Footscray Bulldogs v Port Melbourne - Round 18 2015

[G-Mo77]

Re: Footscray Bulldogs v Port Melbourne - Round 18 2015

I'm not sure on the legalities of upgrading Goodes to the senior list now (i heard that we upgraded Pearce because their was a deadline?) but if he was allowed to play, does anyone see him getting a spot in our AFL finals side?

He was surprisingly good early in the season until his injury, and could add some of the grunt that we occasionally miss. If we are fully attacking a flag this year, as we should be, then I see him potentially getting a game.

We can play him if we want, he's on the main list. Would we though? I wouldn't think so.

[jazzadogs]

Re: Footscray Bulldogs v Port Melbourne - Round 18 2015

We can play him if we want, he's on the main list. Would we though? I wouldn't think so.

When did he get upgraded? I didn't realise that.

I think from a development of view, he would be the last picked. But if he is in form come finals time, he showed earlier this season that when fit he is a capable AFL player. In a final, thinking only about this year, would you prefer him or Bailey Dale?

[GVGjr]

Re: Footscray Bulldogs v Port Melbourne - Round 18 2015

When did he get upgraded? I didn't realise that.

I think from a development of view, he would be the last picked. But if he is in form come finals time, he showed earlier this season that when fit he is a capable AFL player. In a final, thinking only about this year, would you prefer him or Bailey Dale?

I get what you are saying but wouldn't a win tomorrow put the development aspect to the back of the queue?
Best team for the balance of the season as far as I'm concerned and while I'm not saying pick Goodes I wouldn't rule it out if he or any other player gave us the best chance for a win.

[jazzadogs]

Re: Footscray Bulldogs v Port Melbourne - Round 18 2015

I get what you are saying but wouldn't a win tomorrow put the development aspect to the back of the queue?
Best team for the balance of the season as far as I'm concerned and while I'm not saying pick Goodes I wouldn't rule it out if he or any other player gave us the best chance for a win.

Yeh that is exactly what I was trying to say. I think he can offer us some of what we are missing with Koby out, and was surprised that he has never really entered discussions when we talk about our lack of midfield grunt on this forum.

I haven't seen any VFL games since mid May, but if he is in form I would hope that he is being considered and not being discounted due to age.

[G-Mo77]

Re: Footscray Bulldogs v Port Melbourne - Round 18 2015

When did he get upgraded? I didn't realise that.

I think from a development of view, he would be the last picked. But if he is in form come finals time, he showed earlier this season that when fit he is a capable AFL player. In a final, thinking only about this year, would you prefer him or Bailey Dale?

Goodes is Libba and Pearce is Smith.

If it was out of Dale and Goodes for a finals spot I'd take Goodes. He still has something to offer to this team but I don't think he'll get the nod. We'll see what happens though.

[ratsmac]

Re: Footscray Bulldogs v Port Melbourne - Round 18 2015

When the game was in the balance it was Goodes who stood up and got things going our way. Come the pressure of finals (seniors) this is the sort of composure we will need. Not sure if he can bring it in the seniors but he could be a handy option.

[comrade]

Re: Footscray Bulldogs v Port Melbourne - Round 18 2015

Goodes output at VFL level is completely different to his output at AFL level.

VFL is his level. If it came down to the first week of AFL finals and it was him and say Bailey Dale for the last spot, I'd be picking Dale.

[ReLoad]

Re: Footscray Bulldogs v Port Melbourne - Round 18 2015

Goodes was the man in the last quarter he was single handed in the middle of the ground.

Roberts and roughy need a couple of weeks, I think post the Perth trip they will come into the seniors.

The team today was way too top heavy today, 4 ruckman was a bit silly. our lack of mids really hurt but got over the line.

Hrovat really concerns me, his decision making seems slow and that pressures his execution, if we need trade value I wouldn't be averse to throwing his name around.

Honeychurch needs to put on some weight he just gets pushed around, and doesn't have blistering pace, I'm concerned about him, he needs to develop some sort of stand out attribute.

Two things will happen with minnow, he will come in for a final and play out of his skin, or fade into oblivion.

[G-Mo77]

Re: Footscray Bulldogs v Port Melbourne - Round 18 2015

The team today was way too top heavy today, 4 ruckman was a bit silly.

I was talking about this today. If they're not playing seniors where do they play. We've got to play them somewhere so it'll hurt our balance at VFL level. Unfortunately Fort misses out because of this.

[boydogs]

Re: Footscray Bulldogs v Port Melbourne - Round 18 2015

surprised that he has never really entered discussions when we talk about our lack of midfield grunt on this forum.

He just came back from breaking his arm

[Twodogs]

Re: Footscray Bulldogs v Port Melbourne - Round 18 2015

That is a curious one. A similar type player must be in doubt?

Hopefully it's not Murph. Anyway Zaine's got to be the sub if he plays because he's already played a whole game.

Wonderful day, glad I went down. Geez those Port supporters are sore losers. Whining about umpiring or AFL players listed then started on premierships. I said we had 11 of them, I hope I was right? Stood amongst them today which made the win even more enjoyable.

Goodes was our best, really steeped up when it was needed. He's all class at this level.

Roberts was disappointing. He'll have to have one or at least 2 weeks at this level. Roughead was a bit better, looked good in the air, read the play pretty well but as ratsmac said looked like a guy who'd missed a few weeks of footy.

Hrovat did some good things. Seemed lively in the 4th when we were on the attack, wasteful at times but that seemed like the theme of the day for a lot of our players. Liked Honeychurch's game as well.

Prudden was disappointing. Got caught with the ball so many times.

Boyd kicked 5 including the sealer. When they had the chance to get the ball in long and deep he had them worried. He wasn't great today but made the most of his chances.

It was a tough day and we're lucky to get away with the 4 points. Port had so much more run than we did and the ball rebounded to easily out of the forward half. We were very big so that explained the lack of pressure coming out of there. Thank you to the weather for holding up. I packed the little car for arctic weather and didn't need it.

Yeah it's 11. The first hatrick in 1898-99-1900, 1908,1913, 1919, 1920, and the second hatrick in 1923-24-2014.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Footscray Bulldogs v Port Melbourne - Round 18 2015

Just on the younger guys:

- I like the look of Hamilton. The way he moves. Very, very raw - will take the longest of all our draftees - but he has a pretty high footy IQ naturally. Some nice side steps. Didn't do a lot today but I think he has the ability to be a good AFL player in the future.

- Zaine looks a certainty to make it at the top level. Has everything you want - pace, aggression, height, a long reach and nice skills. Must be firming for a debut game IMO. It's his aggression that I really like, loves taking the tackler on and getting his arms free. Great signs.

- I liked Prudden's desire to throw his weight around and take the game on, but he got caught so many times that he really needed to keep it simple. Probably gets a one year extension, has some nice tools, but still needs to develop further before we can properly judge. I really wish he had a bit more speed.

- Both Honeychurch and Hrovat are hard workers but their disposal can be awful. Honey needs to build his tank too.

- Thinking a number of these guys could play in the game v North given our short turn around (Hrovat, Honey, Zaine, Roberts, Roughy)

[ratsmac]

Re: Footscray Bulldogs v Port Melbourne - Round 18 2015

Just on the younger guys:

- I like the look of Hamilton. The way he moves. Very, very raw - will take the longest of all our draftees - but he has a pretty high footy IQ naturally. Some nice side steps. Didn't do a lot today but I think he has the ability to be a good AFL player in the future.

- Zaine looks a certainty to make it at the top level. Has everything you want - pace, aggression, height, a long reach and nice skills. Must be firming for a debut game IMO. It's his aggression that I really like, loves taking the tackler on and getting his arms free. Great signs.

- I liked Prudden's desire to throw his weight around and take the game on, but he got caught so many times that he really needed to keep it simple. Probably gets a one year extension, has some nice tools, but still needs to develop further before we can properly judge. I really wish he had a bit more speed.

- Both Honeychurch and Hrovat are hard workers but their disposal can be awful. Honey needs to build his tank too.

- Thinking a number of these guys could play in the game v North given our short turn around (Hrovat, Honey, Zaine, Roberts, Roughy)

There's definitely something there with Hamilton isn't there. He looks like a child out there playing with men but isn't scared to get in and amongst it. He needs a big pre-season in the gym so that he has the body that can handle senior football though. He is quite a clever and natural footballer (which is in the blood). It wasn't his best game yesterday just because he didn't get enough of the footy, but when he gets it he doesn't normally waste it. I look forward to watching his career evolve.

[Bulldog Joe]

Re: Footscray Bulldogs v Port Melbourne - Round 18 2015

Stats from the game

http://imgur.com/OEy4NgB

Nobody seems to have mentioned the much maligned Matt Fuller, but I thought he played pretty well.

[Bornadog]

Re: Footscray Bulldogs v Port Melbourne - Round 18 2015

Link

Tom Boyd kicked a goal with less than a minute to play to lead Footscray to one of their best wins of the season, a three-point thriller over Port Melbourne at Victoria University Whitten Oval on Saturday afternoon.

Boyd finished the game with five majors but it was number five that brought home crowd to its feet, sealing the Dog’s third win on the trot and keeping their top two hopes alive.

Coach Ashley Hansen said that the way his young side resisted and ultimately prevailed over a dogged Port Melbourne outfit was character building.

“To win like that, with 90 seconds to go, three men down on the bench, all those ingredients… it really adds to our team’s resilience, our mental toughness and our self belief”

“It was a great environment for our players to be in today and they’re going to learn a lot from it.”

Port Melbourne kicked three goals in as many minutes at the end of the second to snatch back momentum and the lead going into the main break. The Borough continued their good form into the second half, kicking three of the first four, stretching the lead out to 17 midway through the third term.

A Will Minson mark and goal halted the Port Melbourne charge; followed by two more from Mitch Honeychurch and Brett Goodes and suddenly, the deficit was just four points at the final change.

The stage had been set for an epic fourth quarter and with five lead changes and a final margin of three points, that’s exactly what the 1200 strong Whitten Oval crowd got.

Nathan Hrovat and Brett Goodes both stepped up when it mattered but it was Tom Boyd’s three final quarter goals that were the difference.

A visibly relieved Hansen said that it was the ideal hit out as finals approach for both AFL and VFL listed players.

“What the boys would have gotten out of this will hold them in really good stead whether they’re at VFL or AFL level in the next couple of weeks,” he said.

“At this time of the year they’re going to be faced with difference challenges, whether it’s personal or collectively, and they have to know how to deal with that.”

Mitch Honeychurch kept the statisticians busy, collecting 22 touches, 4 marks, 4 tackles, 4 inside 50s and 2 goals to be named best on ground.

Footscray travel to Queen Elizabeth Oval in Bendigo to take on the Bombers this Friday night



Footscray 2.3 5.5 8.9 12.12 (84)
Port Melbourne 2.1 6.4 9.7 12.9 (81)

BEST: M. Honeychurch, N Hrovat, B. Prismall, T. Boyd, B. Goodes, M. Fuller

GOALS: T. Boyd 5, M Honeychurch 2, Hrovat, Minson, Dale, Goodes, Prismall

DISPOSALS: Russell 23, Goodes, Honeychurch 22, Dale, Hrovat, Prismall 17, Kelly 16