Round 5 Preview - Dogs @ Dockers, Monday 25th

[LostDoggy]

Re: Round 5 Preview - Dogs @ Dockers, Monday 25th

I'm willing to sacrifice this game if it means we will win the week after

[Rocco Jones]

Re: Round 5 Preview - Dogs @ Dockers, Monday 25th

I'm willing to sacrifice this game if it means we will win the week after

I know you're joking but the overwhelming feel I am getting (may well be wrong) is that most find the Collingwood game more 'important'.

I actually find the Collingwood game the 'least' important of our next 3. Sure, go in and do as much as we can but I find the Freo and Swans game either side of it as much more variable. I would much prefer wins over Freo and/or the Swans than a 'valiant' effort against Collingwood.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to compromise any game but if we have to, I would compromise our least variable game.

[Cyberdoggie]

Re: Round 5 Preview - Dogs @ Dockers, Monday 25th

Thanks MJP,

How do you think Liberatore will go on the larger ground?

A brief assessment of him this year would be that he is great in clearances, still slightly built so can get brushed off tackles but still throws himself in, not particularly quick or agile and still has to get a bigger tank to be more consistent throughout the game.

I wonder if the large ground will tire him out too much.

This will be a real test of our fitness this game.

[Greystache]

Re: Round 5 Preview - Dogs @ Dockers, Monday 25th

Thanks for the early preview MJP. I agree this is a real danger game, it's only our second test of the season and we're in round 5. Freo have had better preparation for a tough game than we have.

Would you consider playing Picken on Ballantyne? He certainly wouldn't put up with any of the shit Ballantyne carries on with, and other than Cross he's about our best endurance runner.

[turtle]

Re: Round 5 Preview - Dogs @ Dockers, Monday 25th

Excellent preview!

These are games we need to win. The Dockers have their injury problems and if we are serious about being any sort of threat we cannot drop these sorts of games.
We can come up with all sorts of reasons why we might find this hard, but good teams find ways to win these games. I have been prepared to to ignore our performance so far this year, for a variety of reasons, but after the week off we should be set. No more excuses.

[mjp]

Re: Round 5 Preview - Dogs @ Dockers, Monday 25th

How do you think Liberatore will go on the larger ground?

Should be fine...you have to win contested footy at Subi to release your runners. Could be critical to us I think.

[mjp]

Re: Round 5 Preview - Dogs @ Dockers, Monday 25th

Would you consider playing Picken on Ballantyne? He certainly wouldn't put up with any of the shit Ballantyne carries on with, and other than Cross he's about our best endurance runner.

I wouldn't but I can see where you are coming from. There are mids who need to be cut out of the game and I see Picken as our best chance of doing that...

[Scraggers]

Re: Round 5 Preview - Dogs @ Dockers, Monday 25th

Fyfe
Enough of letting this kid (my nemesis from the 2009 grand final – kicked 6 the little so-and-so) run around the midfield unattended. He is playing inside more this year and needs to be given close attention...Picken goes too him at the first bounce and makes his life a misery.

Gret preview mjp. Fyfe is going to be some player, and I like the rationale of a Picken type going to him. But what then do we do with Stephen Hill? Leaving him unguarded on the wide spaces of Subi will end in tears.

As I have stated in many other threads on WOOF, I used to teach Nat Fyfe at Lake Grace in rural WA, and I am very good friends with the family ... Having said that, I hope he gets his head knocked off on Monday.

Every prediction I have made about Nat has been incorrect ...
I thought he would get the snot kicked out of him in high school ... Wrong !
I thought he would never amount to anything ... Wrong !
I thought he would not make the grade in WAFL Colts ... Wrong ! (MJP will attest to that)
I thought he didn't stand a chance to be picked up by an AFL club ... Wrong !
I thought he would play a game of seniors ... Wrong !!
I thought his second year would be a shocker compared to his first and he would be dropped to the magoos ... Wrong Again !!

Change of tact ... I think Nat will win a Brownlow and be the most sought after player in the AFL, I think he will captain Freo to back to back grand finals, and be unstoppable against us this ANZAC day. !!! (God, I hope I'm wrong on all three counts)

[Scraggers]

Re: Round 5 Preview - Dogs @ Dockers, Monday 25th

By the way, fantastic review MJP; like you, I have a lot riding on this game (wife and her family are all Docker supporters, plus most of my staff).

I too think we might get beaten (Geez, I hope I'm wrong) I'm thinking 14 points.

[the banker]

Re: Round 5 Preview - Dogs @ Dockers, Monday 25th

Excellent preview!

These are games we need to win. The Dockers have their injury problems and if we are serious about being any sort of threat we cannot drop these sorts of games.
We can come up with all sorts of reasons why we might find this hard, but good teams find ways to win these games. I have been prepared to to ignore our performance so far this year, for a variety of reasons, but after the week off we should be set. No more excuses.

Agree. Are Freo strong enough defensively to cope with our Swarm and run out of the back half and through the middle?

The draw has them much more finely tuned than us. How we start I feel will have big bearing on the result. If we can hold them the first quarter may set us up.

Even given the Essendon game I feel this is our first real test and our season starts now.

[Hotdog60]

Re: Round 5 Preview - Dogs @ Dockers, Monday 25th

Thanks MJP,

How do you think Liberatore will go on the larger ground?

A brief assessment of him this year would be that he is great in clearances, still slightly built so can get brushed off tackles but still throws himself in, not particularly quick or agile and still has to get a bigger tank to be more consistent throughout the game.

I wonder if the large ground will tire him out too much.

This will be a real test of our fitness this game.

Maybe Tom can sub for Mitch and give them half a game each.

[Rocco Jones]

Re: Round 5 Preview - Dogs @ Dockers, Monday 25th

Maybe Tom can sub for Mitch and give them half a game each.

I'd like to see Addison and Wallis come in. If that occurs, I would have Mitch as a sub with Dylan coming off if it's not working out with him. I would go with that tactic anyway but I think it has the added benefit of not reducing a post bye player's TOG. Having a 16 day break + limited TOG is far from ideal.

[mjp]

Re: Round 5 Preview - Dogs @ Dockers, Monday 25th

Agree. Are Freo strong enough defensively to cope with our Swarm and run out of the back half and through the middle?

Freo are quite good defensively. Broughton and McPharlin are really good players, Grover and Van Berlo are honest and accountable and they get some run from the likes of Duffield...

Pretty balanced side these days. They will be a tough out for us this week.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Round 5 Preview - Dogs @ Dockers, Monday 25th

Wouldn't that mean someone else was put on the LTI list ???

Sorry Andrew, I should have been more clear - I do mean Mitch Wallis!!!!

[AndrewP6]

Re: Round 5 Preview - Dogs @ Dockers, Monday 25th

Sorry Andrew, I should have been more clear - I do mean Mitch Wallis!!!!

Oh of course. I should've put 2 and 2 together!