Can we still win it?

[comrade]

Yep. Still kicks it like a full back. I’m not sure how long it will take him to regain full confidence in flying at the ball either.

Yeah, he's not flying and he can't kick. It sucks.

[jeemak]

Bruce's day and outcome reminded me of Donny in The Big Lebowski, just off a bit all day, something cosmic was in the air that suggested it was going to go bad for him.

[The bulldog tragician]

Yes, we can. Has that much changed of our perception of our teams strengths and weaknesses in just one afternoon?

Even one or two different things going right instead of wrong today - better set shots, or a fit Alex Keath - could have led to us having a regulation if uninspiring win.

Our challengers have had similar underwhelming performances at different parts of the season, have also been talked up as certainties when they’ve played at their best.

Today felt like a team, who’s been up for a long time, struggling for that mongrel edge. Lack of continuity & continual shuffling of the deck chairs because of injury. Players have not returned in the same form after injury.

Today we still more or less carried Dunkley as he gets games and confidence back. If he and Treloar return to form, our midfield is still the best in the comp.

The ruck situation is our Achilles heel, I don’t know what the answer is there, particularly given Bruce was also our best second ruck. (I’m still seething that Naughton was rucking. Bevo, man, come on!).

Even with injuries, this group is more talented than 2016, whether they have the extraordinary inner fire of those men remains to be seen, but one poor game isn’t enough for me to stop believing they can do it.

[bulldogtragic]

Bruce's day and outcome reminded me of Donny in The Big Lebowski, just off a bit all day, something cosmic was in the air that suggested it was going to go bad for him.

Whose the dude then?

[Grantysghost]

Unfortunately Naughton can't hit the side of a barn, we're not winning finals off his back.

Have to say, 41 years a member and Naughton causes me to scare my dogs with raucous profanity more than any other player during that time.

Learn.To.F*&king. KICK!

[chef]

Yeah we can. We have a Bont, a good group of players and Bevo.

[The Pie Man]

Think we can, but will depend in Martin & match ups.

English can probably ruck against Geelong, but don’t see it against Gawn or Lycett (or the 5-8 teams)

Keath will need to return 100% and play well too.

Too many question marks sadly, but there’s still a chance

[Bullies]

We said the same when Murph went down in 2016.

Schache not the answer down back but he still would have got confidence over the past couple of weeks. He can go forward and you know if he gets the ball he won't miss. It can set him for next year as well.

Maybe Young comes in until Keath and Gardner come back. Gardner is the key as well as he can nullify a forward with his close checking.

Dunks and Trealor can only improve. We are in a fortunate position we can play them in the 1's.

We missed Weightman & Hannan's forward pressure and tackling today. Don't under estimate what forward pressure does and how it goes through the team.

We will be fine. We don't sit on top because we are no good.

[Bumper Bulldogs]

Yes we can still win. I recon it’s gonna force the hand of Bevo. Enclose has to play forward without Bruce.

We will need to ruck with Martin, Sweet or Young in that order. We are a Berger ride with English forward and g
He has struggled in the ruck since that Naughton head knock.

Wood, Dunks and Adan will run into form over the coming weeks.

Weightman back gives up forward craft/crumbing and blocking. Back in the F50

The F50 isn’t better with Hannan or JJ in it.

The Back line we been OK. Cordy is better with Keith in the line up. So these guys will get it done.

The issue is still the goal kicking. If we kicked straight today we would have rolled Essendon.

[mjp]

Whose the dude then?

Liber is 'The DUDE'.

How is this even a question?

[Go_Dogs]

We’ll still win it all… I’m back on board.

[mjp]

We’ll still win it all… I’m back on board.

I don't know if we will win it or not. But I'm not going to lean one way or the other based on a two-goal loss in early August to a pretty dangerous team who played with a key forward who had the game of his LIFE.

I can sum up today like this: They hit. We missed. Then the siren went.

The weaknesses we had this morning are still there. The strengths (depending on your thoughts about our forward line) are still there as well. Bont, Macrae, Liber, Dunks, Treloar, Hunter, Smith and Daniel are all still running through the mids. Williams and Dale are still running from the back half. That is a LOT for any opposition team to handle. So we have a chance.

[merantau]

Yes, of course we can win it. It is a very open year. West Coast will beat Melbourne tomorrow. It's that kind of season. How many times did we hit the post? Four wasn't it? That's 20 points that we missed out on.... by THAT much!!! And then there were the shots that went OOB! It was a nightmare.

[KT31]

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[bulldogtragic]

I think the sentiment is more on Bruce going down and how that impacts us structurally and output of goals and impacts on others like Naughton.