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I've had to re-type this out, as the stupid Adelaidenow site never includes the feature articles that run in the paper, thought it was a good article and worth it though! For those in Adelaide, check the article inside Footy Monday.
Once again the Crows and Power provided another fantastic Showdown performance. It had everything - big hits, plenty of passion and, overall, rates as one of the best in 24 contests. But the Western Bulldogs' performance on Friday night, when the Doggies gave St Kilda a six-goal start and then trounced them by six, will be largely overlooked - even forgotten. Pity, because it was football at its best.
The Bulldogs' last three quarters was football perfection. A blend of spectacular attacking football that we remember from the "good old days" (whenever they were), and modern, high rotation, game with its defensive emphasis. But we didn't see too much of a defensive attitude from Rodney Eade's men. Eade can seriously coach, and his young charges have responded, and started the year with three successive wins. After quarter time they smothered the underperforming Saints, impressively won the hard ball when there was immense pressure around it, and threw the ball around with what appeared to be reckless intent.
But of course it wasn't reckless. When the coach tells you to give the ball first time to the running player, regardless of the pressure you, or he, is under, there is no time to blink or question. Just do it! The result was the Bulldogs' players running confidently ro receive, demanding that their team-mates win the ball and give it to them. We saw tough competitive football in the clinches which exploded into a free-running attacking spectacle.
The game, despite those who are keen to pronounce its last rites, is not dead - and the Bulldogs, despite being undersized and possibly undermanned, deserve many accolades for preserving its image.
For me, the most interesting Bulldogs player is their often tagged, running hald-back, Lindsay Gilbee. Gilbee epitomises the modern footballer who generates so much attack from defence. Yet to be widely recognised for the length of his long accurate kicking, he is also tough. Kane Cornes tagged him last year, and when the ball was 50 metres away, he laid his right arm across his chest to establish contact and let him know he was there.
Gilbee who, unbeknown to Cornes had trained in the martial art of Braziliam tae-kwon-do, responded instantly, in blinding speed with a move that locked the arm, hyper-extended the elbow and caused great anguish and pain to Cornes who feared that his arm had been broken. He has a new found respect for Gilbee. Unless the rest of the football world starts to respect the Bulldogs they will cause a lot more serious pain to their opponents.
Once again the Crows and Power provided another fantastic Showdown performance. It had everything - big hits, plenty of passion and, overall, rates as one of the best in 24 contests. But the Western Bulldogs' performance on Friday night, when the Doggies gave St Kilda a six-goal start and then trounced them by six, will be largely overlooked - even forgotten. Pity, because it was football at its best.
The Bulldogs' last three quarters was football perfection. A blend of spectacular attacking football that we remember from the "good old days" (whenever they were), and modern, high rotation, game with its defensive emphasis. But we didn't see too much of a defensive attitude from Rodney Eade's men. Eade can seriously coach, and his young charges have responded, and started the year with three successive wins. After quarter time they smothered the underperforming Saints, impressively won the hard ball when there was immense pressure around it, and threw the ball around with what appeared to be reckless intent.
But of course it wasn't reckless. When the coach tells you to give the ball first time to the running player, regardless of the pressure you, or he, is under, there is no time to blink or question. Just do it! The result was the Bulldogs' players running confidently ro receive, demanding that their team-mates win the ball and give it to them. We saw tough competitive football in the clinches which exploded into a free-running attacking spectacle.
The game, despite those who are keen to pronounce its last rites, is not dead - and the Bulldogs, despite being undersized and possibly undermanned, deserve many accolades for preserving its image.
For me, the most interesting Bulldogs player is their often tagged, running hald-back, Lindsay Gilbee. Gilbee epitomises the modern footballer who generates so much attack from defence. Yet to be widely recognised for the length of his long accurate kicking, he is also tough. Kane Cornes tagged him last year, and when the ball was 50 metres away, he laid his right arm across his chest to establish contact and let him know he was there.
Gilbee who, unbeknown to Cornes had trained in the martial art of Braziliam tae-kwon-do, responded instantly, in blinding speed with a move that locked the arm, hyper-extended the elbow and caused great anguish and pain to Cornes who feared that his arm had been broken. He has a new found respect for Gilbee. Unless the rest of the football world starts to respect the Bulldogs they will cause a lot more serious pain to their opponents.
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