Game Day 2011 - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Essendon

[Desipura]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Essendon

I'm wondering if we loaded up on training. The first quarter we looked sharpish, but thereafter we had blokes ball watching. And you just can't ball watch in today's football. Were we tired (mentally or physically)? That might sound odd at the start of the season but we looked like we couldn't get sufficient numbers to do the hard things for each other.

Essendon's pace from stoppages has worried us before. In recent times they just didn't have sufficient defensive skills. Now they do. In fact, any side with leg speed can do us over if they have the work rate to go with it and employ the forward press. We've struggled with this before, mainly against Collingwood.

Please, not the load up on training excuse.

[Sedat]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Essendon

I'm still angry after watching the crap our players served up.

Don't think anybody was the slightest bit happy with what was dished up after qtr time, but it is Round 1 and it is March (FFS it's still daylight saving down here, that's how far away finals are). After a month of season 2010 Brisbane were undefeated and Fev was tracking at Coleman Medal pace - she's a long, long season.

There are genuine causes for concern that require immediate addressing but until such issues become endemic, I'm happy to wait a few weeks before declaring panic stations.

[Desipura]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Essendon

Have just finished watching a replay of the game (my first look at it) - Having read various reports I knew it would be tough to sit though and it certainly was.

* Our field kicking was disgusting. Griffen & Ward were the worst offenders.

* We had too many players get forward of the ball.

* We are dreadfully slow and cannot continue to play Boyd, Cross, Ward, Gia & Higgins in the same team.

* We had no idea how to move the ball out of defence and it was rebounded with ease. Harbrow is a huge loss in this area.

* I didn't actually think not playing a 2nd ruck hurt us, our problem was at ground level.

I made mention in another thread that we rely too heavily on Griff and Cooney to run and carry out of the middle.
Who else in there has enough confidence in their speed?
Cross - no
Gia - no
Ward - no
Boyd - no
Higgins - no
Libba - no

Cross, Gia and Boyd struggle to apply pressure to their opponents when they have the ball forward of the centre.
A number of times we were outnumbered when the Bombers were pressing forward.
It is then left to the defenders to take up the slack which is why they were able to get a number of relatively easy goals.

Libba long term and Ward will be an integral player due his ability to get the contested ball which will allow Griff and Cooney to be used more effectively.

The above mentioned guys will help get us enough wins to again play finals, I feel at least 2 of them will need to make way for players that can apply defensive pressure if we are to take the next step. Cross and Gia seem like the logical ones IMHO.

Would Eade make such a tough call on 2 well respected leaders at the club who give their all?
Malthouse did it for the betterment of the team and backed some youngsters, not too sure Rocket would be so daring.
If you keep making the some mistake, you will end up with the same result.

[Mantis]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Essendon

There are genuine causes for concern that require immediate addressing but until such issues become endemic, I'm happy to wait a few weeks before declaring panic stations.

Yep.... We play Collingwood in rd 6 and then Hawthorn, Geelong, St.Kilda & Adelaide from rd's 10-13. By this time we should hopefully have a healthy list and will be in a much better position to judge how we are travelling.

It must be remembered that we had 8 or 9 different players in the team from our last game and with so many different players in the team there was always going to be teething problems.

What is a major concern however are our foot skills which need to improve. If we continue to kick the ball that poorly we aren't going to see much of an improvement against decent opposition.

[Daughter of the West]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Essendon

Don't think anybody was the slightest bit happy with what was dished up after qtr time, but it is Round 1 and it is March (FFS it's still daylight saving down here, that's how far away finals are). After a month of season 2010 Brisbane were undefeated and Fev was tracking at Coleman Medal pace - she's a long, long season.

There are genuine causes for concern that require immediate addressing but until such issues become endemic, I'm happy to wait a few weeks before declaring panic stations.

Agreed. I'd forgotten about Brisbane last year, makes me feel a bit better.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Essendon

Would Eade make such a tough call on 2 well respected leaders at the club who give their all?
Malthouse did it for the betterment of the team and backed some youngsters, not too sure Rocket would be so daring.
If you keep making the some mistake, you will end up with the same result.

This one has been wheeled out 2 dozen times I reckon but lets not forget the blokes he moved on weren't just old, they were also gumbies.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Essendon

this one has been wheeled out 2 dozen times i reckon but lets not forget the blokes he moved on weren't just old, they were also gumbies.

Lol.

[Desipura]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Essendon

This one has been wheeled out 2 dozen times I reckon but lets not forget the blokes he moved on weren't just old, they were also gumbies.

Do you think we have too many one paced midfielders? How are we going to take the next step in September (assuming we will get there)

[The Pie Man]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Essendon

Has Cooney lost a yard?

[Bornadog]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Essendon

Has Cooney lost a yard?

I don't believe so. I think he was spent in the 2nd half on Sunday, considering he hasn't had much of a preseason. There is nothing like real game time to get back into it. He will imrpove vastly over the next few weeks.

[The Pie Man]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R1 Western Bulldogs vs Essendon

I don't believe so. I think he was spent in the 2nd half on Sunday, considering he hasn't had much of a preseason. There is nothing like real game time to get back into it. He will imrpove vastly over the next few weeks.

Hope so (and good points)

Fatigue would explain a touch of disinterest in the contest I noted on Sunday - happy to accept I might be seeing things.