Bulldogs V Swans - Round 11, 23/5/24 Marvel Stadium 7:30PM AEST

[Eastdog]

Margin:
First goal:
Best on ground:

[Eastdog]

Margin: Dogs by 2 points
First goal: Jamarra Ugle Hagan
Best on ground: Ed Richards

[Eastdog]

Via AFL Website: https://www.afl.com.au/news/1135243/...ace-home-bogey

Western Bulldogs v Sydney, Marvel Stadium
Thursday, May 23, 7.30pm AEST
Last time: Sydney 11.12 (78) d Western Bulldogs 11.10 (76), R18 2023

What it means

The Western Bulldogs (5-5) have revitalised their season with back-to-back wins including a clinical dismantling of heated rivals Greater Western Sydney last week. But the Bulldogs are coming off a five-day break to face the white-hot Swans with further tests of their finals credentials to follow against the Pies, Lions and Dockers before a bye.

Sydney (9-1) can stretch its blistering start to the season to a 10-1 record for the first time since 1936 with a seventh consecutive victory when it faces the Bulldogs. The stunning streak has helped the Swans open up a gap on the chasing pack that they can maintain with a win over the Dogs before a week off with a bye.


Game shapers

The Bulldogs have been forced to shake up their midfield this year with Bailey Smith out for the season and Tom Liberatore sidelined in recent weeks. Dashing defender Ed Richards has made the most of his move to midfield over the past two weeks, winning the ball at the coalface while still using his pace to find space and move the ball forward at speed.

Isaac Heeney has lapped up the plaudits as the Swans have soared to the top of the ladder, but fellow onballer Chad Warner has been in similarly imperious form. Warner is all about maximum impact as he averages 24.5 disposals with 3.8 clearances, while booting the third most goals of all midfielders, with 15 from 10 matches.

Early tip: Sydney by 11 points

[GVGjr]

Dogs by 9 points
West with the first goal
Naughton the best on ground

[bornadog]

Swans have been excellent, so we need 4 quarters of footy and limit our turnovers.

We can win this.

Dogs by: 14 points
First Goal: Marra
BOG: Adz

[Mat Lyons]

Don't miss Dougie's magnificent comments on the topics EVERY Bulldog fan is talking about!...

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[The Bulldogs Bite]

Not sure the 5-day break helps after playing in the wet.

If we've got a few sick, this could be ugly.

Would love to see us throw everything at the Swans.

Sydney by 28
FG Darcy
BOG Bont

[Happy Days]

I too have a bad feeling about this one. The Swans’ game style is quick as hell and really suited to Marvel, and I think they’ll open us up.

I’m also astonished that despite AFL.com.au telling me that the AFL has the best fixture guru in the history of fixture gurus that 5 day breaks off interstate trips are still happening.

[Mantis]

I too have a bad feeling about this one. The Swans’ game style is quick as hell and really suited to Marvel, and I think they’ll open us up.

So how do we counter that?

We know they're quick and like to move the ball quickly... we need to counter-act their ball movement and not allow ourselves to lose this way.

We must take this game into the trenches, clog up space in their front half (we can't give up out the back/ sling shot goals) and hopefully expose their lack of height in defence.

[G-Mo77]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say we'll win this one. We're playing some great footy right now and think Sydney is due to drop one. It would be a great scalp to have if we take it.

[Sedat]

So how do we counter that?

We know they're quick and like to move the ball quickly... we need to counter-act their ball movement and not allow ourselves to lose this way.

We must take this game into the trenches, clog up space in their front half (we can't give up out the back/ sling shot goals) and hopefully expose their lack of height in defence.

Easier said than done, but we just need to be 'on' tonight. I know they have significant weapons and we need to put some work/plans into these (others have already articulated what these are and potential plans), but it really comes down to our unwavering competitiveness at contests for 120 minutes. If we are switched on tonight and our forward half gets plenty of good looks inside F50, they will have a really hard time stopping our key forwards in the air with McCartin still out. Francis, Melican and Rampe will need enormous help from the likes of Blakey zoning off and especially from their mids preventing our F50 supply.

It all starts with English v Grundy. Grundy has toyed with English in the past and Tim really has to attack the ruck contests tonight to blunt the stoppage threat of Grundy. Do that and we will be in this up to our eyeballs.

We are a tricky opponent for Sydney with our aerial threat up forward and our strong midfield notionally being able to match theirs (if 'good' Bulldogs show up). They also don't have absolute topline key forwards to exploit our weakness in the defensive half. On the flipside, they do have gun pressure forwards and their mids are also incredibly dangerous going forward.

[bornadog]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say we'll win this one. We're playing some great footy right now and think Sydney is due to drop one. It would be a great scalp to have if we take it.

Even though I hate Thursday night footy, I will be there and like you have a feeling we will knock this mob off.

[Mantis]

Easier said than done, but we just need to be 'on' tonight. I know they have significant weapons and we need to put some work/plans into these (others have already articulated what these are and potential plans), but it really comes down to our unwavering competitiveness at contests for 120 minutes. If we are switched on tonight and our forward half gets plenty of good looks inside F50, they will have a really hard time stopping our key forwards in the air with McCartin still out. Francis, Melican and Rampe will need enormous help from the likes of Blakey zoning off and especially from their mids preventing our F50 supply.

It all starts with English v Grundy. Grundy has toyed with English in the past and Tim really has to attack the ruck contests tonight to blunt the stoppage threat of Grundy. Do that and we will be in this up to our eyeballs.

We are a tricky opponent for Sydney with our aerial threat up forward and our strong midfield notionally being able to match theirs (if 'good' Bulldogs show up). They also don't have absolute topline key forwards to exploit our weakness in the defensive half. On the flipside, they do have gun pressure forwards and their mids are also incredibly dangerous going forward.

I can't believe it's taken you until the morning of the game to bring this topic up.... it's a little-known fact that Brodie slept in the change rooms last night.

Tim needs to be at his absolute best tonight... if he wants to be a million-dollar player, he needs to be up to the challenge opponents like Grundy presents.

I don't want to see us defending high tonight and I don't want to see Jones leaving D50, he needs to be our anchor point. I also want to see Bont spending more time as our ''defensive mid'' in terms of positioning tonight, especially early on... we need to be in the game for as long as possible so that we can take advantage of our tall forwards and feel Bont can really help in this area.

[Happy Days]

So how do we counter that?

We know they're quick and like to move the ball quickly... we need to counter-act their ball movement and not allow ourselves to lose this way.

We must take this game into the trenches, clog up space in their front half (we can't give up out the back/ sling shot goals) and hopefully expose their lack of height in defence.

Everything you’re saying is right but I don’t know that we can actually do it. They’re *really* good and have weapons everywhere.

The stats say that we should have a clear advantage at stoppage and will get killed outside of it. If we can be first and emphasise protecting the ball at the expense of there being any speed on it, I think it will go a long way. We also have to make their actual forwards be the one to try and kick their score. That space 65-50m out from goal is deadly for them when Warner, Heeney or Gulden have it.

I dunno. I just think they’re better than us.

[Eastdog]

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2024/05/...-afl-round-11/

Western Bulldogs v Sydney
Thursday - 7:30pm AEST – Marvel Stadium

Thursday night footy is set to return to its brilliant best in Round 11, with both the Western Bulldogs and Sydney Swans in strong form.

John Longmire’s Swans are shooting for a 10-1 record, a start to the season not seen for the club since 1936. They’ve been clinical throughout the 2024 season, with all of their wins coming by 22 points or more in proving potent ahead of the footy.

Ironically, their only loss came to now-17th Richmond. Make sense of that as you will, but Sydney holds no fears having since claimed the scalps of Gold Coast, GWS, Fremantle in Perth and most recently Carlton.

In defeating the Blues, Swan Chad Warner played the second best game seen this year on AFL rating points and proved that if you want to go after one star, another one is going to stand up in spades.

Combatting all of Sydney’s weapons is Luke Beveridge’s biggest headache on paper, with game-breakers on every line for the Swans.

But in what is a mild free hit for the Dogs after their last two wins, including most recently over the Giants at Engie Stadium, expect Beveridge’s men to come out firing on all cylinders.

They’ve averaged just shy over 100 points over the last three weeks, with key forward Aaron Naughton looking to be in career best form.

Ed Richards has also proven to be dynamite in the midfield, while a Liam Jones-led defence has conceded just 12 total goals in the last fortnight.

Their game is in good order, a leap back into the top eight beckons with a win and the Swans may be sleepy in the week before their bye.

But Sydney’s proven to be the most trustworthy team in the competition so far and have no chinks in their armour.

Tip: Sydney by 24 points.

Seb Mottram