2014 Game Day Round 6 - Western Bulldogs V Adelaide

[Go_Dogs]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 6 - Western Bulldogs V Adelaide

One of the biggest myths in footy is that we are a young side, it's simply not true in terms of age or games played. Some of the decision making was just ludicrous at times

Our inability to continually present at the ball carrier and create movement, or run from behind was woeful when we played poorly today. Some of the decision making by foot, when we had open players running (the one where Stevens busted a gut to run through the middle of the forward 50 and the ball went in the complete wrong spot was one I'll remember for a while) and kicks which seemingly had no thought at all behind them - that was as bad as it gets.

The highlights were:
- Dickson (besides missing one he should've kicked) who played well and created an option, his running was good today at times pushing up around the centre clearance to get involved and then running hard forward.
- Boydy, played a good game today
- Easton Wood, take a bow, you've had a great start to the year
- Picken, good job defensively
- Dahl, turned it around nicely

The bad:
- As above, our skill and decision making, Griff kicked a few shocking balls today
- Our inability to consistently apply defensive pressure
- Our inability to create options as we look to transition the ball, do our players not want to get involved in a chain of play?
- As others have mentioned, Liam Jones was horrid today, just about the worst game he's played for the Club and he's played a few shockers over the journey

Despite doing our best to lose the game, a final positive to mentioned is that we were still in it until the very end, we didn't give up (well, we kinda did in the middle of the game), we just simply weren't good enough to get the job done.

[G-Mo77]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 6 - Western Bulldogs V Adelaide

What I can't understand is how stagnant we became after some free flowing footy in the first 15 - 20 minutes. We just jogged around at an attempt for a lead or stood stationary waving our arms for the ball. No one lead, no one! It was pathetic. Some will look at the score line and think "We did OK". We didn't, we were rubbish and our performance was comical. I was embarrassed by some of the atrocious play today.

[LostDoggy]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 6 - Western Bulldogs V Adelaide

Today we saw how good we can be and how bad we can be. Unfortunately the gap in between is a canyon and not a ditch.

We have just got to lift the bad and we will be ok.

I know some posters have said it was our workrate and it doesn't matter who was out and they have a point, but we shouldn't underestimate how important Roughead and Morris are to us. Without one and you can scrape through but not having both and trying to cover with Young, Talia and at times Stringer you've got to expect some pain.

We have some issues I'm not hiding from that, but not having them alone has cost us the last two games as far as I'm concerned so even though it's frustrating to go through today. I believe we are a better side than both of them so things still look good for the future.

[Hotdog60]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 6 - Western Bulldogs V Adelaide

I'll just throw it out there, but are we a side that is hampered by the cut in rotations.
We started fine then went to a walk and then got a second wind late in the game.

[Eastdog]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 6 - Western Bulldogs V Adelaide

What I can't understand is how stagnant we became after some free flowing footy in the first 15 - 20 minutes. We just jogged around at an attempt for a lead or stood stationary waving our arms for the ball. No one lead, no one! It was pathetic. Some will look at the score line and think "We did OK". We didn't, we were rubbish and our performance was comical. I was embarrassed by some of the atrocious play today.

Agree with your post G-Mo77. If we played the whole match like we did in the 1st quarter we would've win. Very frustrating.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 6 - Western Bulldogs V Adelaide

I'll just throw it out there, but are we a side that is hampered by the cut in rotations.
We started fine then went to a walk and then got a second wind late in the game.

I'm not convinced on that, we just haven't had our best player fit (Griffen) and have been carrying a few who simply haven't been prepared to work hard enough (today it was Jones, Stringer, Cooney and maybe Gia - perhaps not through effort but lack of speed and agility with have both dropped a lot from when he was in his prime) or choose their moments when they want to work hard (usually when it's easiest).

If we get to the point where Smith, Hrovat, JJ and Tutt are all in the side, we'll be doing well as they all add different traits which will help us offensively and defensively with our running.

[anfo27]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 6 - Western Bulldogs V Adelaide

Today we saw how good we can be and how bad we can be. Unfortunately the gap in between is a canyon and not a ditch.

We have just got to lift the bad and we will be ok.

I know some posters have said it was our workrate and it doesn't matter who was out and they have a point, but we shouldn't underestimate how important Roughead and Morris are to us. Without one and you can scrape through but not having both and trying to cover with Young, Talia and at times Stringer you've got to expect some pain.

We have some issues I'm not hiding from that, but not having them alone has cost us the last two games as far as I'm concerned so even though it's frustrating to go through today. I believe we are a better side than both of them so things still look good for the future.

We have to be better than that though rooner. It shouldn't matter what names are on the team sheet, whoever goes out there are expected to to perform at a certain level. If we get that then we beat Carlton & Adelaide with our two best defenders out.
Work rate is a non negotiable!

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 6 - Western Bulldogs V Adelaide

Adelaide were a younger side than us today in both games and player age, but far better balanced than what we are.

MC seems like they can't get the balance right.

We need to find better players. You could do a lot worse than bring in Bontempelli Hrovat Honeychurch and Roberts and of course Morris. Without Roughead we do not have one quality KPP. At some stage you would be tempted to try Redpath as well because we clearly are not good enough with the current group of players.

[anfo27]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 6 - Western Bulldogs V Adelaide

Agree with your post G-Mo77. If we played the whole match like we did in the 1st quarter we would've win. Very frustrating.

We would have won in a canter. Adelaide aren't much & they didn't do much to turn the game either thats what hurts. At least Carlton played well to beat us.

[Eastdog]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 6 - Western Bulldogs V Adelaide

We would have won in a canter. Adelaide aren't much & they didn't do much to turn the game either thats what hurts. At least Carlton played well to beat us.

Yeah absolutely. We would of easily beaten them had we played that running game longer. It was a great start to the game for us. How do we address that? Is it that we just aren't fit enough compared to the teams.

[F'scary]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 6 - Western Bulldogs V Adelaide

I'm not convinced on that, we just haven't had our best player fit (Griffen) and have been carrying a few who simply haven't been prepared to work hard enough (today it was Jones, Stringer, Cooney and maybe Gia - perhaps not through effort but lack of speed and agility with have both dropped a lot from when he was in his prime) or choose their moments when they want to work hard (usually when it's easiest).

If we get to the point where Smith, Hrovat, JJ and Tutt are all in the side, we'll be doing well as they all add different traits which will help us offensively and defensively with our running.

Was Cooney that bad? I gave him a vote from my listening to the SEN call. Maybe I got it wrong - I gave him a vote because I thought he was one of the few who kept involved in the second and third quarters.

[Scorlibo]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 6 - Western Bulldogs V Adelaide

Was Cooney that bad? I gave him a vote from my listening to the SEN call. Maybe I got it wrong - I gave him a vote because I thought he was one of the few who kept involved in the second and third quarters.

Macca took Cooney with him to the presser.

[SonofScray]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 6 - Western Bulldogs V Adelaide

Was Cooney that bad? I gave him a vote from my listening to the SEN call. Maybe I got it wrong - I gave him a vote because I thought he was one of the few who kept involved in the second and third quarters.

Thats how I saw his game. He was prevalent with his dash and work in close, if not particularly effective across most of the game. We need him kicking goals from his work in the midfield though, not nearly enough value on the scoreboard from all the work our mids put in.

[Eastdog]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 6 - Western Bulldogs V Adelaide

What did people make of the subbing today? Campbell in that first quarter was very good. I think he will become an important part of our forward structure in the future. I feel someone else should of been subbed like Jones or Stringer.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 6 - Western Bulldogs V Adelaide

Was Cooney that bad? I gave him a vote from my listening to the SEN call. Maybe I got it wrong - I gave him a vote because I thought he was one of the few who kept involved in the second and third quarters.

On reflection it might be a little harsh, he wasn't our worst, but we needed more out of him and Griffen today as senior players.