We were all Sarim Akhtar on Saturday. Unfortunately, if only as a coping mechanism, it’s time to somehow Restump Podcast that, double negative intended, catastrophic calamity.

I know it was a morning start time in WA but it wasn’t in Victoria… did we really need to be the dog’s breakfast? They should have already eaten!

At the Restump we always look at every game with a wholesome holistic approach, we try to find balance, we search for the positives, we look for silver linings. There isn’t even a shadow of a slight subtle greyish hue of a line here.

We were simply out-worked, out-muscled, out-thought, out-coached and out-strategised. It wouldn’t surprise us if Champion Data’s analysis showed Sonny Walters was in our best players in the second half!

At some point we have to contemplate the real possibility that our form, or at least our recent form, has a degree of inauthenticity to it. It feels as if there is a lack of integrity in many of our performances that is disguised by our often, opposing team factor driven wins.

For mine the games where we truly showed our capabilities were against Carlton, Port Adelaide and Sydney. Ironically, we lost all three, but it wasn’t due to lack of effort or intensity. Umpire decision, a momentary brain fade and inaccurate kicking respectively, were the cause for the losses. But the fact is, we were genuinely as good as our opponents all day.

On Saturday, admittedly from the cheap seats, it appeared to be a severe lack of application and intent. There was a lethargy in our endeavours. It seemed no one really wanted to do the hard work. We have been trying to increase our outside run and carry, quick ball movement game and it looked spectacular at times when it came off, but everyone wanted to be on the outside. 

If it wasn’t the third or fourth type of similar performance we’ve delivered this year, we’d call it an anomaly, rule a line through it and move on. But by the very definition, a bunch of outliers can’t exist. 

Quite simply, the Dog’s without Aaron Naughton and Sam Darcy, the two tall forwards leading their goal kicking, managed their highest score of the year kicking 23 goals against the statistically number one defensive team in the league. It is beyond inexplicable.

If only our goal kickers were as accurate as Jojo’s “Kiss of Death” abilities! His pre-game ‘Losing no Sleep Over’ player this week was Rory Lobb. Yeah, great work Jojo, you’re about 6 and zero!

The Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition has jackpotted for the second successive week after the Captain Alex Pearce was abandoned by the punters. So, there’s a $150 spend at 2 Brothers Foods up for grabs this coming week.

Let’s start the pod and see if we can make heads or tails from Saturday’s debacle to salvage something, anything, from the wreck. We understand if you’re all purpled out but we need some closure before we move on. So, if you’re in despair and struggling for purpose, come along and we’ll all attempt to heal together.

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