SOMETHING peculiar happened to Lewis Taylor last Saturday night.

The Western Bulldogs seemed to let the reigning Rising Star winner roam the Etihad Stadium wing by himself.

It wasn’t because the Brisbane Lions pocket rocket forgets to use deodorant, but a sign that some clubs don’t respect him.

As harsh as it sounds, that was what one AFL analyst said after watching the Lions’ 72-point loss from the stands.

“He gets the ball and runs around in circles, but he certainly doesn’t hurt you,” he said.

“Taylor had the equal-most kicks (18) and disposals (26) on the ground, but would the Bulldogs have overly minded?”

At one stage Jarrad Grant went to man up Taylor but, after appearing to notice who it was, he turned around and ran to half-back as a spare.

Champion Data numbers show Taylor, 20, gains just 20m per kick — the lowest among the AFL’s top 100 ball winners.

That means his average kick barely travels the minimum distance for a mark.

He kicks short 78 per cent of the time — ranked No. 2 in the league’s top 100 kickers — and 76 per cent of Taylor’s possessions are won uncontested.

media_camera Lewis Taylor “runs around in circles”, according to one AFL analyst who watches him play last week. Picture: Darren England

Only three players win more of their ball outside and they include creative half-backs Matt Suckling (Hawthorn) and Bob Murphy (Bulldogs).

A premiership great noted: “Taylor is crabbing sideways, a bit like Nick Dal Santo when he started his career. (Taylor) gets it and everyone just sort of shuffles to the side, which you don’t mind.”

Analysts said it might not be Taylor’s fault. He might be following instructions after building a reputation as a creative type who could win the ball.

The Mortlake product — who pipped Bulldog Marcus Bontempelli by one vote in last year’s Rising Star — won 39 per cent of his disposals contested while playing for Vic Country in 2013.

The Lions retain 63 per cent of Taylor’s kicks — above the league average — but he is averaging only five contested disposals this season and the Lions have lost the count every game.

Taylor’s numbers have grown impressively in 2015 and while fancied teammates James Aish and Sam Mayes have spent time in the NEAFL, he is one of 10 Lions to have played every game.

His highlight against the Dogs was when he tackled Jason Johannisen, won the ball, handballed, kept going and finished an impressive solo piece with his sixth goal of the season.

Taylor also has dodged second- year blues. Not so Aish, Gold Coast’s Kade Kolodjashnij and North Melbourne’s Luke McDonald.

After the Dogs loss Lions coach Justin Leppitsch bemoaned a lack of leadership and experienced talls.

With the league’s biggest debt, a decimated list and a recent talent drain, the club’s run home looks long. Especially if Lewy Taylor has the pill.