Bulldogs Ballarat Practice Match.... Your thoughts.

[Bornadog]

Re: Bulldogs Ballarat Practice Match.... Your thoughts.

Watched the replay and thought the following players stood out:

* Libba - looked fantastic, some great tackling, a couple of goals getting better with age.

* I thought both Jones and Bruce played well in the backline at either end. Bruce was better than I imagined he would be. I haven't seen any of the preseason training runs.

* Naughton dangerous as usual

* Treloar really moved well

* Buku was prominent especially in the first and last

* Scott - I think the wing is his and should play round 1

* Bont, Smith, Macrae all look pretty good.

* Tim looking like he is stepping up

* JUH I thought did well

* others - Richards, Dale, Williams all solid contributors

Players I think should have done more:

* Lobb - didn't really exert himself on the match and should have taken more marks and done better around the ground

* Mclean, West didn't get alot of the ball. West caught holding the ball trying to do too much.

* Duryea not much influence on the game

* I don't think Sweet has progressed much

That is about all I can remember without going thorough every player. I have avoided talking about VFL players.

[Uninformed]

Re: Bulldogs Ballarat Practice Match.... Your thoughts.

Are there many good ones around HD? I'm trying to think of someone who plays that role at another team.
Sinclair (Aints), Maynard (Pies) maybe Stewart (Cats).

I like the look of Cleary. Lets hope he develops into that role.

The Fritz match-up and Charlie Cameron type match up are the two I would like to see us resolve. Other than Duryea, who still seems capable, not sure who can handle the Camerons of the world.

Fritz is quite a unique player. Cleary seems to have the smarts and marking ability but not sure he has the pace. I have wondered whether Bedendo is a chance? He has pace and marking ability but I don't know about his defensive smarts?

Would be interested in your thoughts.

[Uninformed]

Re: Bulldogs Ballarat Practice Match.... Your thoughts.

Watched the replay and thought the following players stood out:

* Libba - looked fantastic, some great tackling, a couple of goals getting better with age.

* I thought both Jones and Bruce played well in the backline at either end. Bruce was better than I imagined he would be. I haven't seen any of the preseason training runs.

* Naughton dangerous as usual

* Treloar really moved well

* Buku was prominent especially in the first and last

* Scott - I think the wing is his and should play round 1

* Bont, Smith, Macrae all look pretty good.

* Tim looking like he is stepping up

* JUH I thought did well

* others - Richards, Dale, Williams all solid contributors

Players I think should have done more:

* Lobb - didn't really exert himself on the match and should have taken more marks and done better around the ground

* Mclean, West didn't get alot of the ball. West caught holding the ball trying to do too much.

* Duryea not much influence on the game

* I don't think Sweet has progressed much

That is about all I can remember without going thorough every player. I have avoided talking about VFL players.

That is pretty much how it looked to me. I was especially pleased with Treloar's game. I don't think we saw that level of influence from him last year. He could give us a real lift in the mid-field this year.

[GVGjr]

Re: Bulldogs Ballarat Practice Match.... Your thoughts.

The Fritz match-up and Charlie Cameron type match up are the two I would like to see us resolve. Other than Duryea, who still seems capable, not sure who can handle the Camerons of the world.

Fritz is quite a unique player. Cleary seems to have the smarts and marking ability but not sure he has the pace. I have wondered whether Bedendo is a chance? He has pace and marking ability but I don't know about his defensive smarts?

Would be interested in your thoughts.

Fritsch is a difficult match-up for us. Both Richards and Dale should be able to match-up on him but we might not want to lose the drive they can provide. It would be a huge task for Cleary to be given that assignment but Bevo might just do it.
What about trying Buku again?

[Mofra]

Re: Bulldogs Ballarat Practice Match.... Your thoughts.

Fritsch is a difficult match-up for us. Both Richards and Dale should be able to match-up on him but we might not want to lose the drive they can provide. It would be a huge task for Cleary to be given that assignment but Bevo might just do it.
What about trying Buku again?

Or... flip the script?

Fritsch thinks defence is d-bit that surrounds d-yard. Our best ball user from the back half (Dale) goes to him, our midfield slows entries so we minimise one on ones, and Dale gets to walk it out of defence 20+ times per game under less pressure than he's accustomed to?

We have a choice of either minimising his attributes or exploiting his weakness. Why not try and exploit him first?

[1eyedog]

Re: Bulldogs Ballarat Practice Match.... Your thoughts.

Still not getting the Buku fanfare. He does one or two nice things and is neat but does nothing for large sections of the match. He has to work out how he is going to stay involved.

Last few games were the same, nice lead, nice hands and kicks straight then not much for a quarter and a half and the intra-club hit out didn't tell us much more. Gets on the end of one and one falls in his lap and then not much for long periods of the game.

He's a bit of a one trick pony and I don't think his defensive pressure is at AFL standard. I also think Bevo has no idea what to do with him.

He's a long term prospect but at 23 we need to start seeing more from him.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Bulldogs Ballarat Practice Match.... Your thoughts.

The Fritz match-up and Charlie Cameron type match up are the two I would like to see us resolve. Other than Duryea, who still seems capable, not sure who can handle the Camerons of the world.

Fritz is quite a unique player. Cleary seems to have the smarts and marking ability but not sure he has the pace. I have wondered whether Bedendo is a chance? He has pace and marking ability but I don't know about his defensive smarts?

Would be interested in your thoughts.

I recall us trying Cordy on him at times, he really is a tricky match up with his ability to find space and protect the front position well. He only needs a few shots to hurt you too.

Too tall for a small and too agile for a big.

Could Liam Jones mark a mid sized forward?

[Grantysghost]

Re: Bulldogs Ballarat Practice Match.... Your thoughts.

Or... flip the script?

Fritsch thinks defence is d-bit that surrounds d-yard. Our best ball user from the back half (Dale) goes to him, our midfield slows entries so we minimise one on ones, and Dale gets to walk it out of defence 20+ times per game under less pressure than he's accustomed to?


We have a choice of either minimising his attributes or exploiting his weakness. Why not try and exploit him first?

Like it. Guess it’s dependant on the midfield battle, as we saw in the intra club doesn’t matter how good your defenders are if the ball’s flying out of the middle / we aren’t defending the stoppages well it’s almost moot.

[jeemak]

Re: Bulldogs Ballarat Practice Match.... Your thoughts.

I think Ed needs to step his defencive game up and start taking the likes of Fritsch. He's at the right age and strength to do it.

[1eyedog]

Re: Bulldogs Ballarat Practice Match.... Your thoughts.

Or... flip the script?

Fritsch thinks defence is d-bit that surrounds d-yard. Our best ball user from the back half (Dale) goes to him, our midfield slows entries so we minimise one on ones, and Dale gets to walk it out of defence 20+ times per game under less pressure than he's accustomed to?

We have a choice of either minimising his attributes or exploiting his weakness. Why not try and exploit him first?

They're the most explosive team out of the middle in the comp and you're relying on our mids to slow entries? We can't be trusted. I would also worry about losing Dale's drive and Richards is a better one on one defender (most of the time) and he's better in the air as well. Dale is too loose.

I don't want that Butthead look alike to have 3 by quarter time because if we don't get it right it could happen.

[Happy Days]

Re: Bulldogs Ballarat Practice Match.... Your thoughts.

I think Ed needs to step his defencive game up and start taking the likes of Fritsch. He's at the right age and strength to do it.

This is a good shout and probably the right answer. Ed’s sneakily awesome one on one and we know he’s quick enough to run in a straight line with Fritsch.

But I also think the cliff is coming quickly for Duryea and Ed is also the best replacement we have for him.

[Bullies]

Re: Bulldogs Ballarat Practice Match.... Your thoughts.

Fritsch is a difficult match-up for us. Both Richards and Dale should be able to match-up on him but we might not want to lose the drive they can provide. It would be a huge task for Cleary to be given that assignment but Bevo might just do it.
What about trying Buku again?

Buku still has a long way to go particularly down back. He still doesn't have the touch or the football smarts to play a defensive role. He is still learning the game and will be a slow burn before it starts to click. When he played on a decent opponent down back last year he was toweled. They turned him inside out and he had no touch on them. It takes time to know when to go and when not to. Watch Buku closely when he plays down back. His good efforts stand out but one on one he struggles.

[1eyedog]

Re: Bulldogs Ballarat Practice Match.... Your thoughts.

I agree I don't see him becoming a successful backman at all. High half forward or the Fritsch role for us are where his opportunities are.

[Mofra]

Re: Bulldogs Ballarat Practice Match.... Your thoughts.

They're the most explosive team out of the middle in the comp and you're relying on our mids to slow entries? We can't be trusted. I would also worry about losing Dale's drive

The whole point of the strategy is to maximise his drive.
Seize the initiative, not cede it.

Our entire whole ground strategy has changed this year going by PS reports.

[1eyedog]

Re: Bulldogs Ballarat Practice Match.... Your thoughts.

The whole point of the strategy is to maximise his drive.
Seize the initiative, not cede it.

Our entire whole ground strategy has changed this year going by PS reports.

Yeah I get it I'm just not sure Dale has the nous to balance the defence / offence part of it. Dale has been such a strong rebounder for us do you think he has the discipline to lock onto Fritsch when needed? Do you trust our mids enough to break down their play?
It might work but he might equally tear Dale to shreds. There is too much risk for me.

I just think Dale value adds elsewhere and that the Fritsch-type match up suits Richards better. Can your strategy be pasted onto the Richards role? Ed can create a lot of run out of D50 and appears to be a better one v one defender than Dale.

Another problem is Fritsch plays deep alot which would force Dale deep as well and I do like Dale defending higher.