Why the Bulldogs sit in "no-man's-land" after Elimination Final boil-over

The Bulldogs are once again at the centre of critical attention, as former AFL player Josh Jenkins believes their Elimination Final loss to the Hawks was their worst defeat of the season.

Entering the game in strong form, the Bulldogs were ultimately overpowered by Hawthorn for the majority of the contest.

After another rollercoaster season under Beveridge, Jenkins isn't sure where they sit in the pecking order going into 2025.

“I have no idea what to make of them,” Jenkins said on SEN’s The Run Home.

“They had wins, their best win of the year was when they went to Sydney and completely dominated the Swans on the road.

“Admittedly, it was when the Swans had their little lull, but that was as comprehensive of a performance as you’ll see against the number one team in the competition.

“Their worst loss of the year was their elimination final on Friday night.

“Don’t worry about the scoreboard, these are the numbers, they had 84 less touches of the footy, 25 less in contested ball, 31 less marks, nine less marks inside 50 despite the way they pick their team, 12 less scoring shots, 20 less inside fifties and for good measure, 11 less tackles.

“That is, from top to bottom, every key metric you want to look at, that is a smashing.

“They looked okay early, but it was very very quick to look quite inevitable. It was very quickly turned, and you’re thinking ‘well, this is all over.’”

The loss marks what is yet another disappointing season, with 2021's Grand Final run the only finals the club has won since 2016.

“This might be harsh,” Jenkins continued.

“I don’t know if anything changed for the Dogs. I don’t know if we know any more than we knew last year or the year before because their ladder positions since their amazing premiership have been 10th, 13th, 7th, 7th, 5th, 8th, 9th, 6th.

“You want to take the glass half full perspective, they are making the finals more often than not, particularly in the past handful of years.

“But there’s making them, and then there’s actually making a meaningful contribution.

“Are they in the definition of no man’s land?”