The Tigers struggled to get going against the Footscray Bulldogs on Saturday, recording a 74-point loss at the Whitten Oval.

Hear from coach Jack Madgen, who has provided an overview of each player's performance in the Round 18 game.

Noah Roberts-Thomson (1 goal, 6 disposals, 2 tackles)
"He finished with a really nice goal, but we want to see his front-and-centre craft improve. His impact was solid, but we want to see that instinct and hunt for the ball improve."

Maurice Rioli (1 goal, 9 disposals, 6 tackles, 2 clearances)
"He finished the game strongly, with some awesome chase down tackles and break-the-line moments. We want to see him bring that energy for the entire four quarters, so we will work on his ability to prolong that hunger and speed."

Oliver Hayes-Brown (1 goal, 16 disposals, 16 hit-outs)
"He had to deal with two big rucks, but managed to work well and finished with a nice goal. His game was solid, and one we can review to help him be able to maximise his opportunities in front of goal and in the middle."

James Trezise (20 disposals, 5 marks, 3 tackles)
"James played a solid game down back, with a good mix of one-on-one defence and intercepting to help his teammates in the air. It was a tough day, but he played his role pretty well."

Samson Ryan (17 disposals, 14 hit-outs, 5 clearances)
"Had his hands full with two really big rucks. His aerial work was good on the day. He had some clearances and provided opportunity for our forwards. We will help him improve on his follow-up work around the ground."

Kane McAuliffe (22 disposals, 5 marks, 2 clearances)
"He played inside the midfield all day, and we saw some really good, hard, tough midfield qualities that we are used to. I'd love to help him increase his work-rate and get to more contests to have meaningful impact for longer."

Liam Fawcett (7 disposals, 5 marks, 2 tackles)
"He had two shots early but couldn't convert. He also played down back, as we needed some aerial presence. It was a good learning opportunity for him to try being a defender. Hopefully he can take some defensive tricks back into when he goes forward again."

Judson Clarke (16 disposals, 6 marks, 2 clearances)
"He was on the wing all day and he used the ball pretty well. He looked match fit on a hard day, with slow ball movement that wasn't ideal for him as a winger. We are proud of his work to continue to build back from his injury."

Nick Collier (1 goal, 13 disposals, 3 tackles, 3 clearances)
"He played as an inside midfielder, but lacked his usual overall impact. We can never question Nick's intent and willingness to do the right thing by the team, putting his head over the ball. He tried really hard, and we will look to improve our midfield prowess to support his game."

Mutaz El Nour (18 disposals, 8 marks, 3 tackles)
"He led the team in intercepts again and had some big plays going back with the flight late in the game. We will look to help him improve his offensive patterns to help us move the ball cleanly. He defended with intent."

Jay-De Varlet (10 disposals, 2 tackles, 2 marks)
"He played his first game. We saw him be really strong in the contest and he had great craft, and confidence to tackle. I thought it was solid for his debut, and he looked comfortable at this level."

Sam Toner (16 disposals, 5 marks, 2 tackles)
"He had some opportunities as a forward late, but wasn't able to take them. We will look into improving the ball movement up the ground to allow Toner to flourish when he is playing as a forward."

Lachlan Street (18 disposals, 4 marks, 3 tackles)
"Street was solid as usual, but we want to see an improvement in his on-field communication, and ability to lift the team up. He was solid in the air and still made his presence known, which gave the opposition a scare."

Aaron Sharkie (16 disposals, 3 marks, 2 tackles)
"It was his first game in about a month. We saw his strong ball use at times, but we will endeavour to help bring the best of his pace out as a team. He should take some lessons from some of the experienced players he matched up with and is better for it."

Harry Scott (14 disposals, 7 kicks, 4 marks)
"He played as a defender for the first half, then swapped to the forward line. He had some great moments, some good chase downs that add to his game. We want to help him learn to move the ball cleanly when we play him in defence."

Josh Pollocks (7 disposals, 4 marks)
"He took some strong contested marks and proved a challenge for the opposition when he was in the air. We couldn't get the ball to him inside-50 often enough for him to impact. We want to see him dip into improving his front-half defensive craft and create some turnovers in our favour."

Sam Philp (16 disposals, 4 clearances, 3 tackles)
"He always tries his guts out and put his head in the hole all game. He played his role in the middle well and we gave him a chance up forward at the back end to allow him to run some different patterns."

Sam Phillips (15 disposals, 7 marks, 2 tackles)
"He played as a high back and spent time on the wing. His ball use was good again and he helped set up the ground to get the ball moving forward when we had the chance. We couldn't utilise him as much as we would have liked."

Zach O'Keefe (14 disposals, 6 marks, 1 tackle)
"He played solidly as a small defender, taking some nice intercept marks. He used the ball well, but we didn't see great defensive movement from the team, so naturally he wasn't at his best. It will be one to review to help him understand how to find more opportunities to move the ball with confidence."

Zaydyn Lockwood (11 disposals, 5 marks, 1 tackle)
"He had to deal with many inside-50s as a young key defender, and he stood tall despite the pressure. We will work on his defensive positioning going forward. He used the ball pretty well, and had a good balance of marking and spoiling."

Olli Hotton (14 disposals, 5 tackles, 4 clearances)
"Olli had some really nice passages of play where we saw his strength and leg drive. He played as a midfielder and at times a high forward. He was solid and stood tall on a hard day."

Liam George (5 disposals, 1 mark, 1 tackle)
"As a forward, he was limited due to delivery. One thing he can do going forward is work himself into the game better. He is so role-diligent, which is a great team-way to be, but we want to see him grow his chances to move the ball. I always love his communication on-field, and the way he is helping and setting up others. He still has an influence, even when he doesn't have the ball in hand."

Joel Garner (10 disposals, 8 kicks, 2 marks)
"I thought he was solid as a midfielder, but he lacked the impact that we usually see out of him. He missed a couple of chances in front of goal, but we will work on building back his confidence around the ball."