Bulldogs v Saints GF

[LostDoggy]

Re: Bulldogs v Saints GF

I'm having mixed feelings about this game -- of course you never go out wanting to lose, but if it came down to it, as long as we have a serious hit out I don't really care (the money would be nice though).

The thing is, a side like the Saints are hard enough to beat three/four times a season without wasting one of those wins on a nothing game and give them ammunition for later in the real season. I have a theory that the top sides are 50/50 against each other, which means that on the strength of percentages we would only win on average one out of every two games against the top teams (Geelong, Saints, Collingwood, Hawthorn). This is sort of borne out by results in the last couple of seasons where we've won one/lost the next one or lost one/won the next one against all of the above, usually in close-ish games.

I'd rather lose this one and win the big one than the other way around, if that makes any sense.

The flipside is of course some teams you get the wood on and always beat regardless of ladder position, so it would be great if we could start whopping the Saints everytime we met a la 2008. In any case, on previous form we lost a close Prelim to the Saints so we're every chance of beating them this weekend, and the odds of my 50/50 theory would suggest we would get up.

ps. I don't think we looked that bad against Port -- they were obviously playing as hard as they could (see their very passionate huddles and team talks) to try to make a statement against a top 4 side, while we were clearly cruising a bit.

[Mantis]

Re: Bulldogs v Saints GF

For me the only imortance of this game is the opposition and how we deal with them. What I want to see is the following:

* We need to kick goals - Last season in our 3 games against St.Kilda we only kicked 11, 9 & 7 goals. Even in our practice game against them at the start of the 09 season we only kicked 7 or 8 goals. We need to find a way to break down their defensive zone. A fit Murphy and the addition of Hall will no doubt help the cause. (I guess we don't want give too much away, but a 80+ pt total would be nice)

* Cooney has to beat Jones, Coon is too important to us to be stopped by my newest least favourite player.

* We must nullify Riewoldt; a Morris & Williams tag team effort can hopefully do that job.

-----

Hayes is a MASSIVE out for the Saints, he willed them over the line in the PF and his loss probably swings the ledger in our favour.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Bulldogs v Saints GF

Hayes is a MASSIVE out for the Saints, he willed them over the line in the PF and his loss probably swings the ledger in our favour.

Probably? Great point -- Hayes doesn't play the PF last year, the Dogs make the Grand Final, probably even beat the Saints in a landslide. As simple as that. Our on-ballers were all over them like white on rice for two and a half quarters and the only Sainter winning the ball in those moments to continually frustrate the momentum was Hayes, who was simply in a different world to everyone else on the park that night. Bastard.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Bulldogs v Saints GF

Hayes is a MASSIVE out for the Saints, he willed them over the line in the PF and his loss probably swings the ledger in our favour.

Certainly is. He's just a superstar Hayes, and his hardness, and skill level will be sorely missed. I think with him out, we have a bit more strength and hardness at the clearances and should be able to take a bit of ascendency there.

[Mofra]

Re: Bulldogs v Saints GF

* We need to kick goals - Last season in our 3 games against St.Kilda we only kicked 11, 9 & 7 goals. Even in our practice game against them at the start of the 09 season we only kicked 7 or 8 goals. We need to find a way to break down their defensive zone. A fit Murphy and the addition of Hall will no doubt help the cause. (I guess we don't want give too much away, but a 80+ pt total would be nice)

* Cooney has to beat Jones, Coon is too important to us to be stopped by my newest least favourite player.

* We must nullify Riewoldt; a Morris & Williams tag team effort can hopefully do that job.

-----

Hayes is a MASSIVE out for the Saints, he willed them over the line in the PF and his loss probably swings the ledger in our favour.

* I think we will score more freely this time round; Murphy is fit, Hill is bigger and some bloke called Barry is in fine form. The long bomb to a swamped Hahn shouldn't occur this week.

* Cooney has looked good so far and actually having a pre-season will help; I would argue if Griffen plays like he did last week we could cover Cooney getting beaten, especially with Hayes out.

* A Morris with non-broken legs I think Riewoldt has improved again (scary thought) so the run will do Williams good - his next opponent is likely to be Cloke so if he can match Riewoldt for a chunk of the game he should be primed to beat Cloke in round 1.

[Mantis]

Re: Bulldogs v Saints GF

* I think we will score more freely this time round; Murphy is fit, Hill is bigger and some bloke called Barry is in fine form. The long bomb to a swamped Hahn shouldn't occur this week.

* Cooney has looked good so far and actually having a pre-season will help; I would argue if Griffen plays like he did last week we could cover Cooney getting beaten, especially with Hayes out.

I think these 2 points go hand in hand. If Cooney & Griffen fire we will get quick/clean ball going forward and it will allow our forwards to find space in an otherwise heavily guarded area.

Going back to rd 3 2008 against St.Kilda (A watershed game in my opinion) Cooney & Griffen put St.Kilda to the sword over the final 3 quarters combining for 53 touches, 5 goals and 5 brownlow votes (Morris got the other vote holding Rooey to 10 touches and 2 oals). Put simply when these 2 fire we will take a fair bit of stopping.

* A Morris with non-broken legs I think Riewoldt has improved again (scary thought) so the run will do Williams good - his next opponent is likely to be Cloke so if he can match Riewoldt for a chunk of the game he should be primed to beat Cloke in round 1.

Yep the Riewoldt challenge (no bigger challenge in the game) comes at just the right time for Tom. He has all the physical attributes to go with Sir Nick for large chunks of the game so I guess we all readily await this contest.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Bulldogs v Saints GF

I think these 2 points go hand in hand. If Cooney & Griffen fire we will get quick/clean ball going forward and it will allow our forwards to find space in an otherwise heavily guarded area.

Going back to rd 3 2008 against St.Kilda (A watershed game in my opinion) Cooney & Griffen put St.Kilda to the sword over the final 3 quarters combining for 53 touches, 5 goals and 5 brownlow votes (Morris got the other vote holding Rooey to 10 touches and 2 oals). Put simply when these 2 fire we will take a fair bit of stopping.

One of the best games I've been to.

Cooney and Griffen have never been able to fire quite like that since. If we're going to take the next step, we need to see more of it. Higgins too. West Coast had Judd, Cousins and Kerr as the three superstars. Brisbane had Voss, Black, Lappin and Akermanis. Geelong had/has Ablett, Selwood, Enright. For us to really put some of these top sides to the sword then we need the likes of Cooney, Griffen and Higgins to fire at the same time.

For whatever reason, one or two of them seem to have their influence curbed. On that night v St. Kilda in 2008, though - that was something else.

Yep the Riewoldt challenge (no bigger challenge in the game) comes at just the right time for Tom. He has all the physical attributes to go with Sir Nick for large chunks of the game so I guess we all readily await this contest.

Has Williams ever played on Riewoldt before? I can't seem to recall it. How has he done?

It might help his game playing on Rooy as he'll be right in the thick of action. His objective will be to follow in Rooy's footsteps. He's probably struggled in the past when playing on the lesser talented players. Constantly being led to the ball may help his confidence - so long as he doesn't burn out too early.

[Mantis]

Re: Bulldogs v Saints GF

Probably? Great point -- Hayes doesn't play the PF last year, the Dogs make the Grand Final, probably even beat the Saints in a landslide. As simple as that. Our on-ballers were all over them like white on rice for two and a half quarters and the only Sainter winning the ball in those moments to continually frustrate the momentum was Hayes, who was simply in a different world to everyone else on the park that night. Bastard.

Jones also won some important clearances.

Our rucks were also out-pointed at some crucial stages to give Hayes and co. clean ball.

* Yep, I am a sadist who has watched the replay a couple of times.

[Sedat]

Re: Bulldogs v Saints GF

Going back to rd 3 2008 against St.Kilda (A watershed game in my opinion)

And if you want a watershed moment in the watershed game, it was Griffen doing his best Steven Kolyniuk impersonation by taking on Blake (who was manning the mark) and slotting a goal on the run from 50 metres out to kick start our comback from 6 goals down early in the 2nd qtr.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Bulldogs v Saints GF

[QUOTE=Lantern;140063]I'm having mixed feelings about this game -- of course you never go out wanting to lose, but if it came down to it, as long as we have a serious hit out I don't really care (the money would be nice though).

I'd rather lose this one and win the big one than the other way around, if that makes any sense.

Lantern, after thinking about this, I have to agree with you. I think it will be a genuine yardstick of how far we have come. Yes, we have beaten the Saints (and other top sides) the last couple of years, but when it counted, in a big one, we just missed. I'm hoping that I will see a serious hitout and a bulldog side that believes it will win each and every week. (I have to admit that at times, I'm also closing my eyes and wishing it was September already )

[LostDoggy]

Re: Bulldogs v Saints GF

Just saw something weird on the Betfair Website..
Match odds are Western Bulldogs $1.93 to St.Kilda $1.95
But to win the NAB Cup St. Kilda are $1.93 and the Western Bulldogs are $2.02
This doesn't seem right..

[EasternWest]

Re: Bulldogs v Saints GF

* Cooney has to beat Jones, Coon is too important to us to be stopped by my newest least favourite player.
Hayes is a MASSIVE out for the Saints, he willed them over the line in the PF and his loss probably swings the ledger in our favour.

Interested to know why you think this Mantis. As a general rule, I can't stand the Saints, but I really don't mind Jones.

And Hayes is a flat out gun. Leader and worker. Love him.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Bulldogs v Saints GF

Just saw something weird on the Betfair Website..
Match odds are Western Bulldogs $1.93 to St.Kilda $1.95
But to win the NAB Cup St. Kilda are $1.93 and the Western Bulldogs are $2.02
This doesn't seem right..

So, we can win the match and still not get the silverware?

[LostDoggy]

Re: Bulldogs v Saints GF

So, we can win the match and still not get the silverware?

I dont know how that would happen..
Stupid Betfair.

[Keepa Movin' Griff]

Re: Bulldogs v Saints GF

Betfair don't put the prices up, punters do! It does seem strange they have opened a game market, where they could have just piggy-backed on the Cup result.