Match Preview - Round 15 - GWS vs Dogs at Manuka Oval

[Templeton31]

So as the resident WOOF Canberran its my job to do the preview for this weeks match at Mighty Manuka Oval (now with lights!). I've looked back over the other fantastic previews on WOOF, got swamped by work this week and run out of time to match or even try to replicate the preview format thats been used in the past. So instead here are some random observations based on going to Manuka matches over the years and also from going to Manuka to see the GWS vs Gold Coast game earlier this year:

- Manuka is big and wide. There is some sort of stat about it being the same size as the G but I haven't looked it up. The key thing though is I've watched many a game there and if you start going side-to-side or round the flanks you're in trouble. Its gonna take a while.

- This will be GWS's 6th AFL game here (plus a couple of pre season matches) and their first ever win was at Manuka so don't think it will be too different for them. They actually get a fair degree of support in Manuka - more than at Skoda. Lots of Canberrans have jumped on board. But it is the first weekend of school holidays so some will have gone away for the weekend. Crowd of 9-10,000 I'd say. (capacity 14000)

- GWS are mostly top notch young kids. Which means, based on the Gold Coast game, if you pressure hard all over the ground they'll cough it up, miss targets and get flustered. Conversely though if theres no pressure, as there was at times vs Gold Coast, they execute skills beautifully.

- Jeremy Cameron (GWS CHF) is a gun. He kicked 5 against us last year at Manuka. He's got super hands, is a dead-eye-shot and if it hits the ground he is quick and skilled. GWS often leave plenty of space for him to outmark opponent or run onto bouncing ball, especially with Patton out injured. I'd try Tallia or Morris on him. I don't think Roughead will be agile enough.

- Sadly the game will probably remind us all what a blow it was to lose Callan Ward. He gets tagged just like Griff and just like Griff he'll shake it off and win his own ball and do plenty with it.

- Sam Reid (GWS and ex-Doggie) took Gary Ablett at the Gold Coast match when Little Gaz rested forward. If whoever Sam is minding from the Dogs can't get off him this weekend he's not trying very hard! I would've thought Sam was fighting for his career but he just seemed to hang 20 metres off Little Gaz.

- Jason Tutt aka Tutty, local Canberra boy, is back in the side. Plenty of local Canberra footy supporters will be pleased to see him run round.

- its gonna be nippy. Cold and clear top of 11. Thank goodness Zeph Skinner is not in the team this year - think he needed full length thermal tights and a beanie last time!

Go Dogs! Win lose or draw I'll love going to Saturday arvo footy at what remains a beautiful suburban ground (now with lights!) and I hope all WOOFers who make the journey to the Nations Capital enjoy it. The Kingston Hotel and Eastlake Football Club just down the road from the ground are good for a meal or a drink and there are plenty of cafes in nearby Manuka.

[bornadog]

Thank you for the information on the ground. I have never been to a game there and should have organized it but it just crept up on me.

Can you drive up to the fence and watch the game and honk your horn:D

[Dry Rot]

Good review and I can recommend watching footy at Manuka.

Arguably its the worst forward line (us) vs the worst defence (them). Will be interesting to see how this pans out.

Up the other end, who else beyond Cameron is dangerous?

I'm lucky enough to have every GWS game on the TV in Sydney, but have seen only a few including when IIRC they really gave the Dons and Cats a good run for most of the game.

IMO they will reckon they can win this weekend and should not be taken lightly.

T31, shame we can't catch up for another beer pre game. :)

[boydogs]

Nice work T31, good to change it up a bit.

This should be a week where we can play to our strengths, rather than get too caught up in what the opposition is doing. Let them try and stop Minson, Libba and Griffen from giving us endless supply out of the middle. I hope we send Murphy & Cooney forward to really make us dangerous.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Nice work T31, good to change it up a bit.

This should be a week where we can play to our strengths, rather than get too caught up in what the opposition is doing. Let them try and stop Minson, Libba and Griffen from giving us endless supply out of the middle. I hope we send Murphy & Cooney forward to really make us dangerous.

Murphy needs to play forward to help bolster our mediocre attack.
Without Boyd in the midfield would prefer to see Cooney in there where he does his best work.
This is a game that we should win but so was last week.

[boydogs]

Without Boyd in the midfield would prefer to see Cooney in there where he does his best work.

Stevens has come in for Boyd, our forward line was so poor last week I think we need him down there

[The Bulldogs Bite]

I think they'll win if they are "switched on", which I am certain they will be given this is their best opportunity of not going through the season winless.

They've got the pace, skill and Cameron to beat us.

[G-Mo77]

Good write up T31.

Interesting about the size of the ground. Melbourne ran the ball out pretty easily last week and seemed to be unmanned and have tons of space at times. Our forward line is similar, well pretty much the same as last week and they were slow and pretty unaccountable. That is a bit of a worry.

Didn't realise Tutt was a local. I hope it's nothing to do with his selection but good luck to him on his return home.

I think we'll drop this game. I want them to come out all guns blazing and tackle like their life depended on it after last week, sadly I think it'll be the opposite.

Have a good day at the footy regardless.

[bornadog]

Cameron is an exciting young F F, and would love him at the Dogs. I would say one of the best young KPF for many years. His battle with Roughy will be interesting

[Mantis]

Go Dogs! Win lose or draw I'll love going to Saturday arvo footy at what remains a beautiful suburban ground (now with lights!) and I hope all WOOFers who make the journey to the Nations Capital enjoy it. The Kingston Hotel and Eastlake Football Club just down the road from the ground are good for a meal or a drink and there are plenty of cafes in nearby Manuka.

Heading up tonight --- Can't wait! :eek:

Staying with family who reside about 300m from the ground which is handy.... Not looking forward to the cold weather, hopefully we go ok.

[F'scary]

The problem last week against the Dees, in my opinion, was that we couldn't handle the pressure of being warm favourites to win. We began the game with a tentative, heads-up, keepings-off approach and took 3 qtrs to shake it off.

This week we need to just move the ball quickly, kick it long and don't go too wide too often (T31's tip).

[Cyberdoggie]

We have a habit of letting certain key forwards that haven't really done much against other sides kick bags against us.

ie, Cameron, Daw, Watts.

As was mentioned midfield pressure has been woeful since the break. Hopefully with Boyd out and Stevens back in that might improve slightly and the oppositions talls in Setanta and Cameron hopefully don't go on a rampage.

[LostDoggy]

I've been to a few games at Manuka, most memorable being with Da Druid — camping overnight in a nearby national park, it was -3°C and we had our shit knocked off — but the ground itself is very good, there's a great, relaxed feeling about it, and you get supporters from all clubs along to see the game.

Anybody travelling north for the game: Give Brodburger a go. Ask a local, they'll point you in the right direction.

[Templeton31]

Thanks for positive comments about review and to all those heading up in the year of Canberra's 100th anniversary. Hopefully the SkyWhale isn't flying! In response to some of the comments:

BornaScragger - Brod burger is a cracker. best burgers in Oz. It might have changed since your last visit moving from the van to a proper cafe. still near Manuka though. Google it...

Mantis - enjoy. nothing like walking to the ground.The crowd are footy lovers but their support is across all 18 teams so not necessarily screaming for the Dogs or GWS.

GoGriff - I agree about playing to our strengths. Let them worry about cooney, gia, griff, libba and murph

DryRot- sorry no beer this year. I'm going upmarket too. Mate of mine has given me his GWS ticks so I'll be in the Bradman stand rather than standing/sitting on the hill.

If WOOFers dont mind the indulgence I do have fond memories of the Dogs games at Manuka and they have been coming here for close to 10 years now I reckon. Memorable incidents include:

- The win against North in mid-to-early 2000s. We were 35 points down early in the last quarter and snatched it with 30s to go including Johnno bundling over the last goal in the goal square, a very young Will Minson spiking it from the centre bounce to half forward and Cam Faulkner zipping round for 3 goals I think.

- Barry Hall kicking 5+ against us one year to win it for the Swans and then a year or so later kicking 5 for us to win against the Swans.

- my mate Brucie turning up one very cold year when we were sitting on the hill and getting into his sleeping bag the entire game! He only got out once to run to the fence to hurl abuse at David King! Hilarious.

- the same mate Brucie and I going to training the day before a game one year. We watched Pat Bowden pot several bananas from the boundary line for practice and we were sure he would be the next big thing! Later on in that training session Coach Peter Rohde came over to ask us about wind conditions and how the sun effects the game - Brucie waxed lyrical with mountains of advice about things he knew nothing about! Lucky we won that year...

- taking my twin daughters aged about 3 months to training in 2008. Not sure how much they took in.

- a pre season game against I dunno who. the Swans? I had to go to a wedding so went to the ground for the first half. Malcolm Lynch kicked 3 after only being drafted a few months before and I thought we had ourselves a player. Again proved incorrect!

- the games against the Swans when both teams were travelling well. The ground would be jammed and a good quality game ensued.

- basking in the sun on the Kingston side of the ground in a slightly warmer winters day

anyway got off topic.

For the record I think we'll win. If we focus on playing our footy and pressuring the GWS when we don't have it then I think we have too many good older players. I'm not sure it will be the same next year with GWS a bit older and some of our older quality guys a bit older but for this year I think we can do it.

[Go_Dogs]

Nice work T31, love the switch up in preview format.

[Remi Moses]

Went in 04 and what a comeback !
It went from a mild Canberra day to about 4 degrees by 3 o'clock.
Remember leaving the game thinking what a player we've found in Cameron Faulkener:(
Little Diver Harvey got the worst free kick of all time.

[Remi Moses]

I think they'll win if they are "switched on", which I am certain they will be given this is their best opportunity of not going through the season winless.

They've got the pace, skill and Cameron to beat us.

They've claimed it as a "Grand Final"
So I take it we claim our second Flag in victory.:D
Great way to get past that bloody prelim:eek:

[bulldogtragic]

We have a habit of letting certain key forwards that haven't really done much against other sides kick bags against us.

ie, Cameron, Daw, Watts.

As was mentioned midfield pressure has been woeful since the break. Hopefully with Boyd out and Stevens back in that might improve slightly and the oppositions talls in Setanta and Cameron hopefully don't go on a rampage.
You're scaring me... On this basis Setanta will get a bag tomorrow..... Please no!

[bornadog]

Love those stories T31, hopefully you will have some more after tomorrow.

[Eastdog]

Keep warm T31 at the footy. Hopefully we put in a 4 quarter performance and get a big win. If they beat us the dark clouds will be descending on the Whitten Oval.

[bornadog]

Keep warm T31 at the footy. Hopefully we put in a 4 quarter performance and get a big win. If they beat us the dark clouds will be descending on the Whitten Oval.

Forecast is top temperature of 11 :eek:

[Eastdog]

Forecast is top temperature of 11 :eek:

The wind chill would make it feel colder.