Rd 2 2008 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs match preview

[1eyedog]

Re: Rd 2 2008 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs match preview

If Addison goes to Davey he will be left for dead.

Griffen has the speed to go with him and the skill to hurt him going the other way.

Davey would leave scorch marks on Griff's thighs, he does not have enough pace to follow Davey. Put Josh Hill on Davey and see how he goes. Indigenous players always have mutual respect for one another and mentally there are things that they think they can't get away with i.e they tend to play more conservatively on each other for a while. It's worth a try. Agree with Morris v Robertson, Lake v Neitz, Wight v Holland (need to bring in Doog here because Holland will go to him if Doog plays forward), and Hargrave on Sylvia (although I don't think this is a good match up). I too am worried about the slop, the D's have good in and under players and wet, windy conditions will negate our speed (and I believe) our skill superiority. I am really worried about this game if Moloney, Green, Bruce, Davey and Robbo paly at 70-80% we could be in trouble. I agree that to stamp ourselves on the competition this year we need to win this game by at least 6 goals. Getting over the line will instill absolutely no confidence in me.

[Mantis]

Re: Rd 2 2008 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs match preview

Davey would leave scorch marks on Griff's thighs, he does not have enough pace to follow Davey. Put Josh Hill on Davey and see how he goes. Indigenous players always have mutual respect for one another and mentally there are things that they think they can't get away with i.e they tend to play more conservatively on each other for a while. It's worth a try. Agree with Morris v Robertson, Lake v Neitz, Wight v Holland (need to bring in Doog here because Holland will go to him if Doog plays forward), and Hargrave on Sylvia (although I don't think this is a good match up). I too am worried about the slop, the D's have good in and under players and wet, windy conditions will negate our speed (and I believe) our skill superiority. I am really worried about this game if Moloney, Green, Bruce, Davey and Robbo paly at 70-80% we could be in trouble. I agree that to stamp ourselves on the competition this year we need to win this game by at least 6 goals. Getting over the line will instill absolutely no confidence in me.

Josh Hill is an attacking wingman/ Half forward. He is not an option in my mind to play on Davey.

You have missed out Newton in your match-ups. McDougall did a good job on him last year, but with the wet conditions expected the Dee's might only play 2 talls up forward.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Rd 2 2008 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs match preview

Great thread Mantis it was a pleasure to read

Has anyone considered it might be a wet day!

[1eyedog]

Re: Rd 2 2008 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs match preview

Great thread Mantis it was a pleasure to read

Has anyone considered it might be a wet day!

Yeah a few posts mine included. It is a concern to me may make the game a 50/50 where we lose skill and pace superiority.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Rd 2 2008 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs match preview

Davey would leave scorch marks on Griff's thighs, he does not have enough pace to follow Davey. Put Josh Hill on Davey and see how he goes. Indigenous players always have mutual respect for one another and mentally there are things that they think they can't get away with i.e they tend to play more conservatively on each other for a while. It's worth a try. Agree with Morris v Robertson, Lake v Neitz, Wight v Holland (need to bring in Doog here because Holland will go to him if Doog plays forward), and Hargrave on Sylvia (although I don't think this is a good match up). I too am worried about the slop, the D's have good in and under players and wet, windy conditions will negate our speed (and I believe) our skill superiority. I am really worried about this game if Moloney, Green, Bruce, Davey and Robbo paly at 70-80% we could be in trouble. I agree that to stamp ourselves on the competition this year we need to win this game by at least 6 goals. Getting over the line will instill absolutely no confidence in me.

You should have mentioned that to Andrew McLeod on the weekend.

[Mantis]

Re: Rd 2 2008 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs match preview

You should have mentioned that to Andrew McLeod on the weekend.

Hill mentioned in a post match interview that he didn't know what to do when McLeod stood next to him for parts of the last qtr on Sunday. Hill mentioned that McLeod had been a hero of his growing up and was a bit awe-struck that he was actually playing on him.

[ledge]

Re: Rd 2 2008 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs match preview

Wet weather and Doogs im not to sure, i dont think we have a prob with wet weather, remember we have West, Griffen,Cross, Aker, Higgins, just to mention a few who are used to the bottom of the pack and hard work type. My question is Green,Nietz, Robertson and Bruce, of these players i believe some are good for high marks(not good in wet weather) and the others dont like it hard and like to look pretty.
But in mentioning that after last week those pretty players are going to have to get ugly this week whether it rains or not.

[hujsh]

Re: Rd 2 2008 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs match preview

We did just beat the Roos in the Pre-Season. Although it was just that, the pre-season. We are apparently stronger so we should be alright

[mjp]

Re: Rd 2 2008 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs match preview

Yeah a few posts mine included. It is a concern to me may make the game a 50/50 where we lose skill and pace superiority.

Skilfull players stand out MORE in the wet, not less.

[The Coon Dog]

Re: Rd 2 2008 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs match preview

Skilfull players stand out MORE in the wet, not less.

True, remember Aker against Geelong when still at Brisbane & those 2 goals from tight angles or Doug Hawkins at the Whitten Oval when it rained?

[hujsh]

Re: Rd 2 2008 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs match preview

True, remember Aker against Geelong when still at Brisbane & those 2 goals from tight angles or Doug Hawkins at the Whitten Oval when it rained?

I think the champion players are generally the ones who standout in the wet. Skillful outside receiver players can go missing.

[1eyedog]

Re: Rd 2 2008 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs match preview

Skilfull players stand out MORE in the wet, not less.

Champion players stand out more in the wet I agree, but skillful players? I don't think so. Over the years I've seen too many 'skillful' players fall by the wayside in the slop, from GFL under 19s to the AFL competition. Skillful and champion are mutually exclusive. We have a team of skillful players, not champion players (except West, Johnno and Aker).

[The Underdog]

Re: Rd 2 2008 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs match preview

I guess if it is wet and we have to put our bodies on the line then it'll be a further test of our physicality. My query on the possible wet weather is that in the past few years in most cases when we've been called on to play in the wet we've often failed to adapt our game. We've tried to play dry weather footy in wet conditions. We'll see if we have gotten smarter as well as harder. It used to be that these kind of days were made for us, now I'm not so sure.

[mjp]

Re: Rd 2 2008 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs match preview

Champion players stand out more in the wet I agree, but skillful players? I don't think so. Over the years I've seen too many 'skillful' players fall by the wayside in the slop, from GFL under 19s to the AFL competition. Skillful and champion are mutually exclusive. We have a team of skillful players, not champion players (except West, Johnno and Aker).

Let's start naming names then?

Guys I think of as outstanding wet-weather footballers (because of their skill level) include:

Peter Matera
Maurice Rioli
Chris Lewis
Robbie Flower
....you get the idea.

I guess what I am saying is that the idea people have that 'smash and bash, hard at it' (or whatever other cliche's you want to use) are well suited to wet weather is crap. Guys who can't kick, have even more trouble. Guys who can't mark, really, really, really cant mark. And players who aren't clean below the knees are basically useless.

As for 'Skillful and Champion' being mutually exclusive, you might be right from one perspective - that just because a player has good skills does not mean he is a champ, but if the reverse is true there are not too many examples I can think of! I think what you are really trying to say is that weak minded outside players - often kindly described as 'skillful' - are no good in the wet. I dont actually think we have too many of those either, and a couple who might eventually fit the category are way too young to be tarred by such a description...I would further say such players are no good wet OR dry.

As for your 'we have a team of skilfull players' line, I will dispute that as well. We actually have very few highly skilled players in our team at the moment - and some such as Addison and Hahn who are complete liabilities.

[hujsh]

Re: Rd 2 2008 - Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs match preview

As for your 'we have a team of skilfull players' line, I will dispute that as well. We actually have very few highly skilled players in our team at the moment - and some such as Addison and Hahn who are complete liabilities.

That probably comes from the 05/06 hype where some papers claimed we were the most skillful team in the comp