Game Day 2011 - R7 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans

[Sedat]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R7 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans

The big thing for me though was that we look unfit as a group.

I reckon the two consecutive 5 1/2 day breaks between matches since the Freo game has been a very tricky schedule that we haven't been able to cope with. Coupled with the injuries we look unable to run these matches out. We certainly cannot run and spread like we have been able to in recent seasons, an area where we normally kill teams like Sydney (especially on the wide expanses of Manuka).

God we butcher the ball a lot. We are using the ball like a botton 4 team, not a top 4 one. Effort and endeavour is not terrible, but turnovers and woeful disposal efficiency are killing us at the moment.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R7 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans

Why do people think Grant struggled today?

He had 19 disposals, 3 marks, 6 tackles & 2 goals today.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R7 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans

So Boyd had more effective disposals than anyone, then?

I am not sure what you are saying here.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R7 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans

Sydney aren't a good team, they're middle of the road along with us, Adelaide, and Carlton.

I think you'll find that Carlton are a fair bit ahead of us at the moment

but teams like Adelaide, Sydney, St Kilda, Fremantle, West Coast and us are at about the same level, and maybe even Melbourne and Richmond

[Grantysghost]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R7 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans

No, I have faith in the players playing & think with the inclusion of Hargrave, Hall & Higgins over the next couple of weeks we'll do well.

Can't imagine how some of you youngsters on here would have coped in the 70's & 80's when we were a basket case most of the time!

We wouldn't have sold a game interstate in the 70's and 80's and would have banked the four points i would have thought.

[always right]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R7 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans

I am not sure what you are saying here.

Pretty obvious.....Boyd was one of our most effective today. I recall thinking his possessions were more constructive today than usual. Shame that brilliant handball to Grant in the first quarter didn't finish in a goal.

[always right]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R7 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans

We wouldn't have sold a game interstate in the 70's and 80's and would have banked the four points i would have thought.

Not with the team we had back then.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R7 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans

Pretty obvious.....Boyd was one of our most effective today. I recall thinking his possessions were more constructive today than usual. Shame that brilliant handball to Grant in the first quarter didn't finish in a goal.

Fair enough.

I just can't get my head around someone being effective, when the stats show otherwise.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R7 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans

Fair enough.

I just can't get my head around someone being effective, when the stats show otherwise.

And the radio commentators too.

[Scorlibo]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R7 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans

So everyone seems to have gone into crisis mode, and rightly so, the result was heartbreaking and immensely frustrating. But now is not the time to start talking about blooding the youngsters and throwing this season away.

1. The Swans aren't a poor side, and that wasn't our home ground.

2. We would have won easily today if not for disgracefully poor umpiring.

3. Match results have shown that we're at least as good as the Swans, Fremantle and Collingwood for three quarters.

4. Of our best 22, we have Higgins, Hall, Lake, Hargrave and Wood out as well as Gilbee, Giansiracusa and Hudson having been in and out of the side. That totals 8 players. Add to this the loss of Hahn, Johnson, Harbrow and Eagleton from our 22 last year. That's over half the team. Were we ever going to fire early in the season?

5. Cooney and to a lesser extent Grant can, and will, lift big-time as the season progresses.

6. Griffen, Morris, Hill, Murphy, Ward, Picken and Minson have all made big improvements so far this season.

7. Sherman and Liberatore have proven to be valuable additions to the side.

8. Having played the variety of players we have will give us good depth come later in the year.

9. We are now underdogs, just how we like it.

10. There are 16 more matches to play before finals.


There are ten reasons not only not to panic, but to continue to expect big things from this team. The calls to focus on rebuilding for 2012 or 2013 are off the mark imo, we will begin to lose our core group of players in the coming years, and it may take years after that for our younger players to gel with each other. Our time to challenge is now.

[AndrewP6]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R7 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans

So everyone seems to have gone into crisis mode, and rightly so, the result was heartbreaking and immensely frustrating. But now is not the time to start talking about blooding the youngsters and throwing this season away.

1. The Swans aren't a poor side, and that wasn't our home ground.

2. We would have won easily today if not for disgracefully poor umpiring.

3. Match results have shown that we're at least as good as the Swans, Fremantle and Collingwood for three quarters.

4. Of our best 22, we have Higgins, Hall, Lake, Hargrave and Wood out as well as Gilbee, Giansiracusa and Hudson having been in and out of the side. That totals 8 players. Add to this the loss of Hahn, Johnson, Harbrow and Eagleton from our 22 last year. That's over half the team. Were we ever going to fire early in the season?

5. Cooney and to a lesser extent Grant can, and will, lift big-time as the season progresses.

6. Griffen, Morris, Hill, Murphy, Ward, Picken and Minson have all made big improvements so far this season.

7. Sherman and Liberatore have proven to be valuable additions to the side.

8. Having played the variety of players we have will give us good depth come later in the year.

9. We are now underdogs, just how we like it.

10. There are 16 more matches to play before finals.

I agree with some of your points...nos. 1,6,7,8 and 10 particularly. But on no.2 - we would have been thumped if the Swans had've kicked straight.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R7 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans

Go right back to basics for these guys. A good solid team of no-names with reasonable kicking and contested footy is going to carve us up every week until we get some poise and stop wasting posession.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R7 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans

So everyone seems to have gone into crisis mode, and rightly so, the result was heartbreaking and immensely frustrating. But now is not the time to start talking about blooding the youngsters and throwing this season away.

1. The Swans aren't a poor side, and that wasn't our home ground.

2. We would have won easily today if not for disgracefully poor umpiring.

3. Match results have shown that we're at least as good as the Swans, Fremantle and Collingwood for three quarters.

4. Of our best 22, we have Higgins, Hall, Lake, Hargrave and Wood out as well as Gilbee, Giansiracusa and Hudson having been in and out of the side. That totals 8 players. Add to this the loss of Hahn, Johnson, Harbrow and Eagleton from our 22 last year. That's over half the team. Were we ever going to fire early in the season?

5. Cooney and to a lesser extent Grant can, and will, lift big-time as the season progresses.

6. Griffen, Morris, Hill, Murphy, Ward, Picken and Minson have all made big improvements so far this season.

7. Sherman and Liberatore have proven to be valuable additions to the side.

8. Having played the variety of players we have will give us good depth come later in the year.

9. We are now underdogs, just how we like it.

10. There are 16 more matches to play before finals.


There are ten reasons not only not to panic, but to continue to expect big things from this team. The calls to focus on rebuilding for 2012 or 2013 are off the mark imo, we will begin to lose our core group of players in the coming years, and it may take years after that for our younger players to gel with each other. Our time to challenge is now.

No way. I have to disagree. How many points did they kick??
It's a big ground that's suited us very well in the past. Why not now?
IMO we do not ALL like being underdogs. What we need / want is a culture of success and to be TOP dogs. I have being everyone's second team, the air of 'failure' ...the dismal 'blue collar' also rans. We have to shake this.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R7 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans

Sydney aren't a good team, they're middle of the road along with us, Adelaide, and Carlton.

Totally Disagree here Greystache. Sydney are a great team and that's why they got the four points.
There's some complacency about us. Cite GVG's observations at training as an example.

After being convincingly beaten today you still think they're not a good team?

The guys just need to calm down a bit. Steady. slot a few set shots, a little more poise in disposal, few extra steps before a kick, more care with a handpass.... . The little things add up and fitness...we USED to be a great 4q team

. We have to get alot of basics if we want to beat even the likes of Richmond.

[kruder]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R7 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans

Disagree here Greystache.
I think this is really the problem with the team frankly. They think they're better than they are, but other clubs have passed us by. With really simple things. There's some complacency about. Cite GVG's observations at training as an example.

After being convincingly beaten today you still think they're not a good team?
The guys just need to calm down a bit. Steady. If Gia had slotted that goal, a little more poise in disposal, few extra steps before a kick.... Don't need to tweak that much, but we lack polish. and fitness...we USED to be a great 4q team

Was just one or two of us who picked them to beat us ( thought as much straight after watching the Carlton V swans game) and was within 2 points of the margin. We have to get alot of basics if we want to beat even the likes of Richmond.

Yep agree with the Richmond quote! And its such a scary thought and so is this...

We kicked 3 goals in the first 4 minutes of the match and only had 6 at 3qrt time!!!!!
Last week we basically didnt score for 2qrts , so there are many issues at the kennel.

I didnt think we had a chance of winning a premership this year but I must say I thought we would make the 8 easily. I might have got the latter wrong unfortunatly.