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August 3, 2008
Sunday Age
WESTERN Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade says his team will enter the finals full of confidence whatever happens over the remaining five rounds of the AFL home-and-away season.
The Bulldogs sit second on the ladder with five rounds remaining, and face Sydney at Canberra's Manuka Oval this afternoon on the back of consecutive losses for the first time this year. Both defeats — to defending premier Geelong and the improving Carlton — featured big last-quarter fadeouts and a decrease in the number of contested possessions won.
Eade said spirits were high despite the disappointing performances over the past fortnight and the focus was on doing well in the finals.
"The confidence is there, confidence is not an issue," Eade said before a light session at Manuka Oval yesterday.
"Over the next five games, if we only won two of those I don't think the confidence is going to drop away either.
"I think for us it is all about September."
At 13-3, the Bulldogs are three wins clear of fourth-placed Sydney, which has lost three of its past four matches and is battling a lengthy injury list.
In their round-seven meeting at the SCG, the Bulldogs were able to overcome Sydney's defensive pressure to come away 18-point winners and Eade expected a similar type of contest today despite the larger dimensions of Manuka Oval.
"Obviously they will try to shut the run down and it will be a tight, in-close game," Eade said. "We know that, we're certainly prepared for that."
Today's match also sees the resumption of hostilities between Jason Akermanis and Sydney's Jared Crouch, who was selected to play his first match of the season after struggling to overcome persistent hamstring problems.
AAP
Sunday Age
WESTERN Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade says his team will enter the finals full of confidence whatever happens over the remaining five rounds of the AFL home-and-away season.
The Bulldogs sit second on the ladder with five rounds remaining, and face Sydney at Canberra's Manuka Oval this afternoon on the back of consecutive losses for the first time this year. Both defeats — to defending premier Geelong and the improving Carlton — featured big last-quarter fadeouts and a decrease in the number of contested possessions won.
Eade said spirits were high despite the disappointing performances over the past fortnight and the focus was on doing well in the finals.
"The confidence is there, confidence is not an issue," Eade said before a light session at Manuka Oval yesterday.
"Over the next five games, if we only won two of those I don't think the confidence is going to drop away either.
"I think for us it is all about September."
At 13-3, the Bulldogs are three wins clear of fourth-placed Sydney, which has lost three of its past four matches and is battling a lengthy injury list.
In their round-seven meeting at the SCG, the Bulldogs were able to overcome Sydney's defensive pressure to come away 18-point winners and Eade expected a similar type of contest today despite the larger dimensions of Manuka Oval.
"Obviously they will try to shut the run down and it will be a tight, in-close game," Eade said. "We know that, we're certainly prepared for that."
Today's match also sees the resumption of hostilities between Jason Akermanis and Sydney's Jared Crouch, who was selected to play his first match of the season after struggling to overcome persistent hamstring problems.
AAP
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