Game Day - R7 Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Game Day - R7 Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne

Describing yesterday's performance as pathetic seems a little harsh. The last qtr yes but for 3 quarters we had a dead set crack.

Really disappointing we couldnt have anyone stand up to stem the flow.

When you're an underdog, you take your opportunities when they come. Dropped marks from Gia, shanked kicks from Griffen ( despite his stats, I don't think it was his best game, especially early on ), Some laconic work from number 5 down back. Our senior players are falling a bit short. Dahlhaus is a Bulldog. Clay smith is a Bulldog. Our young brigade are carrying us, but at what harm to their development?

Last night I was in the studio room with Greenwood and Grant. Wonder what Grant's fortunes will be come 2014.

[EasternWest]

Re: Game Day - R7 Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne

It is fun to watch just Nick Lower for five minutes.

What do you mean by this?

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Game Day - R7 Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne

Do the scoring shots (41 to 22) tell more of a story than the margin?

Through the game I thought the only thing that kept us in it on the scoreboard was our good finsishing and North's inaccuracy... It always felt like the dam wall was about to bust and I guess it did in the end.

It does for mine.

I thought we were ordinary yet again. Nothing to do with effort (for three quarters), we are just a very poor side. Aside from Griffen, Murphy, Gia and maybe Dahlhaus there is simply no polish. Our midfield is pathetic defensively, pathetic on the spread, ordinary by foot and slow.

This is the worst Dogs side I have seen in my time by a long way.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Game Day - R7 Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne

Wonder what Grant's fortunes will be come 2014.

Just on Grant, I know he has his flaws, but how can the coaching staff actually believe that Austin (and to lesser extents Vez, Tutt and Markovic) are better options than Grant? It astounds me that we can't find a spot for Grant, but can play the mentioned above. At least Grant has consistently scored, is quick and has the ability to use his pace defensively and offensively.

More than that, why didn't Roberts play? I don't buy 'fitness' being an issue. We played Stringer who clearly isn't/wasn't anywhere near fit enough. Going back before that, Talia was second to Markovic/Austin all pre-season.

There are enormous question marks over our coaching panel, to say the least, let alone our playing list.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Game Day - R7 Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne

Just on Grant, I know he has his flaws, but how can the coaching staff actually believe that Austin (and to lesser extents Vez, Tutt and Markovic) are better options than Grant? It astounds me that we can't find a spot for Grant, but can play the mentioned above. At least Grant has consistently scored, is quick and has the ability to use his pace defensively and offensively.

More than that, why didn't Roberts play? I don't buy 'fitness' being an issue. We played Stringer who clearly isn't/wasn't anywhere near fit enough. Going back before that, Talia was second to Markovic/Austin all pre-season.

There are enormous question marks over our coaching panel, to say the least, let alone our playing list.

Was a strong fan of the BMac appointment. But decisions like you've mentioned as making me feel like its cheap as chips all over again.

[jeemak]

Re: Game Day - R7 Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne

Just on Grant, I know he has his flaws, but how can the coaching staff actually believe that Austin (and to lesser extents Vez, Tutt and Markovic) are better options than Grant? It astounds me that we can't find a spot for Grant, but can play the mentioned above. At least Grant has consistently scored, is quick and has the ability to use his pace defensively and offensively.

More than that, why didn't Roberts play? I don't buy 'fitness' being an issue. We played Stringer who clearly isn't/wasn't anywhere near fit enough. Going back before that, Talia was second to Markovic/Austin all pre-season.

There are enormous question marks over our coaching panel, to say the least, let alone our playing list.

I don't think there's a single coach in the game currently, or ever in the game's history that has been completely unbiased towards selection and the type of players they like.

Grant should be playing AFL senior football for our club over Austin any day of the week. Unfortunately his papers have been stamped, and whether that's because of Grant's attitude, his haircut, the coach's dislike of certain player types or whatever I don't know.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Game Day - R7 Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne

What do you mean by this?

If you thought Picken was good at scragging the opposition behind play, at a game, watch Lower. Is a massive pest. Love it.
When you are losing, you have to entertain yourself somehow!

[Dry Rot]

Re: Game Day - R7 Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne

If you thought Picken was good at scragging the opposition behind play, at a game, watch Lower. Is a massive pest. Love it.
When you are losing, you have to entertain yourself somehow!

Should we be playing Picken and Lower in the same side these days? Does Picken need to re-invent himself as a forward?

[Scorlibo]

Re: Game Day - R7 Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne

What do those stats mean?

The new player ratings that the AFL have launched this week, run by Champion Data, measure players in terms of scoreboard impact. As a stats man, I find it very cool. You can read about it here.

Do the scoring shots (41 to 22) tell more of a story than the margin?

Through the game I thought the only thing that kept us in it on the scoreboard was our good finsishing and North's inaccuracy... It always felt like the dam wall was about to bust and I guess it did in the end.

Lindsay Thomas kicked about 5 behinds. North fans were spewing around us.
They should have killed us by about 60+ points last night.

Interesting. At the game I myself felt as though the only thing which stopped us running away with it was the umpiring. North missed some shots but there were a lot of rushed behinds and I can't recall them missing many shots that they clearly should have kicked.

The inside 50 count in the end was 59-45, so not nearly as damning as the scoring shot ratio.

What I find most alarming is that for the second week in a row we were smashed in the marks inside 50. This week it was 19-8, last week it was something ridiculous like 18-3. A quick bit of research shows that we've been belted in this stat in nearly every game. The first 2 rounds we just about broke even, but since then it's been an annihilation. Could Shaun Higgins/Tory Dickson be more important to our forward structure than we realise? Is Jones working hard enough to push back into the space?

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Game Day - R7 Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne

The new player ratings that the AFL have launched this week, run by Champion Data, measure players in terms of scoreboard impact. As a stats man, I find it very cool. You can read about it here.





Interesting. At the game I myself felt as though the only thing which stopped us running away with it was the umpiring. North missed some shots but there were a lot of rushed behinds and I can't recall them missing many shots that they clearly should have kicked.

The inside 50 count in the end was 59-45, so not nearly as damning as the scoring shot ratio.

What I find most alarming is that for the second week in a row we were smashed in the marks inside 50. This week it was 19-8, last week it was something ridiculous like 18-3. A quick bit of research shows that we've been belted in this stat in nearly every game. The first 2 rounds we just about broke even, but since then it's been an annihilation. Could Shaun Higgins/Tory Dickson be more important to our forward structure than we realise? Is Jones working hard enough to push back into the space?

I thought we had the better of the umpiring??

[Scorlibo]

Re: Game Day - R7 Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne

I thought we had the better of the umpiring??

Not how I saw it.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Game Day - R7 Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne

when I looked at the scoreboard, it was about 20 to 12 with decisions our way....

[Scorlibo]

Re: Game Day - R7 Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne

when I looked at the scoreboard, it was about 20 to 12 with decisions our way....

And the end count was in our favour too, but do you really think that an equal count means good umpiring?

[Dry Rot]

Re: Game Day - R7 Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne

Do the last couple of weeks show that father time is catching up with Morris?

[Scorlibo]

Re: Game Day - R7 Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne

Do the last couple of weeks show that father time is catching up with Morris?

Good call, he was fairly ordinary until taking a couple of good grabs in the last.

His desperation has always seemed to out-do his awkward style, but I must say the balance has been rocked the last couple of weeks and is looking a bit clumsy.