The Age

The Bulldogs were making too many errors, but what hardly helped was the failure of a tribe of key players to get their hands on the pill much at all.

Deep into the first term, Geelong had won seven stoppages in a row. By then, pivotal Bulldogs like Mitch Wallis, Jake Stringer, Tom Liberatore and Lachie Hunter had between them compiled just nine possessions.

That was always going to put the Bulldogs on the back foot. But what was a 28-point deficit at the first change, cut down to only 22 when Liam Picken booted the first of the second term, was going to blow out a good deal more.

The Doggies did, for a little period at the start of that term, appear to be a bit more organised and just as desperate as their opponent. But it didn't last long. And again, they managed to shoot themselves in the foot.

- Rohan Connelly 
 
 
Herald Sun
 
The Dogs are the No. 1 side for conceding goals inside 15m but the Cats waltzed in for five gimmes last night.
 
The Bulldogs again paid full price for slow start. Last night they conceded the first five goals, as they did against Hawthorn.
 
Against North Melbourne it was five of the first seven and against GWS it was the first three, kicked quickly
 
They aren’t good enough yet to be playing catch-up against the best.
 
But they’ll know when they face the Cats again in six weeks it’ll be with captain Easton Wood, Jason Johannisen, Luke Dahlhaus and Clay Smith all back.
 
- Sam Landsberger
 
 
AFL Media
 
Geelong started with a clear mandate to suffocate the Bulldogs, laying 15 tackles in the first 10 minutes and getting inside their opponents' heads. 
 
The inferred pressure that resulted for the rest of the quarter meant the Dogs rushed possession and weren't clean with their hands. 
 
Even the impressive and in-form Marcus Bontempelli found himself fumbling two handballs inside two minutes. By quarter-time the tackles read 18-9, despite Geelong having just four more possessions. The Cats' pressure didn't let up.   
 
- Nathan Schmook