After the siren: Want high octane footy? Play the Bulldogs in prime time

[Hotdog60]

THE AFL clubs are in the midst of making their fixture requests for 2016, so we at After The Siren are making one of our own.

Prime-time Western Bulldogs.

At their best, the Bulldogs play a high-octane, exhilarating brand of football and it was on display at Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon against Port Adelaide. After no Friday night games this year, they deserve to be a regular feature in 2016.

At a time when the game is under fire for its stodginess, the Bulldogs are the antidote to that. They conceded the first three goals against Power before reeling off the next nine.

There were momentary concerns given the defence was missing two regulars – Rob Murphy and Jason Johannisen – but the Dogs won control of the clearances and then they were away.

Mitch Wallis was best afield and with 21.2 points, enjoyed his best game yet according to the AFL Player Ratings.

http://s.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL%20Tenant/AFL/Files/Images/Wallis-Heatmap-R19-2015620.jpg
The Bulldogs ended up kicking 19.14 (128) and the 64-point win gave them a healthy percentage boost. But what was great about the scoreline was the method, with the mercurial Jake Stringer and Jack Redpath each kicking four goals and Tory Dickson chiming in with another three.

Beveridge was an assistant coach at Hawthorn for three years before moving to the Whitten Oval and was part of the process at that club in which the scoring burden was moved away from Lance Franklin and instead shared around by five or six forwards – tall, medium and small.

He has built the same flexibility and unpredictability into the Bulldogs. It was Stringer who provided the spark early in the second term when the Bulldogs needed to make their move, while Redpath kicked four goals in the final term, which Beveridge noted was a fine reward for an afternoon spent bullocking and playing a decoy for the other forwards.

LINK (http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-08-09/after-the-siren-want-high-octane-footy-play-the-bulldogs-in-prime-time)

[LostDoggy]

The AFL would be silly not to, we sure are becoming the darlings of the competition. Not for long though, lets get hated.

[LostDoggy]

The AFL would be silly not to, we sure are becoming the darlings of the competition. Not for long though, lets get hated.

This year kind of reminds me of 1997, when we came from 2nd last to a Prelim. In the early-mid 90s we were everyone's 2nd team, but by 1998/99 a lot of people hated us because they just don't like to see us as a major force (Libba/Jose's ferocity also played a part).

I loved those late 90s teams, but this team can be all that and more.

Can't wait for the supporters of the power clubs to start whinging about our success. For a lot of them, the world only makes sense when they are on top and clubs like ours are held below.

[LostDoggy]

This year kind of reminds me of 1997, when we came from 2nd last to a Prelim. In the early-mid 90s we were everyone's 2nd team, but by 1998/99 a lot of people hated us because they just don't like to see us as a major force (Libba/Jose's ferocity also played a part).

I loved those late 90s teams, but this team can be all that and more.

Can't wait for the supporters of the power clubs to start whinging about our success. For a lot of them, the world only makes sense when they are on top and clubs like ours are held below.

Its hard not to go back to that year and spew vile obscenities based around the stinking Cows and sliding damn doors.

However, We are staring at several years of highly competitive bulldog teams.

[LostDoggy]

Its hard not to go back to that year and spew vile obscenities based around the stinking Cows and sliding damn doors.

However, We are staring at several years of highly competitive bulldog teams.

I recently rewatched that match. Gee its hard to cop.

I wonder if Plough rewatches it. All that space Jarman was allowed again and again.

Still painful now.

Only time I ever walked out of the ground feeling like I just couldn't watch footy anymore.

[bornadog]

Peter Gordon said everytime he goes to AFL house, he is told " keep playing like that and you can play every second Friday night". :)