Game Day 2012 - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

[AndrewP6]

Re: Game Day 2012 - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

my concern is that we are turning into a team that is just that.

I know what you're saying. We certainly are in dire need of some silk.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Game Day 2012 - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

That's Lyndon Dunn.


Someone said in here I'm underestimating how bad Melbourne is, well I did. They are terrible and 3 - 4 years into a rebuild and it looks like they need to start again.

It was an ugly game but it was good to get a win.

Lyndon Dumb more like it.
That would be me

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Game Day 2012 - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

Agree on Addison. He is in terrific form and his competitiveness is a real credit to him. Obviously not the most gifted player, but he's found a spot in the back pocket and is really putting in 110%.

I thought Addison was one of the best on the ground, particularly when the game got tight and other players were either fumbling, going to the ground or just generally struggling with the added pressure.

Hopefully he keeps this up.

[G-Mo77]

Re: Game Day 2012 - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

Lyndon Dumb more like it.
That would be me

Well I apologise then. You were absolutely right.

[Topdog]

Re: Game Day 2012 - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

I thought Addison was one of the best on the ground, .

yep how good was that mark he took in the 3rd?

[G-Mo77]

Re: Game Day 2012 - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

yep how good was that mark he took in the 3rd?

The juggler?

[Topdog]

Re: Game Day 2012 - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

yep, loved it just out bodied and out worked his opponent and then kept his composure brilliantly.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day 2012 - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

Is it just me or has Dahlhaus kicking improved on last year, he seems to have gained some distance in his kicking.

Yes , he had a technical fault with his ball drop and his follow through , he is confident with the ball in his hands now at 50m , no need to look for a pass just relax prepare and kick

.

[Bornadog]

Re: Game Day 2012 - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

Crossy is required until players like Libba, Smith and Wallis can back up week after week. They are not at his level, although they show signs they can be as good or better than his best.

Don't see the problem with kickng on his left as it is no worse han his right.

This ^^^^

We were watching a different game. Spilt chest marks and backwards kicking and turnovers do not equal BOG. .

So out of 26 disposals he split one chest mark and kicked one backwards - gee he played badly then. BTW his Disposal Efficiency was 82% And for the Hargrave baggers his disposal effeciency was 85%

Cmon Bornadog, you can throw me all the stats you like, Cross was finished 12 months ago as a footballer yet we give him 2 more years, this is a joke! We are a charity that give loyal servants a few extra years. Its not as if we have money to burn!

Thats utter rubbish - when the Wallis's, Libba's Smiths start getting the ball regularly then we can retire Cross. That aint gunna happen for a few years yet.

[Throughandthrough]

Re: Game Day 2012 - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

Watched this live on TV. A win is a win....

and my worst on ground goes to Eddie McGuire who was blatantly and openly barracking for Melbourne, presumably as some sort of support for Stynes. Two teams out there Ed. Best team won.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day 2012 - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

Thats utter rubbish - when the Wallis's, Libba's Smiths start getting the ball regularly then we can retire Cross. That aint gunna happen for a few years yet.

A few more?
Cross is needed now, but to be honest i think this is it for him, next year those three should have it covered.

The obvious whole this team is lacking going forward is the outside mid, but really, for a team going into rebuilding, that isn't disastrous. Snaring Jones and Roughy with picks 29-30 may have sped up the rebuilding quite a lot. Getting young talls is never easy, but with a bit of luck, we may already have all of them we need for our generation between those two, Cordy, Hill, Campbell and Panos. Can't forget that Williams and Marko are only 25 as well

[Raw Toast]

Re: Game Day 2012 - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

Good game. The Dees had it all to play for, but we met every challenge and got a win we really needed. That said, their goal-kicking helped us a lot, nevertheless, it was a very slippery night and we acquitted ourselves better in it.

I thought Melbourne changed their game-plan a bit tonight. They'd been following the Malthouse-Collingood plan of playing around the boundary, but looked to bring it through the middle much more. It caught us out a few times in the first quarter, but then we adjusted and crowded the middle of the ground much better.

I also thought that BMac held his nerve more in terms of trusting his game-plan, and the Dees looked less sure of themselves which I suspect contributed to some of their frequently appalling disposal. Melbourne came out very hard and we were a bit lucky to be ahead early. Then we got on top in the 2nd and should have started putting some nails in but were a bit loose up forward. The Dees were harder at it for much of the 3rd, but we rallied (led by Wallis in part) and held our nerve well in the 4th quarter.

I was pretty worried about Roughead on Mitch Clark, especially after Roughead showed very little awareness on a couple of long balls coming in, and then was left way behind him on a nice lead inside the 50 by Clark. But Roughead held his own very well after that, and showed he might be able to offer something as a versatile tall who can play back, ruck and forwards. His snap for a goal early in the last quarter was very well done.

Austin was pretty impressive for his first game (for us). Had lots of composure, was rarely beaten and tended to be in the right places. I'd like to see him given a bit of a run now that he has been elevated.

Cordy didn't have a great night, but he still showed a bit and I'd like to see him get an extended go as well. He contested pretty well, and showed good body work again, with some nice touches once the ball hit the ground. I don't mind about his dodgy kick - he'll show he can be better than that. The big issue I had with him was that he was led to the ball too many times. When it is wet, you need to play in front and we're still lacking that lead-up player at the moment. The problem for Cordy is that with Lake coming back into the side we need to drop a tall for the sake of team balance. Maybe it is time to play try Lake forward against GWS, with Austin and Roughead down back again.

Jones started the night with little confidence, but worked his way into the game well. He's very good when the ball hits the ground, and had a great moment early in the second quarter when he trapped a ball skimming into the fifty, shimmied to create space where none had been, and dished off a handball that should have resulted in a goal (I think it lead to a poster). He took some good grabs, but should have nailed the goal in the last when he snapped prematurely on the left instead of steadying. Still, he made good of Grant's faulty-pass in the 3rd to slot a nice goal.

Djerrkura had his best game for the club in my opinion. He was in everything early, and put his body on the line very well, and showed good burst and skills. He still has some issues with his first touch, but looks to have improved it with increased confidence. Two of his shepards were inspirational and both should have lead to goals (I think one was followed by the strange poster in the first quarter). And he got some well deserved frees. Still room for improvement because he did fade out a bit before becoming important in the last quarter. And he should have run further with the ball in hand during third quarter and waited for Grant to have a clear gap on his opponent before passing to him in the fifty.

Wallis had his best game for the club as well. His desperation was great and he showed he could hurt opponents by getting the ball out of packs, and also by hand-passing quickly onto team-mates running by. He positioned himself very nicely out of the back of packs. His goal was well deserved and I'd had a feeling mid-way through the last that he might kick the sealer. He looked buggered by the end of it, and I think he's learning what it takes to be play at the elite level. He deserves credit for taking his demotion on the chin, working his way back into the side and then really working himself down into the ground to make sure he seized the opportunity this time and impacted the game. And how important was that goal-saving tackle that he made deep into the last quarter?

I can't believe all the hate Crossy and Shaggy are getting, though I guess this tends to repeat itself so much that I should be immune to it. Both had very impressive stat-lines, and while Crossy had some bad clangers, he more than made up for them, and is still an important part of the side. Indeed, I think BMac is working to make his great over-head marking into more of a weapon, and the goal that resulted from Vezpremi kicking it in to Crossy, who gave it to Dahlhaus who then found Cooney, was a thing of beauty.

Shaggy's composure in the clinches was vital, and coupled with four tackles. Yes, he sometimes kicked it long to no-one in particular (or worse), but he also made some valuable pinpoint passes, and he was very good at putting himself in the right position.

Dylan Addison was frequently inspirational and also didn't try do too much (in the main) which is important for him, because he can't take on the game like some others. His last quarter was immense, and he truly earned his middle name tonight and lots of love.

Grant also had a gruntling game. He ran very hard, had five tackles and used the ball well (apart from that pass to Jones which was the correct option, and luckily Jones made it look ok). Hopefully he can keep building his tank and can become the lead-up link forward we need which will then make his marking, crumbing and defensive skills all the more valuable.

Sherman had a better game than I expected. He had 9 contested possessions, and showed he could crumb well. He'll always be a bit infuriating, but clearly added value to the team at least in this game.

Vezpremi also added value. He did look spent at times late in the game, but also made some key Gilbee-like interventions when he left his player to break up the play. His kicking is a treat to see (especially at the moment!), apart from his first kick. And I think there's a place for him to make his own, so here's hoping he grasps it.

Cooney started coming into his own again tonight. I liked the use of him forward early, and then through the middle once he had a bit more of a feel for it. Nevertheless, he can play much better, even if he's never the Cooney of old. We saw a few times that he trusted himself and burst away a bit, but he still had lots of moments when he got rid of the ball with little composure when he had a bit more time, or could have worked to create a bit more space. For all the affection Cooney received for this game, and antipathy directed to Cross and Hargrave, Cooney's efficiency was equal lowest (with Boyd who did some nice defensive things and still contributed even though he didn't provide his usual drive).

[BulldogBelle]

Re: Game Day 2012 - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

Great Post Raw Toast and would agree with most of your analysis of the game.
Would like to get others' opinions of Griff's game tonight? In my estimation that's two games in a row where he has been quiet and I can't put my finger on it. Has his role changed? Is he not working hard enough to drop the tag? It seems he is still battling with consistency that has been so elusive to him in his career thus far...

[Desipura]

Re: Game Day 2012 - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

Thats utter rubbish - when the Wallis's, Libba's Smiths start getting the ball regularly then we can retire Cross. That aint gunna happen for a few years yet.

So lets keep playing Cross and wait for Libba, Wallis and Smith to play regularly at Williamstown whilst we gain some wins against crap opposition.
Our youngsters do not gain any valuable senior experience because Cross is in the side instead of them.

[1eyedog]

Re: Game Day 2012 - R4 Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

Very harsh on Cross here today flowing a pretty good game with the exception of that dropped mark before half time. To say Cross was finished 12 months ago stands out as the strangest statement.

Whether or not he should have got a 2 year contract is debatable and whether he will be worth playing as Wallis, Libba and Smith (hopefully) improve is questionable, but Cross gives us pretty much the same output now as he did in 2006. He was always slow and never a great kick but his desperation, courage, overhead marking and endurance have not fallen away one bit.

I thought Ayce seemed to play behind too often, especially on a day like today.

And therein lies the problem. The game has changed so much in six years and Cross has been left behind as far as some people's understanding of where he is at. The game is quicker again than 2006 and instinctive decision making has become even more of a mandatory requirement for players in the midfield. This was never Cross' strong point. Cross played okay in the wet yesterday, he made some clangers and battled hard but he wasn't BOG. I thought Maloney played better than him. My issue with Cross is under the roof at Etihad, I think he is getting shown up there.

Cross is one of my favourite players, always has been, but Wallis/Libba need to take his spot every week now.