Ladder position: 10th, 10W, 12L
Leading goalkicker: Barry Hall (55)
Leading possession winner: Matthew Boyd (701)
Played every game: Liam Picken, Callan Ward, Daniel Cross, Ryan Griffen, Matthew Boyd
Debutants: Lukas Markovic (16 games), Tom Liberatore (16), Luke Dahlhaus (11), Jayden Schofield (seven), Christian Howard (six), Mitch Wallis (six), James Mulligan (three), Jason Tutt (three), Ayce Cordy (two), Zephaniah Skinner (one)
Stats leaders
Toyota AFL Dream Team: Matthew Boyd (2552)
Kicks: Matthew Boyd (398)
Handballs: Daniel Cross (323)
Marks: Daniel Cross (125)
Hit-outs: Ben Hudson (383)
Clearances: Matthew Boyd (154)
Contested possessions: Matthew Boyd (326)
Uncontested possessions: Matthew Boyd (378)
NAB AFL Rising Star nominees
Luke Dahlhaus (round 21)
Liam Jones (round 24)
List manager
The Dogs need key position prospects. They were unlucky with injuries to key backmen, and had to rely on Robert Murphy - who is 30 next year - late in the season as he was the only experienced defender available. Up the other end, Barry Hall is gone, Liam Jones is improving but still a little raw and Jarrad Grant wasn't as prolific this year, while Tom Hill showed promise late in the season in the VFL reserves but needs development. Quick midfielders are also a requirement, while the loss of ruckman Ben Hudson won't create a gaping hole with Will Minson and the emergence of Jordan Roughead and, to a lesser but relevant extent, Ayce Cordy.
Games that shaped a season
Rd 1: Essendon 16.17 (113) d Western Bulldogs 8.10 (58)
The season didn't start well when the Bulldogs fell to the club that finished 14th in 2010 by 55 points. After being rated highly as a flag contender over summer, the Dogs were blitzed in the second quarter with the Dons - in their first game under rookie coach James Hird - booting six goals to one to set up a 34-point lead at half-time. It certainly wasn't an ideal base to launch the season from, but clashes with the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast in the weeks that followed - plus their first bye - meant the concern about the Dogs' early season form wasn't really recognised for another month.
Rd 7: Sydney Swans 10.13 (73) d Western Bulldogs 10.5 (65)
This was one the Bulldogs simply should have won, which would have levelled their season with three wins from six games. They led by 18 points in what was an exciting first quarter but got the wobbles when the Swans put numbers behind the ball and were outworked in the second and third. They got within seven points twice in the final quarter but couldn't close it out. Skinner played his one and only game for the year but managed only two touches, two marks and one tackle for the day after coming on as the substitute.
Rd 9: West Coast 26.19 (175) d Western Bulldogs 8.4 (52)
"Unacceptable" and "embarrassing" were words coach Rodney Eade used to describe the 123-point loss to West Coast, which was the Eagles' third biggest win in their history on the back of a 10-goal bag from Josh Kennedy. The match at Patersons Stadium saw the Eagles kick 17 of the last 18 goals, and prompted a "bring your mouthguards" training session at Whitten Oval the following week. Overall, it saw the Dogs slip further behind the ledger as it was their fifth loss in eight games.
Rd 16: Western Bulldogs 14.12 (96) d Carlton 9.15 (69)
Even the most disappointing of seasons has positives, and this brave performance against the finals-bound Blues was Boyd's proudest moment as captain in 2011. It was the Dogs' fourth win in a row and had many believing things were back on track, with a jaw-dropping display from the midfield destabilising the Blues and denting their top four chances. Tom Williams played the best game of his career while Lindsay Gilbee was given the chance to celebrate his 200th game in style.
Rd 21: Essendon 23.12 (150) d Western Bulldogs 15.11 (101)
This is where it ended. Fresh from the bye and with everything to play for, the Dogs lost their fourth game in a row and their resurgence - and slim finals hopes - ended. Eade's association with the club also did four days later, when the club announced his contract would not be renewed. The disappointment of the 49-point loss was multiplied by a shocking broken leg sustained by Dale Morris with 10 minutes remaining. Morris was seen at the club in the final week of the season with his leg in plaster and in a wheelchair, which summed up the Dogs' season.
What went right
Blooding 10 players was a highlight, which leaves the Dogs having played every senior player bar Tom Hill in a senior game this season. Dahlhaus, Tutt and Liberatore were highlights while Easton Wood improved out of sight and Murphy had a terrific season. Tom Williams backed up from last year and was injury-free until late in the year (fractured foot) while Boyd wasn't burdened by his new captaincy role and will push for his second All Australian guernsey. They also saw off retiring players Hall and Hudson in fashion, with the former kicking five goals (four in the last quarter) in a 46-point win over Fremantle at Etihad Stadium in round 24. Both players were chaired off after the game while mature-aged rookie Mitch Hahn was honoured in the rooms beforehand.
What went wrong
Lots. Dual All Australian full-back Brian Lake had three different parts of his body operated on over summer but remained troubled by his knee for half a season before he checked out in mid-July. Ryan Hargrave also struggled after two serious foot operations in the pre-season, Morris (broken leg) and Williams (foot fracture) didn't play the last three and four games respectively, and Lindsay Gilbee wasn't consistent. Adam Cooney (knee) and Hall (ankle) also missed chunks of games, and with key players in and out of the line-up, the Dogs failed to mount consistent intensity. The second spurt of four games lost saw Eade depart following the round 21 loss to Essendon after the Dogs told him he wouldn't earn a new contract, and Paul Williams took over for the final three games. There was also the constant talk surrounding Callan Ward and Greater Western Sydney, with Ward confirming his move to the franchise club at season's end.
Critical moment
Before round nine, the season was still salvageable. The Dogs had won three, lost four, and were 11th on the ladder. But the 123-point loss to the Eagles cut deep, it was the moment the Dogs showed their true vulnerabilities and queries were raised about the prospects of a fourth straight preliminary final appearance. They went on to lose to Hawthorn, Geelong and St Kilda in the following weeks, and seeds of doubt took root, unable to be retrieved from even the toughest of training sessions.
Most valuable player
Robert Murphy is probably the player most talked about by his coaches as the one "we could do with two of, one at either end of the ground". He was the last experienced backman standing as the season drew to a close, but didn't let that affect him in round 23 against the Hawks (10 rebounds) and against Fremantle the following week. His composure, run from defence, creativity and decision-making was brilliant once again, and he easily led the side for rebounds with 151.
Coach's pet
Liam Picken ran out for every game in his third season and was second to Cross in the overall tackle tally at the club. The tenacious defender took on a role each week and caught the eye in round 23 for his selfless job on Cyril Rioli that saw the Hawthorn goalkicker kept to nine touches and one goal before he was subbed off at three-quarter time. The quiet 25-year-old never left anything on the park and twice recorded double figures in tackles - 10 against Collingwood in round six, and 13 against Gold Coast in round 14.
Next big thing
As one of two father-son selections to land at the club last year, Tom Liberatore was second selected behind close mate Wallis. He played more games than his former Calder Cannons teammate and was probably unlucky to miss out on a nomination for the NAB AFL Rising Star after playing 16 games. In round two against the Brisbane Lions, he had 28 touches and laid 10 tackles, and was important at the stoppages in round 23 against the Hawks.
Needs a big pre-season
Former Sydney Swan Patrick Veszpremi was given a second chance when he was traded to the Dogs last year for Andrejs Everitt after three injury plagued seasons. He broke his hand in April and missed a month, but struggled to impress the coaching staff at his new home and didn't get a game in the seniors until round 22 against Port Adelaide. He played the remaining three but showed concerning signs with his limited fitness, which was typified when he came on at three-quarter time against the Hawks as the substitute and was blowing hard after 10 minutes. He was better the week after against Fremantle, but clearly needs to pound the pavement hard over summer.
Trading places
Lake was mentioned as trade bait across the season after reports emerged of rumoured disharmony caused by his injury management but that has since been discredited by the club. Minson - who is frequently talked about in trade week - and Gilbee have a year to run on their contracts but could be frustrated by limited senior opportunities, although the retirement of Hudson could change the former's thinking. Sam Reid could also be forgiven for thinking the same thing after playing just four senior games this year, while Josh Hill was again in and out of favour and played 12 times.
What they said
"We've played a lot of kids and probably some of them have had a really good taste of what they have to do to be an AFL player. I think the youth that we've got right down the bottom end, first year, second year and even third year, is quite healthy. The new senior coach will be quite buoyed by our list, and they'll also know that the 2011 and 2012 draft especially is very important for us to bounce back as quick as possible."
- Western Bulldogs caretaker coach Paul Williams
In a nutshell
While 2011 will be considered an unsuccessful season, it will be dubbed a successful year of development. The 10 first-gamers and steps forward taken by players like Jones, Christian Howard, Roughead and Wood will have the Dogs well placed for the incoming senior coach. It's hard to ignore the fact they missed the finals after showing such promise in September over the past three years, but perhaps it will provide a wake up call for the senior players that will reignite their passion.
Overall grade: C-
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
