Former Bulldogs coach Terry Wallace says “he’s just not buying” the Dogs as they look to rebound from a disastrous premiership defence.
The Dogs became the first side since Hawthorn in 2009 to miss finals a season after holding the premiership cup aloft.
Despite a busy off-season – the club said goodbye to Matthew Boyd and Bob Murphy and axing Jake Stringer while introducing Jackson Trengove, Josh Schache and Hayden Crozier – Wallace is not convinced the team can rebound.
“I’m just not buying this side,” he told SEN’s The Run Home.
“I think what’s gone out and what’s come in is, at this stage, a net loss until the three newcomers prove themselves.
“Who is actually going to kick the goals for them?”
In 2017 no Bulldog topped 25 goals. Liam Picken and Stringer shared goalkicking honours with 24. Marcus Bontempelli was third with 20.
While a section of fans were happy to see the backend of enigmatic forward Jake Stringer, the former Bulldog and Tiger coach said he was not convinced it was the right move.
“I don’t agree with the Bulldog supporters who sit there and say his last two years were rubbish,” he said.
“He was their leading goalkicker in the premiership year with 42 goals.”
But Wallace said the club’s woes do not end with a lack of goalkickers.
“I think they are too tall,” he said.
“They are the tallest side in the competition and that goes against what every other side in the competition is doing.”
The Bulldog’s list contains 12 players over 193cm. Richmond’s premiership winning outfit boasted five, including ruckman Toby Nankervis.
“You’d be thinking that at least six of them are going to be running around making up the numbers in the VFL,” Wallace said.
After winning 11 games to finish 11th last season, the 2016 premier is rated a $26 chance to claim the 2018 cup. Teams ahead of the Dogs in betting include a Melbourne side that has not played finals since 2006, Essendon and Collingwood.
Wallace said the positives for the club was the fact it has a number of key players entering their prime age-wise, but doubted it would result in the side returning to finals next season.