One down, 22 to go.
The first eight games of the 2021 AFL season didn't just provide us with our initial set of winners and losers, it raised another series of questions.
With each of the league's 18ย clubsย set to do battle again this weekend, we attempted to answer the major issues facing their playingย listsย andย coachesย alike.
Western Bulldogs
Is โSexy Footy' back on the menu?
Although it was a 65-point demolition in their opening round clash against Fremantle five seasons ago that first drew the tag, the 2021 Bulldog's certainly seemed to be cooking with the same ingredient in their 16-point win over Collingwood.
With the ability to cruise from coast to coast and score at will, the 2016 Dogs were not just the easiest team to watch in 2016, they were the most successful when the music stopped.
On Friday night, this same high possession and high tempo game style was back, as Beveridge's boys took full advantage of the new man on the marks rules by breaking lines and keeping the scorers busy.
Nine of the Pup's 23 named players finished Friday's clash with 25 or more possessions, with seven also ending the night with 350 or more metres gained. These seismic stats allowed for 19 shots on goal and four majors by their trio of tall targets โ Aaron Naughton, Josh Bruce and Tim English.
Although away from their Dockland's sanctuary, the Sons of the โScray made themselves at home at the โG, with the change of venue having no ill-effect on the Dog's desire to move the ball with pace.
Even though the sample size is small, fans of the Bulldog breed will be desperate for this appetizing, Premiership winning dish to return to the permanent menu and not just feature sporadically on the specials board.
