The one thing stopping us winning the flag?

[Dry Rot]

I got into footy and the Dogs in 1998.

As an ex-rugby league fan in Sydney, I had no problem with the complaints by other teams' fans about questionable behaviour about some of our players. I liked winning, but if we couldn't win, then I liked the fact that certain mongrel players of ours would take their toll.

With Rhode and Eade, for whatever reason, that reputation and those acts would fade away, along with certain players. I think we have now lost our edge, and there's only one or two Dogs players that are truly "feared".

Then there was this exchange on another thread, and IMO Twodogs nailed it.

Or the reverse? Barry Hall decked Chris Grant off the ball right in front me at the SCG.

Of course, he's a perfect gentleman now in my eyes.

I rermeber being angrier with our blokes than Hall. Not one of them flew the flag while Grant was spreadeagled on the ground. Until Shaggy took his chance.

This game was IIRC in 2003 or 2004 but what's changed?

Our players can get decked, and no-one flies the flag. Who really helped Hall when North went birko this season?

To win the flag IMO we have to be harder across the field and if one of one our players get cleaned up, the the opposition has to know that there will be consequences on-field then and there.

IMO, if we don't HTFU we won't win the flag, no matter what talent we have.

[Bulldog Joe]

Re: The one thing stopping us winning the flag?

Well I think we have hardened up under Eade.

It was Wallace that brought in the softies Bowden, McMahon etc.

Nowadays you just can't go the biff but we have some real hard nuts

Picken, Reid, Addison, Ward and Wood among our younger brigade do not shirk the contest and I think they can all make sure that the opposition knows they are around.

Brett Deledio is certainly aware of Picken and I'm pretty sure Sam Gilbert and Brett Kirk were given plenty of evidence of Addison's presence in the final series.

[Mantis]

Re: The one thing stopping us winning the flag?

I don't agree at all DR...

The game has changed and the payback system that used to be around no longer exists.

Our hardness isn't holding us back.

[Hotdog60]

Re: The one thing stopping us winning the flag?

I got into footy and the Dogs in 1998.
Our players can get decked, and no-one flies the flag. Who really helped Hall when North went birko this season?

Stack was there, he came in to assist and he held a NM players jumper while desperately looking around to see who was coming to help.

[LostDoggy]

Re: The one thing stopping us winning the flag?

I think the main thing is we've struggled over the last few years to find an answer to structures like St Kildas, and more particularly Collingwoods last year. Or to come up with one of our own that other teams can't deal with. We have the list .

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: The one thing stopping us winning the flag?

This game was IIRC in 2003 or 2004 but what's changed?

Our players can get decked, and no-one flies the flag. Who really helped Hall when North went birko this season?

Our blokes were all too busy getting the ball and kicking goals

[LostDoggy]

Re: The one thing stopping us winning the flag?

Our players can get decked, and no-one flies the flag. Who really helped Hall when North went birko this season?

This is something that has troubled me.
There seems to be a real "divide" for lack of a better word, among our group.
No real unity.

[LostDoggy]

Re: The one thing stopping us winning the flag?

As if Hall can't handle himself

[LostDoggy]

Re: The one thing stopping us winning the flag?

Coons did some weird fly-kick/tumble. Ended up nowhere i think

We haven't done a great deal since Peter Sumich almost met his maker.

[mighty_west]

Re: The one thing stopping us winning the flag?

Im reckon the one thing stopping us has been luck with injuries, since when have we gone in with a fit Cooney? Every year we always seem to have a few important players missing or going at 40%, it just kills you.

[soupman]

Re: The one thing stopping us winning the flag?

I like that we don't seem to get distracted by incidents like the Hall scenario, but I would have liked to see more of our players come in and support him. Nothing stupid needed to be done, but a few players actually helping him out would be good to see. I know round 1 against Collingwood when Hall cleaned up Wellingham we all ran in to support him, and thats what I want to see us doing.

Really with the AFL being so picky over small incidents (see Addison's suspension in the PF) now, I'm not sure that getting revenge is really that good an idea unless we can legitimately dish it out within the rules, which I hope we are doing already. I'm all for opposition players knowing they are going to get a whack on the head if they touch one of our players, but I would rather our best 22 still being available the following week.

[LostDoggy]

Re: The one thing stopping us winning the flag?

I'm all for opposition players knowing they are going to get a whack on the head if they touch one of our players, but I would rather our best 22 still being available the following week.

Nah (first half of sentence), yeah (second half). Who does that crap anymore? Only teams doing 'line in the sand' crap like Hawthorn and Essendon in their shit years. The better teams are all trying to get through the season without suspensions, the crappier teams are trying to bait you into engaging in the rough stuff.

Brisbane in their three-peat years were tough as nails without being dickheads, when they started falling back to the pack was when they started with the niggle with lame stunts like giving Saint Nick's injured shoulder a whack, and it was a downhill slide after that.

Only shit teams like Norf (and shit players, or older players who are now shit) still dish up lame argy-bargy. And you can just hear Dermie on SEN every week during the season itching for someone to go the biff so he can defend how manly his sport is!

[AndrewP6]

Re: The one thing stopping us winning the flag?

As if Hall can't handle himself

Problem is, if he handled himself the way he probably felt like doing against Norf, he'd never play again. Our blokes should have done more to give him a chop-out (pardon the gratuitous use of your username ) And not the Adam Cooney "jump on his back, hold on tight and hope for the best" chop out either

[LostDoggy]

Re: The one thing stopping us winning the flag?

Problem is, if he handled himself the way he probably felt like doing against Norf, he'd never play again. Our blokes should have done more to give him a chop-out (pardon the gratuitous use of your username ) And not the Adam Cooney "jump on his back, hold on tight and hope for the best" chop out either

Its a strange one cos North's performance on the day was pathetic. Once they knew they were going to lose they went the man. For them a win was to try and up set Barry.

I remember in the last round game in 1997 Hawthorn played the same way. We had a number of players that flew the flag. Hawthorn had nothing to lose yet we copped the key suspensions for the finals. Could say Southern being outted(not sure if Dimma did too) and Kolynuik rubbed out a few weeks earlier, cost us the premiership that year cos we did fly the flag.

[The Coon Dog]

Re: The one thing stopping us winning the flag?

Its a strange one cos North's performance on the day was pathetic. Once they knew they were going to lose they went the man. For them a win was to try and up set Barry.

I remember in the last round game in 1997 Hawthorn played the same way. We had a number of players that flew the flag. Hawthorn had nothing to lose yet we copped the key suspensions for the finals. Could say Southern being outted(not sure if Dimma did too) and Kolynuik rubbed out a few weeks earlier, cost us the premiership that year cos we did fly the flag.

Yup, Dimma got 2 weeks for striking Rayden Tallis.