southerncross
16-04-2007, 05:48 AM
Bulldogs have tails between their legs (http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,21562633%255E20322,00.html)
GIVE the Bulldogs room to move and they will give you a clinic.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,5449575,00.jpg
Stressed: Western Bulldogs' coach Rodney has plenty to worry about following another loss to St Kilda on Saturday night at the Telstra Dome. Picture: Tim Carrafa
Turn it into a test of strength and height and they become boys in a man's world. After winning the first game of the season on the back of Brad Johnson's eight-goal haul, they have suffered an embarrassing reality check.
Adelaide choked them into submission in Round 2 and St Kilda followed up Saturday night by overpowering them in the air and in the crushes.
So, after a first-up win over Geelong, the Doggies have dropped two games to teams they were expected to match, by a total of 88 points.
They have kicked 20 goals in two games after finishing second to Collingwood on the "points for" table last year.
Fifteen clubs have had six months to plot their downfall, and plot they have.
Or is it more of the same? The Bulldogs dropped five of seven games last year against West Coast, Sydney, Adelaide and St Kilda.
The reliance on Brad Johnson at Whitten Oval has become unhealthy.
He has kicked 13 of his team's 37 goals this year, including its only three in the first half Saturday night.
That's more than one in three. His 74 goals last year represented one in five.
The Dogs are missing the hard bodies of Grant, Hahn, Robbins and Montgomery, but Grant is weeks away from playing.
They were credited with only 12 contested marks on Saturday night (St Kilda took 21). Riewoldt took six in the front half for the Saints, S. Fisher six at the opposite end.
Big and strong, both of them. Johnson was the Bulldogs' best in contests with three marks, and he stands 182cm.
Fortunately, the Doggies have Richmond on Friday night, a team they beat twice in 2006.
It is a must-win game with Hawthorn and West Coast to follow. The Hawkers work extremely hard, as do the Eagles, and the Eagles happen to be exceptionally good, too.
Johnson, McMahon and Cross stand out in this group, even allowing for Johnno's downer against Adelaide.
Allowances need to be made for Darcy and Murphy, who are returning from knee reconstructions, but no such excuses for a dozen others.
The problems in defence were predicted. Harris, Wight and Hargrave often seem to be fighting out of their division, while there is no conventional centre-half forward and the shortish Johnson in front of goal.
Strange then that McDougall (197cm), recruited over summer, was left out of Saturday night's game.
The Saints went the other way, loading up on height, bringing in Riewoldt and Barry Brooks.
But, as always, the fundamental difference was in the midfield.
West and Boyd have been solid, yet none of Cooney, Griffen and Ray has matched expectations.
Murphy, Darcy, Giansiracusa and Minson all should get better the longer the season goes, yet only Murphy is certain to improve.
The concern for the Bulldogs is their inability to cope with the physical pressure applied by Adelaide and St Kilda, both of which have several starting 18 players on the injured list.
No Ball, Maguire, Hudghton or M. Clarke Saturday night, remember.
Adelaide went in against the Doggies with no Ricciuto, Burton or McGregor.
The one certainty about the Dogs from here is that the opposition will stretch them and harass them.
What Rodney Eade would do for a so-called power forward.
Like Riewoldt, who made a sensational return.
He hadn't played a game since the first week of finals last year, yet took seven marks and kicked four goals from nine kicks.
Little wonder coach Ross Lyon said recently he would be a much better coach when Riewoldt was in his team.
The Saints seem to be in good shape. Before the season started, a 3-3 return from the first six rounds was a realistic target, given the interrupted preparations for so many players.
They are 2-1 with Essendon, Port Adelaide and Carlton to come.
They should be feeling much better about themselves than the Western Bulldogs.
GIVE the Bulldogs room to move and they will give you a clinic.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,5449575,00.jpg
Stressed: Western Bulldogs' coach Rodney has plenty to worry about following another loss to St Kilda on Saturday night at the Telstra Dome. Picture: Tim Carrafa
Turn it into a test of strength and height and they become boys in a man's world. After winning the first game of the season on the back of Brad Johnson's eight-goal haul, they have suffered an embarrassing reality check.
Adelaide choked them into submission in Round 2 and St Kilda followed up Saturday night by overpowering them in the air and in the crushes.
So, after a first-up win over Geelong, the Doggies have dropped two games to teams they were expected to match, by a total of 88 points.
They have kicked 20 goals in two games after finishing second to Collingwood on the "points for" table last year.
Fifteen clubs have had six months to plot their downfall, and plot they have.
Or is it more of the same? The Bulldogs dropped five of seven games last year against West Coast, Sydney, Adelaide and St Kilda.
The reliance on Brad Johnson at Whitten Oval has become unhealthy.
He has kicked 13 of his team's 37 goals this year, including its only three in the first half Saturday night.
That's more than one in three. His 74 goals last year represented one in five.
The Dogs are missing the hard bodies of Grant, Hahn, Robbins and Montgomery, but Grant is weeks away from playing.
They were credited with only 12 contested marks on Saturday night (St Kilda took 21). Riewoldt took six in the front half for the Saints, S. Fisher six at the opposite end.
Big and strong, both of them. Johnson was the Bulldogs' best in contests with three marks, and he stands 182cm.
Fortunately, the Doggies have Richmond on Friday night, a team they beat twice in 2006.
It is a must-win game with Hawthorn and West Coast to follow. The Hawkers work extremely hard, as do the Eagles, and the Eagles happen to be exceptionally good, too.
Johnson, McMahon and Cross stand out in this group, even allowing for Johnno's downer against Adelaide.
Allowances need to be made for Darcy and Murphy, who are returning from knee reconstructions, but no such excuses for a dozen others.
The problems in defence were predicted. Harris, Wight and Hargrave often seem to be fighting out of their division, while there is no conventional centre-half forward and the shortish Johnson in front of goal.
Strange then that McDougall (197cm), recruited over summer, was left out of Saturday night's game.
The Saints went the other way, loading up on height, bringing in Riewoldt and Barry Brooks.
But, as always, the fundamental difference was in the midfield.
West and Boyd have been solid, yet none of Cooney, Griffen and Ray has matched expectations.
Murphy, Darcy, Giansiracusa and Minson all should get better the longer the season goes, yet only Murphy is certain to improve.
The concern for the Bulldogs is their inability to cope with the physical pressure applied by Adelaide and St Kilda, both of which have several starting 18 players on the injured list.
No Ball, Maguire, Hudghton or M. Clarke Saturday night, remember.
Adelaide went in against the Doggies with no Ricciuto, Burton or McGregor.
The one certainty about the Dogs from here is that the opposition will stretch them and harass them.
What Rodney Eade would do for a so-called power forward.
Like Riewoldt, who made a sensational return.
He hadn't played a game since the first week of finals last year, yet took seven marks and kicked four goals from nine kicks.
Little wonder coach Ross Lyon said recently he would be a much better coach when Riewoldt was in his team.
The Saints seem to be in good shape. Before the season started, a 3-3 return from the first six rounds was a realistic target, given the interrupted preparations for so many players.
They are 2-1 with Essendon, Port Adelaide and Carlton to come.
They should be feeling much better about themselves than the Western Bulldogs.