Can the Dogs take the Choker Lead Off

[DOG GOD]

Re: Can the Dogs take the Choker Lead Off

But brisbane had Brown and Bradshaw to kick to.

[AndrewP6]

Re: Can the Dogs take the Choker Lead Off

Thats all well and good but it doesn't explain Geelong being 5ms in the clear all day. Nor does it explain the poor kicking/decisions. Overall the thing is we can play better than what we did. Choking exactly describes what players did yesterday. To many self doubters out there.

It does explain those things...we are 3rd/4th best team in the league, behind the likes of Geelong and St Kilda BECAUSE we give opposition too much space, we make poor decisions, and don't always make the most of opportunities. We can play better, but we don't always - we're inconsistent. Disappointing as it was/is, I wasn't that surprised by the result. As I said, I think it's pretty much indicative of where we're at.

[FrediKanoute]

Re: Can the Dogs take the Choker Lead Off

I don't think we're used to playing ..
A) on a saturday arvo
B) On the MCG
C) Finals intensity

Totally agree! First thing I thought of when I was watching the game was how much space is there out there!

[boydogs]

Re: Can the Dogs take the Choker Lead Off

I don't think we're used to playing ..
A) on a saturday arvo
B) On the MCG
C) Finals intensity

St Kilda seemed to adjust pretty well today despite not playing on the G this year before last week

[anfo27]

Re: Can the Dogs take the Choker Lead Off

Thats all well and good but it doesn't explain Geelong being 5ms in the clear all day. Nor does it explain the poor kicking/decisions. Overall the thing is we can play better than what we did. Choking exactly describes what players did yesterday. To many self doubters out there.

The players just don't work hard enough for mine.

Missing easy goals in big games, isn't that what the yanks call the clutch & the poms call the bottle? We lacked someone who is a clutch player. We needed someone who was going to grab the game by the scruff of the neck & say to the boys, follow me lads i'll lead the way. As much as I love BJ & think he is a great leader, he is not clutch.

We are definately good enough but we lack the mental strength to rise to the occasion on the biggest stage when the presssure is at its greatest.

[AndrewP6]

Re: Can the Dogs take the Choker Lead Off

The players just don't work hard enough for mine.

We lacked someone who is a clutch player. We needed someone who was going to grab the game by the scruff of the neck & say to the boys, follow me lads i'll lead the way.
.

Aker tried in the 3rd...but no one went with him

[anfo27]

Re: Can the Dogs take the Choker Lead Off

Aker tried in the 3rd...but no one went with him

Aker is clutch

[Desipura]

Re: Can the Dogs take the Choker Lead Off

Last years preliminary final Ealgeton fails to make the distance from 40 metres at a crucial stage.
Johnson misses a relatively easy goal at a crucial time in the last qtr on Saturday (did the same against Geelong earlier in the year and then there was the Nth game on the siren)
Cooney normally a reliable kick misses an easy goal by his standards.
If it was a penalty shoot out as in soccer, only Higgins & Aker would put their hand up to have a shot. The rest of them would freeze unfortunately.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Can the Dogs take the Choker Lead Off

I just want to know in every Big Qualifying Final we resemble Deer in the Headlights. Players make schoolboy errors in the big games.

Agree. First quarter cost us the game. So many passengers in that first quarter that let the game basically slip.

[ratsmac]

Re: Can the Dogs take the Choker Lead Off

I'm sick of thinking about this missed opportunity, and I think the players would be to. The players all know who failed the team and lets just hope that they have enough heart to be able to lift for the next game and so on. COME ON DOGGIES JUST 3 MORE WINS.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Can the Dogs take the Choker Lead Off

I've never regarded us as chokers and certainly don't think we choked today. Despite playing good footy leading into the finals we didn't have another level to answer their challenge. We didn't choke, we just weren't good enough today.

We're not technically chokers, I agree, because we tend to fight back quite well from bad positions -- however, I think that this tends to lend credibility to the fact that we are no good under pressure.

The loss to West Coast in 2006 couldn't be regarded as a choke because we were really outclassed (much as Essendon was on Friday). However, when you play a team that you just beat 2 weeks ago and give up 8 of the first 10 goals when the game is up to be won, I think that is entitled to be classified as a genuine stumble under pressure, which is very close to being a choke.

mjp made a point after the terrible loss to the Eagles THIS year that we should give the players credit for fighting back as often as we have this year -- but while it is creditable that this group doesn't throw in the towel and are clearly the best 4th quarter team in the league, it is actually an indictment on the players that they only turn it on for one or two quarters a game, when if they could play even close to that level for four quarters they would have won, and won easily.

---

Also, a fish rots from the head -- Bartel kicks a pressure goal in the third quarter from 50 out in the pocket, while our leaders Cooney and Johnno miss gimmes (for players of their quality) in the fourth just when it was getting interesting.

No one will call Coons or Johnno chokers, but they're not strangers to the postcode.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Can the Dogs take the Choker Lead Off

I've never regarded us as chokers and certainly don't think we choked today. Despite playing good footy leading into the finals we didn't have another level to answer their challenge. We didn't choke, we just weren't good enough today.

Oh, also -- today is the operative word here. We're definitely good enough to mix it with anyone in the league at this point, structural issues notwithstanding, and if the players don't believe that, then they might as well just stay at home. In fact, all this talk about structural weaknesses is just a furphy at this point and actually gives the players an excuse for their failures in September: a tall forward doesn't help you man up any better, after all, does it.