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  1. #1
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    Regular Season Reflections

    We're about to get ourselves whipped up into a frenzy for Finals, and rightfully so. It's been a strange year and footy has been a welcome feature where so much has been stripped from our normal routines.

    I've enjoyed reading WOOF this season a great deal. Some chat about negativity etc but for mine its been a product of the times and expectations either being met, or not. I had really high hopes for this season, they weren't met in the regular season, which is fine, because the hopes and dreams that count are realised in finals. And that's what the regular season has given us, another week where those hopes and dreams can stay alive.

    So, before finals fever kicks in and we forgo reality for fervant, visceral support of the Club, I was interested in responses to any of these questions:

    • What was your pass mark before the bounce of the ball in R1?
    • What is your pass mark from here?
    • Strongest performance in the regular season?
    • Weakest Performance in the regular season?


    Here's our season in a nutshell to jog your memory:
    https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/tg-western-bulldogs

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  3. #2
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    Re: Regular Season Reflections

    Top 6 was my pass mark (I think) and at least 1 finals win. That still remains the case.

    Hard to really pin point our strongest performance because I came away from just about every win feeling like we hadn't completely put it together. I actually think the Dockers win was our best 4 quarter effort with the most output from our bottom 6 type players (Roarke Smith, Lipinski, Gardner, Bruce starting to find form etc) and given it was such a critical game, it was a pleasing performance.

    Putting aside the first 2 rounds which were utter rubbish, our weakest performance for mine was a tie between the Carlton loss and the Richmond loss.

    Our capitulation against Geelong after quarter time was also incredibly disappointing but at least explainable.
    Our 1954 premiership players are our heroes, and it has to be said that Charlie was their hero.

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  5. #3
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    Re: Regular Season Reflections

    Good thread SOS.

    Before the season started and before COVID19, I expected us to be a top 4 side and as it turns out we missed by 2 games and percentage. From here on in I want to win at least the next final and see where we go from there.

    Of the games we played the weakest effort was surely round one when we were never ever in it.

    In every other loss, we showed something but just didn't take our opportunities, including the game against the SAints. We matched them and beat them in all stats over the ground, except the scoreboard which was disappointing. Our turnovers in that game killed us.

    I have to say beating the Eagles was our best win as they are above us and were looking dangerous with 7 wins on the trot and 8 from 9.
    FFC: Established 1883

    Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.

  6. #4
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    Re: Regular Season Reflections

    For mine, I had high expectations. I expected us to make finals and at a minimum, win a final. I also believe we have enough talent and good football in us to beat anyone on our day. I haven't been as bullish about how many "days" we can actually string together as I was prior to R1, or in 15/16.

    I think the scenario for me is win one final and its a par score. Win four and Bevo gets a statue. Anything in between is credits back in the bank. A week one loss will have me lamenting some of the issues that have been discussed this year around selection, deployment of players in the ruck, stalled development etc.

    Weakest performances, our first 4 losses were really awful. Weeks one and two in particular were terribly deflating. Damaged my belief. Then the Blues and Tigers games had me solidifying my position that our coach might not have the answers. There was a real routine dismantling of our strengths that worried me. The sort of losses that felt far too similar to previous seasons disappointments to just be about effort and personnel.

    The next three losses, I was happier with because there was hopeful moments in the games and enough coulda, shoulda and woulda's to suggest things could fall differently if we had some variation in effort, personnel or just plain luck. Geelong and Port especially.

    My favourite game of the season was probably the Geelong loss, funnily enough. The opening stanza was our absolute best. We saw what it can do to a contender. After that, the Bombers game was really positive, to memory, they were still going OK at that point and we dealt with them fairly comfortably. Weightman's first kick and goal was a rare moment of pure joy in a stretch of a few tough weeks outside of footy.


    Anyway. There's a few thoughts. 2020 has been a weird year. Glad we've got more footy in front of us!

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  8. #5
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    Re: Regular Season Reflections

    Before the season started I mainly wanted to see which Bulldogs team was 'real.' That final against GWS was such an abomination and made me wonder if our progress in the second half of 2019 had just been luck and catching teams who were in a downward spiral. I wanted evidence that we were again ready to challenge & that the hunger was back.

    The worst loss was against Carlton because we appeared to turn up with the wrong attitude and it seemed to confirm that we were just a middling team and that the promise of 2016 would remain unfulfilled.

    Since then I feel I have seen evidence that the hunger is back and that there is a new determination in this group. That has been praiseworthy in such difficult circumstances, after an appalling start, and with a lack of continuity with injuries - we haven't always had a huge injury list but they've happened at wrong times eg AstroNaut when he looked like ripping a game apart, and for Vandermeer when he really looked like he belonged.

    It's probably not a coincidence that we are two games from top 4 and those Port and Geelong losses were the ones we should have won - confirming we are still not elite. We are a work in progress, as evidenced by the cameos of various players who came and went and failed to convince.

    For me a pass is now winning a final. I'm still not entirely convinced by our bottom six and I still don't know if we have that 'mongrel' factor - the Clay Smith/Liam Picken attitude - which is needed to go further. I hope we see that, whatever the result is next week.
    www.bulldogtragician.com A blog about being a lifelong fan of the Dogs and our quixotic attempt to replicate 1954. AND WE DID
    Author of "The Mighty West: the Bulldogs journey from daydream believers to premiership heroes"
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  10. #6
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    Re: Regular Season Reflections

    I had very high hopes for the season and the pass mark for me is winning a final

    We said we would use the spur of our humiliating loss to GWS in the final last year and proceeded to be out played and out coached by Collingwood in a similarly dispirited display
    We then said we would use the loss to Collingwood as the spur against the Saints and put in another half hearted effort

    To say the season was off to a poor start is a huge understatement

    Ironically it was against GWS where we didn't flinch or give into their dirty play and attack on Bontempelli that got the season started for us
    By round 4 after a solid win against the Swans we were back on even terms before really belting North in round 5 with a 6 goal haul from Josh Bruce

    We were up and about then and we had all realised we had unearthed a special player in Vandermeer who was really catching the eye

    Out of nowhere Carlton gave us a belting in round 6, we were close enough at 3 quarter but they walloped us in the last quarter and recorded a 52 point win

    It was hard to work out where the season was heading as we were producing a real Jekylle and Hyde form line and we never knew what effort we might receive

    We then beat Essendon as we always seem to do and somehow beat the spirited Suns outfit in a close game. The season was warming up for us and we were well placed

    Of course nothing is easy and the form line doesn't mean much because we got soundly beaten by Richmond by the tune for 41 points. The good, bad and ugly was a common theme for us

    We played really well against Port but lost and we can say the same for our encounter against the Lions. Two losses but some pretty good football was played. This is a time when the scoreboard doesn't give a true picture

    We belted the Crows thanks to a 6 goal game by Naughton to stop the run of losses and again we got some momentum back when we beat Melbourne the following week.
    4 games to go and it was anyone's guess

    A close loss to the inform Geelong after we were down to two men on the bench was a terrific sign and then we knocked over West Coast in a thrilling encounter

    We put in two polished performances to in the final 2 games to position ourselves for the finals

    Plenty of things have frustrated me this season and there are a heap of things I have admired about our season

    Time will tell if we have what it takes now that we are in the finals. A win is almost essential to me to give this season a pass mark
    Western Bulldogs Football Club "Where it's cool to drool"

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  12. #7
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    Re: Regular Season Reflections

    Making and winning a final was the pass mark for me at the start of the season. Every loss cut deep for different reasons. Collingwood and St Kilda because we didn't fire a shot and Carlton because we gave up the ghost after it all got too hard were particularly hard to take. The Geelong loss because I thought that we'd pissed our finals chances away after having the game shot to bits at quarter time was the worst though. I was really angry after that loss.

    Best win was last night. The season was on the line we'd lost Naughton and Bevo had to make some changes and got them correct. That was really pleasing. Beating GWS to breathe life back into our season and get a bit of revenge after the EF last year was satisfying. Always love beating North and Essendon too-the season is never a complete loss when we beat them.

    So if we win a final we pass. Anything after that is a bonus. But I feel we are in good form and I will be disappointed if we lose week one.
    Have you been reading those Roddy Doyle books again, Dougal!?


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  14. #8
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    Re: Regular Season Reflections

    I hoped for top 4, but a finals win was realistically the minimum. I would have been extremely disappointed if we had not made the finals (especially at the expense of Melbourne, who we are objectively better than).

    The Carlton loss was the moment where I really doubted, particularly with the shortened season, as it meant we couldn't afford another slip up against the teams at or below our level. Thankfully, we didn't let another match against a lesser opponent slip.

    Games missed from Libba, Hunter and Dunkley have hurt us. Vandermeer was a real shining light, and he has been a big loss.

    The Ryan Gardner experiment has shown all of us, myself included, that there is still some method to Bevo's madness. The strengths that he said he was showing in the scratch matches have started to show through in AFL, and I've been impressed by his improvement.

    Conversely, the ruck experiments with Dunkley and co were a lowpoint.

  15. #9
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    Re: Regular Season Reflections

    I've been disappointed, thrilled and satisfied all within the same game. Now extrapolate that for the season.

    I had high expectations, probably unreasonably high, and was pretty damn annoyed after our first few games.

    But largely I think our trajectory has been reasonably good. I've been wrapped with the pissed off PE teacher, loved Vandemeer, and really pleased with Bailey Williams. Probably a lot of other good things from individuals but yeah, ultimately we've taken a step forward this year I think.

    Still bullish about Bruce. Despite stinking it up a few times he seems an upbeat guy and I'll back him in.

    Realistically we're unlikely to win the flag this year,but who knows?
    "It's over. It's all over."

  16. #10
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    Re: Regular Season Reflections

    Pass Mark - making the 8 comfortably. On that basis I would say we have regressed since it was touch and go, needing to win our last 3 games and scraping in by a game and not enough percentage.

    Strongest Performance - West Coast. Best placed team we beat all year.

    Weakest Performance - Collingwood. After the Post Elimination Final hype dishing up that rubbish was a real disappointment., It was weak because it was a bunch of guys talking the talk and then not backing that up!

  17. #11
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    Re: Regular Season Reflections

    What was your pass mark before the bounce of the ball in R1?
    What is your pass mark from here?
    Strongest performance in the regular season?
    Weakest Performance in the regular season?

    Pass Mark:
    Two variations. My minimum pass mark was for a finals win. What I would've rated as a good season would be a Prelim appearance.

    Pass Mark now:
    The same. I guess if we play really well against St.Kilda and they are just better I'd probably be ok to give it a pass but realistically we should be winning a final if we want to take a step forward, I don't want to be a team like Essendon that even when it makes finals is a non factor like we were last year.

    Strongest:
    Melbourne, West Coast and Freo games are the candidates. We needed to win all three and turned up and delivered each time. I'll probably say the Demons game as they were full strength and we just comprehensively beat them and i never really felt threatened.

    Weakest: Round 1 and 2 were genuinely as pathetic a performance as I've seen from us. This forum imploded and rightfully so, imagine dishing that crap up after a whole pre-season talking about how you were going to redeem yourselves for the also truly pathetic performance against GWS. Carlton loss was also bad, but at least we tried.
    I should leave it alone but you're not right

  18. #12
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    Re: Regular Season Reflections

    What was your pass mark before the bounce of the ball in R1?
    Top 6, beating top 6 sides (Geelong / West Coast / Collingwood) and stop losing to sides that we somehow manage to lose to (StK being one of them)

    What is your pass mark from here?
    One finals win, just one, anymore is icing on the cake

    Strongest performance in the regular season?
    Bailey Williams is the biggest improver of the club, Libba honestly playing at his career best, and Wallis re-inventing himself as a forward, all deserve huge mentions. Game wise? I honestly don't have any games that stand out to me as ''that was rock solid from minute one'' Every game seem to have periods where we'd lapse and give whoever we were playing a glimpse of stealing it (or, stealing it in the case of some games).


    Weakest Performance in the regular season?
    Player wise? Dickson, Schache, Lloyd & Dale probably come to mind as weak performers this season. Games? Carlton and StK games.
    "Its always good to win the Ashes test match'' - Libba, AFL Grand Final, 2016

  19. #13
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    Re: Regular Season Reflections

    I was thinking we would push for top 4, having made finals last year then getting Bruce & Keath. I was disappointed by our performance against top 8 sides but we did seem to develop more consistency and win the ones we should. Our style stacks up in finals and we have momentum so hopes are high
    If you kicked five goals and Tom Boyd kicked five goals, Tom Boyd kicked more goals than you.

    Formerly gogriff

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  21. #14
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    Re: Regular Season Reflections

    •What was your pass mark before the bounce of the ball in R1?

    Reaching a prelim final. And so, I expected top 4. Anything can happen from prelim weekend, but I'd expected we'd be well placed to get there at least.

    •What is your pass mark from here?

    I guess its now to win the first final - and be in it up to our necks in the Semi to follow.

    •Strongest performance in the regular season?

    Probably the GWS game. We were under the pump and they came after us physically. We stood up to it and were always winning, from start to finish.

    •Weakest Performance in the regular season?

    The Richmond game. We were never it it. We didn't 'hunt' the best side - we just turned up and got overawed.


    For an overall reflection, apart from the Carlton game (and to an extent St.Kilda - but they did finish higher than us and were flying at the time) - we basically won the games we were expected to win, and lost the games we were expected to lose. Its a really middle of the road season. BUt I guess 10-7, is 13-9 in a normal year and is 'ok'. I just thought we were ready to be better, and think we wasted time with poor selection early in the season, which you can't get away with when important players like Naughton, Dunks and Hunter were missing chunks of the year. Not getting the same overall output from those players who had injury or unavailability (add Dickson to that mix) - as well as not getting the same level out of Lloyd, Dale compared to last year. Too much left to too few. And Bruce hasn't produced anywhere near expected.

    Ticks for Libba, Wally, Caleb - who all went better this season. As did English even though he had poor games. Bont and Macrae continue to be stars of the game.

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  23. #15
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    Re: Regular Season Reflections

    - Was really hoping for top 4 which would have been the first time under Bevo particularly with the new recruits we got.

    - To win a final after the disappointment of getting whacked last year.

    - The West Coast game. Vital win against a side on top of us on the ladder which kept us in the finals. Strong performances also against the Bombers, Demons, Kangaroos, Dockers and Giants - loved the Giants win after what they did to us last year. We were not going to be initiated again.

    - The Pies game our weakest performance I’d say. Just did not get going all night. The Blues and Tigers games very disappointing as well.
    "Footscray people are incredible people; so humble. I'm just so happy - ecstatic"

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