What's biting the Bulldogs?

With eight games left, the Bulldogs sit 10th at 7-7 and, despite the doomsayers, are still in the hunt for a finals berth.

But they do not appear to pose the same threat as they did last season when they kept coming despite being hit by injury after injury on their way to triumph.

Many of the aspects that have changed are easy to identify.

The third-man up tactic they used so well in 2016 was banned.

Running defender and Norm Smith medallist Jason Johannisen is being tagged out of games.

On Saturday their two key defenders, their ruckman and their best ball winner on Grand Final day were missing.

The competition has tightened up and every rule introduced assists high scoring teams.

And the pressure that comes with being the champ is a new challenge that most people need time to adjust to.

Jason Johanissen (left) is being kept quiet by taggers this season. Picture: AFL Photos

But these are superficial changes.

The fact is the Bulldogs' interdependent system that so brilliantly came to the fore last year when everyone played their role is just not firing.

And the flow-on is affecting every part of their game.

The coach has alluded to that fact regularly as he's tried to jump start the spluttering donk.

The engine has rumbled to life a few times but stalled soon after taking off.  

On Saturday against West Coast, the Bulldogs' ball movement let them down.

It has been an issue all season and responsible for pushing them back among the pack in many of the statistics they dominated in 2016.

They are spending just two more minutes in their forward half than their opponents in 2017 after winning the territory battle in 2016 by more than eight minutes.

Last season they were equal fourth for tackles inside 50; this season they are 13th. 

Turning the ball over has also challenged the attacking mindset of their defenders and appears to have them doubting their starting positions with the Bulldogs taking, on average, 2.1 fewer intercept marks a game this year.

Their ability to move the ball from end to end is still good but it is not as good.

The work around stoppages also hurt against West Coast.

In 2016, the Bulldogs scored seven more points from stoppages than their opposition but so far in 2017 they have scored five fewer points.

Their score profile has changed, too, with just 33 per cent of their scores coming from clearances this year, as opposed to 41 per cent in 2016.

At one point on Saturday, the Eagles won 12 clearances in succession, which was a step back for the Bulldogs after they had shown some improvement in that area in recent weeks.

After leading disposals and contested possessions differentials last season, they are back among the pack as they give away the ball and are being forced to tackle more often as the ball is out of their hands.

Beveridge is attempting to shuffle the magnets, throwing Toby McLean and Bailey Dale into the action and pushing Jake Stringer into the midfield at times.

Johannisen also spent time forward in the third quarter on Saturday.

And many attempts have been made to get the forward structure functioning, with Clay Smith and Tory Dickson battling to replicate the form of last season. The talls have also been hit by injury, although Jack Redpath was dangerous on Saturday.

Some argue the coach needs to settle the team down but it's a false argument.

Beveridge has only made 2.6 changes a week this season, as opposed to 2.3 changes a week last year.

The difference, if there is one, is that whereas last season in-form players replaced injured players, this season form has been variable across the board, meaning the dynamic around selection pressure has shifted.    

Hunger has also been questioned but any team that has come back after trailing at half-time as the Bulldogs have so repeatedly in 2017 does not lack desire. After all, they have won half their games and lost three by fewer than 10 points despite being in front for only 34 per cent of game time.

In 2016, at the same time, the Bulldogs had been in front for 55 per cent of game time.

If anything, their battles this season only highlight how good last year's effort was, but it's history now.

On Friday night against Adelaide, the Bulldogs get another crack to tie the strands together in a fashion that gives them an edge again.

Beveridge knows how to innovate but he also knows one fundamental remains regardless of individual circumstances: teams win premierships.

"We're trying to progress and improve and sometimes you take a little step back to go forward," Beveridge said.  

Three stats that show why the Cats are smashing the depth test

After introducing three first-gamers on Saturday night against Greater Western Sydney, the Cats went close to winning their fourth thriller for the year against a team broadly expected to contend for the premiership. 

They remain in third spot after 14 games, while managing a remarkable transition process.

• Eight players have made their debut with Geelong in 2017 (an AFL high)
• Six players have played every game (equal second-fewest in 2017)
• The Cats have used 36 players in total (equal most in 2017)

One simple pointer to a Lions win

If the Brisbane Lions' Chris Fagan wanted to put a simple formula on the whiteboard after the club's huge win against Essendon, it would be this: restrict the opposition to below 100 points.

Why? The Brisbane Lions have kept their opposition below 100 points three times this season. They have won each time.

Where Saturday night's cliffhanger sits in the record books

Geelong's Tom Hawkins had already kicked a goal after the siren to win a game so perhaps he was looking for another entry in the record books when he missed the set shot against Greater Western Sydney.

We doubt it but in doing so, Hawkins joined former Bomber Matthew Lloyd and former Cat Bert Whittington, becoming just the third player in the game's history to kick a behind after the siren to draw a game.

Saturday night's was the first draw since round 21, 2015 when Geelong and St Kilda tied.

Hawkins kicked the Cats' final behind that night, too, but it was a late behind from the Saints' Shane Savage after Geelong's Nakia Cockatoo had kicked what appeared to be the winning goal that forced the draw.

Hawkins is only the second player since 2015 to have a shot to win the game after the final siren and fail to kick the goal.

Hawthorn's Isaac Smith was the most recent player to do so, famously missing a set shot in the 2016 qualifying final.

The Cats were the fortunate winners on that occasion, as they were just last week when Fremantle's Michael Walters missed a last-second shot at goal.

Want more?

• Read more from the Stats Files

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