What is Bulldogs football?

[LostDoggy]

Re: What is Bulldogs football?

Gia was on SEN last night and brought up the fact that we have to get back to playing 'Bulldogs footy' if we are to turn this form slump around.

In his words (or close enough to) he described Bulldogs footy as:

'We win the contested ball and then spread and via quick ball movement we deliver cleanly to our forward targets.'

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Gia also mentioned that it is up to the 'leaders' to produce this week. I would argue that it was up to the 'leaders' to perform last week too.

Presumably, so would he

[Bulldog Revolution]

Re: What is Bulldogs football?

Gia also mentioned that it is up to the 'leaders' to produce this week. I would argue that it was up to the 'leaders' to perform last week too.

I dont think you'd get any disagreement from anyone, but it is the double chance for a reason

[Mantis]

Re: What is Bulldogs football?

I dont think you'd get any disagreement from anyone, but it is the double chance for a reason

We have been saying the same thing for 3 years.

Our performances in each of the QF's during this time, by and large have been poor to very poor and in each of these games our 'leaders' as a group have played poorly.

It would be nice for a change that we didn't get ourselves into this 'fighting for survival' position and that our leaders had this 'pow-wow' before the QF and would make a stand in that game.

[Sedat]

Re: What is Bulldogs football?

We have been saying the same thing for 3 years.

Our performances in each of the QF's during this time, by and large have been poor to very poor and in each of these games our 'leaders' as a group have played poorly.

It would be nice for a change that we didn't get ourselves into this 'fighting for survival' position and that our leaders had this 'pow-wow' before the QF and would make a stand in that game.

I personally think we should bring back the final 5, finish on top, have the QF week off, then play (and win) the 2nd Semi so we can go straight to the GF without having to worry about a PF.

Jokes aside, I am heartily sick of our inability to 'get up' in the first week of the finals. It has proven very costly as it has made us do a mountain of extra work in week 2 just to get to the prelim. Having fresher legs might well have made a difference in both the 08 and 09 PF's - the fresher legs might have been able to kick straigher in the 2nd half of both matches for starters.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: What is Bulldogs football?

We have been saying the same thing for 3 years.

Our performances in each of the QF's during this time, by and large have been poor to very poor and in each of these games our 'leaders' as a group have played poorly.

It would be nice for a change that we didn't get ourselves into this 'fighting for survival' position and that our leaders had this 'pow-wow' before the QF and would make a stand in that game.

Let's not lose sight of the fact that we have never finished top of the ladder in our entire history - even 1954.

The best side over the course of the year usually finishes top, the reason we battle away in finals - and the reason a number of our players stuggle in finals - is that we have never been the best team.

[Mantis]

Re: What is Bulldogs football?

Let's not lose sight of the fact that we have never finished top of the ladder in our entire history - even 1954.

The best side over the course of the year usually finishes top, the reason we battle away in finals - and the reason a number of our players stuggle in finals - is that we have never been the best team.

Agree with that, however this year was the first time we had to play the top team 1st week of the finals. I guess in that respect perhaps Saturday's result was a true indication to where we truly are... especially with some key players missing, but to not play anywhere near the type of footy we are capable of was (has been) very disappointing.

[Greystache]

Re: What is Bulldogs football?

Let's not lose sight of the fact that we have never finished top of the ladder in our entire history - even 1954.

The best side over the course of the year usually finishes top, the reason we battle away in finals - and the reason a number of our players stuggle in finals - is that we have never been the best team.

We also haven't beaten a team that finished in the top 4 since 1961. Clearly it's not even a case of not being able to beat the best, we simply as a club can't beat anyone who's a challenger.

Jokes aside, I am heartily sick of our inability to 'get up' in the first week of the finals. It has proven very costly as it has made us do a mountain of extra work in week 2 just to get to the prelim. Having fresher legs might well have made a difference in both the 08 and 09 PF's - the fresher legs might have been able to kick straigher in the 2nd half of both matches for starters.

As I mentioned above we haven't beaten a contender in 50 years, hence the reason we get beaten first week each time.

What are the reasons for it? That's anyone's guess, but my opinion is having been so unsuccessful for so long we have built up a culture (particularly with our older supporters) that we're just happy to be there rather than expecting us to lift now we're there. This culture has to have an effect on the playing group. I know having a GF, who's entire family is fanatical Essendon, that when finals arrive no matter how well they've been going prior to that point, the expectation is the playing group will step up a level. It's not hope, it's expectation! The way they failed to do that in 2009 I think sealed Knight's fate among the supporters as much anything else.

We're so keen as a club to "fly under the radar" that when we get to the big game we're intimidated by it rather than embracing it. Until as a club we can stand up and announce we're the team to beat come at us, and have the players actually believe it, we'll continue to be the also rans.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: What is Bulldogs football?

What are the reasons for it? That's anyone's guess, but my opinion is having been so unsuccessful for so long we have built up a culture (particularly with our older supporters) that we're just happy to be there rather than expecting us to lift now we're there. This culture has to have an effect on the playing group. I know having a GF, who's entire family is fanatical Essendon, that when finals arrive no matter how well they've been going prior to that point, the expectation is the playing group will step up a level. It's not hope, it's expectation! The way they failed to do that in 2009 I think sealed Knight's fate among the supporters as much anything else.

We're so keen as a club to "fly under the radar" that when we get to the big game we're intimidated by it rather than embracing it. Until as a club we can stand up and announce we're the team to beat come at us, and have the players actually believe it, we'll continue to be the also rans.

This is the stuff I don't like and the point I was making. It's not culture, it's not a mind set. We have never been good enough. We have never been the best team.

For a while of this (70's-80's) we were losing anyone who was any good, in the 90's we had a crack (half a dozen really good players but too many plodders to go with them) and the late 00's we have got close again, but never have been the best team (perhaps a bit unlucky to have hit one of the best teams in decades).

97 was a very open year and maybe we had a chance then, last year we weren't far off the pace (but were still behind Geelong and St. Kilda basically all year) but that is really it.

I think we are not as good as the top 3 this year. Perhaps if everything went right we might have been able to win it, but it didn't and we simply aren't good enough to beat the best sides when we are less than full strength.

That doesn't mean you throw out everyone over 25 and start again, but you do need to get some younger blokes into the mix and that is exactly what we have done this year.

Can we get better with this group? Bloody oath we can. If our 1982 group (Lake, Boyd, Murphy, Morris and Giansiracusa) can hold it together for another year or two and Roughead, Grant, Jones, Wood, Reid and Ward can improve, we can win it, and should be going for it.

[LostDoggy]

Re: What is Bulldogs football?

SS, how about teams who manage to sneak a flag or two in the years they are not the best team? How about teams that were CLEARLY the best team all year yet keep losing the big one? It is not usually the 'best teams' that play off in the GF. Brisbane never finished top of the table in their three-peat. Port finished top 3 years in a row before even getting close to the GF. Carlton made a GF knocking off the Bombers who were clearly the best team all year. Adelaide won a flag from 5th. Where did Sydney or West Coast finish in their two GF years? They weren't both top 2 -- Sydney nearly won it from 4th in '06. St.Kilda, on the other hand, couldn't make a GF most of the noughties despite having one of the better lists going around.

We were arguably the best side in '97 for most of the season. I remember the footy show doing a table prediction 3/4s of the way through the season, and someone put the Dogs on top, and then someone else pushed us way up the board to show that that's how far ahead of everyone we actually were.

Losing by 30-50 points (like last week) means you're not good enough. Leading by 30 and losing by 2, missing easy shots when tight finals are on the line, letting teams back in when the game should be over, means that there is a cultural/mental problem.

[Greystache]

Re: What is Bulldogs football?

This is the stuff I don't like and the point I was making. It's not culture, it's not a mind set. We have never been good enough. We have never been the best team.

For a while of this (70's-80's) we were losing anyone who was any good, in the 90's we had a crack (half a dozen really good players but too many plodders to go with them) and the late 00's we have got close again, but never have been the best team (perhaps a bit unlucky to have hit one of the best teams in decades).

97 was a very open year and maybe we had a chance then, last year we weren't far off the pace (but were still behind Geelong and St. Kilda basically all year) but that is really it.

I think we are not as good as the top 3 this year. Perhaps if everything went right we might have been able to win it, but it didn't and we simply aren't good enough to beat the best sides when we are less than full strength.

That doesn't mean you throw out everyone over 25 and start again, but you do need to get some younger blokes into the mix and that is exactly what we have done this year.

Can we get better with this group? Bloody oath we can. If our 1982 group (Lake, Boyd, Murphy, Morris and Giansiracusa) can hold it together for another year or two and Roughead, Grant, Jones, Wood, Reid and Ward can improve, we can win it, and should be going for it.

The point I was making is what is the best side? Was Essendon the best side in 93? Was Brisbane in 01? Was Hawthorn in 08? I would say no, but what did happen was their senior players lifted and played their best games of the season and that in turn dragged the fringe players with them. I would hardly call Hawthorn's team brilliant but they got the best out of everyone on the day it mattered and that got them a flag.

My point is the expectation on our core group of seniors players to lift their game is very low and thus our fringe players don't step up accordingly.

We've had as long a list of individual stars as any club, but how many players have we had who have regularly dominated in finals? Or even how many players have been regular performers?

Until we as a club start expecting our senior players to lift for finals rather than hoping they will this group and most likely our next will never be "the best team"

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: What is Bulldogs football?

SS, how about teams who manage to sneak a flag or two in the years they are not the best team? How about teams that were CLEARLY the best team all year yet keep losing the big one? It is not usually the 'best teams' that play off in the GF. Brisbane never finished top of the table in their three-peat. Port finished top 3 years in a row before even getting close to the GF. Carlton made a GF knocking off the Bombers who were clearly the best team all year. Adelaide won a flag from 5th. Where did Sydney or West Coast finish in their two GF years? They weren't both top 2 -- Sydney nearly won it from 4th in '06. St.Kilda, on the other hand, couldn't make a GF most of the noughties despite having one of the better lists going around.

We were arguably the best side in '97 for most of the season. I remember the footy show doing a table prediction 3/4s of the way through the season, and someone put the Dogs on top, and then someone else pushed us way up the board to show that that's how far ahead of everyone we actually were.

Losing by 30-50 points (like last week) means you're not good enough. Leading by 30 and losing by 2, missing easy shots when tight finals are on the line, letting teams back in when the game should be over, means that there is a cultural/mental problem.

If we barracked for Port I would definately be questioning their mental strength blowing 3 top finishes (but they did get one in the end) and certainly upsets happen, but you can't rely on them.

We weren't really a very good side in 97, I think our side now is a much better side, but everyone else was ordinary too. I did say that 97 was the one that got away.

Certainly you don't have to finish first to win one, but it is usually a good indicator that you are a decent team, but there are lots of things that have to go right to win a premiership. Sheedy said he thought he won lotto in 93.

Saying we have not won a premiership because of our culture / mental strength (or lack of it) is bollocks.

[comrade]

Re: What is Bulldogs football?

If we barracked for Port I would definately be questioning their mental strength blowing 3 top finishes (but they did get one in the end) and certainly upsets happen, but you can't rely on them.

We weren't really a very good side in 97, I think our side now is a much better side, but everyone else was ordinary too. I did say that 97 was the one that got away.

Certainly you don't have to finish first to win one, but it is usually a good indicator that you are a decent team, but there are lots of things that have to go right to win a premiership. Sheedy said he thought he won lotto in 93.

Saying we have not won a premiership because of our culture / mental strength (or lack of it) is bollocks.

So we're just a club that can't develop players or recruit them properly?

[Greystache]

Re: What is Bulldogs football?

Saying we have not won a premiership because of our culture / mental strength (or lack of it) is bollocks.

So is our failure to even beat a contender?

[LostDoggy]

Re: What is Bulldogs football?

We were arguably the best side in '97 for most of the season. I remember the footy show doing a table prediction 3/4s of the way through the season, and someone put the Dogs on top, and then someone else pushed us way up the board to show that that's how far ahead of everyone we actually were.

.

That ws 98 and it was Brereton before we lost a number in the second half of the season.

A lot depends on the quality of the leading teams - Port ran into Brisbane. We have run into Geelong

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: What is Bulldogs football?

So we're just a club that can't develop players or recruit them properly?

For a long time we couldn't keep them. That accounts for a lot of it.

Over the last two decades we have spent more time in the top 8 than most, at a guess. We just haven't been quite good enough.

Premierships are bloody hard to win and in some cases we simply have had one or two things go wrong. If Paul Dear didn't break Peter Foster's leg in 92 does anyone think Brownless would have kicked 9 on Fossie? Would we have beaten West Coast anyway?

We have put ourselves in a position a few times to be a chance, but everything has to go right and they haven't.



In 85 Kelvin Templeton, Geoff Jennings, Ted Whitten and Mick Egan were all still under 30 and all retired (or in KT's case moved on and pretending to still be playing).