Bulldogs V Cats - Round 4 (Gather Round), 6/4/24 Adelaide Oval 8:10pm AEST

[angelopetraglia]

Re: Bulldogs V Cats - Round 4 (Gather Round), 6/4/24 Adelaide Oval 8:10pm AEST

He's been in the system for a decent amount of time so I don't think there is a massive amount of improvement to follow.
If you use the 2km time trials the club has been utilizing as a gauge of fitness he's a fair way back.
He's going to need to learn to run in better patterns much like Fletcher Roberts did. He's an impressive interceptor but he is a bit limited when pitted against mobile forwards.

OK. Thanks for that info.

How is his work ethic? Is it where it needs to be? I know from a running background, it is amazing how much fitter you can get with just putting in more work (i.e. adding more volume). Speed is much more limited by genetics.

[angelopetraglia]

Re: Bulldogs V Cats - Round 4 (Gather Round), 6/4/24 Adelaide Oval 8:10pm AEST

Bevo in his presser highlighted the sliding doors of the VDM miss and the subsequent not defending the ground properley. 'That was the game'.

[GVGjr]

Re: Bulldogs V Cats - Round 4 (Gather Round), 6/4/24 Adelaide Oval 8:10pm AEST

OK. Thanks for that info.

How is his work ethic? Is it where it needs to be? I know from a running background, it is amazing how much fitter you can get with just putting in more work (i.e. adding more volume). Speed is much more limited by genetics.

He's a terrific trainer but I don't think he has the higher ceiling that others might. I hope I'm wrong.

[angelopetraglia]

Re: Bulldogs V Cats - Round 4 (Gather Round), 6/4/24 Adelaide Oval 8:10pm AEST

He's a terrific trainer but I don't think he has the higher ceiling that others might. I hope I'm wrong.

OK. That is good news. Endurance is also gentically dependant, just less so than speed.

[Scorlibo]

Re: Bulldogs V Cats - Round 4 (Gather Round), 6/4/24 Adelaide Oval 8:10pm AEST

Just got back from the game. First experience at Adelaide Oval, thought it was a great venue. East access around the stadium, well signposted, good atmosphere albeit full of neutral Carlton fans from the previous game.

Kind of surprised to see so many positive comments on the board as my impression at the ground was that we played poorly for most of the game. Our ball movement was lacking fluidity which is understandable against the Cats' defensive game. However they so often were able to beat us on the spread, as well as get clean ball away from the stoppage. Thought it was a real step backwards for our pressure and running between the arcs.

The last quarter fightback showed real grit, but honestly it felt like we had to go back to the old clearance and territory game plan to have a chance at beating them - Libba, Bont and English stepped up big time in the clinches to give us first use. Thought English was well beaten by Stanley up until halfway through the third. Macrae made a big difference when he came on from where I was sitting.

We really missed the run of JJ and Bramble off half back with both of them having down games. Really liked Liam Jones' game on Hawkins. Disappointing that Cameron had the impact he did, whatever plans we had for him didn't come off.

The Cats really sweat on the ball carrier and it's amazing seeing how well they get from contest to contest. Players with good vision in tight like Bont were able to occasionally clear to a player in space (thinking of the handball over the top to West in particular), but by and large we succumbed to their pressure on the tight handballs. We looked most dangerous when we cleared the immediate vicinity even if it was with a toe poke forward.

Overall there's a lot to work on but also a lot to work with, we shouldn't be satisfied with getting close - we could have won this game well.

Also - it has to be said - no way did Stengle control that ball before it crossed the line. Robbed!

[Bigdog]

Re: Bulldogs V Cats - Round 4 (Gather Round), 6/4/24 Adelaide Oval 8:10pm AEST

I hate honourable loss?, but I?m not upset with tonight.

We had some great players tonight, but I still see huge improvement in the team in a game we should have won.

- The defensive structure broke down at halfback 4-5 times tonight because one cog in the wheel got lost or was ball watching. These got punished by goals as Geelong are a good side. This is what happens with a new system. Bring this down to 1-2 by the end of the year and we are 3 goal better side.

- We have had some significant change in our list the last 12 months. I think we have a much deeper list than 2023. We won?t know our best mix until the second half of the year. If we can bank wins while solving some of the positional equations we are in a good spot.

- Forward line connection wasn?t good tonight (Probably wasn?t too bad until the last quarter). This has not been good since 2021 when Bruce was firing. So there are going to be big question marks on whether we can solve this problem. However I think they can get this right. I like Naughton playing up the ground and I love what Darcy can become. Probably missing quality half forwards and small forwards.

- Run off half back. We were really poor tonight running off half back compared with round 2 & 3. This was probably due to the forward weapons Geelong have in contrast to GC and West Coast. If we improve the key pillars by bringing in JOD when his right our defenders will probably be more daring as they should have more defensive trust.

- The improvement in the young players. Darcy/JUH are generational talents. As good as any prospects we have had. Sanders is a 200 game player. Gallagher is going to be a solid role player. JOD hasn?t played yet but is a talent. If we can nurse these guys through the year the team is going to be a lot better for it.

And with all these issues we got beaten by 4 points against the most professional side in the AFL while Jeremy Cameron put on a clinic.

If tonight teaches me anything it?s that we can compete and beat the best.

[angelopetraglia]

Re: Bulldogs V Cats - Round 4 (Gather Round), 6/4/24 Adelaide Oval 8:10pm AEST

Scott.

We lost a lot of structure in the last quarter. They dominated us in the clearances. They have a few who get a lot of the ball where we spread it over 6-7 players. We thought it was even over the game though.

[angelopetraglia]

Re: Bulldogs V Cats - Round 4 (Gather Round), 6/4/24 Adelaide Oval 8:10pm AEST

Landsberger

BIGGEST BOGEY IN FOOTBALL

Not sure what more Western Bulldogs can do to beat Geelong. It might be the biggest bogey in football. The Cats have won 22 out of their past 26 matches, and one of those four Bulldogs wins was a dead rubber for Geelong when it rolled over in the final game of last season. On Saturday night, Liam Jones gave Tom Hawkins a bath, Tom Liberatore and Marcus Bontempelli were the best two players on the ground, Adam Treloar wasn’t far behind, Taylor Duryea threw himself at everything and Rhylee West, Buku Khamis and Sam Darcy probably enjoyed career games. It was baffling that so many Bulldogs produced brilliant individual performances and still it seemed this game was on the Cats’ terms until they fatigued in the final quarter. ‘Libba’ had 28 contested possessions (equal fourth-highest of all time) and 19 clearances (equal third-highest of all time) while Jones and Khamis combined for 19 intercepts, for goodness sake. Chris Scott is now 11-3 against Luke Beveridge and the Cats are 4-0 for the first time since 2017. Wonder whether the Dogs seek clarification from the AFL over the score review that awarded Tyson Stengle a mark on the goalline in the third quarter when the soft call was a behind. It was a big overrule. The kicker is that the Dogs yet again have to travel to GMHBA Stadium later this year, which will make it nine trips in 10 seasons excluding 2020 (played in the Gold Coast hub).

[angelopetraglia]

Re: Bulldogs V Cats - Round 4 (Gather Round), 6/4/24 Adelaide Oval 8:10pm AEST

Landsberger

WASTED FUNDS

The combined salaries of Caleb Daniel, Jack Macrae, Rory Lobb and James Harmes would total around $2.5 million. That is a lot of money to be spending on one game instead of four. Lobb and Harmes are in the VFL while on Saturday night Macrae and Daniel were substituted in and out respectively. The Dogs got 11 disposals out of Daniel and six out of Macrae. It is a huge chunk of the salary cap being spent for minimal impact on matches.

[angelopetraglia]

Re: Bulldogs V Cats - Round 4 (Gather Round), 6/4/24 Adelaide Oval 8:10pm AEST

https://x.com/foxfooty/status/1776565697226711343?s=46&t=oMlyiNHry1lhUs8p7uzZ_A

1) Why was this reviewed? I thought only goals could be reviewed without an umpire request?

2) Is that enough evidence in two dimensional footage to overturn the goal umpires view in 3D at close quarters?

We seriously need answers from the AFL.

The margin is under a goal and we have this nonsense going on.

[kruder]

Re: Bulldogs V Cats - Round 4 (Gather Round), 6/4/24 Adelaide Oval 8:10pm AEST

We only targeted Naughty twice inside 50 very similar to the game against Melbourne. Now that is one expensive decoy, are we getting the best out of him?

[Scorlibo]

Re: Bulldogs V Cats - Round 4 (Gather Round), 6/4/24 Adelaide Oval 8:10pm AEST

https://x.com/foxfooty/status/177656...y1lhUs8p7uzZ_A

1) Why was this reviewed? I thought only goals could be reviewed without an umpire request?

2) Is that enough evidence in two dimensional footage to overturn the goal umpires view in 3D at close quarters?

We seriously need answers from the AFL.

The margin is under a goal and we have this nonsense going on.

On the 'when' of controlling the football for a mark - I think it's the point past when if an opponent effected a spoil the umpire would still pay a mark. Not the first moment the ball touches fingers. The ball is still spinning until a metre past the line for crying out loud!

Also wasn't aware that the ARC had the power to call themselves in for a review.

Would like to hear the AFL come out and say they got it wrong but we all know that won't happen.

We only targeted Naughty twice inside 50 very similar to the game against Melbourne. Now that is one expensive decoy, are we getting the best out of him?

Not sure if you'd quite call his role a decoy given he's having a lot of impact up the ground. It would be great if he could start having a larger scoreboard impact as well this season, but I'm happy with his overall impact. Jamarra on the other hand... been shocking for three weeks in a row now.

[Mantis]

Re: Bulldogs V Cats - Round 4 (Gather Round), 6/4/24 Adelaide Oval 8:10pm AEST

Why VDM gets a game.

Total Sprints

VDM 37
Tuohy 27
Holmes 27
Dempsey 26
Stengle 25

Repeated Sprints

VDM 8
Stengle 5
Tuohy 4
Holmes 4
Miers 4

Where is the other running talent on our list?

If VDM is fit, he is playing. Every single week.

All that sprinting for no real impact? he?s missed his calling.

[ledge]

Re: Bulldogs V Cats - Round 4 (Gather Round), 6/4/24 Adelaide Oval 8:10pm AEST

Nothing to do with the result but I like the moment Sanders rang the wrong way.
I remember Rodan doing it against us in Ballarat.
I did it in primary school, it’s an embarrassing moment that haunts you for life.
My question is in Sanders career, will it be a highlight or lowlight ?

[Danjul]

Re: Bulldogs V Cats - Round 4 (Gather Round), 6/4/24 Adelaide Oval 8:10pm AEST

Why VDM gets a game.

Total Sprints

VDM 37
Tuohy 27
Holmes 27
Dempsey 26
Stengle 25

Repeated Sprints

VDM 8
Stengle 5
Tuohy 4
Holmes 4
Miers 4

Where is the other running talent on our list?

If VDM is fit, he is playing. Every single week.

Stengle less sprints but more goals. Same for Holmes and Dempsey. Sprints are not relevant. Scoring is. And VDM can?t because he is gassed from all the sprinting.

Our loss was not caused because of a lack of speed. It was due to a serious lack of linking. Poor entries into the forwards killed us.