Gut feel...

If Cody & Bonts play I’m confident we can give it a shake. That aside what’s your gut feel if we come up short?

If we lose a prelim, it’s another in a long line. Ultimate disappointment. Gutted. These opportunities are rare and we didn’t take it.

Or.

COVID has burned down everyone. Our ruck isn’t getting back. Bruce recently done his knee. A timing keeping error cost us top 4. Then AFEL said pick a ground. We said, Adelaide Oval. AFEL said go to Tassie. AFEL indicated semi finals at Adelaide. Then it’s Brisbane. Bevo said they requested an earlier game. AFEL said no. Then we fly to Perth to isolation, to fly into Adelaide to play Port Adelaide. Maybe with a sore Bont. Maybe with Cody. If we put up a good effort, finishing top 4 is a good advancement for the group. It’s disappointing but it’s not 1997. Look at everything we’ve had to deal with.

Or

Glass half empty, and half full.


As I opened with, the heart and mind is in the winning. The answer just shows where we think a negative result fits. Personally, I’m torn somewhere around half full and half empty.

Honestly? We can't lose.

By that I mean we either win and head into a Grand final or we lose and we walk away proud with a lot to build towards in 2022.

We have no right to win next week. Melbourne to Launceston, locked down, Launceston to Brisbane, locked down, Brisbane to Perth, locked down, Perth to Adelaide, locked down. No Bruce, no first ruck, probably no Weightman and maybe no Bont.

I'm enjoying tonight because it was incredible. And of course by the time Saturday night rolls around I'll be on edge, hoping we can get it done, but EVERYTHING is against us....

... And that's why we are a chance.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bulldogtragic

If Cody & Bonts play I’m confident we can give it a shake. That aside what’s your gut feel if we come up short?

If we lose a prelim, it’s another in a long line. Ultimate disappointment. Gutted. These opportunities are rare and we didn’t take it.

Or.

COVID has burned down everyone. Our ruck isn’t getting back. Bruce recently done his knee. A timing keeping error cost us top 4. Then AFEL said pick a ground. We said, Adelaide Oval. AFEL said go to Tassie. AFEL indicated semi finals at Adelaide. Then it’s Brisbane. Bevo said they requested an earlier game. AFEL said no. Then we fly to Perth to isolation, to fly into Adelaide to play Port Adelaide. Maybe with a sore Bont. Maybe with Cody. If we put up a good effort, finishing top 4 is a good advancement for the group. It’s disappointing but it’s not 1997. Look at everything we’ve had to deal with.

Or

Glass half empty, and half full.


As I opened with, the heart and mind is in the winning. The answer just shows where we think a negative result fits. Personally, I’m torn somewhere around half full and half empty.

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I think we're up against it. And we're going to have to show Port something unexpected if we're to prevail.
If we lose, I'm not chalking this up to our historical issues in prelims though, especially if we are minus Cody and Bont.

I definitely don't want to settle though. I want us to wring everything we can get out of this COVID infested, war of attrition period we're in.

But if it ends next week, I am very proud of this group. I thought we were done following 3 losses to end the H & A... They've found a way to not waste their otherwise stellar year... when it looked likely.
IF we happen to win next week, even if Bont and Cody play it surpasses 2016 GWS Pre Lim..

No one will back us, and I reckon our boy's love it like that.

Port have won their last 7 straight, but only beat us by two points. They have now had a week off, which could break their momentum, whereas we are building momentum.

I think we will be confident to win

If Bont plays… we’re in it.

If not… hmmm… I’ll still think we can win it…

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bornadog

Port have won their last 7 straight, but only beat us by two points. They have now had a week off, which could break their momentum, whereas we are building momentum.

I think we will be confident to win

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It was a Smash and bash game tonight... We're hurt.. It will be unbelievable if we were able to beat Port next week. It's their game to lose, for mine... Especially if we're without Bont and Cody.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Bulldogs Bite

Honestly? We can't lose.

By that I mean we either win and head into a Grand final or we lose and we walk away proud with a lot to build towards in 2022.

We have no right to win next week. Melbourne to Launceston, locked down, Launceston to Brisbane, locked down, Brisbane to Perth, locked down, Perth to Adelaide, locked down. No Bruce, no first ruck, probably no Weightman and maybe no Bont.

I'm enjoying tonight because it was incredible. And of course by the time Saturday night rolls around I'll be on edge, hoping we can get it done, but EVERYTHING is against us....

... And that's why we are a chance.

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Yep. That’s pretty much it for me. If what we all want to happen doesn’t, we’ve gone from two EF losses to a PF against what feels like everything. That’s advancement. If it went the negative, then poor luck and COVID are legitimate things outside our control that caught up with us.

Looking ahead, Marra & Darcy. Trades &/or Free Agents to improve the list. Schache to train a preseason with the defenders. There is genuine belief that with hard work next year there’s scope to improve again.

But as I stands, only four teams can win the premiership. One of them is us.

IF Cody and Bont is out...do we go all freaky.. and throw Marra in..??

He's every bit an X factor of the future..
Port will we rubbing their hands together after tonight...
I really loved how insane Naughts was tonight.. I mean he was an intentional car crash in the last quarter, at every contest....He wasn't trying to mark the ball. he was trying to create mayhem.

They're gonna put time into Naughty next week.... well what do they know of Marra???
For me.. get him on the stage... if he doesn't succeed... well we were already up against it... but what a fantastic experience for him...
But what if his natural talent turns on a great one....??? WOW!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

IF Cody and Bont is out...do we go all freaky.. and throw Marra in..??

He's every bit an X factor of the future..
Port will we rubbing their hands together after tonight...
I really loved how insane Naughts was tonight.. I mean he was an intentional car crash in the last quarter, at every contest....He wasn't trying to mark the ball. he was trying to create mayhem.

They're gonna put time into Naughty next week.... well what do they know of Marra???
For me.. get him on the stage... if he doesn't succeed... well we were already up against it... but what a fantastic experience for him...
But what if his natural talent turns on a great one....??? WOW!

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I just posted Marra in the MC thread. But in the role of Cody, not a KPF. We need natural forwards. Marra is quicker and leaps higher than Cody. Has the X factor.

I’d prefer Cody plays.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Bulldogs Bite

Honestly? We can't lose.

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I know what you are saying TBB, however, I sit in a different camp.
We’ve all seen us lose far too many Prelims, some have been hard roads and others easy.
Agree it will be the longest trekked road to a GF, but none are easy.
To me if Bonts and Cody play and we lose next week, it will be just racked up as another lost opportunity.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bulldogtragic

I just posted Marra in the MC thread. But in the role of Cody, not a KPF. We need natural forwards. Marra is quicker and leaps higher than Cody. Has the X factor.

I’d prefer Cody plays.

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I'd prefer Cody plays 10 out of 10 times.

But if Bont & Cody is out... then well..jeez we're up against it...so I think Bevo and MC have to go off script...
1. We're well place for tilts over next few years..
2. We've won 2 finals in 2021.. no scars losing in the prelim
3. We've got a kid who no one has a great read on... if he's fit...he could show why he was Number 1 pick..
4. Marra get's BIG game exposure.. that can't hurt going forward.
5. In a scenario where we're missing our best player and our point of different forward...maybe we try and look at a setup Port has very little insight into... What if Marra nails 5 prelim goals?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

I'd prefer Cody plays 10 out of 10 times.

But if Bont & Cody is out... then well..jeez we're up against it...so I think Bevo and MC have to go off script...
1. We're well place for tilts over next few years..
2. We've won 2 finals in 2021.. no scars losing in the prelim
3. We've got a kid who no one has a great read on... if he's fit...he could show why he was Number 1 pick..
4. Marra get's BIG game exposure.. that can't hurt going forward.
5. In a scenario where we're missing our best player and our point of different forward...maybe we try and look at a setup Port has very little insight into... What if Marra nails 5 prelim goals?

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As I say, I posted it earlier tonight as my replacement if Cody is out. Youth and prelims worked outstandingly in 2016. Give me a natural forward over someone who is just lining up in the forward line. We don’t have many. He’s clearly one. If the choice was Wallis, Scott, VDM staying in while JJ comes in. Give me Marra every time. The energy and enthusiasm if harnessed well, could be a great thing around a group in lockdown.

If we give ourselves an out we will definitely lose. No reason we can’t win with any side that we put out there.

Great moments come from great opportunities….


I am not content, however the ledger is balanced, it’s now just about the contest. Not Bevo, not selection, not expectations. Just the contest. Are we good enough on the day? I know we are good enough. Have known since 2018. Just have to tick off the “ on our day” part now.

I'm not saying the players don't love Cody but especially Bont, if he is out, it may be the motivation we need to play for him.
But he may be out, he may not be, let's wait and see what the damage is.

Even if he's out, he's has carried us on his shoulders and the young body can only carry so much.
Play for him boys.