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  1. #1
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    Western Bulldogs can play in this year’s AFL finals

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    It’s a statement most thought fanciful following a summer of upheaval at Whitten Oval and three years in the bottom quarter of the ladder.


    But there’s plenty to like about the Bulldogs’ September chances.

    Luke Beveridge’s side has a very favourable draw. The Dogs play all nine teams below them on the ladder in their remaining 11 games. Their only two matches against current top-eight teams are Collingwood at Etihad Stadium and West Coast in Perth.


    Along with a soft draw, they have a healthy list and more importantly are playing good footy. It’s a great fixture for a team that has already beaten five sides in the eight.


    On Saturday night the Bulldogs meet St Kilda — two exciting, young sides on the rise.


    I fancy the Bulldogs to push for a flag earlier than the Saints. They are a couple of years ahead of St Kilda in their development with both heading in the right direction.

    The Bulldogs’ form line is extremely impressive and a pointer of greater things to come. Few expected them to post wins this year against West Coast, Richmond, Adelaide, Sydney and Greater Western Sydney. And they pushed Fremantle to 13 points in Round 7.


    You certainly can’t say the same about St Kilda, in terms of who it has beaten — Gold Coast, Bulldogs, Brisbane Lions and Melbourne.


    The thing I like about both lists is that their effort has been tremendous across the whole year. That’s always a reflection of the coach, so that’s a big tick for Beveridge and Alan Richardson.


    Brendan McCartney laid a strong platform for the Bulldogs during his three years as coach with his focus on winning contested footy and Beveridge has impressively changed the Dogs’ ball movement. That’s lifted their scoring from an average of 81.1 points per game last year to 91.0 this season, but importantly the team still has contested ball competitiveness.


    The Dogs will field 12 players aged 23 and under, the Saints 10.


    Remarkably, the Dogs’ side contains five teenagers — Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Boyd, Toby McLean and Lukas Webb (all 19), plus Bailey Dale (18).


    The sides don’t include names such as Mitch Honeychurch, Nathan Hrovat, Lachie Hunter, Lin Jong, Tom Liberatore and Clay Smith, all players in the 23 and under group. It’s a powerful position from which to build a list that can challenge for a number of years.

    The Dogs are also growing a couple of weapons. I love bigger bodied midfielders and I’m just as big a fan of matchwinners come finals time.


    Bontempelli and Jake Stringer fit the bill perfectly.


    Granted Stringer was drafted at No.5 and therefore he’s expected to be a gun, but at just 21 he looks something special.


    He needs to develop a bigger tank in the coming years. His fadeout was part of the reason why the Saints overran the Bulldogs in Round 6.


    He ran out of juice after a big first half and his numbers across the board are slightly down in the second half of games compared to his first-half output.


    The Saints don’t have a midfielder in Bontempelli’s size range — 192cm and 90kg. St Kilda’s emerging midfielders are full of small forward types like Jack Billings, Jack Lonie and Jack Sinclair.


    They’re smart players but I’d like to see some bigger guys in the midfield. It’s a key ingredient in winning finals.


    Tom Boyd is going to take time, but he’s going to be a good one, a big strong target. So in he and Stringer the Bulldogs have two genuine key forwards who are each capable of kicking 50 goals a season. Throw Stewart Crameri into the mix and there’s decent potency in attack.


    The Dogs still have plenty of work to do. They could do with an experienced key defender in the coming years, particularly from a finals point of view.

    Having the experience of Robert Murphy, Matthew Boyd and Easton Wood in defence has been a smart move by Beveridge to assist young talls like Jordan Roughead, Fletcher Roberts and Joel Hamling, and veteran Dale Morris returns from injury tonight, but another big defender with experience would greatly assist the group.


    Nick Riewoldt’s future is huge for the Saints. How much longer has he got? How will the Saints fare in attack when he retires? Apart from the concussion a few weeks ago he doesn’t look like he’s slowing down.


    They have found one in Josh Bruce.


    How well the Saints can build their spine will depend greatly on the development of Paddy McCartin and Hugh Goddard — they could each fill a key forward and key defensive post for a number of years.


    St Kilda’s forward line is its most inexperienced area, hence the need for Riewoldt to continue for a little longer. The veteran’s leadership is huge for the development of McCartin, Bruce and Tim Membrey.


    It appears the Bulldogs have more pieces of the puzzle in place and we know more about their goal-to-goal line.
    FFC: Established 1883

    Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.

  2. #2
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    Re: Western Bulldogs can play in this year’s AFL finals

    who wrote the article?

  3. #3
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    Re: Western Bulldogs can play in this year’s AFL finals

    Quote Originally Posted by kruder View Post
    who wrote the article?
    Jonathon Brown
    Western Bulldogs Football Club "Where it's cool to drool"

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  5. #4
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    Re: Western Bulldogs can play in this year’s AFL finals

    You are only as good as your last match.
    Officially on the Bus-wagon

  6. #5
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    Re: Western Bulldogs can play in this year’s AFL finals

    The same bloke picked us to win the spoon!
    ( not the Lone Ranger)

  7. #6
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    Re: Western Bulldogs can play in this year’s AFL finals

    Quote Originally Posted by Remi Moses View Post
    The same bloke picked us to win the spoon!
    ( not the Lone Ranger)
    Lose to Melbourne in a preseason game at Ballarat = spoon.

    Beat JB's former team by 10+ goals = finals.
    Footscray member since 1980.

  8. #7
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    Re: Western Bulldogs can play in this year’s AFL finals

    Quote Originally Posted by Flamethrower View Post
    Beat JB's former team by 10+ goals = finals.
    You're being facetious, but how many 10+ goal wins have we had since we last played finals?

    Edit: To answer my own question

    Last played finals in 2010
    10+ goal wins since then:

    2011: 4: round 2 v Brisbane, round 3 v GC, round 15 v Melbourne, round 22 v Port
    2012: 0
    2013: 1: round 1 v Brisbane
    2014: 0
    2015: 1: round 12 v Brisbane
    If you kicked five goals and Tom Boyd kicked five goals, Tom Boyd kicked more goals than you.

    Formerly gogriff

  9. #8
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    Re: Western Bulldogs can play in this year’s AFL finals

    Quote Originally Posted by boydogs View Post
    You're being facetious, but how many 10+ goal wins have we had since we last played finals?

    Edit: To answer my own question

    Last played finals in 2010
    10+ goal wins since then:

    2011: 4: round 2 v Brisbane, round 3 v GC, round 15 v Melbourne, round 22 v Port
    2012: 0
    2013: 1: round 1 v Brisbane
    2014: 0
    2015: 1: round 12 v Brisbane
    Can we play Brisbane every week?

    On another note, we're in the 8!

    Can we stay there?
    Our 1954 premiership players are our heroes, and it has to be said that Charlie was their hero.

  10. #9
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    Re: Western Bulldogs can play in this year’s AFL finals

    Quote Originally Posted by comrade View Post
    Can we stay there?
    We'll go close. Another week without injuries this week helps. I did a ladder predictor and had us 10th, getting to 9-5 but then only beating Essendon, Melbourne & Brisbane after that. Season on the line against Port round 19 and North round 22
    If you kicked five goals and Tom Boyd kicked five goals, Tom Boyd kicked more goals than you.

    Formerly gogriff

  11. #10
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    Re: Western Bulldogs can play in this year’s AFL finals

    I did a ladder predictor and had us 4th. But I was wearing rose coloured glasses.
    Don't piss off old people
    The older we get the less "LIFE IN PRISON" is a deterrent...

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  13. #11
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    Re: Western Bulldogs can play in this year’s AFL finals

    I had us 9th.
    More of an In Bruges guy?

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    Re: Western Bulldogs can play in this year’s AFL finals

    Quote Originally Posted by azabob View Post
    I had us 9th.
    9th you say... Might be an interesting season review with close losses to Saints & Freo.
    Rocket Science: the epitaph for the Beveridge era - whenever it ends - reading 'Here lies a team that could beat anyone on its day, but seldom did when it mattered most'. 15/7/2023

  15. #13
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    Re: Western Bulldogs can play in this year’s AFL finals

    Quote Originally Posted by bulldogtragic View Post
    9th you say... Might be an interesting season review with close losses to Saints & Freo.
    There's always close games. We held out against St Kilda & Sydney so you can't say we're no good in a tight finish
    If you kicked five goals and Tom Boyd kicked five goals, Tom Boyd kicked more goals than you.

    Formerly gogriff

  16. #14
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    Re: Western Bulldogs can play in this year’s AFL finals

    Quote Originally Posted by boydogs View Post
    There's always close games. We held out against St Kilda & Sydney so you can't say we're no good in a tight finish
    Good thing I wasn't it.

    What I'm saying is narrowly missing out on finals by a game or percentage would be good as much as frustrating for professional elite sports players. They may well look back at those games as to why they aren't playing finals, and in fact may be a positive about not getting ahead, starting well all the time and/or finishing teams off. Hence, why it would be interesting if that was the eventuality of just missing finals.

    Or we make finals and we are all happy!!
    Rocket Science: the epitaph for the Beveridge era - whenever it ends - reading 'Here lies a team that could beat anyone on its day, but seldom did when it mattered most'. 15/7/2023

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  18. #15
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    Re: Western Bulldogs can play in this year’s AFL finals

    Quote Originally Posted by bulldogtragic View Post
    Good thing I wasn't it.

    What I'm saying is narrowly missing out on finals by a game or percentage would be good as much as frustrating for professional elite sports players. They may well look back at those games as to why they aren't playing finals, and in fact may be a positive about not getting ahead, starting well all the time and/or finishing teams off. Hence, why it would be interesting if that was the eventuality of just missing finals.

    Or we make finals and we are all happy!!
    You're a fun thinker and one of the best posters on WOOF, but do you think that maybe you think too much?

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