Our opponents next week: Sydney

[Dry Rot]

Sounds like they bounced back to form today against the comp's hot team. Are they back in form or was Port poor today?

Can we finally beat them at Manuka Oval?

Presume Harris gets Hall, Hargrave on Micky O and Morris takes Davis?

[Go_Dogs]

Sydney were very good today, watched the game earlier. They're tough around the stoppage, Everitt really played himself into some form today - both in the centre and around the ground. They run hard, contest hard, but most importantly rarely butcher the ball. They are patient and wait for the right moment.

Today Goodes v C.Cornes basically nullified each other, young Shaun whose been so important for the Power was very quite, and generally they could only find a winner up forward with Ebert.

Hall didn't kick a bag today, but his body work and attack created a lot of other opportunities, and Micky O continues to play well.

Port have a fairly similar game plan to us - and in really struggles in Sydney on a shorter oval with not as much space through the corridor. Sydney being a good contested/clearance team were able to execute a single kick to 20-30m out that resulted in goals time and time again. They won't have this luxury next week.

To win. we'll need a very even performance from the lads, and Cooney and Johnson would be 2 players I think will be very important - as will Cross, Boyd and West.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Sounds like they bounced back to form today against the comp's hot team. Are they back in form or was Port poor today?

Can we finally beat them at Manuka Oval?

Presume Harris gets Hall, Hargrave on Micky O and Morris takes Davis?

The challenge of sydney is clearance and stoppage work.

If we can generate enough drive from centre square, and stoppages around the ground then I am sure we will beat them.

BUT and it is a big BUT, we have not consistently been good in this are this year.

I think our guys are now working closer to the level required and so good things will continue to happen for the group

Hasn't Morris generally gone to Micky O?
Would it be Hargrave on OKeefe?
Who does Wight go to?

[Dry Rot]

Hm, yes, forgot about O'Keefe which is odd because he's my favourite Swan. Terrific player.

[Dry Rot]

IIRC, the Swans' record at Maunka isn't flash. This time we play them on a big ground.

IMO the trickiest match-ups for us are Goodes & O'Keefe, and Spider if he goes forward.

[bornadog]

IIRC, the Swans' record at Maunka isn't flash. This time we play them on a big ground.

IMO the trickiest match-ups for us are Goodes & O'Keefe, and Spider if he goes forward.

Goodes is very difficult for us to match up and seems to pick up three brownlow votes every time. I think playing on the slightly larger Manuka Oval will suit us more than the SCG. At least Manuka is a neutral ground and there won't be any advantages to either club. The biggest factor could be the weather. Its going to be an interesting battle and with Street playing well, will have a great duel with Spider.

Any one venturing to Canberra..........DR?

[Dry Rot]

Yep, I'll be there and bringing a group of local Saints and Pies mercenaries to the game.

Anyone else going? Would be good to catch up.

[bornadog]

At least Manuka is a neutral ground and there won't be any advantages to either club.

Looks like the dogs agree


The Bulldogs travel to Canberra this weekend to 'host' Sydney at Manuka Oval and Hargrave said the neutral venue made it more of a 50-50 contest that were the match played at the SCG.

[Twodogs]

Yep, I'll be there and bringing a group of local Saints and Pies mercenaries to the game.

Anyone else going? Would be good to catch up.

I'll be there with my personal army of bulldog supporters.



I couldnt handle having to cultivate friends who follow different clubs just to talk footy. Not that I have anything against people who follow other clubs, some of them can be fairly interesting sometimes, but I rarely talk footy with non-bulldog supporters. Dave I admire your perserverence and dedication to the cause.

[dog town]

I always look forward to these games against good opposition even though I have generally been dissapointed with our efforts. It is a massive test for us and I look forward to seeing what we have learnt and whether Eade has any new ideas to try and counter temas like Sydney and Adelaide.

I wonder whether Eade will be tempted to bring in Robbins who has a very good record against Sydney recently. Last year we had bugger all inside 50s but we were very effective up forward. Eade told them to kick long over the line of swans who were clogging our midfield space and get it into Johnson and Robbins in one on one situations and it seemed to expose the swans a little bit but unfortunately we were belted at the clearances and couldn't get enough supply.

Harris will obviously get Hall and that is going to be another good test for him. I hope he really gets under the skin of Hall who I think is far less effective when he is worried about bashing his opponent. He is going to find himself one out alot because the swans are so good at pushing up to the ball carrier and leaving space behind them. I would go with Morris on Micky O'Loughlin just because he hurts on the scoreboard more than O'Keefe and I like Morris closer to goal. Hargrave can run around with O'Keefe and hopefully make him spend a bit of juice chasing back side. If its not working out then Morris and Hargrave can just swap. Power might be some sort of chance to come in and play on O'keefe as well given that he beat him in the pre season game and Rocket may be concerned about matching up Goodes if he plays forward. If Goodes moves forward Eade might like the option of throwing Hargrave onto him instead of Wight but to do that we probably need someone like Power to cover off the other options. Goodes tagged last week so look for him to be released this week with his confidence up. To be honest I think their forward line looms as a massive danger. On top of the main targets I just went through they have so many small options like Davis, Buchanon etc that dont need many touches to really hurt you.

We need Street to have a blinder if we hope to be competitive around the stoppages. Sydney absolutely pantsed us last year at the stoppages and even when we won the taps we were just getting pushed straight under the ball and the swans coming off the edges of the square would clean it up. Like us to keep it simple and try and tap the ball to an area where we have numbers and go from there rather than trying pin point the hollywood tap to a running player. Guys like Hahn breaking up the traffic for us off the point of the square should be important. Darcy will spend plenty of time in the ruck I would guess.

[Dry Rot]

IIRC Hargrave has a much better record than Morris vs Micky O?

What will we do when Spider goes forward?

[GVGjr]

IIRC Hargrave has a much better record than Morris vs Micky O?

What will we do when Spider goes forward?

Wight on Spida if he goes forward would be a good match-up.

Hargrave, Morris and Griffen are all viable options on Micky O and O'Keefe

[Go_Dogs]

Bentley destroyed O'Keefe last weekend. I'd like to see someone like Addison perhaps get a role with him, or perhaps Power may come into the side - Power did play on him during the pre-season competition.

[Dry Rot]

O'Keefe rarely plays 2 poor games in a row - the task could be beyond Addison.

[Bulldog Revolution]

They clearly have a talented forward line, Harris will go with Hall.

I wonder if Morris might run with Goodes leaving Wight and Hargraves to maybe matchup on OKeefe and Micky O. But Gilbee and Griffen might factor into it on OKeefe if Rocket feels like trying something different. Griffen might thrive on being given a job, in the same way the matchup on Gary Ablett Jnr brought out the best in him.

Last year we went in with only 1 ruckman and McGuiness as the backup. I think Street was unable to ruck for more than 18 or so minutes a quarter so we looked a bit exposed in the red time of quarters.