Not long ago the Western Bulldogs were AFL Premiers. Now they sit shamed at the bottom of ladder with their tails between their legs.
The Pups starting the season were utterly belted by 82 points by GWS Giants in Canberra, just 23 games on from their 2016 grand final triumph over Sydney.
A loss was made all the worse by a season-ending knee injury to Tom Liberatore.
Prior to Round 1 many tipped the Western Bulldogs to challenge for a finals spot.
The masses have canned them from contention a week later, with the likes of Damien Barrett labeling it ‘embarrassing’ for anyone to anticipate the Dogs finishing in the top eight.
But are we making mountains out of molehills by writing off the Dogs one game into 2018?
Teams are dubbed catastrophes or sensations on a weekly basis by the media and the Dogs should be granted their seasonal aberration for the disaster against the Giants.
After all we are one game into the season and premierships are neither won nor lost in the first round.
The 82-point loss was unacceptable, but shelving a side like the Dogs at the first and likely highest hurdle is rash.
(Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)
The Giants looked fitter, faster and better than the Dogs, and for good reason – they are.
The Bulldogs fielded the youngest side in the competition in Round 1. On paper GWS are the best team in the competition.
Jeremy Cameron and Toby Green ran riot on a shorthanded Dogs backline aching for the presence of wounded key-backs Dale Morris and Marcus Adams.
Preseason injuries to the pair and Liam Picken forced the Dogs to fiddle with their formula in ahead of Round 1.
Several head-scratching coaching decisions only accentuated injury issues.
Sending All-Australian defender Easton Wood up forward ahead of big-name recruits Tom Boyd and Josh Schache only compounded their problems in defence.
Caleb Daniel, Mitch Wallis, and Tory Dickson, all mainstays in the Bulldog’s best 22, were all left out of the side for the trip to Canberra.
The Dogs will be bolstered by the inclusions of the trio, and Tom Boyd on an extended bench for Sunday’s game against the West Coast Eagles.
The Easton Wood experiment appears to have ended, for the time being, with the Premiership winning captain named in the backline alongside Jackson Trengove.
Whether Round 1 drubbing was a one off or an inauguration for us to question whether the Western Bulldogs have the talent to live up to the expectations bestowed upon them after their 2016 Premiership remains to be seen.
A more customary Dogs line-up looks set to take on the West Coast Eagles at Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Let’s see if we really are being a tad premature on Sunday night.
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
Which Melbourne team's turn is it to win this year. Might be St Kilda, their fan base is shrinking a little. Go you Saints. Sell those jerseys!
Kevo
Roar Rookie
Premature coach ejaculation......love is all you need....but I guess you are banking that as even a stopped clock is right once (24 hour clock) or twice a day you might if you say it long enough be right eventually. So far the coach has In 3 years, got them to finals, won a premiership and then had an off year where they still finished 10th just a game and percentage out of the 8...if it was round 23 and they’d lost their last 22 games then maybe there might be reason to look at the coach....I think the actual talent on the list and the potential talent on the list have been confused and so has the expectation of what is possible after the premiership....they are still developing and in the normal scheme of things would be expected to be challenging in the next 2 to 3 years .....which they will.
Kevo
Roar Rookie
Getting to the finals as the best finishing 7th place team then having the best final series pretty well ever - the premiership may have happened before their time but it was no fluke. ....and they will forever be 2016 premiers no one can take that away even if there are some who try to demean it....go suck on some lemons. The current team is not the premiership team just compare the list at least 11 missing this week in less than 2 years - they are a very young side and then throw in injuries which were always going to catch up with them as it looks they have this year and to some extent last year too. They just need to tough out one or two wins and things will turn around quite quickly.
George Jetson
Guest
I may have been premature last year calling for the coaches head after 5 rounds but I think now it would have been justified. Getting a flag was unbelievable but love will only get a team so far. What is now needed is some tough love - and some mongrel. In fact, a lot of mongrel
Mic
Guest
It is now. They’ve just been bashed by the eagles. This mob will win the spoon this year. Incredible fall from grace, showing the flag was one of the greatest flukes of all time.
Lroy
Guest
Did I miss something ... its round 13 and the Dogs have lost every game?? Cos I'm pretty sure they've only had one gallop so far, and today they're at home to the Eagles, who haven't traveled well of late...so the seasons not a total write off yet .... is it??
User
Roar Rookie
Simmo has flown back to Perth to be with sick daughter
I ate pies
Guest
Damian Barrett? That blokes a footy ambulance chasing “journalist”: no one cares about his “expert” opinion
User
Roar Rookie
Three hour delay into wa is a joke
User
Roar Rookie
Should be a good game today. WC are bringing a inexperienced team especially forward so dogs have a chance, but wce have always played etihad well so will win.
Mattyb
Guest
Schache didn't play reserves and isn't an emergency so at this stage we can only assume he's injured. Can't expect the dogs to communicate or be honest with us anymore though,they can't even communicate amongst themselves.just have a look at the whole Redpath saga.
John
Guest
Boyd and Schache not selected again this weekend. Club recruits 2 key forwards but the coach won't play them.
Mattyb
Guest
We will know more today I guess as losing to the Eagles at home will be unacceptable. I do understand the dogs fielded the youngest side on the weekend but that's an excuse not a reason,and we don't have the youngest list so we need to accept the 22 put on the park. Daniel will come in but Wallis,Boyd and Dickson all played reserves yesterday. Wallis was excellent,gathering possesions and kicking goals. Dickson kicked 3 goals in a short appearance before being taken from the field before half time,he didn't appear injured so I'd assume he's on some sort of recovery programme. Boyd went OK in the ruck but his influence up forward was minimal. Went ok but still looks a little underdone. I think much of the criticism of the Dogs has been pretty fair,it's up to the playing group to now bounce back.