Game Day - Bulldogs vs Blues

[Mantis]

I don't understand the how the blame is on Lake? Lace up passes from Judd and Stevens to a quality forward is obviously Lake's fault.

Williams played well on Franklin cos the midfield controlled the game. Send the ball in Hawthorns forward line 50 times, no backman will beat Franklin at the moment.

I understand that it is hard to defend when there is no pressure being applied up field, but Lake was giving Fevola far too much latitude in the last qtr. Atleast Morris makes you earn every kick.

[LostDoggy]

Unless we have a rapid form reversal by next week, and let's face it we don't exactly have a great record of form reversals, we will be lucky to win another game come September. I see Sydney easily accounting for us next week because we don't play man on man anymore and we don't tackle, North match up well and we never stop Boomer, Brisbane up at the Gabba is probably our only likely win and even that is 50/50 at the moment, Essendon are playing very good footy and we don't have great record at Aami Stadium for Adelaide. By September their confidence will be well and truly shattered.

[Happy Days]

I don't understand the how the blame is on Lake? Lace up passes from Judd and Stevens to a quality forward is obviously Lake's fault.

Lake looked like he wasn't trying in the last qtr.

Disgusting effort. At least in the Rohde years, we were meant to be terrible. I thought we were good this time round?

[The Coon Dog]

Lake looked like he wasn't trying in the last qtr.

Matthew Lloyd was commentating on the ABC radio yesterday & he said Brian Lake is an annoying player to play on, but if you get on top of him, he can drop his head real quick.

[LostDoggy]

Only entertaining thing out of yesturdays game was when Fev took a mark, was given a 50m penalty and he knocked one of our blokes down on his way through (Cooney i think?)

Umps then reversed it and gave us the free kick. Fev will never learn

[Go_Dogs]

I understand that it is hard to defend when there is no pressure being applied up field, but Lake was giving Fevola far too much latitude in the last qtr. Atleast Morris makes you earn every kick.

Agreed. In situations where the midfield is suffering, Morris is our best pound for pound defender on dangerous smalls or talls. Once Fev got on a bit of a run late yesterday a change should have been made. I'm sure the players themselves have a fair idea, so perhaps there was a direction not to make a change. Either way interesting strategy, especially as Lake is such a confidence player.

2. We needed Scott West in there today. Halfway through the game the Dogs couldn't get their hands on a clean centre clearance, and Crossy's hands today let him down a bit, which is rare.

This has been the case quite a few times this year. Boyd and Cross are both excellent at winning the contested ball, but under pressure do make mistakes by hand that Westy doesn't. (Not a harsh dig at Boyd and Cross as West is obviously pretty exceptional in close with his hands.). But yes, Westy definitely would improve us a lot in close. Let's hope he can get himself back and be able to play somewhere near 70% game time.

Will be interesting to see what unfolds with him over the next month or so I guess.

[Mofra]

Only entertaining thing out of yesturdays game was when Fev took a mark, was given a 50m penalty and he knocked one of our blokes down on his way through (Cooney i think?)

Umps then reversed it and gave us the free kick. Fev will never learn

2nd amusing point.

Everytime Nick Stevens had the ball, someone would yell out "Straughny!!!!!"

Laughed even when we were losing.

[bornadog]

I don't understand the how the blame is on Lake? Lace up passes from Judd and Stevens to a quality forward is obviously Lake's fault.

Williams played well on Franklin cos the midfield controlled the game. Send the ball in Hawthorns forward line 50 times, no backman will beat Franklin at the moment.

Totally agree Morris, Fev was at the end of some wonderful passes and his leading to the spoty was brilliant. No one could have stopped that at FB. The problem was upfield as we weren't winning the ball out of the centre. We should take note with the way the ball is delivered to the 50 metre area, and the forwards need to be leading and making space.

[Scraggers]

Unless we have a rapid form reversal by next week, and let's face it we don't exactly have a great record of form reversals, we will be lucky to win another game come September. I see Sydney easily accounting for us next week because we don't play man on man anymore and we don't tackle, North match up well and we never stop Boomer, Brisbane up at the Gabba is probably our only likely win and even that is 50/50 at the moment, Essendon are playing very good footy and we don't have great record at Aami Stadium for Adelaide. By September their confidence will be well and truly shattered.

Meaning we finish this year the same as last year ... I hope its not all doom and gloom ... we need two wins to secure a Hawthorn v Bulldogs game first week of the finals ... More importantly we need good form coming into the finals to make a mark !!

[LostDoggy]

Lake looked like he wasn't trying in the last qtr.

Who looked like they were trying in the last quarter?
Easy to blame Lake.
I don't believe playing Morris on Fev would have changed anything.

[Throughandthrough]

Silvagni wouldn't have stopped Fev in the last quarter.


It all comes down to cutting down the supply, we were getting smashed out of the centre.

[LostDoggy]

When i watched replay, hearing the commentators say 'Bulldogs arent tagging Judd & Stevens' sent shivers down my spine, that was a massive factor in why we lost

Why didnt we have Boyd going with Judd? hes done a great tagging job this year...frustrates me we left them both alone, one being a freakin brownlow medalist.

[LostDoggy]

When i watched replay, hearing the commentators say 'Bulldogs arent tagging Judd & Stevens' sent shivers down my spine, that was a massive factor in why we lost

Sorry thats BS.
We weren't tagging them when we were 37 points up.
We dropped off in intensity is why we lost.

We tagged Judd and Cousins last year in the WC game at Telstra Dome and lost by more.