Round 1 2008: Dogs v Crows - match-ups and tactics

[Dry Rot]

After almost 6 months, the waiting is over and we're back in action against our old foes the Crows in the season opener next Sunday.

While we've been patchy in the NAB Cup and practice games, the Crows have been pretty impressive - seem to be playing a far more open running game, and doing it well.

Also IIRC the Crows are in good nick with injuries. We are not, with a number of expected selections in doubt or out.

What will be the tactics of Eade and Craig?

Will Fantasia have some good inside for us? Ditto the Crows on Welsh and Hudson? Expecting some biff?

What are your expected match-ups?

[hujsh]

Bock will be very interesting. He could be thrown forward to stretch our defence of back get in the way of our midgets. If Cam Wight were playing i would suggest he take Bockout of the action while Minson keeps Rutten at FB giving Johnson, Welsh and Murph space to lead

[Go_Dogs]

Going to be an interesting game. It'll be interesting to see who plays through the Crows midfield and if they continue to go with the younger blokes and play Edwards/Goodwin/McLeod forward. I personally think we'll find McLeod in the back half being the general, and Edwards and Goodwin to have greater runs through the middle than they have thus far this year.

Burton and Tippett will be the forwards that I'm worried about, as I think both are pretty difficult match ups for us. Our backline is going to be really stretched and Tippett is very strong at the ball - if he's playing well early Lake may have to go to him instead of being on McGregor.

[LostDoggy]

BRING IT ON

4 day working week with drinking & footy on thursday night i cannot wait

its going to be a massive weekend and i cant wait to sit there on easter sunday watching the doggies commence 2008..and it's a must win, we should do it for johnno who has given the club so much

[Scorlibo]

Craig will try to abuse our lack of back line height which means that McGreggor will play predominantly forward, Tippet will probably play and Sellar is a possibility as well. I actually see Tippet and Sellar playing being a plus for us, even though they played well in the pre season they are greatly inexperienced and with any luck won't cause too much trouble meaning that we may be able to hurt them on the rebound. If Nick Gill plays it would be a different story, he is far more dangerous and we would not have the same attacking freedom we would with Tippet and Sellar.

Burton is the other one who will be tricky if his pre season is anything to go by, but Heggars and Dale should have the aerobic ability to go with him - Morris for mine while Heggars plays a more rebounding role up the ground.

The midfield is where we can grab the ascendancy. Whats that Adelaide? You gave us your first ruck option? Now that wasn't very smart was it. Hudson will give us an edge in the ruck and if Goodwin and Edwards play more of a role in the forward line then their only experienced campaigner left is Thompson. Without Goodwin and Edwards in there they don't have the shut down options in the midfield, meaning that Cooney, Cross and Boyd will really have a chance to step up.

[LostDoggy]

Our midfield will have to step up and stop the ball going down into the defensive 50. I we can get it into our forward line enough we have a chance, but I am not putting the house on a win by the doggies.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Their game style has troubled us like few others in recent times. We seem to have no ability to set the game up off half back against them, they zone off on the midfield and we just seem to end up kicking it to them for uncontested marks, and then they load up on a fast break style attack.

With Hudson we will be hoping to get more drive out of the centre square and generate more of our attack from there - we are all hoping that this will be part of the Hudson related improvement in season 08.

[Go_Dogs]

Moran has gone down with an injury yesterday at a trial game. Now the Crows are left with only Griffen and Maric to lead the ruck. I hadn't been convinced that Moran was going to play, but it certainly puts extra pressure on the other 2 young guys to really have to do well.

[bornadog]

Moran has gone down with an injury yesterday at a trial game. Now the Crows are left with only Griffen and Maric to lead the ruck. I hadn't been convinced that Moran was going to play, but it certainly puts extra pressure on the other 2 young guys to really have to do well.

The ruck is one area which we should dominate in this game and this will give our midfielders a big advatange. The backline of course is the interesting one and if Lake is out, its going to make it harder. Last year Lake was out suspended for the first two games, the second one was against Adelaide and we really missed him. Bock was hard to match up on and I am pretty sure Welsh and Mcgregor didn't play, however, they still beat us. I would think Doogs would be on McGregor however, I don't really know much about the Adelaide forward line, other than comments made by Craig that Goodwin and McClead will play up forward and I suppose burton will be there are as well. Burton will also be hard to match up on, maybe Morris would have to take him or Bock and Hargrave the other.

[bornadog]

BRING IT ON

4 day working week with drinking & footy on thursday night i cannot wait

its going to be a massive weekend and i cant wait to sit there on easter sunday watching the doggies commence 2008..and it's a must win, we should do it for johnno who has given the club so much

I don't miss many matches through the year, but unfortunatelty I will this week as my daughter is competing in the National U16 Kayak championships at Penrith.

[The Coon Dog]

I don't miss many matches through the year, but unfortunatelty I will this week as my daughter is competing in the National U16 Kayak championships at Penrith.

Good luck for your daughter bornadog, hope she does well, let us know how it all went when you get back.

[bornadog]

Good luck for your daughter bornadog, hope she does well, let us know how it all went when you get back.

Thanks TCD, she is just 14 and competing against older girls, so not expecting alot, but proud of her for competiting.

I will hopefully get progressive scores and I am expecting a win against Adelaide.

[Rocket Science]

Their mop-up and run out of defence through McLeod, Johncock and co. always gives us grief, and unless we go forward in reasonably measured fashion Ã*t'll be deja vu on that front...doubly so if our forwards aren't accountable for their opponents on the rebound.

[BulldogBelle]

Their mop-up and run out of defence through McLeod, Johncock and co. always gives us grief.

Very true, let's hope it will be a different scenario next Sunday...our guys have to be switched on from the get go.

[westdog54]

We have to put ridiculous amounts of pressure on their midfield, and shut down their run out of defence. If the two midfields break even I can see our defence getting smashed if they go tall.

We've got to get first use, and we've got to shut down their midfield coming back.