Match Committee - Round 18 vs Essendon

[merantau]

Over many years I have developed a fairly healthy disdain for Essendon supporters mainly because those I've had much to do with often exhibited a certain level of arrogance and superiority. I'm sure there're some decent ones about - it's just that I've not yet visited that cave on the edge of the Mojave Desert.
Furthermore, there is a personal element in this game. My brother, who got me barracking for the Bulldogs really shocked me about 30 years ago when he told me that he now barracked for Essendon. I couldn't believe the treachery. He said to me back in the 90s at a time when Essendon were going bad, "The Bulldogs are doing well." Quick as a flash I snapped back, "Pity you don't barrack for them anymore."
So, this is a big game for me and I am desperate for us to win. If we bring the same intensity as win did last week we will.

[jeemak]

I reckon the boys will have the game last year in the back of their minds. We absolutely should have won that game and it was the start of the downward spiral. A touch of redemption in it for mind add that too a potential finals berth I just think we have too much to play for when the heat goes on.

Massive game for Talia. Fingers crossed he can have a good one as last week was one of the poorer performances we have seen in a bulldogs jumper this year.

I remember that game. The one where you could clearly perceive the instruction was to move it quickly by the coverage around the bench, but everyone on the ground construed the message as kick it quickly, in the air and to Dustin Fletcher!

Such a frustrating finish to the game, and I'm not surprised for it to be perceived as the beginning of McCartney's end as it would have been enough to make any coach go insane after three years of trying to get players to follow instructions.

[jeemak]

Nervous about this game but also looking forward to seeing what Beveridge will do tactically to cover for our lack of height. It's one of the key differences between our last two coaches........one seemed to think we could overcome teams by congesting the game and try and choke them to death.....the other tries to find a way of getting the game on our terms, backing our strengths against the opposition. I know which one I prefer.

I've always thought it was an over simplification of McCartney's game plan to suggest it relied only on congestion, as when we played well in spurts under him you could clearly see it was much more than that. Unfortunately for him he couldn't bring out the positive attributes within the playing group consistently which made for poor viewing.

There's no doubt Beveridge has a more positive way of distributing his message (all players have either said that without saying it, or said it straight up) than his predecessor, and I think he's benefited from not having the influence of Cooney, Griffen, Higgins and Lake (only one season under McCartney - but dispensed with efficiently) around the club, who in retrospect might have provided a hindrance to McCartney in getting his message across to the players.

As for the game plan I look forward to watching it evolve. There have been times this season where we've looked just as impotent as we did in previous years where congestion has been the flavour of the day, and easily scored against behind our defence after the ball has been choked up between our wing and forward pockets for what seemed an eternity.

I do agree with you however, it does seem Beveridge is following the trend of a lot of coaches who nowadays prefer to concentrate on what their teams do well from a set up and system perspective, and test these aspects against the opposition with only moderate regard given to line by line personnel.

[The bulldog tragician]

I've often been nervous about our selections this year, but the match committee usually seem to get it right, and I agree they're working to a future and making their calls on that basis.

I think one of the truly amazing things about this year is that we are a completely new outfit. Looking back to when we beat the Pies only 12 months ago (which was a really unexpected win at the time) I worked out that only ten 'survivors' remained in last Sunday's team.

It's not because we got rid of rubbish players either. Missing from our ranks, forever, are the experienced quartet of Giansiracusa, Cooney, Higgins and Griffen - and the 780 plus games of experience they had amassed between them. Still on our list, but missing through injury or form issues are last year's best and fairest winner Tom Liberatore (who was BOG that day) as well as Minson, Roughead, Stevens and Hrovat. Liam Jones and Jason Tutt, who both actually played well that day, are the only ones who were fringe players last year.

Realising this is why I'm the most optimistic I've ever been that this is an exceptional group of young players who can take us to the Promised Land!!

[Dancin' Douggy]

Package time!

I can hear it now. Hey kids your package has arrived!!!

[ledge]

I'm worried to be honest , the talls like Stanton, Carlisle and Hooker are our Achilles heal and we have gone in with no roughead or Roberts, if we are going to beat them with run I think They run better than collingwood.

[Rocco Jones]

I'm worried to be honest , the talls like Stanton, Carlisle and Hooker are our Achilles heal and we have gone in with no roughead or Roberts, if we are going to beat them with run I think They run better than collingwood.

Daniher?

I don't think they run better than Collingwood. Well maybe running one way they compete with them, but Collingwood are far better with running as part of a team defense.

[Bulldog4life]

Daniher?

I don't think they run better than Collingwood. Well maybe running one way they compete with them, but Collingwood are far better with running as part of a team defense.

Not today

[LostDoggy]

Bailey Dale named to start as Sub.