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Terry Wallace has taken a deep dive into some worrying trends at Western Bulldogs over a 15-game stretch.
The Bulldogs could be outside the top eight by the end of the weekend after they were comprehensively beaten by reigning premiers Richmond to the tune of 41 points on Wednesday night.
Speaking on SEN’s The Match Committee, Wallace assessed the manner in which the Dogs have been beaten in recent times and the question marks over their adaptability against well-structured sides.
“There is an absolute pattern occurring, in a matter of fact, it’s occurred for longer than that (this season),” the former Bulldogs coach said.
“In their last 15 games that they’ve played only one game, which was last weekend in the wet and slippery conditions against the Gold Coast, only one game has been decided by less than 24 points.
“They’ve either won every game by four-plus goals or they’ve been beaten every game by four-plus goals in 15 games.
“Who have they beaten this season? They’ve beaten 10th, 12th, 14th and 17th with one win against a top eight side in Essendon. They have beaten sides who are either immature or that lack real genuine organisation and cohesion.
“This is their losing margins this year: 52 (points), 39, 52, 41 – they’ve been belted when they’ve got beaten. So that’s against Collingwood (ninth), St Kilda (fifth), Carlton (11th) and Richmond (3rd).
“What are those sides to me? Most of them are good sides but what they are is they are disciplined and organised in their game structures and game plans.
“The young sides and the lack of organisation sides the Doggies are beating, the sides who work them out and figure them out, they don’t beat.
“When they get beaten, what beats them? It is absolutely clear what beats them – it’s sides who control the ball against the Bulldogs. Their inside 50 effectiveness drops from a win where it’s 49 per cent … to in a loss it’s 35 per cent. They are 14 per cent different if they are not allowed to play their own natural game.
“If they’re not allowed to play their natural game and the pressure comes back on them the other way, they fall apart.”
The Dogs have a quick turnaround before playing Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Monday night.