PDA

View Full Version : RD 7 Preview Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne



SlimPickens
09-05-2013, 06:29 PM
When and Where

Saturday 11th May
Etihad Stadium 4.40pm

Last 5 Times

Round 19, 4 Aug 2012 ES Western Bulldogs defeated by North Melbourne 61-115
Round 7, 13 May 2012 ES North Melbourne defeated by Western Bulldogs 83-101
Round 17,17 Jul 2011 ES North Melbourne defeats Western Bulldogs 142-111
Round 18, 1 Aug 2010 ES Western Bulldogs defeat North Melbourne 143-72
Round 9, 22 May 2010 ES North Melbourne defeated by Western Bulldogs 57-127



KEY STATS


Western Bulldogs Ave Per Game North Melbourne

46.7 Inside 50s 53.8

150.8 Contested Possessions 147.6

189.8 Uncontested Possessions 206.8

233.0 Effective Disposals 258.3

68% Effective Disposals % 72.6%

47.7 Clangers 45.0

11.2 Contested Marks 11.5

7.5 Marks Inside 50 9.8

41.7 Clearances 42.2



Form leading in

North Melbourne

North have made a solid yet unspectacular start to the season (2 wins and 4 loses). They pushed Hawthorn right to the final siren, were up by 42 points against the Cats, pushed the Pies and were soundly beaten by the reigning premiers. The games they should have won they have but they have come up short against some serious opposition.
Their confidence should be up after beating previously undefeated Port Adelaide last weekend down at Hobart. Of concern for the coaching staff has been Norths inability to close out games and giving up substantial leads.


Western Bulldogs

The Dogs have been disappointing over the last few weeks, with loses to WCE, Geelong and Crows. The performance against the Cats was admirable but the defeats to the Crows and WCE were poor. Injury and form has forced us to field a very young side, with 15 players with less than 50 games experience in the side against the Coasters. The effort at the contest is there, the class certainly is not. Back at our home ground in neutral conditions we need better and more concise ball use and movement, as well as an ability to defend the ground throughout the contest.

Line Ups

North Melbourne

B: Scott McMahon, Scott Thompson, Michael Firrito
HB: Aaron Mullett, Jamie Macmillan, Brent Harvey
C: Daniel Wells, Shaun Atley, Sam Wright
HF: Aaron Black, Majak Daw, Taylor Hine
F: Lindsay Thomas, Drew Petrie, Leigh Adams
Foll: Todd Goldstein, Andrew Swallow, Jack Ziebell
Int: Ryan Bastinac, Ben Cunnington, Sam Gibson, Will Sierakowski


Western Bulldogs.

B: Dale Morris, Jordan Roughead, Liam Picken
HB: Jason Johannisen, Lukas Marcovic, Tom Young
C: Ryan Griffen, Matthew Boyd, Adam Cooney
HF: Robert Murphy, Dylan Addison, Daniel Giansiracusa
F: Luke Dahlhaus, Liam Jones, Jason Tutt
Foll: Will Minson, Nick Lower, Tom Liberatore
Int: Mitch Wallis, Clay Smith, Daniel Cross, Mark Austin


Key Match ups

Roughead vs Petrie-
Drew hasn’t been in the best form, but his record against the dogs is very solid. Roughead gets the job. He matches up quite well speed and size wise and will give a very solid contest. Roughead will need our mids and forwards to make it difficult for North to move the ball into their forward line quickly where Drew is most dangerous.

Jones Vs Thomspon
Jones has become the focal point of the bulldog forward line and has played a lone hand up forward the last couple of weeks. His 4 goal games against the Cats/Tigers were very good as was his effort against the Eagles. Scott Thompson is in outstanding form, some may argue all Australian form after keeping Buddy goal less just a fortnight ago.


Minson Vs Goldstein
This is a mouth watering match up with the two outstanding ruckmen of the competition at moment going head to head. Both will ruck the majority of the game with the winner of this dual going along way in getting their team the win.


Picken Vs Thomas
Thomas is leading all comers in the Coleman medal, he has become a vital cog in the North Melbourne forward line. He has got rid of the goal kicking yips, to become one of the most accurate goal kickers in the AFL. Picken gets first crack and must do a job for the team to stop this dangerous small forward.

Where the game will be won and lost

In the middle of the ground- The Roos love to play a quick corridor based style of football that stacks up very well against teams that struggle to defend the ground well. The dogs must force them to go wide around the boundary line and dictate their pattern of movement. The Dogs ability to win the hard ball cannot be questioned, we now must move away from the contest in a much more concise manor. Both ruckmen will give their midfielders a fair share of footy, we must win this battle to win the game.

First Quarter- North are a very good starting team winning the majority of their first quarters over the year, we must minimise this and not find ourselves 5-6 goals down at quarter time. If we can stay in the contest right to the end we are a very good chance of getting the ascendancy late in the game.

Leadership-BMac has put a bit of heat back onto the senior players within the team to demand and provide the standards we expect. The inclusions should help and I’m looking for Boyd, Cross, Cooney, Griffen, Murphy and Gia to stand up and make their teammates better. We need 22 blokes contributing to beat this mob and these blokes need to lead the way.

Verdict

North are not as bad as their ladder position suggests, they tend to beat the teams they should whilst struggling against the upper echelon in the competition (sound familiar?). For the Dogs to win we must defend the ground better and be more efficient when going into attack. Some much needed experience has been injected into the team which will hopefully help the dogs get the chocolates in a close one.

See you at the game

DOGS BY 3pts

Eastdog
09-05-2013, 07:21 PM
Great write up SP. Ill be there to cheer the Dogs on. I reckon we are a chance and after all we did beat North around this time last year. Really good to have some experience back in Boyd, Griffen, Murphy and Gia. We need to play 4 quarters and not like you said SP give them a big head start because will we just be playing catch up all day.

Go_Dogs
09-05-2013, 08:47 PM
Excellent write up Slim, cheers.

Good test this week with some senior players back, hopefully we put up an improved performance.

Do you think Lower goes to Swallow or Cunnington? Both players are doing well in the clearances this year and I think we need to shut one of them down.

bornadog
09-05-2013, 08:53 PM
Wow great write up, the bar has been set high once more.

Surprised to see you pick the dogs, hope you are right. I went to the Hawks North game and was really surprised by how good North was. They missed some easy shots in the third quarter, three by Majak before he was subbed out. The Hawks were just a tiny bit better on the day.

I can't see us winning, their midfield in Swallow and Ziebel, really rack up disposals, and are great on the spread as well. The stats show that we are pretty even in contested possessions and clearances, with North number one for clearances.

Aaron Black has been playing well as has Lindsay T and Wells. Black is a bit like Darling, so we need to match up well on him.

North by 42pts

SlimPickens
09-05-2013, 08:56 PM
Excellent write up Slim, cheers.

Good test this week with some senior players back, hopefully we put up an improved performance.

Do you think Lower goes to Swallow or Cunnington? Both players are doing well in the clearances this year and I think we need to shut one of them down.

I'd tag Swallow, he is there general and needs to be shut out. I'd like to see Libba go up against Cunnington, similar style of players and equally fierce at the contest.

SlimPickens
09-05-2013, 08:58 PM
Surprised to see you pick the dogs, hope you are right.

Little bit of optimism never hurt anyone.:)

Go_Dogs
09-05-2013, 09:00 PM
I'd tag Swallow, he is there general and needs to be shut out. I'd like to see Libba go up against Cunnington, similar style of players and equally fierce at the contest.

I like it, good tests for both of our lads.

Greystache
09-05-2013, 09:10 PM
Great preview Slim. Of the more rated teams North's style probably suits us if our pressure is up, if it's not they will run all over us. Hoping for a good showing from us this week.

ratsmac
09-05-2013, 10:17 PM
Good review, thanks Slim.

6 day break coming back from Perth will take it's toll.

North comfortably by 53 points.

Cyberdoggie
09-05-2013, 10:38 PM
Great Review,

Not sure what we planning to do with Austin and Markovic in the same side as Roughead and Young.

Most likely 1 of them will be spare and it would be Marko or Austin, neither of which are forward options.

That leaves a forward line with a lone tall in Jones. No Cordy, no Stringer, just some smalls around them.

Hopefully we come out to play and Roughead can be switched forward as he's the only one who can take a mark other than Jones.

LostDoggy
09-05-2013, 11:10 PM
North by 70+. And I don't rate them.

Remi Moses
09-05-2013, 11:41 PM
Not happy with a few of the selections
Norf by 35 pts

jeemak
10-05-2013, 12:40 PM
Very good write up Slim.

I'm a little concerned about our freshness after the trip west and the six day break. If we come out flat I think we're in for a pantsing.

If we're up and about and Norf take things a bit easy, we'll push them.

Unfortunately I can see the former scenario unfolding.

Norf by 54 points.

Twodogs
10-05-2013, 02:02 PM
Not happy with a few of the selections
Norf by 35 pts



Which ones Remi?


I reckon getting Murph, Griff and Guido back really strengthens us. I can understand us resting Stringer and Macrae after the long haul to WA and the short turnaround. The selection/s I am a bit troubled with are Austin and Markovic in the same team-I can understand one or the other playing but not both.

craigsahibee
10-05-2013, 03:17 PM
I'm another one that doesn't rate North. In fact I have no respect for any organisation even remotely linked with Brad Scott and Scott Thompson.

I have not seen another side in my 40 years of watching footy hand out as many cheap shots as North. I hope our guys don't get sucked in an retaliate and force the umpire to reverse any free kick. North will try and get a free kick reversed time and time again by niggling off the ball. Flogs like Firritto are the worst at it.

I fear that we will not be able to handle their spread. They are a classic front running team that relies on confidence. If we can lock it down early and get them to panic, we may be a chance to sneak a win.

I hope so because I despise this bunch of filth.

Bulldog Revolution
10-05-2013, 03:20 PM
Which ones Remi?

I reckon getting Murph, Griff and Guido back really strengthens us. I can understand us resting Stringer and Macrae after the long haul to WA and the short turnaround. The selection/s I am a bit troubled with are Austin and Markovic in the same team-I can understand one or the other playing but not both.

That is a bit unusual to go along with Morris, Young and Roughie in the backline. I know they are a biggish team, in the forward half but did we need that many?

lemmon
10-05-2013, 03:21 PM
Great stuff Slim.
Cant wait for Roughy V Petrie, I reckon Roughy will smash him, matches up very well

Bulldog Joe
10-05-2013, 03:56 PM
I'd be inclined to give Boyd a head to head responsibility on Swallow. Lower to take Oil Wells who is the smooth finisher in the Roo line-up..

Mantis
10-05-2013, 04:42 PM
I'd be inclined to give Boyd a head to head responsibility on Swallow.

I would hope that if matched up that way Boyd is instructed to play more a negating role as opposed to a head to head one... If it's the latter Boyd will rack up the touches (like he traditionally does against Norf), but his lack of effectiveness could be a hindrance.


Lower to take Oil Wells who is the smooth finisher in the Roo line-up..

Lower has struggled on the quicker players this year... Can't see him being able to keep up with Wells.

Bulldog Joe
10-05-2013, 05:46 PM
I would hope that if matched up that way Boyd is instructed to play more a negating role as opposed to a head to head one... If it's the latter Boyd will rack up the touches (like he traditionally does against Norf), but his lack of effectiveness could be a hindrance.

I agree that Boyd needs to defend. He has done this well in the past.



Lower has struggled on the quicker players this year... Can't see him being able to keep up with Wells.

I see Wells as more a loping runner who thrives on space. Lower should be able to deny him the space.

Harvey is the one with real speed as I see it. Maybe Picken needs to be assigned there, although JJ should have the wheels to play on Boomer.

bornadog
10-05-2013, 05:48 PM
I see Wells as more a loping runner who thrives on space. Lower should be able to deny him the space.

Harvey is the one with real speed as I see it. Maybe Picken needs to be assigned there, although JJ should have the wheels to play on Boomer.

I agree with Mantis, Lower cannot go to Wells. He will be slaughtered.

Bulldog Revolution
10-05-2013, 09:55 PM
I would think plan A would be Lower having a crack at Swallow, who is not easy to stop, as he just wins contested ball superbly, and play B might be Boyd

I havent seen them this season, Who else in the North midfield would we want Lower going to? I agree with Mantis and BaD Lower is not an option for Wells