A brief history of our finals matches

[always right]

Re: A brief history of our finals matches

Absolutely certain I watched this final but for the life of me I can only remember Bubba and West being chaired off the ground. The actual game itself seems (fortuitously) to have been erased from my memory.

[LostDoggy]

Re: A brief history of our finals matches

Thoroughly enjoying the write-ups Peanuts and they are incredible accurate, but have to pull you up on this one - Grant played on in 2007.

You are right. It's funny I thought I had a clear memory of Grant talking about how he knew it was time to retire after WCE beat us so easily in that final, so I wrote it without checking, but that is obviously wrong. There you go.

[LostDoggy]

Re: A brief history of our finals matches

VFL/AFL FINAL #36 (11-24)

After the excitement of Eade's attacking gameplans and promise of our highly rated youngsters in 2006, the 2007 season was most peculiar. We played well in fits and starts over the first two thirds of the season, never quite getting on a roll strong enough to look a genuine contender, but we did well enough to defeat both eventual grand finalists and to be sitting 7th and poised, with a 9-6 record, after 15 rounds.

Then over the last 7 rounds we lost 6 and drew one. In a number of these losses we would build early leads, only to show zero resistance when challenged and be smashed late in games. Still haven't heard the full story of what went down in those 7 weeks, a very strange time.

So by 2008, we reverted to our usual underdog role. Over the 2007 and 2008 preseasons, we made some judicious trades. We had a strong backline (built around Lake-Gilbee-Hargrave-Harbrow) and midfield, and added experienced Akermanis, Welsh and Hudsin into our Ruck/Forward mix.

2008 was an extraordinary year, with 3 teams dominating the H&A season. After 8 rounds. all 3 were undefeated (Hawthorn, Geelong 8 wins, us 7 wins 1 draw) which had never before occurred in a VFL/AFL season. After 15 rounds it was Geel 14-1, WB 13-1-1, Haw 13-2.

As in 2007, however, our form did fall off badly in the last 7 weeks. Whilst Geelong powered to the finals (they finished 21-1, 161%), Hawthorn faltered slightly, finishing 17-5 (131%), and we faltered badly, winning just 2 of the last 7 to finish 15-6-1 (118%).

Our 2008 team was a team of extremes. It was, by a margin, the most productive scoring team in Bulldog history. Total points scored of 2506 (average 114 per game) was well above any other year, however our points against of 2112 (average 96) was way higher than any other team in the top 4 or any team that statistically goes on to win grand finals.

So after looking downright dominant at stages of the year, we entered the finals doubting, but still hopeful knowing our best was good enough (many of us drawing on our dismantling of a then undefeated Hawthorn in Tasmania in Round 10).

As the third placed team, we met 2nd placed Hawthorn to kick off the 2008 final series on a Friday night at the MCG in front of 76,703.

The game started with the usual finals frenetic energy, with bodies flying but no scores for the first 8 minutes. We started ok, and were leading at the 15 minute mark (13-9), as the play settled however it became apparent that Hawthorn were scoring too freely and by quarter time it was Hawthorn 4-5-29 to Bulldogs 2-1-13.

The 2nd quarter was even worse, with only 1 goal in the first 12 minutes, but once Hawthorn got on top it was an avalanche and the half time score read 10-12-72 to 4-4-28.

Again in the 3rd we looked ok early, scoring the first 2 goals, but got smashed in the back half of the quarter, by 3 quarter time it was 15-17-107 to 7-7-49.

The last was all junktime. Final scores; Hawthorn 18-19-127 to WB 11-10-76.

This game confirmed our worst fears, that our season had run out of steam and that the gap between us and the very top teams when it mattered was still significant.

The stats from the match are telling our 11 goals from 423 stats to Hawthorn's 18 from 347 say that we had to work way harder for our goals, with Hawthorn's directness and efficiency killing us.

Tom Williams inability to get his body right also hurt, with Lake the only genuine key defender and Franklin and Roughead having a field day on the end of Hawthorn's clean, incisive entries (between them they had 12 marks inside 50 and 11 goals).

Multiple goalkickers were Akermanis, 3, Cooney, Hill, Giansiracusa, 2.

Best were Daniel Cross, who again really rose to the top under the finals pressure, a mighty performance (39 possessions, 11 contested, 13 marks and 4 tackles), Daniel Giansiracusa (25 possessions, 11 marks, 3 inside 30s, 2 goals 2 on a difficult night for half forwards), Dale Morris (22 possessions, 5 tackles) and Adam Cooney (26 possessions, 4 clearances, 2 goals 2).

[bulldogtragic]

Re: A brief history of our finals matches

This game was up there in the top 3 games of the worst days of footy I've ever been to. Horrible, just horrible.

I remember in the third quarter the only time for about 15 minutes we passed the centre was Buddy giving Lake 50m penalties.

Again, horrible.

[Twodogs]

Re: A brief history of our finals matches

They toyed with us that night, their coaches were experimenting with set ups at times like it was a training run. God it was dire.

[merantau]

Re: A brief history of our finals matches

Yes a huge disappointment. In 2008 I left Australia headed for India. By mid-year I was on an island called Lembata in esatern Indonesia. I was actually half way up a volcano called "Ili Api" - the mountain of fire - when I got an SMS from a mate informing me that the Dogs were 10 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw. I changed plans immediately. India could wait, I was heading home. Bad result. Was really disappointed.

[Sedat]

Re: A brief history of our finals matches

Massively disappointing performance. We were like rabbits in the headlight all night, with panicky overuse of the ball that gifted the ball back to the Hawks who made us pay with interest all night.

I would disagree with Cross being listed as our best player on the night - he was one of the chief culprits in our overuse on the night. Hodge has half the number of possessions but absolutely dominated us in the quarterback role - he was BOG even with Buddy kicking a big bag.

Whilst we were clearly a notch below the two best teams in 2008, we didn't put our best foot forward at all in this match. And that was the most disappointing thing about it. I have no complaints at all about our effort and intensity in all of the PF losses from 2008-2010 but our QF losses in each of those seasons were damning to say the least.

[LostDoggy]

Re: A brief history of our finals matches

VFL/AFL FINAL #37 (11-25)

Having lost to Hawthorn, we met Sydney in an Elimination Final at the MCG on a Saturday Night in front of 42,731.

Going into this match, it felt like the gap between the op 3-4 teams and the rest was significant and that we should win as long as we put our best foot forward. There was a feeling of anxiety as a straight sets exit would've badly undersold our efforts through the year.

The first quarter was a typical finals feeling out period, with both teams cracking in fiercely and scoring opportunities proving hard to gain. At quarter time, Sydney led 2-4-16 to 2-3-15.

It was more of the same in the 2nd, with Sydney leading by 1-2 goals for most of the quarter and doing well to prevent our free flowing passages to develop, however late goals to Rob Murphy and Scott Welsh changed the momentum and we took a narrow lead into half time; 6-5-41 to 5-7-37.

After half time, the game opened up and we started to assert ourselves. Aside from scoring more freely, we dried Sydney up, keeping them to 6 points for the quarter, 3 of which were rushed. By 3 quarter time, we had built a match winning ascendancy, leading 11-9-75 to 5-13-43.

The tension was removed in the last and we went on to record a solid, hard fought victory; 16-10-106 to 9-15-69.

Multiple goalscorers were Rob Murphy, 3, Scott Welsh, Josh Hill and Nathan Eagleton, 2.

Best were Matthew Boyd (33 disposals, 10 contested, 6 tackles, 4 clearances), Rob Murphy (16 disposals, 11 marks, 3 contested marks, 7 inside 50s and 3 goals 2), Lindsay Gilbee (28 disposals, 9 marks), Ryan Griffen (20 disposals, 11 contested, 6 inside 50s, 5 tackles) and Dale Morris (15 possessions, 7 contested, 8 marks).

[Sedat]

Re: A brief history of our finals matches

Good win considering the week before and the fact that Sydney tried to destroy the contest with their horrible Roos-patented '1 million stoppages a game' style. We hung in and found a way through the opposition's negative game plan.

The Bald Eagle was certainly good at icing games in junk time - his 2 monster goals on the run in the last qtr were a sight to behold. Will he repeat the dose the following week in the PF?