After a 72-point loss to Hawthorn on Sunday afternoon, Western Bulldogs Skills Acquisition Coach Rohan Smith takes a look at the match tape in this week’s BulldogsTV Weekly Wrap match review.

Watch the media player above and read below to see Smith’s insight into the match, as he identifies where the side can improve.
 
What Worked:

The young Bulldogs side’s ability to restrict Hawthorn’s uncontested possessions for the opening two and a half quarters was a pleasing sign Smith noted. Hawthorn have been dominant in that area all year and curbing the influence of one of the competition’s form sides and restricting their trademark uncontested style of play for an extended period was a positive to take from the match
 
Room for Improvement

Contested ball and clearance work were two key area’s for improvement that Smith identified from Sunday’s game. The Bulldogs have prided themselves on their contested ball and stoppage work in 2012, but a more hard-bodied Hawthorn side got the better of them. Hawthorn convincingly led both contested ball (Hawks 155, WB 116) and clearances (Hawks 48, WB 28) categories on the stats sheet.
 
Stat That Mattered

Hawthorn’s ability to drive the ball inside 50m and convert their chances ultimately hurt the Bulldogs. Winning the Inside 50m count 62 to 38, the Hawks converted frequently to apply scoreboard pressure. At the other end of the field the Bulldogs were unable to provide their forwards with the same number of opportunities to score.
 
Player of the Day

Smith nominated 200-gamer Matthew Boyd as the Bulldogs’ ‘Player of the Day.’ In his milestone match Boyd collected a game-high 37 disposals, seven marks, eight clearances, seven inside 50s and four tackles. Smith drew particular attention to the captain’s high level of intensity for the full four quarters and his willingness to provide a contest regardless of the stage of the match.