Scraggers
18-05-2011, 10:52 AM
When and Where
Sunday, May 22,
4:40pm EST
Patterson’s Stadium (formally Subiaco Oval)
Last time they met
Round 13 2010 (Subiaco Oval)
West Coast Eagles 9.5 (59) beaten by Western Bulldogs 17.17 (119)
Last 5 games head to head
Round 19 2009 – Western Bulldogs (97) beaten by WC Eagles (102) (Docklands)
Round 4 2009 – WC Eagles (116) defeated Western Bulldogs (83) (Subiaco)
Round 6 2008 – Western Bulldogs (134) defeated WC Eagles (74) (Docklands)
Round 17 2007 – Western Bulldogs (71) beaten by WC Eagles (158) (Docklands)
Round 6 2007 – WC Eagles (77) defeated Western Bulldogs (62) Subiaco
Form leading in
Eagles L B W L W
Bulldogs B L L L W
West Coast Eagles (4-3)
The Eagles are up and about this year after last year winning the only trophy their cabinet was lacking … the Wooden Spoon. But unfortunately for us, this year they are not playing like ‘wooden spooners’. Last week, the Eagles snapped a seven-game loss streak against the Fremantle Dockers with a 33 point win, although the win did come at a potentially huge loss with gun midfielders Daniel Kerr (adductor) and Andrew Embley (hamstring) injuring themselves during the warm-up; but, in saying that, they are still possible inclusions this week (Ducks and Drakes from Woosha … maybe).
So what’s the difference between the Eagles’10 and the Eagles’11?
Confidence !! This group understand and execute Woosha’s game plan to a tee. (and the media hype in a two-team-town already has them playing finals come this September).
What is the game plan? The Eagles are playing a full court press … On average, the Eagles are conceding 42.9 inside 50s per game; this is the lowest in the competition (by 10).
Their defensive pressure is immense. The intensity they show around the ball to take away time and space of the opposition is a force to be reckoned with.
The ruck combination of Naitanui (who plays more of a ruck-rover role) and Cox (who rests in a forward pocket instead of the bench) dominate other team’s rucks. Last week I counted 16 times when both Naitanui and Cox competed in the ruck together, double-teaming Sandilands.
When they take possession of the ball its finishing in the hands of Priddis. He is an above average user of the ball, with footy smarts … he will need to be contained this Sunday.
The Eagles want to play on at all costs. They have confidence in their teammate to win a one-on-one competition; they are willing to bomb long to a contest, and why wouldn’t you? With bodies like Quentin Lynch, Jack Darling (how he lasted until pick 26 in the draft I’ll never know), and Josh Kennedy happy to hit defenders hard; if they don’t take the pack mark, they are bringing the ball to ground for players like Mark LeCras to swoop on.
Western Bulldogs (3-4)
The Bulldogs are on a role (one in a row) and ‘appear’ to be back on track after last weekend’s 35-point win over the Tigers at Etihad Stadium. With the possible inclusion of the bookends (Lake/Hall) the Bulldog’s spine could be bolstered.
There’s been enough speculation about ‘where we are at’ on WOOF for me not to go into great details here. We have won three games against bottom 8 teams and lost two close ones. We are playing good footy in patches, but hopefully we gained a lot of confidence last week against the Tiges. Enough to say that this is a crunch game for us. Currently 3-4, a win will put us on an even keel leading into a tough three weeks (Hawthorn/Geelong/St.Kilda).
Potential Line Ups
WEST COAST
B: Smith, Glass, Hurn
HB: Butler, Schofield, S.Selwood
C: Rosa, Priddis, Embley
HF: Nicoski, Kennedy, Shuey
F: LeCras, Lynch, Darling
FOLL: Cox, Kerr, A.Selwood,
I/C: Naitanui, Ebert, Masten,
Sub:- McGinnity
Possible Ins: Kerr, Embley
Possible Outs: Gaff, Sheppard
WESTERN BULLDOGS
B: Lake, Markovic, Morris
HB: Picken, Hargrave, Murphy
C: Cross, Griffen, Sherman
HF: Ward, Hall, Higgins
F: Grant, Minson, Giansiracusa
FOLL: Hudson, Boyd, Cooney
I/C: Gilbee, Stack, Liberatore
Sub:- Addison
Possible Ins: Hall, Higgins, Lake (or Williams if Lake is unavailable)
Possible Outs: Jones, Hill, Moles (all who would be deemed -justly- unlucky)
How do we win?
The first thing we need to do is include Brian Lake … The Eagles play tall in attack. As already mentioned Lynch, Darling, Kennedy, plus resting Cox in a forward pocket, we need big bodies in defence. Markovic and Morris have done a great job this season, but we will need more height and body mass to match their forwards. If Lake remains on the ‘B’ list, then I hope Williams is fit enough to return to help out in the ‘Land of the Giants’.
Next, we need line breakers … quick movement of the ball is essential … Ward, Sherman, Murphy, Griffen, Cooney, Boyd, Little Libba are all going to have to run their guts out to ensure the ball is always in motion. And we are going to have to be willing to kick the ball over the heads of players to try to break the defensive mindset all Eagle players have adopted.
The inclusion of both Higgins and Hall is also important; when behind on the scoreboard, the Eagles full-court press begins to flounder and gaps start to appear.
Last, curb the influence of their ball movers … Cox, Priddis, Kerr, Embley, both Selwoods, and most importantly Naitanui. His game against Fremantle was very impressive.
Key Match ups
Our Forward line
Hall V Glass
I think this match-up is a given. Hall has been down on form and carrying injury all season, but if included in the starting 21, he will be a big mass that Glass has to play body-on-body. Hall’s quick lead-up style suits Patterson’s Stadium, but against the Eagles defensive pressure I would play him deep in the forward 50. If Hall is not picked it is essential that Minson plays this role. He can take a great overhead mark and is difficult to man-up one-on-one, ideal for a deep forward position.
Ward V S Selwood
Last week Callan showed the football world what we already knew; I think the Eagles will try to tag him out of the game which is why I think S Selwood will pick him up. Scott is a hard nut, who will put his body on the line in every contest, but he also plays the tagging role (think Liam Picken) very well.
Midfield and Followers
Boyd V Priddis
Even though I think Boyd will start on Priddis, I expect that we will rotate a number of players through him. Priddis (last week’s Glendinning Medalist) is not a player you let have a free run against to free up one of your own, he will hurt you every time. He can run all day and constantly gets leather poisoning. Inhibiting his influence will go a long way to ensuring a Bulldog victory.
Cox V Husdon
Cox is a four time All-Australian ruckmen and is consistently giving his players first use of the ball. He has a great motor and will rest in the forward line instead of the bench. The People’s Beard will have to run with him for the majority of the game. Hudson’s body positioning in ruck contests this year has been average, but where Ben fires is with his second and third efforts once the ball hits the ground. He will need his ‘A’ game this week.
Naitanui V ??
Naitanui played the Fremantle game like a 178cm follower, a 190cm utility, and a 200cm ruckman. He played the majority of the game on the ball either tag-teaming with Cox in the ruck or following the play. His motor is second to none, and to be totally honest, I’m not sure who we will match up against him to counteract his influence. I don’t think we have a player with his height, jump, and athletic ability. I included Minson in the squad more as a forward that plays a back up ruck role, but I wouldn’t be disappointed if we included Roughead or Mulligan just to run with ‘Nic-Nat’.
Our Defensive Line
Lake V Darling
As I have already stated, How Jack Darling got to pick 26 in last year’s National Draft I’ll never know. This bloke is a ready built CHF/CHB (think Wayne Carey / Glen Jakovich). I think Lake going to him will be enough to limit his input. If Lake does not play, I think Williams (if fit) will need to play him very tightly. I watched what happened this week when he was given latitude (in fact, I was very surprised he did not get the Rising Star nomination).
Markovic V Lynch
For some reason, the Subi crowd love Lynch … the cheer that goes around the ground when he takes his glove off signifying that he will have a shot at goal is amazing. Markovic has been in great form to start this year, this will be a great match up, one that I think we should take the chocolates.
Picken V LeCras
Whilst I think Picken will get a shot at Priddis, Kerr and Embley throughout the day, I could honestly seeing him playing the role of tagger on LeCras. LeCras has the ability to explode and kick two or three quick goals … Since the Essendon game (when he kicked a lazy 12) he has had to deal with heavy tags, but he still has the innate ability to find the footy on a regular basis. Picken’s close checking and body-on-body approach will be a integral part of this contest.
Verdict
West Coast Eagles have 5 of the last 7 games against us, and they play Patterson’s Stadium very well. For me this is a real danger game and could be season defining … That said, Bulldogs to win a hard fought affair by 13 points.
Sunday, May 22,
4:40pm EST
Patterson’s Stadium (formally Subiaco Oval)
Last time they met
Round 13 2010 (Subiaco Oval)
West Coast Eagles 9.5 (59) beaten by Western Bulldogs 17.17 (119)
Last 5 games head to head
Round 19 2009 – Western Bulldogs (97) beaten by WC Eagles (102) (Docklands)
Round 4 2009 – WC Eagles (116) defeated Western Bulldogs (83) (Subiaco)
Round 6 2008 – Western Bulldogs (134) defeated WC Eagles (74) (Docklands)
Round 17 2007 – Western Bulldogs (71) beaten by WC Eagles (158) (Docklands)
Round 6 2007 – WC Eagles (77) defeated Western Bulldogs (62) Subiaco
Form leading in
Eagles L B W L W
Bulldogs B L L L W
West Coast Eagles (4-3)
The Eagles are up and about this year after last year winning the only trophy their cabinet was lacking … the Wooden Spoon. But unfortunately for us, this year they are not playing like ‘wooden spooners’. Last week, the Eagles snapped a seven-game loss streak against the Fremantle Dockers with a 33 point win, although the win did come at a potentially huge loss with gun midfielders Daniel Kerr (adductor) and Andrew Embley (hamstring) injuring themselves during the warm-up; but, in saying that, they are still possible inclusions this week (Ducks and Drakes from Woosha … maybe).
So what’s the difference between the Eagles’10 and the Eagles’11?
Confidence !! This group understand and execute Woosha’s game plan to a tee. (and the media hype in a two-team-town already has them playing finals come this September).
What is the game plan? The Eagles are playing a full court press … On average, the Eagles are conceding 42.9 inside 50s per game; this is the lowest in the competition (by 10).
Their defensive pressure is immense. The intensity they show around the ball to take away time and space of the opposition is a force to be reckoned with.
The ruck combination of Naitanui (who plays more of a ruck-rover role) and Cox (who rests in a forward pocket instead of the bench) dominate other team’s rucks. Last week I counted 16 times when both Naitanui and Cox competed in the ruck together, double-teaming Sandilands.
When they take possession of the ball its finishing in the hands of Priddis. He is an above average user of the ball, with footy smarts … he will need to be contained this Sunday.
The Eagles want to play on at all costs. They have confidence in their teammate to win a one-on-one competition; they are willing to bomb long to a contest, and why wouldn’t you? With bodies like Quentin Lynch, Jack Darling (how he lasted until pick 26 in the draft I’ll never know), and Josh Kennedy happy to hit defenders hard; if they don’t take the pack mark, they are bringing the ball to ground for players like Mark LeCras to swoop on.
Western Bulldogs (3-4)
The Bulldogs are on a role (one in a row) and ‘appear’ to be back on track after last weekend’s 35-point win over the Tigers at Etihad Stadium. With the possible inclusion of the bookends (Lake/Hall) the Bulldog’s spine could be bolstered.
There’s been enough speculation about ‘where we are at’ on WOOF for me not to go into great details here. We have won three games against bottom 8 teams and lost two close ones. We are playing good footy in patches, but hopefully we gained a lot of confidence last week against the Tiges. Enough to say that this is a crunch game for us. Currently 3-4, a win will put us on an even keel leading into a tough three weeks (Hawthorn/Geelong/St.Kilda).
Potential Line Ups
WEST COAST
B: Smith, Glass, Hurn
HB: Butler, Schofield, S.Selwood
C: Rosa, Priddis, Embley
HF: Nicoski, Kennedy, Shuey
F: LeCras, Lynch, Darling
FOLL: Cox, Kerr, A.Selwood,
I/C: Naitanui, Ebert, Masten,
Sub:- McGinnity
Possible Ins: Kerr, Embley
Possible Outs: Gaff, Sheppard
WESTERN BULLDOGS
B: Lake, Markovic, Morris
HB: Picken, Hargrave, Murphy
C: Cross, Griffen, Sherman
HF: Ward, Hall, Higgins
F: Grant, Minson, Giansiracusa
FOLL: Hudson, Boyd, Cooney
I/C: Gilbee, Stack, Liberatore
Sub:- Addison
Possible Ins: Hall, Higgins, Lake (or Williams if Lake is unavailable)
Possible Outs: Jones, Hill, Moles (all who would be deemed -justly- unlucky)
How do we win?
The first thing we need to do is include Brian Lake … The Eagles play tall in attack. As already mentioned Lynch, Darling, Kennedy, plus resting Cox in a forward pocket, we need big bodies in defence. Markovic and Morris have done a great job this season, but we will need more height and body mass to match their forwards. If Lake remains on the ‘B’ list, then I hope Williams is fit enough to return to help out in the ‘Land of the Giants’.
Next, we need line breakers … quick movement of the ball is essential … Ward, Sherman, Murphy, Griffen, Cooney, Boyd, Little Libba are all going to have to run their guts out to ensure the ball is always in motion. And we are going to have to be willing to kick the ball over the heads of players to try to break the defensive mindset all Eagle players have adopted.
The inclusion of both Higgins and Hall is also important; when behind on the scoreboard, the Eagles full-court press begins to flounder and gaps start to appear.
Last, curb the influence of their ball movers … Cox, Priddis, Kerr, Embley, both Selwoods, and most importantly Naitanui. His game against Fremantle was very impressive.
Key Match ups
Our Forward line
Hall V Glass
I think this match-up is a given. Hall has been down on form and carrying injury all season, but if included in the starting 21, he will be a big mass that Glass has to play body-on-body. Hall’s quick lead-up style suits Patterson’s Stadium, but against the Eagles defensive pressure I would play him deep in the forward 50. If Hall is not picked it is essential that Minson plays this role. He can take a great overhead mark and is difficult to man-up one-on-one, ideal for a deep forward position.
Ward V S Selwood
Last week Callan showed the football world what we already knew; I think the Eagles will try to tag him out of the game which is why I think S Selwood will pick him up. Scott is a hard nut, who will put his body on the line in every contest, but he also plays the tagging role (think Liam Picken) very well.
Midfield and Followers
Boyd V Priddis
Even though I think Boyd will start on Priddis, I expect that we will rotate a number of players through him. Priddis (last week’s Glendinning Medalist) is not a player you let have a free run against to free up one of your own, he will hurt you every time. He can run all day and constantly gets leather poisoning. Inhibiting his influence will go a long way to ensuring a Bulldog victory.
Cox V Husdon
Cox is a four time All-Australian ruckmen and is consistently giving his players first use of the ball. He has a great motor and will rest in the forward line instead of the bench. The People’s Beard will have to run with him for the majority of the game. Hudson’s body positioning in ruck contests this year has been average, but where Ben fires is with his second and third efforts once the ball hits the ground. He will need his ‘A’ game this week.
Naitanui V ??
Naitanui played the Fremantle game like a 178cm follower, a 190cm utility, and a 200cm ruckman. He played the majority of the game on the ball either tag-teaming with Cox in the ruck or following the play. His motor is second to none, and to be totally honest, I’m not sure who we will match up against him to counteract his influence. I don’t think we have a player with his height, jump, and athletic ability. I included Minson in the squad more as a forward that plays a back up ruck role, but I wouldn’t be disappointed if we included Roughead or Mulligan just to run with ‘Nic-Nat’.
Our Defensive Line
Lake V Darling
As I have already stated, How Jack Darling got to pick 26 in last year’s National Draft I’ll never know. This bloke is a ready built CHF/CHB (think Wayne Carey / Glen Jakovich). I think Lake going to him will be enough to limit his input. If Lake does not play, I think Williams (if fit) will need to play him very tightly. I watched what happened this week when he was given latitude (in fact, I was very surprised he did not get the Rising Star nomination).
Markovic V Lynch
For some reason, the Subi crowd love Lynch … the cheer that goes around the ground when he takes his glove off signifying that he will have a shot at goal is amazing. Markovic has been in great form to start this year, this will be a great match up, one that I think we should take the chocolates.
Picken V LeCras
Whilst I think Picken will get a shot at Priddis, Kerr and Embley throughout the day, I could honestly seeing him playing the role of tagger on LeCras. LeCras has the ability to explode and kick two or three quick goals … Since the Essendon game (when he kicked a lazy 12) he has had to deal with heavy tags, but he still has the innate ability to find the footy on a regular basis. Picken’s close checking and body-on-body approach will be a integral part of this contest.
Verdict
West Coast Eagles have 5 of the last 7 games against us, and they play Patterson’s Stadium very well. For me this is a real danger game and could be season defining … That said, Bulldogs to win a hard fought affair by 13 points.