Game Day Round 15 2015 - Western Bulldogs V Gold Coast Suns

[EasternWest]

Geez. Murphy has been sensational. He could play another five years.

[bulldogtragic]

He's ok, but he's no Lewis Taylor.

[1eyedog]

Bonti put em' away!!!!!!

[jeemak]

Murphy, Macrae, JJ and Bont.

[bulldogtragic]

Granty on the left foot. Get behind him people.

[GVGjr]

If Talia had kicked that it would be an easy win. It's not over yet

[1eyedog]

Not a bad chase by the number 7

[bulldogtragic]

Granty.

[Dogs 24/7]

Phew.

[jeemak]

This is magnificent.

[bulldogtragic]

Nuts. Nuts. Nuts. :D

[EasternWest]

I'd love to see Murphy's disposal percentage. Hasn't made a mistake. Great go ahead kick from Stringer.

[jeemak]

Not a bad chase by the number 7

Fantastic chase.

[firstdogonthemoon]

Goodness me I had completely given us up.

[LostDoggy]

You effing beauty!

[GVGjr]

After this result, and in the words of Dolly Parton, we're working 9 to 5

[bulldogtragic]

Goodness me I had completely given us up.

It's this a sponge worthy game FD for a cartoon?

[bulldogtragic]

I'm glad Bevo was checking WOOF when I said move Talia forward. :D

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Wow. What a transformation. Our worst football of the year for almost 3 qtrs and then our best of the year in the last.
Very proud that guys like Macrae, Wood, Wallis, Murph, Hunter, Talia, Picken, Dahlaus and Stringer found the will to change the course of the game.

[Dogs 24/7]

Thank god we now don't have to listen to Eade say their win was pleasing.

[EasternWest]

What a strange game. So unwatchable for most of it, but our guys were ultimately grittier and fitter. The age old lesson of who wants it more.

[G-Mo77]

Wow. Just wow.

[JohnGentStand]

That is why I am an optimist

[The Underdog]

I'm *!*!*!*!ing speechless

[GVGjr]

I have a bit of a problem now, do I put the last quarter on a loop and watch it right through the evening or watch the cricket? Decisions, decisions

[Webby]

Surely Picko's our b&f at this point!?

Gutsy wins need leadership from gutsy players. Picken IS guts.

[LostDoggy]

I have a bit of a problem now, do I put the last quarter on a loop and watch it right through the evening or watch the cricket? Decisions, decisions
Maybe a final qtr lunch beak

[lemmon]

I have a bit of a problem now, do I put the last quarter on a loop and watch it right through the evening or watch the cricket? Decisions, decisions

One miraculous win will spur another ;)

[LostDoggy]

3 of the worst qtrs of football we have played since we retired Peter Rhodes playbook, then we play like that in the last. Bloody rollercoaster of a club ;)

[Webby]

I have a bit of a problem now, do I put the last quarter on a loop and watch it right through the evening or watch the cricket? Decisions, decisions

I think you'll get more happiness out of the last quarter..! Unless you're English, that is..

[GVGjr]

Surely Picko's our b&f at this point!?

Gutsy wins need leadership from gutsy players. Picken IS guts.

I have to agree. Vastly improved player and should be the frontrunner for the B&F

[Mitcha]

Gotta hold Ablett
Can't do that, Umps can't pay em quick enough.

[GVGjr]

Can't do that, Umps can't pay em quick enough.

Touche ;)

[LostDoggy]

Macrae and Bont. There 3 quarters got us back into it. They then both went on with it in the last.

Macrae would want to play in Cairns every week. His best 2 games for the club the last 2 years. No doubt about it

[jeemak]

As much as I despised what we dished up in the first half of the game I really think we're going to get a lot out of that finish.

I hope Murphy can keep going for two more years.

[lemmon]

Wonderful return to form for Bont, did the tough stuff

[Flamethrower]

"Do you believe in miracles? Yes!"

(With apologies to Al Michaels).

I cracked the sads half way throught the 3rd quarter and turned over to SBS 2 to watch the Tour highlights until my daughter came in to ask me why I wasn't watching the Doggies. "We're getting thrashed". To which she said "no we are in front". Turned back to Fox Footy and was in shock for a second, and jumped around like a lunatic.

[G-Mo77]

"Do you believe in miracles? Yes!"

(With apologies to Al Michaels).

I cracked the sads half way throught the 3rd quarter and turned over to SBS 2 to watch the Tour highlights until my daughter came in to ask me why I wasn't watching the Doggies. "We're getting thrashed". To which she said "no we are in front". Turned back to Fox Footy and was in shock for a second, and jumped around like a lunatic.

I sat it out. Thought we were done at 3 quarter time. I thought we needed to pinch another goal. When they got the first goal I was sure it was over. "At least I'll hold me lead in tipping *sadface*" Even when we got within a kick and Hall kicked that goal I thought that was it. Golly gosh what a joy it is to be wrong. Well done boys!!!!!!!!

[Twodogs]

Surely Picko's our b&f at this point!?

Gutsy wins need leadership from gutsy players. Picken IS guts.

He must even have racked up quite a few 3 Brownlow vote games too.

[Hotdog60]

We managed to grit that one out but I would hate to run that game against hawthorn. We upped the ante and the GC couldn't go with us.

[Eastdog]

Great last term kicking 10 goals. We really picked up our intensity and took advantage of their lost intensity. Thought Redpath did very well tonight. Stringer kicked an important goal but dropped quite a few tonight. Bont found a bit in the game too. Anyways it turned from a boring game to a great game towards the end :) :)

[GVGjr]

Was today pay back for the loss to the Saints?

[azabob]

What was A.Lynch saying during the last?

[Twodogs]

I sat it out. Thought we were done at 3 quarter time. I thought we needed to pinch another goal. When they got the first goal I was sure it was over. "At least I'll hold me lead in tipping *sadface*" Even when we got within a kick and Hall kicked that goal I thought that was it. Golly gosh what a joy it is to be wrong. Well done boys!!!!!!!!

When they kicked the first goal I thought about the St Kilda game and how we kicked the first two goals of the last quarter to go 25 points in front and thought we still had to be a chance.

[EasternWest]

Was today pay back for the loss to the Saints?

No. We shouldn't ever be content that we've "squared the ledger". We shouldn't have lost to the Saints, and we deserved to beat the Suns. End of story

[Eastdog]

Was today pay back for the loss to the Saints?

Possibly :)

[azabob]

Who led the revival? Social media is suggested Bontempelli was huge in the last.

[bornadog]

What a win what a last quarter.

Average games and age about the same, thet just don't work hard enough.

I am over the moon.http://s3.amazonaws.com/rapgenius/filepicker%2Fx1vmUZ2mQDq0Cy6RSO2k_cow_jumped_moon.jpg

[bornadog]

Who led the revival? Social media is suggested Bontempelli was huge in the last.

The Bont was massive

[Hotdog60]

Who led the revival? Social media is suggested Bontempelli was huge in the last.

I would have thought Bob had a big say in us starting run the ball, the Bont did lift or broke the shackles but or HB line stood fast.

[EasternWest]

Who led the revival? Social media is suggested Bontempelli was huge in the last.

Murphy. Was incredible down back, and Bonti went into overdrive in the middle.

But Murphy for mine. He was sensational.

[Mantis]

Only saw the last 20 min... Won't bother watching the rest. :)

[ratsmac]

What a sensational turn around.

I can't believe the amount of profanities that were coming out of my mouth for 2 and a half quarters. At one point I had Redpath never playing again for us and next minute I was praising him. Footy brings out the best and worst in me.

Super effort from especially Murphy, Picken, MaCrae and Bont to get things going our way. They dragged the rest of the team with them eventually.

[hujsh]

Last time I was so frustated by a Bulldogs team was probably that day we kicked 11 points (or thereabouts) against WCE before kicking a goal. I'm normally pretty quite watching the game but not today.

A complete turnaround that was hard to believe tonight.

[G-Mo77]

Only saw the last 20 min... Won't bother watching the rest. :)

Wise decision. I watched a half and that was 30 minutes too long.

[Mantis]

Wise decision. I watched a half and that was 30 minutes too long.

Away with the family so I was following on line.. Walked into the local pub as Redpath cut the lead to 9 points.

We were all over them from what I saw.. But obviously, it wasn't always like that.

[AndrewP6]

I sat it out. Thought we were done at 3 quarter time. I thought we needed to pinch another goal. When they got the first goal I was sure it was over. "At least I'll hold me lead in tipping *sadface*" Even when we got within a kick and Hall kicked that goal I thought that was it. Golly gosh what a joy it is to be wrong. Well done boys!!!!!!!!

Rather embarrassingly, I was posting on FB, some were saying it was 14 pts, I was dismissing them saying it was 26. As it turns out, I had paused the Foxtel in the third qtr, and was watching it delayed!!! Felt an absolute tool when I realised.

[AndrewP6]

Good lord. I spent most of the afternoon fuming. Had a shower, something to eat, and I still can't believe it really.

[Raw Toast]

As a supporter (I think this applies to fans of most teams), it's typical to have a sense of how a game or quarter should play out, and for that to almost never happen. That last quarter is the first time in a long time that a quarter played out as I thought it should - I had a feeling that we'd do a reverse of our first Saints game, and that while the Suns might get a couple of goals (as we did against the Saints), that we'd win going away. Texted Underdog suggesting we might be able to do it, and very glad it came true.

Macrea was the spark for mine - made some bad mistakes around goal, but kept on willing himself into the game even when it seemed like he was stuffed. Inspirational, with Murphy showing how to attack, and Bontempelli also willing himself into the game.

Impressive final quarter, but much of the rest was pretty lamentable.

[F'scary]

Wow just WOW

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Showing just how much our guys willed themselves on late in the game was when after Dahlhaus snapped a goal the vision showed both him and Roberts on their haunches puking their ring out!
Reckon our guys learned that just when they thought they had nothing left to give, they somehow forced their bodies to give just a little bit more.
That in itself may be a great learning for the boys tonight.

[F'scary]

I got so drunk I was using my hand as an ashtray. But I'll tell you who I am. I am a Bulldogs man!!!!

[Hotdog60]

Bevo saying Stevens has a bruised lung. via twitter.

[F'scary]

Away with the family so I was following on line.. Walked into the local pub as Redpath cut the lead to 9 points.

We were all over them from what I saw.. But obviously, it wasn't always like that.

No, we played like shit for over half the match - but we got up and won comfortably in the end. Lots of kudos to do that.

[whythelongface]

Wow. Just finished watching. From poor to magnificent in the space of 2 hours. Certainly didn't see that coming at half time. GC just stopped after they kicked the first 3 in the 2nd half.

The commentary team stated this was our first 10 goal last quarter since the early '90s. Well done. Whatever Bevo did or said certainly paid dividends.

[boydogs]

Who led the revival? Social media is suggested Bontempelli was huge in the last.


Macrae was the spark for mine

Macrae impressed me with his work in close, hard running and ball use, but credit also to Tom Boyd for some great taps to advantage in the 3rd quarter. The game turned in the 3rd, the Suns kicked 3 in the first 7 minutes and it looked over but we held them goalless for the rest of the quarter when they had the breeze

[Twodogs]

Wow. Just finished watching. From poor to magnificent in the space of 2 hours. Certainly didn't see that coming at half time. GC just stopped after they kicked the first 3 in the 2nd half.

The commentary team stated this was our first 10 goal last quarter since the early '90s. Well done. Whatever Bevo did or said certainly paid dividends.

Im thinking it may have been 1992 against Fitzroy.

[LostDoggy]

Incredible win! Bobby is just an incredible Captain in every way.

Loved how Ablett couldn't go with The Bont in the last.

[Bulldog4life]

That is why I am an optimist

It is far more fun JGS

[Remi Moses]

Just incredible . Going through some family pain at the moment , and this is a great tonic.
Fair to say I'd thought we'd hit the wall, but we just smashed the wall.

[merantau]

From boiled lollies to chocolates! We were lamentable for three quarters and then woke up and played like supermen. With Bob Murphy at the helm our young team have laid another brick in that solid foundation that all teams need - self-belief. Hats off to the guys who kept us in the game - Picken, Wallis, Matty Boyd, Grant, Morris, Macrae - and congrats to whole team for the way they ran out the game. We ended full of running and have now set ourselves up for the next eight weeks.

[LostDoggy]

Just incredible . Going through some family pain at the moment , and this is a great tonic.
Fair to say I'd thought we'd hit the wall, but we just smashed the wall.

Sorry to hear Remi, we sure did smash through it. Not many teams kick 10 in a quarter against an Ablett.

[boydogs]

As Bevo said in his press conference, I think we will get a lot out of that game. Both in terms of self belief and never being out of it, but also learning the right and wrong way to play. We seemed to need the urgency of being 5 goals down at 3/4 time to get our game going, before that we were far too stagnant

Macrae - 9.5/10: He has always been an accumulator but he has improved his contested work and ball use. Stepped up in the absence of Stevens and Wallis moving on to Ablett to win the ball at clearances and get a handball out in a tackle, was a big part of turning the game our way

Wood - 9/10: He is the reason Talia, Roberts & Hamling have come in and done well. All they have to do is engage their opponent and Wood comes over the top. Not only is he getting first hands to the ball, he is marking it and not just spoiling. He is an athletic version of Brian Lake. Better in the second half than the first

Bontempelli - 9/10: Had two players hanging off him all game but fought on. When he did get the ball he made sure he hurt the opposition, some great goals in the last when we were on top but needed to hit the scoreboard

Dahlhaus - 8.5/10: Does more sprinting than any other player, literally puked his guts out. Uses his speed to apply pressure and get separation from his opponent, yet can stop on a dime and control the ball to take a mark. Excellent goal in the last at absolute full tilt to put it across his foot on a tight angle

Picken - 8.5/10: Gives 100% at every contest, tackles harder than anyone on our list. Clean in the back half and great in a contest up the ground

Redpath - 7.5/10: He's not a Tom Boyd type that can win or halve a contest when it's kicked on his head, but his movement, marking and kicking have improved. Our top scorer with 3 goals

Murphy - 7.5/10: The Gary Ablett of our backline, always takes the right option and executes it well. Calm under pressure

M Boyd - 7.5/10: Used it well back there as he has all season. Also competed well in the air, spoiling taller opponents and taking 9 marks

Wallis - 7/10: Not as prolific as in recent weeks but did help to quell Ablett after Stevens went off

Morris - 7/10: The only one reading the flight of the ball in the first quarter. Played undersized on Sam Day in the second half and did well

Grant - 7/10: Did a lot of unrewarded running, good use of handball in close

Johannisen - 6.5/10: Looked to take the game on when few others would, mixed results with decision making and execution

Daniel - 6.5/10: Not as involved as last week but also tried get the ball through the opposition. Not overawed at all in his first full game

Minson - 6.5/10: Won the hitouts but beaten around the ground by Nicholls

Stevens - 6/10: Played on Ablett early who got off the leash, made a few errors with his disposal but competed well

Roberts - 6/10: Outmarked a few times but competed well on taller opponents

Talia - 5.5/10: Terrible start to the game being outmarked by Dixon on one leg. Couldn't read the flight of the ball or body his opponent, and made some errors with his disposal. Competed really well when moved up forward, hit the ball hard and held his marks. Could be a valuable swingman

Stringer - 5.5/10: Seemed to give away more frees than he had kicks early. Led to the ball and beaten by his opponent. Kicked 2 big goals in the last to help get us over the line

T Boyd - 5/10: Didn't get to many contests and couldn't hold his marks. Did well in the ruck though with some important taps to advantage in the 3rd

Dickson - 5/10: Played up the ground a lot, and looked like a fish out of water. Took an important mark in the last and converted

Prudden - 4/10: Started like a deer in the headlights which cost us a couple of times. Seemed to settle in as the game wore on but didn't offer much

Hunter - 4/10: Played with a lot of energy as the sub after Stevens went off early, but used it poorly

[Stefcep]

Umm...I went out when 35 points down, have not bothered to check the result, log on to The Age website and........WE WON.

WTF.

Its a crazy ride with this club, don't know what to make of it, there has to be some method in the madness, but I'll be buggered if I can see it.

[merantau]

We won the game because we stopped cruelling our opportunities, making stupid choices, because of the leadership of Bob Murphy and our old hands, because of the run we got out of our backline, because blokes like Bonti and Skinner fired up and because we were a lot fitter. We ran all over them in the last quarter. Goals by Wally and Dahl, in particular, resulted from gut running. The latter's snap, at top pace from an angle that saw him end up at the right behind post, was pure class.

[bornadog]

Love this:



Average Attributes


WB
Attribute
GC




187.7cm
Height
188.0cm


86.4kg
Weight
86.6kg


24yr 7mth
Age
23yr 11mth


78.8
Games
77.7








Total Players By Games


WB
Games
GC




12
Less than 50
8


5
50 to 99
10


1
100 to 149
0


4
150 or more
4

[ledge]

These stats just show how impressive our squad is.
Funny that Hird comes out and says you won't win games with a list as young as ours, then picks a side with a lot of young ones and wins, a change of tact down there midweek ?

[Eastdog]

These stats just show how impressive our squad is.
Funny that Hird comes out and says you won't win games with a list as young as ours, then picks a side with a lot of young ones and wins, a change of tact down there midweek ?

Always better to rebuild with youth than with recycled players and with us its payed off. Important also to make sure you have a coach that knows what there doing and Bevo clearly does.

[ratsmac]

Just watched the last half replay. We played like we did earlier in the season with pressure, gut running and fast ball movement (more so in the last quarter).

Gee wiz Ablett gets frees for just being out on the ground. Those 2 frees against Wallis were a joke. The first one Ablett swings Wallis around by the arm and Ablett gets the free. The second Wallis just touches him. If Tom Boyd got holding frees like Ablett he would be leading the Coleman.

[ledge]

The Bont went on Ablett in the last at times, a huge part of the resurgence.
Thanks Gary for letting him loose.

[bulldogtragic]

Watched the last quarter replay. Was it a rope a dope? Seriously, we got them so tired from punching our defence that they just tired and allowed a right upper cut KO.

[Twodogs]

Watched the last quarter replay. Was it a rope a dope? Seriously, we got them so tired from punching our defence that they just tired and allowed a right upper cut KO.

That really only works with a team that was significantly better and more develeloped than you are. This was more of it took us a bit of time to wind up I think.

[LostDoggy]

Wow!!
Can't ever recall a game that we were involved in with as big a turn around in form then that.
Simply awesome last qtr,putrid 1 to 3.
Still can't believe we came back and one this one ;)

[Bulldog4life]

The Bont got 10 votes from the coaches on Saturday

[ledge]

The Bont got 10 votes from the coaches on Saturday

And he was playing on Ablett at times!

[Sedat]

Watched the game last night for the first time - was a very interesting performance. I thought our first 15 minutes were utterly woeful (our worst passage of play almost the whole season) but we improved significantly in the last 15 minutes of the qtr with our intensity and our defensive intent. We then played dumb footy with the wind in the 2nd qtr and bombed away haphazardly. Apart from the first 5 minutes of the 3rd qtr, we were outstanding with our effort and structure into the breeze but were horribly let down by numerous basic skill errors especially inside our forward 50. And of course everything clicked beautifully in the final qtr. I don't think our performance was as woeful in the first 3 qtrs as others have intimated. We certainly started listlessly and were punished on the scoreboard accordingly, and a better team will not allow us to get back into the game if we start like that again. The effort for the most part was there, and the skill execution and decision-making eventually caught up with the effort in the last qtr.

[ledge]

Did anyone hear them say Luke hadn't seen them for 2 days because they were busy doing schools etc .. I back that changes.

[Twodogs]

Did anyone hear them say Luke hadn't seen them for 2 days because they were busy doing schools etc .. I back that changes.

It was school holidays last week.

[Ozza]

The Bont got 10 votes from the coaches on Saturday

Surprised me to see he only ended up with 2 from the Woof voting. For me he was head and shoulders the most influential player on the ground.

[Bulldog Joe]

Surprised me to see he only ended up with 2 from the Woof voting. For me he was head and shoulders the most influential player on the ground.

We do all see it differently, but the coaches would be considering game day influence above any stat that was trundled out.

Certainly was the best game the Bont has played for many weeks.

[Bulldog4life]

Surprised me to see he only ended up with 2 from the Woof voting. For me he was head and shoulders the most influential player on the ground.

That's why there are no Woofers on the MC.:)

[Jeanette54]

Surprised me to see he only ended up with 2 from the Woof voting. For me he was head and shoulders the most influential player on the ground.

I guess it all comes down to how you evaluate your votes. I have no doubt that Bonti was primarily responsible for kicking off the last quarter avalanche; but there were others who contributed over the four quarters; and kept us in the game for the first three.

For me Macrae and Picken were two of these, hence I had them ahead of Bontempelli I my votes. Bob Murphy as well as his personal contribution, remained the General throughout the game, directing his troops and minimising the damage where he could.

However it was incredibly pleasing to see Bonti break out and inflict the rampant destruction of the opposition in the manner he has always threatened to.

[ledge]

Thing is we don't know what each players role the coach has given them, a bit like Grant,a lot of people don't think
He does much but he is obviously doing his role.
Coaches are the best to do votes more than Media or umpires.

[Ozza]

I guess it all comes down to how you evaluate your votes. I have no doubt that Bonti was primarily responsible for kicking off the last quarter avalanche; but there were others who contributed over the four quarters; and kept us in the game for the first three.

For me Macrae and Picken were two of these, hence I had them ahead of Bontempelli I my votes. Bob Murphy as well as his personal contribution, remained the General throughout the game, directing his troops and minimising the damage where he could.

However it was incredibly pleasing to see Bonti break out and inflict the rampant destruction of the opposition in the manner he has always threatened to.

I didn't think Bonti's influence was limited to the last quarter though. After only having 1 possession in the first quarter (the perfect kick that T.Boyd fluffed), he had 9 possessions and was our best player in the second quarter, and obviously then had 18 possessions after half time.

I just thought that on a day/night where we struggled to be clean and use our skills, he was one grabbing everything and picking the right options.

[Scorlibo]

I didn't think Bonti's influence was limited to the last quarter though. After only having 1 possession in the first quarter (the perfect kick that T.Boyd fluffed), he had 9 possessions and was our best player in the second quarter, and obviously then had 18 possessions after half time.

I just thought that on a day/night where we struggled to be clean and use our skills, he was one grabbing everything and picking the right options.

Agree. FWIW, Bontempelli was the highest rated player of the round in the AFL player ratings.

[Twodogs]

I went with the four quarter boys Picken and Macrae and Murph for consistency.

For those saying that coaches should vote for BOG, what about opposition coaches giving votes to players from the other club? Presumably they wouldn't have much idea about the instructions given to opposition players. Would coaches just vote for players from their own club or would they vote for BOG overall? I like the idea but it has some kinks to work out.

[LostDoggy]

I'll sometimes give votes to a player who might have had others ahead of him in the bests, but he has either given a very consistent/influential performance (e.g. Grant on the weekend) or he has gone unnoticed/the unsung hero.

[Ozza]

I went with the four quarter boys Picken and Macrae and Murph for consistency.

For those saying that coaches should vote for BOG, what about opposition coaches giving votes to players from the other club? Presumably they wouldn't have much idea about the instructions given to opposition players. Would coaches just vote for players from their own club or would they vote for BOG overall? I like the idea but it has some kinks to work out.

Looking at the weekend's votes - from what I can decipher;

One of the coaches gave Gary Ablett 4 votes, the other nil. Whereas Macrae was given 3 by one coach, and went voteless by the other.

Bonti got 2 x 5's.
Picken a 4 & a 3.
Ablett 4 & 0
Macrae 3 & 0

And of Kolodashnij, Lynch and Murphy. 2 of these got a '2' & an '0', and one would have gotten 1 from each coach.

[soupman]

I just thought that on a day/night where we struggled to be clean and use our skills, he was one grabbing everything and picking the right options.
I was very impressed with this. In the third quarter especially he stood out as the one guy who could scoop the ball up and use it without fumbling.