WB Game Day V West Coast Eagles R2 2021

Every time we play these guys it’s these 3 that concern me, for obvious reasons....

Nic Nat
Kennedy
Darling

+ Allen

If these are on song, it’s gonna be a struggle defensively, as I am nowhere near convinced of Gardner, Keath and Williams playing as our defensive talls.

We should break even against their mids, to hopefully get first use of the ball, but what I don’t want to see (but expect to see) is us bombing into our 50 allowing Barrass and McGovern countless uncontested marks. I’d almost be inclined to drubb the balls along the ground and get pace skittled in our 50, taking their marking out of the equation. I’ll be shocked if Naughton/Bruce outmark them.

Should be a good game. Hopefully we can play 4 quarters of tough, competitive football, but I’m thinking their tall fwds might be enough to get them over the line.

WC by 11 points
1st goal - vanders
Bog- libba

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Originally Posted by Axe Man

I didn't watch the game but didn't West Coast battle to overcome a Gold Coast team that lost Rowell early on their home deck where they rarely lose? A couple of late goals seems to have flattered them a little.

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Maybe a bit of an arm wrestle for 3 quarters, but WCE look like winning a long way out. If anything scoreboard flattered GCS for 3 quarters. There only looked like being one winner.

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Originally Posted by FrediKanoute

Maybe a bit of an arm wrestle for 3 quarters, but WCE look like winning a long way out. If anything scoreboard flattered GCS for 3 quarters. There only looked like being one winner.

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A bit like Friday night's scoreboard flattered Collingwood. Reality was they were never really in it.

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Originally Posted by jeemak

A bit like Friday night's scoreboard flattered Collingwood. Reality was they were never really in it.

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Agree with this. They restricted our forward 50 entries by pushing a ton of guys back, meaning our entries were either very shallow or turnovers. Would’ve been an admirable strategy if they had’ve kicked the first three goals instead of us, but I guess winning isn’t for everyone.

Dogs by 31 points. Can’t see us letting this one drop. Eagles don’t travel well and of course it’s Libbas milestone game.

Bulldogs by 51 points
Daniel BOG
Bruce first major

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Originally Posted by Bumper Bulldogs

Eagles don’t travel well...

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Really?

"The Eagles have won 31 of 41 games in Western Australia since Adam Simpson became coach, while winning 17 of 34 games outside of their home state."

That quote is a couple of years old now but West Coast have - over their history - been pretty darn good at winning games full-stop...

Yeo and Shuey out are huge. If those guys play, I'd be tipping the Eagles as they have three legitimate tall threats and unlike Williams vs Cox (or Gilbee vs the resting ruck back in the day) you can't just block the odd launch at a F50 entry then run off them.

Hopefully we watched a lot of Moore vision in the game review and worked out how to direct our F50 entries away from opposition elite interceptors. In our most famous WCE victory in the 2016 elimination final we sacrificed Cordy to play a negating role on McGovern - would Naughton, Bruce or English do that? The guy is just that good.

If we're smart enough to find that extra runner to overlap and delivery the ball cleanly, we win. If we kick under pressure, we lose.

Dogs by 33
First goal: Laith
BOG: Bont

Not sure this would worry us too much. If they decide to sit on one of our midfielders we've got plenty of others to pick up the slack.

Eagles eye a Dog tag: Why Simmo wants to collar Bont and co.

WEST Coast will consider starting Sunday's clash against the Western Bulldogs with a tagger as coach Adam Simpson plots his strategy against "arguably the best midfield in the competition".

The Eagles' nominal run-with player, Mark Hutchings, is still battling a knee injury, with Jack Redden and former defender Liam Duggan now the most likely midfielders to play accountable roles.

Simpson said the Bulldogs presented a massive challenge to his team and the acquisition of former Collingwood and Greater Western Sydney midfielder Adam Treloar had made their onball division even stronger.

Without captain Luke Shuey and star midfielder Elliot Yeo, Simpson said the Eagles' midfielders were looking forward to stepping up again in their first trip to Melbourne since the 2019 semi-final against Geelong.

"I think they're a top-four side and have arguably the best midfield in the competition," Simpson said of the Bulldogs.

"Unfortunate we're missing a couple of our top-class mids, but we think we've got the depth to challenge.

"It's not just their midfield. They've got three or four mids in different positions as well that they can run through there.

"That's always going to be a mammoth task against the Doggies. It's going to be a real challenge. I think there's plenty of belief there and they play a really good system."

The Bulldogs had the nine highest disposal winners on the ground in last Friday's 16-point win against the Magpies with four midfielders winning 30 disposals or more – Bailey Smith (36), Jack Macrae (35), Lachie Hunter (31) and Josh Dunkley (30).

Marcus Bontempelli also poses a significant threat after winning more than 20 possessions in each of his nine previous games against the Eagles since 2015 and hitting the scoreboard in five of those.

Asked if the Eagles would look to tag one of the Bulldogs' midfielders, Simpson said the team would go in with multiple plans.

"We always [look at] what if someone gets right off the chain … there's definitely some options," he said.

"We might start with it. We're still working on some of those things at training today.

"He (Bontempelli) has got everything and he's starting to hit the scoreboard as well.

"We've got to put a lot of work into him. But if you do that it just frees up some of the others as well.

"It's part of their strength, the collective."

Simpson said the Eagles would not use Jamaine Jones as the medical substitute again after he was not required to play against Gold Coast in round one, with the midfielder/forward in consideration for the starting 22.

"He registers a game and he got paid, but he didn’t play. We won't do that again with him this week," Simpson said.

"We'll need to rotate if they don't get to play.

"I don't think we've got any injuries from the weekend and our WAFL boys all got through unscathed, so we've got no more injuries than we've got."

This is Simmo doing unsubtle psy-ops but jeez I wish people would stop blowing smoke up our arses until we've y'know, earned it.

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Originally Posted by mjp

Really?

"The Eagles have won 31 of 41 games in Western Australia since Adam Simpson became coach, while winning 17 of 34 games outside of their home state."

That quote is a couple of years old now but West Coast have - over their history - been pretty darn good at winning games full-stop...

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Yes they have been a powerhouse over the years but winning 75% at home and 50% on the road, says this is our opportunity, I really think we are the boggy team for them and it will show again this Sunday.

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Originally Posted by Mofra

Yeo and Shuey out are huge.

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I don't think Yeo is going to play - FULL STOP - in 2021.

OP is a bugger of a thing. They have pushed Duggan into the mids - you don't do with a key behind the ball distributor unless there are real concerns it is going to be a 'permanent' thing...a young mid covers for a couple of weeks - for a few months though, that doesn't cut it if you have premiership aspirations (and the age profile of Kennedy, Hurn, Shepherd, Gaff, Darling, Shuey and Nic Nat says they had better get one now if they want to get one)...

I had to retire due to OP......oldest and fattest person to have gotten it, but I got it nonetheless! At 31 and working full time I wasn't planning on changing my running gait and doing the requisite remedial work.

West out (Managed) but is on the emergency bench.

[14] Rhylee West, [39] Jason Johannisen, [2] Lewis Young, [46] Lin Jong

A lot of options on the bench.