What are the key takeaways and observations relating to your club in Round 18?
We have dissected each of the matches and offered a number of talking points for all 18 clubs.
The following will not apply to each club every week but form the basis of our views.
The Key Takeaway
The Undroppables
The Overreaction
The Positive
The Negative
What no one is talking about
What they need to tweak for next week
The Key Takeaway: A massive opportunity blown
This is one of the biggest swings we’ve seen this season.
Adelaide would have been 6th had they defeated GWS on Saturday night. Not only that, but they’re also not far off proving a legitimate flag threat from that position.
But a final term that saw the Crows go goalless and the Giants almost double their score might come back to haunt Adelaide’s season.
Matthew Nicks’ side is now 12th, as low as they’ve been this year since Round 2.
The Negative: Rachele’s brain fade
Josh Rachele will miss two weeks for blowing up at Harry Perryman on Saturday night, and it’s a ban he probably needs.
Rachele broke a three-game goalless run against the Giants but had little impact on the contest, gathering just nine possessions.
Matthew Nicks has backed his livewire to better channel himself in games and Rachele would hope to be better in the future.
But Rachele hasn’t been able to impact consistently recently and two weeks off to fresh up before a late finals tilt might not be that bad.
Seb Mottram
The Key Takeaway: Couldn’t overcome MCG hoodoo
While Brisbane won at the MCG in a semi-final last season, the big talking point ahead of their clash against Melbourne still surrounded their recent record at the venue.
Following their one-point loss, the Lions are now 1-14 in their last 15 trips to the venue including three defeats this season.
They may look at this game as one where they performed reasonably well, but that last 10 minutes shows they have some serious nightmares about playing at the MCG.
Even though they’re almost impenetrable at home, the Lions know that they need to be better at the colosseum if they’re to win it all on Grand Final day.
They don’t return to the venue in the home and away season either … so if they make it to the last Saturday of September, there’s every chance the hoodoo is still hanging over their heads.
The Positive: Forward line fires
Up against the league’s second-best defence in Melbourne, Brisbane did well to notch 104 points.
While they couldn’t get them over the line late, their work was done inside 50 as they just needed their defenders to hold on to claim victory.
Even though they weren’t able to do that, the Lions will still be happy with their return of 16.8 with Jack Gunston, Joe Daniher, Zac Bailey, Charlie Cameron and Lincoln McCarthy all kicking multiple majors.
It’s the equal-biggest score Melbourne have given up all year, and the first time they’ve allowed an opposition to score more than 90 against them at the MCG.
It’s a little win to take out of a disappointing result.
What they need to tweak for next week: Getting more from gun midfielders
While Josh Dunkley remained sidelined with injury, Brisbane would have been disappointed to get so little from their midfield.
As well as getting smashed 45-32 in clearances, none of Hugh McCluggage, Jarryd Lyons, Lachie Neale or Will Ashcroft notched more than 22 disposals.
Given Melbourne had the top five disposal getters on the ground, it was an area where Brisbane were dominated in and could be a big reason behind their defeat.
Lachlan Geleit
The Key Takeaway: Michael Voss deserves credit
Carlton fans were ready to call for sweeping changes following the Essendon loss and following a run of eight losses from nine games – and they had every right to be frustrated.
However, Brian Cook stood by Michael Voss (not in the Mark Evans/Stuart Dew way) and called for calm. A steady hand from the veteran administrator that previous Carlton leaders may not have had.
The Blues have since won four games on the trot by 50+ points, with Port Adelaide on the weekend clearly the biggest scalp.
And Voss deserves credit for his role in quickly righting a sinking a ship.
What they need to tweak for next week: How do the Blues replace Harry McKay?
Carlton may not get Harry McKay back this season, so how do they replace him structurally? Luckily, they play West Coast this week, which allows them some experimentation time.
Do they stick with the smaller line-up built around Charlie Curnow, Jack Silvagni and Jack Martin and bring Matt Owies (calf tightness) back in?
Do they throw Mitch McGovern or Lewis Young forward and bring Caleb Marchbank in to cover in the backline?
Does youngster Harry Lemmey get a crack at senior level earlier than expected?
Marc Pittonet being available and allowing Tom De Koning to go forward would be the simplest solution if he is ready to return.
Nic Negrepontis
The Key Takeaway: Turnover game is dominant
Collingwood were simply far too good for Fremantle on Saturday, dominating in most aspects of the game.
In such an even performance, the Magpies would have been most pleased with their turnover game, scoring over 100 points from that source.
Collingwood’s pressure on the ball, defensive structure and intercepting all played into that statistic as they were able to turn defence into offence at a blistering rate.
With their stoppage game stacking up, the Magpies are beginning to purr as they get perhaps their most dangerous form of attack firing on all cylinders.
It’ll be fascinating to see if they can replicate their efforts against the Power on Saturday.
The Positive: Taylor Adams’ performance
With midfield spots hard to come by this season, Taylor Adams has had to reinvent himself as a half-forward.
While he was already having a strong season as he ranks second in goal assists with 20 alongside Christian Petracca, he saved his best performance so far against the Dockers.
Adams was everywhere for the Magpies, picking up 23 disposals, eight score involvements, two goal assists, seven marks, nine tackles and two goals in an all-around performance.
If Nick Daicos can keep dominating inside and Adams can continue putting up performances like that at half forward, it’s just another weapon the Magpies are unveiling on their run-in to finals.
The Undroppables: Dan McStay
While he didn’t set the world on fire in his first game back from injury, Dan McStay did more than enough to hold his place in the side.
His two-goal return both came from inside 50 marks and the Magpies know they want to get him going alongside Brody Mihocek.
With Port Adelaide next on the fixture, Collingwood doesn’t have to look far back to see how important McStay can be against the Power after he played in a defensive fashion on Aliir Aliir in the Round 2 win, keeping the interceptor to three total marks and nine disposals.
If he can play a similar role against the star defender on Saturday night, it could go a long way to the Magpies winning and extending their lead atop the ladder.
Lachlan Geleit
The Key Takeaway: Essendon still has a long way to go
Going into Saturday night’s clash against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium, many were giving the Bombers a sneaky chance of toppling the Cats and really asserting themselves.
But as it turned out, the 77-point hammering of Brad Scott served as a reality check for an Essendon side that still has plenty of development left in them.
Essendon’s ball movement was completely stifled by a Geelong side who kicked the first seven goals of the game and never looked back.
Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium awaits on Friday night – win that and their finals prospects remain good despite the setback on Saturday night
The Negative: Percentage hit compounds misery in Geelong
With just six weeks left, the race for the bottom half of the eight could hardly be closer.
Percentage is almost certainly going to come into play when deciding the final make up of the eight, so it would’ve been extremely disappointing for Essendon to not only lose the game, but drop a heap of percentage as well.
To put things into context, there’s just three per cent separating sixth to eight spot after 18 rounds. If Essendon would’ve kept things relatively close against Geelong, they would’ve ended the round in sixth.
The good news is with West Coast and North Melbourne still to come, there remains ample opportunity to recoup some of that percentage hit.
But with plenty of clubs circling, Essendon could ill afford a heavy loss with a crucial stretch of fixtures to come.
Laurence Rosen
The Key Takeaway: Result reflects their season
Justin Longmuir’s side faced a massive challenge when they headed to Melbourne to take on the ladder-leading Collingwood, where they ultimately went down by 46 points on Saturday afternoon at the MCG.
Barring the second term, the Dockers fought extremely hard and took it to the Pies for the mmuch of the contest, but we again they struggled to put their hard work into scoreboard pressure, an issue which has been prevalent in their last three losses.
Jaegar O’Meara stood up for the Dockers with 30 disposals and 10 clearances and Josh Treacy was solid up forward with three majors.
Fremantle's finals chances look far gone, slipping to 15th in a season that saw them enter with extremely high expectations.
It will be a massive watch to see what moves the Dockers make in the off-season because this season has definitely tested the patience of the Fremantle faithful.
The Positive: Neil Erasmus
It may have been a third loss in a row for the Dockers, but a massive positive was the emergence of 19-year-old midfielder Neil Erasmus.
With Caleb Serong missing the match due to suspension, Erasmus stepped up in his absence finishing the game with 26 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 10 tackles and 4 clearances.
A performance like that in his 13th game of AFL footy will get Dockers fans excited for the years to come.
When Serong comes back into the side, it will be interesting to see how Longmuir uses Erasmus in the remaining weeks of the season.
The Negative: 2nd quarter
It was a frustrating second term for Freo where the Pies put the game to bed with ten goals to two, ultimately breaking the game open.
Despite the Dockers being competitive in the contest, Collingwood kicked eight consecutive goals in the quarter and the visitors faced an uphill battle for the remainder of the game.
Massive lapses in quarters that they have had in their past three losses need to be addressed, otherwise, we will see the Dockers struggle to win a game in the final five games of the season.
Ethan Daffey
The Key Takeaway: One of those quarters
As David King noted on SEN’s Whateley, Geelong is a team that has a real “shark in the water feel” on occasion.
This was one of those times.
From 10 minutes into the first quarter, the Cats weren’t losing. Seven goals to none in the first term, Chris Scott’s side controlled the game before kicking away in the third and fourth terms.
It was a performance that makes you stand up and take note of the Cats, particularly because they jump up to 5th on the ladder.
But with five top eight teams in their last six games, it’s not going to be an easy qualify just yet.
The Positive: Unheralded Cats star
Tom Hawkins kicked five goals, Mark Blicavs was very impressive and Tom Stewart had enough of the footy.
But numerous Cats who don’t get many plaudits put forward performances that would be among their best of the season. Tom Atkins, Gryan Miers, Max Holmes, Zach Guthrie, Jack Bowes, Brad Close, Tyson Stengle, Tanner Bruhn and more will all hold their heads extremely high.
Several of those names haven’t had their best years in 2023. But just as they did last year, you only need to hit form late in the season if the team is near enough already.
What no one is talking about: Geelong needed Melbourne to lose, badly
The weekend’s result is a good one for the Cats, clearly. But had Melbourne lost too, it would have been great.
As a result of the Demons’ last-gasp win over Brisbane, Geelong remains six points off the top four and far more likely to not gain a double chance in finals.
At the very least, Chris Scott would love Melbourne to stay right where they are in 4th.
The Cats will play the loser of the first Qualifying Final if they finish 5th and proceed to the second week of finals. Say Brisbane finishes 4th and lose to Collingwood in the first week, it’d prove a disaster for the Cats to travel to the Gabba for a semi-final.
They’ve got a much better chance against Melbourne at the MCG.
Seb Mottram
The Overreaction: The Suns are well and truly back in finals contention
At home, against a St Kilda side that is flailing and with the AFL world calling for a response after the Suns had their coach sacked midweek, Gold Coast had plenty in their favour.
The Suns’ 26-point win was impressive and a special one for interim coach Steven King.
But we know Gold Coast can do this. The club’s best is very good and can challenge many teams, but their inability to play consistently week in and week out is what ultimately cost Stuart Dew his job.
King’s side is now only four points and percentage out of the top eight. But until they prove willing to rock up next week, we can’t say anything has changed just yet.
What no one is talking about: Sam Flanders is an important contract
Out of contract at the end of the season, Flanders did his contract value no harm with a 33-disposal, five-clearance game in the win over St Kilda.
SEN’s Tom Morris reports he’s a player that is now more likely to stay at the Suns following Stuart Dew’s exit. A pick 11 back in the 2019 draft, Flanders was tearing up the training track in pre-season before finding it hard to crack into a limited on-ball rotation at Gold Coast.
But the Victorian has averaged just shy of 28 touches a game over the last month alongside five clearances. There will be plenty of interested clubs with Flanders just 21 years old.
Seb Mottram
The Key Takeaway: Spirited final quarter keeps the season alive
The Giants held the Crows goalless in that final quarter whilst kicking five goals of their own to overrun Adelaide on their home turf. But the Giants were lucky to be behind by just 17 points at three-quarter time as the Crows largely dictated terms without impacting the scoreboard.
The Giants made them pay with and it was their leaders in Josh Kelly, Toby Greene and Sam Taylor who made all the difference in the final term. Five wins in a row now has Adam Kingsley’s men firmly in the conversation for September action.
What no one is talking about: The Giants travel well
Geelong at GHMBA Stadium and Adelaide and Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval are typically the matchups around the competition. Not for GWS who have knocked off both Geelong and Adelaide at their home decks this season.
The Giants have extended their winning streak against the Crows in Adelaide to three games whilst the Giants’ winning streak at Kardinia Park is also at three in a row.
You wouldn’t bet against the Giants beating Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval on August 13.
Charles Goodsir
The Key Takeaway: Hawthorn badly needs someone to help Lewis
The Hawks are in desperate need of another key forward to play in tandem with Mitch Lewis.
Hawthorn had 70 inside 50s and only kicked 88 points against North Melbourne on Sunday.
The lack of a second quality key forward is what will hold them back from pushing to play finals again in the coming years. Denver Grainger-Barras is being trialled as a key forward but he is not the answer long term.
The Hawks will have big cash available to hit the free agency market hard in the next few years and must target a quality key forward.
The Undroppable: Finn Maginness
Finn Maginness put on another tagging masterclass.
After completely shutting Josh Kelly the week before, Maginness held Tarryn Thomas to just seven touches in the first half before being moved on to Harry Sheezel in the second half, holding the star youngster to just the nine touches.
Maginness is out of contract at the end of 2023 but is getting close to earning himself an extension. This week he should get the role on Tigers star Shai Bolton.
The Positive: Karl Amon
Karl Amon came across to the Hawks from Port Adelaide on a big-money, long-term deal in the off-season. Whilst he has been serviceable in 2023, he hasn’t been overly impressive.
His game on the weekend against North Melbourne was his best of the season. Amon finished with 33 disposals, eight inside 50s and a goal.
The Hawks will be hoping he can back it up this week against the Tigers.
The Negative: Skill errors
That first half was simply a horror show.
From kicking for goal to field kicking, the skill level was well below average.
In recent years the Hawks have drafted quality ball users. Two of them in Cam Mackenzie and Henry Hustwaite are currently playing for Box Hill in the VFL.
Mackenzie in particular needs to be playing senior football and should be in the team for the rest of the season.
What they need to tweak for next week: STOP PLAYING 2 RUCKMEN!
One of Ned Reeves or Lloyd Meek must be dropped.
James Blanck will return from concussion, which will free up Sam Frost to play as the relief ruckman.
Two ruckmen has not worked all season for Sam Mitchell.
Brad Klibansky
The Key Takeaway: Ruck call immediately vindicated
Melbourne caused plenty of headlines during the week with their call to axe Brodie Grundy but were immediately vindicated by Max Gawn’s performance against Brisbane.
As the sole ruck, Gawn had his best game in recent memory as he kicked a goal and collected a mammoth 29 disposals, 39 hitouts, seven tackles and 10 clearances … to go with a likely three Brownlow votes.
Simply put, the Demons must stick with Gawn doing most of the rucking duties for the rest of the season.
Even though it’s harsh on Grundy, the team looked immediately better as a result of the hard call.
There may be a spot there for him if he can cut it as a forward, but it won’t be the role that was promised to him in the trade period.
The Positive: Midfield is standing up without star power
With Christian Petracca spending more time forward and Clayton Oliver out injured, many were wondering just how the Demons would stack up on-ball.
Interestingly enough, it turns out that they are holding up in that area quite well, even against Brisbane who consider their midfield one of their biggest strengths.
Looking at the stats, the Demons dominated contested possessions (146-125) and clearances (45-32), both of which played a huge part in the one-point win.
Once Oliver comes back ahead of finals, perhaps the unit can go to another level.
A scary thought for opposition clubs.
What they need to tweak for next week: Second and third term efforts
While the Demons would be thrilled to win against quality opposition, they will know that they just as easily could have lost.
Imagine what the chatter would be like had that Melksham mark been spoiled, or had the Lions actually held onto the four-goal lead they had in the late stage of the last quarter.
After a dominant first term, the Demons allowed the Lions to kick 12 goals to six across the second and third quarters. Simply put, other quality sides would have put the Demons away after such a run.
You get the feeling Simon Goodwin and his team would know that though.
There’s still plenty of improvement left at Demonland … which is not a bad thing at this time of year.
Lachlan Geleit
The Key Takeaway: An opportunity missed
It was the same old story for the 17th-placed Kangaroos as they were defeated by 48 points against Hawthorn.
There was a massive opportunity for North Melbourne to snap their 14-game loss streak, but it wasn’t meant to be on Sunday afternoon.
Brett Ratten’s side remained in the game due to Hawthorn’s inefficiency in front of goal in the first half. The game ultimately broke open in the second half, and even then the result didn’t reflect the control the Hawks had on the game.
The Roos had a lack of chances ahead of the ball, with only 41 inside-50s compared to Hawthorn’s 70.
The end of the losing streak for the Kangaroos looks long away from ending, however, their next and most likely final opportunity for a win might come against the Eagles at Optus Stadium in round 20.
The Negative: Injuries to key players
Just to make things worse, following the loss, there are three Kangaroos under injury clouds.
North Melbourne is waiting for the scans to determine the length of the injuries for Cam Zurhaar and Callum Coleman-Jones, while an AFL.com.au report suggests George Wardlaw will miss three weeks.
Wardlaw was substituted out of the game before half-time with hamstring tightness, another unfortunate outcome for the young star after recently having a 12-month struggle with soft-tissue injuries.
Cam Zurhaar had ankle issues which caused him to sit out for the remainder of the clash and Callum Coleman-Jones is likely to miss next week’s clash against the Demons with a concussion.
The Kangaroos face the Saints next weekend and with these players looking likely to miss the clash, it could be a long afternoon at Marvel Stadium.
Ethan Daffey
The Key Takeaway: Changes at selection do not excuse 50-point loss
If Port Adelaide fans believe having Charlie Dixon, Trent McKenzie, Jason Horne-Francis and Junior Rioli would flip the result of the game on Saturday by 50 points, you’ve drastically overrated those changes.
This is particularly true when you consider Carlton lost Harry McKay during the game, impossible to replace structurally, and lost Matt Kennedy and Matt Owies to injuries themselves.
The Blues were hungrier, ran harder both ways, put on significantly more pressure and exposed the Power’s defenders in one-on-one contests inside 50.
They were due for a loss after winning for three straight months, but you’d be disappointed if they took that mindset in on Saturday.
The Positive: Dan Houston locking up an All-Australian blazer
Dan Houston is pretty close to sewing up a position in the All-Australian half backline.
He was comfortably Port Adelaide’s best player on Saturday afternoon, finishing with 41 disposals, nine marks, six tackles and 661 metres gained.
Five score involvements given all of that ball is low, but he still had a significant impact across four quarters.
The Negative: Tom Jonas
Has there ever been this massive of a drop-off from an AFL captain?
Jonas was among the bulk changes for this matchup, coming back into the side for his first senior game since Round 10.
Yet it doesn’t look like he’s going to be back for next week.
The Power skipper collected just six touches in the clash and didn’t make any noticeable impact.
Jonas has been reliable for Port for a long time, but it does seem like his time is up.
Nic Negrepontis
The Key Takeaway: A win’s a win…
Richmond went to Perth to plays West Coast and bank four points, and that’s exactly what they did.
As Andrew McQualter stated after the match, it might not have been the percentage booster they needed, but a win’s a win.
The Tigers sit just two points out of the top eight now and all they need to do is continue ticking off wins if they want to play finals.
Percentage would be handy but wins are more important.
The Positive: Dan Rioli
Dan Rioli’s performance off half-back was simply sublime.
He racked up a game-high 31 disposals, equalling his career high, and went at 97 per cent efficiency.
Rioli also produced a game-high 556 metres gained, seven score involvements, five inside 50s, four rebound 50s and three clearances in a best-on-ground display.
His run and carry out of defence was invaluable and he is now one of the club’s most consistent performers week in, week out.
The Negative: Inaccuracy might have cost a more comfortable win
The Tigers were inefficient in attack in the first half which might have cost them a bountiful win.
They returned 2.6 by quarter-time to hold an 11-point lead while kicking 5.9 to half-time to lead by 22 points.
Perhaps if the Tigers made the most of their early opportunities, the Eagles wouldn’t have had a sniff and hung around all day.
It’s a big ‘what if’, but you just get the feeling that if Richmond kicked straighter earlier, they might just have had an easier time of it.
Taking nothing away from West Coast, however, who stuck to their task admirably throughout and did miss chances of their own.
What no one is talking about: Balta and Riewoldt displays
Noah Balta and Jack Riewoldt both had influential games at either end of the ground that will go under the radar.
Balta had Oscar Allen’s measure, restricting the Eagles’ spearhead to just four kicks. Unfortunately for the Tiger, three of those kicks ended in goals to Allen which makes it look worse on paper.
But Balta was dominant in the air, taking six marks (four contested), picking up 17 disposals as well as 12 intercepts and rebounds 50s - both game highs.
Riewoldt has had a lean time of it lately, but has been battling away manfully to fill the gaping hole left by the injured Tom Lynch.
He might not have hit the scoreboard as much as he would have liked on Sunday, but the veteran ended the day with a game-best nine marks (three contested), nine score involvements and three tackles (two inside 50).
It was an intriguing battle with Tom Barrass, but Riewoldt would have grabbed the honours for his hard-working display.
Andrew Slevison
The Key Takeaway: The least-deserving top eight side
Since defeating Sydney after the bye, St Kilda has endured a torrid run. A 20-point loss to Richmond, 28-point loss to Brisbane, a shaky win over West Coast, a 21-point loss to Melbourne and now a 26-point to Gold Coast.
Ross Lyon’s men have finally reached the cusp of the finals and if they don’t win their next two games, likely fall out of the top eight.
Up against a hit-and-miss Gold Coast team, the Saints were smashed in clearances and contested possession and didn’t look like a side that wanted to win.
If they lose to one or both of North Melbourne and Hawthorn in the next fortnight, it’s bye-bye to finals.
What no one is talking about: Brett who?
When famously sacking Brett Ratten, the Saints declared their list was better than what it was performing at.
It was a sentiment challenged at the time, and 18 rounds on, St Kilda are in the same bracket as what many predicted them to be.
The Saints have beaten two teams in the eight, teams that sit 7th and 8th.
Lyon’s troops simply lose too many games to sides not in the top eight and it’s now fair to say there’s been no improvement.
That might be hard on Lyon, but for a club that says it wants to contend now, the Saints would have been better off starting the season slow and finishing hard rather than the opposite.
Seb Mottram
The Key takeaway: Swans do it for Horse’s 300th
In an era where coaches are under scrutiny from all angles, Longmire stands out as one of the greats and Thursday night’s win cements him as one of South Melbourne and Sydney’s greatest ever coaches.
13 seasons in, four Grand Finals and one premiership is a very good return. Across his coaching career, the players have always played for him and the reaction after the final siren perfectly encapsulated what Longmire means to the Swans’ playing group.
The Positive: Finally won a tight one
It’s been a year typified by heartbreaking losses but the Swans were finally on the right end of a nail biting finish. It was clear the Swans had learnt from their past mistakes with the forwards pushing up the ground in the final few minutes to provide crucial efforts in defence. Joel Amartey’s goal-saving tackle on Ed Richards was the standout moment
The Negative: Dane Rampe’s charge
As unlikely as it may be, the Swans are still a chance to sneak into the top eight and if they were to make a late charge for finals, they could ill afford to lose any players to injury or suspension.
The Swans are set to challenge Dane Rampe’s two-match ban for an off-the-ball bump on Lachlan McNeil. With both Fremantle and Essendon on the road in the next two weeks, Rampe’s suspension could spell the end of the season for Sydney.
Charles Goodsir
The Key Takeaway: Another good showing
Can the Eagles win another game this season?
A month ago, the answer to that question was looking like a resounding no.
Yet after another lively performance, it could be on the cards.
West Coast took the fight to Richmond, displaying some of the best on-ball pressure that we have seen from them all season.
The Eagles never truly looked like they were going to win, and the 38-point margin reflects that, yet they put up a strong fight.
The Overreaction: Less is more for Oscar Allen
Oscar Allen had just four touches on Sunday.
He kicked three goals!
The forward was beaten throughout most of the match by Noah Balta, yet still managed to have a significant impact on the contest.
Should he get less of the ball to have more of an impact? No.
But is it a good sign than he can have an impact without much possession? Yes.
What they need to tweak for next week: Effort on the road
The Eagles have put together some good showings at home as of late.
It’s on the road where they fall completely apart.
With not long left in the season, West Coast should work on putting together a high-energy performance away from their own turf, and maybe cause some chaos in the finals race.
Jack Makeham
The Key Takeaway: Another flurry, another stumble
A few weeks ago, it looked like the Bulldogs were gearing up to cement themselves in the finals mix.
Now, they’re just as vulnerable as any top eight contenders.
For the bulk of the opening term against the Swans, the Bulldogs looked a class above their opponent and boasted a healthy 19-point lead going into quarter-time.
Yet just one quarter later, the Dogs were behind on the scoreboard.
It’s been the tale of the season for them, playing blistering football for periods before allowing an opposition flurry that completely shifts the game.
On current form, it’s hard to hold too much confidence in these Dogs.
The Positive: Marcus Bontempelli
The Bont hasn’t quite been as devastating in recent weeks as he was earlier in the season, but he was back to his best last week.
An easy 31 touches and two goals saw him stand out as the Bulldogs’ best on the night, but it wasn’t quite enough to take them to victory.
There are certainly a lot of issues with the Bulldogs’ gameplan, but they all become a lot less noticeable when Bontempelli is flying.
The Negative: The backline
Something has got to give with this defence.
While the scoreboard doesn’t indicate that the Dogs struggled on that side of the football, it certainly wasn’t a pretty sight.
The bulk of their defence efforts came from energy in the midfield, with the engine room either winning the contest or stopping the Swans from going forward, with both options giving the backline a way out.
However when Sydney managed to get entries inside 50, they were able to handle the backline comfortably.
There isn’t exactly a stockpile of defenders at the Whitten Oval, so Luke Beveridge will have to move the magnets around to find a solution.
Jack Makeham