Re: Always Right Match Committee Thread - 2021 AFL Grand Final vs Melbourne
Probably doesn’t mean anything, but Angus Brayshaw trained away from the main group. Could be injured.
Re: Always Right Match Committee Thread - 2021 AFL Grand Final vs Melbourne
Oh no who’s going to stand on the wing doing nothing and make the game worse for his presence now?
Re: Always Right Match Committee Thread - 2021 AFL Grand Final vs Melbourne
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rhys
Probably doesn’t mean anything, but Angus Brayshaw trained away from the main group. Could be injured.
Copped a corky earlier in the week.
Re: Always Right Match Committee Thread - 2021 AFL Grand Final vs Melbourne
Quote:
Originally Posted by
comrade
Copped a corky earlier in the week.
Should be fine for the grand final then, you would imagine.
Re: Always Right Match Committee Thread - 2021 AFL Grand Final vs Melbourne
Bulldogs to devise plan to curb Gawn’s impact
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/afl/bul...17-p58sml.html
Jon PierikSeptember 17, 2021 — 4.03pm
The Western Bulldogs will devise a battle plan to hinder Max Gawn’s run from stoppages in a bid to quell a man who could become only the second ruckman to claim the Norm Smith Medal.
The Bulldogs have taken note of Gawn’s stunning effort against Geelong in the preliminary final when the Melbourne captain and All-Australian ruckman stormed around Perth’s Optus Stadium and booted five goals in one of the great finals’ performances of recent times.
While dominant in the ruck with 33 hit-outs against the Cats, Gawn’s ability to run was clear, and he will test veteran Stef Martin in the showpiece event next Saturday. However, hardnut Tom Liberatore said he and his fellow Bulldog midfielders needed to ensure they set up well at stoppages to stymie Gawn’s impact when exiting.
“I think his (Martin’s) contest initially at the stoppage will set the tone for him. We all know Maxy is a good runner. That’s probably for us to negate as well, and high defenders,” Liberatore said on Friday.
“But you have got to make sure you stand … on his (Gawn’s) side, just make sure you can negate his influence at the stoppage. That should be able to quell his run away, just checking his run sort of thing, because he is, obviously, a pretty strong runner.”
Gawn was in excellent touch in the two matches between the clubs this year. In round 11, when the Demons claimed a 28-point win, he polled nine AFL Coaches Association votes after his 27 hit-outs, 21 disposals and a goal, when largely opposed by Jordon Sweet. In round 19, he did not poll an AFLCA vote despite having 18 disposals and a whopping 56 hit-outs, largely against Tim English, in the Bulldogs’ 20-point win.
Now comes the battle-hardened Martin, who had three years with Gawn at Melbourne, and knows how he plays.
“His (Martin’s) experience and knowledge around ruck contests and how to negate Max, I am sure they had a fair few battles … when they played together,” Liberatore said.
“He adds another layer of competition to the opposing ruckman. He makes it a lot more predictable for us to know where the ball is going.”
Essendon champion Simon Madden is the only ruckman to be voted Norm Smith medallist, having dominated Hawthorn in the 1985 grand final. He has urged Martin to not forget his own offensive game.
The Bulldogs had the day off on Friday but will have a solid training session on Saturday, where defender Alex Keath (hamstring) and Laitham Vandermeer (hamstring tightness) will look to push for selection.
Liberatore praised vice-captain and fellow father-son product Mitch Wallis for the manner in which he continued to conduct himself, despite Wallis having little hope of a recall.
Wallis has managed only six senior matches this season, none since round 17, and will be one of the hard-luck stories of grand final week, particularly as he missed the 2016 premiership because of a broken leg. He is likely to consider his options once the season is done.
“Most of the rest of the boys that aren’t playing, their training standards and how much care they have put into training, making sure the entirety of the group is at their best, that’s probably a key to how we have been going,” Liberatore said.
“Yesterday (Thursday) at training, Mitch was pushing blokes to do extras, those blokes are playing … his leadership has been extremely selfless.”
Re: Always Right Match Committee Thread - 2021 AFL Grand Final vs Melbourne
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Happy Days
Oh no who’s going to stand on the wing doing nothing and make the game worse for his presence now?
Brayshaw was the main reason they beat us in the first game.
His discipline to hold his line and cut off the switch has killed us and many teams this year. Underrated role.
Re: Always Right Match Committee Thread - 2021 AFL Grand Final vs Melbourne
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mofra
Brayshaw was the main reason they beat us in the first game.
His discipline to hold his line and cut off the switch has killed us and many teams this year. Underrated role.
Maybe, but we paid it altogether too much respect. So what if Brayshaw is in the way of our switching? Take him on! He’s bad!
Re: Always Right Match Committee Thread - 2021 AFL Grand Final vs Melbourne
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jazzadogs
Amazing input dog town. I agree that the transition/turnover game will be vital - in our first matchup this year their pressure and defensive setup lead to some terrible turnovers which gifted them early goals, and then the game was over.
We can never be set up the way we want for a bad turnover, so if we make silly mistakes and cough it up they become almost guaranteed looks at goal for Melbourne.
The turnovers were the worst I have ever seen. Melbourne did not generate a win,the dogs generated a loss.
Melbourne actually had few winners that day, only Oliver got over 25 possessions. But astonishingly bad kicking by the dogs meant 55 extra possessions did nothing to make inroads on the damage.
Could the backline (and Libba) hand the opposition so many gifted goals again? I doubt it. Actually itÂ’s impossible So I canÂ’t see the Demons winning.
Re: Always Right Match Committee Thread - 2021 AFL Grand Final vs Melbourne
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mofra
And Roarke to Brayshaw to stop him killing our switches.
How does an opponent stop him killing our switches? If Melbourne want to man up our defenders then it will be easier to go forward. When Melbourne beat us we kept trying to switch to avoid Gawn instead of short passing
Quote:
Originally Posted by
The Bulldogs Bite
- Gawn: He's the one who could take it away from us.
Martin will give us a contest in the ruck. Gawn as a marking target around the ground is more of a concern. Just need our other talls to compete with him
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dog town
The only time I am worried about them playing 3 talls is when Max is forward, in this instance I expect a genuine talls to go to him and we take a risk on McDonald which we have done before
I wouldn't try and cheat by playing a small on McDonald. Very capable of contested marks and long straight kicks. Would rather play Cordy or Young
Re: Always Right Match Committee Thread - 2021 AFL Grand Final vs Melbourne
Quote:
Originally Posted by
boydogs
How does an opponent stop him killing our switches? If Melbourne want to man up our defenders then it will be easier to go forward. When Melbourne beat us we kept trying to switch to avoid Gawn instead of short passing
Martin will give us a contest in the ruck. Gawn as a marking target around the ground is more of a concern. Just need our other talls to compete with him
I wouldn't try and cheat by playing a small on McDonald. Very capable of contested marks and long straight kicks. Would rather play Cordy or Young
We have done it all year, they wont play all 3 deep and the only way they will end up deep is if it is a slow play which gives us some protection. We need to win the game somewhere and having an extra runner might be that extra runner that gives us some relief from their defensive hold or allow us to keep it in our end.
Dale beat Marshall in several one on ones up the ground only last week. If you think back to the last time we played Melbourne we had Dale on Jackson and other mismatches, it is just about managing the risk of those match ups. We also have Wood who can play tall if required and Schache as a swing option. Playing an extra tall in the 22 just takes away too much for me.
Re: Always Right Match Committee Thread - 2021 AFL Grand Final vs Melbourne
So how do we see the emergencies?
If VDM & Cordy are dropped. (Which isn’t certain). Maybe Scott & Wallis. The latter deserves his name somewhere on the team sheet, if only as an emergency.
Re: Always Right Match Committee Thread - 2021 AFL Grand Final vs Melbourne
Getting really tough to pick the side with a healthy list.
JJ has done some great work the past 2 weeks and particularly against Port, plus has a Normie so hard to see him outside the 22.
VDM has also added pace and tenacity to our front half. While his set shot kicking hasn’t been great, his pressure and contribution has been important.
Really tough call perhaps for one of them to get Cody back into the side.
In the back half, it seems a Cordy out Keath in is logical, but like others does that leave us exposed against 3 talls in their forward line, particularly if Gawn spends more time forward like he did last week?
Going to be a bloody tough selection committee next week.
Re: Always Right Match Committee Thread - 2021 AFL Grand Final vs Melbourne
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dog town
They have plenty to worry about as well and Goodwin won't be sleeping that well. We defend transition as well as any team at the moment, our ground ball game is as strong as its been all year right now and we have weapons forward of the ball that will scare them.
I'm struggling to see our clear path to victory or an area we can really get on top beyond just grinding them down for 4 quarters and converting our chances.
Re: Always Right Match Committee Thread - 2021 AFL Grand Final vs Melbourne
We simply are forced to leave out 2 players who absolutely did enough last week to merit a spot.
While it is harsh on those it is just an imperative to include Weightman and Keath.
I have rewatched the PF twice and both Vandermeer and Cordy were strong contributors, but I come to the conclusion that they miss and Vandermeer as medi-sub forces Scott out.
Re: Always Right Match Committee Thread - 2021 AFL Grand Final vs Melbourne
Keath and the Flea back in are no brainers so that means from the 23 last week the unlucky outs are Cordy (good last week but I have trust issues) and Scott (stiff but probably aware he was only in due to Weightman's concussion the previous week).
Still leaves 23 with my medi sub being VDM with only other option but less preferred being JJ who stays in the starting 22.