Game Day - Western Bulldogs vs North Melbourne

[BulldogBelle]

This is the discussion thread for this Sunday's game at the MCG against North Melbourne.

My predictions are:

The Dogs by 35 points
BOG : Daniel Cross
Brad Johnson to kick the first goal.

[Max469]

Regardless of where we or North are, they always frighten me.

Do I think they have a chance? Hell yeah.

But I do think we will prevail.

Dogs by 21 points

Murphy to kick 1st goal

Boyd BOG

[LostDoggy]

Dogs by 13pts, Will to kick 1st bulldog goal and Higgo to get BOG...

[LostDoggy]

Dogs by 69
Higgo to kick the first
Cooney BOG, big game from Griff and another solid showing by Will.

[AndrewP6]

Dogs by 22...
BOG Cooney
First goal Josh Hill

[LostDoggy]

Dogs by 40
Cooney BOG
Aker first goal.

[LostDoggy]

Dogs by 48. Mitch to kick our first.

[strebla]

Dogs by 18
Hill first goal
Big Mitch bog

[Happy Days]

Dogs by 7
Minson first goal,
Cooney BOG

[The Underdog]

Dogs by 5 points
Griffen BOG
Welsh first goal

As usual with North I'm scared. Our lack of height in the backline worries me for the first time all year.
Picken needs to do the job on Harvey again and we need to beat them out of the middle or we could be in trouble.

[The Coon Dog]

Dogs by 53 points, Hill 1st goal & Griff to tear it up.

Am feeling very unwell & doubt I'll be there today. :mad:

[azabob]

Dogs by 53 points, Hill 1st goal & Griff to tear it up.

Am feeling very unwell & doubt I'll be there today. :mad:

Say it aint so TCD!! My partner has been sick for the last 3 days, constant cough and running nose so far so good for me. So im leaving very soon just to be sure!!

On the down side or upside you can watch it on CH7 only downside is it is delayed and the put 3-4 adds in between every goal.

[wimberga]

Dogs by 57
Cooney BOG
First Goal to Johnno

[LostDoggy]

Despite the curse of the new coach syndrome we should prevail.
Dogs by 40+
Cooooooooo BOG
and Big Will First goal.

[The Coon Dog]

Say it aint so TCD!! My partner has been sick for the last 3 days, constant cough and running nose so far so good for me. So im leaving very soon just to be sure!!

On the down side or upside you can watch it on CH7 only downside is it is delayed and the put 3-4 adds in between every goal.

Thanks BM, I can relate to the cough, but with me its the severe lethargy.

[Mantis]

Dogs by 42pts.

Our midfield has been on fire the last few games and I expect more of the same today.

Cooney BOG

Hahn 1st goal.

[boydogs]

Dogs by 40 points
First Goal Ryan Griffen
BOG Ryan Griffen

Griff has a great record against North even though the club doesn't so I am expecting a massive game from him if we can have a big win

[Go_Dogs]

BOG Cooney
First goal Giansiracusa
Smashing win, 10 goals +.


Really looking forward to Big Will and Cal Ward continuing their terrific form of the past few weeks.

Hahn and Welsh would be hoping for big days out too after missing out a bit on the route 2 weeks ago.

[LostDoggy]

dogs by 46pts
aker bog
gia first goal

[LostDoggy]

We cant shake them at the moment and it sounds like we just arent working hard enough.

Walls and the 3AW team are giving Griffen a rocket - saying he is lazy and that the only time that he sprints is when he has the chance to receive a handball. Spot on i reckon.....

[G-Mo77]

Actually didn't go to the game today I woke up feeling pretty crook and gave it a miss. I wish I did go it blows watching the delay on Channel 7.

Down by 7 Points now. Ouch!

[G-Mo77]

22 points up now. Bury these tossers!

[LostDoggy]

we shouldn't lose from here. From what I've seen on TV I've been impressed by Welsh and Minson.

[Scorlibo]

What an absolute shocker of a game from our blokes, one week of rest and they forget how to play! Higgins lost confidence in himself halfway through the game and pretty well represented the rest of the playing group in the decision making aspect - was unusually poor.

[LostDoggy]

I have only listened to the radio coverage, but it just sounded like we just had a game when we didnt click and our skills let us down. We will take the ugly win....Hawthorn next week!

[LostDoggy]

Turnover after turnover..... poor skills and decision making.
I also think we went in too short, which didn't help.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

I thought it was good that in spite of our performance we still found away to kick clear. These games where a new coach takes over are always danger games, and I'm just glad we didn't drop this one, especially with a tough run ahead with Hawks, Collingwood and in in form Bombers.

[LostDoggy]

Shane Crawford said the same thing i did.

Even though we played poorly for the first 3 quarters, we kicked into gear & got up to win. Good teams do that, and we did that.

Shaggy has come back in ripping form, was BOG for me today.

Ward continues to impress, does plenty of 1% things.

Harbrow was again great today, has made back pocket his.

[LostDoggy]

Most of that game I was very worried. We won and I am happy for the points. But Rocket was not a happy man for most of the game which indicates a poor effort from some of the boys.

On the plus side was Hills hanger. Have been waiting for him to clunk one.

[Go_Dogs]

Pretty even performance today with no real standouts, everyone had a few pieces of encouraging plays.

Morris was fantastic down back and really one of our best today.

Boyd, Cross and Johnson were good, worked very hard.

Higgins did a few great things, and a few poor things. He wasn't as dangerous up forward today as he has been previously. (He snared a few, but just didn't look as dangerous).

Welsh was very good early and played an ok role down back too.

Hahn got a bit of the footy and was generally pretty good.

Cooney was brilliant early but got a lot quieter as the game wore on.

Griff came alive in the 3rd and was able to impact the game more often. Still would like him to do a bit more, but his form is starting to improve.

Gia was very good after looking like he could be done for the day early in the 1st.

Murph looks to be moving well and intercepted a few passes today and took a few nice grabs.

[LostDoggy]

Went to the game. Dogs did enough to win - just, and against a team that were one player down for the majority of the game. Felt like the break interrupted their momentum. Grateful for the 4 points and hopefully the momentum will pick up again heading into the business end of the season. Hill's mark was fantastic and certainly sparked everyone up a bit.

[LostDoggy]

Minson was very good today i thought. Chased, busted and got aggressive.

Was waiting for Cooney to light up, but was quiet in the second half.

Johnson BOG for me.

[AndrewP6]

Sounds like a strange thing to say but I felt it was a disappointing win (I know, it's stupid!)... just a letdown to see poor skills, kicking to no one, lax defensive work etc... Still, we did enough to get up, winning ugly, as they say. Gia was good, and my man Welsh did a good job, I thought. Johnno worked his tail off, and Shaggy too. Almost had a barney with this A****** standing behind me... prick didn't let up all day, and kept using the word "retard" when dissing our blokes (and his own!) Can't stand that word. We had the last laugh though... now on to the Hawks...

[Mantis]

Minson was very good today i thought. Chased, busted and got aggressive.



Good call.

I thought he was one player that ran to position to offer an option. I think Will's last 6 weeks have been really good.

[The Underdog]

Minson was very good today i thought. Chased, busted and got aggressive.

Was waiting for Cooney to light up, but was quiet in the second half.

Johnson BOG for me.

Agree on Minson. His effort was excellent and his decision making and his skills seem to have improved.
Cooney got a fair bit of it but often easy kicks in the back half and he made some terrible errors especially the half handball to Higgins in the 2nd.
I thought most of our best were in the back half, certainly more so than the middle.

[bornadog]

I thought our skills were poor today, handballs and kicking to players in the forward 50 were not accurate. Many times, we seemed to just bomb the ball into the forward line to a contest where we were too short. I thought Higgins decision making was poor and turned over the ball many times when he didn't take the first option and either handballed or kicked to the opposition.

Overall we were the better side all day, and at no stage was I worried about losing.

[The Underdog]

I thought our skills were poor today, handballs and kicking to players in the forward 50 were not accurate. Many times, we seemed to just bomb the ball into the forward line to a contest where we were too short. I thought Higgins decision making was poor and turned over the ball many times when he didn't take the first option and either handballed or kicked to the opposition.

Overall we were the better side all day, and at no stage was I worried about losing.

Decision making was appalling, especially going into the forward 50. We butchered 4 or 5 easy goals by bad choices or overplaying our hand when we had the advantage.

[Mantis]

Overall we were the better side all day, and at no stage was I worried about losing.

As was I.

In saying that it would have been nice at some stage to stretch that 8 to 10 point to a 20 pt margain. We could never get that extra goal to kick clear and give us some breathing space, but that was mainly due to our inability to handle the ball rather than North's good play.

[comrade]

Interesting that in the last two weeks Rocket has used Welsh as a third tall/loose man in defence, considering that many of us believe he is important in straightening up our forward line.

I think it shows just how far out of favour Everitt is, as he was drafted for that role and plays it at Willy.

[LostDoggy]

Minson might have been good but Hudson was pretty poor.

[bulldogtragic]

Interesting that in the last two weeks Rocket has used Welsh as a third tall/loose man in defence, considering that many of us believe he is important in straightening up our forward line.

I think it shows just how far out of favour Everitt is, as he was drafted for that role and plays it at Willy.
This is starting to concern me. Perhaps he should be tried forward or attacking forward flanker ala Ryan O'Keefe. Something has got to give, he has the no3 and has great foot skills and is athletic. We've got to find some role for him. Obviously the coaches don't think that's a key defencive post (yet?).

[LostDoggy]

I thought Minson was great again today, one of our most improved in the last 7 weeks or so. So ferocious today.

[bulldogtragic]

Dogs by 22...
BOG Cooney
First goal Josh Hill


Gotta give the guy a prize, 22pts in deed. :)

[AndrewP6]

Gotta give the guy a prize, 22pts in deed. :)

WHOO HOOO!!! When can I collect?:D

[LostDoggy]

I was at the game today, just one question. When we have a replacement game what bays/sections of the G are we allowed to sit in? I was in the Greta Southern Stand on level one at the forward flank.

[ledge]

Aker wasnt his usual self today, first time i ever saw him get caught and a couple of his disposals were horrid, not like him.
In all we beat a team with a new coach a feat that isnt common.

[bornadog]

I was at the game today, just one question. When we have a replacement game what bays/sections of the G are we allowed to sit in? I was in the Greta Southern Stand on level one at the forward flank.

You can sit anywhere you would if you bought a general admission ticket.

[Desipura]

I would like to make a special mention to Minson who I thought was very good again yesterday. It really is good to see him getting more of the ball. I liked the way he read the play at the opposite end of the MCC members wing where he got in behind a North player and snatched the ball off him and then off he went.
His ability to turn his opponent inside out on the half fwd flank in the last qtr was also good.
Gia was instrumental in not only kicking 3 goals but setting up a number as well. His kicking was as usual very precise.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

This is starting to concern me. Perhaps he should be tried forward or attacking forward flanker ala Ryan O'Keefe. Something has got to give, he has the no3 and has great foot skills and is athletic. We've got to find some role for him. Obviously the coaches don't think that's a key defencive post (yet?).

Someone claimed that someone on the medical staff calimed Everitt is as much of an idiot as his brother. As a teacher I know the unbalancing effect an idiot (I guess by an "idiot" I mean someone who is so full of what's going on in his own head, he lacks real concern for the team or community needs and often stands on the toes of the leader/coach/teacher). I wonder if there is anything to this wild speculation? I hope not. I hope that Everitt's personality doesn't get in the way of him fulfilling his promise.

[Mantis]

Someone claimed that someone on the medical staff calimed Everitt is as much of an idiot as his brother. As a teacher I know the unbalancing effect an idiot (I guess by an "idiot" I mean someone who is so full of what's going on in his own head, he lacks real concern for the team or community needs and often stands on the toes of the leader/coach/teacher). I wonder if there is anything to this wild speculation? I hope not. I hope that Everitt's personality doesn't get in the way of him fulfilling his promise.

I rate Chris Grant a pretty good judge of character so I would suspect that Granty wouldn't have been so insistent to hand on the coveted no.3 to a player and more importantly a person who didn't deserve it.

[mighty_west]

I thought Minson was great again today, one of our most improved in the last 7 weeks or so. So ferocious today.

He slammed Rawlings into the ground on the boundary line and gave a way the free, i'm usually critical of his temper and giving away silly free's, but on this occasion, it was worth it to slam Rawlings, was great to see.

Minson has really come on this year with his ruck work especially, he's caught up, and perhaps now slightly taken over the Beard, which is a big positive for the team.

He was definatly harshly judged earlier this year as a forward, when he's clearly a resting ruckman.

[mighty_west]

Overall, we turned the ball over far too much, and North's defenders owned our forward line, however, to come away with a 22 point win over a side that has always matched up well against us, adding the new coach factor, i'm pretty pleased, plus we never seem to fire after a mid season break.

You usually get an idea on how a game will pan out during the game, and whilst North kept pressing, i never thought we would get beaten!

Like all good teams, no matter how poorly you play, you can always seem to just get the job done.

[Happy Days]

Someone claimed that someone on the medical staff calimed Everitt is as much of an idiot as his brother.

Hearsay evidence is inadmissible in court, you know ;)

[Sockeye Salmon]

Someone claimed that someone on the medical staff calimed Everitt is as much of an idiot as his brother. As a teacher I know the unbalancing effect an idiot (I guess by an "idiot" I mean someone who is so full of what's going on in his own head, he lacks real concern for the team or community needs and often stands on the toes of the leader/coach/teacher). I wonder if there is anything to this wild speculation? I hope not. I hope that Everitt's personality doesn't get in the way of him fulfilling his promise.

That's not what we were told.

We were told that Everitt is very shy, rarely says much and needs to be supported because he doesn't have a heap of confidence.

About as far away from his brother than you can get.

Having said that, Spida played nearly 300 games.

[Ozza]

He slammed Rawlings into the ground on the boundary line and gave a way the free, i'm usually critical of his temper and giving away silly free's, but on this occasion, it was worth it to slam Rawlings, was great to see.

Minson has really come on this year with his ruck work especially, he's caught up, and perhaps now slightly taken over the Beard, which is a big positive for the team.

He was definatly harshly judged earlier this year as a forward, when he's clearly a resting ruckman.

Completely agree. I think Minson is our best ruckman now. That is not a reflection on Hudson - who is playing well - but more so - the big Minnow improvement. His decision making has improved enormously, his hands are better, and has anyone noticed how clean he is below his knees of late.

He is really impressing me the big fella.

[LostDoggy]

I rate Chris Grant a pretty good judge of character so I would suspect that Granty wouldn't have been so insistent to hand on the coveted no.3 to a player and more importantly a person who didn't deserve it.

Have to agree with you Mantis, the great man surely wouldn't have been happy to pass on the No. 3 gurnsey to a wild child! I read later posts which say he is the opposite of his brother, being shy, etc., so I'm thinking there must be something else going on??:confused:

[Scorlibo]

When Shaggy first started out they played him as a key defender and he was quite awful - giving away free kicks left, right and centre and being beaten in most contests. But now he is one of the best rebounding defenders in the league playing off a mid-sized or small player.

Maybe they're employing a similar sort of education to Everitt, working on the defensive aspects of his game before allowing him to let free the inner rebounder.

[LostDoggy]

Someone claimed that someone on the medical staff calimed Everitt is as much of an idiot as his brother. As a teacher I know the unbalancing effect an idiot (I guess by an "idiot" I mean someone who is so full of what's going on in his own head, he lacks real concern for the team or community needs and often stands on the toes of the leader/coach/teacher). I wonder if there is anything to this wild speculation? I hope not. I hope that Everitt's personality doesn't get in the way of him fulfilling his promise.

I go to the same school as Everitt went to,,and he has a very 'stuckup' and 'up himself' personality. He had a girlfriend 4 years his junior in highschool and lets just say the break up was very crude..
Sorry to say it, but his personality could very well get in his way of playing footy...

[azabob]

Do we agree the performance yesterday was below par?

This week is a massive game. After the split round last year we played Melbourne and put in an awful effort just winning by 5 goals. And then struggled for the rest of the year.

Hopefully this year is not the same case.

[LostDoggy]

Im loving all this Will talk, and how good hes been, im soooooo glad i stuck with him during his early years, its all paying off now...

Its been awesome to watch him play so good lately, hopefully he keeps it up..

[ledge]

Yesterdays effort taking in the newly coached opposition and a new style they tried to play it was great to get a win and thats what matters, no we werent as clean as usual but neither were North, maybe just one of those days.
Your a good side when you win and your games not spot on, bring on the Hawks.

Oh i remember the days when we as supporters didnt care how we won but we won, how the culture has changed and the expectations are now much higher and we critisize or point the finger at individual players even if we win.

To me all players are not going to perform every game depending on bounce of the ball delivery etc, 1 bad game by a player is ok by me but continuous is when we should point a player out.

Watching the game yesterday it seemed a day when the ball bounced all over the place and if it happened to bounce your way you were lucky and got the break, did anyone else notice or think that?

Winson and Hill i see improvement every week.
On the Hill point about leading or staying back, is Eade telling him play with your strengths and gut feel, which is obviously to leap, thus meaning the ball coming in needs to be put up ?

[Mantis]

Yesterdays effort taking in the newly coached opposition and a new style they tried to play it was great to get a win and thats what matters, no we werent as clean as usual but neither were North, maybe just one of those days.
Your a good side when you win and your games not spot on, bring on the Hawks.



1. To you, what was the major difference in game style between North under Laidley and the North we saw yesterday under Crocker?

2. In my mind I never view North as being a 'clean' side so I don't know why you were expecting something other than what we saw yesterday.

[ledge]

1 I thought they played on more than usual, with which Crocker pointed out they would do on On The Couch.
2 I meant clean as there was a lot of fumbling more than usual with both teams.

What i expected was more play on from them but they would be buggered by 3/4 time which probably became true in the end as the last quarter they fumbled even more.

We i believe fumbled a lot as well, its funny how things can seem like they get catchy on the day , sometimes a team does something and it seems to carry on all day,it was national fumble day at the "G" yesterday for both sides.

[Mantis]

1 I thought they played on more than usual, with which Crocker pointed out they would do on On The Couch.

Was that all? I thought there was more difference in their game style than just that they played on a bit more than previously.


2 I meant clean as there was a lot of fumbling more than usual with both teams.

What i expected was more play on from them but they would be buggered by 3/4 time which probably became true in the end as the last quarter they fumbled even more.

We i believe fumbled a lot as well, its funny how things can seem like they get catchy on the day , sometimes a team does something and it seems to carry on all day,it was national fumble day at the "G" yesterday for both sides.

That's all a bit confusing.

The reason they were buggered at 3/4 time was that they went 1 player down early on and couldn't rotate as much as they wanted.

[ledge]

1 player down doesnt help i agree but is one player that much difference to fumble like they did? the ball was in the hands and they just dropped it as Hill did once too.

[Sockeye Salmon]

North's game plan was way different.

They did move the ball faster, they played on at every chance and shared it around. It was as if Crocker had released the shackles and told them to just go for it!

They completely owned the centre square and forced us wide. Their backline was awesome.

If it wasn't for a couple of their young kids blowing really good chances we could have easily lost.