"We just got killed with class and skill and maybe we dropped our heads a little bit," said Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade.
But they didn't give up. The team fought on kicking 8.3 (51) to Geelong's 10.2 (62) in the second half. The inevitable dropping of the heads only resumed in what was a disheartened mood in the rooms after the game.
The Bulldogs appear to be a team in transition, setting their sights on next season as the high hopes they took into this season fade.
But the coach is not conceding the season is shot just yet. One last opportunity to revive hope awaits the group next week against St Kilda. If they can scramble a win, anything could happen.
"I haven't given up hope. Next week is probably the crunch, as much as anything," said Eade.
But the change that has overtaken this team is there for all to see. Eight players who played in last year's gallant preliminary final loss (their third in succession) did not take the field against the Cats.
Much of the drive that propelled the team into the top four are retired, injured, gone, omitted or playing without confidence.
Nathan Eagleton (retired), Jarrod Harbrow (Gold Coast Suns), Brad Johnson (retired), Adam Cooney, Barry Hall (injured), Mitch Hahn (rookie listed), Ben Hudson, Dylan Addison and Lindsay Gilbee (not selected) make up the list of absentees from that night just 10 games ago.
Add to that list of reasons last year's All Australian full back Brian Lake, who is playing without confidence, and an out of form Jarrad Grant and the reasons why the Bulldogs are struggling to win become obvious.
They are a different team to the one that has played such great football for three seasons.
All the focus is on Lake and at three-quarter time, his coach said he was a player at the crossroads. "It's as much a mental issue with Brian as anything else," said Eade.
He swung Lake forward again in the last quarter and watched him kick three goals. "Hopefully that gives him confidence," said Eade.
It was a setback for Lake, because the Bulldogs had been heartened by his form at training in the last week and was confident he could play better today.
Eade suspects the injured knee has made Lake apprehensive, not charging at marks as he once did. Surgery to his knee, his hip and then his shoulder in the off-season would certainly be enough to throw doubts in anyone's mind. Eade appears prepared to stick with Lake as he says his effort on the track is very good.
The flow-on effect of the change in personnel is enormous.
Perhaps Harbrow's absence has been underestimated. Without his brilliance as a crumbing defender, his teammates might be hesitant to fly for marks, wary of being caught out when the ball hits the deck.
Without drive, run and penetrating kicking from defence, the Bulldogs are scrapping for goals. Robert Murphy is trying hard to create run but he is meeting brick walls at every turn.
Ryan Griffen's propensity to take the game on, a strength in previous years, is looking hasty right now as support is not evident when opponents close the net on him as he tries to break the lines.
Once again their inside 50 count was in the 40s (the competition average is 52). They were well down on possessions and their decision-making was nowhere near as good as Geelong.
"I think their (Geelong's) ability to pick options and make good decisions under pressure was outstanding. Obviously, with young players, we struggle with that. That is what we have got to aim for," said Eade.
They lack speed around the stoppages in the absence of Cooney and that robs some of their running players of the space to cut teams up. To that end Eade was heartened by Nathan Djerrkura's performance, his agility and evasive skills in close another positive from the day.
James Mulligan was competitive at full-back on debut, one of six players to play their first AFL game with the Bulldogs this season.
The playing of young players is a positive but in the short-term, such change robs the team of synergy, both in creating chains of possession during a forward transition and moving quickly into a tight defensive structure.
It's like a rock band performing with a new bass player every night. Even if they knew the notes to every song, the result would be different. "I think our players at times get captivated looking at the ball instead of making a defensive decision, which we've trained for," said Eade. "Some of that was new players in the team, who are obviously new and young and get caught out, and others…you can see it's a lack of communication."
That is code for a team that has not gelled. Only hard work and focus on the track away from the heat Skilled Stadium generates when the Cats are rolling, can turn that around.
In the end, managing to score 13 goals and have 22 scoring shots from 41 inside 50s was a good result. Daniel Giansiracusa battled hard and made the most of his limited opportunities with five goals. His leadership was outstanding as were Dale Morris's efforts. Callan Ward is developing into a good midfielder and although Matthew Boyd was unusually subdued, he is a player the coach can rely on.
Eade was heartened by the improved ball use in the final quarter but such dramatic mid-game improvement is an indicator that the Bulldogs have dropped in the pecking order, able to show class when the pressure drops and they have time and space to execute a kick or a handball.
The important sign the coach did recognise among the group near the end was a willingness to run, both at opponents and with the ball. The ball use improved too.
The coach, as always, will keep searching for the model that can compete with the best teams. He has reinvented groups in similar positions before and knows the process required to lift the team back to the standards he sets. "[We will] keep having the revolving door until we get some players who want to have that consistency of effort," said Eade.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
