5 Things We Learned - Round 12

It wasn't the greatest of spectacles by any means but the Western Bulldogs returned to winning ways, consolidating their top two position with a tricky 28 point victory over an injury hit Fremantle Dockers, 13.15 93 to 9.11 65.

In what was a very strange game of football, it felt like at times we were well ahead of the eightball but we also were just stumbling across the finish line at the same time.

We've had far more impressive performances this year but four points is four points and I'll happily see them added to our tally.

Luke Beveridge lays down the law to the playing group. Source: AFL Photos

1) Where The Match Was Won

In a game that wasn't exactly free flowing and was filled with consistent inconsistencies, it came down to moments of individual brilliance from certain Western Bulldogs players in Marcus Bontempelli, Lachie Hunter, Aaron Naughton, Jackson Macrae and Alex Keath rather than a cohesive unit to secure the win.

That isn't to say there weren't contributors across the board but those five players influence in particular was certainly felt throughout the game and especially in key moments.

A key factor of the win though comes down to the keeping the ball in our forward half as obvious as it sounds but it wasn't from huge levels of pressure but more the cause of our defensive positional setup across the ground which prevented Fremantle from moving the ball freely.

The Dogs contained the Dockers into their back half throughout the game, allowing them to register 31 of their 96 total marks in their defensive 50 while we recorded just 11 from our 82. This highlights our ability to own the territory game in the forward half which was seen with the ball spending 59% of the time at our end.

Because of this system based pressure, we were able to return to our best in converting opposition turnovers into scoring opportunities for us. Against Fremantle we scored 8.9 57, almost double last weeks amount of 4.6 30, and almost reaching our season average of 10 goals per game. We too also restricted the Dockers to just the 39 rebounds, the fifth lowest amount we have allowed this year.

Before the Fremantle game, we had been able to generate a score from 51% of our inside 50 entries this season (321/628) so it was pleasing to see after a down week against the Demons, the Bulldogs were able to regain that forward line bite after we scored on 28 occasions (13.15) from 52 inside 50s (53%) and register a scoring shot from 67% of those occasions (34/52).

Normally we have also been able to dictate terms in the midfield courtesy of our contested ball and stoppage dominance but that wasn't the case on the weekend as we just won the contested ball by 1 (137-136) and lost the stoppages 4.6 30 to 6.6 42.

What was impressive though was our ability to hold the sway through the corridor and forward 50 metre arc via our new found contested mark strength, taking 11 with nine of those in the forward half contested marks (five of those to Naughton). This was essential in breaking the game open as it allowed for greater connection between the our defensive and forward 50 arcs, and gave us the opportunity to take 19 marks inside 50, our equal second highest amount this season (against Carlton) and just five short of our round three tally against North Melbourne on Good Friday.

No doubt the unfortunate injuries to Fremantle's Sean Darcy, Nathan Fyfe, Griffin Logue and Brennan Cox all suffering injuries helped seal the result but even before those incidents the Dockers, although threatening, never truly looked like getting the win bar a third quarter burst.

2) Alex Keath's Significance.

Even though it is only Keath's second season on our list, he has become one of the most inspired recruits we have had over the years and one of the most important players on our list.

Keath's game against Fremantle wasn't a typical one where he was taking intercept marks at will but it was a very athletic performance from him as he gathered 10 of his 13 possessions between both the defensive and attacking 50-metre arcs, highlighting his aggressive mindset to control the play up ahead. On top of that, he completely nullified Rory Lobb who barely had an impact on Sunday evenings proceedings, holding him (alongside Ryan Gardner) to just the one possession in the first half.

For key defenders in season 2021, Keath is rated above average for effective disposals (12.4), intercept possessions (7.3), and pressure acts (7.7) while he is deemed elite in tackles (2.3). Keath is also ranked equal 10th for intercept marks (2.3 per game - above average), and equal 14th for contested marks for key defenders.

Keath generally hasn't had a lot of genuine key position support since his arrival at the Bulldogs, so when you factor in that his main support cast is a collection of undersized medium defenders and limited key position players, he has been immense in his duties to prevent opposition key forwards from having days out.

He really should be in All-Australian contention and I shudder to think just what might happen in defense if he were to get injured. There is no question that Marcus Bontempelli is our crown jewel but Keath's importance to the side is paramount and our defensive setup would be immensely weakened by his absence.

It's hard to believe that this is a man who has spent a large portion of his sporting career as a cricketer but even if he never trained with the Gold Coast Suns, you can see why he was one of the most attractive developing prospects when he was one of the dozen 17-year-olds they selected in late 2009.

Keath has been superb for us in his 30 games to date and all he cost in the 2019 Trade Period was pick 45 (2019 third-round selection) and future 2020 2nd round pick.

He is an absolute bargain and it was simply amazing stuff orchestrated by our list manager Sam Power. Imagine if he had some reliable key position support...

Alex Keath has proven to be quite the astute recruit since becoming a Bulldog. Source: AFL Photos

3) The Bye Has Come At The Right Time

In the opening six rounds we had a 6-0 record, were top of the ladder and had a percentage of 175.3. Over the past six rounds, we have a record of 4-2, sit second on the ladder and have a percentage of 128. These aren't poor numbers by any means but putting aside the win-loss record there has certainly been a change in the way we have played recently.

We have still shown signs of our very best at times but we have been mostly sluggish over the past six weeks as the only game we have truly been able to "turn it on" was against the Saints. If you were to remove the Saints result over this six-week stretch our recent percentage is actually just 103, making it an outlier to the form we have displayed.

We are just getting by but we have seen how important it is for sides to bank such wins when not playing at their best. Geelong's early season form wasn't much to write about but now they are in a position to challenge for higher honours once again while we saw just how crucial it was for Richmond to hang tough in the middle stages of the year in 2019 before re-launching in the second half of the year to win the flag.

The positive thing is despite this form slump we have still been able to keep the wins rolling as in recent seasons we have been prone to dropping games we would expect to win and that has been the case with Carlton, St Kilda and Fremantle (record of 10-7 since 2017).

As much as I would love to see us hammer sides by 10 goals each week, it isn't a reasonable expectation as it looks like we are to an extent being carried by the brilliance of certain individuals.

You don't want to be playing your best football too soon nor do you want to charge into form too late in the season. There are 22 games played in the home and away season for a reason, so it is about pacing yourself and playing your best brand of footy at the right time of the season.

Time to freshen up over the bye, buckle up and go again.

4) We Might Underappreciate Just How Hard It Is To Win In Perth

Winning in Perth is clearly not an easy task and no one expects it to be but regardless of where we have sat on the ladder over the past three decades, the state of Western Australia has always been something of a "Final Frontier" and a place that has haunted us on many occasions beforehand, evident by our previous 25% winning record (8/32 now 9/33).

To secure the 28 victory over Fremantle brought about the end of a few WA hoodoos we have had for quite some time. It was our first win over Fremantle in WA since round one 2009 where we defeated the Dockers by 63 points, it was our first win in Western Australia (WA) since that famous elimination final in 2016 against the West Coast Eagles and it was our first win at Perth Stadium after four unsuccessful attempts.

Fremantle isn't an amazing side by any means but they deserve respect. Besides the Derby loss to West Coast at Optus Stadium, it was the Docker's first defeat at home this season which emphasises just how hard it is to win over out west.

These might not be wins you'll put on replay over in any way shape or form but good sides get the job done and with the playing group being thrown around from Melbourne to Sydney before traveling to Perth over the past week, it was a win filled with persistence and resilience.

5) Unravelling The Marvel Myth

Playing under the roof at Marvel Stadium certainly has its benefits as it is more conducive to the style of football we try and play each week but because of this home ground advantage, there seems to be a belief that the Western Bulldogs aren't capable of winning games away from home.

In other seasons gone by that argument could be worthy of discussion but at least in 2021, the theory doesn't hold up seeing as we have won just as many games away from Marvel this season, compared to our home ground (5-1 and 5-1).

On top of defeating West Coast, Gold Coast, St Kilda, North and Carlton at Marvel Stadium, the Bulldogs have beaten Brisbane in Ballarat, Collingwood at the MCG, the Power in Adelaide, the Giants in Canberra, and now Fremantle in Perth.

From the start of 2017 to the end of 2020, our record at non-Marvel venues has taken a bit of a hit as we went 10-21 but over the past two years, it has recovered to a more than respectable 13-7 record, after playing 14 games last year at the SCG, Carrara, Adelaide, Gabba and Cazaly's Stadium for an 8-6 record and an overall tally of 23-28.

With COVID-19 threatening the ability to play football across Victoria amongst other things, there is a fair chance the Dogs could be playing interstate games on a regular basis once again like last season. There has even been discussion regarding our next opponent in Geelong potentially being hosted in Tasmania and if that is the case we are better equipped to deal with it this year going by our 5-1 record.

We will hopefully have an opportunity to face Melbourne at the MCG in round 20, provided COVID-19 clears up, and add that to the list of winning venues in 2021 as well to show we have no fear away from our fortress at Marvel Stadium.

Like any other team it makes perfect sense to play a better style of football at ones home venue but it is no coincidence that the one year throughout Beveridge's tenure as coach where we have displayed impressive form away from home, saw it pay off immensely of course throughout the 2016 Finals Series where we played in four victorious away or neutral venues.