Western Bulldogs’ fall from grace

[DOG GOD]

Re: Western Bulldogs’ fall from grace

Oliver is more consistent for sure, but if I had to choose : Petracca for me.

He's like Dusty, some of the stuff he can do not many others can.

Same. Petracca is a multiple goal kicker…way more dangerous.

[EasternWest]

Re: Western Bulldogs’ fall from grace

As I have said previously, no we didn't.

There's no way you can know this.

[EasternWest]

Re: Western Bulldogs’ fall from grace

Truth bombs everywhere.

Our very best players cost us a premiership last year. It is hard to write but it is undeniable. We basically lost a premiership because of 7 minutes of complete and utter madness from our leaders and best players in the middle - yes I know those same players got us into the position to win one in the first place (it's complicated). That 7 minutes was a distillation of the same problems that we haven't been able to overcome since our premiership. We are conditional. We don't strive for the collective greater good. And we haven't changed this in 2022.

Nailed it.

OK I made a mistake, no need to act like dicks about it.

Don't take it personally G, they're all dicks except for you and me.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Western Bulldogs’ fall from grace

Same. Petracca is a multiple goal kicker…way more dangerous.

Makes you wonder why people fall over themselves for the number 1 pick doesn't it.

Most of the top 10 picks will be rolled gold these days.

Oliver 4
Petracca 2 (Saints went McCartin 1 now they don't have him and he's good again !)
Bont 4
Parish 5
Brayshaw Freo (2)
Brayshaw Demons (3)
Macrae 6
Bazlenka 7
Lachie Neale 58!
Touk Miller 29 !
Cripps 13
Naughton 9
Rozee 5

I could go on for ever.

Sam Walsh clearly a good #1 and there are some other historical examples Hodge, Reiwoldt, Weitering to name a few but all in all it's not worth getting that excited about!

Anyway /threadderail

What a fall from grace we've had.

[Bulldog4life]

Re: Western Bulldogs’ fall from grace

The Sydney game led directly to this article.

Nothing it mentioned - Young, Bruce, Assistants, Defending or 'Absences' had a single thing to do with last week's performance and is a complete cop-out.

Not having a week-in, week-out commitment to play with effort has been an issue for this group of players going back to 2018. Every year we dish up really poor performances against teams in the lower echelons of the ladder and show that whilst we can be hard to play against, when we get it 'wrong' it goes really wrong.

Last week? Blame the backs all you like but the lack of effort from English, Bont, Macrae and Dunks was the reason for the loss. Warner - a second year player who cannot kick - was the best mid on the ground in the first half because he:
1/. Is determined to be first to the ball.
2/. Gets lower and harder than everyone else.
3/. Treats transition running - back and forward - as an opportunity to impact the game rather than something you do when you have too.

The Swans - led by Warner - smashed us. To me, articles like this - whilst they aren't wrong - paper over the cracks of what the REAL issue is.

Jackson Macrae is an amazing footballer and the single best ball winner I have ever seen. But when the hosts of an AFL Fantasy podcast make ongoing jokes about his 'head tilt' and poor body language anytime he lines up away from his preferred position, well, that's a problem. It happens so often that they joke about it? It's not good enough.

I have said it before but I sincerely wonder sometimes whether we have a group of players to whom playing 'WELL' (individually) is more important than winning games of footy. I get shouted down and criticised every time I say that, but watch the first quarter of last week's game again and tell me I'm wrong. Tell me that aside from Liber, West and Naughton that we are a team with positive body language desperate to win the footy and work for one another.

Our game-day effort remains conditional. I will say this forever and reiterate that what happened in the second half of the GF can be laid squarely at the feet of our best players - Melbourne KILLED us out of the middle and no-one was prepared to:
1/. Make a stand
2/. Sacrifice their game
3/. Lead their team-mates

I started a thread saying it's a hard team to love - it is. We have some brilliant players but our effort is conditional. Should Bevo have moved Treloar and Hannan to the back half? Well, maybe not. But Treloar was OK back there and has a lot of attributes that could see him be really effective in that role...those things didn't cost us the game. English refusing to make body contact in ruck contests vs Ladhams was really poor. Warner setting the standard for winning the ball was really poor (by us).

Blame the club for not holding Hansen to his contract and allowing Young to go to Carlton if you like - those things are convenient after all - but our BEST PLAYERS (Bont, Macrae, Dunks and English) had their butts handed to them and that is why we lost.

After I heard that once...and I personally wouldn't waste my time on a AFL fantasy podcast....I wouldn't listen to it again.

[Topdog]

Re: Western Bulldogs’ fall from grace

I agree to a point, but we can't ignore the variables at play.

Melbourne have a once in a generation midfield trifecta with Gawn, Petracca and Oliver. They just played out of their skin. Petracca for me is the best player in the game currently.

They may be fantastic but to lose by 10 goals in under a qtr of play is still a disgrace. 15 goals in 1.5 qtrs.

Dont really care how generational they are (and I submit they arent) you dont get beaten by those margins if your players sacrifice themselves.