The Western Bulldogs have demonstrated impressive form over the past month, beginning with a resounding 90-point victory over Richmond. They then followed this with a 27-point win against GWS, despite entering the game as 13.5-point underdogs. Most recently, they pulled off a comeback victory against Collingwood, overcoming a deficit in the fourth quarter to win by three goals.
The only setback for the Bulldogs was a respectable defeat to the Swans in round 11. Despite this, they put up a strong fight and, with a bit more precision, could have posed an even greater challenge to the league leaders during that match.
A key factor in the Bulldogs’ success has been their ability to maintain sustained pressure within their forward 50. They rank third in the AFL for several critical statistics: Inside 50 entries (56.3 per game), Marks Inside 50 (12.8 per game), and Tackles Inside 50 (12.6 per game). This relentless pressure has often led to their opponents eventually succumbing.
The match against Collingwood last week perfectly illustrated the impact of their persistent pressure. The Bulldogs were able to overturn a 22-point deficit in the first quarter and a 13-point gap in the fourth quarter by consistently keeping the ball in their attacking third, ultimately wearing down their opponents.
