Bulldogs football boss Phil Gould has hit out at the "childish" public narrative around the mid-season signing of young playmaker Lachlan Galvin.

His passionate defence on Nine's 100% Footy on Monday night came a day after Canterbury was knocked out of the premiership race by a rampant Penrith outfit.

The Dogs were flying early in the season and led the competition for much of the year, before tumbling slightly to finish third, before being bundled out of finals with two straight losses.

They've attracted plenty of criticism in recent weeks for bringing Galvin - then a teenager, who turned 20 in July - into the squad after he agitated for a mid-season release from the Tigers.

Galvin played 14 games for his new team, of which the Bulldogs won six and lost eight. His arrival pushed half

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