Five-time premiership player Dermott Brereton believes the demanding brand of football the Western Bulldogs played in 2016 is having a detrimental effect on the current crop of players.
The Dogs lost by 82-points to Greater Western Sydney on Sunday, and there is a reason Luke Beveridge’s men haven’t been able to recapture their premiership magic, according to the Hawthorn champion.
“They had a total physical commitment to buy in to that style of game,” Brereton told SEN’s KB and The Doc.
“They haven’t got that now. It was the most taxing style of football that we have ever seen.
“It is soul destroying.
“You run that hard, you physically punish yourself that hard, they were able to do it for four weeks in a row, and they had a week off at the start of the finals.
“They went to a new level in that finals series and they haven’t been able to achieve it again.”
Brereton, who has high hopes for the Bulldogs in 2018, is of the notion they still have a list to do damage this year, so they need to reverse the trend quickly.
“The Doggies are poised,” he said.
“If you’ve played 11 or more games, which is half a season or more, I count you as a regular senior player.
“The Doggies, when it’s all said and done and you count regular senior players, are the best-profiled list by far.
“They are poised to strike again, so they would want to get their backsides into gear.”
The Bulldogs will look to bounce back this Sunday against the West Coast Eagles at Etihad Stadium.
Listen to Dermott Brereton’s chat with KB and The Doc in the player below!