Can you remember such a yo-yo season?

[bulldogtragic]

Round 1 was against the low bar the media put on us.
Getting smacked by Hawthorn.
Getting to within single digits of Freo in the last quarter.
Adelaide at Etihad and just amazing footy.
Sydney came out and looked to put us to the sword. Then bang.
Melbourne getting us.
Gold Coast put us to the sword, has us dead to rights. Then wow.
We had St Kilda dead to rights. Then ouch.
Smacking Port.
Smacking Essendon.
WCE smacking us after 2.5 quarters of good footy.

Forget about parts of the season being up or down we've done it from game to game. We've even dramatically yo-yod in games at half time and three quarter time. Sometimes anger has freely flowed, only to replaced with victory. Other times the fun has started early and then been consumed in shock.

I can't remember such enormously fluctuating footy in one season. Highs have been high, and some lows of low. Emotions of sport just all over the shop, almost erratic. I can't remember a season that has provided this much enthralling and fluctuating ride from game to game, and from inside game to game. Makes you wonder what we have ahead of us with a game and finals to come!!

[Bulldog Joe]

BT it is clearly part of the plan.

When we don't what to expect ourselves how can the opposition plan for us.

Actually, I think we have been remarkably consistent given the youth of the squad. I really like how we have often fought back from bad patches and especially our ability to pick ourselves up from the poorer performances.

Like smashing Adelaide after the Hawthorn loss and getting over North when everyone thought we couldn't.

We also did a pretty good job on GWS after the Melbourne debacle.

[stefoid]

1997.
New coach replaced old dinosaur after a disastrous year.
Implemented a run and gun style of play dramatically improving the performance of the entire team, to the surprise of everybody.
Bulldogs finished in the top 4 and played finals for the first time in ages.

Dont remember what happened after that

[westdog54]

1997.
New coach replaced old dinosaur after a disastrous year.
Implemented a run and gun style of play dramatically improving the performance of the entire team, to the surprise of everybody.
Bulldogs finished in the top 4 and played finals for the first time in ages.

Dont remember what happened after that

This is something else altogether. Its more than just a 'run and gun' style of play.

This is an Aussie Rules version of total football. Solid team defence, relentless pressure around the ball, and back yourself to get the ball forward.

[LostDoggy]

Plus 97 was a relatively experienced team who had played finals in 92, 94 & 95.

For guys like Grant, West, Wynd, Smith, Libba, Croft, Kretiuk, Cameron, Southern etc they were a quality group in the prime of their careers, recovering from the blip of 96 with a sharper game plan and fresh coach.

The core of this years group is so much younger, meaning more variation, but so much more upside.

[bornadog]

I think this has been one of the most consistent years we have had for a long time. If you look at the prelim years of 2008 to 2010 we didn't win more than 15 games in the Home and away games and that is what we will finish up with this year.

I think the best year ever was 16 games. So it has been consistent.

[Twodogs]

BT it is clearly part of the plan.

When we don't what to expect ourselves how can the opposition plan for us.

Actually, I think we have been remarkably consistent given the youth of the squad. I really like how we have often fought back from bad patches and especially our ability to pick ourselves up from the poorer performances.

Like smashing Adelaide after the Hawthorn loss and getting over North when everyone thought we couldn't.

We also did a pretty good job on GWS after the Melbourne debacle.

One of the things I really liked about the win over North on the weekend was we had every excuse just tapping us on the shoulder for a bad performance. Return from Perth, finals spot sewn up, North had won their last 6 in a row, just every excuse possible. but it was never an issue. They really came to play.

[Axe Man]

I think this has been one of the most consistent years we have had for a long time. If you look at the prelim years of 2008 to 2010 we didn't win more than 15 games in the Home and away games and that is what we will finish up with this year.

I think the best year ever was 16 games. So it has been consistent.

You're correct - 16 wins is the most we have ever had in the home and away season (1985 & 1992).

We also had 2 seasons where we won 13 out of 18 (1938 & 1953) which is pretty much the same win percentage.

It's amazing to me that we should finish the year only 1 win off equaling our most successful H&A seasons. I just haven't felt like we are one of the top sides - I go into most games hopeful of a win rather than expecting it as I did most of the time in 2008-2010 for example.

Back to the OP - it hasn't been a yo-yo season for me personally whatsoever since shocktober. It's been nothing but highs (with only the occasional inevitable disappointment eg St Kilda & Melbourne) because my expectations have been fairly low.

[BulldogBelle]

I have to keep pinching myself that this season is actually happening. It is just - amazing

[LostDoggy]

I think this has been one of the most consistent years we have had for a long time. If you look at the prelim years of 2008 to 2010 we didn't win more than 15 games in the Home and away games and that is what we will finish up with this year.

I think the best year ever was 16 games. So it has been consistent.

Correct BAD. Most wins in a H&A season:

16 - 1985, 1992.
15 and a draw - 1999, 2008.
15- 1998, 2009.

[LostDoggy]

One of the things I really liked about the win over North on the weekend was we had every excuse just tapping us on the shoulder for a bad performance. Return from Perth, finals spot sewn up, North had won their last 6 in a row, just every excuse possible. but it was never an issue. They really came to play.

We are going to win the flag. And it's good that we are going to do it from outside the Top 4 because it just adds another layer to the documentary, Against All Odds: The Bulldogs Story, that will screen early next year and win an Oscar.

[LostDoggy]

We are going to win the flag. And it's good that we are going to do it from outside the Top 4 because it just adds another layer to the documentary, Against All Odds: The Bulldogs Story, that will screen early next year and win an Oscar.

Just one? Where's your ambition?

[Twodogs]

We are going to win the flag. And it's good that we are going to do it from outside the Top 4 because it just adds another layer to the documentary, Against All Odds: The Bulldogs Story, that will screen early next year and win an Oscar.

Love your work. That post deserves more than me just pressing the Like button. This is going to be huge.
Go Dogs!

[SonofScray]

Love your work. That post deserves more than me just pressing the Like button. This is going to be huge.
Go Dogs!

I think I commented on Facebook and maybe here the other week "They'll make a #$%ing Disney film out of this."

I've been all over the idea that The Flag Will Wag, because I am every year in he hope that eventually I'll be right. The flag will wag. I've not looked at the season from the whole of AFL perspective or the ladder, I deliberately have just taken things one week at a time in a type of footy fan mindfulness. It feels as if by doing so I've been a bit oblivious to just how far the group has come since Oct, but the pay off has been a real clarity in just how good this team is and what they are capable of on their day.

This team will take the monkey that is on our Club's back, slit its throat, use its skin to make a footy, eat its brains for the growth hormones and then go and play a very good game of footy. And win. Then lift a Premiership Cup.

[Twodogs]

I think I commented on Facebook and maybe here the other week "They'll make a #$%ing Disney film out of this."

I've been all over the idea that The Flag Will Wag, because I am every year in he hope that eventually I'll be right. The flag will wag. I've not looked at the season from the whole of AFL perspective or the ladder, I deliberately have just taken things one week at a time in a type of footy fan mindfulness. It feels as if by doing so I've been a bit oblivious to just how far the group has come since Oct, but the pay off has been a real clarity in just how good this team is and what they are capable of on their day.

This team will take the monkey that is on our Club's back, slit its throat, use its skin to make a footy, eat its brains for the growth hormones and then go and play a very good game of footy. And win. Then lift a Premiership Cup.

Kill the *!*!*!*!ing monkey!

I feel the same. This is a different group. It's bottom 4 players are so much better than the bottom 4 players from any of out last tilts. That's why I know we can go all the way and win a bloody flag at last.