Player Ratings - Round 2

The Western Bulldogs are still in search of their first win of Season 2022, after falling to Carlton by 12 points last Thursday at Marvel Stadium.

The Bulldogs trailed by as much as 36 points late in the second term, before a late comeback was halted due to several missed opportunities in front of goal.

1. Adam Treloar

Was comfortably one of the Bulldogs best players on the night. Full of running, he picked up 32 disposals and six clearances, and also kicked an early goal. However, 21 of those disposals were handpasses, and for a player with his ability to run-and-carry, he gained only 223 metres all night. That, along with being one of the culprits to miss a late chance on goal, were detractors - 8

2. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan

If this is a true starting point for Ugle-Hagan to go and build on, he's well-placed. He only kicked one goal and missed a couple of good chances to add to that tally, but he got to plenty of marking contests and provided a real target throughout the night. On occasions, he would get in the way of teammate Aaron Naughton, but they will learn how to avoid that the more they play together. There's evidently enough to work with - 5

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan showed enough that he can succeed as a key forward at the elite level. Source: Getty Images

4. Marcus Bontempelli

He's still finding ways to have an impact despite his sprained ankle, but there's certainly something lacking from the devastating 2021 Bontempelli we remember. On Thursday, we picked up just the 19 disposals, but he still managed eight tackles, six score involvements, six inside-50s, and a last-quarter goal. But we know he can produce so much more - 6

5. Josh Dunkley

Was moved onto Patrick Cripps late in the half to try and quell the influence that the star Blue was having on the game. To Dunkley's credit, he did nullify Cripps after half time, but the damage had already been well and truly done by then. As for Dunkley himself, he picked up 26 disposals, eight tackles and six clearances, but it's his two wayward shots on goal late that we will look back on most of all - 7

7. Lachie Hunter

He used the ball very well on the 18 occasions that he found it, but 18 disposals is not enough for a ball-winning midfielder. It's understandable that with the glut of midfielders in the side that everyone's numbers will slightly suffer somewhat, but Hunter's game is based on winning a considerable amount of the ball, and if he can't do that, what is his role in the side? - 4

9. Hayden Crozier

Didn't have the best first half, picking up just nine disposals and recording four clangers. But things only got much worse during the half time break, when he fainted without explanation, and was subsequently subbed out of the game. Whether there was a leadup to what happened at half time which resulted in his below-par first half showing is uncertain, as not even the Bulldogs are sure what caused the events to play out. The most important news it that Crozier is ok - 3

11. Jackson Macrae

Macrae had another prolific match, finding the footy 35 times and playing a hand in 11 scores as a result. The numbers are definitely strong, but I don't think he had the impact that we've grown accustomed to over the past few seasons - 7

12. Zaine Cordy

Zaine Cordy is not a backup ruck. It's unbelievable that I feel the need to come out and stress that, but he attended six ruck contests last week and won none of them. Now, you might argue that it's *only* six ruck contest across two hours of football, but we have more than capable ruck options running around in the VFL to play those roles. If you're going to play Cordy, play him in a position that he is equipped to succeed in. Having said that, he wasn't overly effective in defence either, being reduced to the role of spectator as McKay and Curnow ran riot - 4

15. Taylor Duryea

Normally provides a calming influence across the backline, but wasn't able to achieve that this week, as Carlton went forward and scored at will. While Duryea isn't judged solely on racking up huge numbers, his 10 disposals was the lowest tally he's recorded since joining the Bulldogs - 4

19. Cody Weightman

Still looking short of fitness, although, much like the Bulldogs as a team, came to life in moments throughout the match. His main purple patch in the second term resulted in two set shots. One went out of the full, and the other should have been rushed through on the goal line - 4

20. Ed Richards

Looked very shaky all night, with one moment in the third term standing out when he was caught holding the ball, preventing what could very easily have been a late Bulldogs goal. Also recorded six clangers from his 15 disposals - 4

21. Tom Liberatore

Looked better this week, but is still spending more time in the forward line. He picked up 22 disposals at 90% efficiency, while also kicking two goals. He won just the three clearances, but as we said, he's still spending more time forward at this stage - 8

Tom Liberatore continued to play up forward, but had greater effect this time around. Source: Getty Images

23. Laitham Vandermeer

Two games in, and he's still yet to register a score as a small forward. I'm a massive fan of Laitham Vandermeer, and the 23 sprints he recorded during the match was a game-high, but eventually that effort needs to be converted into scores, especially given the lack of scoring options that are already present in the side - 4

28. Anthony Scott

In the side for the first time this year, played well. Only found the nine disposals, but playing as a small forward, managed to kick two goals. Given none of his peers have looked like finding the big sticks in the opening fortnight, you would expect him to keep his spot in the side - 7

29. Mitch Hannan

Only involved in a handful of moments all match, but they'll all find themselves on the highlights reel. Took a spectacular mark in the second term and converted, and also kicked a spectacular goal in the final term. But the blight on his performance was a snap shot that he really should've scored in the third term, only for Carlton to go up the other end and goal instead - 6

31. Bailey Dale

Was ok for most of the night. Used his 21 disposals at 85% efficiency, launched six scores and even scored a goal himself - 7

33. Aaron Naughton

Largely kept in check all night by Jacob Weitering, but still managed three scores, one a disappointing miss on the quarter time siren, and also had a couple of chances from more difficult positions late on, finishing the night with 1.2 from four attempts. Just the three marks all night - 3

34. Bailey Williams

Subbed on at half time for Hayden Crozier, and picked up two clangers from his five disposals. I'd be surprised if it was enough to justify a return to the starting 22 - 3

35. Caleb Daniel

He had a decent game, but he didn't put in the real damaging type of performance that we have come to expect from him. It feels like the back flankers in general have started the season lacking that real cuting edge that gets things going - 6

37. Roarke Smith

Definitely one of his more prolific performances, reaching 20 disposals for just the third time in his career. It looks like he's become Beveridge's go-to man to deploy on the wing, given that it looks to be his most natural position, and despite the wealth of midfield talent that we do have, there aren't many natural wingers in the squad - 6

42. Alex Keath

For the second week in a row, Keath struggled against the opposition key forwards, spending time both on McKay and Curnow, who combined for nine goals over the course of the night. It's not entirely his own fault, but it's a concerning start compared to his form from last year - 4

43. Ryan Gardner

Given that Gardner wasn't able to keep McKay or Curnow under wraps either, the fact that he scores similarly to Keath and Cordy shouldn't be of a great surprise to many - 4

44. Tim English

Yes, yes, the 24 disposals, six clearances and a goal is nice. But his No.1 role in the side should be to succeed as a ruckman; everything else should be a bonus. He attended 65 ruck contests all night, winning 21 hitouts. Raw hitout numbers aren't the be-all-and-end-all, but hitouts to advantage are a far more crucial statistic, and he only won three of them. Compare that to Carlton who won 15 for the night. And we wonder why Carlton were able to dominate the midfield the way they did. For what it's worth, Stefan Martin won 13 hitouts to advantage in the VFL last week, against an established AFL ruckman in Peter Ladhams - 5