Lake: We want Williams back

[bornadog]

By Jason Phelan
4:06 PM Thu 07 August, 2008

Defender Tom Williams

WESTERN Bulldogs’ defender Brian Lake supports Senior Coach Rodney Eade in bringing Tom Williams straight back into the senior side when he recovers from a thigh strain suffered in the VFL at the weekend.

Williams, 22, has battled shoulder and thigh injuries that have restricted him to six games this year, but regular full-back Lake says his strength and size warranted him bypassing Williamstown when he is passed fit to play in round 21 or 22.

“We just need that extra tall defender who can play at centre half-back or full-back and chop and change with me, but Tom’s just been unlucky that he keeps getting these little niggles that have cost him games,” Lake said on Thursday.

“Hopefully he can get himself right for the pointy end of the season. It’s been hard luck for him and when he’s in the side he certainly makes the jobs of those around him easier.

“There’s no doubt when he’s in the side we’re a better side. The way we’ve played we’ve been pretty lucky that sides haven’t gone really tall on us … but we’ve been flexible enough to handle sides in his absence.

“If we’re going to be coming up against teams like Geelong and Hawthorn in the finals we need Tom to be playing.”

With a first-up final all but locked in against a Hawthorn side featuring twin towers Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead, Lake backed Williams to play an important role.

“Last time we played them we had Tom in the team and he did a good job on Franklin even though he kicked five with a couple of them cheap ones,” he said.

With ladder leaders Geelong 10 points clear of the two teams and the fourth-placed Swans more than three games in arrears, Lake admitted it was a strange scenario to be faced with a month out from the end of the home and away season.

“Obviously we know that we’re most likely going to play the Hawks in the first week of the finals, but we’ve got a process in place for the next month; we’ve got a lot of areas that we’ve got to work on before that game,” he said.

“We’ve got four more games to go against some good sides so we’ve still got to try a few things, but also make sure that we get our basics right.”
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[bornadog]

Don't we all want him back.

[Dry Rot]

How does all this set things up if Williams is not available?

Seems to imply we'll be rooted.

[Mantis]

How does all this set things up if Williams is not available?

Seems to imply we'll be rooted.

Not sure it's as bad as that.

For instance when we play Hawthorn in the 1st final it will probably mean that Morris will have to pick up Buddy which will be a tough ask. Morris did a gret blanketing job on M.Williams in Tas so someone else we have to do that job.

Just going to mean that everyone will need to stand up and possibly perform a bigger role for the team than if we were at full strength.

[bornadog]

How does all this set things up if Williams is not available?

Seems to imply we'll be rooted.

Not necessarily, we have lost two games since he has been out. We would have to rejig the backline to match whoever we are playing.

[BulldogBelle]

Can somebody remind me if Lake matched up on Roughead in Tasmania?

Would Callan have the speed to play on Williams if Morris got the job on Buddy? Or would Shaggy be a better match up? Would prefer Shaggy up the ground to use his 'playmaking' skills to better use than on the FB line...

[Mantis]

Can somebody remind me if Lake matched up on Roughead in Tasmania?

Would Callan have the speed to play on Williams if Morris got the job on Buddy? Or would Shaggy be a better match up? Would prefer Shaggy up the ground to use his 'playmaking' skills to better use than on the FB line...

Yep on the first one.

Callan did a really good job on Rioli (until injured) in Tassie and is better suited to your traditional 'small'. Perhaps Everitt or Tiller might be used on Williams in this case.

[LostDoggy]

How does all this set things up if Williams is not available?

Seems to imply we'll be rooted.

You got it.

[1eyedog]

You got it.

Ridiculous some of the posters feel that we can not go all the way without Williams, absolute rubbish! We won 10 games earlier in the year without him and while I realise finals are a different kettle of fish the boy has only played 19 games so high expectations cannot be put on him. That's just unfair IMO and it indirectly discredits the will, work ethic, hardness and skill of the rest of the team and coaching staff.

[Cyberdoggie]

Ridiculous some of the posters feel that we can not go all the way without Williams, absolute rubbish! We won 10 games earlier in the year without him and while I realise finals are a different kettle of fish the boy has only played 19 games so high expectations cannot be put on him. That's just unfair IMO and it indirectly discredits the will, work ethic, hardness and skill of the rest of the team and coaching staff.

i think that article seems to indicate some doubt in our defensive ability from lake.
To me it says i want tommygun to help me with the talls because everitt isn't strong or quick enough and hargrave is better on smalls

[Scraggers]

Ridiculous some of the posters feel that we can not go all the way without Williams, absolute rubbish! We won 10 games earlier in the year without him and while I realise finals are a different kettle of fish the boy has only played 19 games so high expectations cannot be put on him. That's just unfair IMO and it indirectly discredits the will, work ethic, hardness and skill of the rest of the team and coaching staff.

Agreed ... if we are to go on in the finals we need to have plans B / C / D etc. We have proven this year we do have these plans

[Dry Rot]

Ridiculous some of the posters feel that we can not go all the way without Williams, absolute rubbish! We won 10 games earlier in the year without him and while I realise finals are a different kettle of fish the boy has only played 19 games so high expectations cannot be put on him. That's just unfair IMO and it indirectly discredits the will, work ethic, hardness and skill of the rest of the team and coaching staff.

BTW I was commenting on the article - seems to be what the players think.

[hujsh]

Is it just me or does it feel like the start of the season where no one rated us including our own supporters?

[LostDoggy]

Whatever I said, whatever I did I didn't mean it
I just want you back for good (Want you back, want you back)
Whenever I'm wrong just tell me the song and I'll sing it
You'll be right and understood (Want you back, want you back, waannt you back for goood)

[Pembleton]

Ridiculous some of the posters feel that we can not go all the way without Williams, absolute rubbish! We won 10 games earlier in the year without him and while I realise finals are a different kettle of fish the boy has only played 19 games so high expectations cannot be put on him. That's just unfair IMO and it indirectly discredits the will, work ethic, hardness and skill of the rest of the team and coaching staff.

People are probably just overstating thier opinion for simplicity's sake. I think not having Williams drastically lowers our chance of success in September, because it messes up our defensive match ups against teams that are likely to really punish us for it (Hawks and Cats). You can't have much go wrong and still win the flag, and if Williams can't get back in, it could be a bit of a 'final straw'.