Game Day 2011 - R9 Western Bulldogs vs WCE

[FrediKanoute]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R9 Western Bulldogs vs WCE

So the match committee put the best side on the park available too them, the 3 you mention are not worth 12 goals to our side, something is wrong and it starts at the top. if you are going to field an underman side state it prior to the game and at least demand they put their head over the ball and their body on the line.

Really, not worth 12 goals......the All Australian FB, 2nd in the Coleman last year and a Brownlow Medalist????? I think you sell short the abilities of these guys.

[ReLoad]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R9 Western Bulldogs vs WCE

Give me 1 positive out of todays game Scragger..You except that performance and like our beloved Dogs, we all become predictable!!

One positive today will be that our club will recieve a lot of free media and press.

Another positive is that our team also recieved a lot of Virgin Australia frequent flyer miles.

Another positive today was that we're going to be busy on this forum for the next week.

finally and perhaps most importantly, the players can save some serious money by booking thier footy trip to take place in september, as opposed to the peak footy tours month of October.

[MrMahatma]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R9 Western Bulldogs vs WCE

Williams was taken the pick after Franklin, I think it was 6. He has done well this year, but was out gunned today as was the whole team.

Posters, easy to start talking about we should have picked that player or why did we go for this player. Lets sack the coach etc etc. Its all emotional and a waste of time reading it.

What I would like to see discussed is what are we going to do next week against the Hawks.

Cooney, Hall, Lake must come in.

I would keep Jones in and drop Grant, Moles and maybe Marcovic, not sure yet depends on match ups.

Is our season still alive?

If not - do we just rest Cooney for another month or so - get him cherry ripe and not risk his injury further. Do we bother with Hall much more this season?

I still don't think that the ins/outs are what the problem is. They aren't what caused us to get rolled by 100+ points.

[the banker]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R9 Western Bulldogs vs WCE

One of the greatest coaching feats ever witnessed by Woosha - he was the most hunted coach at the end of last year. Where did he go to school over summer? This is an enormous achievement from a powerful footy club and the coaching staff.

Can't come to any other conclusion than this is the end of an era for us. Not to say that we can't recover and be competitive later in the year, when the draw will be less demanding, and that we can't challenge next year, but the game plan that we have employed for the past 5 years is GONE.

Today was the first blistering chill leading to our winter of discontent.

We are simply bamboozled by the forward press and it forces us into some ludicrously risky plays. Pull it off and we look potent but the percentages are pretty low with the skill levels and decision making we have ATM.

The coaching PANEL (not just Rocket) have to be under the microscope. It's going to be painful watching us experiment on match days. Likely to further confuse players and sap confidence.

Nothing good came out of this.

[EGC]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R9 Western Bulldogs vs WCE

While Eade isnt responsible for the actions on the field, he most certainly is responsible for the mindset that players take into a game, and today that mindset was terrible. Perhaps the Doggies players have had enough of playing for Eade? Are they sick of his sprays and abuse at half time? Does he play favorites and exclude the players he doesnt get along with?

While his tactics, match day rotations and game plans all seem solid enough, perhaps his peple managing skills let him down, and he just isnt good at getting along with a diverse group of players. At Sydney it was the players who ultimately rejected him, and perhaps now it is heading towards that at the Bulldogs. I sure would love to be a fly on the wall at the club this week.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R9 Western Bulldogs vs WCE

One positive today will be that our club will recieve a lot of free media and press.

Another positive is that our team also recieved a lot of Virgin Australia frequent flyer miles.

Another positive today was that we're going to be busy on this forum for the next week.

finally and perhaps most importantly, the players can save some serious money by booking thier footy trip to take place in september, as opposed to the peak footy tours month of October.

Hmmm I might take a break. Emotional fatigue! Maybe time to follow Williamstown haha!

[GVGjr]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R9 Western Bulldogs vs WCE

Negative Nancys as far as the eye can see ... Same vitriol after every loss ... Predictable

Whilst it might be predictable the club also comes out and says bad losses are not acceptable.
The club President even raised the bar this year and I think a level of angst by our supporters after what was a shocking loss is to be expected.

I don't like negative nellies either but I also don't want to hear and read rah rah after that type of a loss.

[kruder]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R9 Western Bulldogs vs WCE

Basically they're playing modern footy, we're stuck in a timewarp of 2008.

I watched us doing match simulations and in practice matches during the preseason and thought I must have missed something, we seemed unconcerned about the press and defensive pressure. The only thing I could see us working on was run and carry under minimal pressure, it felt at the time we were missing the point and I haven't seen anything since to quel my fears.

Hear Hear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The writing has been on the wall for weeks.

This was my first post after the Collingwood game and it wasn't well recieved.

I agree it's not good to be negative on this forum all the time but I think our current plight makes it difficult not to be.

Hi,
The reason I have joined is because the bulldog game plan has not changed over the past 3-4 years. I have been reading this site for a few years now but have never posted.

I hate to start on a negative but here goes.

I was stunned in round one when the whole summer had been about the forward press and frontal pressure that the bulldogs were again inept in these areas. Our zone basically gives up an easy first possession to the opposition with greater importance on creating a contest on the second possession which basically gives up the opportunity to get the ball back until the wing. The whole point of a press is to force the kicker to kick long to a contest which gives you a 50/50 chance of keeping the ball in your forward line. It was embarrassing to see Collingwood walk the ball out of our defence on the weekend while Murphy was forced to kick wide and long. The only reason I can think of eade playing such a high press is that he is worried the ball getting over the top of the initial zone which will expose our lack of gut running and accountability of the majority of our team on the fast break.

The next major issue is our forward line structure in which eade forces players way to high which makes its extremely difficult to score goals. This structure is deployed in finals and against the good sides during the regular season. It was deployed on the weekend after a deep forward line structure got us a 3goal to 1 lead. When we started to struggle to get the ball in defence, the forward line is forced up the ground to provide further options, which actually creates more pressure on the ball carrier as there is maybe one player forward of the centre to aim for. I really believe it has a big impact on the players as they tend to go back into their shells and there belief drops dramatically. During the period of the high forwardline on the weekend we looked no chance of kicking a goal at all untill we got lucky on the fast break via glilbee and sherman. I have noticed in finals that we tend to go back to the deeper structure way too late in the game when we have so called nothing to loose... Unfortunately in the majority of occasions we have already lost!!!!
Eade we must have the discipline to hold at least 2 players in the forward 50 on the majority!!!!! Make the opposition worry about us for a change! I gaurentee the defender will man them up.

The 3rd major issue is the performance of the senior group in the big games. Too often do the match committee drop fringe players such as hill and addison after losses in which players such as COONEY, GIA,MURPHY, BOYD, GILLBEE, HARGRAVE have failed to make an impact. On the weekend Cooney played probally his worst game for the footbal club. His body language and his lack of interest at the contest was disgraceful yet eade actually said he was pleased with his performances over the past few weeks??????????? Does anyone on here believe he played well in the fremantle game aswell???? I'm praying that his knee is causing problems cause I'm loosing faith.

I thank EADE for his for efforts as this will be his final year as coach. The club has gone forward in leaps and bounds over the past few years off the feild but it is time for a change on it.

[Bumper Bulldogs]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R9 Western Bulldogs vs WCE

Really, not worth 12 goals......the All Australian FB, 2nd in the Coleman last year and a Brownlow Medalist????? I think you sell short the abilities of these guys.

No not really and still state they are nit worth 12 goals, Hall maybe 2 on a day like today when the lack of supply he maybe could have blown his top.

A fit Lake yes would stop 3 or 4 and a totally fit Cooney maybe 2 or 3.

The point is we just didn't put the hard yards in and should have beaten the Eagles and kick started our season.

With players on the park today on paper we should have got over the line and I want to here why we still have this mind set that Smorgo paid money to sort out 2/3 years ago.

It seems it didn't change much.

[Jasper]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R9 Western Bulldogs vs WCE

One of the greatest coaching feats ever witnessed by Woosha - he was the most hunted coach at the end of last year. Where did he go to school over summer? This is an enormous achievement from a powerful footy club and the coaching staff.

Can't come to any other conclusion than this is the end of an era for us. Not to say that we can't recover and be competitive later in the year, when the draw will be less demanding, and that we can't challenge next year, but the game plan that we have employed for the past 5 years is GONE.

Today was the first blistering chill leading to our winter of discontent.

We are simply bamboozled by the forward press and it forces us into some ludicrously risky plays. Pull it off and we look potent but the percentages are pretty low with the skill levels and decision making we have ATM.

The coaching PANEL (not just Rocket) have to be under the microscope. It's going to be painful watching us experiment on match days. Likely to further confuse players and sap confidence.

Nothing good came out of this.

All of that is spot on, would add the players should be under the scope too and that the Pies press last year hurt us, as did Essendon's earlier this year.

[1eyedog]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R9 Western Bulldogs vs WCE

When Lake come back in can Williams go forward? I'm struggling to find him a future role. How much of a say does Rocket have in match day selections? I would like to see Moles, Cordy, Wallis, Liberatore, Jones, Grant and Vezspremi and DJ all in the same side but I think that Rocket will not play the kids in order to get as many wins as possible so we make the eight. If we play the kids and only get 7-8 wins for the year then Rocket will be even more under the pump than if we play our experienced players and fall into the eight.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R9 Western Bulldogs vs WCE

So where is Mantis, what have you got to say about a top four team last year, being smashed by the wooden spooners from last year???? More defensive excuses I suppose.

Love Rocket, he has fulfilled his purpose but it is time to go. The recruitment team needs to be reviewed, we recruit Everett and the Tigers recruit Riewoldt after our pick.

The development of our players is behind every other team, they are skinny, lacking in confidence, lacking in leadership, and until supporters like Mantis stop support mediocrity, we will always be the support act for the star teams.

That's a strangely targeted post, so if Mantis was a more critical poster we would have run over the top of west coast?

[Before I Die]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R9 Western Bulldogs vs WCE

So where is Mantis, what have you got to say about a top four team last year, being smashed by the wooden spooners from last year???? More defensive excuses I suppose.

Love Rocket, he has fulfilled his purpose but it is time to go. The recruitment team needs to be reviewed, we recruit Everett and the Tigers recruit Riewoldt after our pick.

The development of our players is behind every other team, they are skinny, lacking in confidence, lacking in leadership, and until supporters like Mantis stop support mediocrity, we will always be the support act for the star teams.

I love the "the reason our club is unsuccessful is because our supporters accept mediocrity" line. To me it screams 'if all supporters were like me we would have 20 plus premierships" which translates directly into "individual with serious delusions of self importance".

[Rocco Jones]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R9 Western Bulldogs vs WCE

I don't like negative nellies either but I also don't want to hear and read rah rah after that type of a loss.

Totally agree.

It isn't negativity I have an issue with, it's mindlessness. So often those accusing others of not being constructive when making negative comments are actually being mindlessly positive. Mindless negativity and positivity both annoy me.

[Missing-Dog]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R9 Western Bulldogs vs WCE

What scares me most is that we already knew what we'd be up against this year i.e., we knew teams were going to emulate Collingwood, we knew we struggled against that style yet nothing seems to have been done in the pre-season to address this.
The big questions are;

Why do our players look so unfit?
Why do we still not know how to combat the press?
Why were our players brushed aside so easily in contested situations?
Why is our ball-handling and usage so bad?
Where is the spirit and the desire to play for the jumper?

On the last one, it really hit home today how little some of our players and fans (not supporters) care about our club. There were more Gold Coast fans at our game earlier in the year than it looked llke there was Bulldogs fans on television today. On the players, well Chris Tarrant summed it up perfectly for me today in the Collingwood-Adelaide game when he kicked a goal and pointed to the jumper on his chest. When is the last time you've seen one of our players show such love for the team they represent?...