3 things learned from Rd 11 vs Sydney 2024

[angelopetraglia]

1. Some of the Sydney supporters sitting in the Bulldog seats deserved a good old fashioned beating.

2. The young kids got the job done in the last quarter in the middle. As Bevo called them the Triple Rs. It was great to see them influence the game like that.

3. Chad Warner is an elite footballer. Lowered his colours in the midfield battler prior to half time. Goes forward and basically wins the game off his own boot. It hurt, but gee whiz it was impressive to see.

[MrMahatma]

1. We played the best there is, men down and off a 5 day break, and it took our own inefficiency in front of goal and the aliens to beat us.
2. Our kids are good. They’re well developed and are gonna be quality. They make mistakes, but cause they’re coached to take the right option, which sometimes comes with risk.
3. Reckon we make the 8 and go deep. We’re no St Kilda.

[AshMac]

1. A brave game across the whole playing group with glimpses of our best footy.
2. Our F50 efficiency cost us the game - we regularly get more chances at scoring than our opposition
3. I really felt the umpiring impacted the final 10 minutes. The way our forwards are manhandled was ridiculous, the lack of HTB?s and the 50 against VDM for something Blakey did 3 minutes earlier was infuriating

[Bullies]

1. Being at the game you notice so much more the reason both Daniel and Macrae can't play in the same side when we are at full strength. Their lack of pace really stands out which is now impacting their disposal. You can see why Bevo is going with pace.

2. The defenders and English did not come off the ground in the 2nd half. Well done guys. Those saying Keath looked slow need to try doing what he did last night.

3. The unpredicability of the 3 little bulls going into the mid field in the last was a sight to see. They more than held their own and certainly made a contest.

4. You can see the improvement with Sanders already with his defensive traits he has been learning in the 2's. That spell in the 2's should keep him in good stead.

[bulldogtragic]

1. Being at the game you notice so much more the reason both Daniel and Macrae can't play in the same side when we are at full strength. Their lack of pace really stands out which is now impacting their disposal. You can see why Bevo is going with pace.

2. The defenders and English did not come off the ground in the 2nd half. Well done guys. Those saying Keath looked slow need to try doing what he did last night.

3. The unpredicability of the 3 little bulls going into the mid field in the last was a sight to see. They more than held their own and certainly made a contest.

4. You can see the improvement with Sanders already with his defensive traits he has been learning in the 2's. That spell in the 2's should keep him in good stead.

As I said in another thread. CD still offers us something. I think Macrae needs a new home to refresh his career.

[The Adelaide Connection]

1. We can match it with the best. I do always worry that we are a team that likes to play to the standard of our opposition.
The challenge is to play like this each week, not let teams we should towel up have season bests against us (WC/Hawks late last year).

2. Somebody has been kicking black cats under ladders and through mirrors. Seriously- as if a 5 day break wasn't enough without all that carnage.

3. A few weeks is a long time in football. Wonder if everyone who was burning memberships will be ringing the club to get a replacement

[bornadog]

1. Although the younger players did well, they still make costly mistakes and don't have the strength to tackle properly - lots of broken tackles last night.

2. I am sick and tired of umpires influencing a game - those two 50m penalties for knocking the ball out of the players hands were utter bullshit. When it happened to us - nothing.

3. Swans have finishing polish, our young players need to learn how to.

[azabob]

1. Although the younger players did well, they still make costly mistakes and don't have the strength to tackle properly - lots of broken tackles last night.

2. I am sick and tired of umpires influencing a game - those two 50m penalties for knocking the ball out of the players hands were utter bullshit. When it happened to us - nothing.

3. Swans have finishing polish, our young players need to learn how to.

Jack Macrae seemed to also get bulldozed through a number of times which was also disappointing.

The Swans finishing ability makes me sick. Not only finishing in front of goal but in general play.

I do wonder how it will hold up in preliminary final weekend... at times we pressured them into mistakes.

[Sedat]

The Swans finishing ability makes me sick. Not only finishing in front of goal but in general play.

I do wonder how it will hold up in preliminary final weekend... at times we pressured them into mistakes.

They were deadly by foot last night. Every little mistake we made was punished on the scoreboard, which is what elite teams do.

You're right with regard to less time and space in finals and how it affects those teams who rely on the uncontested game more. They have some bulls in midfield, even though we beat them comprehensively in there last night.

[bulldogtragic]

Jack Macrae seemed to also get bulldozed through a number of times which was also disappointing.

Yep, it’s just plain sad seeing him this year. He’s slower, seemingly indecisive, gets pushed around, can’t stick tackles and is a general non factor. I can’t remember a player ever falling so far so quickly than what Jack is going through.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

1. Once in a blue moon, you'll watch your team go down with the odds against them and still be very proud. This is the sort of game that can give players and supporters renewed hope.

2.Going to thursday night footy isn't great.

3. Bevo still has the players playing for him.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

1. West needs more time in the middle, and not just when the game is just about done. He has a chaotic element to his game which is beneficial, that kick out of mid air was great.
2. Injuries/Concussions are going to be a massive headache for the AFL and I can see football looking like a very different sport in 10 years.
3. I will not be sleeping well until there is some confirmation on Naughton's injury.

No 2 is a great point. With so many concussions in games these days you also have to consider extended interchanges. Teams are going to get screwed over like we did last night with no extra runners to bring in. Extra subs are needed that you can bring in.

[SlimPickens]

1. Our conditioning is very good. The fact we ran out the game reasonably well considering the injuries and 5 day break was incredibly positive.

2. Bont needs to spend time forward (i'd be looking 70/30 forward/mid) whilst Naughton recovers. I dont think Lobb is an automatic selection.

3. I'm slowly coming around to seeing the importance the VDM brings to the side, his work rate to create options and space when others couldn't was very impressive.

[Mantis]

1. Our conditioning is very good. The fact we ran out the game reasonably well considering the injuries and 5 day break was incredibly positive.

2. Bont needs to spend time forward (i'd be looking 70/30 forward/mid) whilst Naughton recovers. I dont think Lobb is an automatic selection.

3. I'm slowly coming around to seeing the importance the VDM brings to the side, his work rate to create options and space when others couldn't was very impressive.

Good calls Slim.

We were cooked at 3/4 time, but the shift of personnel in the midfield gave us a fresh lift and we finished really strong... We were still out on our feet trying to defend at times, but scrambled well.

Good call on Bont moving forward, the likes of West & Garcia have shown the ability to be impactful in the centre so the reliance on Bont to have big midfield minutes is lessened.

[kickit2Koly]

1. The swans are very beatable, they are not as good as their 10-1 record would suggest. I'm not sure their game style holds up in a high pressure finals and I look forward to them choking on the big stage again.

2. You have to respect the stones on Bevo. With his job seemingly on the line and people coming for him all year, he plays the kids in important positions at important times. I loved that we were down by 5 goals and our midfield rotation was Sander, Garcia, west and Treloar. All four showed some grit and played a large part in getting us back into the game.

3. Just when you thought umpiring couldn't get any worse the AFL said hold my beer and added a 4th. I have never felt more frustrated at the inconsistency of umpiring. The arm chop paid once and then not again for the rest of the game, the 7 x 50m penalties, the rubbish stand rule, players been allowed to just drop the ball etc. Finally the crescendo of incompetency the 50 on VDM after the non call on Blakey earlier in the qtr ruined the end of a good game.