Game Day - Bulldogs vs Cats

[GVGjr]

Re: Game Day - Bulldogs vs Cats

I don't think that is a good enough reason for him to be maintained.At times he runs around in circles like a headless chook when he has the ball and it does not provide the guys playing forward of him any idea on what he is likely to do. It might look exciting but normally he coughs the ball up as well.
Let him learn his craft at Willy because imo Hill offers so much more at the moment.

Harbrow appears to be indecisive with his running and it left the forwards flat footed because they couldn't anticipate where to lead to. That being said the forwards were woeful today.

[Sedat]

Re: Game Day - Bulldogs vs Cats

Am I the only one who is quite philosophical after today's performance? We were hammered in 40 minutes of power football. It's not the end of the world. The likes of Cross, Boyd, Lake, Aker, Welsh, Hudson, Minson and Morris cannot possibly play any worse as a collective group.

Very surprised by the dissing of Addison on this thread. IMO he was one of the few players to enhance his reputation after today. He was feerless and attacked the ball and the man with the ball without any regard for his safety. He may lack polish but he goes in where angels fear to tread.

We have been flat since the Collingwood game - every team has a flat spell during the season. Even Geelong did early in the season. I'd much rather we went through a flat spell in July than in September.

[hujsh]

Re: Game Day - Bulldogs vs Cats

I wouldn't worry too much about today's match. We played bad and lost. The season will not end.

Not long ago Geelong looked vulnerable loosing to Collingwood and have recovered quite well.

We won't play at Kardinia Park again.

Hopefully we hit better form entering finals. (The tapering may come into effect here)

Am I the only one who is quite philosophical after today's performance? We were hammered in 40 minutes of power football. It's not the end of the world. The likes of Cross, Boyd, Lake, Aker, Welsh, Hudson, Minson and Morris cannot possibly play any worse as a collective group.

Very surprised by the dissing of Addison on this thread. IMO he was one of the few players to enhance his reputation after today. He was feerless and attacked the ball and the man with the ball without any regard for his safety. He may lack polish but he goes in where angels fear to tread.

We have been flat since the Collingwood game - every team has a flat spell during the season. Even Geelong did early in the season. I'd much rather we went through a flat spell in July than in September.

No your not.

If would be more pissed if i watched it on TV but i was just happy to be at the game

[Sedat]

Re: Game Day - Bulldogs vs Cats

No your not.

If would be more pissed if i watched it on TV but i was just happy to be at the game

Good to hear.

Today was a fantastic opportunity for our players to see first-hand what it is going to take to win a premiership. The knowledge gleaned from today should be invaluable for the rest of the season.

I was watching it on TV, and Geelong play in such a way that it is very difficult not to admire them. Both teams were rusty in the first half (mostly due to the pressure and intensity on the ball carrier) but Geelong's ball-use and decision-making in the last 40 minutes were just about as good as has ever been played. At the minute, they are on another level altogether from the rest of the competition.

[The Underdog]

Re: Game Day - Bulldogs vs Cats

My point exactly Hujsh, you cant pin point passes under pressure. You need an outlet.
All those WOOFers who have been saying 'i dont think a player like Jonathon Brown would fit in our forward line structure' might like to reconsider.

Are there really any people who say that Johnathon Brown wouldn't fit into our forward line. Of course he ****ing would. He'd fit into anyone's forward line fercrissake. He's the best player in the league. But saying that how many teams have a Brown? Top quality tall forwards don't grow on trees.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day - Bulldogs vs Cats

Are there really any people who say that Johnathon Brown wouldn't fit into our forward line. Of course he ****ing would. He'd fit into anyone's forward line fercrissake. He's the best player in the league. But saying that how many teams have a Brown? Top quality tall forwards don't grow on trees.

You are right Underdog, top quality key forwards dont grow on trees. Maybe thats why i was very restrained and cautious about my praise of this 'new' Bulldog team/game plan over the past 6 months. A few people took every chance to stick the boot in, im just levelling the scores.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Game Day - Bulldogs vs Cats

Am I the only one who is quite philosophical after today's performance? We were hammered in 40 minutes of power football. It's not the end of the world. The likes of Cross, Boyd, Lake, Aker, Welsh, Hudson, Minson and Morris cannot possibly play any worse as a collective group.

Very surprised by the dissing of Addison on this thread. IMO he was one of the few players to enhance his reputation after today. He was feerless and attacked the ball and the man with the ball without any regard for his safety. He may lack polish but he goes in where angels fear to tread.

We have been flat since the Collingwood game - every team has a flat spell during the season. Even Geelong did early in the season. I'd much rather we went through a flat spell in July than in September.

I can't remember when I've cared about a 10 goal loss less.

What happens in the wind and rain at Kadinia Park in July has no bearing at all on what happens at the MCG in September.

Didn't Port beat Geelong at KP last year?

[Topdog]

Re: Game Day - Bulldogs vs Cats

Are there really any people who say that Johnathon Brown wouldn't fit into our forward line. Of course he ****ing would. He'd fit into anyone's forward line fercrissake. He's the best player in the league. But saying that how many teams have a Brown? Top quality tall forwards don't grow on trees.

I'd like to see a quote from someone that said that and meant it.

Anyhow it was a dreadful 2nd half by us and I still don't think a lot of it had to do with not having a key forward. Most of our kicks into the forward 50 went straight to Harley who was by himself by 10 metres.

Doesn't mean a whole lot in the scheme of things IMO but is still disappointing.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Game Day - Bulldogs vs Cats

I'd like to see a quote from someone that said that and meant it.

Anyhow it was a dreadful 2nd half by us and I still don't think a lot of it had to do with not having a key forward. Most of our kicks into the forward 50 went straight to Harley who was by himself by 10 metres.
Doesn't mean a whole lot in the scheme of things IMO but is still disappointing.

If he was 10 metres away from his opponent, WTF didn't we kick it to our bloke who was 10 metres clear?

[Bornadog]

Re: Game Day - Bulldogs vs Cats

Tiller is slated at 191cm and Mooney about 193cm

Tiller 191 and 88kg

Mooney
195 and 99kg

[Bornadog]

Re: Game Day - Bulldogs vs Cats

What I learnt yesterday.

We were smashed in the ruck by two ruckman who stand over 200cm and Hudson was found wanting. The effect was Geelong's midfield had first use of the ball out of the middle and around the ground. With our midfield down, the forward line had limited opportunities. Any balls going into the forward line were either under pressure or just banged in and the best backline in the AFL cleaned them up. Should Street have played?

As for the backline, Wight should have played at CHB and allowed Lake to play the FB role. Everitt is only 19 and needs muscle and is far from a KPP. At 193cm and 87kg and with 14 games, he is far from ready for a key role. Williams will be a welcome return next week.

We do need a mobile, tall forward, and I mean tall (over 195cm), not a lumbering Minson, this was very evident yesterday. These guys donot grow on trees and it will be years before either, Everitt, Grant, or Boumann are ready. In the meantime, if we are going to deliver the ball into a mid to small forward line, we have to hit these guys on the chest, or Minson has to contest, (in front) and bring the ball to ground.

Murphy, Hahn have been well down for several weeks now and need to find some form. As for Aker, Voss made an interesting observation, he has never played well against Geelong....... interesting.

I also felt that Griffen and Welsh, who have not played for three weeks, were a bit rusty. They will bounce back next week.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day - Bulldogs vs Cats

I can't remember when I've cared about a 10 goal loss less.

What happens in the wind and rain at Kadinia Park in July has no bearing at all on what happens at the MCG in September.

Didn't Port beat Geelong at KP last year?

Same here SS. I watched the entire game and was satisfied after the first three quarters that there was definitely enough to work with, if not this season, then certainly the next (not that I'm giving up the season yet!).

Our pressure on the ball for the first three quarters was great -- many Geelong players were panicked into mistakes, bad handpasses etc. and we showed that we had enough mass, if not gas, to go with most of the players. The legs ran out in the end and the score blew out, but it's a far different 67 point loss to many that I've seen in the past -- it was essentially being flogged in the last quarter, which is never pleasing, but can often mask the great work that was done in the first three. The team certainly still looks relatively flat but will clean up nicely for the finals. We are not the same team that were beaten comprehensively last year by a similar margin.

Geelong can't play much better than they're doing right now, and peaking in July isn't a great recipe for winning a Grand Final.

--

ps. Quite annoyed that Addison, Aker and Harbrow are getting the knocks that they are. Addison put his head over the ball every time and saved our bacon on quite a few occasions. Aker made two great tackles in the forward 50 in the second quarter that led to goals. He also crumbed the ball early in the third that led to another goal. The bloke is trying his heart out, sometimes it's just impossible to run guys down all day. On that point, Johnno ran down a player too, as did Harbrow, twice. That's a huge return from a forwardline as far as forward pressure goes.

It's not the forwardline's fault -- Coons and Crossy had a flat-ish day, and Griff, apart from one or two nice things, looked a little bit off the pace too.

There was a 10 minute period in the third term when the game turned -- we had locked them into their forward 50 for 10 minutes, which ended with Johnno running down a defender and getting a free. If Johnno had iced that kick, we would have won the game. But he missed, the ball went down the other end, Jarrod turned the ball over, and Taylor kicked a goal from outside 50 on the run, and momentum was lost and we never recovered. If Johnno had converted, it would have been the Dogs that would have gotten on a roll and potentially blew the margin out the other way.

I'm not too fussed with the loss, by any stretch of the imagination.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day - Bulldogs vs Cats

And as Jerry mentioned, I remember clearly when Jon Brown was brought up how quite a few of us asked if that would make us too 'one-dimensional' and easy to work out, as if all of a sudden Aker, Murph, Johnno, Welsh etc would disappear into the earth. A Jon Brown in our forwardline would be the makings of Harbrow et al because they would live off his crumbs, and he would kick over 100 goals in a Dogs jumper with the likes of Coons and Aker knocking balls down his throat.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if Riewoldt (now everyone wants him.. I've always said he would be great for the Dogs) or Browny are on the market (and they are!), we would be remiss to not throw everything we have at them. They would cement the next four grand finals for this group of players and reward the team for all their endeavour.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Game Day - Bulldogs vs Cats

I think we're deluding ourelves if we think on current showing we're within cooee of the Cats.

I tend to disagree, I think we are easily good enough, and during the first half it really looked as though we could've blown the game open. We choked though under the pressure and perceived pressure that they created, and as such our disposal was poor, decision making poor and a lot of blokes looked rushed and confused.

I think Geelong were worried, I haven't seen them make as many mistakes by hand or foot as they did in the first half.

Sure, the game got away from us in the end, but if I were a part of the coaching staff or playing group, I'd be feeling pretty confident that we can give them a serious shake later in the year.

[ledge]

Re: Game Day - Bulldogs vs Cats

I tend to disagree, I think we are easily good enough, and during the first half it really looked as though we could've blown the game open. We choked though under the pressure and perceived pressure that they created, and as such our disposal was poor, decision making poor and a lot of blokes looked rushed and confused.

I think Geelong were worried, I haven't seen them make as many mistakes by hand or foot as they did in the first half.

Sure, the game got away from us in the end, but if I were a part of the coaching staff or playing group, I'd be feeling pretty confident that we can give them a serious shake later in the year.

Spot on, let them meet us next time being all cocky because they beat us by 10 goals.
Gives our players more drive to beat them.