3 Things I have learned - Bulldogs vs Saints Round 2.

[GVGjr]

Let us know the three things you learned after watching tonight match.

Be constructive but be honest.

[dukedog]

People will want to watch the western bulldogs play footy.

The brand being played now could be the prototype for the next decade.

A few people may believe now that peroxide hair may warrant a drug test. ...JJ. lookin at you mate :o

[EasternWest]

I'm not convinced on Suckling. Still looks a bit pudgy and prefers the flashy things rather than (dare I say it) "kick it properly".

Adams play a really assured game style. He's a good size and makes good decisions.

Caleb Daniel proves yet again that being able to play is the most important characteristic of all. He's got oodles of time and uses it so well.

[westdog54]

1. Recruiting Adams may be Dalrymple's greatest masterstroke.

2. This team will revolutionise football.

3. I *!*!*!*!ing hate the *!*!*!*!ing dribble kick. Suckling and Dahlhaus are lucky my kids were within earshot.

[LostDoggy]

1. The Saints have more grit than I gave them credit for.
2. Marcus Adams is going a long way towards filling the gap left by Lake.
3. You can be nervous despite the margin.

[Go_Dogs]

1. Marcus Adams can be more than a reasonable AFL player, he can become a really good one if he can continue to build and consistently demonstrate what he has shown thus far.

2. An ugly win is still a win, and even when we play ugly we were able to be a strong defensive side and also capable of putting a reasonable score on the board ourselves.

3. JJ might just be the most improved player in the AFL based on his start to this season.

[SonofScray]

1. Tom Boyd will need to resort to diving and embellishment if he is ever to get the penalties earned for being infringed upon by cheating defenders.

2. We might change the song from "that saved old Footscray's name" to "that saved the football game" because we are playing football the right way.

3. The Day Is Getting Closer.

[LostDoggy]

Marcus Adams reminds me of Harry Taylor. The way they play + both mature age recruits from WA.

[bornadog]

1. We win by ten goals and we feel we could have done better and we walk out of the stadium feeling slightly bad.:eek:

2. Our Goal kicking still needs work.

3. Roughead is giving his all to be number 1 ruckman.

[Doc26]

1. Bont's confidence when kicking at goal is at a low ebb. When on the run and clear inside fifty he must keep backing himself rather than to look to pass it off.

2. Dalrymple's rising value in the marketplace is going to make him hard to hold. Hopefully he's made of better stuff than Justin Cordy.

3. You can't beat football smarts. How great it is to have Libba back in the engine room. His elite status should be about restored.

[bulldogtragic]

1. That was an awful game to watch live.
2. I wish someone had told me stupid around the corner dribble bouncing attempts at goals were worth 12 points. Because clearly using a drop punt for 6 points is a stupid option.
3. Jack Macrae never shirks if when its his turn to go. He just needs to work on disposal/first options.

[comrade]

1. Saints fans cling to Billings as their great white hope. I think McLean could end up the better player.

2. Our depth across the ground is impressive. Both Bont and Stringer had relatively quiet nights, yet others stepped up.

3. That feeling of hope is returning and it makes going to the footy much more nerve wracking than when you're just happy to watch the kids develop. I probably won't enjoy this year as much as last year (unless we win the flag of course!).

[Bulldog4life]

1. Full credit for the team for covering for Crammers and Dickson so far. They are a great loss.

2. To keep two teams to only ten goals between them at Etihad in two matches is magnificent.

3. Marcus Adams and Caleb Daniel are both potential 200 game players with our great Club.

[LostDoggy]

1. Saints fans cling to Billings as their great white hope. I think McLean could end up the better player.

2. Our depth across the ground is impressive. Both Bont and Stringer had relatively quiet nights, yet others stepped up.

3. That feeling of hope is returning and it makes going to the footy much more nerve wracking than when you're just happy to watch the kids develop. I probably won't enjoy this year as much as last year (unless we win the flag of course!).
Agree on McLean, he's a gun. Now if only he'd build some strength around his knees in a tackle he'll go alright.

[SonofScray]

Agree on McLean, he's a gun. Now if only he'd build some strength around his knees in a tackle he'll go alright.

Definitely wants to try draw the free when he runs out of options in the tackle. He needs to be careful not to get a reputation as a ducker.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Marcus Adams is a gift from the gods, i.e. Dalrymple/McCartney.
Caleb Daniels rarely makes mistakes and barring injury is best 22 despite our depth.
JJ is a star and in retrospect was even more of a loss in last year's final than seemed at the time.

[ledge]

Mc clean will take mark of the year one day.
Hunter is a very good goal sneak and knows exactly where they are.
I am very happy when Hunter is having a shot.

[Bulldog Revolution]

1. We're winning and still can be a lot better
2. Dickson will be a welcome addition to the team to shore up our finishing and give us another avenue to goal
3. Our defensive work without the ball around the ground (team defence) has improved

[1eyedog]

1. Lachie Hunter is a jet! Who would have thought? He's gone from a talented but lazy footballer to one of our best 6 players at the club. It's now at a point that if he is not in the team we are vastly weakened.

2. List wise, St. Kilda look like they are in the same position they were throughout their premiership window. They have some really good players but they're bottom 6 are very ordinary and it will hold them back, which is a good thing because I don't like them. When they lose Montagna and Riewoldt and to a lesser extent Fisher and Dempster they will be in a world of hurt. They couldn't even get close making an ugly spectacle of it.

3. Getting 4 points and a 10 goal win while playing an open free flowing style is great! Getting 4 points and a 10 goal win while playing a grinding, defensive, high pressure style of football is great!

4. Getting up to us being on top of the FREAKIN LADDER with a percentage of 250+ is the best feeling in the world right now.

[soupman]

2. List wise, St. Kilda look like they are in the same position they were throughout their premiership window. They have some really good players but they're bottom 6 are very ordinary and it will hold them back, which is a good thing because I don't like them. When they lose Montagna and Riewoldt and to a lesser extent Fisher and Dempster they will be in a world of hurt. They couldn't even get close making an ugly spectacle of it.


Interestingly their main men are still the same guys as from the window: Riewoldt, Fisher, Montagna, with Armitage and Steven being better versions than they were previously.

[comrade]

Definitely wants to try draw the free when he runs out of options in the tackle. He needs to be careful not to get a reputation as a ducker.

Hasn't stopped J Selwood from winning flags and having an illustrious career.

If the umps keep paying them, keep doing it I say. It's hilarious when it happens and the opposition fans go nuts.

[1eyedog]

Hasn't stopped J Selwood from winning flags and having an illustrious career.

If the umps keep paying them, keep doing it I say. It's hilarious when it happens and the opposition fans go nuts.

What I was thinking. Same with T Boyd when he accentuates the free. Go for it kid because you're missing out on about half a dozen through the match.

[Bulldog4life]

Actually I don't like to see any players play for frees. Especially ours.

[1eyedog]

Actually I don't like to see any players play for frees. Especially ours.

I don't think we do. What I'm saying is that the free is going to be there anyway so you accentuate it - like Boyd did last night. If he doesn't he misses out again and he turns a 3 goal game into a 1 goal game.

[Bulldog4life]

I don't think we do. What I'm saying is that the free is going to be there anyway so you accentuate it - like Boyd did last night. If he doesn't he misses out again and he turns a 3 goal game into a 1 goal game.

Fine line too from staging for a free to accentuating a free. Just personally I hate the stagers.

[bornadog]

Actually I don't like to see any players play for frees. Especially ours.

Toby McClean says hello

[1eyedog]

Fine line too from staging for a free to accentuating a free. Just personally I hate the stagers.

One of our legends Brad Johnson was an expert at this.Personally, provided the line isn't crossed, I don't mind it. It tells me as a supporter that the player will do anything to get the ball in their hands, get that shot on goal etc. for the team. Do you think Nick Riewoldt is a bit on the nose to Saints supporters for taking that dive? It got them into a Granny.

I hope our player would do the same.

[Bulldog4life]

One of our legends Brad Johnson was an expert at this.Personally, provided the line isn't crossed, I don't mind it. It tells me as a supporter that the player will do anything to get the ball in their hands, get that shot on goal etc. for the team. Do you think Nick Riewoldt is a bit on the nose to Saints supporters for taking that dive? It got them into a Granny.

I hope our player would do the same.

We agree to disagree 1eyedog.:)

[Scorlibo]

The fault is with the umpires if they pay free kicks to stagers. If the umps stop paying the high tackle frees to Toby I'm sure he'll adapt, in the end he just wants the best for his team. As an aside, is there a difference between ducking and 'dropping the knees' in umpiring terms?

[1eyedog]

We agree to disagree 1eyedog.:)

Yeah we do that's fair enough :)

[LostDoggy]

1.Our defensive structures are elite ATM and long may it continue.
2.To win by nearly 10 goals in an ugly game is still a great win.
3.Marcus Adams is the new Lake.

[jeemak]

There was a moment when Toby who wasn't being tackled at the time was barely touched and he went all flimsy at the knees in a staging attempt, and it put me off a little. To me there's a big difference between a player accentuating contact and being a stager, and early in his career I'd hate to see him be known as the latter.

Anyway, what did I learn?

1. We are dangerous in all areas of the ground. In a scrappy game in which the opposition tried its best to defend the ground we didn't make it easy for them due to our balance of talent across all lines. That's how teams "win ugly" by 57 point margins.

2. Our self belief is a double edged sword. Whilst it's been an integral part of our progress it can lead to us over handling the ball, or not using it in the simplest of ways to get a result. We need to believe in ourselves to beat the top teams, but if we take the piss with the ball we'll get murdered under pressure.

3. We can easily close down Docklands against average sides to a higher level than we were able last year, but need to test our ability to do so against good sides and will have the chance to do so this Sunday.

[Ozza]

1. We are (understandably) better drilled than last year. At no point has either Freo or St.Kilda looked like getting a run on against us with our superior set up of the ground. And the moment they have tried to attack against us, we have scorched them the other way. 56 scoring shots to 24 so far this season.

2. Marcus Bontempelli's contributions are (strangely enough!) undervalued at times when he isn't filling the highlight reels. Again this week he is high up or topping the list in our pressure acts and also score involvements.

3. An area to improve on is our decisiveness going forward. We are bringing ourselves undone trying to play 'perfect football' sometimes. Get that aspect right - and we would have had 2 x 90 point wins.

[Twodogs]

1. Recruiting Adams may be Dalrymple's greatest masterstroke.

2. This team will revolutionise football.

3. I *!*!*!*!ing hate the *!*!*!*!ing dribble kick. Suckling and Dahlhaus are lucky my kids were within earshot.

Mine just learned some new words...

[Flamethrower]

1. We have beaten the worst 2 teams in the AFL (according to the ladder). Round 3 will show if we are pretenders or contenders.

2. Gibbs dropped the World Cup....Picko dropped a petrol voucher.

3. Of all the "groups of kids" in the AFL, St Kilda's may have the least talent.

[craigsahibee]

1. Marcus Adams. Grizz can play.
2. JJ will come under the scrutiny of 17 AFL coaches for the rest of his career.
3. Through no fault of his own, Will Minson may have played his last game for us. Roughead is playng some good footy in the Ruck.