Three things you've learned. Round seventeen 2021 v Swans of Sydney

[The Bulldogs Bite]

1. Marra is a long way off it. Not unexpected, but reality.

2. Williams is horribly out of form and it's going unnoticed.

3. We need everything to go right to have a legit claim to being a contender. Our back half is a real weakness, they just can't hold up to repeat attacks. It means we need Martin, Dunkley, Treloar and probably Wood back (obviously Naughton too) if we're going to be any chance. I probably knew this but our one weapon is our incredible midfield at full strength. Without Dunkley and Treloar, it's not a top 5 midfield group.

[Dry Rot]

1. Liked the look of Garcia today, always wait a couple of games for a player to form a view, he looks to have a good head on his shoulders under pressure

My #1 too.

2. Earlier this season,I posted that the Swans had a really good system of entries into their forward line, and we could learn from them. Some posters here were very dismissive of that post.

Well, I was right and unless we can use a smarter non-bombing way of entering our forward line you can kiss a flag goodbye.

3. I do not know if it is due to pressure or if it is intrinsically true but **** me we play a lot of really dumb football.
An example was the Bont handballing to Cordy of all people to kick forward.

[ratsmac]

1. We can't win the flag this year. I'm not sure if we have the mental resolve for what it takes. Sure we are a few players down but we aren't winning games against fellow contenders which doesn't fill me with confidence let alone the playing group.

2. No Naughton no idea how to kick inside 50. We were stuck between the long high ball and the low long ball which both resulted in no goals for us pretty much.

3. Out coached or out played. Sydney had our measure all over the ground anticipating our every move it seemed and set up for the counter. The swans were really organised today and we weren't. Whether it was players not playing their roles or we weren't up to it tactically, all I know is we sucked.

[comrade]

3. Out coached of out played. Sydney had our measure all over the ground anticipating our every move it seemed and set up for the counter. The swans were really organised today and we weren't. Whether it was players not playing there roles or we weren't up to it tactically, all I know is we sucked.

Swans are a quality outfit and it won't be long until they're at the very pointy end of the competition again. Lots of pace and good kicking.

[SonofScray]

1. On our day we can beat anyone. Our best is better than everyone else’s best. We won’t see enough of our best to win it all.
2. Bevo is reverting to form. The ruck situation is a mess again and our hopes rest on Martin getting fit.
3. Jamarra should get another crack.

[Mantis]

1/ You don’t realise how important one player is to his zone until he’s not there.

2/ Our use of Young is embarrassingly bad.

3/ With players to come back in none of our ‘fringe’ types took their opportunity yesterday and should be ready for a tap on the shoulder.

[macca]

1. On our day we can beat anyone. Our best is better than everyone else’s best. We won’t see enough of our best to win it all.
2. Bevo is reverting to form. The ruck situation is a mess again and our hopes rest on Martin getting fit.
3. Jamarra should get another crack.

I still do not understand why Sweet not played to address the Ruck. Isn’t it better to find out soon whether he can make it against a Team with a half decent ruckman than learning against monsters like Grundy/Natanui/Gawn?
If he is to become out ruckman then we should get more games into him. Amarty was played yesterday with stints fwd.

[Mantis]

I still do not understand why Sweet not played to address the Ruck. Isn’t it better to find out soon whether he can make it against a Team with a half decent ruckman than learning against monsters like Grundy/Natanui/Gawn?
If he is to become out ruckman then we should get more games into him. Amarty was played yesterday with stints fwd.

Amartey played forward with stints in the ruck and had absolutely no influence on the game other than a lucky (gifted) goal.

[comrade]

2/ Our use of Young is embarrassingly bad.

What's the best way to use him?

[westbulldog]

1. We look cooked. I said it last week and I’ll say it again
2. JUH shouldn’t have played. Deer in headlights
3. Wallis and Hannan are now VFL players.
4. God we need dunks, Treloar, Martin and Naughton in our 22

Everyone has to start somewhere. Shane Warne took 1/150 off 45 overs in his first test in 1992.

[Jam Donuts]

1/. If i see next week that we are still giving away free spots in the team to Hannan, JJ, Mitch and a couple of others, i will spew up.

2/. JUH was OK in his first try out, give him another run, even off the bench so he gets used to the speed of the firsts.

3/. I wish intensity and a bit of mongrel was a commodity that could be turned on and off at will, we were flat and slow and plain dumb at times, lets see if we can get the grunt back, especially in the middle.

[bulldogtragic]

Everyone has to start somewhere. Shane Warne took 1/150 off 45 overs in his first test in 1992.

Dead on. Bont debut was 14 touches in a loss to Carlton.

[comrade]

Dead on. Bont debut was 14 touches in a loss to Carlton.

The fact he was in the right spots on multiple occasions is a good sign. The hard hands was completely due to nerves which will ease off the next time he plays. One thing which was obvious to anyone who'd seen him play VFL is that he's not fit enough to contribute defensively in a zone. Was always trailing behind opponents and could rarely get separation.

Ah well, it went as I expected and he'll have learned a lot. I hope he gets another crack with Naughton beside him instead of Wallis or Hannan.

[Mofra]

I still do not understand why Sweet not played to address the Ruck.

In the last two weeks Sweet has been smashed by Rhys Stanley and Tom Campbell. You don't promote a ruck off the back of that.

[bulldogtragic]

The fact he was in the right spots on multiple occasions is a good sign. The hard hands was completely due to nerves which will ease off the next time he plays. One thing which was obvious to anyone who'd seen him play VFL is that he's not fit enough to contribute defensively in a zone. Was always trailing behind opponents and could rarely get separation.

Ah well, it went as I expected and he'll have learned a lot. I hope he gets another crack with Naughton beside him instead of Wallis or Hannan.

Your last point is the key one. He should never have been KPF #2. Schache should’ve played and Jamarra should have had a lesser defender. Did Bevo think Longmire was shitting himself about Hannan and sending his second KPD to him?