Game Day 2011 - R5 Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle

**Yankee Hotel Foxtrot** · 26-04-2011, 12:00 AM

Re: Game Day 2011 - R5 Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle

Originally posted by arkie

We have major problems with our defensive pressure when inside our forward 50. We don't hold it in long enough and force enough stoppages. Teams get it out so easily against us. Why is this happening?

As the Commentators pointed out, we don't employ as high a defensive forward zone as other teams that are good at this do.
There must be a reason for it, whether Eade is concerned that we don't have the ability to do it well, and might get exploited by pushing too high up I don't know, but we are setting up much differently in this regard than many other teams.

**ReLoad** · 26-04-2011, 12:00 AM

Re: Game Day 2011 - R5 Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle

Originally posted by arkie

We have major problems with our defensive pressure when inside our forward 50. We don't hold it in long enough and force enough stoppages. Teams get it out so easily against us. Why is this happening?

Becasue Grant is the ultimate in lazy, he lives next door to a pizza parlour and gets home delivery.

**GVGjr** · 26-04-2011, 12:00 AM

Re: Game Day 2011 - R5 Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle

Originally posted by G-Mo77

I'm getting tired of the ol' injury/lack of fitness excuse. Cooney just doesn't have that killer instinct! How this guy escapes the wrath of the most brutal supporters is beyond me.

He's hugely popular with the supporters who often can't find fault with him. At times I think I was the lone hand on the forum that didn't want him as the captain.

**G-Mo77** · 26-04-2011, 12:01 AM

Re: Game Day 2011 - R5 Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle

Originally posted by Rocco Jones

I really get the sentiments behind what you and mjp are saying but does it mean we are any different to the last few years? Awesome footy for 95% then turn into Richie 'The Baumer' Tennebaum when it there to be won.

Ha ha. Love it! I haven't smiled all evening until I read that,

Thanks.

**SonofScray** · 26-04-2011, 12:01 AM

Re: Game Day 2011 - R5 Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle

Just frustrating to watch, we let them off the hook in the 2nd quarter and failed to lock the ball up when it counted. Our player most likely and deserving of the 'match winner' tag in Cooney let us down, to the point where I am not convinced I should be expecting him to nail those big goals anymore.

We carried far too many players, some who put in here and there (eg Grant), others who were let down by the game plan (eg Hall) and a few that just flat out struggled (eg Roughie). While the overall effort and intensity was acceptable for large parts of the game you need a better buy in from all your players. It felt like it took a ferocious Picken attack on the ball to wake the rest up.

Sherman stepped right up, a great performance from him really. Put what we need from him on show.

Grant could be in the mix for a rest, his efforts at times were very poor. He looks like he is down and out a bit and hasn't been able to get involved at the level I think we'd have expected from him this season. To his credit though, when the game was in the balance and needed someone to get hands on the ball and get the goal, he did it. That's a quality we're really lacking in so maybe he gets a reprieve.

Higgins in the 4th quarter showed me what he is capable of, really turned around a poor first three quarters with some great work. Missed one of his set shots but he had an assist, a good goal and was right in the thick of it, sure of hand and foot when it counted. I am a harsh marker on the kid but if he can bring that increasingly into games then he will get the pats on the back.

Minson has to get a go. Roughhead gave us very little, looked lost and frustrated.

We're really staring down the barrel of a horror start to the year now with the prospect of a flogging next week looming fairly large.I'm mostly happy that we actually got up and running close to our best intensity, if not skill, for parts of tonight but the same old issues tend to pop up don't they. No real match winners, poor consistency over four quarters, sloppy delivery into the forward line etc etc.

**EasternWest** · 26-04-2011, 12:01 AM

Re: Game Day 2011 - R5 Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle

Originally posted by G-Mo77

Poor use of the sub again on our behalf. 1 out of 4 games so far. Get it right FFS!

TBH, Wallis as sub puzzled me a bit from the get go. Surely he would have been better coming off the bench at the start?

Not saying I know who should have been sub, but I don't think Mitch should have been.

**LostDoggy** · 26-04-2011, 12:01 AM

Re: Game Day 2011 - R5 Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle

Originally posted by ReLoad

Becasue Grant is the ultimate in lazy, he lives next door to a pizza parlour and gets home delivery.

Wasn't always though. Last year he had a lot of great chases. He fell off far to many of the tackles at the end, but atleast he tried and ran. Now it looks like he has just cut out the middle step

**Yankee Hotel Foxtrot** · 26-04-2011, 12:01 AM

Re: Game Day 2011 - R5 Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle

Originally posted by G-Mo77

Poor use of the sub again on our behalf. 1 out of 4 games so far. Get it right FFS!

Do you mean as in the player chosen, or the timing of use?
If the latter, I don't think it was by choice. Williams was grabbing at the back of his leg late in the 3rd, and that was why he was subbed off.

**Bornadog** · 26-04-2011, 12:02 AM

Re: Game Day 2011 - R5 Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle

Originally posted by Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Also they've had all season to get match hardened.
I think a bye late in the season is going to be less of a problem than in the first 2 months of the season.

Our next bye is around round 20 so will be handy, but this bye was timed so badly, 16 days is just ridiculous by the AFL.

**GVGjr** · 26-04-2011, 12:02 AM

Re: Game Day 2011 - R5 Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle

One memory that hurts is the ease with which they cleared it when we kicked points in last quarter. How did that happen? In contrast, murf seemed to have no options, and certainly no coherent plan, when he kicked out, leading to his mistake.

And a distinct, horrible memory in last frantic minute of seeing wallis left in goal square with sandilands. Aaarrrgghhhhhhh!

**G-Mo77** · 26-04-2011, 12:03 AM

Re: Game Day 2011 - R5 Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle

Originally posted by Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Do you mean as in the player chosen, or the timing of use?
If the latter, I don't think it was by choice. Williams was grabbing at the back of his leg late in the 3rd, and that was why he was subbed off.

Player chosen. A first gamer waiting 3 quarters to get his first chance of AFL football. Great choice guys.

**jazzadogs** · 26-04-2011, 12:03 AM

Re: Game Day 2011 - R5 Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle

Originally posted by Ghost Dog

I only listened to the Radio, but in general, seems the intent was there but the skills were not owing to the pressure applied by the Dockers.

Sounded like Boyd tried his heart out.
The Cooney miss from straight out was unbelievable.
Just saw the vision on the highlights (afl.com.au)

I would say skills were down more to the greasy ball than due to the pressure. Their pressure was good, but I would say ours was much better.

As for Boyd, he did a few good things but he still tries to do too much. 45 touches at 60% efficiency is still 27 effective touches, but those extra 18 could have been better utilised by our 'better' ball users.

**Dry Rot** · 26-04-2011, 12:05 AM

Re: Game Day 2011 - R5 Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle

Originally posted by G-Mo77

Poor use of the sub again on our behalf. 1 out of 4 games so far. Get it right FFS!

Yeah,agree with that. Need some imagination here.

**AndrewP6** · 26-04-2011, 12:06 AM

Re: Game Day 2011 - R5 Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle

Originally posted by shifty

but other than the one handball he was very good today, clearly his best game and he's got a lot of potential of half back.

I wouldn't have said very good. Thought he was just OK.

Originally posted by shifty

Either way, can't wait till Easton Wood is back

Me too. Lucky for Stack he's got a while.

**Rocco Jones** · 26-04-2011, 12:06 AM

Re: Game Day 2011 - R5 Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle

Originally posted by Sedat

I get your sentiments as well Rocco, and I really, really hate losing games when in a position to win them against quality opposition. I guess I'm torn between seeing genuine substance in handling the zone press against a good team and taking the short term pain of losing the match.

If we were a marathon runner we would be the best in the world over 41km.

It's so hard to dissect these games. I am neither with the people who just hammer us and say we don't turn up to big games nor the ones who rate the overall performance so highly.

To say we don't turn up just dismisses the vast majority of big games where are in the game/in a winning position for pretty much the whole game. However, how long can we keep on rating these performances so highly when we just crumble when it's there to be won?

These performances reek of what we are. Prelim finalists. That might sound like I am having a go, I'm not. Coming 3rd or 4th is ridiculously underrated. In other sports it would meet lofty rewards such as qualifications for Champions League or divisional championships but here it gets you nothing and that's reflected in the respect it gets you. Our performances in these big games prove what we are. Better than 75% of the comp, compete very well with the best but just cannot beat them.

I am actually with you and mjp in rating us higher than I did before the game. I thought we were in a log jam talent wise and could be in the latter half of the eight but I rate us as a top 4 side. I just don't see us being more than that.