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Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn, Sunday 29 May 2011, 4:40pm, Etihad Stadium
Intro
So I guess there’s no point even turning up then on Sunday? No need for us to bother examining the strength’s and weaknesses of our opponent Hawthorn this week, because they are certainties to roll over our carcass us this week, and we’ve no chance? Right??
Yes last week was as abysmal a performance as we’ve seen from our Doggies in 15 or so years. Yes, if you freeze frame that last quarter and a half against the Eagles it appears as if you can almost physically see the spirit of the Dogs players separate from their bodies and float off into the ether.
But there still may be some signs of life in these Dogs yet!
Surely it’s not a fait accompli that we rollover this week?
Eternal Optimist? damn straight I am! If you’re a Dogs supporter and don’t have some level of eternal optimism within your fibre of being then you’re either a masochist or you’re going to develop ulcers very early on in your life. And my shameful performance this week at the Doctors where I clenched my eyes shut and winced in pain whilst I had some blood taken, proves I am no masochist…and so far I don’t have any signs of ulcers.
This week is a massive game for our boys to state the bleeding obvious. A chance for them to redeem themselves somewhat for the inept, insipid performance they put up last week.
A chance for them to show this was an aberration. And an opportunity to back up the words we have heard the Club, coach and players preach this week about it being unacceptable, embarrassing, uncharacteristic and not what we stand for.
Okay so moving forward to Sunday’s game. I’m not going to talk too much about tactics, as I readily admit I'm no football tactician. We do have some here amongst us who are blessed with an understanding of football tactics and who possess an ability to write about it well. Hopefully they can contribute their thoughts on the possible or desirable tactical element of this game within this thread.
I will instead focus on the respective selected sides and highlight some of the key players from either team who I think may be pivotal to the outcome.
I'll also pose some questions for discussion if any are interested.
Last time we met
Round 14 2010
Hawthorn 3.1 7.1 8.6 12.7 (79)
Western Bulldogs 4.1 7.3 9.5 11.10 (76)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Franklin 3, Rioli 2, Roughead 2, Hodge 2, Mitchell, Muston, Renouf
Western Bulldogs: Giansiracusa 2, Hall 2, Grant 2, Cooney, Griffen, Higgins, Johnson, Murphy
BEST
Hawthorn: Hodge, Stratton, Rioli, Mitchell, Birchall, Roughead, Franklin
Western Bulldogs: Boyd, Lake, Cooney, Griffen, Higgins, Harbrow, Cross, Murphy
This Week's Teams
Western Bulldogs
B: Liam Picken, Tom L. Williams, Ryan Hargrave
HB: Robert Murphy, Dale Morris, Easton Wood
C: Daniel Cross, Matthew Boyd, Christian Howard
HF: Ryan Griffen, Liam Jones, Mitchell Wallis
F: Shaun Higgins, Barry Hall, Daniel Giansiracusa
Foll: William Minson, Thomas Liberatore, Callan Ward
I/C: Josh Hill, Ben Hudson, Sam Reid, Lukas Markovic, Brodie Moles, Nathan Djerrkura, Justin Sherman
In: Josh Hill, Sam Reid, Barry Hall, *Christian Howard, Nathan Djerrkura, Mitchell Wallis
Out: Lindsay Gilbee, Brennan Stack, Jarrad Grant
* New: Christian Howard (Sacred Heart College/Glenelg
Hawthorn
B: Paul Puopolo, Josh Gibson, Thomas Murphy
HB: Grant Birchall, Ryan Schoenmakers, Brent Guerra
C: Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell, Shane Savage
HF: Chance Bateman, Lance Franklin, Shaun Burgoyne
F: Cyril Rioli, Jarryd Roughead, Michael Osborne
Foll: Max Bailey, Luke Hodge, Brad Sewell
I/C: Rick Ladson, Clinton Young, Brendan Whitecross, Jordan Lisle, Liam Shiels, Luke Breust, Matt Suckling
* In: Rick Ladson, Clinton Young, Jordan Lisle
Milestones
Daniel Giansiracusa 200 games
Christian Howard-first game.
Expectations
Hawthorn have been in good form, having won their last 3 games. Whilst perhaps not in the quite the same form as the current top 4 sides, they are at least showing they are right in the mix vying for the next rung of team to be jockeying for a Top 4 berth come September. They have some worrying injuries to key personnel in their ruck division and their defense. But they have somehow offset this, by their hardworking midfield and their potent forward line. Coupled with they have displayed in recent weeks a capacity to work hard and Buddy is almost back to his 2008 form, and ominously is now working very hard up and down the ground creating scoring opportunities for his teammates and not just scoring on his own.
On the flipside we know where our Bulldogs currently sit, and it is almost at the extreme opposite of the Hawks. Our midfield has been unable to (unwilling?) to dominate games, our team as a whole has not been willing to work hard, create space or use the ball with any sort of reliability.
So what do we expect this week? Is anything less than a win unacceptable?
For me, whilst a win is paramount to this being a total success, equally important in my eyes are that we:
Questions on notice
For those tacticians out there:
My Verdict
My heart says the Dogs will win it, as I said I am an eternal optimist. I think the shock from last week will see us come out and show the kind of resolve we have not displayed all season. I'm hoping Will can dominate in the ruck early and force the Hawks to play Roughy for prolonged periods in the middle and take him out of the forward line.
Dogs by 8 points.
Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn, Sunday 29 May 2011, 4:40pm, Etihad Stadium
Intro
So I guess there’s no point even turning up then on Sunday? No need for us to bother examining the strength’s and weaknesses of our opponent Hawthorn this week, because they are certainties to roll over our carcass us this week, and we’ve no chance? Right??
Yes last week was as abysmal a performance as we’ve seen from our Doggies in 15 or so years. Yes, if you freeze frame that last quarter and a half against the Eagles it appears as if you can almost physically see the spirit of the Dogs players separate from their bodies and float off into the ether.
But there still may be some signs of life in these Dogs yet!
Surely it’s not a fait accompli that we rollover this week?
Eternal Optimist? damn straight I am! If you’re a Dogs supporter and don’t have some level of eternal optimism within your fibre of being then you’re either a masochist or you’re going to develop ulcers very early on in your life. And my shameful performance this week at the Doctors where I clenched my eyes shut and winced in pain whilst I had some blood taken, proves I am no masochist…and so far I don’t have any signs of ulcers.
This week is a massive game for our boys to state the bleeding obvious. A chance for them to redeem themselves somewhat for the inept, insipid performance they put up last week.
A chance for them to show this was an aberration. And an opportunity to back up the words we have heard the Club, coach and players preach this week about it being unacceptable, embarrassing, uncharacteristic and not what we stand for.
Okay so moving forward to Sunday’s game. I’m not going to talk too much about tactics, as I readily admit I'm no football tactician. We do have some here amongst us who are blessed with an understanding of football tactics and who possess an ability to write about it well. Hopefully they can contribute their thoughts on the possible or desirable tactical element of this game within this thread.
I will instead focus on the respective selected sides and highlight some of the key players from either team who I think may be pivotal to the outcome.
I'll also pose some questions for discussion if any are interested.
Last time we met
Round 14 2010
Hawthorn 3.1 7.1 8.6 12.7 (79)
Western Bulldogs 4.1 7.3 9.5 11.10 (76)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Franklin 3, Rioli 2, Roughead 2, Hodge 2, Mitchell, Muston, Renouf
Western Bulldogs: Giansiracusa 2, Hall 2, Grant 2, Cooney, Griffen, Higgins, Johnson, Murphy
BEST
Hawthorn: Hodge, Stratton, Rioli, Mitchell, Birchall, Roughead, Franklin
Western Bulldogs: Boyd, Lake, Cooney, Griffen, Higgins, Harbrow, Cross, Murphy
This Week's Teams
Western Bulldogs
B: Liam Picken, Tom L. Williams, Ryan Hargrave
HB: Robert Murphy, Dale Morris, Easton Wood
C: Daniel Cross, Matthew Boyd, Christian Howard
HF: Ryan Griffen, Liam Jones, Mitchell Wallis
F: Shaun Higgins, Barry Hall, Daniel Giansiracusa
Foll: William Minson, Thomas Liberatore, Callan Ward
I/C: Josh Hill, Ben Hudson, Sam Reid, Lukas Markovic, Brodie Moles, Nathan Djerrkura, Justin Sherman
In: Josh Hill, Sam Reid, Barry Hall, *Christian Howard, Nathan Djerrkura, Mitchell Wallis
Out: Lindsay Gilbee, Brennan Stack, Jarrad Grant
* New: Christian Howard (Sacred Heart College/Glenelg
Hawthorn
B: Paul Puopolo, Josh Gibson, Thomas Murphy
HB: Grant Birchall, Ryan Schoenmakers, Brent Guerra
C: Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell, Shane Savage
HF: Chance Bateman, Lance Franklin, Shaun Burgoyne
F: Cyril Rioli, Jarryd Roughead, Michael Osborne
Foll: Max Bailey, Luke Hodge, Brad Sewell
I/C: Rick Ladson, Clinton Young, Brendan Whitecross, Jordan Lisle, Liam Shiels, Luke Breust, Matt Suckling
* In: Rick Ladson, Clinton Young, Jordan Lisle
Milestones
Daniel Giansiracusa 200 games
Christian Howard-first game.
Expectations
Hawthorn have been in good form, having won their last 3 games. Whilst perhaps not in the quite the same form as the current top 4 sides, they are at least showing they are right in the mix vying for the next rung of team to be jockeying for a Top 4 berth come September. They have some worrying injuries to key personnel in their ruck division and their defense. But they have somehow offset this, by their hardworking midfield and their potent forward line. Coupled with they have displayed in recent weeks a capacity to work hard and Buddy is almost back to his 2008 form, and ominously is now working very hard up and down the ground creating scoring opportunities for his teammates and not just scoring on his own.
On the flipside we know where our Bulldogs currently sit, and it is almost at the extreme opposite of the Hawks. Our midfield has been unable to (unwilling?) to dominate games, our team as a whole has not been willing to work hard, create space or use the ball with any sort of reliability.
So what do we expect this week? Is anything less than a win unacceptable?
For me, whilst a win is paramount to this being a total success, equally important in my eyes are that we:
- compete hard- no contest shirked no easy possession allowed to the opposition
- we work hard to space- this means that eveyone works hard both ways, in defense and offense
- we work hard for each other and we support each other as a team, and most importantly
- we never give in, even if the result is beyond us.
Questions on notice
- Can we win?
- Who do you think our sub will be this week? Hill, Djerrkura, Sam Reid, Brodie Moles, someone else?
- Is Gilbee's axing the end for him? And if so, what does Howard have to do to show he is the long term replacement for him?
For those tacticians out there:
- How do we negate Buddy, and who gets the job on Morris when he goes roaming upfield?
- What is a weakness of Hawthorn that we can expose?
- What is the key to beating the Hawks, gameplan wise?
My Verdict
My heart says the Dogs will win it, as I said I am an eternal optimist. I think the shock from last week will see us come out and show the kind of resolve we have not displayed all season. I'm hoping Will can dominate in the ruck early and force the Hawks to play Roughy for prolonged periods in the middle and take him out of the forward line.
Dogs by 8 points.
Thanks! My heart also says we will win this game ... 
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