Three Things I've Learned - NAB 3 vs Collingwood

[bulldogtragic]

Once the Round 3 NAB Challenge match against Collingwood is completed, let us know the three things you learned after watching the match.

Be constructive but be honest.

[bulldogtragic]

Bump.

[bulldogtragic]

1. I still love Jarrad Grant. Always have. Hope you do all soon if this continues.
2. Jong's burst speed was like Gryphon a few times tonight
3. My love of media continues. Varcoe & White were good trades, Tom Boyd not...

Just the tonic to Shocktober.

[Bulldog4life]

1. I still love Jarrad Grant. Always have. Hope you do all soon if this continues.
2. Jong's burst speed was like Gryphon a few times tonight
3. My love of media continues. Varcoe & White were good trades, Tom Boyd not...

Just the tonic to Shocktober.

If I love him BT sure you won't get jealous?:)

[bulldogtragic]

If I love him BT sure you won't get jealous?:)

No promises B4L. We can only try!

[Bulldog4life]

No promises B4L. We can only try!

Ha ha. A good team game tonight. Impressive. But then I have never been off his bandwagon either.

[GVGjr]

Midfield - We might have lost 800 games of experience but we have cranked the intensity and defensive efforts withe the players who are now getting their chance.

Forward line - Defensive pressure was sensational.

Interceptions and Deflections - How many times did we either intercept a pass by the Pies or deflect something away from them when they were trying to link up?
Sensational

[AndrewP6]

1. Bevo will be good for the club.
2. JGrant might just be alright.
3. Bonti. Not sure I "learned"anything, but I've a feeling a lot will learn that name before too long.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

1. The game plan - a pleasure to watch it in motion.

2. The defensive appetite - to see a player like Grant 'buy in' the way he did was great, the whole side in general were enormous tonight with their pressure.

3. Hamling can be a player. Impressive performance tonight.

[The Doctor]

i learnt one thing

1. Bevo is a better coach than Macca

[bornadog]

i learnt one thing

1. Bevo is a better coach than Macca

WE would never have won with Macca at the helm tonight and all those players gone.

[LostDoggy]

1.Our high octane football is a lot better to watch then rugby scrumming up and down the ground
2.Our young talent pool are starving for success
3.Bevo's game style with Maccas intergrated contested ball mantra for the last 3 years with this group will see us flourish.

[always right]

To be fair, you could give Macca plenty of credit for creating a team who play with intent and a hard competitive edge. Beveridge has added attack and flair. Nice mix tonight.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

1. Prior to this season there were a few players who looked like they were marking time towards inevitable delisting including
Grant, Cordy, Dickson and Redpath. Based on tonight's effort they have shown that not only do they have a future at the club, but that they have attributes and unique points of difference that make them quite important to our structure and improvement as a club going forward. I hope they all have a very solid 2015 and secure their footballing futures with the club.

2. If our midfield and forwards bring the level of pressure and smart movement they displayed tonight all season then our unheralded defense is going to have a real opportunity to develop as an effective unit. The efforts of the guys up the ground, meant that even though the Filth had more inside 50's than us, very rarely were they able to move the ball fluidly and expose guys one on one, which has been our undoing over the past few years.

3. I hope the majority of fans have realistic expectations for Tom Boyd over the next year or two - I know the media won't. Whilst he is undoubtedly a talent, he still has so much more to learn before he is able to be the pivotal game influencer we hope he will become. Right now, he's a bit player who really needs to develop his tank, and to be able to be more mobile and put in repeat efforts.

[always right]

1. Jack Redpath could prove to be our recruit of the year
2. Ayce Cordy actually looks like a footballer. Happy for him.
3. We must persevere with Talia but he is going to provide plenty of "heart in mouth" moments.

[Hotdog60]

1: Grant and Dickson's work rate was excellent
2: Nice to have a forward line that will be hard to contain with a vast array of options to keep the opposition coaches guessing.
3: Nathan Buckley maybe sacked before the season end. :)

[Greystache]

1. We went from all outside, to all inside, based on last night we may be finally getting the mix right.

2. With the way Redpath is playing our forward line looks a really dangerous set up.

1. The sky's the limit for Bonti.

[Go_Dogs]

1. Pressure is such a measure of how well a side is going. When at our best under Eade, we looked good and fast, but it was our manic pressure which won us a lot of games, particularly in his early days. Last night was the best team defence I've seen from us for a long time - if we can do that week in week out, we'll be a very tough side to play.

2. We look quicker, even though we're taller. I'm not exactly sure how that works, maybe it's just smarter running, better ball use - but with Minson, Cordy, Roughead, Redpath, Boyd, Talia and Hamling it'd be one of the taller sides I've seen us play. Jong helps our leg speed, along with Dahl and Grant, but even Honeychurch, Bontempelli, Dickson, Goodes look to be moving the best they have for us.

3. Coast to coast goals - I'd forgotten about them, but boy they look good. Went coast to coast last night and got out the back of the Pies defence on each kick on the coast to coast transition - it was a thing of beauty.

[Templeton31]

1. J Grant on the wing and in last quarter at CHF played like a good centre forward in soccer. Didn't kick th goals but get it to him and he'll hold it up and distribute to guys streaming past.

2. Our run forward and disposal forward and handballs forward were terrific.

3. T Boyd, Redpath and Cordy did a very good job at contesting, bringing the ball to ground and at least halving the contest. they might not have got too many stats (although Redpath might have!) but they were doing a really good job for the team.

[F'scary]

1. Beveridge has changed the game style as he said he would. Wasn't sure before last night, in the match against Richmond it looked the same as last year with similar faults and problems. Melbourne was our second 18 so it was hard to gauge.

2. Tom Boyd is playing a useful role and contributed significantly to the fact we were not persistently out-marked in the forward line as we were every game virtually for the past 4 years. His 13 possessions were good and showed he has great skills on the ground for such a big unit.

3. Joel Hamling really adds something to the backline, he looks very adaptable to playing on a number of different types of forwards.

[westdog54]

1. The club made a fantastic call in retaining Jack Redpath.

2. Jarrad Grant might finally be getting it.

3. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Shocktober might have been a tonic.

[Mofra]

1. Boyd, Redpath, Hamlong, Roughead - not really an intimidating list but they can do the job for us at times this year and in a few years we may have something resembling a spine

2. Bevo has done everything he said he would and we are a better team for it, even with a younger and arguably poorer list (incl. Libba out)

3. Since going full time Dalrymple has done very well, mostly by picking footballers instead of athletes. e.g.
- Everyone passed on Caleb Daniel because he was short, forgetting that he can actually play.
- Bonti was in the bottom 10% for acceleration at draft camp, a weird size and looked gangly and heavily favours his left foot. Lucky he's a star and a freak.
- Macrae simply finds the football, innate ability that can't be taught.
- Honeychurch played very well at u18 champs but was largely overlooked because he was short and not really an elite athlete.

[Bulldog4life]

1. Very happy with the form of Goodsey. The Bevo way of playing seems to suit him. Looks fitter each year too.

2. Loved those strong marks of Big Jack. Credit to the Club for initially recruiting him then having the patience with him.

3. Ayce I liked your game. I like the fact that Jack, Tom, Will & Ayce can all play in the same team with success.

[boydogs]

3. Ayce I liked your game. I like the fact that Jack, Tom, Will & Ayce can all play in the same team with success.

Only in a 26 a side NAB cup game

[Bulldog4life]

Only in a 26 a side NAB cup game

Nothing to say it can't be replicated in a team of 22. Depends who we are playing a consideration.

[LostDoggy]

Learnt that Bonty is only signed until end of 2017. Someone needs to make this close to end of 2027.

[1eyedog]

1. These kids will give us a premiership at last
2. These kids may well give us 3 or 4 premierships
3. This will be the dynasty that revolutionizes our club and elevates us from perennial almosts to the envy of the competition for years to come. There's something special brewing out west.

[LostDoggy]

1. These kids will give us a premiership at last
2. These kids may well give us 3 or 4 premierships
3. This will be the dynasty that revolutionizes our club and elevates us from perennial almosts to the envy of the competition for years to come. There's something special brewing out west.

60 years without success, but can they kill our optimism?...............HELL NO!

[whythelongface]

1. These kids will give us a premiership at last
2. These kids may well give us 3 or 4 premierships
3. This will be the dynasty that revolutionizes our club and elevates us from perennial almosts to the envy of the competition for years to come. There's something special brewing out west.

Too right 1eye. There is something special about our current mob.

[Jeanette54]

Things I learned were:

1. Our much maligned backline is actually pretty good, when the players further up the field do not allow the opposition unpressured entry into their forward line. But not all clubs use a single avenue of attack as do Collingwood with Cloke.
2. Liam Picken has far better skills than he has ever been credited with, or allowed to exploit.
3. Expect Bob Murphy to become the first backline player to be assigned a hard tag. Of course that will mean that ultimately there will be one less tagger available for our speedy young guns; but it will make it more difficult to springboard our attacks from half-back. Increased roles for Eastern Wood, Joel Hamlin and Jason Johanissen will be needed. Great games from Roughie and Dale Morris too, whilst I am on the subject of the backline.

[bornadog]

What I have learnt over the pre season and from Saturday.

1. You can play good defensive football, win contested possessions, as well as run and carry and kick high scores - just need a good game plan

2. Redpath is more agile than I thought. He looks big and solid but he can spin and turn and will be hard to match up on.

3. The amount of learning we still need to be a top 8 and ultimately a top 4 side.

[1eyedog]

60 years without success, but can they kill our optimism?...............HELL NO!

never!

[boydogs]

Nothing to say it can't be replicated in a team of 22. Depends who we are playing a consideration.

Remains to be seen I guess but I don't think you can say that you learned it will work in a 22 a side game based on a 26 a side game

[craigsahibee]

1. Hamling is a dead set certainty to play Round 1.
2. Mitch Wallis is going to be outstanding.
3. Given a few more seasons under his belt, Scott Pendlebury could be the next Bontempelli.

[bornadog]

3. Given a few more seasons under his belt, Scott Pendlebury could be the next Bontempelli.

Love it

[westdog54]

1. Hamling is a dead set certainty to play Round 1.
2. Mitch Wallis is going to be outstanding.
3. Given a few more seasons under his belt, Scott Pendlebury could be the next Bontempelli.

Thanks Craig. You just made me burst out laughing on a train platform.

[1eyedog]

1. Hamling is a dead set certainty to play Round 1.
2. Mitch Wallis is going to be outstanding.
3. Given a few more seasons under his belt, Scott Pendlebury could be the next Bontempelli.

Agreed. I think Libba's injury will be the making of Mitch. No more comparisons and he can jump into the breach vacated by his mate with the pressure well and truly off.

[ratsmac]

1. Bontempelli is going be a trade target for 17 other clubs.
2. Bevos game plan is a lot easier on the eyes than Maccas boring one. And so far so good too.
3. Caleb Daniel is not intimidated by much bigger bodies and is a smart footballer who runs the angles well.

[wimberga]

1. Hammer Hamling can offer us a lot this year. I really like his athletiscism and he seems to time his spoils and runs perfectly.
2. Macrae is an absolute superstar. I had been thinking for a while he may become the Lappin in our midfield, somewhat forgotten a little behind the greatness of Libba, Bonts etc but this kid just keeps showing up and consistently influencing games.
3. I already knew it, but Taylor Adams is an absolute thug. Ran hard at Honeychurch late in the game and gave him an elbow to the jaw after he disposed of it right on the boundary. Absolute Turd.

[F'scary]

...
3. Caleb Daniel is not intimidated by much bigger bodies and is a smart footballer who runs the angles well.

For anyone who hasn't seen it and for those who can't get enough, watch our last goal and have a look at Caleb Daniel's role in it. Classy weaving run and check out the penetrating kick to position he delivers.


http://www.afl.com.au/video?guid=732869

[Bulldog4life]

For anyone who hasn't seen it and for those who can't get enough, watch our last goal and have a look at Caleb Daniel's role in it. Classy weaving run and check out the penetrating kick to position he delivers.


http://www.afl.com.au/video?guid=732869

Young Caleb got 11 possessions in just a quarter and a bit. Great effort.

[KT31]

1. Bontempelli is going be a trade target for 17 other clubs.
2. Bevos game plan is a lot easier on the eyes than Maccas boring one. And so far so good too.
3. Caleb Daniel is not intimidated by much bigger bodies and is a smart footballer who runs the angles well.

We need to stitch him up now for as long as we can.

[LostDoggy]

1. The players are relishing the less rigid game plan.
2. The Bont already looks like a leader who can well and truly lead by example.
3. Our defensive set up and strategy appears much better suited to the players we have

[Mofra]

We need to stitch him up now for as long as we can.
Signed to the end of 2017, happy we extended his contract

[1eyedog]

We need to stitch him up now for as long as we can.

End of 2017? We'll be playing in Granny by then he's not going anywhere.

[always right]

Whilst he strikes me as a very loyal type, realistically the only way we will retain Bonts is if he sees a strong foundation for future success. We only have a couple of years to fast track this team's development before he starts considering approaches from other clubs.

You could argue the same for Macrae and Stringer although they appear to be very different individuals. Throughout the whole Griffen/Macca debacle it was Stringer who spoke out the most in support of the club. I see him as a future captain who loves the club. Macrae is a lot more reserved so it's hard to get a read on him. The club certainly needs to plan its finances carefully to hold onto these blokes....they are the core of our future success (Bonts, Boyd, Stringer, Macrae and of course Libba).