Josh Bruce had a night to forget against Richmond, producing a grub act against Dylan Grimes and then earning a rebuke from Wayne Carey.
The credit Josh Bruce earned with Western Bulldogs fans for his 10-goal haul against the bottom-placed Kangaroos is running out fast.
The key forward was targeted by fans, the media and AFL legend Wayne Carey for a series of poor moments as the DogsтАЩ unbeaten start to the season ended at the hands of Richmond on Friday night.
Watch the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Every match of every round Live on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >
Bruce took five marks and kicked 1.2 but, like many of his teammates, failed to fire after halftime as the Tigers turned a 19-point halftime deficit into a 22-point win.
The 28-year-old spearheadтАЩs night took a turn for the worse when he lashed out in frustration and rubbed Dylan GrimesтАЩ head in the dirt in the third quarter.
It was the type of grub act that saw Tom Lynch earn the ire of the footy world last season and prompted a strong objection from the Richmond defender.
From that point Bruce fell apart.
He missed a crucial opportunity to bring the Dogs within one point entering the final change when he mis-hit an attempted soccer kick from the goalsquare under pressure from Jayden Short.
But worse was to come.
Early in the final quarter he managed to find some rare space inside 50m but was more worried about Richmond opponent David Astbury than marking the ball and wasted a golden opportunity.
He completely ran under the ball and earned a rebuke from AFL legend Wayne Carey for committing one of footyтАЩs cardinal sins.
тАЬHave a look here,тАЭ Carey said. тАЬJosh Bruce just worried about the body rather than the flight of the ball тАФ and ran completely under it.тАЭ
Footy journo Tim Gossage believed Bruce was still looking over his shoulder after what he did to Grimes.
тАЬEver since Josh Bruce rubbed Dylan Grimes face in the dirt, heтАЩs been worried about retribution,тАЭ Gossage tweeted. тАЬFresh aired one, dropped another and outmarked the next one. Grimes is in his head.тАЭ
Bruce wasnтАЩt alone in failing to fire up front as calls for the Dogs to debut No. 1 pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan grow louder.
Josh Schache, a number two pick, was one of four inclusions but only had seven touches and a late goal.
тАЬHeтАЩs been out for a while and itтАЩs difficult to come in and take an absolute stranglehold of the whole thing,тАЭ Dogs coach Luke Beveridge said of the former Lion.
тАЬHe didnтАЩt probably have the impact that heтАЩs capable of, and thatтАЩs difficult for him, because he hasnтАЩt played a lot of AFL in recent times.
тАЬWeтАЩll talk to him about that, lift his spirits, and see what happens next week.тАЭ
