Game Day - R6 Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Game Day - R6 Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda

My biggest concern is our inability to win when it matters against quality opposition. See: Hawks QF 08, Cats PF 08, Cats QF 09, Saints PF 09, Pies 2010 Round 1, Lions 2010 Round 4, Saints 2010 Round 6. I know we won in Rounds 20-22 last year and at that point I thought we'd finally grown as a group, but we simply haven't.

When we're up against quality opposition who pressure us to the core, we inevitably find a way to crumble. (IE. Missing goals, turning it over, fumbling etc.). The mental toughness of this group really has to be questioned because it's happening far too often. The 3 sides we've beaten so far have won 1 game between them. Pies, Lions and Saints are all challengers and we've lost them all. We set ourselves for tonight and again we fell short.

Should have won tonight by 4-5 goals but we relaxed, chipped it back and fourth, turned it over and then hardly gave a yelp once the momentum shifted. Why can't we stifle sides who get a run on? Every time a side hits momentum against us, we cough up goals very quickly. Tonight was a prime example.

Cross has had a terrible year. He might be finding the ball but his hands are shocking, he fumbles and misses targets far too often. Morris hasn't had a good season either so far. Too much is being left to too few. When Griffen goes out of the game, we look slow through the midfield. Cooney isn't damaging enough with his disposals, Higgins doesn't do nearly enough and Murph/Hahn/Gia can't spark us when we really need them to.

I thought Harbrow was sensational - one of the few players who tried to make something happen tonight. Gilbee was pretty good although I'd like to see more dare. Grant showed good signs but he missed a crucial goal when he should've played on a drilled it from 15m. Addison did OK and hit the contest hard.

Overall though - we're a frustrating side. Glimpses every now and again to make you believe they can match it with the best, but when it really counts - we find a way to lose.

[Chicago1]

Re: Game Day - R6 Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda

I wasn't able to watch the match live on ESPN3 this morning, so I decided to watch the replay as if it were live. Just finished a few minutes ago and I'm devastated. I hate close games, especially when we lose. That last quarter almost gave me a heart attack.

I haven't given up yet, but it sure is looking like just another season where our hopes are not fulfilled. This was our biggest test so far this year and we failed. I am wounded. Almost fatally.

[Sedat]

Re: Game Day - R6 Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda

When we're up against quality opposition who pressure us to the core, we inevitably find a way to crumble. (IE. Missing goals, turning it over, fumbling etc.). The mental toughness of this group really has to be questioned because it's happening far too often. The 3 sides we've beaten so far have won 1 game between them. Pies, Lions and Saints are all challengers and we've lost them all. We set ourselves for tonight and again we fell short.

To be honest, this has been our lot since the mid 80's - we invariably find new ways to kick ourselves in the teeth

We've now limited the Saints to 15 and 14 scoring shots in each of the part 2 matches and have absolutely nothing to show for our efforts - this is clearly a mental issue with this playing group. If we are to go deep in September and we again find ourselves in a winning position with 10 minutes to go in a prelim, I'll unfortunately fully expect our team not to be able to finish the job. Gee it's hard barracking for this team sometimes.

[Missing-Dog]

Re: Game Day - R6 Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda

We have no killer instinct!

[alwaysadog]

Re: Game Day - R6 Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda

I hope that by this morning some of the acute disappointment felt by fellow posters has dissipated. It certainly was a roller coaster ride emotionally and left us all feeling shattered. That said for me at least that was an improvement.

I’d better explain that comment. On the form we’d shown in the first 5 weeks I didn’t expect us to win, what’s more I couldn’t believe the hype that built up during last week over our prospects seeing as how the only two decent sides we’d played had beaten us convincingly.

On the way to the game when my partner said she hoped we would win I told her I didn’t think we would and that I thought we would lose narrowly. Earlier in the week I had also said to GVG that while I knew the reasons we were playing inexperienced talls I didn’t think it would be an asset in a game that would be so intense from start to finish.

The point of this post is not to pump up my own tyres but to say that firstly it was a much better effort than previously and while on the one hand as Terry Wallace so famously said “you don’t get diddly squat for effort“, we weren’t blown away, in fact for three quarters we were the better team and it was after all a loss by less than a kick.

On the other hand there were the same unmistakable signs of the issues that have lead us to fail in the past and I’d like some focus on those, which I’ll express as a series of questions, with an implied what should be done about it.

1 How can we dominate sides and not put them away, what is missing?

2 Why are we so shockingly inaccurate in kicking for goal in the tight games? (This may be a subset of 1)

3 Why can’t we manage a centre clearance at the critical times or even lock it in, while the opposition get it out so well?

4. I haven’t watched a replay nor did I listen to a commentary so this point may need modifying and incidents may have evened out but as a biased supporter watching a close game I ask about a series of incidents to do with the umpiring.
a What did Brian do wrong in the marking contest that gave Kosi a free kick that lead to St Kilda’s first goal?
b Why was the free kick to us directly before St Kilda’s second ignored ?
c Why were the two deliberate high contacts by St Kilda players ignored? Both were at times when the ball was dead and directly in front of the umpire; the most obvious being Raf Clarke’s on Johno, when at the same time a mark or free kick (I can’t recall which) within scoring distance had been reversed for a similar more dubious incident by BBB.

5 Does last night’s inability to post a decent score under extreme pressure put to bed forever the notion that the solution to our forward line problems was to acquire a “Power Forward” and cause us to ponder more broadly about where our attack is, and has been for some years, falling down in such circumstances?

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day - R6 Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda

Great questions alwaysadog and I won't pretend for a second to say that I have the answers.

1 and 2) We dominated the game but our skills and goal kicking let us down at the critical times.
We have all been educated about how fatigue impacts skills but I don't think that is the answer. Do we have the players with sufficent self belief?

3) At a guess I don't think we switch between attack and defense well enough.

4) I haven't seen the replay either.

5) I don't think there is a problem with our scoring power but we didn't handle the ultra defensive style of the Saints. Hall has changed our forward line up but it wasn't a power forward problem. For the sake of one more straight kick at the right time we could have won by 20 points because we would have broken their spirits.

[Stevo]

Re: Game Day - R6 Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda

We dominated the game in my opinion but just didn't kick the goals when it counted. I think this is a chronic problem for teams that aren't playing right at their best.

[Bornadog]

Re: Game Day - R6 Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda

Like everyone I am dissapointed with the loss and I couldn't get the damn game out of my head over night.

I know people are going to think I have gone mad, but the effort and the intensity last night was the best in all 6 games. If not for the costly misses on goal and the few errors, I can see we are a genuine chance this year. If we can repeat this against less ugly sides, we will win many games

[Missing Dog]

Re: Game Day - R6 Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda

Harbrow was BOG for the doggies. He has real dash, and some amazing balance going through traffic and knows how to find the ball.

yep he does. What do you think of his final pass though? I seem to see him take the extra 2 or three steps at full pace to get around another man resulting in a a hurried kick/turnover.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day - R6 Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda

more like a quarter of a quarter.
Hats off to them for taking the opportunities they had though, and on the hand we certainly have to question our inability yet again to take ours.
It just seems to loom large over our playing group that whenever the question is posed as to whether we have the audacity to do what is required when it is required, invariably we answer with a no.

I wanted to say "Half a quarter" but was worried that the realm of the maths world to implode into a black hole.

We are on the same page though.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day - R6 Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda

I'm just MAD Can't believe it!

[G-Mo77]

Re: Game Day - R6 Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda

When I saw St. Kilda were paying $5.40 to win going into the last quarter I felt like calling and placing a small wager. Sounds horrible I know, I just have no confidence in winning these type of games and as soon as they got within 9 I kind of knew we were going to drop it.

I really wish I made that call now.

[Sedat]

Re: Game Day - R6 Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda

I know people are going to think I have gone mad, but the effort and the intensity last night was the best in all 6 games. If not for the costly misses on goal and the few errors, I can see we are a genuine chance this year. If we can repeat this against less ugly sides, we will win many games

I don't think anyone could have any qualms about the Dogs' intensity at the contest last night and the previous week - we have clearly turned the corner in this aspect from the first 4 rounds.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day - R6 Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda

I agree, if we can keep our intensity at that level and become more confident in getting the ball into 50 ,so the likes of Hall can do what he is getting paid for. In that stuation last night 17 points up, dominating play,another goal would of been enough. we just didn't show confidence in getting it in there.When you put it in 50 things happen.

upset with the manner we lost but i believe this will kickstart our season. WE ARE GOOD ENOUGH!!!!

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day - R6 Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda

Too true. being a lifelong supporter, we always seem to find a way to lose. lets hope we can finally learn from this and figure out how to land the knock out punch.I'm confident we can go all the way this year. i feel we are just starting to work into the season.