After 12 rounds of the 2022 AFL season we reach the second of three bye rounds, with six clubs handed a week's break to assess their season and move onto the final stretch.

Adelaide, Geelong, Gold Coast, Sydney, West Coast and the Western Bulldogs are set for the bye this weekend, giving us the perfect time to critique and grade their campaigns to date.

We put the microscope over each of the aforementioned clubs season's and name their MVP, best win and worst loss at the midway mark of this year in part one of our mid-season report cards.

These gradings factor in pre-season expectations and form across the opening 12 rounds of the year.

SEE ALSO: Mid-season AFL report cards: Part 1

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Western Bulldogs

Grade:ย C
W-L Record:ย 6-6
Percentage:ย 118.5%

If not for a much-improved run of form and some big wins from Round 9 onwards, the Bulldogs could very well be looking at a much different mark.

A lacklustre start to the season saw alarm bells sounding at the kennel, with the Dogs winning just one of their opening four games.

The midfield remains stacked with talent, but seems to struggle with the inconsistency issues that plague the club as a whole. Bailey Smith is having an exceptional year, averaging 31.6 disposals, 3.7 tackles and 3.7 clearances per game, while Tim English continues to impress.

The Dogs rank second in clearances and inside 50's competition wide, with their engine room truly one of the best when up and about, while young forward Aaron Naughton leads from the front in the absence of the injured Josh Bruce with 30 goals for the season so far.

Aaron Naughton during the 2022 AFL Round 1 match between Melbourne and Western Bulldogs (Photo by Cameron Grimes / Zero Digital Media)

Down back, the Dogs missed Alex Keath's presence during his absence and are struggling with key position depth. Ranked second last competition wide in intercepts per game, the Dogs defence is something they would want to tidy up heading into the second half of the season.

The Bulldogs would have had loftier expectations for themselves, as many others did. Stuck in the procession of teams vying for a spot in the eight at the bye isn't the ideal spot to be, but at the very least, they've got their season heading in the right direction.

MVP:ย Bailey Smith (85 votes)
Best Win:ย Round 11 vs West Coast
Worst Loss:ย Round 8 vs Port Adelaide

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