Our club was born in blood and boots...

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Our club was born in blood and boots...

Plenty of good points raised in this thread.

Ultimately there's no more excuses for this footy club. Time to deliver.

It's a really big year for the group.

[Mantis]

Re: Our club was born in blood and boots...

This thread is the reason I love Wally.
He has completely sacrificed his game and preferred position for the good of the team.

Did he sacrifice his game because he wanted to or had to?

Kudos that he has changed roles, but if he stayed a midfielder he'd be wearing different colours now.

[Mofra]

Re: Our club was born in blood and boots...

Did he sacrifice his game because he wanted to or had to?

Kudos that he has changed roles, but if he stayed a midfielder he'd be wearing different colours now.

That's kind of the point. He could have sought midfield time elsewhere but he sacrificed his preferred position for the club.
I wish a few teammates had the same mentality.

[Mofra]

Re: Our club was born in blood and boots...

I suspect we really do miss that Monty and Boyd type intensity around the club. They helped make everyone be more accountable

... and Cross' training mania. And Morris. And Picken who was freezing his arse of at Williamstown as a 23 year old in front of a few hundred diehards.

God I hope McNeill makes it. A mature ager who seems to work defensively (based on limited vision) and toiled at state league before getting a chance.

The shame is we used to laud those types. Now a bloke who trains hard but has barely made it into the system (Gardner) cops all sorts of abuse... as does his family. I hope Scott doesn't cop the same criticism.

[mjp]

Re: Our club was born in blood and boots...

... and Cross' training mania. And Morris. And Picken who was freezing his arse of at Williamstown as a 23 year old in front of a few hundred diehards.

God I hope McNeill makes it. A mature ager who seems to work defensively (based on limited vision) and toiled at state league before getting a chance.

The shame is we used to laud those types. Now a bloke who trains hard but has barely made it into the system (Gardner) cops all sorts of abuse... as does his family. I hope Scott doesn't cop the same criticism.

I wish I could like this post twice!

[comrade]

Re: Our club was born in blood and boots...

The shame is we used to laud those types. Now a bloke who trains hard but has barely made it into the system (Gardner) cops all sorts of abuse... as does his family. I hope Scott doesn't cop the same criticism.

If Scott gets picked repeatedly despite showing very little at AFL level, he will cop the same treatment. Gardner has been thrown to the wolves by Bevo.

[Topdog]

Re: Our club was born in blood and boots...

You can take what you like out of pre season games. In 2016 we beat GWS, yet lost to Melbourne and Collingwood (who both missed the 8 that season). I imagine supporters were unimpressed back then as well.

Practice games don't mean nothing, but they don't mean everything either.

If it were something new and something that we hadnt seen 22 times last year then I wouldnt be concerned.

Unfortunately it was very much same old same old.

We do need mongrel in the team.

[Mofra]

Re: Our club was born in blood and boots...

If it were something new and something that we hadnt seen 22 times last year then I wouldnt be concerned.

Unfortunately it was very much same old same old.

We do need mongrel in the team.

Round 1 2020.
GWS final 2019.

We simply can't afford to 'cruise' and think we can flick the switch when it matters. This list has shown it just can't do that. I hope we come out breathing fire against Melbourne.

I would go so far to say Libba is almost becoming the most important player on the list.

[Bulldog4life]

Re: Our club was born in blood and boots...

So.

I finally got to watch the game last night.

I know I have said this before - and I KNOW it was only a practice game in February - but watching our team play is exhausting. And frustrating.

From the GF team (a different era now, to be sure) we clearly miss performances like the one Tom Boyd put up. But more than that, we miss:

Morris.
Picken.
M. Boyd.
C. Smith
We probably also miss Biggsy.

We have not come close to replacing any of those players. We seriously play like the Footscray Millionaires now - and I'm not sure what team that is but it's not one I have ever supported in the past. Where is the grit and grind. Where are the players who are head over the footy no matter what? We seem to be celebrating Josh Bruce actually not being fat and jumping at a couple of footies? Where is this going? Where are the players we look up to not because of their skills/natural ability but because they play with an unrelenting spirit?

I know, I know. It isn't as if I did that in my own footy career (particularly not between the ages of 18 and 23 when I was all about getting possessions and running between the raindrops on wet days) but for goodness sake.

I didn't like that performance yesterday. I didn't like what I saw from the defenders who seemed to be conceding possession before the ball had been won...and add the mids to that group who simply trail along when the opposition have the ball. I am sitting at my desk right now and have a Bont bobble-head just to my right...he is happy and smiling. Gee I wish I could see an occasional snarl and a "Find an opponent" type approach to defensive transition when he is leading the way.

You know something else? I didn't like what I saw yesterday and I am concerned it is being dissected in terms of ball movement errors and defensive positioning mistakes...of course, we need that...but isn't there (and tell me if I'm wrong) an element of "How about we just have a go" about yesterday's game. Not to mention the last couple of finals we have lucked into.

With recruiting, there is no secret that I have never been in love with the Alex Keath signing - I just thought he was a 'nice player' and an interceptor...last year, he proved me wrong and performed well - I thought he was great and showed real commitment and leadership. Yesterday...well...he was so NICE. Doesn't he LOOK like a player though? Tall. Strong. Nice hair. A lot of our guys LOOK like players. But outside of Liber, Daniel and maybe young West, who else have winning as #1 on their game-day list? Who else would happily say to the coach at half time "Sure, I know I've had 20 possessions already and am having the game of my life but you have told me to shut down Liam Ryan so by hook or by crook that is what I am gonna do?" (Liam Ryan is just an example.)

I am lost with what to do or say. We are just a bunch of great young guys. Good footballers with nice skills. Great in the media - muscles in the right places and great at interviews. We look great onfield when things are going our way. I'm not so sure we have the fight to be a great team despite the names on the page (particularly in the mids). I'm not so sure we have players with the capacity to sacrifice their own games - even for ONE LOUSY PASSAGE OF PLAY - to make sure the opposition don't score. And for the first time ever I am asking myself if we have the right people leading them.

I think I wrote this last year after the Giants game. Stop telling me that we have learned from the final and are out to turn it around. SHOW ME. We had our first chance yesterday to show what we stand for as a group - and I have been incredibly underwhelmed.

The teams of my life-time are the teams of 97 and 2015 - teams that didn't win it all but you knew after round 1 that they were 100% up for the fight - and if they lost, so be it...but they went down fighting. And to be honest - that's really all I am looking for in the team I spend way too much time watching and obsessing over.

After the first match of 1997 I thought we were in for a long season. We were beaten in a home game against Fremantle. The first 2 games in our premiership year "54 we lost. There is a long way to go but can understand your frustration MJP.

[mjp]

Re: Our club was born in blood and boots...

After the first match of 1997 I thought we were in for a long season. We were beaten in a home game against Fremantle.

We were beaten by less than a goal in round 1 '97.

I know that this was a 'shock' to everyone in Melbourne but I'm not in Melbourne and was fairly close to what was happening at Freo back then. There were some players in that Dockers side (Clement, Chisolm, Abraham, Ben Allan, Dale Kickett) who were either just waiting for a chance or already playing really good footy - and some others (Parker, McManus, Jones) who would go on to have super solid careers.

Losing by a goal was disappointing but I never thought that the players didn't care.

On numerous occasions in the past two seasons I have genuinely thought we lost because we:

1. Refuse to get our hands dirty around the contest.
2. Allow our opponents too much space when the ball is either in opposition hands or still in dispute.

I know there was a mass celebration back in 2019 when we kicked 20 in a row against the Bombers then 12 or 13 or whatever in a row against the Giants the next week. What I would like to see is us keep the opposition to < 10 goals 5x weeks in a row...and concede no more than 3x goals in a quarter for double that...if we start doing things like that, then I will know we are making progress.

You are right. I am frustrated. We always lose in the same way.

[Bulldog4life]

Re: Our club was born in blood and boots...

We were beaten by less than a goal in round 1 '97.

I know that this was a 'shock' to everyone in Melbourne but I'm not in Melbourne and was fairly close to what was happening at Freo back then. There were some players in that Dockers side (Clement, Chisolm, Abraham, Ben Allan, Dale Kickett) who were either just waiting for a chance or already playing really good footy - and some others (Parker, McManus, Jones) who would go on to have super solid careers.

Losing by a goal was disappointing but I never thought that the players didn't care.

On numerous occasions in the past two seasons I have genuinely thought we lost because we:

1. Refuse to get our hands dirty around the contest.
2. Allow our opponents too much space when the ball is either in opposition hands or still in dispute.

I know there was a mass celebration back in 2019 when we kicked 20 in a row against the Bombers then 12 or 13 or whatever in a row against the Giants the next week. What I would like to see is us keep the opposition to < 10 goals 5x weeks in a row...and concede no more than 3x goals in a quarter for double that...if we start doing things like that, then I will know we are making progress.

You are right. I am frustrated. We always lose in the same way.

The Dees had an 11 point win over Richmond so it will be interesting to see how we go against them next. Not sure when it is played couple of weeks I think.

[Bornadog]

Re: Our club was born in blood and boots...

The Dees had an 11 point win over Richmond so it will be interesting to see how we go against them next. Not sure when it is played couple of weeks I think.

Monday week

[Missing Dog]

Re: Our club was born in blood and boots...

Good Analysis of a practise match, but personally I see it as a glorified training run and that is all.

I will wait till the real season before I start to stress out over our performances.

Will be great to see Naughton, Macrae, Wood, Treloar, Duryea back in and maybe a couple more changes - who knows.

This is in no way criticism of your post Bornadog, but it seems to me that saying it was just a practice match is a convenient cop-out. I remember years ago and i do mean years, that before a practice match the cricket team were still sharing the dressing room with the footy side and EJ was the coach he gave a marvelous pre game address and during this he said and i quote, " it doesn't matter if this is a practice match or a Grand Final, once you put this jumper on and run out on the field you must, you have to give 100%, there were a few more expletives mixed in as well, but as a youngster at the time I was in awe of the man and also his message.

Every year I feel let down by the practice matches, sure they are just that, practice matches, but put that jumper on and give 100%, a winning culture is what we should be cultivating, not some show pony exercise. It is really disappointing to see this happen year in, year out. We are lacking some mongrel and bulldog spirit, we have the players to do some real damage but get some spirit happening or 2021 will be more of same.

[GVGjr]

Re: Our club was born in blood and boots...

Every year I feel let down by the practice matches, sure they are just that, practice matches, but put that jumper on and give 100%, a winning culture is what we should be cultivating, not some show pony exercise. It is really disappointing to see this happen year in, year out. We are lacking some mongrel and bulldog spirit, we have the players to do some real damage but get some spirit happening or 2021 will be more of same.

Practice sessions and games are important aspect of building towards a seasons. For example, Tennis players train hard to get the most out of themselves so I agree with you that when our players put on the jumper they should come with the mindset of giving their best
It's easy to write off a result that doesn't go our way as it was "just a practice game" or when the home and away season starts write it off as being underdone or that it's the early part of a long season or use the old chestnut of injuries or a lack of experience etc but I think we have seen enough since the flag that when our intensity drops so does our performances.
The way to address that is to put a higher level of expectation on how we perform in all games and training sessions

There were enough positives in what I saw to be enthused enough around having a good season but there is also plenty to work on as well

[Bornadog]

Re: Our club was born in blood and boots...

This is in no way criticism of your post Bornadog, but it seems to me that saying it was just a practice match is a convenient cop-out. I remember years ago and i do mean years, that before a practice match the cricket team were still sharing the dressing room with the footy side and EJ was the coach he gave a marvelous pre game address and during this he said and i quote, " it doesn't matter if this is a practice match or a Grand Final, once you put this jumper on and run out on the field you must, you have to give 100%, there were a few more expletives mixed in as well, but as a youngster at the time I was in awe of the man and also his message.

Every year I feel let down by the practice matches, sure they are just that, practice matches, but put that jumper on and give 100%, a winning culture is what we should be cultivating, not some show pony exercise. It is really disappointing to see this happen year in, year out. We are lacking some mongrel and bulldog spirit, we have the players to do some real damage but get some spirit happening or 2021 will be more of same.

When the real games start, the intensity right through the competition increases, because a lot of footy is played above the shoulders, and in many players heads(not just us) they know what is a training run and what is a real match. Of course those players trying to get into the best 22 will try harder.

This is not a cop out this is reality.