Analysis Western Bulldogs year by year

[kane249]

Western Bulldogs final positions
2020 - 7th/8th depending on the match that's about to start
2019 - 7th
2018 - 13th
2017 - 10th
2016 - 1st
2015 - 8th*
2014 - 14th
2013 - 15th

One massive outlier here....
Well done on 2016, but it's papered over a lot of cracks

*Beveridge first year

 

[Roddy]

The stars truly aligned for them in ‘16 (very much including the umpiring in the grannie), like I’ve never seen before or since.

 

[Ricky112]

Our doggy style or brand of football doesn't hold up in finals.

Goals came easily once all hope was lost and rolled the dice.

 

[cherrypie]

Western Bulldogs final positions
2020 - 7th/8th depending on the match that's about to start
2019 - 7th
2018 - 13th
2017 - 10th
2016 - 1st
2015 - 8th*
2014 - 14th
2013 - 15th

One massive outlier here....
Well done on 2016, but it's papered over a lot of cracks

*Beveridge first year

Not all that surprising. 2015-2016 we had the perfect mix of veterans still capable of playing well (Murphy, Boyd, Morris, Picken etc) with young stars (Bont, Macrae, Stringer etc).

Most of our experience fell off very quickly shortly afterwards and we've been one of the youngest sides in the competition ever since.

If you look at our list profile, 2022-2025 should really be our prime. Top 8, in 3 out of 5 years with a Premiership isn't a concern

 

[Bald]

And in all of those seasons we’ve been in the bottom 3-4 teams for games played and age.

There’s a mixture of things to consider here. We’ve always carried two or three players that are unlikely to play in many other 22s. That doesn’t happen in the teams that finish in the top 4-6 consistently.

Circumstances have meant that Bevo has almost always had a young team. Older senior players have either:

1) Been in their last few years (M. Boyd, Morris, Murphy - crucially all defenders)
2) Careers have been cut short (C. Smith, Biggs, Picken)
3) They’ve either been free agents or have been moved on (Stringer, Dahlhaus)

The facts are, we’ve lost two extremely close elimination finals (tonight and 2015 against the crows, been spanked in one (GWS) and have won a flag in another. Four from six years we’ve made the 8 and have won a flag.

I’m still optimistic. Ask Melbourne, Essendon, Carlton, St Kilda, North, Gold Coast, Fremantle, Port Adelaide (excluding this year) fans if they’d rather have not only our list but our previous 6 years collectively and I think it stacks up.

I would like a mix up with our assistant coaches and I’d like us to move out the last of our passenger players for some more seniority in those positions. Clearly things need to change but I don’t think it’s been that bad.

 

[JayJ20]

Western Bulldogs final positions
2020 - 7th/8th depending on the match that's about to start
2019 - 7th
2018 - 13th
2017 - 10th
2016 - 1st
2015 - 8th*
2014 - 14th
2013 - 15th

One massive outlier here....
Well done on 2016, but it's papered over a lot of cracks

*Beveridge first year

I mean they still technically finished 7th in 2016, but they had a crazy (and probably controversial) month to win it.

 

[Bald]

Lol.

 

[ApplecrossWC]

Every astute football fan realised 2016 was a farcical joke. As the years go on it’s almost impossible to deny it.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

They’re just mid-table and have been for a long time. In 2016 they finished 7th and had just an amazing month to win it. Good luck to em.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Every astute football fan realised 2016 was a farcical joke. As the years go on it’s almost impossible to deny it.

Well, not really. They finished 7th then beat West Coast (6th) away, Hawthorn (3rd), GWS (4th) away and Sydney (1st).

That’s what you have to do to win it if you finish 5-8... win and then basically beat three Top 4 sides in a row (mostly away from home). The odds of that happening are very low and it’s very rare (it’s the only time it’s happened to date), but it’s not impossible. They just had one of the best-timed runs of form in footy history. But they still won it. That’s finals footy, the best team on the day wins it.

 

[Teen Wolf]

2018: 8-14
2019: 12-10 (plus heavy EF loss)
2020: 10-7 (plus narrow EF loss)

Getting better, year by year.

 

[revo333]

I think the media has overhyped how good we actually are in the last few seasons.

We are 2 seasons away from being a top 4 side in my opinion, I think if we don't make top 4 in 2022 then Bevo might have to go.

 

[mike91]

WB had an unbelievably good month of football in 2016. But that’s it. This is the real Western Bulldogs under Beveridge.

Since that flag they’ve missed finals twice and just (literally just) sneaked into finals twice, only to be knocked out instantly. Last 10 minutes and scoreboard is flattering, Saints completely controlled the game and it was over before half time. That coaching performance by Beveridge was actually one of the worst coaching performances in a final I’ve seen in a long time, but he’s won a premiership, so the media won’t say anything bad about him.

They’re a cute fringe finals team who have been the most overrated team in the comp for the last few seasons.

They’ve played a brilliant month.......haven’t really done much else since.

 

[cherrypie]

Saints completely controlled the game and it was over before half time.

I just went through the entire history of AFL results and you're spot on. No team in history has ever comeback from a 7 point deficit at half-time. We should've been on the plane already

 

[Clark G]

Will the Bulldogs regret giving big contracts to Keath and Bruce? Did no better this year than last with those two in the team. Without them perhaps they'd have more cap space to play with and would be able to go after someone like Ben Brown or Jeremy Cameron.

 

[cherrypie]

Will the Bulldogs regret giving big contracts to Keath and Bruce? Did no better this year than last with those two in the team. Without them perhaps they'd have more cap space to play with and would be able to go after someone like Ben Brown or Jeremy Cameron.

Keath absolutely no regrets at all. We'd be screwed without him and he's had a great year

 

[mike91]

I just went through the entire history of AFL results and you're spot on. No team in history has ever comeback from a 7 point deficit at half-time. We should've been on the plane already

Cute. Helps when you watch the game.

If you love stats though, did you notice how many contested marks the Saints took? How many scores from defensive 50? The tackle numbers at half time? The impact, of lack of your forwards and rebounding defenders were having? Notice how English was getting smashed? It was game over, Beveridge coached a very, very bad game. Ratten out-coached him in every single way yesterday.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Clark G]

Keath absolutely no regrets at all. We'd be screwed without him and he's had a great year

Fair enough, but what about Bruce? Not sure he is the answer to your side's lack of quality key forwards. If Schache can shrug off his injuries then I think he takes Bruce's place in the team.

 

[cherrypie]

Fair enough, but what about Bruce? Not sure he is the answer to your side's lack of quality key forwards. If Schache can shrug off his injuries then I think he takes Bruce's place in the team.

Bruce definitely looks like a poor decision right now, no doubt about that. Unfortunately Schache seems highly unlikely to make it for us so we're somewhat stuck with hoping that Bruce losing a few kgs and finds some form next year.

Ugle-Hagan long-term should be a good partner for Naughton. Bruce's contract just makes it difficult for us to get another experienced tall to help him out in the meantime

 

[TigerTime88]

Every astute football fan realised 2016 was a farcical joke. As the years go on it’s almost impossible to deny it.

A flag is a flag....quit trying to diminish what they achieved that year.

 

[Ricmel]

Last two year been severely hampered by not having a credible ruck division. In finals you need a ruckman that can crash through the pressure and clear the way for the mids. Dogs need to find a ruckman going forward because they have a potentially killer midfield.

 

[Fryman]

Don’t let people take ‘16 away from you Doggies fans.

What I wouldn’t give for a finals series like that. Plenty of times we’ve been the best team in the comp and not won it, so you’re entitled to pinch one now and again.

 

[Yojimbo]

Our match committee and team selection is like an episode of wheel of fortune or Forrest Gump's box of chocolates you never know what you get next. Too many eggs placed in the one basket, the basket of Bontempelli and the "Catch it or your Ratsh1t" forward craft of Aaron Naughton.

 

[Joao]

You can respect 16 for the greatness it was and still question the rest of Bevo's work.

They are still pretty young so should improve a fair bit in the next few years. Getting a potential generational forward for chips this year won't hurt the long term either.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

I enjoy the fact that Hawthorn, Sydney, Giants and North (lol) supporters are still upset over our 2016 win as shown by this thread. Let the salt flow for more years to come.