southerncross
18-06-2007, 05:50 AM
Bulldogs fire when chips are down (http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,21920523%255E19775,00.html)
WHY do we play down the Western Bulldogs' flag hopes just because their best forward is 10cm shorter than the league's supposed elite full-forwards?
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,5529286,00.jpg
In the thick of it: Western Bulldogs Brad Johnson carves up Fremantle last night in Darwin.
Brad Johnson won another game off his own boot on Saturday night with a sublime five-goal performance that also included several direct assists.
Yet it is easy to think the Dogs won't go deep into September because they don't have a big forward like Matthew Pavlich or Barry Hall.
But maybe that's flawed logic, because Johnson has been one of the league's most productive forwards in recent seasons.
It was not that Johnson kicked five goals against a Fremantle side that had declared its season on the line.
It was more the timing of them - every time the Dogs looked in trouble, which included twice in the last quarter, when he also produced a perfectly camouflaged pass to partner-in-crime Scott West.
Johnson and the Bulldogs just kept giving until Fremantle broke.
The Dogs looked second-rate early, but were never out of the contest.
Coach Rodney Eade labelled it one of the Dogs' best wins because they were able to turn around a dire situation.
He must hope it is enough to kick-start a run of form that takes the Dogs into the higher reaches of the eight.
Peter Bell, Shaun McManus, Heath Black, Steven Dodd and Paul Hasleby had all collected at least seven possessions by quarter-time, and Chris Tarrant had two of Fremantle's seven goals.
The Dogs looked unwilling to tackle, unable to run the lines, and were generally outclassed in all departments. Yet they showed they could turn the ship, and it was all through hard work.
Tom Williams moved on to Tarrant and shut him down, Dale Morris kept working hard on Pavlich, even though he was a strong performer, and the midfield and half-back flanks kept lifting.
Matthew Boyd kicked two crucial goals, Lindsay Gilbee kept hitting targets and Jordan McMahon found form again as a rebounding defender.
The game was in the balance at three-quarter time.
That's when the Dogs increased their intensity and the Dockers went to water for no apparent reason.
They are mentally weak and just do not give enough when everything is on the line.
It will likely cost their coach his job, because the list is too good to perform at that level.
WHY do we play down the Western Bulldogs' flag hopes just because their best forward is 10cm shorter than the league's supposed elite full-forwards?
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,5529286,00.jpg
In the thick of it: Western Bulldogs Brad Johnson carves up Fremantle last night in Darwin.
Brad Johnson won another game off his own boot on Saturday night with a sublime five-goal performance that also included several direct assists.
Yet it is easy to think the Dogs won't go deep into September because they don't have a big forward like Matthew Pavlich or Barry Hall.
But maybe that's flawed logic, because Johnson has been one of the league's most productive forwards in recent seasons.
It was not that Johnson kicked five goals against a Fremantle side that had declared its season on the line.
It was more the timing of them - every time the Dogs looked in trouble, which included twice in the last quarter, when he also produced a perfectly camouflaged pass to partner-in-crime Scott West.
Johnson and the Bulldogs just kept giving until Fremantle broke.
The Dogs looked second-rate early, but were never out of the contest.
Coach Rodney Eade labelled it one of the Dogs' best wins because they were able to turn around a dire situation.
He must hope it is enough to kick-start a run of form that takes the Dogs into the higher reaches of the eight.
Peter Bell, Shaun McManus, Heath Black, Steven Dodd and Paul Hasleby had all collected at least seven possessions by quarter-time, and Chris Tarrant had two of Fremantle's seven goals.
The Dogs looked unwilling to tackle, unable to run the lines, and were generally outclassed in all departments. Yet they showed they could turn the ship, and it was all through hard work.
Tom Williams moved on to Tarrant and shut him down, Dale Morris kept working hard on Pavlich, even though he was a strong performer, and the midfield and half-back flanks kept lifting.
Matthew Boyd kicked two crucial goals, Lindsay Gilbee kept hitting targets and Jordan McMahon found form again as a rebounding defender.
The game was in the balance at three-quarter time.
That's when the Dogs increased their intensity and the Dockers went to water for no apparent reason.
They are mentally weak and just do not give enough when everything is on the line.
It will likely cost their coach his job, because the list is too good to perform at that level.