2015 Round 1 Match Preview, Bulldogs vs Eagles

[GVGjr]

The off season drama in 2014 is now long behind us and a new look Western Bulldogs team coached by Luke Beveridge takes on the West Coast Eagles.

2015 AFL SEASON, ROUND 1 - MATCH PREVIEW

WESTERN BULLDOGS versus WEST COAST EAGLES
Docklands, Saturday April 4th, 7:20pm

SPORTS ODDS
Western Bulldogs - $2.60
West Coast Eagles - $1.52

RECENT FORMLINE: PREVIOUS TWO ENCOUNTERS:
Round 1, 2014 - West Coast Eagles 21.8 (134) defeated Western Bulldogs 11.3 (69)
Round 18, 2013 - Western Bulldogs 16.15 (111) defeated West Coast Eagles 13.11 (89)

SELECTION TABLE: WESTERN BULLDOGS
The Bulldogs are missing many of their prime movers from last season and have said adios to Griffen, Cooney, Higgins, Jones, Tutt and Giansiracusa and our senior coach from last year just to name a few. We have also lost our best player in Tom Liberatore for the balance of the season. If a crisis creates opportunities then the Whitten Oval is a great place to be.

Tuesdays news that cleared the Bombers from their supplements scandal has given something back to the Bulldogs with the good news that our leading goal kicker from last year in Stu Crameri is available for selection and has been rushed into the team albeit probably slightly underdone.

SELECTION TABLE: WEST COAST EAGLES
The Eagles are missing some quality players from last season and have had some injury concerns to deal with and the loss of Eric McKenzie would be something the Bulldogs are hoping to exploit.

TEAMS:
WESTERN BULLDOGS
B Easton Wood, Jordan Roughead, Dale Morris
HB Robert Murphy, Michael Talia, Matthew Boyd
C Lin Jong, Jack Macrae, Liam Picken
HF Tory Dickson, Jack Redpath, Stewart Crameri
F Jake Stringer, Tom Boyd, Luke Dahlhaus
Fol Will Minson, Mitch Wallis, Marcus Bontempelli
I/C Jarrad Grant, Mitch Honeychurch, Jason Johannisen, Brett Goodes
Emg Nathan Hrovat, Koby Stevens, Ayce Cordy
New Tom Boyd

WEST COAST
B Samuel Butler, Jeremy McGovern, Brad Sheppard
HB Shannon Hurn, Mitchell Brown, Matt Rosa
C Andrew Gaff, Luke Shuey, Elliot Yeo
HF Chris Masten, Tom Lamb, Mark LeCras
F Jamie Cripps, Josh J. Kennedy, Scott Lycett
Fol Nic Naitanui, Matt Priddis, Sharrod Wellingham
I/C Jackson Nelson, Patrick McGinnity, Scott Selwood, Dom Sheed
Emg Jamie Bennell, Kane Lucas, Simon Tunbridge
New Tom Lamb, Jackson Nelson

SOME RANDOM OBSERVATIONS
- Both teams have tall forwards that might stretch the opposition defenders
- Josh J Kennedy has regularly been a handful for our defenders and we should all be praying that Roughead has a great game.
- Mark LeCras had a day out against us last time and he is a player we will need to reign in.
- Our prize recruit over summer Tom Boyd will be our back up ruckman and it's going to be a huge ask for Minson and Boyd to break even with Nic Nat and Lycett.
- The reigning Brownlow Medalist Matt Priddis will be a handful so expect Picken and Wallis to be matched up against him at times.
- The form and undoubted talent of Marcus Bontempelli has occupied a lot of the media focus and I'd expect the Eagles to try something to curb his influence.

KEY MATCH UPS:
Roughead vs Kennedy
Morris vs LeCras
Talia vs Lycett
Minson vs Naitanui
Macrae vs Gaff
Brown vs Redpath
Hurn vs Grant
Sheppard vs Stringer
Rosa vs Crameri
Wallis vs Priddis

THE VERDICT:
This should be a cracking game and an important one for two teams wanting to be relevant in the competition in the 2015 season.
The Bulldogs go in with their tallest forward line I think I have ever seen and will be hoping that the scoreboard will keep ticking over by a variety of goal kickers.
We have also placed a high emphasis on players being versatile over the off season so we will be rotating players all over the ground. If this works well it will give us the edge we need.

Bulldogs by 10 points with a strong finish.

[1eyedog]

Thanks for effort getting this together - much appreciated. Sheppard vs Stringer, I'd love to see that. Actually all of Hurn v Grant and Rosa v Crameri are good match ups for us. Even if they don't set up like this West Coast do not have coverage options on our big strong forwards. I would think they will be working overtime to stop the ball coming in because if it does look out!

[F'scary]

Could be a close one. West Coke should put up a better performance against us than Collingwood did in the final NAB Cup match, being a better side on paper. The key to the match for us, in my opinion, will be whether we can reproduce the blitzkreig style of play we took to Collingwood with. If we can, that will reduce the supply and the quality of supply to the Coker's forward line, nullifying their star forwards' opportunities enough for us to win by 24 points.

[boydogs]

Wallis v Priddis is the only one of those matchups I'm concerned about, the rest look balanced or in our favour. Wallis said he isn't tagging anymore, Picken seems to be playing forward - do we have another option?

[1eyedog]

Wallis v Priddis is the only one of those matchups I'm concerned about, the rest look balanced or in our favour. Wallis said he isn't tagging anymore, Picken seems to be playing forward - do we have another option?

Jong ran with last year but he also seems set for a new role given the exodus in our midfield. Given his form over the the preseason I don;t particularly want to see him tagging either. I don't think you can actually do much about Priddis, it was the same with Scotty West, they will just get a large volume of ball and you need to focus your energies on who is receiving from him. In that sense Jong may run with Shuey or Gaff.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Good preview GVG.

I don't rate West Coast at all and would be disappointed if we didn't beat them on our home deck, particularly given they don't have two of their best in McKenzie and Darling.

If we can limit the influence of Kennedy and Lecras they can't win.

[F'scary]

Wallis v Priddis is the only one of those matchups I'm concerned about, the rest look balanced or in our favour. Wallis said he isn't tagging anymore, Picken seems to be playing forward - do we have another option?

If the coach is smart and I reckon he is, he'll tell Wallis to wear Priddis like a glove and Wally will have to put his ambitions on hold for this week. From what I gather from the media, West Coke are overly reliant on Priddis (who averaged over 28 possessions a game last year to win the Brownlow). Stop him and they will grind to a halt. Wallis is just the man to do this and I would give him first shot at the job.

[F'scary]

A question: McGovern is selected to play on Tom Boyd. His about as green as Boyd (13 games vs 8) and is giving away height and weight. But does anyone know if he is any good at running off his man? I am asking because I thought the weakness of Boyd's game against Collingwood was covering his man on the rebound. Of course, Nathan Brown is pretty useful in rebounding situations. But is McGovern?

[jeemak]

Thanks GVGjr, good preview and very handy for me considering I've had barely any time to get across our form in recent weeks, let alone that of WCE.

Whoever defends the middle of the ground well - and uses the footy well in the process - is a step ahead, each of the defencive six's look as if they could be exposed by quick clean ball (not many defencive six's aren't, I suppose). I'm concerned our cattle in the area might not yet be as established or polished as their's, but equally I'm looking forward to watching them take it up to them - particularly Wallis who I singled out as a big improver for the year after our previous captain left us, and prior to Liberatore going down with a knee.

I'm also looking forward to seeing Talia playing with hopefully renewed confidence. He believes he is good enough, and said so himself, it will be great to see him follow through with a good performance.

[bornadog]

Great Preview.

As in all games, the midfield battle will be telling for the overall result of the game. Priddis, the reigning Brownlow medalist is a tough opponent, with a lot of strength. I would almost have Picken on him, although Wallis will probably get the job.

Nic Nat has a huge leap and will be a handful for Minson and I really don't fantasy having 19 year old Boyd in the ruck. Leave the kid at full forward. I prefer Redpath to give Minson a hand when he needs to rest.

[mjp]

...I don;t particularly want to see him tagging either...

Any chance we don't really hard tag anyone? Gaff needs a companion on the outside but I don't think any of the West Coast mids will get a tag as such. Shutting down Gaff and preventing Hurn from being a drop-off defender are the two key matchups with regards to the Eagles setting up play and breaking the lines.

Very surprised that west coast didn't select Bennell as a small defender actually...he helped them quite a bit late last year and has been in good form locally.

[mjp]

Oh- btw. Bennell and Turnbridge both played for East Perth yesterday so emergencies or not, they won't be coming into the side.

[boydogs]

If the coach is smart and I reckon he is, he'll tell Wallis to wear Priddis like a glove and Wally will have to put his ambitions on hold for this week. From what I gather from the media, West Coke are overly reliant on Priddis (who averaged over 28 possessions a game last year to win the Brownlow). Stop him and they will grind to a halt. Wallis is just the man to do this and I would give him first shot at the job.

Great Preview.

As in all games, the midfield battle will be telling for the overall result of the game. Priddis, the reigning Brownlow medalist is a tough opponent, with a lot of strength. I would almost have Picken on him, although Wallis will probably get the job.

Nic Nat has a huge leap and will be a handful for Minson and I really don't fantasy having 19 year old Boyd in the ruck. Leave the kid at full forward. I prefer Redpath to give Minson a hand when he needs to rest.

I'm interested to see what we do because Priddis needs to be restricted and NicNat jumping on Boyd isn't ideal but Beveridge re. Boyd and Wallis re. himself have been pretty clear regarding their roles

A question: McGovern is selected to play on Tom Boyd. His about as green as Boyd (13 games vs 8) and is giving away height and weight. But does anyone know if he is any good at running off his man? I am asking because I thought the weakness of Boyd's game against Collingwood was covering his man on the rebound. Of course, Nathan Brown is pretty useful in rebounding situations. But is McGovern?

Not sure, last year McGovern played as a forward

[GVGjr]

I got just about every match up wrong but at least I got the right margin and that we would come from behind.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Bulldogs by 10 points with a strong finish.

Spot on Gary! like the boy's tonight, you've started off the season with a win!