Our opponents next week: Collingwood

[Dry Rot]

Looking good so far this season with some bright young prospects. Thoughts on their recent form?

[GVGjr]

Re: Our opponents next week: Collingwood

Looking good so far this season with some bright young prospects. Thoughts on their recent form?

They have overachieved but are playing better than expected football. Great chance for us to really kick start the season. If we are to be a contender we can't keep winning one then losing one.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Our opponents next week: Collingwood

Will be a belter of a game. But this is one we need to win to stay in contention.

[Dry Rot]

Re: Our opponents next week: Collingwood

Will be a belter of a game. But this is one we need to win to stay in contention.

Agreed, but fear the pies have improved while we, at the moment, have gone a little backwwards.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Our opponents next week: Collingwood

Tough bodies, good at the contested ball, with a few key forwards who we'll have to stop in Rocca and Didak. Lot's of young players who have a bit of speed, the area that most thought would expose Collingwood this season.

Should be a ripper of a game. Morris and Harris will both be important, as will Street - I thought both him and Darcy worked really hard today on getting h/o to advantage. A lot of times Cooney and others were SO close to getting an important break away from a clearance, only for it to JUST miss the target. We need more of the same this weekend.

Johnson, Higgins, Hahn etc all need to kick goals.

Faulkner should come in for Harbrow based on today's game. Robbo would have to be close too, but I think the form of Higgins and Akermanis today could perhaps keep him out another week.

[Mantis]

Re: Our opponents next week: Collingwood

Tough bodies, good at the contested ball, with a few key forwards who we'll have to stop in Rocca and Didak. Lot's of young players who have a bit of speed, the area that most thought would expose Collingwood this season.

Should be a ripper of a game. Morris and Harris will both be important, as will Street - I thought both him and Darcy worked really hard today on getting h/o to advantage. A lot of times Cooney and others were SO close to getting an important break away from a clearance, only for it to JUST miss the target. We need more of the same this weekend.

Morris did a great job on Didak in the final last year and will get the job again. Harris has generally struggled on Rocca, I think Rocca kicked 5 or 6 on him last year in rd 8 or 9, which forced Grant to play on him in the final. Harris is in great form and hopefully can nullify Rocca.

Fraser's mobility could hurt us. I think Wight will have to spend much more time in the ruck this week, Street could get exposed in this area. In saying that Fraser and Bryan aren't great tap ruckman so hopefully Street can expose them in this area.

As well as winning alot of contested ball Collingwood get alot of drive off half back (similiar to us) from the Shaw brother's, Swan and Lockyer. Need our small medium sized forwards to man up when we lose possession and stop there flow.

Johnson, Higgins, Hahn etc all need to kick goals.

Faulkner should come in for Harbrow based on today's game. Robbo would have to be close too, but I think the form of Higgins and Akermanis today could perhaps keep him out another week.

Harbow gives us something different in that he is very zippy and creative, think Faulkner is competing with Boyd, Cross, West and Gia for a postion who are all performing well.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Our opponents next week: Collingwood

Collingwood get guaranteed home and away games against Richmond, Carlton and Essendon so they must play all three early in the season. They also got North this year.

Four easier games early on can get the confidence up and get your season off to a flyer.

[Mantis]

Re: Our opponents next week: Collingwood

Collingwood get guaranteed home and away games against Richmond, Carlton and Essendon so they must play all three early in the season. They also got North this year.

Four easier games early on can get the confidence up and get your season off to a flyer.

The fixturing has now changed so that the teams that you play in rds 1-7 aren't necessarily the ones you play again in rds16-22. We play the Kangaroos twice this year, the first time isn't til rd 13 and we play them again in rd22.

[Bornadog]

Re: Our opponents next week: Collingwood

The fixturing has now changed so that the teams that you play in rds 1-7 aren't necessarily the ones you play again in rds16-22. We play the Kangaroos twice this year, the first time isn't til rd 13 and we play them again in rd22.

You know what, I am really sick and tired of the AFL doctoring the draw, it stinks.

[Dry Rot]

Re: Our opponents next week: Collingwood

Any changes of interest to the Pies side?

[southerncross]

Re: Our opponents next week: Collingwood

This from the Age

Western Bulldogs v Collingwood, Telstra Dome, 2.10pm
Western Bulldogs
B: McMahon Harris Morris
HB: Gilbee Wight Hargrave
C: Eagleton West Griffen
HF: Giansiracusa Johnson Boyd
F: Hahn Darcy Akermanis
FOLL: Street Cross Rover: Cooney
INTER From: Addison Ray Harbrow Higgins Minson Power Robbins
INTER: Minson Power Robbins
OUT: Nil
Collingwood
B: Lockyer Prestigiacomo Holland
HB: H Shaw O'Brien R Shaw
C: Pendlebury Toovey Thomas
HF: Maxwell Cloke Didak
F: Swan Rocca Johnson
FOLL: Fraser O'Bree Rover: Burns
INTER: From: Medhurst Goldsack Dick Davies Iles Bryan Davis
IN: Davies Goldsack Davis Medhurst
OUT: Wakelin
New: Tyson Goldsack, 19, Gippsland Power
LAST TIME 1EF Western Bulldogs 18.13 (121) d Collingwood 11.14 (80), MCG
AT THIS GROUND Western Bulldogs 2, Collingwood 5
IN THE 2000s Western Bulldogs 5, Collingwood 8
COACHES Eade 9, Malthouse 6
UMPIRES 6 Margetts, 18 Chamberlain, 30 McInerney
BETTING Western Bulldogs $1.87, Collingwood $1.87
TV Channel 7, 3pm
RADIO 3AW, Triple M, 774 ABC, K-Rock
Summary Collingwood showed they have tenacity as well as talent by bouncing back from a tardy first half last week to comfortably account for Carlton. By contrast the Bulldogs had to fight to the dying minutes to put away Melbourne, in what was a lucky result for them. The Magpies are in outright third and well placed to shore up their place with another win. The midfield battle will be vital with Collingwood's Dane Swan, who had 29 disposals last week, Scott Burns and Tarkyn Lockyer set to meet veteran Scott West, Adam Cooney and Daniel Cross. Lockyer plays his 150th game while Farren Ray reaches the 50-game mark for the `Dogs. Key The Magpies' spread of goalkickers could prove too much for the Bulldogs' defence.

[GVGjr]

Re: Our opponents next week: Collingwood

The Pies have really tried to load up with pace for our game which indicates how concerned they are. The interesting thing is without Clement who gets Johhno? If they try Heath Shaw Johnno will just take him back to the goal square.

This game will be a real test for both clubs to gauge their seasons. If we are to press to be a genuine finals option then this is exactly the sort of game we must win. I think Hahn might be a wildcard for us tomorrow. I was very impressed with his effort last week.

[Bornadog]

Re: Our opponents next week: Collingwood

The Pies have really tried to load up with pace for our game which indicates how concerned they are. The interesting thing is without Clement who gets Johhno? If they try Heath Shaw Johnno will just take him back to the goal square.

This game will be a real test for both clubs to gauge their seasons. If we are to press to be a genuine finals option then this is exactly the sort of game we must win. I think Hahn might be a wildcard for us tomorrow. I was very impressed with his effort last week.

Yes Hahn will be hard to match up on and at 188cm plus 100kg he is a real bull.

Pies have a lot of young players in but I believe we have the better young players. Its going to be a great game in front of a huge crowd.

[GVGjr]

Re: Our opponents next week: Collingwood

Hot rematch between Bulldogs and Magpies

Farren Ray remembers every moment of the last meeting between the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood.

It was the 2006 AFL elimination final at the MCG, where more than 84,000 fans witnessed the Bulldogs thrash Collingwood by 41 points and the 21-year-old Ray played the best game of his career so far.

The young Bulldogs midfielder had 27 possessions, took six marks and kicked two goals matched up against the likes of Magpies Tarkyn Lockyer, Dale Thomas, Brodie Holland and Ben Johnson.

"It was a damn good win," Ray said of the club's first final since 2000.

"One minute we're singing the national anthem, we're lined up and there's 80,000 people. That's a great feeling."

The teams meet for the first time in 2007 at Telstra Dome on Sunday.

While the stakes are not as high as a win-or-go-home final, Ray expected a fired-up Collingwood and another big-match atmosphere.

"I think everyone loves to beat Collingwood. You'd love to beat every side but beating Collingwood because their supporters are so feral," Ray said.

"They will be looking to get back at us and the good thing about playing Collingwood is there's always a big crowd."

Ray said Collingwood appeared a quicker side this year, with players like Scott Pendlebury adding a bit more zip through the midfield.

"I think we exposed them through our run last year in the final but this year they've got a lot more dashing players," Ray said.

The Magpies have made an impressive start in 2007 to sit third with a 5-2 win-loss record, while the Bulldogs are among six teams a game back at 4-3.

There might be only a one-game difference on the ladder, but Ray said his team's form had been just average in the first part of the year.

He said this is an important part of the season for clubs looking to keep pace with those at the top of the ladder.

"Stringing four quarters is something we haven't done in the first seven rounds and we'll definitely be looking to do that throughout the season," Ray said.

"Port Adelaide and West Coast are sort of surging ahead, we've got to try to keep up with them because it's obviously a race to the finals."

Sunday's game is the 50th of Ray's career and although the West Australian has been disappointed with his form so far in 2007, he was pleased to reach the milestone.

"Some players race to 50 games in nearly two-three years. I'm in my fourth year and I've had a few ups and downs ... but it's good to get to 50 games for sure," Ray said.

"I feel as though I'm starting to belong in the side and ... the main thing is the side benefits when I'm in the side.

"I've got to get my running up and going.

"If I run and use my assets, we're a better side."

[Dry Rot]

Re: Our opponents next week: Collingwood

Dunno that some of Ray's comments were a good idea re feral Pies fans.

Will be interesting to see how we go against a good defensive side - we don't fare so well against the Swans or Crows.