Game Day 2011 - R18 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney

[Mantis]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R18 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney

Just astonished at how far this team has fallen in two seasons.

I am more concerned about the drop off in the past 2 weeks.

Against Carlton we looked like a quality outfit, but we have played like a bottom 4 team the past 2 weeks.

I can't work out why.

[Bornadog]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R18 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney

I am more concerned about the drop off in the past 2 weeks.

Against Carlton we looked like a quality outfit, but we have played like a bottom 4 team the past 2 weeks.

I can't work out why.

Pretty simple - midfield has crashed.

[Mantis]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R18 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney

Pretty simple - midfield has crashed.

And it all points towards a rough & ready ride over the coming years.... I feel we are in for some pain once again.

[The Pie Man]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R18 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney

I am more concerned about the drop off in the past 2 weeks.

Against Carlton we looked like a quality outfit, but we have played like a bottom 4 team the past 2 weeks.
I can't work out why.

We did, though I believe Carlton were very flat that night (which in part may have been due to our good play)

Walker was crook, Waite injured and subbed, Betts had a howler thanks to the Glove and their usual midfield suspects looked subdued.

[The Pie Man]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R18 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney

And it all points towards a rough & ready ride over the coming years.... I feel we are in for some pain once again.

Me too

Not the year to do it with the GWS draft - though I'll give us this, unearthing Schofield so late (ok he hasn't made it, but he looks promising) in the draft gives me some hope

[Sedat]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R18 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney

And it all points towards a rough & ready ride over the coming years.... I feel we are in for some pain once again.

I'd have thought our future inside midfield stocks are in good order (assuming Ward stays). We certainly have some holes elsewhere to fill but I can't see us becoming competition whipping boys overnight. A lot will depend on Cooney's injury management and Lake's ability to return to AA form, simply put all teams need their best players playing at or near their best and we haven't had this in 2011 for a variety of reasons.

[Mantis]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R18 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney

I'd have thought our future inside midfield stocks are in good order (assuming Ward stays). We certainly have some holes elsewhere to fill but I can't see us becoming competition whipping boys overnight. A lot will depend on Cooney's injury management and Lake's ability to return to AA form, simply put all teams need their best players playing at or near their best and we haven't had this in 2011 for a variety of reasons.

But if Ward goes, which I guess is a realistic chance of occuring our inside mids look poor. We have Libba & .... ??

Our lack of outside mids is really concerning, Griff has carried the load this year and is starting to show real fatigue. Cooney showed just how important he is when he played 3 terrific games in a row, but his last 2 weeks have been poor and his effect on our overall performance is there for all to see. As per the reports last week he probably won't be able to play good consistent footy over an entire season which is what we need from him. Besides these 2 the cupboard looks a little bare.

Lake well, who knows. We would love for him to get back to his best, but reports are that he isn't happy, so perhaps he might look elsewhere.

Some huge decisions are to be made at our club in the short term which will have a massive effect on how we go over the coming years.... Lets hope we make the correct calls.

[Bornadog]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R18 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney

But if Ward goes, which I guess is a realistic chance of occuring our inside mids look poor. We have Libba & .... ??

Our lack of outside mids is really concerning, Griff has carried the load this year and is starting to show real fatigue. Cooney showed just how important he is when he played 3 terrific games in a row, but his last 2 weeks have been poor and his effect on our overall performance is there for all to see. As per the reports last week he probably won't be able to play good consistent footy over an entire season which is what we need from him. Besides these 2 the cupboard looks a little bare.

Lake well, who knows. We would love for him to get back to his best, but reports are that he isn't happy, so perhaps he might look elsewhere.

Some huge decisions are to be made at our club in the short term which will have a massive effect on how we go over the coming years.... Lets hope we make the correct calls.

Are there any young players that can end up as midfielders? We have Wallis but he looks a little way off. Can the likes of Tutt, Schofield end up in the midfield. What about Wood, is his best role on a HBF, can he play a midfield role? Can Sherman become a good outside midfielder?

Agree some big decisions need to be made on player management.

[1eyedog]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R18 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney

But if Ward goes, which I guess is a realistic chance of occuring our inside mids look poor. We have Libba & .... ??

Our lack of outside mids is really concerning, Griff has carried the load this year and is starting to show real fatigue. Cooney showed just how important he is when he played 3 terrific games in a row, but his last 2 weeks have been poor and his effect on our overall performance is there for all to see. As per the reports last week he probably won't be able to play good consistent footy over an entire season which is what we need from him. Besides these 2 the cupboard looks a little bare.

Lake well, who knows. We would love for him to get back to his best, but reports are that he isn't happy, so perhaps he might look elsewhere.

Some huge decisions are to be made at our club in the short term which will have a massive effect on how we go over the coming years.... Lets hope we make the correct calls.

Would you consider Picken as a genuine mid or a tagger? What about for the future? I am very optimistic about Wallis as well as Libba. I think he will be a very good insider for us, I just don't know how good. Also, I think Dahlhaus has the ability to be a very good outsider (even though he wins alot of contested ball), he's got the pace and the vision. Sherman will get better as an outsider as well, he's only 25(?) so has a good 5 years at the club I hope.

Some people see him as a wing man but I think Wood could play both inside and outside once established. He has pace to burn and doesn't mind a bit of rough stuff as he showed against the Swans. As a long-term prospect I'm almost prepared to say I'd rather lose Ward than Wood. I think he'll be a gun.

The future in the midfield looks good.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R18 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney

Would you consider Picken as a genuine mid or a tagger? What about for the future? I am very optimistic about Wallis as well as Libba. I think he will be a very good insider for us, I just don't know how good. Also, I think Dahlhaus has the ability to be a very good outsider (even though he wins alot of contested ball), he's got the pace and the vision. Sherman will get better as an outsider as well, he's only 25(?) so has a good 5 years at the club I hope.

Some people see him as a wing man but I think Wood could play both inside and outside once established. He has pace to burn and doesn't mind a bit of rough stuff as he showed against the Swans. As a long-term prospect I'm almost prepared to say I'd rather lose Ward than Wood. I think he'll be a gun.

The future in the midfield looks good.

All the names mentioned are great honest players, but I don't think there's a real A+ star in that lot. Where's the class going to come from? Where's our Juddy, our Cousins, our Goodes.. our Cooney, at that?

I agree that the bottom may not necessarily fall out of the team, but I don't see that bunch taking us to a flag either.

[1eyedog]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R18 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney

All the names mentioned are great honest players, but I don't think there's a real A+ star in that lot. Where's the class going to come from? Where's our Juddy, our Cousins, our Goodes.. our Cooney, at that?

I agree that the bottom may not necessarily fall out of the team, but I don't see that bunch taking us to a flag either.

Do you think we need a star of the competition to win a flag? I think we need an even balance of very, very good players. The names above don't come along very often. There are 6 Brownlows there.

[Doc26]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R18 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney

Adam's prospects no doubt sound bleak and as such for now so do ours. Adam firing does cover up a lot of issues for us and I can't think of an outside mid on our list that can legitimately step up to provide the value he has brought us when right.

As much as every man and their dog will be after him, what chance putting in a pursuit for Dangerfield who by all accounts wants to return to Victoria ? Is there something we could offer the Crows to work a pre season trade or is the cupboard bare of options ?

[Sedat]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R18 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney

If we don't have anyone on our list approximating Cooney's devastating run and carry ability, and we will be paying significant overs for anyone with half of Coon's talent (such as Dangerfield), wouldn't it be wiser to invest even more heavily in Cooney's well-being to get him as close to 100% for as much of the remainder of his career as possible? We're talking about a player in his mid 20's, not someone who is about to be shipped off to the glue factory.

[1eyedog]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R18 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney

If we don't have anyone on our list approximating Cooney's devastating run and carry ability, and we will be paying significant overs for anyone with half of Coon's talent (such as Dangerfield), wouldn't it be wiser to invest even more heavily in Cooney's well-being to get him as close to 100% for as much of the remainder of his career as possible? We're talking about a player in his mid 20's, not someone who is about to be shipped off to the glue factory.

This.

Although Dangerfield has the goods. Why has Craig been playing him out of FF?

[1eyedog]

Re: Game Day 2011 - R18 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney

Higgins.

Roughead. Adelaide's big man stocks are all over the place. We look at Roughead and hope Cordy comes on to help out Will.