Strategising a Win Vs Hawthorn in Semi Final 2, 2016

[bulldogtragic]

So what do we do to de-throne the Kings and enter a Preliminary Final.

Clarkson surely won't let us simply replicate last night. But do we do anyway and do it better? Go the street fight and go defence on their defence and win ugly? Go for the shoot out and back us to out score them?

We should've had them at Etihad earlier this year. What was the strategy then?

Match ups:

Roughy & Boyd vs McEvoy & Fitzpatrick (or Campbell too?). Do we try to keep Boyd as deep as possible and use his height and size over Frawley?

Do we tag Mitchell? Caleb Daniel shut down Mitchell in the second half of the game earlier this year, while racking it up. Do we look to Daniel, or use Libba as we did last night and on Dangerfield before he was injured.

Picken. He's given any role in the side, so which role this week?

Their tallish forwards are Cicily, Gunston & Shoenmakers. - Hamling, Morris & Wood should have them covered. And do we keep Zaine in the team as the second tall forward and defensive cover, or maybe Roberts for a pure lock down on one? Do we use Zaine the same way and try to drag a decent defender away from their system?

JJ to Rioli?

When Hodge & Lewis start belting blokes from the get go, what's the plan?

Any key personnel changes outside of Jong?

So, how do we go about getting into a preliminary final?

[bornadog]

Hawks have been smashed all year in contested possessions, including tonight, by over 50, yet they only lost by a few points. So how do they do that and still win games all year? I guess they don't have the cattle to go in hard like the old days, so do they stand back and watch and pounce on who ever is getting the ball after the first possession? We need to be very wary of this and make sure we clear the ball cleanly from the contest. We have to deny them the ball.

That is the first area I would be concentrating on.

[Axe Man]

It's about pressuring them when in possession. If they get time and space they will cut us up by foot. If we bring the effort and intensity of last night against the Hawks I'm confident we can disrupt them well enough. We will win the contested ball, we then need to be composed enough to keep it off them.

[LostDoggy]

Libba with the role on Mitchell. Done the job on Priddis.

We need Daniel to get the footy 30 times again, not tag!

I'm glad we can go in with our small backline again. Doubt we could have with the Cats.

We can really get on top on the midfield. We just need to be smart with our ball use going forward.

[SonofScray]

FIGHT. (And fight hard)

[Eastdog]

Will be so satisfying to knock this mob out and make a prelim final.

[Remi Moses]

It's about pressuring them when in possession. If they get time and space they will cut us up by foot. If we bring the effort and intensity of last night against the Hawks I'm confident we can disrupt them well enough. We will win the contested ball, we then need to be composed enough to keep it off them.

We really need to minimise the mistakes with our ball use, as once this mob gets it they're off to the races .

[Remi Moses]

Will be so satisfying to knock this mob out and make a prelim final.

Time to knock them off their perch

[boydogs]

Same as against West Coast. Go in hard at the stoppages, work it out with slick hands, and importantly attack the corridor to kick a winning score

When Hawthorn get their hands on it they are very clean and can score heavily, a low scoring game won't work. We need to deny them the ball and pressure them when they have it, but they will still score 80+ so we need to exceed that through fast and direct ball movement

[Eastdog]

Same as against West Coast. Go in hard at the stoppages, work it out with slick hands, and importantly attack the corridor to kick a winning score

When Hawthorn get their hands on it they are very clean and can score heavily, a low scoring game won't work. We need to deny them the ball and pressure them when they have it, but they will still score 80+ so we need to exceed that through fast and direct ball movement

Pretty much. We need to apply that pressure we did so well at doing last night again. Use the ball well. Make sure we take there big names out of the game. Do not play into their mind games.

[jazzadogs]

Wouldn't mind Picken going to Burgoyne. He loves finals.

I can't wait to see Hodge and Lewis try to intimidate Bont in the Firrito style. Old bastards are running out of tricks.

[SlimPickens]

Need to expose their lack of midfield pace with quick ball movement. Looking at how
Melbourne tore them apart is a good start. I would bring in TC and Hrovat for Zaine and Jong.
It's important to make their defenders accountable, because of this Boyd must stay as close to goal as possible.

[Go_Dogs]

If we move the ball as swiftly as we did Thursday, we're a good chance.

If Bont and Stringer have significantly bigger games, we're a huge change.

I was hoping we'd land the Hawks because I don't think we fear them, indeed, I think we'll be really anticipating going against them on the biggest stage and delivering a knock out blow.

Zaine as a defensive forward again has some merit, subject to the weather.

We need our small defenders and midfielders to work hard as the Hawks small forwards and goal kicking mids is where they'll look to exploit us. I'm not overly concerned about their talls if our midfield does the job like Thursday night given our defensive group work so well together to cover aerial contests.

[Bulldog4life]

So what do we do to de-throne the Kings and enter a Preliminary Final.

Clarkson surely won't let us simply replicate last night. But do we do anyway and do it better? Go the street fight and go defence on their defence and win ugly? Go for the shoot out and back us to out score them?

We should've had them at Etihad earlier this year. What was the strategy then?

Match ups:

Roughy & Boyd vs McEvoy & Fitzpatrick (or Campbell too?). Do we try to keep Boyd as deep as possible and use his height and size over Frawley?

Do we tag Mitchell? Caleb Daniel shut down Mitchell in the second half of the game earlier this year, while racking it up. Do we look to Daniel, or use Libba as we did last night and on Dangerfield before he was injured.

Picken. He's given any role in the side, so which role this week?

Their tallish forwards are Cicily, Gunston & Shoenmakers. - Hamling, Morris & Wood should have them covered. And do we keep Zaine in the team as the second tall forward and defensive cover, or maybe Roberts for a pure lock down on one? Do we use Zaine the same way and try to drag a decent defender away from their system?

JJ to Rioli?

When Hodge & Lewis start belting blokes from the get go, what's the plan?

Any key personnel changes outside of Jong?

So, how do we go about getting into a preliminary final?

As sure as eggs that will happen. Our whole team has to stand up to this physical intimidation and give more back.

[Mantis]

As sure as eggs that will happen. Our whole team has to stand up to this physical intimidation and give more back.

We have stood up to it all year.. We won't be backward in coming forward this week either.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

We have stood up to it all year.. We won't be backward in coming forward this week either.

I'm gonna shake the hand of the first man that puts Hodge on his arse.

Selection will be interesting. I see merit in keeping the side as it was, but Campbell for Zaine has to be tempting.

[Scorlibo]

I'm incredibly excited for this game, and I reckon the players will be also. A week ago it seemed that we may have been watching a promising season slip away, with an out of form side, key players unlikely to return from injury and playing an Elimination Final against West Coast in Perth. Now we're part of the last six teams, coming off our best win of the year, and we get to play the reigning triple-premiers Hawthorn in a knockout with most of our best players out there. How good is this?

Hawthorn's forward line is their real weapon. Gunston, Breust, Puopolo and Rioli - every player down there is deadly with ball in hand. Our midfielders will need to work hard to get back and block some space as they did against West Coast, if we let them have it their own way on the rebound we will probably lose. I'd also like to see someone, maybe Clay, given a forward tagging role on Birchall, whom was very influential last night.

[Stefcep]

We have stood up to it all year.. We won't be backward in coming forward this week either.

I'd really like to see Hodge flattened within the first minute. And when he gets up target him again

[chef]

Id rather we just do what we've been doing all season and channel our agression on the ball or the ball carrier. No need for faux toughman stuff.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Get the ball before they do and then do what we did at Subiaco. Every possession is an opportunity to find another Bulldog or to support the mate in possession.

[Bulldog Revolution]

I'm gonna shake the hand of the first man that puts Hodge on his arse.

Selection will be interesting. I see merit in keeping the side as it was, but Campbell for Zaine has to be tempting.

Do it - we haven't played the three bigs all year, but Im a big Tom Campbell fan

[Twodogs]

FIGHT. (And fight hard)

And often. They aren't going to just let us turn up and dominate them from the get-go but if we keep at them they will break. They don't have the indomitable self confidence they had earlier in the season. They know they are teetering on the edge of the abyss. They will fight like madmen to push back and away from the edge but they are gettable.


We really need to minimise the mistakes with our ball use, as once this mob gets it they're off to the races .

We basically just need to keep the ball away from them.


I'm gonna shake the hand of the first man that puts Hodge on his arse.

Selection will be interesting. I see merit in keeping the side as it was, but Campbell for Zaine has to be tempting.

And I will shake the hand of whoever pushes him back down as he is getting up.

[The Underdog]

Do it - we haven't played the three bigs all year, but Im a big Tom Campbell fan

I'm not for it. I think we lose flexibility and defensive pressure and realistically we add maybe one or two contested marks. I like Campbell but he's had so little football recently and we rely so much on quick closing pressure. Cordy did a great job Thursday. Give him the chance to do it again.

[Bulldog Joe]

I would look at Libba going with Lewis and Macrae with Mitchell and back them both to get the job done.

We can win the contest and just need to minimise turnovers. We also need to be on top of them every time they get the ball.

Pressure and work rate are the non negotiables.

[Ghost Dog]

I'd really like to see Hodge flattened within the first minute. And when he gets up target him again

Nah. Step around this old hard nut and kick goals.

[DOG GOD]

Hawks will try to untilize the "over the back run onto the ball" structure in their fwd line. Can't have the likes of Rioli and Puopolo one out in their fwd 50. They will kill us this way. When they got on top of Geelong it was those 2 plus Breust and Gunston that was destroying the cats with their pace etc.

Win it from the midfield and don't bomb it long...need to lower the eyes and pinpoint into fwd 50. This is where players like Daniel become very important...need good decision makers/kicks roaming wing to fwd 50.

Most importantly we have to make every shot on goal count. Can't miss any 30-40 metre directly in front kicks missing.

They will come out hungry, aggressive and more than likely dirty. The likes of Lewis and hodge will intimidate hunter, Macrae etc. I'd almost start stringer in at the centre square.

Can't allow Hawks to get space and be able to pinpoint from defence, otherwise they will cut us to pieces...no use winning contested ball if we give it back to them anyway.

Need to control the ball, control the play, and can't afford for them to get their cheap over the packs goals.

[jeemak]

The Hawks will play their own game and not worry about us too much similar to how they approach every week, with one exception. They'll employ similar tactics to those Norf employed when we played them first time around this year. We will have the better of contested ball numbers, but our first and second disposal out will be problematic and we'll be made to kick rather than using swift hands. If we bomb it we'll fall right into the trap, and they'll be able to mop up and get behind us quickly, which as DOG GOD points out will hurt us given the pace and smarts of the Hawks forwards.

To counter this we'll need a lateral bail out option to provide something other than the long blind kick. Not having one is genuinely my biggest fear.

When we have some clean ball we should still attack the corridor, but be mindful that to get it from wide onto the fatter side of the corridor it's a two kick connection rather than a one kick connection. If we try and bite off too much ground with a single kick we'll be picked off.

Retaining possession between half forward and wing is important, and this is where ideally we'd have Stringer working into - but I'm concerned he hasn't got his head around leading at the footy rather than running away from it (his shoulder is cooked, he motioned and grimaced towards it during the warm up on camera Thursday - he can't be relied upon to play a hard contested game). This is why I'd seriously consider bringing Camhead back together and allowing Boyd to play CHF. The latter is much more likely to lead at the football and take a mark in that area of the ground than Stringer is, though whether the benefit offsets a loss in mobility I'm not too sure. Boyd can't ruck significant minutes and play CHF.

If we decide to only play Rough and Boyd as our ruck options, then Bont should play CHF with stints in the midfield. Whoever defends him will need to be tall and mobile, I can see this disrupting the Hawks set up considerably and lean towards this rather than the above scenario.

I haven't gotten my head around defencive match ups yet. How we cover all of Breust, Puopolo and Rioli is problematic. I'd put JJ on Breust as for me he's the least likely to chase of the three, but I'm purely flummoxed on how we match up on the other two and will need to give it more thought. Wood can't really do the job as we need him to be able to provide aerial support, which won't be possible if he has to mind a quick crumbing specialist. That leaves Biggs, Morris and Boyd. Can we trust Hamling with Gunston?

Our broader defencive structure should replicate that of Thursday night. It's not complicated, we just need to keep our shape when pressing and pressure the ball carrier and receiver without actually crowding either.

[Remi Moses]

I'm not sure dropping Cordy is such a great move . Geelong did a great job keeping Gibson out of the play last night

[Remi Moses]

I'd really like to see Hodge flattened within the first minute. And when he gets up target him again

Not if we start giving away needless free kicks . Hunt the football

[westbulldog]

We lost to them by only 3 points in round 3 when Bob went down and Sicily got lucky, no reason why we cant win this one. They are on the slide and we are on the up.

[bulldogtragic]

There was a snippet in a behind the scenes piece on Ch7 tonight. The entire team of players were sitting around a 5x5 metres rolled our green plastic roll with the ground lines/outlines sometime over in Perth. Bevo in one scene and Joel Corey in another scene were placing circles of opponents on the plastic map in how they would set up, and then where our boys needed to be in response to our gameplan. It was like a giant footy chess board and the attention of the boys was intense.

[jeemak]

There was a snippet in a behind the scenes piece on Ch7 tonight. The entire team of players were sitting around a 5x5 metres rolled our green plastic roll with the ground lines/outlines sometime over in Perth. Bevo in one scene and Joel Corey in another scene were placing circles of opponents on the plastic map in how they would set up, and then where our boys needed to be in response to our gameplan. It was like a giant footy chess board and the attention of the boys was intense.

It's like old school war generals plotting how they can get a whole generation of young bucks massacred.

[bulldogtragic]

It's like old school war generals plotting how they can get a whole generation of young bucks massacred.

Actually, yeah! All that was missing was it being on a table and the main General having a long stick to move the pieces.

[jeemak]

Actually, yeah! All that was missing was it being on a table and the main General having a long stick to move the pieces.

And the fire place to the RHS, and Slackbladder etc.....etc.....

[merantau]

We have to be first to the ball and we need nunbers around the ball. We are a big chance to win this one.

[LostDoggy]

We lost to them by only 3 points in round 3 when Bob went down and Sicily got lucky, no reason why we cant win this one. They are on the slide and we are on the up.

Hawthorn also kicked the first 5 that day. We were clearly overawed early but were the better team after the first 20 minutes. If we are even after 15 minutes on Friday, that's a significant win.

[LostDoggy]

I would look at Libba going with Lewis and Macrae with Mitchell and back them both to get the job done.

We can win the contest and just need to minimise turnovers. We also need to be on top of them every time they get the ball.

Pressure and work rate are the non negotiables.

I really like the idea of Picken on Mitchell. Has the mental capacity to stick at him and curb his influence, but can also expose him overhead and outgutrun him going the other way.

[bulldogtragic]

Weather forecast: Friday. Partly cloudy. Medium (40%) chance of showers (0-1mm). Winds northwesterly 15 to 25 km/h.

Hodge & Lewis to avoid suspensions for the punches. Cicily likely to return and Duryea may miss with a broken hand.