'It's going to be a big one': Dogs plan to get physical against arch-rival

'It's going to be a big one': Dogs plan to get physical against arch-rival

https://i.postimg.cc/k5DzW3pt/dunk.png

Western Bulldogs star Josh Dunkley wants his 0-2 side to make a statement on Friday night

WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge wasted no time turning his players' attention to Friday night's much-anticipated rematch with the Giants after slumping to 0-2 on Sunday.

Greater Western Sydney has beaten Beveridge's side four times in five chances since their memorable 2016 preliminary final that preceded the Bulldogs' fairytale premiership triumph.

The rivalry reached a new crescendo in September last year, when a physical Giants outfit bullied the Bulldogs out of the finals race after the latter had won seven of their last nine games.

Bulldogs star Josh Dunkley noted the way both Collingwood and St Kilda approached playing his team since, with their suffocating pressure curbing the Dogs' high-octane ball movement.

However, Dunkley said they needed "to embrace that physical nature and push forward".

With their season already slipping away – sitting on the bottom with a paltry percentage south of 50 – the much-hyped Bulldogs are gearing up for a significant response under the Friday night lights.

"We've obviously had some history with the Giants, and 'Bevo' did mention that after the game," Dunkley told SEN radio on Tuesday.

"We've got to sharpen the tools and it's going to be a big one – and we will come out with an intent and (be) physically fierce against the opposition.

"Hopefully, that transforms into our footy and we play with some freedom and get a win."

Dunkley was confident the horror start to the season had not dented his teammates' belief but he admitted to feeling "sorry" for new captain Marcus Bontempelli.

"I think he's going OK. It's been a tough few months for him, going through all the COVID-19 (pandemic), the break and things like that," Dunkley said.

"He's done a really good job in keeping the group really tight-knit. I feel sorry for him at times … to see what 'Bont' has been through is quite tough.

"But he's the ultimate professional and the best leader we've got at our footy club, so we're right behind him and we hope going forward he's going to be good for us."

Dunkley also revealed the personal toll of the strict lockdown conditions the players were living under – even after they eased for the rest of the public – as the Bulldogs struggled on-field.

As of Monday, footballers can now visit immediate family and engage in recreational activities, such as golf, tennis, surfing and fishing.

"We've pretty much been in lockdown since returning to training, so players have not been allowed out of your house other than for essential reasons," he said.

"It's tough when we're 0-2 and I haven't been able to see my direct family for quite a while.

"(There are) mental battles you go through and the footy life isn't easy – if it was easy, a lot of people would be doing it.

"So it's important to be able to get out now and clear the head a little bit, get away from footy when you can and really focus back in when you get that opportunity, too."

This is going to age well I'm sure.

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Originally Posted by Rocket Science

This is going to age well I'm sure.

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No more comments required.

End Thread.

Gawd we didn't need this headline

It's exactly what was needed to be said and describes the attitude we need to bring to the contest

Looking forward to game.

The headline is a bit misleading of what Dunkley actually says. But I still cringed a bit.

Even if we drink some proverbial concrete and turn up with our chests puffed out they're just as likely to torch us with actual footy anyway ... If I'm the Giants I'm quietly content my opponents are distracting themselves with the prospect of a street fight.

Beating them would be a far sweeter peach than simply standing up to them.

If nothing else we're going to find out how much self-respect the group has.

What's this bit about?




'Dunkley was confident the horror start to the season had not dented his teammates' belief but he admitted to feeling "sorry" for new captain Marcus Bontempelli.

"I think he's going OK. It's been a tough few months for him, going through all the COVID-19 (pandemic), the break and things like that," Dunkley said.

"He's done a really good job in keeping the group really tight-knit. I feel sorry for him at times … to see what 'Bont' has been through is quite tough.

"But he's the ultimate professional and the best leader we've got at our footy club, so we're right behind him and we hope going forward he's going to be good for us."'

If there is any game I want to win, its this one.

Show some fight Dogs!! literally

"But he's the ultimate professional and the best leader we've got at our footy club"

I hope Josh is a glass half full kind of guy

Unfortuantely this was the narrative all offseason and it resulted in two putrid performances. Why should we expect anything different this time around?

Here's hoping for a complete 180 in performance but this time i'll wait to see it before believing it.

You can listen to Dunkley here and see what he really said.

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Originally Posted by Rocket Science

This is going to age well I'm sure.

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Well, we'll make a statement of some sort, that's for sure.

We have gone down media street once again with the same 'redemption' message since last year's finals capitulation. Fine. The players are 0-2 in terms of acceptable on-field response since then. If it becomes 0-3 then some player's careers have to be on the line.

Walk the walk.

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Originally Posted by Sedat

We have gone down media street once again with the same 'redemption' message since last year's finals capitulation. Fine. The players are 0-2 in terms of acceptable on-field response since then. If it becomes 0-3 then some player's careers will be rightly on the line.

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Have you listened to the actual interview? The written article especially the heading, is totally misleading

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Originally Posted by bornadog

Have you listened to the actual interview? The written article especially the heading, is totally misleading

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I read this

Bulldogs star Josh Dunkley noted the way both Collingwood and St Kilda approached playing his team since, with their suffocating pressure curbing the Dogs' high-octane ball movement.

However, Dunkley said they needed "to embrace that physical nature and push forward".

and this

"We've obviously had some history with the Giants, and 'Bevo' did mention that after the game," Dunkley told SEN radio on Tuesday.

"We've got to sharpen the tools and it's going to be a big one – and we will come out with an intent and (be) physically fierce against the opposition.

"Hopefully, that transforms into our footy and we play with some freedom and get a win."

Am I missing something else?

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Originally Posted by bornadog

Have you listened to the actual interview? The written article especially the heading, is totally misleading

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No, I don't listen to SEN. However the following written quote from Dunks is the same redepmtion/cracking in message since the EF:

________________________________

"We've obviously had some history with the Giants, and 'Bevo' did mention that after the game," Dunkley told SEN radio on Tuesday.

"We've got to sharpen the tools and it's going to be a big one – and we will come out with an intent and (be) physically fierce against the opposition"

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sedat

No, I don't listen to SEN. However the following written quote from Dunks is the same redepmtion/cracking in message since the EF:

________________________________

"We've obviously had some history with the Giants, and 'Bevo' did mention that after the game," Dunkley told SEN radio on Tuesday.

"We've got to sharpen the tools and it's going to be a big one – and we will come out with an intent and (be) physically fierce against the opposition"

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I don't listen to SEN, but I have left a link to the interview taken from the club site.

I am not interested in what they say (or how the media report), but I am very interested in what they actually do.

It is about time they played like that was the important part of it all.

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Originally Posted by bornadog

I don't listen to SEN, but I have left a link to the interview taken from the club site.

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The Article posted on here is from AFL.com, the interview you posted is from an SEN interview
Do we know for sure that the article on AFL.com is based on the SEN interview?

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Originally Posted by GVGjr

The Article posted on here is from AFL.com, the interview you posted is from an SEN interview
Do we know for sure that the article on AFL.com is based on the SEN interview?

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I am 100% sure

I couldn't care less about what we say publicly. We'll know within 10 minutes on Friday if the players give actually give a crap about doing anything of note in 2020.

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Originally Posted by comrade

I couldn't care less about what we say publicly. We'll know within 10 minutes on Friday if the players give actually give a crap about doing anything of note in 2020.

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Ten minutes into the game Friday we looked OK, the next five minutes we'd have looked great if we had have kicked straight.

What I want to see is some willingness to neutralise the game if we're up against it, rather than shit the bed and exacerbate any problem we're facing at the time triggering a blow out.

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Originally Posted by jeemak

Ten minutes into the game Friday we looked OK, the next five minutes we'd have looked great if we had have kicked straight.

What I want to see is some willingness to neutralise the game if we're up against it, rather than shit the bed and exacerbate any problem we're facing at the time triggering a blow out.

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I want four quarters of consistency and effort

For real 3 games ago we got beat up pretty badly, but 5 games ago we beat them just as bad if not even worse. This is definitely not Mout Olympus we're talking about here.

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Originally Posted by Happy Days

For real 3 games ago we got beat up pretty badly, but 5 games ago we beat them just as bad if not even worse. This is definitely not Mout Olympus we're talking about here.

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And they're not exactly flying themselves. We should be a huge chance at Marvel but I don't see us getting near them.

If I'm reading all this right I'll expect at least $50,000 in fines and may be 4 suspensions.
If that doesn't happen it's all talk.:D

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Originally Posted by comrade

And they're not exactly flying themselves. We should be a huge chance at Marvel but I don't see us getting near them.

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I expect them to win by around 30 - 40 points and I think the stage will be set pretty early on. I hope I'm proved so wrong on this. I hate the Giants so much.

I expect a hard effort for a quarter and a half to a half. We’ll rue missed chances as usual and feel we should be a few goals up but will go into half time down a couple goals. They’ll then blow us away to win by around 7 goals.

I think part of our problem is we lack motivation if the crowd and atmosphere isn’t there. Last year we lost the dull games against the poorer sides. Now with no crowds the boys can’t get themselves motivated. Why that is I have no idea

I think the media will play it up as a redemption tale no matter what we say. I think we can beat them but really be great if we could just show intensity for the entire game, and take it on. Maybe the bad start is Bevo's cunning master plan so we come home with our sails wetted.

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Originally Posted by comrade

I couldn't care less about what we say publicly. We'll know within 10 minutes on Friday if the players give actually give a crap about doing anything of note in 2020.

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no, we’ll know at match selection if this team is serious or not.

No idea what to expect. Enough talk. Want action.

And decent Match day selections. And tag some of their better players. And Trenners and McLean and Cavarra and/or Weightman in. And ability for coaches and team to respond if things start going pear shaped before we are blown out of the water.

Not asking too much am I?

Go Dogs.

Hopeful prediction: We win by 1 point and Greene is reported for rough play (fortunately our players not hurt too much by his thug tactics) and/or he is stretchered off ground with a firm but fair bump.

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Originally Posted by josie

Hopeful prediction: We win by 1 point and Greene is reported for rough play (fortunately our players not hurt too much by his thug tactics) and/or he is stretchered off ground with a firm but fair bump.

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This would make my day.

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Originally Posted by Vred

no, we’ll know at match selection if this team is serious or not.

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I agree with this. If we go in with a similar team and reward players who did not play to our system, then I would be worried about the effect that will have on our players.

I know some players who have left the club in recent years who became frustrated with the selections, not directly affecting their position, of players that they did not think were putting in the effort or results of others. They have a right to get frustrated when we are supposedly a top 8 side, and picking players for development rather than ready-made options that will help us win on the day.

Too much talk and not enough action.......hate to say it but if it is a big one it is likely to be big because of the score that GWS put on the scoreboard.

Appreciate the headline mis-quotes Dunk's, but I'd have preferred he comes out and says, stuff like we have to get better; first 2 rounds were not good enough; GWS will be tough, but if we bring our A game.

What annoys me about trash talk like this is that if they had brought half an A game to the Elimination final last year they could have beaten the plastics.

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Originally Posted by bornadog

I want four quarters of consistency and effort

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We aren't going to get that, as not many teams can deliver consistency and effort across the full four quarters.

It's super important that the space between the beats is small, and our down periods are met with swift adjustment and refocus.

Deeds > Words

Maybe what we are seeing on the park are the results of how self disciplined the players were as individuals, and how hard they were prepared to train in isolation.

Actions over words. We've been saying stuff like this since the Final last year and we've been an absolute joke in rounds 1 and 2.