Geelong ( and the most crucial game of our season)

[1eyedog]

We can pack the place out and still not make money.

But your talking about the situation now. If we were packing stadiums out in the first place there would be no need for the current stadium deal.

[azabob]

So, in light of all these hypotheticals and I'm aware I'm getting excited, but if we beat Geelong where are we at and can we start to hope to play finals football this year?

If we take our six day break out of it, would you prefer to play Geelong on the rebound or give them a chance to get back their form and then play them?

It is all about belief, hopefully the midfield have another great display on Saturday night and their confidence grows again.

[Bulldog Joe]

I would give us a great chance to beat Geelong if it was this week.

The fixture is absurd and really the Darwin game should have been scheduled the week before the bye, particularly with 6 teams getting a bye.

[1eyedog]

If we take our six day break out of it, would you prefer to play Geelong on the rebound or give them a chance to get back their form and then play them?

It is all about belief, hopefully the midfield have another great display on Saturday night and their confidence grows again.

It seems a no brainer that it is the former. I'd rather them on the rebound rather than in form, four points is four points.

[whythelongface]

Will be interesting how the coach manages his players.

Will he rest some of the stars at the risk of losing to GC? in what would be the worst loss of the year if we did.

I would suggest Boyd, Griffen and one or two others should come down with General Soreness for the GC game.

Maybe Dahlhaus could use a rest.

I would think Pearce may get a game, also Smith and Roberts.
Jones will probably come back as will Cooney.

Can't afford to rest Griff way too valuable and besides this is a game where he could pick max brownlow points. The way he is going he would have to be up near the leaders at present.

In regards to the OP we have a very realistic chance of beating geelong especially given our coach has a very good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their players. If we continue to win the clearances and improve our delivery into the forward line, as well as our forward line taking marks or bringing the ball to ground then yes we are a huge show.

[LostDoggy]

If this is a learning season why should we be mucking about with our form and toying with resting players? Surely if players are learning to play this new style together, we should play them together? Every game is an opportunity to keep drilling the understanding between the guys, why would we muck about with that chemistry just as it is starting to gel? We are a week-to-week proposition, we were not bad on the weekend but may well be horrendous next week.. can't take anything for granted.

This is a learning season.

[bornadog]

In all seriousness though we could continue to go in circles about this, why is our deal so bad? Because our supporters don't turn up to games.

or buy memberships

[LostDoggy]

No offence 1eyedog, but this thread needs any Matthew Lloyd interview posted up here. Pick anyone from his past 15yrs........"we're not looking past next week"......."we're not thinking about finals at this point"....."the Gold Coast game is a very important game for us"....."we need to concentrate on getting the 4 points next week".........zzzzzzz. God he was boring.
But it fits here, we aren't sitting in second place on the ladder. Let's get past the GC and then talk about Geelong. Hopefully this momentum keeps rolling and we can have this discussion next week.
Just my opinion though, don't let me stop you from buying finals tickets. I hope you are right.

[Eastdog]

No offence 1eyedog, but this thread needs any Matthew Lloyd interview posted up here. Pick anyone from his past 15yrs........"we're not looking past next week"......."we're not thinking about finals at this point"....."the Gold Coast game is a very important game for us"....."we need to concentrate on getting the 4 points next week".........zzzzzzz. God he was boring.
But it fits here, we aren't sitting in second place on the ladder. Let's get past the GC and then talk about Geelong. Hopefully this momentum keeps rolling and we can have this discussion next week.
Just my opinion though, don't let me stop you from buying finals tickets. I hope you are right.

That's the best approach. Just take each game as it comes and don't look too far ahead. Even if we were doing well the focus should be the game in that week and not 2 weeks. GC cannot be taken lightly and we need to be completely switched on from the get go.

[jeemak]

I would give us a great chance to beat Geelong if it was this week.

The fixture is absurd and really the Darwin game should have been scheduled the week before the bye, particularly with 6 teams getting a bye.

Geelong will be up for this coming game, no doubt, and their performance this week might be enough to roll them in to form for the following week against us.

The fixture is absurd, and I agree a game to the top end should be scheduled favourably for the two teams lucky enough to be taking the game there. For all of the AFL's jargon about expanding into new territories (and their constant rhetoric regarding indiginous inclusion within the broader game), they don't present much of an incentive for the teams that are willing to have a crack at it. For mine, it smacks of us being sent to do a task in order for us to earn our keep, just so other teams don't have to. A bit like what North and ourselves suffered this last weekend with mothers day.

I think we're going to be facing a team smarting over losing to the new kid on the block in Darwin, and we need to be extremely dilligent in executing the game plan that has started to become evident over recent weeks.

We'll be facing an extremely quick team, that has shown glimpses of competitiveness and skill over the first third of the season, so baring that in mind we need to take our best available team and challenge them to back up their solid winning performance for a consecutive week.

We might end up tired and drained for the following week, and if we have to rest the odd senior player who might be tired, or a younger one or two that is a bit sore for the game against Geelong the following week then so be it.

The competition is so even now that one win here, might be counter balanced by a loss we might not expect down the track very easily. Let's develop our players while we can, take care of them physically and mentallly, while attempting to win every week with the cattle we have.

It's cliched, sure, though the Geelong game shouldn't be on our radar right now.

[1eyedog]

No offence 1eyedog, but this thread needs any Matthew Lloyd interview posted up here. Pick anyone from his past 15yrs........"we're not looking past next week"......."we're not thinking about finals at this point"....."the Gold Coast game is a very important game for us"....."we need to concentrate on getting the 4 points next week".........zzzzzzz. God he was boring.
But it fits here, we aren't sitting in second place on the ladder. Let's get past the GC and then talk about Geelong. Hopefully this momentum keeps rolling and we can have this discussion next week. Just my opinion though, don't let me stop you from buying finals tickets. I hope you are right.

Stop depressing me with common sense and rationale!

[1eyedog]

Geelong will be up for this coming game, no doubt, and their performance this week might be enough to roll them in to form for the following week against us.

The fixture is absurd, and I agree a game to the top end should be scheduled favourably for the two teams lucky enough to be taking the game there. For all of the AFL's jargon about expanding into new territories (and their constant rhetoric regarding indiginous inclusion within the broader game), they don't present much of an incentive for the teams that are willing to have a crack at it. For mine, it smacks of us being sent to do a task in order for us to earn our keep, just so other teams don't have to. A bit like what North and ourselves suffered this last weekend with mothers day.

I think we're going to be facing a team smarting over losing to the new kid on the block in Darwin, and we need to be extremely dilligent in executing the game plan that has started to become evident over recent weeks.

We'll be facing an extremely quick team, that has shown glimpses of competitiveness and skill over the first third of the season, so baring that in mind we need to take our best available team and challenge them to back up their solid winning performance for a consecutive week.

We might end up tired and drained for the following week, and if we have to rest the odd senior player who might be tired, or a younger one or two that is a bit sore for the game against Geelong the following week then so be it.

The competition is so even now that one win here, might be counter balanced by a loss we might not expect down the track very easily. Let's develop our players while we can, take care of them physically and mentallly, while attempting to win every week with the cattle we have.

It's cliched, sure, though the Geelong game shouldn't be on our radar right now.

Another rational thinker, ye gods this forum is full of them. Okay I'll bookmark my thread for next week.

[Bulldog Joe]

While the one game at a time approach is valid, we still have the significant challenge of managing our players through successive 6 day breaks AND a trip to Darwin which makes the Geelong game more like a 5 day break.

We fell apart after that sort of travel schedule to Perth last year.

Players need to be rested.

All out for Gold Coast probably means we lose to both Geelong and Sydney and possibly lose badly.

[LostDoggy]

While the one game at a time approach is valid, we still have the significant challenge of managing our players through successive 6 day breaks AND a trip to Darwin which makes the Geelong game more like a 5 day break.

We fell apart after that sort of travel schedule to Perth last year.

Players need to be rested.

All out for Gold Coast probably means we lose to both Geelong and Sydney and possibly lose badly.

Yeah. But you have to take what is infront of you.
If the dogs tank the GC game and happen to loose. Then (hyperthetically) have two weeks of bad luck or just go down to Geelong / Syd in a well foughtout but dissapointing affar. Then we'd be wishing we had the GC game back. Too late then.
Win what is infront of you then worry about next week, next week.

[1eyedog]

What a bunch of pessimists! You've all been bulldog supporters for way too long