Dual All-Australian David King has urged the Western Bulldogs to spin the magnets and move star forward Aaron Naughton to the other end of the ground – for Liam Jones is “wallpapering over the cracks” of the team’s back six issues.
The Bulldogs have shown strong overall defensive improvement this season, jumping from 11th for average points against last year to third in 2023.
Jones, who the Dogs acquired as a free agent during last year’s trade period, has played a key role in that improvement, averaging 6.1 spoils and 3.8 intercept marks per game.
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Jones on Saturday night against the Gold Coast Suns took 10 intercept marks – a number you “just don’t see in any given game”, according to King.
But King said the loss to the Suns in Darwin proved “the Dogs have got a problem” in defence.
Suns shine over Dogs in top end | 02:32
“The reason why they’re such a good defensive unit … it’s Liam Jones. He’s been an unbelievable acquisition for this football club … and I think he’s wallpapering over the cracks of their back six,” King told Fox Footy’s First Crack.
“He’s a total star, his intercept work is just ridiculous, what he’s able to do in terms of supporting his teammates is terrific.”
King pointed to vision from Saturday night’s game of Jones taking an enormous risk and leaving direct opponent Ben King – Gold Coast’s biggest forward 50 threat – to thwart a Suns attacking foray and deny Noah Anderson a set-shot opportunity.
But the dual premiership Kangaroo then highlighted the struggles of Jones’ fellow Bulldogs defenders, who were playing “back shoulder” on their opponents.
One passage saw Tim O’Brien allow star Sun Jack Lukosius out the back of a contest to eventually score an easy goal from the goalsquare.
Then Ryan Gardner was exposed, giving Lukosius too much space twice, leading to two more scoring opportunities.
“He (Gardner) is half-asleep here, not ready for this ball to come back to the goalsquare. What are you doing? What are you guarding? You’re either guarding a likely target or your direct opponent,” King said.
“Liam Jones is fighting tooth and nail for the rest of this game to not allow these sorts of options.”
Naughton has been the Bulldogs’ leading total goalkicker across the past four seasons, which have included hauls of 47 of 2021 and 51 last year. He’s kicked a club-high 21 goals from 11 games so far this season.
But in the wake of the Bulldogs’ defensive struggles on Saturday night, King urged coach Luke Beveridge to trial Naughton – a star backman during his draft year who then played in the defensive 50 in his first AFL season in 2018 – in defence.
Western Bulldogs Press Conference | 05:39
“They’re not going to win the flag, the Dogs, because of what they do in their offence and blowing teams away in their forward half,” King said.
“I think they have to have a look at Aaron Naughton and Liam Jones in the same backline at some point this year, just to see how it looks. Now it may not work, but at least have a look at it, because I think ‘Bevo’ is a great coach in isolation to what we’ve seen in 2016 when he was able to put a forward line together that didn’t have a big name to it and get goals from role players. I think he can do that again.
“Jamarra (Ugle-Hagan) is in really good form, (Rory) Lobb’s a quality target and then you’ve got the young kids that can just find their way.
“But right now, their biggest problem – and it’s not there yet on the numbers, because their numbers stack up OK – but if Naughton doesn’t go back, I think it’ll be the reason why they’re unsuccessful in 2023.”