GVGjr
29-03-2013, 10:11 AM
When and Where
Round One - Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane - Saturday 30 March 1:40pm AEDT
The last time they met
Round 23, 2 Sep 2012 Gabba Brisbane defeats Western Bulldogs 128-61
Best Players - Bulldogs - Boyd (37), Cooney (29) Griffen (27)
Most Disposals - Lions - Redden (26), Beams (26), Rich (26)
Major Goal Kickers
Bulldogs - Higgins - 2
Lions – Brown - 5 , Rich 4 and Berwick 2
Brownlow Votes
3 - Rich (BL)
2 - Redden (BL)
1 - Beams (BL)
The previous 8 games against the Lions
Round 23, 2 Sep 2012 Gabba Brisbane defeats Western Bulldogs 128-61
Round 13, 23 Jun 2012 Etihad Stadium Western Bulldogs defeated by Brisbane 56-114
Round 2, 3 Apr 2011 Etihad Stadium Western Bulldogs defeat Brisbane 123-45
Round 12, 13 Jun 2010 Etihad Stadium Western Bulldogs defeat Brisbane 121-56
Round 4, 17 Apr 2010 Gabba Brisbane defeats Western Bulldogs 101-79
Second Semi Final, 11 Sep 2009 MCG Western Bulldogs defeat Brisbane 107-56
Round 20, 15 Aug 2009 Gabba Brisbane defeated by Western Bulldogs 84-102
Round 20, 16 Aug 2008 Gabba Brisbane defeats Western Bulldogs 90-79
NAB Cup Formline
Bulldogs - Struggled throughout but had a hard fought win against the Hawks.
Lions - Outstanding NAB cup campaign winning convincingly against the Blues in the final.
Definite advantage to the Lions.
Selection conundrums and debutants
Injuries to key senior players has provided a number of opportunities to introduce our 4 new players that we acquired during the 2012 season trade and free agency periods.
Please welcome aboard key defender Tom Young, midfield lockdown specialist Nick Lower, the exciting attacking midfielder Koby Stevens and the very late developer defender Brett Goodes. All players were named in the starting line-up.
The Bulldogs also welcome back star defender Dale Morris from a serious injury and say hello Jason Johannisen for his first game as a senior listed player.
Cooney and Higgins shrug off injury concerns and are available to play.
Injuries
Despite a great preseason from an injury perspective the Bulldogs have copped a few to key senior players including the club captain Matthew Boyd who is a prolific ball winner and typically has very good games against the Lions.
Adam Cooney (knee) test (Selected in the side)
Easton Wood (hamstring) test
Tom Williams (foot) 1-2 weeks
Matthew Boyd (calf) 2-3 weeks
Fletcher Roberts
Jarrad Grant
Nathan Hvorat
Key Match-ups
Lower vs Rich - Rich tends to hurt us with his effective and penetrating kicking skills and Lower appears to be the right man to curb his influence. I would be half tempted to run Clay Smith against him as part of a longer term development of Smith but Lower should get first crack at Rich.
Rich was the dominate player in the last encounter and he is the first player I would be looking to shut down
Roughead vs Brown - Roughead will get a lot of the big name key forwards this year and while Brown is closing in on the end of a stellar career his is still more than capable of being a match winner. Browns 5 goals in the last encounter is testament that he is far from finished.
Picken vs McGrath - Ash McGrath is often a player that can ignite the Lions forward line and Picken is the ideal player to get first crack at him.
Minson vs Longer/Martin - Minson has been in very good form but is pitted against the highly talented but inexperienced Billy Longer. I certainly see this as a good match-up for the Bulldogs and the one that can provide our midfield group first use of the football.
The Lions will need to use newly acquired and highly athletic Stefan Martin to assist Longer while the Dogs will look towards Cordy to provide Minson with some well earned breaks.
Johannisen vs Zorko - Zorko had a terrific season in 2012 and his likely opponent in Johannisen will have his work curt out to curb his influence. As JJ's career develops he will be given bigger names to play against and this is the first of many big challenges for him.
Cordy vs Merrett - The Dogs desperately need Cordy to hold his marks and convert his chances as a key forward but he will be pitted against the physically powerful Daniel Merrett who is coming off a vastly improved 2012 season where he was often used as a dangerous key forward. If Cordy can jag 2 or 3 goals then it will go a long way towards a Bulldogs win.
Selected side
FB - Morris, Roughead, Picken
HB - Johannisen, Young, Goodes
C - Cooney, Lower, Stevens
HF - Murphy*, Jones, Giansiracusa
FF - Dickson, Cordy, Dahlhaus
Fol - Minson, Griffen, Liberatore
Int - Wallis, Cross, Higgins, Smith
Emg - Tutt, Markovic, Campbell
* Captain
For the Dogs to Win
The Lions beat us twice last year mainly because we couldn't handle their superior athleticism. This is an area we have improved on and the match against the Lions will be the first of many tests for us.
Players like Murphy, Dahlhaus, Dickson and Higgins must keep the scoreboard ticking over and the back line must somehow need to adjust to life after Brian Lake.
Wallis, Griffen, Stevens, Smith, Cross and Liberatore must all lift their intensity to cover the huge loss of Matthew Boyd to the midfield group.
Summary and prediction
The Lions have everything working their way especially when you consider their stellar NAB cup campaign and the way they thrashed us last year however, despite the form guide I'm going with a spirited 3 goal win by the Dogs.
Round One - Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane - Saturday 30 March 1:40pm AEDT
The last time they met
Round 23, 2 Sep 2012 Gabba Brisbane defeats Western Bulldogs 128-61
Best Players - Bulldogs - Boyd (37), Cooney (29) Griffen (27)
Most Disposals - Lions - Redden (26), Beams (26), Rich (26)
Major Goal Kickers
Bulldogs - Higgins - 2
Lions – Brown - 5 , Rich 4 and Berwick 2
Brownlow Votes
3 - Rich (BL)
2 - Redden (BL)
1 - Beams (BL)
The previous 8 games against the Lions
Round 23, 2 Sep 2012 Gabba Brisbane defeats Western Bulldogs 128-61
Round 13, 23 Jun 2012 Etihad Stadium Western Bulldogs defeated by Brisbane 56-114
Round 2, 3 Apr 2011 Etihad Stadium Western Bulldogs defeat Brisbane 123-45
Round 12, 13 Jun 2010 Etihad Stadium Western Bulldogs defeat Brisbane 121-56
Round 4, 17 Apr 2010 Gabba Brisbane defeats Western Bulldogs 101-79
Second Semi Final, 11 Sep 2009 MCG Western Bulldogs defeat Brisbane 107-56
Round 20, 15 Aug 2009 Gabba Brisbane defeated by Western Bulldogs 84-102
Round 20, 16 Aug 2008 Gabba Brisbane defeats Western Bulldogs 90-79
NAB Cup Formline
Bulldogs - Struggled throughout but had a hard fought win against the Hawks.
Lions - Outstanding NAB cup campaign winning convincingly against the Blues in the final.
Definite advantage to the Lions.
Selection conundrums and debutants
Injuries to key senior players has provided a number of opportunities to introduce our 4 new players that we acquired during the 2012 season trade and free agency periods.
Please welcome aboard key defender Tom Young, midfield lockdown specialist Nick Lower, the exciting attacking midfielder Koby Stevens and the very late developer defender Brett Goodes. All players were named in the starting line-up.
The Bulldogs also welcome back star defender Dale Morris from a serious injury and say hello Jason Johannisen for his first game as a senior listed player.
Cooney and Higgins shrug off injury concerns and are available to play.
Injuries
Despite a great preseason from an injury perspective the Bulldogs have copped a few to key senior players including the club captain Matthew Boyd who is a prolific ball winner and typically has very good games against the Lions.
Adam Cooney (knee) test (Selected in the side)
Easton Wood (hamstring) test
Tom Williams (foot) 1-2 weeks
Matthew Boyd (calf) 2-3 weeks
Fletcher Roberts
Jarrad Grant
Nathan Hvorat
Key Match-ups
Lower vs Rich - Rich tends to hurt us with his effective and penetrating kicking skills and Lower appears to be the right man to curb his influence. I would be half tempted to run Clay Smith against him as part of a longer term development of Smith but Lower should get first crack at Rich.
Rich was the dominate player in the last encounter and he is the first player I would be looking to shut down
Roughead vs Brown - Roughead will get a lot of the big name key forwards this year and while Brown is closing in on the end of a stellar career his is still more than capable of being a match winner. Browns 5 goals in the last encounter is testament that he is far from finished.
Picken vs McGrath - Ash McGrath is often a player that can ignite the Lions forward line and Picken is the ideal player to get first crack at him.
Minson vs Longer/Martin - Minson has been in very good form but is pitted against the highly talented but inexperienced Billy Longer. I certainly see this as a good match-up for the Bulldogs and the one that can provide our midfield group first use of the football.
The Lions will need to use newly acquired and highly athletic Stefan Martin to assist Longer while the Dogs will look towards Cordy to provide Minson with some well earned breaks.
Johannisen vs Zorko - Zorko had a terrific season in 2012 and his likely opponent in Johannisen will have his work curt out to curb his influence. As JJ's career develops he will be given bigger names to play against and this is the first of many big challenges for him.
Cordy vs Merrett - The Dogs desperately need Cordy to hold his marks and convert his chances as a key forward but he will be pitted against the physically powerful Daniel Merrett who is coming off a vastly improved 2012 season where he was often used as a dangerous key forward. If Cordy can jag 2 or 3 goals then it will go a long way towards a Bulldogs win.
Selected side
FB - Morris, Roughead, Picken
HB - Johannisen, Young, Goodes
C - Cooney, Lower, Stevens
HF - Murphy*, Jones, Giansiracusa
FF - Dickson, Cordy, Dahlhaus
Fol - Minson, Griffen, Liberatore
Int - Wallis, Cross, Higgins, Smith
Emg - Tutt, Markovic, Campbell
* Captain
For the Dogs to Win
The Lions beat us twice last year mainly because we couldn't handle their superior athleticism. This is an area we have improved on and the match against the Lions will be the first of many tests for us.
Players like Murphy, Dahlhaus, Dickson and Higgins must keep the scoreboard ticking over and the back line must somehow need to adjust to life after Brian Lake.
Wallis, Griffen, Stevens, Smith, Cross and Liberatore must all lift their intensity to cover the huge loss of Matthew Boyd to the midfield group.
Summary and prediction
The Lions have everything working their way especially when you consider their stellar NAB cup campaign and the way they thrashed us last year however, despite the form guide I'm going with a spirited 3 goal win by the Dogs.