Beneath-pressure Western Bulldogs AFLW coach Nathan Burke is assured that he’s the appropriate man to show issues round for his struggling group subsequent yr.
The Canines’ depressing season continued on Friday evening after they slumped to their sixth-straight defeat towards Carlton at Whitten Oval.
The 8.5 (53) to 4.10 (34) consequence exacerbated the Canines’ worst ever begin to a marketing campaign, which now reads 0-6, and any glimmer of hope that they had of constructing the finals has been extinguished. The Bulldogs had by no means misplaced greater than 5 video games in a season earlier than this yr.
Carlton’s 19-point win maintains the stress on Burke however given he’s nonetheless contracted till the top of subsequent yr, he believes he can return the Canines to the finals in 2024, regardless of having solely guided them to at least one ultimate (a loss) in 5 seasons on the helm.
“I can as a result of the stuff that’s killing us is stuff that, if I’m a half-decent coach, I ought to be capable of repair,” Burke stated post-match.
And he’s adamant that he nonetheless has the backing of the membership’s hierarchy.
“That’s a part of being a related membership,” Burke stated.
“I’m actually related with Chris Grant, the top of footy, and the board members … and (CEO) Ameet (Bains) is within the conferences earlier than the sport and after the sport so that they have a extremely, actually good understanding, and so I’m assured that as a membership we’re all on the identical web page.”
Burke stated he had no cause to assume that his message was starting to put on skinny on his gamers both, and he wasn’t “second-guessing” himself.
“I’m assured within the relationship that I’ve acquired with these gamers in that they’re telling me the reality,” the previous St Kilda champion stated.
“You possibly can type of see it in folks’s eyes. I’ve been in loads of groups earlier than on the Saints that the coach had misplaced the gamers or the gamers had misplaced religion … they’re nonetheless an amazingly related group.”
MESSAGE FALLS FLAT
Burke has been scathing of his group’s professionalism, work price and decision-making in current weeks, but when he meant for that to elicit a fearsome response from the Canines, he would have been bitterly disillusioned.
In reality, the message utterly fell on deaf ears as Carlton kicked the primary two objectives after swamping the hosts with the primary 12 inside 50s.
The Blues acquired off to a flyer, recording their greatest first quarter of the yr (3.3) and placing the struggling Bulldogs instantly on the again foot.
Carlton’s stress was intense straight off the bat, and it not solely ensured the ball lived of their ahead half within the opening time period however it additionally restricted the Canines to a solitary ahead entry by quarter-time.
The Bulldogs had been additionally undone by unimaginative and predictable ball use early, and though their depth lifted within the second quarter, Carlton’s huge inside-50 benefit, which exploded to 24-6 at one stage, helped them open up a commanding 21-point lead late within the first half.
CARLTON FINALS BOUND?
By the point Mia Austin kicked the Blues’ fourth aim in a row, they had been out to a game-busting 30-point lead late within the third quarter.
Carlton have moved to fifth on the ladder heading into the weekend, and their finals aspirations have obtained a large enhance in coach Mathew Buck’s first yr in cost. To complete within the high eight, they are going to most likely solely must win two of their final 4 matches.
MCKAY STARS AGAIN
Abbie McKay continued her eye-catching type for the Blues, ending with 23 disposals and aim, and he or she was nicely supported by Keeley Sherar who had an evening out with 28 touches (10 contested) and eight tackles.
In the meantime, Carlton’s ruck duo of Jess Good (one aim) and Breann Moody had been extraordinarily influential, combining for 36 disposals (25 contested), 33 hitouts and eight clearances to overwhelm the Bulldogs’ Alice Edmonds.
Elisabeth Georgostathis was excellent for the Canines with 29 possessions (12 contested), and famous person Ellie Blackburn was at her metronomic greatest, amassing 27 disposals.
Carlton coach Mathew Buck was cautiously optimistic that each Vaomua Laloifi (knee) and McKay (ankle) could be tremendous to face Collingwood subsequent week after each gamers damage themselves, however performed out the match.
And Buck was additionally hopeful about captain Kerryn Peterson’s availability for the Magpies after she sat out Friday evening’s match as a result of a knee harm.
DOGS 1.0, 2.3, 2.5, 4.10 (34)
BLUES 3.3, 5.4, 7.5, 8.5 (53)
LERNER’S BESTBulldogs: Georgostathis, Blackburn, Lamb, Pritchard, Berry. Blues: McKay, Sherar, Good, Moody, Pound, Skepper, Hill.
GOALS Bulldogs: McFarlane, Gutknecht, Fitzgerald, Pritchard. Blues: McWilliams, McKay, Good, Walker, Goss, Vescio, Austin, Fitzpatrick.
UMPIRES Baigent, Lopes, Scott
VENUE Whitten Oval
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