Bulldogs Goalkicking Woes Not as Bad as they Seem
It’s hard to argue that the Bulldogs haven’t had issues with goal kicking in the past few weeks.
The issue first appeared in their 12-point loss to Carlton in Round 2 (13.12), where they missed several gettable shots in the final quarter that would have completed a come-from-behind victory.
It continued in their 11-point victory against the Swans in Round 3, which ultimately should have been by a more significant margin. The Bulldogs kicked 9.17 (five rushed behinds) in their first win of the season.
It then cost them again last week against Richmond, kicking 7.19 in a 38-point loss. And it’s not their only issue, with AFL.com reporting they have issues all over the ground.
But things aren’t as bad as it could be, for the Bulldogs. Over the last three weeks, just 37.85% of Bulldogs scores have been goals. This is the 99th lowest average over a three-week period in the history of the club.
The worst three-week goalkicking performance came in Rounds 4, 5, and 6 in 1949, when they kicked 4.15, 6.14, and 10.22 in successive weeks. That comes in at 27.43% of scores as goals.
That’s quite a respectable percentage, compared to other teams. As we can see in the table below, St Kilda once had only 4.17% of scores as goals in a three-week period back in 1897.
| Team | Year | Rounds | Lowest Goal % Over 3 Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | 2010 | 3-5 | 33.57 |
| Brisbane Bears | 1988 | 2-4 | 33.28 |
| Brisbane Lions | 1998 | 8-10 | 33.70 |
| Carlton^ | 1901 | 1-2 | 14.07 |
| Collingwood | 1897 | 10-12 | 11.67 |
| Essendon | 1899 | 1-3 | 13.59 |
| Fitzroy | 1900 | 1-3 | 23.51 |
| Fremantle | 2021 | 18-20 | 32.73 |
| Geelong | 1917 | 9-11 | 22.80 |
| Gold Coast | 2018 | 17-19 | 32.58 |
| GWS^^ | 2021 | 1-2 | 33.72 |
| Hawthorn | 1950 | 3-5 | 26.13 |
| Melbourne | 1899 | 15-17 | 21.11 |
| North Melbourne | 1930 | 13-15 | 26.46 |
| Port Adelaide | 2022 | 2-4 | 35.49 |
| Richmond | 1908 | 8-10 | 14.24 |
| St Kilda | 1897 | 10-12 | 4.17 |
| Sydney | 1919 | 8-10 | 21.46 |
| University | 1909 | 13-15 | 24.53 |
| West Coast | 1989 | 13-15 | 22.98 |
| Western Bulldogs | 1949 | 4-6 | 27.43 |
^ Includes final game of 1900 finals series ^^ Includes 2020 Preliminary Final
However, the Bulldogs have a perfect opportunity this week to get over their goalkicking issues. Will there be a repeat of last year’s Good Friday blowout against North Melbourne, where they kicked 25.17 on their way to a 128-point win?
As always, I apologise to anyone who has already looked at these stats. If you find an error in my work, let me know!