly.
Matthew Boyd is as honest a goer as there is in the AFL, an accumulator of vast numbers, too many of which end in opposition hands. The skipper will die for his club but has struggled to make an impact this year.
Daniel Cross, Boyd’s hardnut brother-in-arms, is essentially a one position player, an old-fashioned centreman who has been gradually squeezed out of the middle to allow for young in-and-under clearance players to come through.
One Dogs fan on Twitter suggested these two should no longer play in the same side due to a lack of pace across the ground. Not so long ago, this would have been sacrilege of the highest order. Now it is a suggestion of some merit.
Shaun Higgins was all class once upon a time but, in-between injuries, has promised more than he’s delivered.
Daniel Giansiracusa, at 31 and running out of tricks, is still the most reliable goal-kicker on the list, not a great position to be in.
Tory Dickson is a one-paced forward who was still able to look dangerous last year, but should be a stop-gap at best when fit.
Brett Goodes has slotted in with ease into the back half, his poise now a necessity, which is an indictment on the skill and development of younger teammates.
Dale Morris has been a warrior down back and will continue to be so as long as his body holds out.
Will Minson is one older player who has improved under McCartney, and has done a fine job carrying the solo ruck burden in 2013.
Nick Lower was recruited in the off-season and has been an effective tagger, while Liam Picken is also required to perform a lock down role, either down back or in the middle.
Tom Williams has always been highly rated at Whitten Oval after being taken highly in the 2004 draft, but he’s a limited footballer and is rarely seen because of injury anyway.
All fourteen players mentioned so far are in the current best 22 of the Bulldogs. None of them are under 25, and none of them, perhaps with the exception of Griffen and Higgins, are likely to see finals for the rest of their career if they remain at the club.
While this is a bitter truth, the fact is all players in this group are either too old or aren’t good enough to command a place in a finals side. This leaves the Dogs in a parlous state looking forward.
Luke Dahlhaus provides what little spark and energy this team has through pace, hard-running and a nose for goal, but is the type of player that should be complementing a good side in the mould of a Jake King. Instead, he’s an important member of a poor one.
Jordan Roughead and Ayce Cordy have shown ability from minute one, with glimpses of real talent on display. Roughead has been down back this year and given some big tasks, while Cordy can take a grab. Both are worth persevering with, and can be mainstays in a decent team if they develop at the appropriate rate.
Mitch Wallis, Tom Liberatore, Clay Smith and Koby Stevens are all youngsters either recently drafted or traded for, hard as a cats head but with questionable foot skills.
Each of them has ability enough, but combined with Boyd, Cross, Lower and Picken in the same midfield, provide a sameness and slowness that wins possession on the inside, but not out in space, and this isn’t helping them put wins on the board.
Jake Stringer has impressed in early appearances, but also looks cut from the same cloth. Hopefully Jackson Macrae, another 2012 draftee, can become a player to rectify this glaring weakness.
Liam Jones is still in the ‘will he or won’t he make it’ category, while Jarrad Grant and Patrick Vezpremi are now firmly in the latter.
Dylan Addison, Easton Wood, Jason Tutt and Christian Howard must all be at the crossroads, and may find themselves cashing VFL cheques sooner rather than later.
We’re about to enter the winter months in 2013, but the Western Bulldogs have been in their own cold, dark place for a long time already. With the outlook so bleak, there promises to be even harder times to come.
Sadly for their fans, they don’t have a premiership, or even a grand final appearance, from their successful 2008-2010 period to keep them company through the coming lean times, which may have made it somewhat bearable.
Rug up, Dogs supporters, because it’s going to be a cold one.
Troy Payne
Guest
Hey expert rose, maccartney has the passion and the ability to lead the dogs , watch his speech at the best and fairest and his speech at nab rising star. He maybe not the scream at them type coach but we don't want or need that, while he is softly spoken he is building a tough as nails young team. This so called winter has come to a premature end , win against Carlton that would have ended there finals hope had essendon not been drug cheats. Good wins and performances against quality teams including eventual premiers had started to show that maccas strip back to basics and start again approach is working. By this years end we were second in the competition in contested possessions and clearances ....wow strangely two areas in which macca has been working on . Next year there will be other parts of the game in which we work and improve, under maccartney and indeed many of the best players ever to pull on Geelong jumpers in the last few years have joined the coaching ranks of the dogs as well .the recruitment of essendons leading goal kicker of the last 3 years starts to address the forward problems we were facing, grant started showing great promise by years end and jones is definitely going to emerge this year .the demons sacked yet another coach so did st Kilda and they're lists are in far more dire condition than ours....we won't Make the 8 in 2014 but there will be significant improvement and the young list taking great strides , so the long winter has broken, finals await 2015-2016....expert rose see you there
Daniel
Guest
This is how you write a researched and informed opinion on the dogs: http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/brendan-mccartneys-old-school-approach-as-western-bulldogs-destined-for-success/story-fndv7pj3-1226703420211 Take not mate
John Fedec
Guest
Cameron got this one wrong Daniel !! The bulldogs have clearly got some development going on , and their list looks better than say, a Brisbane, or even a Port Adelaide with the potential for them to be back in the 8 in say 2015 ? They , unlike Saint Kilda have one more chance to snag a flag in the POST gold coast/GWS era :)
Daniel
Guest
When will you write an article apologizing?? Don't quit your day job as a writer though because you definitely don't have a future as a weather man. This cold winter is feeling a bit hot at the moment.
Barney Rubble
Guest
Dear Cameron.. What an exercise in fred flintstone primitive dumbness epitomized by such premature harshness of such a young 1/ Brendan McCartney, one of the most astute humans in the competition 2/ Brendan McCartney is the man that WILL lead, perhaps one of the most inexperienced, but one of the, mentally, hardest, toughest, gutsiest groups in the competition to their second premiership; 3/ Brendan McCartney has stated in the last, 2-3 after match interviews, that 13-15 of the Bullgogs are very young and still in their infancy in there development which = it will take time to evolve and mature such a young group 4/ The nature of reality is we evolve through adversity, and since the Bulldogs got smashed in the last half of the year suggests that it will taken time, like 2+ years, for such a young group to be able to compete CONSISTENTLY with the top 8 5/ Its easier to develop skills than to develop ferocious willpower that will never give to the end. 6/The Bulldogs may lack the experience but what they do have is alot of very hard, tough and gutsy players and I believe that will create a very good 2015 for the Western Bulldogs Football Club because, after 2013/2014 of refining their skills and getting bigger, stronger bodies, you WILL witness a big year for the club in that year--just wait and see Good luck with your premature harshness Cameron and your lack of intuition A Bulldogs lover through and through that has a gift in intuition--not like some. Dont be quick to see neg
kenny
Guest
I am a true Bulldogs fan and I think what the Bulldogs have to do is simple change the game plain that's it get the running game back Maybe change coach or get someone to help McCartney out a mentor say like Leigh Mathews or Paul Roos end of the year look for a key forward who still has 4 to 5 years left in him to mentor Stinger and jones he well be the next Bulldogs full forward Bring West back to bulldogs as assistant coach. its three simple steps
The Great Poohdini
Guest
Sustainability Matt. Both Geelong & Collingwood were up in those periods yet are still in the mix. If you compare all aspects those four clubs its pretty obvious to see the key differences. Wealthy teams will be able to stay up longer while once the window of lesser teams closes they return to dust. Sad story but its reality.
graeme oakley
Guest
Finally someone is saying it as it is.Just not acceptable Doggies.
Gecko
Guest
So what can the Bulldogs do in 2013 to get out of this mess? 1. Shift to a Malthouse approach of slow movement around the boundary line and lots of congestion around the ball. This would surely work better with this current group than any attempt to play through the middle of the ground. And if they have to bomb into a forward line that has no good big men and no good crumbers, they should at least bomb to the forward pockets so the ball can be locked up and not swept away so easily. 2. At the end of the season, trade some slow midfielders for some fast, skilled runners. They should never have recruited so many slow midfielders in the first place. If one of their current big forwards comes good, and they add a couple of fast, skilled runners, the Bulldogs can become competitive in 2014.
gavro44
Guest
That's a fair observation. He's best when using his powerful first 10-20 metres away from stoppages and delivering skillfully inside 50. Appears Mcartney's "crack in" above all else Mantra has skewed his game more towards winning his own ball and pumping it forward with less precision. We have a myriad of players who can do that already so maybe we need to sway the balance back to the outside a bit more where he and Cooney do the most damage.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Bulldogs thrashed Richmond by 20 goals+ in round one 2006. Cooney, Griffin etc. made me envious of their future. I realise that's 7 seasons ago now, but I still can't account for the recent descent. Ward & Harbrow leaving doesn't explain it.
Melbourne is the new Adelaide
Guest
Agree. Even if they beat Carlton in July I'd leave the asterisk there.
Knoxy
Guest
What an absolute load of rubbish Johnno. I don't know much about rugby league but I do know that the financial position of the NRL's clubs is anything but 'rosy'. Cronulla are in serious trouble with several other clubs also struggling. The rest of your post is complete garbage too. You're just making stuff up to suit your own argument (as usual).
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
The picks are only a part of the issue. The consistently good sides have to perform off the park as well; keeping players fit, rehabilitating those that are injured, better quality coaching staff, better scouting etc etc etc.
Macca
Guest
a 4-4 record yes but when 3 of the 4 are Melb, WB and GWS that 4-4 record does come with an asterisk.
Redb
Roar Guru
It wasnt that long ago that the ill-informed were saying the Suns are a stretch of talent, yet hear they are in the middle of the pack with a 4-4 record. Melbourne is poor management and recruiting. GWS need 1-2 years then they have 50 games udner their belt all of a sudden we have men playing men.
Australian Rules
Guest
Ok, let's now take a look at some of these comments: "Yes there are a lot of AFL hater’s in rugby league circles and deathriding AFL, especially tabloid rugby league journo;s. I am not one." - yes, I believe you. You are not a journo. "Yes there is an occasional blow out in rugby league like on the weekend it happen’s only occasionally though" - 40% of NRL games this year have had a margin of 18pts or more (according to Chris Chard, a "thrashing". His article, addressing this issue, appears on today's RL tab. "The financial position of all the NRL clubs is rosy thank’s to the massive billion dollar TV deal that is close to AFL’s" - Alright then...we'll tell the clubs to pop the Bollinger, we're all home free! And give a double shot to the sponsor-less Sharks, who tried to *give* away their shirt sponsors last week to charity...but were rejected. "The AFL doesn’t have the same global number’s as the NRL, more countries play rugby league than AFL" - well, that's the ultimate argument winner isn't it? Forget revenue, it's the *number* of countries you've got that guarantees your fiscal future. Just a word of caution...if you're betting all your chips on PNG (a 3rd world country with a GDP less than half of Tasmania's), save some for the carpark fee on the way out.
Johnno
Guest
Read my just posted comment Australian rules. Basically you have given the opinion, that AFL has never been more popular and provided facts to back this up. Yes there are a lot of AFL hater's in rugby league circles and deathriding AFL, especially tabloid rugby league journo;s. I am not one , but I think one has to look at times the AFL is overrated, and it present's a picture that is better than what it is, unlike the NRL in my opinion. Yes there is an occasional blow out in rugby league like on the weekend it happen's only occasionally though. The financial position of all the NRL clubs is rosy thank's to the massive billion dollar TV deal that is close to AFL's. Now with an independent I/C and a now credible and competitive Rugby league world cup, more global opportunities and TV markets await. The AFL doesn't have the same global number's as the NRL, more countries play rugby league than AFL. Paicfic island's rugby league has a bigger point of number's in places like PNG and Tonga.
Cameron Rose
Expert
Gavro44, I think you misread my point about Griffen. His 2010 finals series was as good as it gets from a midfielder, and was when he genuinely graduated to the elite class. What I wrote, and perhaps didn't make it clear enough, was that he was more of an outside player in those finals sides, but now has to do that plus win a lot more contested possessions.
Macca
Guest
Ian - Saad, Milera and Lee wouldn't be of much value to the bulldogs at present and wouldn't be much value to St Kilda without Milne & Riewoldt.