Game Day Round EF 2015 - Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows

[josie]

I'm heartbroken and proud too. Those set shots we missed were the killer, won every other stat and the effort was A1. Would have loved to have had Eddie Betts on our side too.

Hope the Jongy doubters are swinging around - I thought he was pretty good tonight. That mark is burned into my memory - what a ripper & to convert too. Hamling looked pretty composed out there too.

Our draw will be harder in 2016 and as posters have said some or all of the 3 wise men will retire at end of 2016. So no guarantees of making the 8 next year.

It will be fascinating to see who is traded out, how we balance (I think) the need to bring in a few 25 yo or thereabout players and also have Dalrymple weave his magic again.

I never thought I'd say this after '97 & '98, however I hope the Crows do well in rest of finals. Amazing how well they have done considering all they've been through in last few months.

[Sedat]

Yep. It really stings that Bonti missed two sodas and kicked another out on the full.

I can understand supporters being proud of how far we've come and are excited for the future, but it's a long journey to even get back to this point. Quite frankly, I am sick and tired of these carbon copy losses whereby we win every stat with the exception of the scoreboard.

This is exactly how I'm feeling. Incredible pride, obviously looking forward to next year, but incredible frustration at once again being the better team and losing a final.

The Bont out of bounds was particularly galling as he had a player to dish off to on his left but blazed away - would have put us 2 and a half goals up and just about out of sight. Crameri blazed away a couple of times as well. No composure. I still love the players but it does my head in as a supporter to see the same lack of composure issues in close finals come up time and time again. We simply don't lose that game with just a couple of composed moments, even with all the missed set shots at goal.

We were and are good enough. We executed so much of the game plan well. We busted our arse. We smashed the opposition in most areas. We lost again.

[bulldogtragic]

This is the key, Roberts and Hamling really should not have played but we had no choice. Could Talia have played on Tex and kept him quiet? Who knows.

Everyone will be bigger and better next year with more experience under their belt.

I noticed Stringer clutched his hammy early in the first quarter? Does anyone know if he played the game out injured?

Yep. Richo was saying even if he wasn't injured, if you haven't done a hammy you don't know the difference between sensations of spasm, tear, cramp. So if he thought it might've gone his mind would've held him back from going a 100%. Not sure I explained this well, but he made a lot of sense.

[Lukewarm Beveridge]

So so numb. didn't move until security ushered me out.. couldn't stop replaying the break through the middle in my head and had that handball connected with Crameri how different things would've been.
absolute roller coaster of a year and it was fitting tonight was the same.. unfortunately the carriage headed downwards at the end of the ride.
bring on 2016 though!!!

[Sedat]

This is the key, Roberts and Hamling really should not have played but we had no choice. Could Talia have played on Tex and kept him quiet? Who knows.

Talia got smashed by Kyle Hardingham in the VFL earlier today - Tex would have destroyed him.

Roberts and Hamling were the least of our worries tonight - Hamling in particular was fantastic.

[bornadog]

This is exactly how I'm feeling. Incredible pride, obviously looking forward to next year, but incredible frustration at once again being the better team and losing a final.

The Bont out of bounds was particularly galling as he had a player to dish off to on his left but blazed away - would have put us 2 and a half goals up and just about out of sight. Crameri blazed away a couple of times as well. No composure. I still love the players but it does my head in as a supporter to see the same lack of composure issues in close finals come up time and time again. We simply don't lose that game with just a couple of composed moments, even with all the missed set shots at goal.

We were and are good enough. We executed so much of the game plan well. We busted our arse. We smashed the opposition in most areas. We lost again.

Agree with most of what you are saying, but somehow, I feel this group is different to other groups we have had play finals. This group is also inexperienced (3rd youngest in AFL) and they have the hunger. They have tasted the big stage and they will want to get there again and next time they won't let it slip away.

[bornadog]

Talia got smashed by Kyle Hardingham in the VFL earlier today - Tex would have destroyed him.

Roberts and Hamling were the least of our worries tonight - Hamling in particular was fantastic.

Tex took 10 marks and destroyed us.

[1eyedog]

Talia got smashed by Kyle Hardingham in the VFL earlier today - Tex would have destroyed him.

Roberts and Hamling were the least of our worries tonight - Hamling in particular was fantastic.

I worry for Roberts, that missed mark, very fumbly in general play. He's a good lock down defender who gets to the right places to spoil but he offers little else in general play. Hopefully he can continue to improve.

[bulldogtragic]

We were and are good enough. We executed so much of the game plan well. We busted our arse. We smashed the opposition in most areas. We lost again.

This is the kicker. You play like Hawthorn last night and get done by 30-40 or get smashed, you walk away going we were not good enough, we got outplayed. But when you outplay the opposition in all bar one stat, and had many opportunities to win the game it wrenches the gut. It was our game to lose, and we lost it somehow from the jaws of victory.

[bulldogtragic]

I worry for Roberts, that missed mark, very fumbly in general play. He's a good lock down defender who gets to the right places to spoil but he offers little else in general play. Hopefully he can continue to improve.

I hope he can develop into Dales role, because he's limited. That dropped mark sent me right off, right off.

[Sedat]

Agree with most of what you are saying, but somehow, I feel this group is different to other groups we have had play finals. This group is also inexperienced (3rd youngets in AFL) and they have the hunger. They have tasted the big stage and they will want to get there again and next time they won't let it slip away.

I believed that earlier tonight but the this group with no weight of history on their shoulders did exactly the same thing as many teams before did, and lost in exactly the same way. It is a very tough gig being a Dogs supporter.

[bornadog]

This is the kicker. You play like Hawthorn last night and get done by 30-40 or get smashed, you walk away going we were not good enough, we got outplayed. But when you outplay the opposition in all bar one stat, and had many opportunities to win the game it wrenches the gut. It was our game to lose, and we lost it somehow from the jaws of victory.

Third quarter is where we lost it when we kicked 3.6. Bont and Grant should have nailed those 4 goals.

[The bulldog tragician]

I worry for Roberts, that missed mark, very fumbly in general play. He's a good lock down defender who gets to the right places to spoil but he offers little else in general play. Hopefully he can continue to improve.

It's a real shame Roberts missed that big chunk of the year. He needs continuity. Still played less than 20 games and I think has a lot to learn about body positioning.

[Sedat]

Tex took 10 marks and destroyed us.

Would have taken 20 on Talia.

[1eyedog]

I believed that earlier tonight but the this group with no weight of history on their shoulders did exactly the same thing as many teams before did, and lost in exactly the same way. It is a very tough gig being a Dogs supporter.

My heart agrees with you 100% my head keeps saying they're young. Very young.