Essendon premiership player Tim Watson has slammed the Western Bulldogs for their forward line work this year.
The Dogs have been kept goalless in four of their last eight quarters and Watson said they need to change.
“Their inability to score a goal in the second half is deplorable in modern footy,” he told SEN Breakfast.
“I don’t want to discount any of the pressure that may have been applied by Collingwood because that was good, it wasn’t the greatest pressure we’ve ever seen, they just had no connection at all in the second half.
“This has been a work in progress for two years the Bulldogs forward line and they just don’t seem to be getting any closer to a solution and an answer.
“At one stage it was Stewart Crameri and Travis Cloke, they’ve had a variety of other players down there and the premiership the year before they didn’t really have the star-studded options either.”
Former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon believes it’s far too early to judge Josh Schache, but other Bulldogs forwards don’t get the same leeway.
“Tom Boyd and Josh Schache, there was no presence at all and that’s okay from Schache because he was playing his first game for the club so you’ve got to give him a chance,” he said.
“Jordan Roughead was the most disappointing player on the ground for mine because Brodie Grundy was magnificent, he won the match for them and there was no fight or resistance.
“In the first quarter they kicked five unanswered goals, they moved the ball quickly, they lowered their eyes, they put the Collingwood defence on the back foot and you thought this is good, they’ve got a plan, it just dried up.”
The Bulldogs now face a massive test, taking on Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Melbourne has won their last three games by 60 points or more.