Game Day Round 5 2016 - Western Bulldogs V Brisbane Lions

[The Pie Man]

Last nights game had a number of individual highlights from my perspective

- Bontempelli is close to returning to his best. We know how good he is around the midfield but he also looked pretty awesome when lining up at full forward.
- Dickson will be far better for the run and he just adds so much to our forward line.
- I think Stringer has been a bit down the last 2 weeks but I thought last night there was some real positive signs that he is close to being back to his explosive best.
- Morris was sensational last night.
- Tom Campbell and Roughead can be played in the same side. Both were good last night.

The real tests for us start over the next few weeks. With some more improvement we should be up for the challenge.

They can & were; does this help Boyd to stay predominantly F50 or keep him out of the side?

Good problem to have

[Twodogs]

You need to get your house in order, support the Bulldogs or pack your bags!

Ive never been a barrack for Dogs or else type of patent. 3 kids, 2 Lions and a Dog.

I guess you could call it a type of child abuse torturing your kids by making them Dogs fans so much heart break.

I solved all of those problems by slipping prominent Footscray identities into my kid's name. One hates football, one loves the dogs. Good strike rate.

Last nights game had a number of individual highlights from my perspective

- Bontempelli is close to returning to his best. We know how good he is around the midfield but he also looked pretty awesome when lining up at full forward.
- Dickson will be far better for the run and he just adds so much to our forward line.
- I think Stringer has been a bit down the last 2 weeks but I thought last night there was some real positive signs that he is close to being back to his explosive best.
- Morris was sensational last night.
- Tom Campbell and Roughead can be played in the same side. Both were good last night.

The real tests for us start over the next few weeks. With some more improvement we should be up for the challenge.

Thought he played an interesting role at full forward last night. It wasn't the tradional kick goal role more of a decoy and goal creating role. He didn't seem to really compete for marks but would more funnel the ball to the advantage of one of our guys. I was really fascinated watching him play his position.

Haha I know where you are coming from. My parents should be paying my shrink bills.

It really wouldn't be fair on the caring profession to open up on them with our footy related trauma.

When my Old man came to Australia in 1950, he originally lived in Carlton, but a few years later moved to Footscray and started to follow the club.

I could have been a Blues supporter , if he stayed in Carlton but you know what, I am happy to be Doggies supporter and don't regret it one bit.

With my name being Carl there are many times Carlton supporters have pointed out to me that I should barrack for Carlton. "It'd be great having your name" kinda wears thin after a bit.

Anyway my dear old dad put a Carlton poster up on my bedroom wall when I was a kid. Thought it was a huge joke. I blocked out the TON with a texta and stuck a photo of me in my Footscray jumper over the Carlton emblem. Problem solved.

[merantau]

The more I see of Shane Biggs the more I like him. He's prepared to take the game on, is hard at it and makes good decisions. Loved Wally's game. Looks like a choir boy, plays like a street brawler. Luke Dahlhaus? None better at the in and under and the second effort. Never gives it away ala his soccered goal after a failed marking attempt. Hit the deck bounced straight up then contested and out bodied his opponent to get foot to ball - the epitome of a goer. There's a lot to like about this side. We have new faces contributing each week. This week we had Dicko Big Tom and Toby McLean contributing significantly. Our team defence has been as solid as. Matty Boyd cool under pressure, Dale Morris - so versatile and committed, Easton Wood and Marcus Adams great in the air and the midfielders collectively provide great back up. We are travelling well back there.

[Eastdog]

What did people think of Macrae'a game. I was talking the the guy behind me last night at the game and he reckons he is a bit overated and doesn't use the ball as that well.

[GVGjr]

What did people think of Macrae'a game. I was talking the the guy behind me last night at the game and he reckons he is a bit overated and doesn't use the ball as that well.

He's a gun player who can easily find the ball however, his kicking standard has dropped off a fair bit. Once he gets back on track with that any speculation that he is overrated should be silenced. He is frustrating me a bit at the moment but I'm confident he will come good.

[Ghost Dog]

He's a gun player who can easily find the ball however, his kicking standard has dropped off a fair bit. Once he gets back on track with that any speculation that he is overrated should be silenced. He is frustrating me a bit at the moment but I'm confident he will come good.

He was third in our team for contested possessions last year from memory. That's pretty good in a very highly rated midfield

[GVGjr]

He was third in our team for contested possessions last year from memory. That's pretty good in a very highly rated midfield

He's certainly making up for it in other area's.

[The Underdog]

He's a gun player who can easily find the ball however, his kicking standard has dropped off a fair bit. Once he gets back on track with that any speculation that he is overrated should be silenced. He is frustrating me a bit at the moment but I'm confident he will come good.

I made a comment last night that how Suckling looks when he kicks around the corner is how Macrae thinks he looks. Results are usually pretty different. To be fair, Macrae's inside game is outstanding, but his kicking needs work. Still easily best 22.

[jeemak]

Macrae's really struggling with keeping ball use by foot simple. It's stopping him from taking the most effective and often first option, and once he's failed to do that he is under immense pressure to use it by hand or foot.

His contested or inside work is amazingly good these days.

[GVGjr]

I've watched the replay this morning and I was a touch too harsh with my initial assessment for our first quarter performance.

Our midfielders apply so much pressure and the likes of Wallis, Stevens, Liberatore, Dahlhaus, Macrae and Jong make it so hard for the opposition. When I think of the players who can potentially come back into this side it will take very good performances by an opposition side to beat us.

[Mantis]

Finally got around to watching the game.

So much to like about out performance, but still much room for improvement. Our over-use by hand and inability to finish off our good work was particularly frustrating.

Our contested work and ability to set up defensively was by and large outstanding.

[comrade]

I've watched the replay this morning and I was a touch too harsh with my initial assessment for our first quarter performance.

Our midfielders apply so much pressure and the likes of Wallis, Stevens, Liberatore, Dahlhaus, Macrae and Jong make it so hard for the opposition. When I think of the players who can potentially come back into this side it will take very good performances by an opposition side to beat us.

It took a chaos ball to open us up in the corridor for their first, and a flat out unforced error from Adams for their second for us to be scored against in the 1st quarter.

Even though I was frustrated as hell at kicking 6 points in a row, it was clear we were dominating all facets.

[GVGjr]

Even though I was frustrated as hell at kicking 6 points in a row, it was clear we were dominating all facets.

With a minute and 7 seconds left in the first quarter the Lions had just kicked a point and yet we were able to get 2 goals in the remaining time. Had that not occurred I still would have regarded the quarter was a wasted opportunity but as it was we had a decent lead. The scoreboard certainly didn't reflect how hard we had worked.