Up by 20 vs Adelaide

Up by 24 vs Port

Up by 33 vs GWS

Went on to lose all 3 game by big margins.. so bloody frustrating.

I agree. But we aren't going to turn the form of nearly 10 years around in a year or two. Unfortunately.

I still think we are mentally fragile. Once a lub kicks a few i think thats when we go in our shell. I think we should probably get used to it this year. i dont think it will be the last time either. I still think we are 3-4 on field leaders short. our current crop if leaders dont have the support like some of the better clubs.

I have slightly calmed down after yesterday to take a better perspective on things.. I can't be bothered looking back through the past few years but I guarentee if you look at the Giants & GC over the past few years there would be numerous games where they were 4-5 goals up and went on to lose... Obviously we have a bit more experience in the side but we are coming from just as far back, if not further due to how many high end picks they had. This isn't a 2 second turn around, if in 12 months time we are getting the same results I would be concerned.. We have gone from the laughing stock of the comp under Neeld to now getting in winnable position but just not sure how to win... It will come

That is exactly as roosy highlights the difference between our best and our worst, we need to find a way to be able to try and identify these lapses early or before they happen and re set from there

How many of those leads did we have in or at the start of the last qtr?

1. No champions in the team (A graders wateva u wanna call em) to take a game by scruff of the neck and turn things around off their own effort/boot when the going gets tough and things aren't going our way (some players do step up occasionally and lead but it's usually against other bottom 6 clubs only). We only have 1 B grader in Jones and the rest are either up and coming Cs who occasionally put in a B grade standard or just NQR Cs & Ds.

2. Continuously playing (or in our case...having to play) around 6 to 8 NQR D grade players who aren't up to AFL standard but are given regular guernseys throughout the season. Most of these would not get a look in, even in the other bottom 6 clubs. For as long as we are playing them we will continue to get smashed by anyone outside the bottom 6. We might catch the odd team in the top 12 on a low while we are on a longer break or something and cause an upset at home (or get closer than anyone figured) ..but I wouldn't be putting any hard earned on these upsets.

3. Outside of a young rising star in the Hulk and occasional cameo from Garlett, we don't have a forward line that really worries the opposition on the scoreboard nor is it able to pressure the opponents defence effectively inside our own 50. Last time I looked We were ranked either last or 17th on pressure acts/tackles/opposition turnovers i50.

4. Our midfield is presently bottom 2 or 3 material but not necessarily the worst on any given day IF they all put in and play their ass off AND we have a fully fit mid field rotational line up eg, a fully match fit Viney. We need at least 2 more fully fledged B grade mids (preferably A but I'm trying to keep things realistic) to assist Jones while Vince, Tyson, Brayshaw and Vanders develop their game.

It's not the forward line or the backline.

It's the midfield pure and simple, we lack run, and concentration for four quarters .

We are desperate for an A grader or two.

I think it just goes to show that when everyone contributes and our game plan is working we are a pretty good team.

It's all about consistency but having a couple of extra seasoned players that can help prevent these blow outs will help immensely. But for now, we need to let the wheel turn and for our younger brigade to become those seasoned players. I've got no doubt that we have the talent in our youngsters so it's a balancing act.

Our best is okay, sometimes good, far from great. Still, it puts us into a position to win games though because our defense is strong enough and if the midfield works hard enough the opposition is pushed into a corner.

Our worst is absolutely deplorable, still at 2012-2013 levels.

I don't think our midfield is as bad as the statistics show. Numbers don't lie but they tell us one of two things. Either:

1. Our midfield is just awful and not very good.

or

2. Our midfield doesn't work hard enough.

I think it's more the latter. Vince, Jones, Cross, Viney, Tyson are all very competent midfielders, and there are worse midfields in the competition. Yeah we're missing Tyson and have missed Viney but it's not like performances from yesterday don't happen when they're in the team...

It's certainly a psychological thing.

I just can't believe how much we get smashed by when the opposition gets on a run. GWS, Port, they both had runs reminiscent of Geelong's runs in 2011, just periods of complete and utter dominance where we can't even get our hands on the football. It looks like a Div1 amateur team playing the worst team in Div3.

What can Roos possibly do to address that? The Bulldogs somehow managed to stop both GWS' and Sydney's midfield, not to mention Adelaide's, yet we completely out tackle and outran them last week. The game was won in the middle. Is the Bulldogs midfield packed with stars? They smashed GWS yesterday. But yet we keep saying we're "one A-grade midfielder away from competing". Not having that a-grader shouldn't stop teams from competing, nor from actually getting the football. There is no reason why we should get smashed the way we do.

Had we lost yesterday to Port in a close contest that would be a different story but being outscored like 110 to 20 in 2.5 quarters of football is something that should have been left behind 2 years ago.

And having the likes of Jones and Bail in the team doesn't help but that's hardly why we play the way we do. It starts and ends in the middle and it's like dominoes, we completely break down across the field whenever the opponent's midfield gets on top.

Hard to believe now that we beat the dogs, smashed them in fact!?? Does our midfield go up a couple of notches when we play at the G!!!??

You'd think they would be so hungry for wins they would put in a bit more effort and not get ahead of themselves as they have done against GWS and Port.

Up by 20 vs Adelaide

Up by 24 vs Port

Up by 33 vs GWS

Went on to lose all 3 game by big margins.. so bloody frustrating.

Last year we played and restricted teams to relatively tiny scores. The balance wasn't there with defence and attack. This year we appear to have forgotten how to defend. Its screamworthy

The coaching staff have a lot to answer for with this. Players are clearly scared to do certain things and go into self preservation modes.....or something!

Hard to believe now that we beat the dogs, smashed them in fact!?? Does our midfield go up a couple of notches when we play at the G!!!??

We were on our way to smashing Port as well, till the umps decided to start giving them free kicks in front of goals.

I don't blame the players for dropping their heads, I've played against the umps in my time, it becomes disheartening.

All that hard work seems like it's all for nothing.

Once we get back to the MCG, get more competent umps, the Bulldogs won't be the last side we smash this year.

The coaching department and the players need to analyse how triggers like Watts dropping sitters and Dunn's barrel that result in opposition goals lead to a complete meltdown for the remainder of the game.

Hard to believe now that we beat the dogs, smashed them in fact!?? Does our midfield go up a couple of notches when we play at the G!!!??

Please explain?

As I recall we played Sydney and Hawthorn at the G

Up by 20 vs Adelaide

Up by 24 vs Port

Up by 33 vs GWS

Went on to lose all 3 game by big margins.. so bloody frustrating.

And up 12 v Hawks

But down 7 v Tigers and 9 v Dogs

So doesn't really predict much really.

Maybe just teasers.

And up 12 v Hawks

But down 7 v Tigers and 9 v Dogs

So doesn't really predict much really.

Maybe just teasers.

I believe a lot of blown leads has to do with not playing out a full quarter. Against Port we blew the last half of the first three quarters with varying severity. Did the same against GWS in the first half. The Richmond game was tight in the first half with a few lead changes. The Bulldogs only did damage in the first 10 minutes. We have been fast starters and only blown away early by Freo. Co-incidentally that was the only game where we gave a yelp when trailing and soldiered on well for most of the game. Only got blown away for good half way through the last quarter.

On the plus side, at least this year we are able to get out to those leads

Last year it was a smashing from minute 1 to minute 120

It's so frustrating to drop our bundle, and I think as a club we have improved so much that supporters expect us to go on and win those games. This isn't a bad thing.

We have definitely come a long way since last year, but consistency is the next thing we need to nail.

Stats that might help, its not all bad.

TIME IN FRONT:

2012 23%

2013 14%

2014 20%

2015 43%

Also, I believe we might have our first Rising Star Nom later today.

43% of the time in front!!??? Man we have to learn to hold those leads!

Stats that might help, its not all bad.

TIME IN FRONT:

2012 23%

2013 14%

2014 20%

2015 43%

Also, I believe we might have our first Rising Star Nom later today.

Where'd you grab that stat from?

We were on our way to smashing Port as well, till the umps decided to start giving them free kicks in front of goals.

I don't blame the players for dropping their heads, I've played against the umps in my time, it becomes disheartening.

All that hard work seems like it's all for nothing.

Once we get back to the MCG, get more competent umps, the Bulldogs won't be the last side we smash this year.

The LAST thing Saturday's loss was due to was the umpiring.

Where'd you grab that stat from?

Contact at Champion Data.

Stats that might help, its not all bad.

TIME IN FRONT:

2012 23%

2013 14%

2014 20%

2015 43%

Also, I believe we might have our first Rising Star Nom later today.

43% of the time in front!!??? Man we have to learn to hold those leads!

I guess it does show that we have made some real progress .

Need to build on it and follow through

Go Dees

PS D3 - did you manage to get any stats from other teams for comparison?

It would be fascinating to see just how well time in front ranking compare with ladder positions