Game Day - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane

For so-called premiership aspirants, our inability to match it with the best sides is really worrying. Four games in, and IMO, we haven't put a good performance in across any of the games. First game we were supposedly hit with a virus, well, there must've been about twenty who were still suffering from it tonight. Our pathetic turnovers, inability to hit targets, lack of defensive pressure were terrible tonight. I picked Brisbane as a side who will trouble a few this year, and unfortunately, was on the money. It's hard to single out players, as so many did virtually nothing for long periods tonight.

That said, I thought DFA had a dip. As everyone knows, skill isn't his selling point, but a few times I thought he did OK. Lake was really good v Browny, but ran out of gas in the last qtr. Shaggy's two goal-gifting frees were almost worthy of worst on ground, IMO. Coons and Griff got a bit of it, but didn't look like damaging the Lions with their use. Commentators mentioned Baz not getting near it in the 2nd half - well, he relies on the delivery, and for a long while, we didn't even look like clearing it out of the back half. Williams wasn't bad I thought, and kudos to him for coming back after that big hit. He's improving.

No Hahn, Hill, Murphy, Gilbee, Moles, Gia, Everitt...

Hall actually went looking for it in the last quarter and a half up the ground, he didnt do anything wrong.

[AndrewP6]

Re: Game Day - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane

Hall actually went looking for it in the last quarter and a half up the ground, he didnt do anything wrong.

Yeah, I agree, my point was just that the ineptitude in other parts of the ground didn't help his cause. I thought he did well.

[Sedat]

Re: Game Day - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane

Didn't see the game but we must have stunk it up big time in the midfield and with our all-ground defensive pressure to have been smashed 73 to 37 in the inside 50's. Our so-called midfield advantage over Brisbane was anything but by the sounds.

I'm happy to chalk this one down as a horrible day at the office but it concerning that we have been so sluggish out of the blocks this season. I'd fully expect our players to come out breathing fire next week and beyond and bring with them an extremely committed defensive effort across the entire ground.

[GVGjr]

Re: Game Day - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane

You're still optimistic? Did it end being a ten goal turnaround? And our midfield went missing?

It's not losing two early games, it's being comprehensively outplayed by the two finalists.

Do you expect to go through the season undefeated?
Regardless if the Lions are a finals side or not, tonight was the AFL's version of Twenty/20 football with us owning the Lions for some of the game and then the Lions owning us when it counted. We played poorly tonight and in my opinion we haven't hit our straps so far this season but to say we have hit the iceberg after 4 rounds is chucking the towel in way too early.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane

I'm not making an excuse but we really seem to be missing the presence of Ward and Picken out there. They add so much hardness around the contests.

[AndrewP6]

Re: Game Day - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane

I'm not making an excuse but we really seem to be missing the presence of Ward and Picken out there. They add so much hardness around the contests.

Have to work it out without him for quite a while...

[Missing Dog]

Re: Game Day - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane

I can handle being beaten by a side that is just too good, but to for us to consistently fumble, and turn it over with so much time and without pressure is unforgivable.

[Dry Rot]

Re: Game Day - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane

Do you expect to go through the season undefeated?

It's not losing, but the manner of losing.

Regardless if the Lions are a finals side or not, tonight was the AFL's version of Twenty/20 football with us owning the Lions for some of the game and then the Lions owning us when it counted. We played poorly tonight and in my opinion we haven't hit our straps so far this season but to say we have hit the iceberg after 4 rounds is chucking the towel in way too early.

Who said after 4 rounds? The signs have been there this year: Hahn too slow, Minson out of sorts, Aker not the player he was, etc mixed with a little bit of what we were all hoping was the Saints fate - perhaps other sides have worked us better.

And not to forget that little leadership was shown when needed v Pies and Lions.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane

It's not losing, but the manner of losing.



Who said after 4 rounds? The signs have been there this year: Hahn too slow, Minson out of sorts, Aker not the player he was, etc mixed with a little bit of what we were all hoping was the Saints fate - perhaps other sides have worked us better.

And not to forget that little leadership was shown when needed v Pies and Lions.

I thought that Aker has been playing well & really contributing well to the team, doesn't have to be the main guy anymore.

He is one of the few that has stood up, at times of need this season.

[ledge]

Re: Game Day - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane

Wonder how long Rodney will keep playing Minson?
Hall was great, Harbrow was good Griffen tried all day, basically we fumbled way too much.
The turning point seemed to be when Williams went down.

[Hotdog60]

Re: Game Day - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane

I think we need to replay some tapes from last year, to remind the players what it takes to win a game. The intensity just isn't there at the moment, the hard tackles and pressure on the ball carrier are missing also.

[Missing-Dog]

Re: Game Day - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane

Wonder have many stats Cooney had it the last qrt?
Needed him to step up in the last ..but didnt

[GVGjr]

Re: Game Day - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane

It's not losing, but the manner of losing.



Who said after 4 rounds? The signs have been there this year: Hahn too slow, Minson out of sorts, Aker not the player he was, etc mixed with a little bit of what we were all hoping was the Saints fate - perhaps other sides have worked us better.

And not to forget that little leadership was shown when needed v Pies and Lions.

It seems I overestimated which round you wrote us off.
So you were prepared to write us off one game after winning the NAB cup game when we lost to the Pies or was it after the Tigers and or Hawks game?

I don't think we are playing well at all but regardless what round you thought our season was as good as over I still think it's way too early to write us off.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Game Day - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane

Well, it was a pretty disappointing finish tonight. We took our chances when we had them early, and that is what really kept us in the game, because that last quarter was some of the worst football I've seen us play in a long time.

We simply ran out of legs, and it looked to me like once the game got away from us a bit, everyone dropped their heads collectively. No one chased, no one presented.... Some simply skills errors, such as Minson's kick, Lake's kick, Gilbee's botched handball, all really cost us at the end.

When Murph is off, like he was tonight, we break down across half forward really easily.

Our kick-in set up was also exposed tonight.

On a player level, thought Griff and Cooney were not bad, Boyd was solid but his disposal again let him down a few times. Cross and Gia battled hard all night, and Addison played a good game. Harbrow wasn't bad either, and loved his tackle on Browny.

Hahn was barely sighted, Murphy dropped a few simple ones, Moles had no impact at all, and whilst Higgins did some nice things offensively, he still just doesn't work hard enough without the ball (although he was certainly not alone in that category tonight).

Hargrave did some stupid things, and his kicking in the last quarter was poor, bombed away under pressure as he has a tendency to do and turned it over. He's generally a good user, but he really needs to be a bit more composed at times.

We really needed some run in the last quarter, and hopefully after a few more runs Eagleton will be able to provide some.

Going to be a massive game against the Crows this week.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: Game Day - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane

Just got back from the game, very disappointing.

We seemed to run out of legs early in the 3rd quarter. Can't help but wonder if we were still quite sore and sorry after last weeks game.

We got a great run on in the 2nd quarter kicking 8 straight at one stage, and I thought we would go on with it in the second half.

I also think losing Tommy Williams for a good patch in the 3rd quarter was pivotal, as it seemed to coincide with Brisbane getting back into it.
Brisbane increasingly won both the contested ball and uncontested ball as the game wore on. Is this an indicator of tiredness or lack of effort? The Lions also out tackled us.

Our tackling pressure this year to date is something that concerns me, as it doesn't seem to be at the level we took it to last year.

The acid will be on us to rebound from this, I certainly think we can rise to the challenge, but we are going to have to really address some areas of our game and quickly.