Flat track Bullies?

[The Coon Dog]

Mike Sheahan - H/S - 2 Aug

HARD to fault a 12-goal win. Impossible, really ... or is it?

The Western Bulldogs ended up crushing North Melbourne by 71 points at Etihad Stadium yesterday, yet it isn't all that it seems.

All the good teams do a job on North. In six encounters this year with the five teams that stand above the rest, North is winless and in deficit by a mammoth 406 points.

Article in full...

[Topdog]

Really pointless article. Must have been a very slow news day for Mike.

[Ozza]

I guess as Mike has written - it remains to be seen if we are flat track bullies - or up there with the absolute best. We'll get at least 3 opportunities to prove ourselves one way or another before the season is out.

[jazzadogs]

I guess as Mike has written - it remains to be seen if we are flat track bullies - or up there with the absolute best. We'll get at least 3 opportunities to prove ourselves one way or another before the season is out.

I agree with this Ozza. I don't agree with the entirety of Mike's article, but we haven't proven ourselves against the top teams yet. Sure, we've had big impressive wins, but that doesn't prove that we are legitimate contenders.

I think Mike would have written the article to show to those who didn't watch the game that it really wasn't as good as it sounds. Sure we won by 71, but I thought North were a better team in the first half, we just kicked straighter.

It only became a dominant performance in the last quarter, and if we played the way we did in the first half any other premiership contender would have most likely destroyed us.

[Rocco Jones]

I think there is a half truth in the 'flat track bullies' call.

We certainly do crush the poorer sides who give us the freedom to play our own style of game.

I guess the term would also imply not really competing/bringing your A game up against the elite sides. We are obviously competitive against these sides but equally as obvious in our mental fragility late in these games when they are there to be won. So for about 85% of these games we look genuine contenders but in the last 15% or so we come across as flat track bullies.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

I think there is a half truth in the 'flat track bullies' call.

We certainly do crush the poorer sides who give us the freedom to play our own style of game.

I guess the term would also imply not really competing/bringing your A game up against the elite sides. We are obviously competitive against these sides but equally as obvious in our mental fragility late in these games when they are there to be won. So for about 85% of these games we look genuine contenders but in the last 15% or so we come across as flat track bullies.

Agree with this.

Still, we should be judged on our performance in the finals and not one game in round 20 against Geelong. I think we'll likely drop one game between now and week 1 of the finals, which may not be a bad thing as long as Freo drop one too. It's in this finals series that will determine whether or not we are flat track bullies.

[bornadog]

I think there is a half truth in the 'flat track bullies' call.

We certainly do crush the poorer sides who give us the freedom to play our own style of game.

I guess the term would also imply not really competing/bringing your A game up against the elite sides. We are obviously competitive against these sides but equally as obvious in our mental fragility late in these games when they are there to be won. So for about 85% of these games we look genuine contenders but in the last 15% or so we come across as flat track bullies.

Yeah, 82 point demolition of the equal 4th placed Freo is proof

[Flamethrower]

Sorry Mike, but flat track bullies are teams that have huge wins (or players that perform extremely well) against bottom sides, but in turn get thrashed by the elite sides.

A good example is the Fremantle Football Club, who beat the 16th placed Eagles by 75 points yesterday after losing to us by 82 points the week before.

While the Doggies are yet to beat one of the "premiership contenders" this year, it is not as if we have been blown away either. And we haven't even played the favourites yet.

[LostDoggy]

Mike Sheahan, you're an idiot.

[BulldogBelle]

One fickle bastard is Mike Sheahan.

[Bulldog Revolution]

One fickle bastard is Mike Sheahan.

I would have described it as - when in doubt fall back on well run cliches and stereotypes, but I dont mind that there is scepticism in the footy public about us, as long as the umpires understand we are good

[LostDoggy]

bump.

couple of points:
* probably as good a time as any to get swamped now (not that there is ever a good time to lose by 100 points). with KB picking us over the Cats etc. we were starting to get some press which we always seem to struggle with. Now we've been written off completely, so the boys can forget the expectation and just play.
* worst time possible to have played the Cats after they had just put in THEIR worst performance of the season to lose to Collingwood (plus the flu, but we'll just leave the excuses in the cupboard). We'll probably destroy Sydney next week after this embarassment. If we don't then we're goneski.

Nothing more to say, have to just move on after a game like that.