AFL Game Day Round 21, 2017 - Western Bulldogs V GWS Giants

[Eastdog]

Just got home from the game.

As Topdog said a very frustrating night. I thought the 1st quarter they were slightly better but we were right there with them.

The 2nd quarter was excellent from us and we really put the pressure on them - one problem we got no reward on the scoreboard - I think in the 2nd qtr at one stage it was 18 inside 50s to 1 in our favour so it goes to show you there is a lot of work that needs to be done in this area.

The 2nd half was hard to watch only 1 goal from Tory Dickson.

Dissapointing and frustrating night but hopefully we can get back next in Ballarat against Port.

Go Bulldogs!!

[SquirrelGrip]

We really missed Tom Boyd tonight.

[Eastdog]

That was a frustrating night. Hopefully Lewis doesn't let it get him too down but giving up 3 easy goals in what was a close game was devastating.

The poor goalkicking didn't help tonight but gee out F50 entry is terrible at times. I thought it was getting better in recent weeks but that was just terrible

We can't be too hard on Lewis Young. Still a kid and only played a few games. Will be quality player over the coming years.

[Eastdog]

We missed JJ run from half back.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

We can't be too hard on Lewis Young. Still a kid and only played a few games. Will be quality player over the coming years.

For sure Eastie. He had some learning moments to be sure. But he is not the cause of our problems.

[Bullies]

There was none of the starting back 6 from the GF playing tonight.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

There was none of the starting back 6 from the GF playing tonight.

And yet that is nowhere near where we lost the game tonight.

[merantau]

We should have led by 3 goals at half time. Second half was very poor. Smashed at the clearances, under sized fefence, inexperienced defence and some shocking turnovers - a recipe for disaster.
We can still make the 8 if we win our next two of course and I am a Prisoner of Hope.
We are due to turn our horrible kicking around.
I won't bag Stringer. He is a confidence player. If he had kicked that goal instead of hitting the post ... who knows what he might have done. He takes the game on tries to DO SOMETHING! I won't knock him for that.
I'd play him in the midfield. Keep him in the action.
Libba - running out of credits I'm afraid.
Will take a big effort to win our next two after that performance. But we can do it. Come on Dogs!

[Ozza]

There was none of the starting back 6 from the GF playing tonight.

Yep. Only Biggs from last years Grand Final defensive 7 players.

I might be on my own - but I don't agree with the suggestions that we gave up - GWS played exceptionally well, absorbed our forward pressure and then picked through us on the way out. Sometimes you just have to admit it when a talented side outclasses you.

And I'll almost certainly be on my own - but I don't think Toby Greene should be rubbed out for his incident. Players raise their legs and feet to protect the space all of the time, he had his eyes on the footy the whole time. Grundy did the same in the Grand Final, and JJ caught his leg - this time Dahlhaus was coming in lower and got caught in the face. And he got the free kick - as he should.

Anyways, back to the game. I'm not anywhere near as disappointed in our efforts - as I am with our inability to put on scoreboard pressure due to our poor goal kicking.

[LostDoggy]

Can we please stop handballing to Suckling when we have a set shot 45 metres out? I honestly can't remember him kicking one when we have looked for him in these situations, which is alot.

Young made some crucial errors, but the errors were made well before he got the ball on all occasions. Experienced players not willing to deal with the pressure and deciding to dish it off to the youngest bloke in the league to deal with it.

I'm honestly not sure what's worse, our forward line or the delivery to our forwards. I think they're as worse as eachother which just creates one big mess.

[Ozza]

Can we please stop handballing to Suckling when we have a set shot 45 metres out? I honestly can't remember him kicking one when we have looked for him in these situations, which is alot.

Young made some crucial errors, but the errors were made well before he got the ball on all occasions. Experienced players not willing to deal with the pressure and deciding to dish it off to the youngest bloke in the league to deal with it.

I'm honestly not sure what's worse, our forward line or the delivery to our forwards. I think they're as worse as eachother which just creates one big mess.

Good call on Young. In fairness, the kid has been looking close to getting completely overwhelmed since early in the Essendon game - and he made some horrendous blues tonight - BUT - how do we end up going from Macrae being 70 out from goal, to having Young trying to make the play from our defensive 20? Biggs played well overall - but he went backwards twice to Young and transferred the pressure to the kid for 2 of those blues.

There's a time and a place to go back and across, and when we are so inexperienced in defence (and really had no 'kickers' back there) then surely you have to adjust to that.

[bornadog]

Macrae was woeful tonight with his skill errors, and won't take the responsibility to have a shot for goal.

Just watch him next time, 90% of the time, he turns back to dish off the ball instead of looking forward. Sick of his kicking and stupid handballing and not taking responsibility.

end of rant

[Ozza]

Macrae was woeful tonight with his skill errors, and won't take the responsibility to have a shot for goal.

Just watch him next time, 90% of the time, he turns back to dish off the ball instead of looking forward. Sick of his kicking and stupid handballing and not taking responsibility.

end of rant

In the last few weeks, he had really impressed me with the way he really looked to attacked with the ball and looked up 'in the V' to go forward. Tonight was a complete reversal of that, and he was really really disappointing as one of our senior/top players.

[Eastdog]

Our midfield was well down tonight particularly in the 2nd half.

[Twodogs]

Yep. Only Biggs from last years Grand Final defensive 7 players.

I might be on my own - but I don't agree with the suggestions that we gave up - GWS played exceptionally well, absorbed our forward pressure and then picked through us on the way out. Sometimes you just have to admit it when a talented side outclasses you.

And I'll almost certainly be on my own - but I don't think Toby Greene should be rubbed out for his incident. Players raise their legs and feet to protect the space all of the time, he had his eyes on the footy the whole time. Grundy did the same in the Grand Final, and JJ caught his leg - this time Dahlhaus was coming in lower and got caught in the face. And he got the free kick - as he should.

Anyways, back to the game. I'm not anywhere near as disappointed in our efforts - as I am with our inability to put on scoreboard pressure due to our poor goal kicking.

I don't know about not being rubbed out but I'm with you on him not doing much if anything wrong and certainly never took his eyes off the ball. But suspensions are handed out at the moment for the outcome on the other player and Dal looked pretty banged about. I think with his record he might get 3 or 4.