Dogs to bite back: Hunter

QUESTION marks surround the Western Bulldogs’ premiership aspirations after three straight losses heading into Sunday’s elimination final against Essendon, but midfielder Lachie Hunter insists the Dogs are trending in the “right direction”.

The Bulldogs have produced more of a bark than a bite in recent weeks, especially in the midfield, as they’ve struggled to rediscover cohesion following the returns of star mids Josh Dunkley and

Adam Treloar.

According to Hunter, though, the Bulldogs are feeling positive about producing a strong finals performance against the Bombers following a tense 66-64 loss to title heavyweights Port Adelaide.

“When you lose by two points you are also doing a fair few things right as well, so we definitely took some confidence out of the game,” Hunter (pictured) said as the Dogs prepare to make amends for their 13-point loss to Essendon three weeks ago.

“In our reviews during the week there were still things we could have done better, but it was a step in the right direction. It is easy to focus on the last three weeks without looking at the whole year and accumulating 15 wins, so we are just trying to focus on the positives.”

Hunter is happy to admit that the Bulldogs’ midfield has been clunky but has vowed to raise his standards against Essendon on Sunday.

He believes the team’s biggest issue is finding the right balance again following Dunkley’s return from injury and a Covid scare.

“The midfield has been a strength of our team and we saw at the start of the year how well it worked together,” he said. “So, we are just looking to find that form.”