Mitch Wallis says there will be more spice in GWS match

[The bulldog tragician]

FIRED-UP Western Bulldogs midfielder Mitch Wallis says he 'pencilled in' Saturday’s clash against Greater Western Sydney at the start of the season.

After high-profile Bulldogs Callan Ward and Ryan Griffen crossed to the Giants in recent years, Wallis admitted this weekend’s clash has some extra spice.

“To be honest at the start of the year I pencilled this one in,” Wallis told Crocmedia on Monday evening.

“We are really looking forward to the battle because to be honest it does hurt.”

Griffen departed the Bulldogs in a much-publicised trade that resulted in Tom Boyd arriving at the Dogs in the off-season, while GWS co-captain Callan Ward left at the end of 2011 as one of the Giants' marquee signings ahead of their inaugural year in the competition.

In the final round last year, the Giants swept past the Bulldogs to record their first win at Etihad Stadium.

Wallis said the disappointing finish to the 2014 season still burns the group.

“It wasn’t a great finish to last season and obviously it wasn’t a great off-season either so we are really looking to redeem ourselves,” he said.

“They’ve got a great young side and we really want to take it up to them because it still hurts the way we finished last year.”

The Bulldogs have lost three on the trot but Wallis can still see the positives in what has been a bright start to 2015.

“We’ve got a lot of self-belief in the group, we’ve proven we can take it up to the very best teams in the competition over the eight weeks of the season so far,” he said.

“We’ve got an opportunity to prove that this week against the Giants team that’s started really well at 6-2.

“And we are playing against a couple of our old teammates so I’m really looking forward to it.”

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-05-2...utm_medium=RSS
I've been wondering how the Dogs players feel about this match and whether they share the sense of pain and anger we did about the Griffen defection, so this is interesting, however I wonder if these sentiments should be kept in house and let our deeds on the field do our talking.

[Twodogs]

Walk the walk. Win on Saturday.

[LostDoggy]

Walk the walk. Win on Saturday.

Supremely confident Wally will back up his words, kid is all heart!

[SonofScray]

Walk the walk. Win on Saturday.

I'm fine with Wallis being open with this, I want our players to engage with the emotional aspects of footy, particularly a little bit more anger. Pressure is on to match those words with deeds now. We need to win, win well and hurt them physically in the process. I want Griffen rocking back and forth in the corner post game having a mental break down, players crying about getting scratched, broken bones. Make their rooms look like a war zone casualty ward. make this game one people talk about for a long time both for the skill on display and a rare display of outright hostility in the professional era.

[Axe Man]

It's refreshing to hear a player say something different to the tired old cliches for a change.

I was expecting to hear: this week is just another game; we won't be approaching the game differently to any other week; last year is all water under the bridge; etc, etc.

Get angry Bulldogs! Please bring in big Jack Redpath this week and tell him that Gryfan has been saying nasty things about his mother.

[The bulldog tragician]

It's refreshing to hear a player say something different to the tired old cliches for a change.

I was expecting to hear: this week is just another game; we won't be approaching the game differently to any other week; last year is all water under the bridge; etc, etc.

Get angry Bulldogs! Please bring in big Jack Redpath this week and tell him that Gryfan has been saying nasty things about his mother.

Like this much milder and more sanitised version, do you mean?

http://m.westernbulldogs.com.au/news...med-for-giants

[Axe Man]

Like this much milder and more sanitised version, do you mean?

That's more like it!

[Greystache]

Like this much milder and more sanitised version, do you mean?

http://m.westernbulldogs.com.au/news...med-for-giants

Wow. That's the sort of watered down garbage that no one wants to read. Why do they even bother putting up something as bland as that?

[The bulldog tragician]

Wow. That's the sort of watered down garbage that no one wants to read. Why do they even bother putting up something as bland as that?

Well, the more surprising thing is that Wally was able to speak his mind in the first place, without someone providing him with club- approved 'talking points'. (I work in communications and have seen how it all works unfortunately). I imagine we are fearful of headlines along the lines: Dogs raring to go in Griff$n grudge match!

I was in two minds TBH when I saw Wally's initial comments, feeling that I'd prefer our actions to do the talking, but some of the eloquent posts above have made me realise that's watering down the passion that's at the heart of our game.

[Mofra]

Wally plays with 100% commitment every time he gets on the paddock. He deserves to have his say, as open as that may be.

[Sedat]

I'd actually like us to ramp up the pressure on GWS this week. They are older and more experienced than us and will come into the game as warm favourites - we should be emphasizing this in our pressers all week and then back it up with 100% commitment to every single contest on the weekend. Would be great to make a statement of intent with our youth against theirs.

[Ghost Dog]

Anytime someone comes out with the sort of 'spice' comments in the header, they lose. Or usually it seems that way.

[LostDoggy]

I don't care if we win or lose, as long as "that man" gets an absolute flogging.

[Ghost Dog]

I don't care if we win or lose, as long as "that man" gets an absolute flogging.

Really? Interesting. Could not care if he gets 50 touches, as long as we win and I get to hear the song!

[LostDoggy]

I'd actually like us to ramp up the pressure on GWS this week. They are older and more experienced than us and will come into the game as warm favourites - we should be emphasizing this in our pressers all week and then back it up with 100% commitment to every single contest on the weekend. Would be great to make a statement of intent with our youth against theirs.

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