Game Day Round EF 2015 - Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Game Day Round EF 2015 - Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows

This. Should not be missing from 35 metres in front. Grant was even closer. I just knew it would bite us us - shades of 09 against the Cats.

Whole of team performance. I think Bonts on the full was the worst of his 3 misses, Wallis miss was crucial and Crameri kicking 2.5 was out of the ordinary for him too. Was a real team effort to miss so many gettable chances.

[Mantis]

Re: Game Day Round EF 2015 - Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows

I am not saying Talia should have played, I am saying Roberts and Hamling weren't up to the task and we had little choice.

If you had told me prior to the game that Adelaide would have kicked 16 goals and Walker and Jenkins would have combined for 3 I would've laughed.

Roberts and Hamling did pretty well all things considered.

[Bornadog]

Re: Game Day Round EF 2015 - Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows

If you had told me prior to the game that Adelaide would have kicked 16 goals and Walker and Jenkins would have combined for 3 I would've laughed.

Roberts and Hamling did pretty well all things considered.

Walkers 10 marks was telling in the end.

[1eyedog]

Re: Game Day Round EF 2015 - Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows

Whole of team performance. I think Bonts on the full was the worst of his 3 misses, Wallis miss was crucial and Crameri kicking 2.5 was out of the ordinary for him too. Was a real team effort to miss so many gettable chances.

Agreed Grant and Bont weren't alone. Stewy has to learn to lower the eyes every once in a while.

[G-Mo77]

Re: Game Day Round EF 2015 - Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows

After sitting through many gut wrenching finals losses you think I'd be used to this. Nope. I'm absolutely gutted right now, long drive back and I'll sit in bed for the next 2 - 3 hours wondering what could have been.

[merantau]

Re: Game Day Round EF 2015 - Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows

So close again and it IS painful. However, we have begun to assemble the team to win a flag. This was an important step. Big stage, 60,000 in and we got a valuable lesson in what you have to do to win a final - kick straight and choose the right option. Picken, Wallis and Dahl simply magnificent. 2016 - bring it on! I'm pumped! Go Dogs!!!

[Mantis]

Re: Game Day Round EF 2015 - Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows

Walkers 10 marks was telling in the end.

Walker is a gun who has played over 100 games.. Our 2 key defenders have played less than 20 each.

[G-Mo77]

Re: Game Day Round EF 2015 - Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows

Walker is a gun who has played over 100 games.. Our 2 key defenders have played less than 20 each.

I thought both improved as the game went on. Roberts did make some big errors late though. Hopefully all involved will be better for it.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Game Day Round EF 2015 - Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows

I believed that earlier tonight but the this group with no weight of history on their shoulders did exactly the same thing as many teams before did, and lost in exactly the same way. It is a very tough gig being a Dogs supporter.

That's how I feel about it too. I was pretty certain this team was very different to that of 97-98 and 08-10, so much so that I hadn't even thought about what happened in those games today. Walking to the G tonight, I was sure if we played well then we'd win.

To lose in exactly the same way has left me feeling as flat as I can remember. A sobering reminder that we are, after all, Dogs supporters.

There's more to it (ie. our team defense was atrocious in the first half especially) but I'm finding it difficult to be overly positive right now. We have some major issues with the list (ageing players in key positions, bare cupboard for key backs, unproven rucks and a gun mid short) and our depth isn't as good as we thought it was when we were toweling up mediocre sides like Essendon and Port. Our top 15-18 or so looks good, but there's still a lot to fix.

[SonofScray]

Re: Game Day Round EF 2015 - Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows

A horrible night.

One of my best mates had a fit just as the players ran out, had to administer first aid and frantically plead for MCG staff to assist while they looked on dumbfounded. The site of his face turning blue and shaking is going to keep me awake for days. I can't recall any details of the game to be perfectly frank, other than at 4.4 I felt we'd fluffed it.

This felt like a less controversial version of the 09 Prelim. We were good enough and are good to have got the result and I believe to have won the lot this year. Not "in the future" now. Today. I'm a mess at moment. So disappointed.

The March was a great scene. So glad the idea came to life.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day Round EF 2015 - Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows

Walker played an inspired game tonight, but he was defended as well as could be hoped. He only took 3 marks inside 50 and ran long and hard for his possessions. Key defenders just can not stop that. He only took 2 contested marks all night, everything else was long, hard, sustained leading.

All of Walkers goals were kicked from 50 or further and Jenkins had 0 shots on goal. If Walker doesn't freakishly nail 3 from 50+, the tall defender stats look a lot better

Adelaide's leading marktaker inside 50 was Eddie Betts.

The way the game played out, I am firmly in the camp that thought Hamling and Roberts did a very sound job, as they did last week when Brisbane's key forwards did very little despite heavy supply.

Mind you, I'd still really love a genuine power kpd next year.

[Rocco Jones]

Re: Game Day Round EF 2015 - Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows

I find the Talia calls hilarious. As Sedat mentioned, Kyle Hardingham smashed him today.

[Sedat]

Re: Game Day Round EF 2015 - Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows

This. Should not be missing from 35 metres in front. Grant was even closer. I just knew it would bite us us - shades of 09 against the Cats.

For me, it's not even about the missed shots in the 1st and 3rd qtr - as annoying and ultimately damaging as they were. It is about lacking composure in critical moments late in finals - the Bont out of bounds and the Crameri fumble/missed handpass from Hunter. Nail these 2 moments, as the players involved should have, and we have a famous finals win. By contrast Walker nailed his key moments - one a set shot and one a beautiful spot-up to Charlie Cameron. We have never nailed the key moments in finals, not in my lifetime anyway. I cling to the hope that one day we'll be on the right side of a Billy Brainless after the siren moment, a Darren Jarman putting us away, a Riewoldt stepping up, a Leigh Matthews bobbing up in crucial moments, and not always on the receiving end of such heartbreaking moments. We've had our chances over the years (as we did tonight) - the Bont/Crameri moments tonight can just be added to the Gilbee miss in 09, the Mark West miss and Grant/Hudson fumbles in 97, the inability to ice 30 seconds off the clock against Geelong in 94, etc...

[Sedat]

Re: Game Day Round EF 2015 - Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows

If Walker doesn't freakishly nail 3 from 50+, the tall defender stats look a lot better

Were they freakish, or simply clinical?

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Game Day Round EF 2015 - Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide Crows

For me, it's not even about the missed shots in the 1st and 3rd qtr - as annoying and ultimately damaging as they were. It is about lacking composure in critical moments late in finals - the Bont out of bounds and the Crameri fumble/missed handpass from Hunter. Nail these 2 moments, as the players involved should have, and we have a famous finals win. By contrast Walker nailed his key moments - one a set shot and one a beautiful spot-up to Charlie Cameron. We have never nailed the key moments in finals, not in my lifetime anyway. I cling to the hope that one day we'll be on the right side of a Billy Brainless after the siren moment, a Darren Jarman putting us away, a Riewoldt stepping up, a Leigh Matthews bobbing up in crucial moments, and not always on the receiving end of such heartbreaking moments. We've had our chances over the years (as we did tonight) - the Bont/Crameri moments tonight can just be added to the Gilbee miss in 09, the Mark West miss and Grant/Hudson fumbles in 97, the inability to ice 30 seconds off the clock against Geelong in 94, etc...

Lin Jong nailed his moment. We just didn't nail enough.