Game Day - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood

[chef]

Re: Game Day - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood

Not what I like to read to be honest. If they were sick, so be it, but keep it quiet - it looks weak imo with these sort of "excuses" being ran so heavily in the media.

If they were sick, why play them. I thought we had a deep squad and Moles should have played.

[stefoid]

Re: Game Day - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood

Morris usually gives Didak a dirty day. Shaggy was just hands down beaten by his usual opponent - out bodied, out marked, and starved of possession himself. Shocker.

[DOG GOD]

Re: Game Day - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood

Even though we played poorly i thought the Pies totally outplayed us for most of the game. The amount of space given to Shaw, Maxwell and Obrien was terrible. How could we let that happen. We failed to tag Shaw in rd 22 last year and we didnt again this time round. Doesnt make sense to me.

Hall, Johnno, Gia, Aker, Hahn and Hill would have to be the slowest fwd line in the AFL. We need some spark in there from somewhere.

I rate Cwood as a team. Picked them to finish 3rd and us 4th after the home and away season. Afetr they kicked 27 goals against Port in the last practice game i new they had it in them to kick a decent score, and when the likes of Didak, Medhurst, Thomas, Lockyer and Davis get plenty of opportunities, then the scoreboard is guarranteed to tick over.

Having said that we need to come out firing against Richmond. Nothing more that a 50 pt win will satisfy me.

[Ozza]

Re: Game Day - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood

Who did Picken play on?

He only had 9 touches and as yet hasn't come under any scrutiny for his performance.

You mentioned earlier that it looked like Collingwood got a lot of 'soft goals' - these were goals from our mistakes where they absolutely burnt us on the turnover/fast break. Picken was one of very few who dashed back very hard to try and stop these - so he was involved in a lot of chases, spoils and attempted spoils. He didn't have a very good game, but was far from our worst 6 or 7 and the stats probably don't reflect his efforts at times.

[Sedat]

Re: Game Day - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood

With Johnson, Hahn, Akermanis, Murphy, Hill and Hall in the side we are lacking run - a third of the squad plays almost exclusively in the front half. Moles HAD to play. Bringing Addison in to replace Morris is fine...but the balance just looks wrong. Looking that the stats, all the heavy lifting is being left to Cross and Boyd - with no Ward, we had to play Moles.

You've raised some good points re: the balance of the team being out of kilter yesterday. Moles was in our best half-dozen performers during the pre-season, so he can consider himself awfully unlucky to have been edged out of the team in Round 1 - I hope his excellent form is rewarded sooner rather than later, and judging by the detailed reports, Josh Hill didnt exactly grasp his reward of senior selection with both hands.

[Mantis]

Re: Game Day - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood

You mentioned earlier that it looked like Collingwood got a lot of 'soft goals' - these were goals from our mistakes where they absolutely burnt us on the turnover/fast break. Picken was one of very few who dashed back very hard to try and stop these - so he was involved in a lot of chases, spoils and attempted spoils. He didn't have a very good game, but was far from our worst 6 or 7 and the stats probably don't reflect his efforts at times.

Who wasn't chasing back?

[chef]

Re: Game Day - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood

Who wasn't chasing back?

Cooney, Griffen and Higgins are three that should out to me yesterday.

[Mantis]

Re: Game Day - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood

You've raised some good points re: the balance of the team being out of kilter yesterday. Moles was in our best half-dozen performers during the pre-season, so he can consider himself awfully unlucky to have been edged out of the team in Round 1 - I hope his excellent form is rewarded sooner rather than later, and judging by the detailed reports, Josh Hill didnt exactly grasp his reward of senior selection with both hands.

Yet 5 out of the first 20 voters in the Marmo gave Hill votes... Who do we believe?

Might have to download the game and make up my mind. I hate watching games we lose too.

[Ozza]

Re: Game Day - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood

Who wasn't chasing back?

Primarily it was the opponents of Harbrow, Hargrave, Gilbee at times, and Addison who were able to slip away and kick goals. But there wasn't a huge effort from the onballers to dash back and support. Crossy tried, but there wasn't a lot of defensive running from Higgins, Griff and Gia for mine.

I'm a big Gia fan - but he was disappointing. And I've posted on another thread what I think of Higgins defensive work at times.

Of course these things don't get exposed as much when we don't make mistakes - but geez we looked bad when we turned it over yesterday - Collingwood moved teh ball so quickly to get all of those easy goals.

My first bit of advice would be - don't kick or handball to Tommy Williams to set up the play!! Immediate goals leaked!

[Missing Dog]

Re: Game Day - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood

Yet 5 out of the first 20 voters in the Marmo gave Hill votes... Who do we believe?

Might have to download the game and make up my mind. I hate watching games we lose too.

I'll be interested to hear your opinion, because I thought he was very ordinary. He just seemed to be a bystander on too many occassions.

[Ozza]

Re: Game Day - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood

Yet 5 out of the first 20 voters in the Marmo gave Hill votes... Who do we believe?

Might have to download the game and make up my mind. I hate watching games we lose too.

Not the 5 people that gave him votes.
The only players you could POSSIBLY vote for would be:

Hudson - huge efforts all day, won the ruck and scraped and scrapped and tackled.
Boyd - heaps of the ball, plenty of genuinely tough efforts. Got us going in the second quarter
Bob Murphy - terriffic presenting, great hands, used it alot better than recent times.
Crossy - typically Cross, hard working all day, brave.
Coons - was reasonable, had clean hands which many others didn't, Got some good clearances albeit lacking some finishing.
Thats probably it - Hahn was reasonable also.

[G-Mo77]

Re: Game Day - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood

Yet 5 out of the first 20 voters in the Marmo gave Hill votes... Who do we believe?

Might have to download the game and make up my mind. I hate watching games we lose too.

I just want to start off that Hill is not my scape goat.

I got a pretty clear view of Hill for most of the game and thought he was pretty poor. Maybe it's because he was in my focus for so long that his mistakes or lack of effort stood out more than others. Either way his opponents continued to hurt us at the other end and this has been a clear weakness in Hill's game that and other concerns has not improved. I'd rather see him as an extra forward option which I think is more suited to him than up on a wing.

I'm really surprised to see him in the best players in some peoples eyes although that being said we didn't have to many stand outs.

[Missing-Dog]

Re: Game Day - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood

Hill seemed to be in back half from time to time, which is a real worry to me. You gotta ask were we out coached?
Id assume Malthouse planned for Hills man to run forward. Not sure Eade or Hill himself did much to counter act that!

[G-Mo77]

Re: Game Day - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood

Hill seemed to be in back half from time to time, which is a real worry to me. You gotta ask were we out coached?
Id assume Malthouse planned for Hills man to run forward. Not sure Eade or Hill himself did much to counter act that!

I think he actually played back in the final quarter.

[Missing-Dog]

Re: Game Day - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood

I think he actually played back in the final quarter.

Either way i dont think he's up to it.
Id much prefer the tenacity and hardness of a Ward or Moles, even Tim Callan, Wood, Reid etc
An odd flashy touch or mark isnt enough for me