Game Day - Bulldogs vs Demons

[GVGjr]

This is the discussion thread for tomorrow tonights game.

Who's you tip to kick the first goal for us? I'll go for Darcy

Will Power and Eagleton be given defensive assignments again this week?

[Go_Dogs]

I hope we don't go too defensive today. It could be our downfall.

I'm going with Akermanis to get our first goal again. Looking forward to the game, should be a good one. Let's hope not an upset like last night.

[LostDoggy]

Eagleton to kick our first. Back to our running, attacking game tonight.

[bornadog]

Murphy to kick first goal. looking for a big tonight, but hope the boys don't think its just going to happen like Collingwood did.

[BulldogBelle]

Giansiracusa to kick our first goal tonight.

[Dry Rot]

First goal Riewoldt.

Go Saints!







(Scored a free ticket to Telstra Stadium tonight and I'm going to be a Sainter for the night. Hope I survive - strange things happen when i go to the footy with my Saints mates. Hope they win - I hate hearing the Swans song....)

[bornadog]

Confirmed

Out: Johnno

In: McDougall

[LostDoggy]

Oh well, there's always next year.

[GVGjr]

Well wasn't that embarrassing? I had a bad feeling about the game and early on it was evident that we were just not switched on against a committed opponent.

A mate of mine mentioned earlier today that if we didn't win tonight that he didn't think we would win another game for the season. On tonights performance we will struggle to crack another win.

[GVGjr]

Demons dent Dogs finals' hopes
11 August 2007 Herald Sun

AN inspired Melbourne put a massive dent in the Western Bulldogs' dwindling finals chances with an upset 19.15 (129) to 12.15 (87) victory to celebrate Jeff White's 250th AFL match at Telstra Dome tonight.

The Demons' surprise win was the second major upset of the round, after bottom-placed Richmond downed Collingwood at the MCG the previous night.

It was just the Demons' fourth win of the year, but second in six games under caretaker coach Mark Riley, who oversaw a victory over Carlton in his first game in charge, before guiding the team to four straight big losses.

For the Bulldogs, who started the round out of the top eight only on percentage, it was a terrible result, with the loss their third big defeat in four rounds, broken up only by last Friday night's draw against St Kilda.

It was made worse by the loss of veteran key defender Chris Grant with a suspected knee injury 10 minutes into the match.

That came after skipper Brad Johnson was a late pre-game withdrawal with a hamstring injury, robbing the Bulldogs of class and experience at both ends of the ground, with both losses sorely felt.

Melbourne looked the better team from the start, kicking three of the first four goals, two of them coming to makeshift tall forward Ben Holland, who finished the night with four majors in a fine performance.

Hard-working midfielder Nathan Jones had a strong first quarter to help his side get on top, but it was not until late in the second quarter that the Demons took control of the match.

After leading by five points 10 minutes into the second quarter, they broke the game open by kicking the final four goals of the first half, including two in time-on to Aaron Davey.

Up by 28 points at the long break, they buried any chance of a Bulldogs revival by piling on six consecutive goals in an 18-minute stretch from early in the third term to push their lead out to 59 points.

Classy midfielders Travis Johnstone and Brad Green were instrumental in the game-breaking surge, while milestone man White was a solid contributor in the ruck.

Holland was a constant danger up forward, helping to stretch the Bulldogs' defence, particularly once Grant, his initial opponent, was out of action.

Russell Robertson kicked three goals, chiming in with two goals during the third-quarter surge, the second a clever snap which rolled through from a tight angle, after Holland set it up by working desperately to keep the ball in Melbourne's forward zone.

Bulldogs midfielders Daniel Cross, Adam Cooney, Matthew Boyd and Scott West worked hard, but the 'Dogs generally failed to make the most of their chances when they went forward.

Half-forward Shaun Higgins booted five goals and Robert Murphy worked hard to provide a target and kicked three, but the Bulldogs had few other avenues to goal and missed plenty of gettable shots.

[LostDoggy]

Anyone able to get some positives out of tonights effort? Higgins? Power?
I'm really struggling to find much out of the game.

[The Coon Dog]

Hard to really find any positives out of that utter debacle.

It was like the white flag was hoisted early on.

Perhaps, Murphy & Higgins were the only positives I could think of.

Interesting to hear the Melbourne's coach Mark Riley in his presser say that Neitz's role tonight was as a decoy forward purely to take Harris away from the action & allow Holland to go up against the inexperienced Williams as the main target. Worked well!

Any word on Chris Grant's injury?

After tonight do people feel that the season's over or can we win our last 3 games?

I heard David King tonight say on radio say that he feels that the Bulldogs players would get a far better message if they missed the finals rather than limping into to it & being bundled straight out.

I'd like to make the finals, can't see it happening & on reflection of our season we don't really deserve it. One thing about the the ladder, it doesn't lie.

[GVGjr]

We struggle against Adelaide, the Hawks and Roos are in good form or better form than us so we have had a big dose of reality thrown at us.

Not sure what the answer is but there need to be a comprehensive review at the club because clearly this is not acceptable.

For next season we will lose Grant, Darcy, Montgomery, Robbins and Walsh plus I'm sure there will be a couple of others as well. We gain Harbrow.
We lack a key forward of quality and our list is far too light on for body size, strength and experience.

It goes without saying but there is plenty of work to get done before we are genuine contenders.

[Dry Rot]

First goal Riewoldt.

Go Saints!







(Scored a free ticket to Telstra Stadium tonight and I'm going to be a Sainter for the night. Hope I survive - strange things happen when i go to the footy with my Saints mates. Hope they win - I hate hearing the Swans song....)

Bloody hell!

I go to the footy up here kitted out in my Bulldogs gear no matter who is playing.

The Saints got done and we got thrashed by the Dees.

63,000 people were laughing at me....

Shocking night. Double loser.

[Dry Rot]

Confirmed

Out: Johnno

In: McDougall

How did he go?