Footscray v Northern Blues Sunday 20th April

[Bulldog Joe]

http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/2014-04-17/footscray-opt-for-experience

The side is on the website for the game at VU Whitten Oval commencing at 12 Noon on Sunday. This is again an effective double header.

Hopefully plenty of Woofers will be able to get to this game and provide some first hand reports before venturing to Etihad for the main event.

[soupman]

Re: Footscray v Northern Blues Sunday 20th April

Crap first quarter. About 6 inside 50s.

Roberts has been our best, and Fuller has had a few touches.

Carlton's poor kicking has kept us in it.

Our lack of AFL listed mids hurts. It's hOmeychurch vs McLean, Cachia etc

[GVGjr]

Re: Footscray v Northern Blues Sunday 20th April

We are going okay, a few goals has us back around the mark. The Honeybadger is doing well

[The Adelaide Connection]

Re: Footscray v Northern Blues Sunday 20th April

@footscrayVFl has live updates going on twitter. Tom Cambpell kicked one but after a quick reply they hold a 12 point lead (5.3 to 6.9).

[soupman]

Re: Footscray v Northern Blues Sunday 20th April

Lower took mark of the year that quarter. Better effort but keep gifting them opportunities with cheap kicks in the back 50. Darley, Austin and Lower all culprits. Greenwood was good that quarter, and Honeychurch is almost always involved.

Losing 52 to 40.

[Doc26]

Re: Footscray v Northern Blues Sunday 20th April

Northern Blues 7.10 lead Footscray 6.3 at half time.
Our best were Lower Honeychurch Fletcher Roberts and Austin. Very poor early when we trailed 4.8 to 2.0. Both Campbell and Tutt are playing. Saw Grant Thomas whose son Tyson kicked the first goal for the Northern Blues.

[soupman]

Re: Footscray v Northern Blues Sunday 20th April

Killed them in te first half of that quarter with Honeychurch impressive. Then they came back and hit the lead before the quarter fizzled out.

Red path has been good up forward.

Howard got a few touches, Greenwood has been decent.

Cordy has had one touch by my count, Darley and Fuller very quiet. Austin has been decent in defence. Roberts has been quiet since quarter time but so has his opponents.

Been impressed with Jamieson, and Russel and Prismall have both been solid.

[soupman]

Re: Footscray v Northern Blues Sunday 20th April

And Dickson has been good up forward. Kicked 4 I believe.

[azabob]

Re: Footscray v Northern Blues Sunday 20th April

And Dickson has been good up forward. Kicked 4 I believe.

Between now and your post he is up to five. He surely is close to a senior recall.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Footscray v Northern Blues Sunday 20th April

Dickson, Fletcher and Badger all pretty good although only Dicksons game would have the potential to push someone out.

Cordy just does not work. Been hoping he was lifting this year but that was a singularly unimpressive game. Doesn't work. Wallis comes off throwing up. Cordy ambles slightly red faced. The difference between AFL commitment and VFL average. So disappointing.

Sooner we offer Howard a way off our list the sooner we can rookie someone who actually might make it.

But again; Dickson looks like he has some form back and Campbell was ok in the ruck.

Final score: 13 9 87 to 16 16 112 northern blues win...

[GVGjr]

Re: Footscray v Northern Blues Sunday 20th April

They got away from us at the end but we were competitve. Dickson should be close to a return

[Ozza]

Re: Footscray v Northern Blues Sunday 20th April

Did Hunter and/or Tutt play? Wondering if we will have a late change.

[azabob]

Re: Footscray v Northern Blues Sunday 20th April

Did Hunter and/or Tutt play? Wondering if we will have a late change.

According to twitter Tutt kicked a goal. According to some posters Hunter wasn't named for either team.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Footscray v Northern Blues Sunday 20th April

Honeychurch was superb - amazed at the lack of praise. I thought he was close to BOG. I watched him closely and his work rate was phenomenal. He kept getting to the right spots but he also spread really well from the contest. When he didn't win it from congestion, we struggled to get the ball out. I was very, very impressed. He may not come straight into the side but he was fantastic.

Dickson is too clever for this level and should certainly come back into the side for Stringer, although given the MC's reluctance to drop him, who knows.

I thought Tutt played well. Made a couple of errors, but his endeavor was great. Used his pace a number of times to split the game open. Pretty encouraging performance.

Cordy/Campbell were average at best. Howard/Austin ditto. I thought Roberts looked a long way off the pace, Fuller was terrible and I didn't notice Darley much.

[soupman]

Re: Footscray v Northern Blues Sunday 20th April

Bit like the seniors we were losing most of the day, managed to stay in it, but through a combo of poorly executed moves, missed opportunities and being punished on the rebound we lost the game.

Tutt: In the past my criticism of Tutt is that in space with his pace and kick he is a dangerous player, and that he just needs to find the ball more in dangerous spots. Today he got quite a few touches in that situation, and unfortunately ruined two of the best. At crucial stages of the match he missed the exact type of goals he has to nail if he wants a career in the AFL. To his credit I thought he did work hard and was generally decent, however he is the exact player that needs to take his chances.

Roberts: I thought Roberts was very good in the first quarter, playing in defence. Took strong marks, looked good with the ball and gernally used it well. Went quieter in the rest of the match but I thought he was decent.

Honeychurch: He and Lower were our best. His work rate was awesome. In the second half he was at every contest, was great around the stoppages and linked up well. Would have had a lot of the footy and generally used it well. Not sure about the comparisms with Dahlhaus, doesn't seem to have the pace or tricks that Luke has but maybe more of the ability to always be involved like Boyd at his best has had. I'd put him in this week at the expense of Wallis or Jong. Very impressive.

Dickson: Our best forward with 5, but didn't get very involved beyond those goals I didn't think. The goals I can remember were all through clever positioning for the mark or crumbs goalside of his opponent. Kind of like what Stringer seems to be trying to do, except he actually did them. His pressure was pretty good too. I think he get picked this week.

Howard: Average. Doesn't look like an AFL listed player. Only had limited involvement and was never damaging.

Darley: Quiet. Aside from kick ins had very few touches and rarely if ever outside the defensive 50. If he wants to be the running half back we need he needs to start running past every player screaming for the handball and try and break the lines. Has a beautiful kicking action and glides but atm he only gets the ball deep in defence and most of his kicks are sideways. Did do a shocking kick across goal which resulted in an easy set shot for the Blues.

Greenwood: Was decent, especially in the second and third. He links well, he is tough, he uses the ball safely. I really like him, but he shouldn't be on our list. Has no tricks and we do not need an inside mid who is borderline midget by AFL standards and doesn't have pace or a kick longer than 35 metres.

Fuller: First time I've seen him have multiple kicks. Was quiet for most of the game but there was a period in the third quarter where he managed to get a few touches and provide an option off half back. Still along way off AFL level but at least he didn't look a long way off VFL level.

JJ: For a player that looked so good last year he has regressed as far back as possible. Played up forward (god knows why, we were desperate for some run and carry from half back). Would have had 5 possessions tops, none of which were in any way damaging, exciting or just plain old solid. I really hope he can turn it around because he has shown the ability to be good at AFL level, he should be dominating VFL.

Redpath: Played forward so I guess the backline development has either been scrapped or deprioritised. Kicked 2 or 3 and was a decent marking target. Needs to get angrier though. He is built like Barry Hall but hits packs like Patrick Bowden. Needs to be physically intimidating and really attack the contest. Was better than I expected, but not great.

Campbell: Decent in the ruck, quiet around the ground. Nothing great.

Austin: Was pretty good in defence and got a bit of the ball. Like Darley did a shithouse kick across goal which resulted in a costly turnover.

Cordy: Up until the last 15 minutes of the match I would be surprised if he registered a possession. Was robbed of two good marks though. Looks like that 5 goal performance was an aberration, not an awakening.

VFL guys that I can remember:
Prismall: Linked up around the ground well but his disposal lacks polish. Decent.

Perkins: Didn't play but was there watching dressed in all black.

Sullivan: Didn't really notice him do anything of note.

Jamieson: Was good in a patch in the third quarter. Looks decent with the ball and uses it fairly well. Not bad.

Lower: Equal best with Honeychurch. Was good around the ground, in the stoppages and took mark of the year, standing on some guys shoulders for what felt like a minute.

Fogarty: Was tagging Mclean for a bit who got into him late, didn't really notice him too much otherwise.

Finco: Lively half forward that used the ball well the limited times he got it. I thought he was good.

Markovic: Looks average at VFL level now, and incredibly slow.