David King says Western Bulldogs are wasting Aaron Naughton’s talent in the forward line, First Crack, loss to Melbourne, Jamarra-Ugle Hagan, Sam Darcy, reaction, response, latest news

The Western Bulldogs are ‘wasting’ Aaron Naughton’s talent in the forward line, according to dual premiership Kangaroo David King, who implored Luke Beveridge to switch the star key position player into defence.

The Dogs were convincingly defeated in a 45-point loss to Melbourne to open their season, with Aaron Naughton booting only one goal from six disposals and one mark.

Originally drafted as a defender, Naughton has flourished as a forward, kicking 44, 51 and 47 goals respectively over the last three seasons.

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However speaking on Fox Footy’s The First Crack, King believes the Dogs more urgently need Naughton down back, particularly given Sam Darcy can come into the senior side to fill the key forward void.

“I don’t know if I know a greater waste of talent in the forward half — that’s a marquee player in our competition — that should be playing centre half back,” King said on the program.

“I’ve said this for two or three years, I think he’s All-Australian caliber. They lack an intercept marker down back. Liam Jones is a fantastic intercept player, but he had to go to (Bayley) Fritsch, so he’s the next layer back.

“They need a Naughton down there. They’ve got Darcy in the twos, he can play that role, so why not utilise all the magnets and weaponry you’ve got and spread them evenly across the field.”

King highlighted how the Dogs against Melbourne only kicked to Naughton twice instead 50, saying “he had to outmark five guys.”

Also pointing to Beveridge’s side’s inability to get intercepts in the defensive half — and use it to counter punch — King thinks the Dogs “have to look at” moving Naughton back for the betterment of the team.

“Again only 59 intercepts (against Melbourne) — and they were bottom four in the competition last year,” King said of the Dogs.

“If you can’t win the ball back in the game in 2024, you can’t win. You can’t win big finals and you won’t be there in September in any meaningful way.

“So they’ve got a decision to make — do they stay stubborn with this all charge forward mentality they’ve got at the moment? Or do they accept what everyone else can see?”

Dual All-Australian Leigh Montagana concurred, arguing the emergence of Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, who kicked 2.3 against the Demons, as the focal up forward gives Beveridge more flexibility to tinker with his mix.

“To support that argument, Jamarra is now their No. 1 man (up forward). He is growing and we spoke about it last year — he was on the verge,” Montagna said on The First Crack.

“I thought he was very, very good (against Melbourne). I think they can build around Jamarra and make him the No. 1 man.”