mjp
16-06-2010, 04:16 PM
West Coast
Well, things aren’t going well. After winning 5 of their last 7 in 2009, trotting out a host of top 10 draft picks (Ebert, Kennedy, Masten, Natanui and Shepherd) along with perennial All-Australian ruckman Dean Cox, key defender Darren Glass, clever small forward Mark LeCras and midfielder Daniel Kerr along with Brisbane recruit Brad Dalziell, 2010 was supposed to mark a return to finals action.
Hmmm. So far, complete disaster. The board is calling the coach in for ‘please explain’ sessions on a weekly basis, supporter favourite Quentin Lynch is rotting in the WAFL, Kerr is injured (again), Glass is injured, Dalziell is either too slow or can’t kick depending on what week it is, Matt Priddis still kicks to no-one instead of releasing the ball by hand, Natanui can’t get the ball, Masten can’t kick (now injured), Ebert is slow (and so is young Scott Selwood)...and now they have lost to Richmond. And now the players have called a ‘players only’ meeting? Apparently losing every week is acceptable, but if you lose to Richmond, enough is enough? In any case, they have not played well, the camp is not happy and unrest is rife.
The funny thing is, Kennedy and LeCras have actually been BETTER than advertised – but the rest of the side is struggling. With Glass out, the 2nd tier defensive talls (Spangher, McKenzie, Schofield) have proven to be 3rd tier, with Kerr out the next level of mids are either not good enough or not ready, Cox is still getting the footy but having zero impact around the contest and the forward line...wow. Mitch Brown, Ben McKinlay – just one effort players. Not good signs.
US.
Well, we know all about us. An up and down season with highlights being the form of Hall, Griffen and Lake – Cooney to a lesser degree though he has had a couple of outstanding games. Rather than covering stuff we all know, let’s look at match-ups.
Ruck:
Hudson and Minson vs Cox and Natanui.
- West Coast have an advantage when it comes to athleticism, Dogs an advantage when it comes to pure grunt. With Cox having turned himself into a receiver and Natanui only able to touch the ball if it involves a ruck contest, the Dogs pair have a huge opportunity to take control of this one.
Mids:
- Dogs have a class advantage with Cooney and Griffen. Those two boys will be the quickest, most skilled players on the park and if they touch it 25 times plus the Bulldogs win. (Scott) Selwood will take one of them – I am guessing Griffen – with Dalziell likely assigned the job on Cooney. These match-ups might change, but I suspect the thinking will be Dalziell’s massive tank will be more needed vs Cooney than Griffen who really is more of a burst player. Regardless, Cooney has a chance to be a damaging leading forward against EITHER of those players.
- Boyd and Ebert will be effectively a head-to-head battle, with Cross battling it out with Priddis. The marking / gut running power of Cross vs Priddis could be a massive factor at Subiaco if he is prepared to work hard and be a kick-too target.
WCE Forward line.
- Lake takes Kennedy. Must. With Williams out, West Coast will try to stretch the Dogs – they have Mitch Brown, Ben McKinlay and the Cox/Natanui combination to throw forward. But whilst McKinlay can be a high marking threat and will need attention, the others are really just ‘tall’ rather than ‘tall and dangerous’. Murphy to McKinlay (who doesn’t chase), with Everitt to take Brown (assuming he plays) – if not and the Dogs go small, Gilbee will have to get it done.
- Mark LeCras is a super young forward and the obvious opponent is Dale Morris.
West Coast depend almost completely on Kennedy (34 goals) and LeCras (28 goals) for their scoring and if the two best Dogs defenders (Lake and Morris) do their jobs well, I cannot see how West Coast can kick a winning tally.
Dogs Forward Line
Well, this is where it gets interesting. Glass isn’t playing, so who plays on Hall. Based on who played on Riewoldt last week, it will be a defence by committee approach, with each one of McKenzie, Jones, Schofield and Brown all having a go. Hall is a more classic leading forward than Riewoldt though, so I suspect they will go with the faster, more experienced Jones, push Schofield onto Grant and play McKenzie on Hahn. The McKenzie / Jones match-ups could easily reverse though.
- Given recent history and Addison’s absence from the side, I expect that Gia will play the ‘accountable forward’ role vs Shannon Hurn.
OK. But the teams haven’t changed much since last year, and WCE won TWICE!
Very true. And they killed us in the transition game last year with a more determined, focused approach to running the lines and gut running between contests. If they do that again – and they haven’t been so it is a massive “IF” – West Coast could very easily win this game. The Dogs played with a lot more adventure last week against Brisbane which was a good sign, but if they revert to a slow ball movement, side-to-side-to-side-to-side game-style AND West Coast run and work, West Coast will win comfortably.
They shouldn’t though. The Dogs have miles too much class through the midfield for West Coast to handle. The large ground should suit the leading style of Grant and Hall, and Harbrow, Murphy and Gilbee will have heaps of room to run with the ball.
Dogs by 34 points after a tight(ish) first 2 2 1/2 quarters.
And given I dont get to see them much these days they had better darn well win!
Well, things aren’t going well. After winning 5 of their last 7 in 2009, trotting out a host of top 10 draft picks (Ebert, Kennedy, Masten, Natanui and Shepherd) along with perennial All-Australian ruckman Dean Cox, key defender Darren Glass, clever small forward Mark LeCras and midfielder Daniel Kerr along with Brisbane recruit Brad Dalziell, 2010 was supposed to mark a return to finals action.
Hmmm. So far, complete disaster. The board is calling the coach in for ‘please explain’ sessions on a weekly basis, supporter favourite Quentin Lynch is rotting in the WAFL, Kerr is injured (again), Glass is injured, Dalziell is either too slow or can’t kick depending on what week it is, Matt Priddis still kicks to no-one instead of releasing the ball by hand, Natanui can’t get the ball, Masten can’t kick (now injured), Ebert is slow (and so is young Scott Selwood)...and now they have lost to Richmond. And now the players have called a ‘players only’ meeting? Apparently losing every week is acceptable, but if you lose to Richmond, enough is enough? In any case, they have not played well, the camp is not happy and unrest is rife.
The funny thing is, Kennedy and LeCras have actually been BETTER than advertised – but the rest of the side is struggling. With Glass out, the 2nd tier defensive talls (Spangher, McKenzie, Schofield) have proven to be 3rd tier, with Kerr out the next level of mids are either not good enough or not ready, Cox is still getting the footy but having zero impact around the contest and the forward line...wow. Mitch Brown, Ben McKinlay – just one effort players. Not good signs.
US.
Well, we know all about us. An up and down season with highlights being the form of Hall, Griffen and Lake – Cooney to a lesser degree though he has had a couple of outstanding games. Rather than covering stuff we all know, let’s look at match-ups.
Ruck:
Hudson and Minson vs Cox and Natanui.
- West Coast have an advantage when it comes to athleticism, Dogs an advantage when it comes to pure grunt. With Cox having turned himself into a receiver and Natanui only able to touch the ball if it involves a ruck contest, the Dogs pair have a huge opportunity to take control of this one.
Mids:
- Dogs have a class advantage with Cooney and Griffen. Those two boys will be the quickest, most skilled players on the park and if they touch it 25 times plus the Bulldogs win. (Scott) Selwood will take one of them – I am guessing Griffen – with Dalziell likely assigned the job on Cooney. These match-ups might change, but I suspect the thinking will be Dalziell’s massive tank will be more needed vs Cooney than Griffen who really is more of a burst player. Regardless, Cooney has a chance to be a damaging leading forward against EITHER of those players.
- Boyd and Ebert will be effectively a head-to-head battle, with Cross battling it out with Priddis. The marking / gut running power of Cross vs Priddis could be a massive factor at Subiaco if he is prepared to work hard and be a kick-too target.
WCE Forward line.
- Lake takes Kennedy. Must. With Williams out, West Coast will try to stretch the Dogs – they have Mitch Brown, Ben McKinlay and the Cox/Natanui combination to throw forward. But whilst McKinlay can be a high marking threat and will need attention, the others are really just ‘tall’ rather than ‘tall and dangerous’. Murphy to McKinlay (who doesn’t chase), with Everitt to take Brown (assuming he plays) – if not and the Dogs go small, Gilbee will have to get it done.
- Mark LeCras is a super young forward and the obvious opponent is Dale Morris.
West Coast depend almost completely on Kennedy (34 goals) and LeCras (28 goals) for their scoring and if the two best Dogs defenders (Lake and Morris) do their jobs well, I cannot see how West Coast can kick a winning tally.
Dogs Forward Line
Well, this is where it gets interesting. Glass isn’t playing, so who plays on Hall. Based on who played on Riewoldt last week, it will be a defence by committee approach, with each one of McKenzie, Jones, Schofield and Brown all having a go. Hall is a more classic leading forward than Riewoldt though, so I suspect they will go with the faster, more experienced Jones, push Schofield onto Grant and play McKenzie on Hahn. The McKenzie / Jones match-ups could easily reverse though.
- Given recent history and Addison’s absence from the side, I expect that Gia will play the ‘accountable forward’ role vs Shannon Hurn.
OK. But the teams haven’t changed much since last year, and WCE won TWICE!
Very true. And they killed us in the transition game last year with a more determined, focused approach to running the lines and gut running between contests. If they do that again – and they haven’t been so it is a massive “IF” – West Coast could very easily win this game. The Dogs played with a lot more adventure last week against Brisbane which was a good sign, but if they revert to a slow ball movement, side-to-side-to-side-to-side game-style AND West Coast run and work, West Coast will win comfortably.
They shouldn’t though. The Dogs have miles too much class through the midfield for West Coast to handle. The large ground should suit the leading style of Grant and Hall, and Harbrow, Murphy and Gilbee will have heaps of room to run with the ball.
Dogs by 34 points after a tight(ish) first 2 2 1/2 quarters.
And given I dont get to see them much these days they had better darn well win!