Don't forget the Dogs

A very good article...

Don't forget the Dogs
The Age
Rohan Connolly | May 5, 2008

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...eeds1/Dogs.jpg

SO COMPLETE was Hawthorn's performance against Collingwood on Saturday that mouths are already watering at the prospect of another grand final between the Hawks and Geelong, almost 20 years after their classic 1989 play-off.

It's a tantalising thought. But seven rounds into the season, it's also very premature. And yesterday's game at the SCG offered plenty of evidence as to why.

Being the perennial underdog can have its motivational advantages, but if Rodney Eade and his Western Bulldogs were more ego-driven, they would have every right to feel more than a little miffed by all this talk of Cats and Hawks.

Make no mistake, the Doggies are a fair-dinkum contender — the third still unbeaten team of the season, just half-a-game behind the other two and at least one-and-a-half games clear of the rest.

For three years now, we've heard how the Bulldogs had to address their shortcomings to be taken seriously. They have. And it's time we did.

The significance of yesterday's win over the Swans can't be overstated. Paul Roos' Sydney teams had not lost to the Doggies, five straight wins stretching back to 2002 — most comfortable, a couple comprehensive.

Sydney, the supposed master of the contest, was beaten in them yesterday. It was the fifth time in seven games this season the Bulldogs had won more contested ball than their opponent.

Last year, that happened only six times in 22 games. The season before, when the Dogs made the finals, it was only five times in 24 games. Eade's side averaged 21 fewer contested possessions than the opposition then. Now it averages 11 more. Scott West, who led the charts for the all-important stat by a huge margin the past two seasons, wasn't even there yesterday, but still the Dogs prevailed.

The new hardness is being driven by some different faces this season. There's ruckman Ben Hudson, who led his former club Adelaide's tally in 2007.

There's Mitch Hahn, a hugely underestimated part of the Bulldog machine, and inspirational yesterday with his tackling and aggression at the ball.

There's the perennials in Daniel Cross and Matthew Boyd.

And then there's Adam Cooney.

If the gifted midfielder isn't already a genuine superstar of the AFL, he's that close it's not funny. Over the previous fortnight, he'd kicked two of the best goals of the season, both swift, powerful bursts straight from the centre square. Yesterday, he booted five, had 25 disposals and pretty much tore the Swans apart.

Importantly, though, the solidly built South Australian is giving the Bulldogs two players in one, proving that it doesn't have to be either grunt or glitter. It's Cooney who leads that individual contested possession tally for the Dogs. There's more than a touch of Michael Voss about him.

The Bulldogs' forward line has a couple of key marking targets these days in Will Minson and Scott Welsh besides the old stager Brad Johnson. But, as Cooney showed yesterday, there's plenty of goals coming from the midfield as well.

The Bulldogs are efficient, as a remarkably accurate 18.4 against the Swans showed, and the spread of goalkickers plentiful. There are no fewer than 10 players averaging at least one goal a game to date.

No wonder Eade's side, for all the pyrotechnics of power forwards such as Hawthorn's "Buddy" Franklin and Jarryd Roughead, Carlton's Brendan Fevola and Richmond's Matthew Richardson, remains the highest-scoring team in the competition.

It scores quickly, too, as Richmond will testify, having given up a 19-point lead with barely three minutes to play a couple of weekends ago. It's pretty intoxicating stuff.

While noting the improvement in the Bulldogs' strength and defensive qualities after yesterday's win, Eade, as usual, was at pains to play down the Bulldogs' longer-term prospects.

"I think we're still below (Geelong and Hawthorn) and we haven't played every team, so you can't really see where you're at," he said.

Sorry, "Rocket". Some of us can, and your blokes are the real deal.

Gee he's written some terrific pieces on the Bulldogs lately. Nice to see.

Mike Sheahan had a similar article printed inside the Football Monday section down here today.

Good to see that a few people are finally starting to take notice of what is quietly building up down at the Kennel.

Mike Sheahen loves a bandwagon and burying sides when they are down, he has been silent towards us waiting to see what to do, obviously he must have mentioned its a crunch game during last week and now we won he has to give us credit.

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Originally Posted by ledge

Mike Sheahen loves a bandwagon and burying sides when they are down, he has been silent towards us waiting to see what to do, obviously he must have mentioned its a crunch game during last week and now we won he has to give us credit.

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At the same time though Ledge, it was arguably our biggest test thus far, and now that we've been successful with that, we probably have the credentials of legitimate contender, which perhaps before the Sydney game weren't quite as strong.

Yes i agree. A mate of mine has been saying all year who have we beaten, which to some point maybe true, Adelaide is the side i think is the best side we have.I tend to look at the 8 now and say well 3 sides in there we have.
And you can only beat the sides your picked to play.
We do have a freindly draw as we only play Hawks and Cats once, which as we all know the fixtures will favour sides.
I love where we are at and how good our side looks with our depth being so strong.
I couldnt ask for more.
Just Sheahen shits me, nearly as much as Damien Barretts rubbish every week.

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Originally Posted by ledge

Yes i agree. A mate of mine has been saying all year who have we beaten, which to some point maybe true, Adelaide is the side i think is the best side we have.I tend to look at the 8 now and say well 3 sides in there we have.
And you can only beat the sides your picked to play.
We do have a freindly draw as we only play Hawks and Cats once, which as we all know the fixtures will favour sides.
I love where we are at and how good our side looks with our depth being so strong.
I couldnt ask for more.
Just Sheahen shits me, nearly as much as Damien Barretts rubbish every week.

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We haven't played the two sides above us but we've beaten the three sides immediately below us.

With the style of play and the confidence we are gaining, I think we would have a good crack at the Hawks and put Geelong away quite comfortably at this point of the season.

Wait until we get a few more guys back and fit from Willi, Cant wait for September to roll on around.

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Originally Posted by Bumper Bulldogs

With the style of play and the confidence we are gaining, I think we would have a good crack at the Hawks and put Geelong away quite comfortably at this point of the season.

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Things are looking good at the moment and we are relatively injury free, if we continue to go along our merry way as we have been anything is possible. I never thought at the beginning of the year that we would be 6.5 wins out of 7 at this point in time.

One week at a time and our next hurdle is Freo over at Subi in a fortnights time. :)

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Originally Posted by Sockeye Salmon

We haven't played the two sides above us but we've beaten the three sides immediately below us.

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If there were one other serious contender they could say who have we beaten, but there isn't that many teams to beat so we've been overlooked.

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Originally Posted by hujsh

If there were one other serious contender they could say who have we beaten, but there isn't that many teams to beat so we've been overlooked.

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Adelaide??

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Originally Posted by ledge

Adelaide??

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Apparently they don't count (because they're underrated i guess.)