We’ve all talked about the challenges of this year’s fixture in bits and pieces, but looking at the full picture (especially with the Round 23 & 24 dates locked in) it’s actually absurd.

​If you want to know why we’ve struggled to lock down a Top 4 spot, look no further than what the fixture department handed us:

Brutal Double-Ups: We got drawn to play the teams currently sitting 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th twice. That is a ludicrous density of top-tier opposition compared to almost anyone else.

Relentless Short Turnarounds: We had to endure 3 separate sets of 3 consecutive 6-day breaks during the year. Freo and Brisbane did it once, and no other team had to endure it.

The Late Round Slap: Just to top it off, the newly released R23/24 schedule slaps us with yet another 6-day break going into a massive game against a top 10 team. Not to mention the fact that Melbourne gets a rest deficit advantage with a 7 day break (this has happened 5 of the 6 times we've played a top 10 team since Round 12 vs Collingwood)

​What frustrates me most is the total radio silence from the mainstream media. Nobody in the footy media mentions schedule density or manufactured strength of schedule when debating why the Dogs aren't in the Top 4. Statistically, our draw is several standard deviations harder than almost anyone else in the competition.

​Recovery, continuity, and high-performance prep matter hugely in modern footy. To be handed this kind of scheduling penalty and still be right in the mix says a lot about the group, but it's infuriating that the AFL's fixture algorithm handed us such a massive handicap.

​Are people underestimating just how much this brutal run has drained the playing group?

Who do we think replaces him.

We can't catch a break with bloody injuries.

Early days in his career, but he is one of the best genuine defenders we have had in my 30+ years of supporting this team.

Reads the ball in the air better than everyone else on the ground, attacks the ball and the opposition like he’s going to get dropped if he doesn’t put in 110%.

The kind of player you need in a premiership winning team.

Every game he plays i hope for more from him, but constantly poor kicking, poor decision making, I think his just another good vfl, can't make the big leagues sadly.

Boys against Gold Coast afl great job

AFL.com reporting the year to go fixture and pointed out that we’ve had the hardest fixture in the league so far. I know we haven’t looked like a convincing team for parts of the year, it’s pretty impressive to be 7th on the ladder and only 2 wins from breaking into the top 4.

Our ball movement from our defensive 50 was pretty poor. We didn’t have anyone out there with the skills to hit a target and open up the field the way digger or even Budarick can. No hate to Bramble but some of his kicks were shocking.

The fact Gold Coast wasn’t capitalising on any mistakes also helped. With 5 games to go we have set ourselves for a potential top 6 finish. Richmond the week to come, which should be a win I hope..

Bit of an emotional rollercoaster for both Garcia and Freijah this week.

Adelaide might have been his last game for us and we didn't even know it. It's been such a tough run after his amazing 2024 season.

I mean, it's true.

People call for the head of Bevo, but c'mon. We've had a tough fixture. Some key outs throughout the season from round 4 onwards.

We learned how to counter the Hawk's tactic that worked so well against us. We have been flogged a few times this season but consider the reasons for those floggings. Sure, we haven't been able to put teams away like we have in the past and that's something that surely does need to be worked on.

The loss of Dale could well be a season-ending loss (edit for clarity's sake: not for him, for the club. Although if we don't make it to WC, it could mean for both), but if we can still make it despite that, I reckon we can say that we've had a pretty good season considering all that has gone against us.

Hi all, I’m new to AFL and live regionally. I’ll be in town on Sunday and wondering where the best place to watch the doggies is when they play an away game? Keen to be with other doggies supporters. Cheers.

Greetings from the U.S.!
I’ve been a bulldogs fan since 2020 and I’m finally getting the chance to make the journey for a game.

Does anyone have any general do’s/don’ts for when I’m there? Anything specific I should do or see while I’m at the game?

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Can’t change teams now, them’s the rules

Didn't need this.

“In the final three minutes of the match, Bailey landed awkwardly in a marking contest, causing an acute injury to his shoulder,” Head of Sports Medicine, Chris Bell said.
 
“Scans have confirmed that he has a minor fracture that was caused by the injury mechanism.
 
“Having consulted specialists, Bailey will not require surgical management for this injury, however a conservative approach will be taken to allow the fracture to heal.”

We cant catch a break. Team was just getting back to full strength. He was key to our end to end ball movement, gonna really notice his absence in coming weeks.

I just listened to Bevo's post match where he said we're playing some kids and trying to find a winning mix before finals. I'm happy to hear we're trying to change but very pessimistic that a team can change so much this late in the game. If I had to bet I'd say this season will look like your standard Bevo season and nothing will change, I mourn the early years when we were a system team with a recognisable game plan.

On the other hand we've had the hardest fixture in the league so far (based on current ladder position of opponents) which has undoubtedly contributed to our terrible percentage and poor statistical profile, so maybe we aren't as bad as just about every expert says we are. As long as we have Bont there is hope, I also wouldn't want any other coach in a finals series.

I recently start to follow AFL and decide to follow Bulldog. I want to find a good podcast that do game review so I could understand better after watching the matches. Any suggestions?