Game Day - Bulldogs vs Tigers NAB Challenge

[GVGjr]

Should be a good test so it's time to hear your predictions

Bulldogs by how far?
First goal kicker?
BOG?

How great is it to have a game back at the Whitten Oval?

[Hotdog60]

doggies by 70
Jake Stringer
Koby Stevens

If we don't win this one we still have some problems to address very quickly
Stringer will get the crowd going early with some fancy foot work and a brilliant snap for goal
Koby off the defensive leash and being at the right age group will turn it on with being able to get into space and run.

[1eyedog]

Bulldogs by 8 goals
T Boyd first major
Libba BOG

[bulldogtragic]

Bulldogs by 8 goals
T Boyd first major
Libba BOG

Ditto

[westdog54]

Footy is back. Thank god.

Dogs by 40.
Stringer First goal and BOG.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Dogs by 28
Stringer first goal
BOG Lin Jong

[The Underdog]

Dogs by 21
Dahl first goal
Murph BOG

We should win comfortably given the strengths of the line-ups and the "ahem"...home ground advantage, but it really isn't about the scoreboard in the end

[Maddog37]

Dogs by 53

First goal Bonts

Macrae bog

[Twodogs]

Dogs by 79
Boyd, T. First goal
Murphy Best on ground.

It's fairly grey here in West Footscray this morning

589

[bulldogtragic]

Parked down here early. Good food trucks including Taco Bell.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Can't wait for this - been marked out on the proverbial calendar for months!

Dogs by 36
Dahlhaus first goal
Murphy BOG

[Go_Dogs]

Dogs by 28
First goal Stringer
BOG Bontempelli

Cricket into footy, should be a good afternoon.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

I'm up against the clock today. Pick my wife up from work at 1pm and then with 2 year old in tow the fastest weekly shopping on record in order to get home in time to put the washing on, hang it up and plonk my arse in front of the telly to watch the game. I'm just worried I may be setting a standard of productivity i may be held to from now on.

Dogs by plenty I'm hoping!

[F'scary]

I understand 9thmond are resting quite a number of their best. In contrast, we seem to be taking advantage of the fixture, given our circumstances, treating it as a full scale hit out.


So, Doggies by plenty.

[F'scary]

It is *only* 25C at 1:20pm. Cloudy. Showers about to hit (although it looks as if they will pass through quickly). Doesn't seem as if it is going to make the revised (down) forecast of 31C.

[Remi Moses]

Quite often in the pre-season full strength teams don't win

[chef]

Can't wait. Fox Footy has had Tiger/Dogs games on all morning. So excited.

[LostDoggy]

Dogs by 21
Dahl first goal
Murph BOG

We should win comfortably given the strengths of the line-ups and the "ahem"...home ground advantage, but it really isn't about the scoreboard in the end

Every time we play Richmond all that matters is the scoreboard.

Rip their throats out Bulldogs.

[Twodogs]

Latest photo from my front yard looking toward Whitten Oval (about 900 metres away) at 2pm

590

[Twodogs]

And rip their throats out too!

[HOSE B ROMERO]

I'm up against the clock today. Pick my wife up from work at 1pm and then with 2 year old in tow the fastest weekly shopping on record in order to get home in time to put the washing on, hang it up and plonk my arse in front of the telly to watch the game. I'm just worried I may be setting a standard of productivity i may be held to from now on.

Dogs by plenty I'm hoping!

Just glad my partner won't get to read that... you're setting a high standard yankee!

[bornadog]

Latest photo from my front yard looking toward Whitten Oval (about 900 metres away) at 2pm

http://www.woof.net.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=590&stc=1

So we can park at your place. :D

[jazzadogs]

Pretty warm when the clouds go away...hoping the cloud cover stays!

Officially a sell-out, they're turning people away at the gate so if you don't have a ticket don't bother! Still plenty of room so expect a lot will rock up late.

[GVGjr]

Did you bring your football? You can have a kick of the footy after the game. Football traditions at it's best

[LostDoggy]

Talia and jong looking real good.

[chef]

Libba hurt his knee.

[LostDoggy]

God let's hope he is ok.

[boydogs]

Jong, Boyd, Redpath, Talia started well. Hope Libba is alright

[Remi Moses]

Hopefully he is okay
Ice on the knee

[Scraggers]

Bad last four minutes ... Dominated before then.

[chef]

God let's hope he is ok.

Didnt look good, im fearing the worst.

[Sedat]

Our engine room without Griffen and potentially Libba doesn't bear thinking about.

[LostDoggy]

Didnt look good, im fearing the worst.

Me too.

[DOG GOD]

Same here chef....not looking good.

[ReLoad]

Positive spin, Boyd has had better stats in a half than Jones last 4 games for us combined ;)

[kruder]

Gee the ball movement has been slow...

[GVGjr]

The standard of the game isn't great which is to be expected. We need a few of the guys to lift in the 2nd half.

[w3design]

Didnt look a major twist on slo mo, fingers crossed. MRI will reveal all

[LostDoggy]

Didnt look a major twist on slo mo, fingers crossed. MRI will reveal all

What can be the possible outcomes?

[FrediKanoute]

Lateral ligament/medial ligament/cruiciate ligament/cartilege tear - any number things.....

[w3design]

Maybe mild strain and only taking precautions. Liked the way he was able to jog off the ground.

[The Pie Man]

Remember Turtle doing his PCL *after* doing his ACL and was only out a month - I was VERY nervous until confirmation

[w3design]

Maybe mild strain and only taking precautions. Liked the way he was able to jog off the ground.

[Sedat]

Just saw the replay - that movement looks like a classic ACL. Shattered for the kid :(

Geez I hope I'm wrong

[LostDoggy]

Maybe mild strain and only taking precautions. Liked the way he was able to jog off the ground.

I'll go with yours. :)

[w3design]

Geez Roons hope I'm right.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

game live on http://vaughnlive.tv/afldude

[w3design]

Geez Roons hope I'm right.

[GVGjr]

Back to the game, we need to get something happening in this quarter. It's been a disappointing effort so far.

[LostDoggy]

J.Grant might want to get a kick.

[GVGjr]

Even allowing for the conditions our skills aren't good enough. JJ should have got that.

[chef]

This has been pretty bad, struggling to beat a half strength Richmond.

[w3design]

Morris dirty prick

[LostDoggy]

That will do, bloody hate injuries.

Can't wait for Jake.

Redpath will make it!

[GVGjr]

Good rally in the last 10 or so minutes.

Aside from the Liberatore injury what was your good, bad and ugly?

[1eyedog]

More than doubled their scoring shots, one positive.

[w3design]

Loved the way they were running in lines up-field in first half, being able to pass off NRL style. Dropped away in last half.

[divvydan]

Hope Libba is okay. Eric Mackenzie was able to jog off last night and his has now been confirmed as an ACL, so I certainly fear the worst. It had that sort of look when it happened.

[boydogs]

Aside from the Liberatore injury what was your good, bad and ugly?

Good - Solid spine Roughead, Talia/Hamling, Minson, Redpath, Boyd
Bad - Made hard work of it at times, had all the possession but couldn't convert
Ugly - Prudden, Minson well beaten & giving away free after free

[w3design]

Bob Murphy what a legend

[chef]

Good - The pups look good and should improve on last season. Talia and Hamling were good down back.

Bad - We still seem to just kick with out looking, we would have been ripped to shreds by a half decent team on the rebound. Minson making the same old dumb mistakes and Grant was near invisible out there.

Ugly - It's going to be a long season. God help us if Libba's out for a while.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Good, we won. Picken looked good. Redpath looks to have improved. Bonts looks like he isn’t likely to suffer 2nd year blues.
Bad: our skill level, decision making and forward line delivery still looks to be a far cry from where it needs to be if we're to push up the ladder. Dahlhaus's selfish play in the third needs to be talked about internally.
Ugly: Libba's injury and poor Prudden can't seem to take a trick.

All in all not a great spectacle. If not for the wind advantage i think we would've got rolled.

[jeemak]

29 scoring shots to 14. The only stat that I really look for in early preseason games is scoring shots and we smashed them as we should have.

It wasn't pretty but the result was where it needed to be.

[F'scary]

I like this The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, hope it becomes a standing post match thread this season.

The Good: Finished the game strongly, looked fitter than the Tiges; had lots of the play; looks like we have a few KP's this year which is a big improvement on last year - there should be no need to play Morris as a KPB.

The Bad: same problems as last year. Lots of the play, heaps more inside 50's but does not show on the score board. Dropped marks inside the 50. Beveridge has his work cut out for him.

The Ugly: like last year, we get hurt too easily on the rebound.

The Verdict: lots of talk about new game plan and I'm sure there is one, however, players are still learning it.

[always right]

All in all not a great spectacle. If not for the wind advantage i think we would've got rolled.

What load of rubbish. Play that game at Etihad and we win easily. The game went exactly as I expected (save for the Libba injury). The wind made it scrappy and worked in Richmond's favour as it became a contested game. First game with the new coach and gameplan and there were a number of positives....even though there is clearly plenty of work to do. First step in a long journey.

[Webby]

Did I see Libba do his knee today???!!!

[Testekill]

Did I see Libba do his knee today???!!!

https://twitter.com/AFL/status/571551210836119552

Video is embedded in this tweet.

[Bumper Bulldogs]

The Good: We look like a far bigger side than I can remember in years gone by.

The Bad: Thought Minson was poor, he should eat these games but continues to push in the back when he has the advantage

The Ugly: Like everyone else, Libba, I cant believe it, what happened to the footy Gods!

P.S - How good was it to see footy back at the kennel. We should have dumped Docklands and played another game at home.
Well done boys.

[LostDoggy]

Poor Libba. Lets hope its just a 6 weeker... can't help but fear the worst.

I was standing right near the interchange and Hrovat copped a massive knock in the ribs. Came off and complained he couldn't breathe. Went back and for a minute and struggled. They had to send the ambos in at QT. Probably broken ribs atleast I'd say.

[Maddog37]

Good. Wood punching Vickery in the head. Talia and Big Jack.

Bad. Minno, our desire to stop turn around and kick rather than handball to a runner.

Ugly : the fox commentators, with Derwayne a stand out! ( as usual.)

[LostDoggy]

Good. Wood punching Vickery in the head. Talia and Big Jack.

Bad. Minno, our desire to stop turn around and kick rather than handball to a runner.

Ugly : the fox commentators, with Derwayne a stand out! ( as usual.)

Didn't hear the commentary as I was at the match, but just out of interest, how many times did he mention the amount of outs for Richmond? I'll guess 5 times a quarter!

[Bulldog4life]

Didn't hear the commentary as I was at the match, but just out of interest, how many times did he mention the amount of outs for Richmond? I'll guess 5 times a quarter!

At least......:mad:

[Templeton31]

Good: Talia, Redpath, T.Boyd, Jong all showing promise and improvement from last year. T.Boyd might have only got 13 touches but he made a difference and will only get better. Liked his important clearance out of the ruck/middle in the last. Readpaths marking looked much improved. Talia - why was he not playing last year?

Bad: Libba Libba and Libba. Hope its not but the pain when he was lying on the ground looked classical ACL. Lets hope he comes back as quick as his old man did.

Ugly: JGrant. I'm a fan and just want him to succeed but he was nowhere to be seen today.

[LostDoggy]

Grant is copping alot of heat and probably rightly so. But he didn't actually get on the field until after half time. Might explain why he was so quiet. He only played a half of footy.

[GVGjr]

The Good - Youngsters answering the challenge in the last quarter. Easton Wood taking another step forward. Hamling showing a bit
The Bad - Skills and decision making which has been a focus over the preseason
The Ugly - Some lackluster performances by players that need to step us a bit this year.

[bornadog]

Grant is copping alot of heat and probably rightly so. But he didn't actually get on the field until after half time. Might explain why he was so quiet. He only played a half of footy.

Did a couple of nice things when he did get the ball. He was off for at least half the quarters as well, so game time probably only had about 30 minutes all up.

Here is hoping Libba is not as bad as it looked and I hope Prudden is ok as well after being hit by friendly fire.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

I know we played a depleted Tigers mob, but i do think our forward line looks a whole lot more dangerous with T Boyd up there. He is going to draw the number one defender which is going to give Redpath and others like Grant, Campbell, Bonts, Crameri et al less difficult match ups.
As an aside, I think Jones is going to regret leaving, as I think he would've been a big beneficiary of Boyd's presence.

[always right]

Perhaps we should reserve judgement on players at least until we have played one more practice match. Fair enough?

[bornadog]

The Ugly - Some lackluster performances by players that need to step us a bit this year.

Whilst I agree with this comment, I also think the players are still not quiet ready for the season proper with another month of pre-season to come. You can tell they are not as fit as when they will be for round one.

[bornadog]

As an aside, I think Jones is going to regret leaving, as I think he would've been a big beneficiary of Boyd's presence.

Redpath looks like he will be a beneficiary.

[lemmon]

I thought Redpath, Jong and Talia all looked best 22 and the signs were very good from T Boyd, was class in the air without dominating. M Boyd wasn't bad from half back, cleaned up a few times even if he did turn it over on a few occassions while Bobby Murphy was easily BOG in the first half. I thought Mitch Wallis was our best over the game and Kobe we good in the clinches as well. Picken had his head in just about everything playing on the flanks and I would say that Honeychurch looked ahead of Hunter if they are competing for the same spot, he gives some very good forward impetus with his run, carry and clever disposal where Lachy looked a yard off the pace today. Easton Wood really held the back 6 together after half time and at times I thought he was Dale Morris such was his impact, really encouraging signs today.

On the other hand I thought Minson really struggled and Roughead was beaten to a few contests where he shouldn't have been. Dickson floated while Dahl and Macrae both seemed to find the footy but made some fairly uncharacteristic errors. Stringer looked good physically and has that spring well and truly back but there were some poor habits I wasn't impressed with, he tried to sneak out the back a few times and hope for the handball over the top rather than attack a contest which looked lazy and opportunistic to me, he's better than that. Grant was good with the footy he found but it was the same old story, simply didn't get it enough.

Overall a fairly sloppy performance but that's what we all expected I imagine. My bests were:
Wallis, Wood, Redpath, Talia, Murph and Jong

[GVGjr]

Whilst I agree with this comment, I also think the players are still not quiet ready for the season proper with another month of pre-season. You can tell they are not as fit as when they will be for round one.
Not to target one player but Grant is supposed to be fitter than ever. Fitness wasn't the issue for a few of them. They couldn't adjust to the tempo.

[Maddog37]

I have a theory that windy days can disrupt some forwards leading patterns. That was what Jake looked like to me today, he never seemed sure of when to lead and when to float back and got caught too close to the ball a lot or too far off the back.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Redpath looks like he will be a beneficiary.

I think so too. I was pleasantly surprised by how well he played. He looks like he will play a lot this year.

What did others think of the decision to use Boyd in the ruck? I tend to as a rule try to avoid agreeing with Dermott Brereton about anything, but I tend to agree with him that Boyd is too important to risk in the centre square.
I don't mind him taking boundary throw ins or bounces up forward, but my heart was in my mouth for the few centre bounces he was involved in.
Could not Redpath be a better alternative for centre bounces for those times when Minson is resting?

[lemmon]

I have a theory that windy days can disrupt some forwards leading patterns. That was what Jake looked like to me today, he never seemed sure of when to lead and when to float back and got caught too close to the ball a lot or too far off the back.

In comparison I thought Redpath was terrific with his forward craft, particularly early he was the only forward he seemed to find much space

[Maddog37]

He was good all day. Nice hands and some improved agility.

[boydogs]

Lachy looked a yard off the pace today

I'm surprised you say that as I agree with the rest of your review. I thought his work through the midfield was the strongest evidence of a new game plan, running past the player who took the mark for the handball to play on quickly. Bonts are Macrae were more urgent as well

[mjp]

Dominated possessions, dominated inside 50s, dominated scoring shots. Inability to deliver to forwards (and of forwards to mark the ball in dangerous spots) a worry but all in all a solid performance...new coach and it is still February.

Richmond missing some but what can you do? We are a team of kids anyway...remember that Hrovat, Libba and Crameri didn't play for us either (Hrovat and Libba both injured early) so whilst the Tigers missed a good few it wasn't like our group was at 100%.

I am reading a bit of negativity on here and just wonder what everyone was expecting?

[Scraggers]

TBoyd is going to be in the spotlight every time he pulls on the tri-colour. This is a given. Today he was okay, not spectacular, but I don't expect him to be spectacular for another 4-5 years.

What I expect of him until then

1. He gets picked up by the best backman every week
2. He gets first hands to the ball in a pack situation ... Bringing ball to ground for our forwards
3. He nabbs one of those pack grabs every two or three games ... Moving to every game in the five year period
4. He averages one goal a week ... Moving to 3 goals a week by his fifth year
5. He gets wider and stronger

If he achieves these, it will be a successful drafting coup ... Judging his performance as a 19 year old in a practice match for his first time with new team mates and new coaching staff and new game plan is a tad premature.

[GVGjr]

I am reading a bit of negativity on here and just wonder what everyone was expecting?

I bit more from the skills department for me. First hit out with some genuine opposition and I thought we didn't display decent enough skills. I know the conditions weren't great but I did expect better.

[lemmon]

I'm surprised you say that as I agree with the rest of your review. I thought his work through the midfield was the strongest evidence of a new game plan, running past the player who took the mark for the handball to play on quickly. Bonts are Macrae were more urgent as well

My problem was more with what he did with the footy when he had it rather than finding it, he either looked to stop and prop or chose the wrong option going forward, there were a few times I would've preferred him to lower the eyes and hit a leading option. I didn't think he was terrible by any means, he covered a heap of the ground, but he's a guy I have in pretty direct competition with Honeychurch who provides more leg speed, is a better disposer of the footy and gives some more inside 'hustle' with his pressure and attack on the footy.

That's by no means an attack on Hunter who I am confident will be a 200 game half forward for us, my observation was based solely on today's game where I had Lachlan as the rustier of the two.

[Maddog37]

I was happy today. Glad we won.

We are such a young team!

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

I thought Redpath, Jong and Talia all looked best 22 and the signs were very good from T Boyd, was class in the air without dominating. M Boyd wasn't bad from half back, cleaned up a few times even if he did turn it over on a few occassions while Bobby Murphy was easily BOG in the first half. I thought Mitch Wallis was our best over the game and Kobe we good in the clinches as well. Picken had his head in just about everything playing on the flanks and I would say that Honeychurch looked ahead of Hunter if they are competing for the same spot, he gives some very good forward impetus with his run, carry and clever disposal where Lachy looked a yard off the pace today. Easton Wood really held the back 6 together after half time and at times I thought he was Dale Morris such was his impact, really encouraging signs today.

On the other hand I thought Minson really struggled and Roughead was beaten to a few contests where he shouldn't have been. Dickson floated while Dahl and Macrae both seemed to find the footy but made some fairly uncharacteristic errors. Stringer looked good physically and has that spring well and truly back but there were some poor habits I wasn't impressed with, he tried to sneak out the back a few times and hope for the handball over the top rather than attack a contest which looked lazy and opportunistic to me, he's better than that. Grant was good with the footy he found but it was the same old story, simply didn't get it enough.

Overall a fairly sloppy performance but that's what we all expected I imagine. My bests were:
Wallis, Wood, Redpath, Talia, Murph and Jong

Agree on Wood, if he stays fit, he may well have that breakout year we've been hoping would occur for some time.
Not sure I agree on your assessment of Hunter, I thought he actually looked a bit quicker than last year, and composed in the contest.
Hamling is an interesting one. First time I've seen him at all, not being able to get to any training sessions. There is a lot to like in his size, athleticism and agility. However, and again its the first time I've seen him, my first impression was that he's still very raw, may have a question mark about his ball use and decision making. Johannissen also really needs to continue to work hard on his deficiencies. He often squibs his kicks, ruining his often great dashes and resulting in either missed opportunities and/or turning the ball over and getting us in trouble on the rebound. He also is one of a few who persist, when in traffic, with useless 10cm handpasses.. We end up playing football's version of pass the parcel until we turn it over.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

I think so too. I was pleasantly surprised by how well he played. He looks like he will play a lot this year.

What did others think of the decision to use Boyd in the ruck? I tend to as a rule try to avoid agreeing with Dermott Brereton about anything, but I tend to agree with him that Boyd is too important to risk in the centre square.
I don't mind him taking boundary throw ins or bounces up forward, but my heart was in my mouth for the few centre bounces he was involved in.
Could not Redpath be a better alternative for centre bounces for those times when Minson is resting?
I didn't mind Boyd taking a turn in the ruck. At 200 cms and on a day that was difficult for big forwards, it was a way to get big Tom into the game. Redpath looks more a natural leading forward than a ruckman and he was the big improver from last year.

[Raw Toast]

Glorious to be back at the Whitten Oval for an almost proper game (I was away overseas last year and so unfortunately missed the VFL matches). I got to watch the match from the 2nd level as the Victoria Uni rep to make sure that the staff up on 'our' balcony from Champion Data and the AFL Umpires Dept didn't do too much damage to the office space up there. If you heard a heap of piercing 'Go Dogs' screams from a young 5yo up there then you can blame me...

In terms of the good I liked the work of Stevens (who also appeared significantly better at firing out quick hand-passes), I thought at times we moved the ball by hand very nicely to through a chain of players to release someone, and at times we dissected them through the middle by hand. I hadn't seen Bontempelli - he is huge already, and has a bit of Kouta to him, moving quickly and smoothly despite the added weight. I saw things a bit differently with J Grant - he was only brought on just before half-time, and impacted quite a few contests with good hands. He remains our best crumber, and can create things out of nothing like a very good small forward, but did seem disappointed when he was brought off for the final time. Murphy moved smoothly, Hunter did some nice things, and Jong could have had a monster game if he'd been able to nail his shots at goal (and to take shots from within 44m!).

Perhaps the most pleasing thing for me was that our defenders, and especially relatively young defenders such as Talia, were often in the correct place to cut off a number of attacking thrusts from Richmond. The tacking was also quite good at times, as as the forward pressure. Redpath was also a pleasant surprise, Hunter had some nice touches, and I liked the initial trial of T Boyd as a pinch-hitter in the ruck. I also liked the move to start Dahlhous in the middle and thought he ran through their well at times.

One of the bad things, however, was that there were still too many moments of us being smashed on the spread. That was to be expected I guess, but other things that dismayed me included Minson struggling to impact a lot of contests (though he did a couple of nice things and the game was perhaps too free-flowing to suit him); T Boyd being outmarked too often when the ball was not kicked to his advantage (needs to learn when to go to for the spoil); and some ridiculous umpiring with too few (excellent) tackles being rewarded and silly calls of throwing (Wallis' hands can be too quick for his own good), among other things.

Apart from the potentially devastating loss of young Libba for the season (although his father came back in then record-breaking time in 1998), and the possibly rib injury to the Rat, one of the ugliest bits for me was the lack of defensive crumbing. There were a number of times when the Tigers got simple goals because someone stayed down, front and square, while all our defenders went for the ball. I'm sure this will be worked on, but the space given to opposition smalls at these contests was pretty awful and almost cost us the game. Our kicking forward was also pretty ugly at times, but at least it seemed like we were a chance when the ball was bombed long.

[lemmon]

I liked Hamlings work at ground level where I liked what Talia did in the one on one aerial contests. Joel was a fair bit quicker than I imagined, looks ideally suited to the third tall in the same way Hargrave was.

[GVGjr]

I didn't mind Boyd taking a turn in the ruck. At 200 cms and on a day that was difficult for big forwards, it was a way to get big Tom into the game. Redpath looks more a natural leading forward than a ruckman and he was the big improver from last year.

Redpath also took a nice mark in the back line in last quarter. I hope they play him in all the NAB Challenge games

[Twodogs]

I thought Beverage was pretty smart in his use of Boyd today. He used him all over the ground. He Didolis the

Hey BT we got our wish with Roughy and Boyd in the same forward line.for long while in the last quarter.

[GVGjr]

I liked Hamlings work at ground level where I liked what Talia did in the one on one aerial contests. Joel was a fair bit quicker than I imagined, looks ideally suited to the third tall in the same way Hargrave was.

Good comparison. I hope Hamling gains a lot of confidence on today's performance.
I agree Talia was pretty good.

[KT31]

Thanh you to all for the reports, hopefully Libba's knee is the best case scenario and if not he has inherited his fathers knees and will make a miraculous recovery.

[Before I Die]

Grant had 7 possesions in a little over half a game. Dickson had 8 in a full game, Honeychurch had 8 in a full game, Stringer had 8 in a full game. It would have been nice if Grant had got on the score board, but I think criticism of his game due to lack of possesions is simply misguided.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Perhaps we should reserve judgement on players at least until we have played one more practice match. Fair enough?

But surely if we are talking about a football game, irrespective of when it is played, it is okay to critique performance both good and bad? It doesn't mean anyone is being written off after 1 pre-season game, but I think it's fair to underline both good and bad performances in any game.

[GVGjr]

Grant had 7 possesions in a little over half a game. Dickson had 8 in a full game, Honeychurch had 8 in a full game, Stringer had 8 in a full game. It would have been nice if Grant had got on the score board, but I think criticism of his game due to lack of possesions is simply misguided.

My concern isn't around his possession count. If he is the fittest he has been as has been reported he still looks at least a step behind where he needs to be. In our side he is nearly a senior player and while it's early days we should be demanding or expecting more from him.

[Bulldog Revolution]

[QUOTE=mjp;423533

I am reading a bit of negativity on here and just wonder what everyone was expecting?[/QUOTE]

Im inclined to agree - I thought it was an excellent first hit out.

The game was played mostly on our terms. The conditions were perhaps tougher than they looked. The wind seemingly favouring the Geelong Rd end that we kicked to in Q2 & Q4. Our back line looked pretty well organised - Wood looks to have really matured as a player, Hamling and Talia showed promise, MBoyd was handy back, JJ kicked poorly, Roughie was handy back before switching forward.

Midfield - Wallis was very good, Stevens good also, Macrae wasn't at his best but is so smart at finding the footy, Jong had flashes, I thought Hunter was good and classy all over the ground.

Difficult conditions for forwards with the WO wind seemingly unfamiliar for most playing. Stringer was quiet, Honeychurch good, Dahlhaus pretty good, Dickson slotted a couple, Grants hands were good up the ground, Boyd wasn't amazing but I was happy with his efforts. Redpath was good - kicked a lovely goal with the wind in the second.

[Flamethrower]

Not a bad hit out first up.

The upgrade from Liam Jones to Tom Boyd is like trading in a Toyota Yaris for a Bugatti Veyron.

Fear for the worst for Libba. Apparently Tony Liberatore was in tears after the game, and when asked if Tom was done for 2015 he just nodded yes.

[lemmon]

Watching Beveridge's presser and he's talking as if Libba is done for the year. Also looks like Picken will play as predominantly a small forward, I wonder whether Beveridge sees some of himself in Liam with the way he speaks about him..

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Not a bad hit out first up.

The upgrade from Liam Jones to Tom Boyd is like trading in a Toyota Yaris for a Bugatti Veyron.

Fear for the worst for Libba. Apparently Tony Liberatore was in tears after the game, and when asked if Tom was done for 2015 he just nodded yes.

That is just awful for Tom and for all us who love to watch Tom play. We've lost a lot of experience and poise in our midfield over the summer, if Tom is out too, then the challenge is now thrown down for some youngster to step forward and showcase their talents.

[Mofra]

We had double their scoring shots, which was a positive. Definitely noticed the difference in ball movement.

Libba's injury shadowed everything else for me. Shades of Chris Grant 2003; a struggling team losing their best player before the season. Really deflating.

[G-Mo77]

Libbas's injury puts a cloud over a wonderful day. Hard to think of anything else right now. :(

[Hotdog60]

Did a couple of nice things when he did get the ball. He was off for at least half the quarters as well, so game time probably only had about 30 minutes all up.

Here is hoping Libba is not as bad as it looked and I hope Prudden is ok as well after being hit by friendly fire.

Going by the slow mo reply Stevens gave him a knock which put him of balance and a Richmond player (can't remember who) gave him a fair old shirt front which put him down.

[Eastdog]

Had a great day out west at the Whitten Oval for my first match day experience. We played some good stuff in our first hit out. Libba was the dissapointment. Will try and get to some VFL games there in the future. I hope we can in the future at least play 1 home game at WO but won't happen unfortunately.

[Doc26]

Libbas's injury puts a cloud over a wonderful day.Hard to think of anything else right now. :(

It's utter crap how this game can make you feel when the lows strike and boy do we get our share. Just guttered right now.

[GVGjr]

Going by the slow mo reply Stevens gave him a knock which put him of balance and a Richmond player (can't remember who) gave him a fair old shirt front which put him down.

Steven Morris

[F'scary]

Let us wait on the results for Libba's knee. Fingers crossed, it is not a season ending injury.

[ledge]

I'm not going to take much notice of the missed opportunities at goals, the wind was very tricky the ball floated a lot and dropped quickly if you kicked against the wind.. In saying that I am happy we had so many inside 50s. I think stringer will really come along with Bontempelli

[F'scary]

I liked Tom Boyd's game too today. He is very versatile - can play ruck, CHF, FF. It really solves the problem of ruck partnering for Minson. If Big Jack Redpath can command a KPF role, if Talia can command a KPB role, if Hamling can match up as a KPB regularly, then we will have the luxury of Roughead being able to be used in a variety of roles. This could be a mighty step forward on our big man situation last year.

[LostDoggy]

SO glad to hear they got Terry Wheeler in to talk about the club. I liked the way Beveridge talked. I'm happy to back him, if only because his values seem right.

[LostDoggy]

There were a few logistics problems today. Waiting 25 mins for a beer is no good. Lining up for ages at the toilets is no good. Easy to see those problems coming I would have thought.

[divvydan]

Interesting to see that Picken is going to play as a defensive forward this year as Bevo basically confirmed in his press conference post game. Maybe part of the solution to stopping opposition teams rebound so quickly and effectively against us. Did always seem fairly dangerous around goals when he's played that role in the past.

[Dry Rot]

It's early in the season, but you can only say what you saw (on Foxtel at my dad's)

Good: Redpath and some guys I haven't really seen much before, such as Talia and Honeychurch. Not a Wallis fan, but he played well. And has Minson's marking improved?

Bad: Tigers seem to counter attack and score too easily. Minson should have dominated the ruck,and didn't. I'm buggered if I could fathom quite a few frees. Expected more from Stringer.

Ugly: Most of our ball movement was as bad as last years. Seemed to get worse as the game went on. Delivery into the forward line/forward system is still poor.

God Awful: Libba's knee

[jazzadogs]

I didn't really notice much consistent change in game style, as expected in first game of the year. Will be interesting to see the evolution over the rest of the season!

Was impressed with Jong, who continued his VFL finals form, and Redpath mostly. Talia improved throughout the game but his skills remain a concern...was doing kick to kick with Hrovat in the warm up and missed him by 5m on at least 4 occasions.

I was also disappointed with the forward line/entry into the forward line. They train on this ground with the wind every day, should be able to adapt.

Biggest winner for the day was my first competitive (almost) AFL level match at Whitten Oval...I was in the old scoreboard pocket, and absolutely loved the atmosphere. I came fourth in the post-match Sprint to the middle!

[Sedat]

Interesting to see that Picken is going to play as a defensive forward this year as Bevo basically confirmed in his press conference post game. Maybe part of the solution to stopping opposition teams rebound so quickly and effectively against us. Did always seem fairly dangerous around goals when he's played that role in the past.
Playing him as a small defender, as we did in the last couple of years, was a very poor fit for a player who had the worst disposal % by foot in the entire competition. On the rare occasions he has played forward of the centre, he looks very comfortable and a natural in that part of the ground.

[bulldogtragic]

I thought Beverage was pretty smart in his use of Boyd today. He used him all over the ground. He Didolis the

Hey BT we got our wish with Roughy and Boyd in the same forward line.for long while in the last quarter.

I loved it too. A lot!!

Not sure why Grant is copping it, he was a sub... His skills make us quicker and he contested well I thought.

[bornadog]

There were a few logistics problems today. Waiting 25 mins for a beer is no good. Lining up for ages at the toilets is no good. Easy to see those problems coming I would have thought.

The set up at the Geelong road end Gate was also not well thought out. Getting out of the ground was not made easy with the way the barrier fences were put up.

[Twodogs]

I'm not going to take much notice of the missed opportunities at goals, the wind was very tricky the ball floated a lot and dropped quickly if you kicked against the wind.. In saying that I am happy we had so many inside 50s. I think stringer will really come along with Bontempelli

It was a really tricky wind bhut that should has been worse for Richmond.


I liked Tom Boyd's game too today. He is very versatile - can play ruck, CHF, FF. It really solves the problem of ruck partnering for Minson. If Big Jack Redpath can command a KPF role, if Talia can command a KPB role, if Hamling can match up as a KPB regularly, then we will have the luxury of Roughead being able to be used in a variety of roles. This could be a mighty step forward on our big man situation last year.

Boyd looked quite at home in the ruck.


SO glad to hear they got Terry Wheeler in to talk about the club. I liked the way Beveridge talked. I'm happy to back him, if only because his values seem right.

That is good to hear. Great choice for the first day at Whitten oval.


It's early in the season, but you can only say what you saw (on Foxtel at my dad's)

Good: Redpath and some guys I haven't really seen much before, such as Talia and Honeychurch. Not a Wallis fan, but he played well. And has Minson's marking improved?

Bad: Tigers seem to counter attack and score too easily. Minson should have dominated the ruck,and didn't. I'm buggered if I could fathom quite a few frees. Expected more from Stringer.

Ugly: Most of our ball movement was as bad as last years. Seemed to get worse as the game went on. Delivery into the forward line/forward system is still poor.

God Awful: Libba's knee


You've been on Redpath from the start. He showed some really good signs of being able to kick a few goals and clear space for tge forwards to work in.

As for the frees I managed to get two boundary umpires to turn and look at me as if I was some sort of deranged lunatic while shouting out messages they could pass on to the central umpires for me from my position on the fence right behind the point post where they had to wait while players had shots. Two. A very good day at the office.

[Dry Rot]

You've been on Redpath from the start. He showed some really good signs of being able to kick a few goals and clear space for tge forwards to work in.



Didn't Bev chuck Redpath into the midfield at one point?

Bev says he wants us to be unpredictable, so at one bounce we could have Dalhaus, Hrovat, JJ, Daniel and Hunter, and then the next we could have Bonts, Macrae, Stringer, Crameri and Redpath!




As for the frees I managed to get two boundary umpires to turn and look at me as if I was some sort of deranged lunatic while shouting out messages they could pass on to the central umpires for me from my position on the fence right behind the point post where they had to wait while players had shots. Two. A very good day at the office.

Excellent.

[jeemak]

I think so too. I was pleasantly surprised by how well he played. He looks like he will play a lot this year.

What did others think of the decision to use Boyd in the ruck? I tend to as a rule try to avoid agreeing with Dermott Brereton about anything, but I tend to agree with him that Boyd is too important to risk in the centre square.
I don't mind him taking boundary throw ins or bounces up forward, but my heart was in my mouth for the few centre bounces he was involved in.
Could not Redpath be a better alternative for centre bounces for those times when Minson is resting?

Boyd's the perfect candidate for some time in the ruck. He's taller than our number one ruck, he's mobile and he's strong. I actually couldn't think of a better way for him to get involved in the game.

[Remi Moses]

Some observations
We still struggle with that kick from 70
Defence looked more organised
Fox need a Dwayne Russell insert press button for muteness( being reminded 590 times were at full strength started to wear thin)
I think we're in for a tough year even with young Libba in the side .
Brilliant to see the old girl hosting football ( warms the cokils )

[Eastdog]

What did you guys make of Lin Jong game. Early on it seemed like his confidence was down kicking at goal but with more games hopefully that improves

[Remi Moses]

What did you guys make of Lin Jong game. Early on it seemed like his confidence was down kicking at goal but with more games hopefully that improves

Thought he was very good early, but faded.
Thought Wood was our best

[Twodogs]

I didn't really notice much consistent change in game style, as expected in first game of the year. Will be interesting to see the evolution over the rest of the season!

Was impressed with Jong, who continued his VFL finals form, and Redpath mostly. Talia improved throughout the game but his skills remain a concern...was doing kick to kick with Hrovat in the warm up and missed him by 5m on at least 4 occasions.

I was also disappointed with the forward line/entry into the forward line. They train on this ground with the wind every day, should be able to adapt.

Biggest winner for the day was my first competitive (almost) AFL level match at Whitten Oval...I was in the old scoreboard pocket, and absolutely loved the atmosphere. I came fourth in the post-match Sprint to the middle!

I talked to a guy who was getting pole osition for the run to the centre. We chatted about the game and other crap while I was leaning on the fence. I tried to watch the guy Itslked to and he seem to come about fourth to a couple of real speeders that jumped the fence behind the goals.

[Eastdog]

Thought he was very good early, but faded.
Thought Wood was our best

I thought Dahl did ok but should have done better with a few situations ie: open goal missed

[Twodogs]

What did you guys make of Lin Jong game. Early on it seemed like his confidence was down kicking at goal but with more games hopefully that improves

He was good. He bought his form from the VFL finals into more of his play than he didn't.

[jazzadogs]

I talked to a guy who was getting pole osition for the run to the centre. We chatted about the game and other crap while I was leaning on the fence. I tried to watch the guy Itslked to and he seem to come about fourth to a couple of real speeders that jumped the fence behind the goals.

Yeh I was down behind the goals...I'm claiming that the longer distance, compared to those coming from the wings, was the reason for me not coming first!!

[Eastdog]

He was good. He bought his form from the VFL finals into more of his play than he didn't.

Yeah hoping to see more of Lin in the seniors this year. Its the first hitout of any form this year so best not to be too critical. What does J Grant need to do this year. When his confidence is up he can be real god but when it's not its very poor.

[Twodogs]

Yeh I was down behind the goals...I'm claiming that the longer distance, compared to those coming from the wings, was the reason for me not coming first!!


Damn strsight. From The wings doesn't count. Everyone knows that. It's. not line hours that count. It's handicap honours that properly wins

[G-Mo77]

There were a few logistics problems today. Waiting 25 mins for a beer is no good. Lining up for ages at the toilets is no good. Easy to see those problems coming I would have thought.

Being a non drinker now it pisses me off that it's easier to get a beer than a bottle of water. I looked at the lines before half time and didn't bother.

[GVGjr]

Being a non drinker now it pisses me off that it's easier to get a beer than a bottle of water. I looked at the lines before half time and didn't bother.

I took a bottle of water in with me. Just knew it was going to be impossible to get a drink.

[G-Mo77]

I took a bottle of water in with me. Just knew it was going to be impossible to get a drink.

I left mine in the car. Advantage was i didn't need to use the toilet all day.

[LostDoggy]

SO glad to hear they got Terry Wheeler in to talk about the club. I liked the way Beveridge talked. I'm happy to back him, if only because his values seem right.

Wasn't it refreshing not to have to listen to the teacher crap the former used to come out with after each game. No more quality young man and associated cliches ......... just genuine enthusiasm from the coach. I have a good feeling about Luke.

[Mantis]

Being a non drinker now it pisses me off that it's easier to get a beer than a bottle of water. I looked at the lines before half time and didn't bother.

I got a drink 1/2 way through the 2nd quarter and didn't wait at all.

Good - nice efforts by our young midfielders & defenders... Not sold on Hamling's kicking though.

Bad - defensive spread, in close hand-balling, tricky conditions but expected more from Stringer who besides being effective in the last 10min wasn't sighted.

Ugly - Minson's game, Libba's injury - his loss is going to hurt and a season ending injury could make us wooden spoon favorites.

[chef]

Oh well sucks for Libba, but in reality we were never making finals anyway so it opens the doors for someone else to step up and get some game time.

Would be a hell of a lot worse if this had happened while we are a decent side.

[Hotdog60]

I thought overall it wasn't a bad game, skill errors were what you would expect at this time of year. Hawthorn weren't much better in there game.

I will be keen to see the last NAB game to see how we go in that one, hopefully some of the match day cobwebs will be blown out.

I will need to rely on woof for reports please for the next match as it seems like it's not covered by Fox.

On big Will it wasn't all bad, he did take some good marks:)

[whythelongface]

Not a bad first up effort. Some slight variations to the game plan from previous years. We seem to move the ball on faster. Seems to be a lot more changes to positional play throughout the game.

Liked the look of Hamling; Wood; Redpath; Wallis; Stevens; Jong; T Boyd. Thought Matty Boyd did some nice things off half back. Also liked Grant playing more up field - has some nice hands. As others have stated would like him to find more of the pill.

Obviously the injury to Libba was the biggest negative. It looked serious and can't see it being anything else other than an ACL

[bornadog]

I thought overall it wasn't a bad game, skill errors were what you would expect at this time of year. Hawthorn weren't much better in there game.

I will be keen to see the last NAB game to see how we go in that one, hopefully some of the match day cobwebs will be blown out.

I will need to rely on woof for reports please for the next match as it seems like it's not covered by Fox.

On big Will it wasn't all bad, he did take some good marks:)

THe AFL have given the go ahead to stream the 6 matches that Fox is not covering.

[whythelongface]

double post

[GVGjr]

THe AFL have given the go ahead to stream the 6 matches that Fox is not covering.

We need to remind people of that point closer to the game. It would be too easily missed otherwise

[Twodogs]

I took a bottle of water in with me. Just knew it was going to be impossible to get a drink.


Me too. I thought the security blokes wouold.make me chuck it on the way in though.

[GVGjr]

Me too. I thought the security blokes wouold.make me chuck it on the way in though.

No label, no problem. I also got another one as I walked in.

[Go_Dogs]

The main positives for me were with some of our players who aren't quite locks for the 22, but showed they can become important components of the team in 2015.
Redpath looked good, he hits hard and attacks the ball. I also liked the fact he got a run in the centre square as a ruck rover (wrecking ball).
Talia was solid and although a couple of times he could have marked but went the spoil, his positioning was good and he worked hard to get to contests.
Jong was also good, kept getting involved and looked to take the game on a few times which puts the opposition defence under pressure.

It was a good day down at WO, it got quite warm when the clouds disappeared.

I'm truly gutted about Libba, it's a cruel game at times and I just don't know what to say. He's obviously a very strong-willed young man and I'm confident he'll be back. Wish him all the best with the outcome, and if it's a worst case scenario, all the best with his rehabilitation. He's our best player and really embodies what we want from all our young players, ruthless, team orientated and truly loves the Club.

[always right]

What did you guys make of Lin Jong game. Early on it seemed like his confidence was down kicking at goal but with more games hopefully that improves

Thought his run and carry early on was great. His reluctance to kick for goal is understandable....kicking into the teeth of the wind and he knows his limitations. Thought he took another step forward yesterday.

The player I was most disappointed in was Stringer who I have huge expectations of. He seemed to have a lot of "almost" moments and generally struggled to get into the game. I put that down largely to the windy conditions which made it difficult for all players to track the ball.

Although the opposition was largely not of AFL standard, I was impressed with our leaders who provided a steadying hand all day. Murph looks like he has lost nothing in pace or agility, Wood is a lock for one of the defensive positions and who would have thought Boyd would be so efficient with his disposal in difficult conditions?

Not willing to bag Will's game just yet but he needs to build his form over the coming weeks. Thought his timing was way off when he jumped for ruck contests. Loved Picken's game up forward although he will need to hit the scoreboard regularly.

Most encouraged by the games of Talia who read the ball beautifully all day, Wallis who was tough and efficient, and big Jack who led up at the ball all match and grew in confidence as the match progressed. Loved his hit on Vlaustin.

So disappointed in Libba's injury....more for him than anything else. Our young blokes are going to have to grow up very quickly this year to cover for him.

[G-Mo77]

I got a drink 1/2 way through the 2nd quarter and didn't wait at all.


Yeah I think I waited to long. I went close to the end of the 2nd. Half time it was nuts.

[KT31]

Are we sure we won ?
I watched the highlight package on the AFL's site and its nearly all Richmond.:confused:

[bulldogtragic]

Seems Gryphon lefts his hair cut with us... I don't like it.

[Maddog37]

In terms of issues surrounding our forward fifty entries, it was pretty tricky with Ninthmond employing a mega flood whenever we had the wind. We need someone that can kick over it, Gilbee style, any candidates?

[dog town]

Apart from the potentially devastating loss of young Libba for the season (although his father came back in then record-breaking time in 1998), and the possibly rib injury to the Rat, one of the ugliest bits for me was the lack of defensive crumbing. There were a number of times when the Tigers got simple goals because someone stayed down, front and square, while all our defenders went for the ball. I'm sure this will be worked on, but the space given to opposition smalls at these contests was pretty awful and almost cost us the game. Our kicking forward was also pretty ugly at times, but at least it seemed like we were a chance when the ball was bombed long. The goal that Knights got for Richmond which was an easy crumbing goal was too easy. We had 4 or 5 players in the contest and Knights stayed down. We also had Macrae standing 10m from the contest and he couldn't be bothered pushing up to stop him. Was a bad moment.

[Mantis]

Confirmed that Libba has torn his ACL and will be under-going a reco later this week.

Bugger!

[SonofScray]

I thought we were trying to get the long ball in a lot deeper into the fwd line than we usually have in recent seasons, with two players coming from the square it generated more pack and high flying scenarios and subsequent crumbs. While it looked similar to previous seasons of bombing away to a 1 v 3 contest or a vacant fwd line the intent and set up is very different. As is the personnel.

Really enjoyed Redpath's efforts to be present at a lot of contests inside 50 and up around CHF.

[chef]

Confirmed that Libba has torn his ACL and will be under-going a reco later this week.

Bugger!
Damn.

[Ozza]

Are we sure we won ?
I watched the highlight package on the AFL's site and its nearly all Richmond.:confused:

Likewise. I kept waiting for a flurry of Bulldogs highlights.
I also noticed that Dwayne Russel was commentating - so I won't be looking to watch a replay during the week as a result.

[always right]

Are we the unluckiest club in the AFL?

[chef]

Are we the unluckiest club in the AFL?

I swear we're cursed.

[Greystache]

Good- Redpath, he was the highlight for me. Contested hard, marked well, and is a great kick. If he can bring that sort of performance every week we're suddenly a much better team.

Bad- The defence is still a big concern. We let teams kick goals with so little effort from so few entries. Liked Talia and Wood's games but that didn't stop the goals coming.

Ugly- Lost our only A grader and with so few experienced players it was disappointing a few weren't our better players.

[azabob]

Are we the unluckiest club in the AFL?


I swear we're cursed.

No and no. As a club and a supporter base we really need to move on from this type of thought process.

[bornadog]

Likewise. I kept waiting for a flurry of Bulldogs highlights.
I also noticed that Dwayne Russel was commentating - so I won't be looking to watch a replay during the week as a result.

Watch it on mute.

[F'scary]

Let us wait on the results for Libba's knee. Fingers crossed, it is not a season ending injury.

...it was a forlorn hope...hoping against hope...

Get well soon, Tom Liberatore.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

It was great to see footy back at WO, but Libba's injury really sours this for me. He's a special player, can't be replaced, and we needed him more than ever this season. It's a huge blow - pretty shattered about this one.

It's disappointing to hear that Hrovat has broken ribs, he can't seem to get a long enough run at it either. Ditto Prudden.

That aside, I was encouraged by the performances of Redpath, Wallis, Wood, Jong and T Boyd.

I really hope Campbell overtakes Minson.

[Twodogs]

Are we the unluckiest club in the AFL?


I swear we're cursed.


not really. I think we onl had one injured player on the list. Until yesterday anyway.

[always right]

not really. I think we onl had one injured player on the list. Until yesterday anyway.

I'm talking more broadly than just injury count.

[chef]

not really. I think we only had one injured player on the list. Until yesterday anyway.

I was talking about the whole club/history/everything.

[chef]

I'm talking more broadly than just injury count.

I think we are on the same page.

[Maddog37]

Cede nullis is all I say at this point.

[always right]

Cede nullis is all I say at this point.

We know no other way.

[NoName]

Terrible news for Libba, hopefully Wallis, Macrae etc will take the next step.

[FrediKanoute]

Yep terrible news. Not what we needed especially in light of the departures during the off season. Can't replace LIbba but it does mean that Wallis, Smith (when fit), Stevens, Dahl, etc all have an opportunity to step up. Adversity breeds opportunity and this may be the making of another player on our list. Still gutted though.

[whythelongface]

Yep terrible news. Not what we needed especially in light of the departures during the off season. Can't replace LIbba but it does mean that Wallis, Smith (when fit), Stevens, Dahl, etc all have an opportunity to step up. Adversity breeds opportunity and this may be the making of another player on our list. Still gutted though.

Yep agree with your sentiments. Gutted but this presents a great opportunity for some players to really step up this year.

I just hope that Libba comes back from this injury. I'm sure he will.

[G-Mo77]

Yep terrible news. Not what we needed especially in light of the departures during the off season. Can't replace LIbba but it does mean that Wallis, Smith (when fit), Stevens, Dahl, etc all have an opportunity to step up. Adversity breeds opportunity and this may be the making of another player on our list. Still gutted though.

Yep agree. Doggies are well represented at my work and the theme was that Wallis is now the one to cease that opportunity.

[LostDoggy]

Yep agree. Doggies are well represented at my work and the theme was that Wallis is now the one to cease that opportunity.

Hopefully he can seize it not cease it;)

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Hopefully he can seize it not cease it;)

I love a good malapropism.
Had a great day on the Hawkins wing, plenty of room to move and the view across the ground to the grandstand and the pound was brilliant in the balmy conditions. The ground surface is perfect, magnificent, looked like Legend couch which Royal Melbourne is now covered with. Plenty of positives from the game. Great seeing Redpath, Talia and Jong do well; great to see Tom Boyd representing us. Great to feel the bite in the supporters barracking. Was too depressed about Libba's knee to post but it will help to fast track others' development.
We'll need patience this year WOOFERS, there'll be plenty of lack of skill and experience, plenty of not ready yet but there'll be plenty signs of progress and hope.

[Cyberdoggie]

I couldn't work out how we train at that ground but kept missing the goals, yet the tigers nailed nearly all of them.

Should of been an annihilation with the amount of forward entries.

[Twodogs]

Some observations
We still struggle with that kick from 70
Defence looked more organised
Fox need a Dwayne Russell insert press button for muteness( being reminded 590 times were at full strength started to wear thin)
I think we're in for a tough year even with young Libba in the side .
Brilliant to see the old girl hosting football ( warms the cokils )

A bloke I've never met before turned around during the third quarter and said "how many times do you reckon Dwayne Russell has mentioned how many players Richmond have out."

[Greystache]

I was underwhelmed again by Roughead as a forward. There seems to be a popular view that when we finally move him back to the ruck/2nd forward rule he's going to dominate, but the times he's played forward, in particular last season and on the weekend, he has looke a very average player. Defence is his position for me.

[bulldogtragic]

I was underwhelmed again by Roughead as a forward. There seems to be a popular view that when we finally move him back to the ruck/2nd forward rule he's going to dominate, but the times he's played forward, in particular last season and on the weekend, he has looke a very average player. Defence is his position for me.

I would still prefer him ruck and second forward. I'm sure when we drafted him we were thinking first ruckman for him. If Campbell and Ayce don't step up soon maybe we go back to plan A and ruck him even.

Redpath looked good enough on the weekend, but it was a practice match on poor opposition. Don't get me wrong i'm glad he played well, but the only thing really certain from the weekend was Tom's knee getting busted.

[jeemak]

I was underwhelmed again by Roughead as a forward. There seems to be a popular view that when we finally move him back to the ruck/2nd forward rule he's going to dominate, but the times he's played forward, in particular last season and on the weekend, he has looke a very average player. Defence is his position for me.

I'm not sold on the merits of Roughead forward/ruck either, though if we were to eventually play him there you'd think it would be a decision made upon reasonable exposure to the role over an extended period, rather than a quarter, half or game in the role here or there.

[Twodogs]

I was underwhelmed again by Roughead as a forward. There seems to be a popular view that when we finally move him back to the ruck/2nd forward rule he's going to dominate, but the times he's played forward, in particular last season and on the weekend, he has looke a very average player. Defence is his position for me.


A couple of times in the last quarter as the ball came into the forward 50 Roughie's first instinct was to check the position of his opponent.

Of course he may have been playing to instructions. Like drawing his opponent away from Tom Boyd's pace. It would explain why he ran the wrong way a couple of times too.

[Remi Moses]

A bloke I've never met before turned around during the third quarter and said "how many times do you reckon Dwayne Russell has mentioned how many players Richmond have out."

I lost count at about 200 times. I just tune out when that obnoxious thing commentates.

[ratsmac]

Dwyane Russell is a flog. We shouldn't have to pay for verbal diarrhoea.

[Twodogs]

Dwyane Russell is a flog. We shouldn't have to pay for verbal diarrhoea.

In an ideal world you shouldn't be paying for any sort of diarrhoea.

[mjp]

In an ideal world you shouldn't be paying for any sort of diarrhoea.

In an ideal world, you don't even get diarrhoea for FREE.

[hujsh]

I was underwhelmed again by Roughead as a forward. There seems to be a popular view that when we finally move him back to the ruck/2nd forward rule he's going to dominate, but the times he's played forward, in particular last season and on the weekend, he has looke a very average player. Defence is his position for me.

He's certainly a better defender than forward. I'd still be interested to see how he rucked though considering that was considered to be his great strength before he was drafted.

[Remi Moses]

According to the obnoxious a*** wipe we're going to lose 10,000 members with the Libba injury.
Will the last to leave please turn out the lights .

[always right]

According to the obnoxious a*** wipe we're going to lose 10,000 members with the Libba injury.
Will the last to leave please turn out the lights .

Did anyone hear Bob Murphy on Sports Tonight (3AW) last night? I missed the start but heard enough to appreciate how articulate he is and how he actually answers questions intelligently without resorting to cliches. Such a contrast to the sensationalist crap that comes out of Der-wayne's mouth.

Also loved how he put Lloyd back in his box when he suggested that the bulldogs had made a big mistake in letting Cooney go. Murph explained that there were a number of aspects to the decision side...on both the club's and Cooney's side....and that Lloyd's view was a simplistic one. He actually warned Lloyd about even going down that path. Lloyd had nothing in response.

How lucky we are to have a captain who is not only a joy to watch on the field but represents the club beautifully off field and adds something meaningful to the footy conversation.

[bulldogtragic]

Did anyone hear Bob Murphy on Sports Tonight (3AW) last night? I missed the start but heard enough to appreciate how articulate he is and how he actually answers questions intelligently without resorting to cliches. Such a contrast to the sensationalist crap that comes out of Der-wayne's mouth.

Also loved how he put Lloyd back in his box when he suggested that the bulldogs had made a big mistake in letting Cooney go. Murph explained that there were a number of aspects to the decision side...on both the club's and Cooney's side....and that Lloyd's view was a simplistic one. He actually warned Lloyd about even going down that path. Lloyd had nothing in response.

How lucky we are to have a captain who is not only a joy to watch on the field but represents the club beautifully off field and adds something meaningful to the footy conversation.

I wish I had.

[bornadog]

I wish I had.

You can listen on http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/ - bottom right corner

[Twodogs]

You can listen on http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/ - bottom right corner


Geez I love the Internet!

[Templeton31]

Did anyone hear Bob Murphy on Sports Tonight (3AW) last night? I missed the start but heard enough to appreciate how articulate he is and how he actually answers questions intelligently without resorting to cliches. Such a contrast to the sensationalist crap that comes out of Der-wayne's mouth.

Also loved how he put Lloyd back in his box when he suggested that the bulldogs had made a big mistake in letting Cooney go. Murph explained that there were a number of aspects to the decision side...on both the club's and Cooney's side....and that Lloyd's view was a simplistic one. He actually warned Lloyd about even going down that path. Lloyd had nothing in response.

How lucky we are to have a captain who is not only a joy to watch on the field but represents the club beautifully off field and adds something meaningful to the footy conversation.

Yeh I listened via audioboom this morning and twas very good. also listened to the other one on the website with Michael Talia who spoke very well about team defence and some of the things they are trying to do there. Worth a listen for a few insights.

[Remi Moses]

I heard the interview, and which idiot made the comment we'd lose 10,000 members with Toms injury?
The Cooney decision was a mutually excepted decision, and Lloyd could wait until he's played a few ACTUAL games before a sweeping statement .
I thought Murphy handled the interview beautifully.

[bornadog]

I heard the interview, and which idiot made the comment we'd lose 10,000 members with Toms injury?
The Cooney decision was a mutually excepted decision, and Lloyd could wait until he's played a few ACTUAL games before a sweeping statement .
I thought Murphy handled the interview beautifully.

Your mate DWAAAAAYYYYYNNNNNNEEE

[Remi Moses]

Your mate DWAAAAAYYYYYNNNNNNEEE

I don't think Derwayne has gotten over a 17 year old pulling his pants down in 1990

[Bulldog Joe]

I don't think Derwayne has gotten over a 17 year old pulling his pants down in 1990

Whatever the reason, he has a pathological dislike for the Dogs.

On reflection that is probably a good thing as it just never gives any cause to have a pleasant thought about him.

On the coverage on Saturday he was clearly barracking for Richmond.

[azabob]

Geez I love the Internet!

But not BAD?

[azabob]

I don't think Derwayne has gotten over a 17 year old pulling his pants down in 1990

Cameron?

[jeemak]

Grant.

[Twodogs]

Cameron?


Chris Grant I'm thinking.

[Dancin' Douggy]

Did anyone hear Bob Murphy on Sports Tonight (3AW) last night? I missed the start but heard enough to appreciate how articulate he is and how he actually answers questions intelligently without resorting to cliches. Such a contrast to the sensationalist crap that comes out of Der-wayne's mouth.

Also loved how he put Lloyd back in his box when he suggested that the bulldogs had made a big mistake in letting Cooney go. Murph explained that there were a number of aspects to the decision side...on both the club's and Cooney's side....and that Lloyd's view was a simplistic one. He actually warned Lloyd about even going down that path. Lloyd had nothing in response.

How lucky we are to have a captain who is not only a joy to watch on the field but represents the club beautifully off field and adds something meaningful to the footy conversation.

Why the hell he wasn't made captain years ago just baffles me.

[Murphy'sLore]

Reflections on Saturday's game day experience from a Richmond supporter:

https://theinternetatemyblog.wordpress.com/2015/03/03/footy-the-way-it-should-be-almost/#comment-97