After 2 weeks of watching the reigning premiers, how has your attitude changed watching your beloved bulldogs?

[bulldogsthru&thru]

So it seems pretty simple - now that we have achieved the ultimate glory, after 2 games into the new season, how do you now feel watching the bulldogs? Whether you have attended both games live, watched on tv or listended on the radio, has your attitude changed? For better or for worse?

I am definitley a lot more calm and relaxed. I have a lot more confidence in the team to get the job done. That's not to say i'm confident of winning but that i'm confident we have a reply left in us. The first two games we have seen leads slip away. Normally i would be extremely pessimistic in these situations and would throw the towel in 4 points down after a lead thrown away. But not these first 2 weeks. I knew we would hold firm. The game against the swans was a bit different after Buddy put them in front. I wasn't sure if we would win, but i knew we would respond. I also knew after being 4 goals down in the 1st that we would respond. Prior to the flag this would not have been my thinking. It's great to finally support the team that just finds a way to win when not playing their best. We've done that twice now. One against a poorer side, the other against a top 4 contender.

Of course, things could all change once we lose a game, but for now i'm a lot more calm, less stressed and more confident in our ability. It's like a whole new world and i love it

[always right]

Couldn't agree more. No matter what the circumstances, I am always certain we will respond.

Now that we have the second premiership of our back, footy is far less stressful. I describe watching us play simply as "fun".

Having said that, we have an amazing opportunity to have repeat premiership success over the next decade. I really hope we take advantage of it.

[Bulldog Joe]

Well, I also feel we have something in the tank and can respond to challenges.

However, I find myself disappointed in wins. We really should have smashed both opponents in the first 2 rounds.

Concerned that we are getting smashed in centre clearances, but feel Bevo will find the answer.

[LostDoggy]

Calm and relaxed says it. As with above, knew that we would respond last Friday night to the Swans thrust to win. With 12 minutes left on the clock when the Swans hit the front, thought about the last 8 minutes of the GF and relaxed knowing that a response was coming.

[chef]

Its a really weird feeling for me, im just so calm and expect us to prevail when we are challenged. No stress what so ever.

What happened to our Bulldogs hey, we never win the big games or close ones. Now they are just so 'clutch' and own the big moments.

Make the most of this era boys and girls we are witnessing something special.

[craigsahibee]

It's all about 'calmness'.

Irrespective of the game situation, there is a sense of inevitability amongst this group. They're always in the game, and for the most part, I am relaxed.

Sure I still get up on my feet when Jake kicks 'em from inside the square, or when Bont lopes past the deepest defender and waltzes the ball across the goal line. The events of last September / October have shown me that this current Western Bulldogs outfit have a gritty desire to never get beaten when it matters, and that means I don't have to beat myself up emotionally to get through 100 minutes of footy (and I no longer have any moments where I need to consider whether any of my wardrobe items are considered lucky or not - it simply has no bearing on the outcome).

[Doc26]

I want to remove the Geelong monkey off our back.
A dominant performance against them will consolidate our new era.

[comrade]

Well, I also feel we have something in the tank and can respond to challenges.

However, I find myself disappointed in wins. We really should have smashed both opponents in the first 2 rounds.

Concerned that we are getting smashed in centre clearances, but feel Bevo will find the answer.

Need more of a sample size, but I think we're putting less onus on winning the clearance for two reasons.

A) Bevo read the tea leaves and knew umpires would be red hot on prior op/incorrect disposal, so rather than us getting first hands on it in the middle, we're hunting the opposition when they do. It feels like Libba in particular has been tasked with this, with a record amount of pressure acts over 2 consecutive rounds.

B) Centre clearances are chaotic & regularly ill directed/turned over. It feels like we're focusing on lightening fast transition from half back, hence the inclusion of a surplus of players that can roll through there. Getting beaten at the centre clearances does give our half backs an opportunity to win possession and move quickly before the opposition have set up.

In summary, Bevo has changed the game plan from a heavy contested/clearance focus & is using the new rule interpretations (that were implemented to blunt our ability to clear congestion) to our advantage. Genius!

It is a balancing act & losing clearances can lead to big momentum swings like we've seen already. We need to find the sweet spot but I'm confident we will.

[merantau]

Some thoughts about the Swans game. They surprised me early but I didn't feel worried. I knew we'd respond. In the last I still wasn't worried as there was plenty of time still on the clock. There is a consistency and eveness about this group that we have lacked in the past.

[1eyedog]

Need more of a sample size, but I think we're putting less onus on winning the clearance for two reasons.

A) Bevo read the tea leaves and knew umpires would be red hot on prior op/incorrect disposal, so rather than us getting first hands on it in the middle, we're hunting the opposition when they do. It feels like Libba in particular has been tasked with this, with a record amount of pressure acts over 2 consecutive rounds.

B) Centre clearances are chaotic & regularly ill directed/turned over. It feels like we're focusing on lightening fast transition from half back, hence the inclusion of a surplus of players that can roll through there. Getting beaten at the centre clearances does give our half backs an opportunity to win possession and move quickly before the opposition have set up.

In summary, Bevo has changed the game plan from a heavy contested/clearance focus & is using the new rule interpretations (that were implemented to blunt our ability to clear congestion) to our advantage. Genius!

It is a balancing act & losing clearances can lead to big momentum swings like we've seen already. We need to find the sweet spot but I'm confident we will.

So we're losing the clearances on purpose?

[comrade]

So we're losing the clearances on purpose?

Lol, where did I say that? I said there's less onus/focus on winning clearances.

But it's not so stupid when you consider that the all conquering Geelong team used to set up in such a way that they'd lose first possession but cause a more favourable turn over by pressuring the opposition. Jimmy Bartel apparently said on the radio during our game that our on ball set up is very familiar and has Joel Corey's fingerprints all over it.

So, no, I doubt we're losing them on purpose, but we're set up extremely well to use it to our advantage if/when we do lose the clearance.

I don't think it's a coincidence that we've included a stack of half backs, we've lost the centre clearances & Libba has had record pressure numbers. They're all linked.

[GVGjr]

Well, I also feel we have something in the tank and can respond to challenges.

However, I find myself disappointed in wins. We really should have smashed both opponents in the first 2 rounds.

Concerned that we are getting smashed in centre clearances, but feel Bevo will find the answer.

Last years premiership is behind me now and I'm just focused on how we are performing and to that end I'm a bit like you that I'm not satisfied yet and have found our two wins slightly disappointing. Rightly or wrongly the standards should be set high.

The next two weeks have the potential to provide comfortable wins and a boost to the % and I hoping we can achieve that.

[Go_Dogs]

I would've enjoyed putting the Pies to the sword and finishing off the Swans before the last, but other than that I'm OK with how we're tracking, particularly given I suspect we'll build into the season as we get more conditioning.

Footy generally? Well, it's nice having won a flag, it's weird being in opposition supporters sights thinking we're on the receiving end of some AFL bias (if only they knew and considered things such as all the rule changes brought in to circumvent our success) and expectation is certainly raised - meaning when we eventually drop a game it'll be that much harder to swallow.

[1eyedog]

Lol, where did I say that? I said there's less onus/focus on winning clearances.

But it's not so stupid when you consider that the all conquering Geelong team used to set up in such a way that they'd lose first possession but cause a more favourable turn over by pressuring the opposition. Jimmy Bartel apparently said on the radio during our game that our on ball set up is very familiar and has Joel Corey's fingerprints all over it.

So, no, I doubt we're losing them on purpose, but we're set up extremely well to use it to our advantage if/when we do lose the clearance.

I don't think it's a coincidence that we've included a stack of half backs, we've lost the centre clearances & Libba has had record pressure numbers. They're all linked.

No no I'm not saying you did I'm just asking the question. You know what I wouldn't put it past Bevo to turn everything on it's head by figuring out a way to consistently get the ball back quickly following a lost clearance at a stoppage, by design, crazy as it may seem.

[Remi Moses]

Wonderful time to be alive , and I want more

[1eyedog]

Thing is we are the hunted, and everyone is setting their sites on us to knock us off, and that sits well with me. Collingwood and Sydney obviously set themselves up for us and threw everything at us and came up short. Freo will probably play their best game (the bar is pretty low here I know) this weekend.

The thing with defending your flag, which none of us have ever experienced before, is that the opposition set themselves up for you to try to knock you over. My take is this provides our players with an almost finals like intensity every week and it puts the onus on our players week in week out to respond, which we've done.

We go through a whole year of this and, if you're good enough (and we are), this is what I believe builds a resilient unbeatable team.

This will stand us in good stead in September.

[ratsmac]

Double post

[ratsmac]

I am that calm that I'm actually becoming cocky. I just know that we won't lay down. Although I am not sure if i was nervous when the Buddy show started or it was just pure adrenalin. He's great to watch in pure flight. I thought it was fitting that Jakey said "not on my watch," and put in his own little cameo from 60.

Yeah, footy so far this year has had a different feel being the reigning premiers. It's more fun but I'm not looking forward to losing IF or when it happens.

[1eyedog]

I definitely feel more assured than I did through 08-10. We weren't the best team then, but we very may well be at the end of this year.

[jazzadogs]

The biggest change for me is an almost disregard for regular season games. I mean I still wanted us to win, and with the time difference have been at work for both games, but im not analysing the fixture or tossing and turning over other teams.
Yes you can make it easier for yourself, and you want good form, but we won the flag because we were the best team for the most important period. Just bring on September already.

[boydogs]

The premiership will forever stand as a great achievement, but this group still has a lot to prove. At this point they were the best team in the month that mattered, but not in the 23 rounds prior, and only for one season

We've all been looking towards a premiership window somewhere in the realm of 2018-2022, but the team has matured early. That gives us a great opportunity to create a dynasty in the way that Geelong and Hawthorn have

Watching games now I'm more relaxed, but it's more through knowing the quality of the side and that we are so good now that we don't need every little twist and turn to fall our way to win games, or to win every game to make finals. Not because we've won a flag and the job's done

[Topdog]

I am relaxed!

[Twodogs]

I don't like comfort zones.

[ledge]

Will See what happens when we lose a game :-)

[KT31]

Still happy when in front, still shitty when we let them back in, still really shitty when we don't capitalise and put teams away but most of all elated we have a side that gives 100% and won't lie down and die.

[Ozza]

I think we aren't playing close to our best yet, however, I have so much faith that we will still win from almost any position.

Now that we won our first two, which were danger games, we have a great opportunity to beat freo, north and brisbane and go 5-0 before the GWS game in round 6. Would really set up our year to be 5-0 and probably on top or close to it.

[whythelongface]

It's a bit of a surreal feeling being the reigning premier. It's a bit like who cares what happens I have seen my team win the flag (and in the most unbelievable of circumstances). However in saying that I want to see our team dominate the competition and win multiple flags. Now that I have felt glory I want us to have sustained success, to be the club others aspire to.

Like others have stated I feel supremely confident that we can win every game. During the course of a game if we find ourselves 4, 5, 6 goals behind I believe that we will still win. This team has a never say die attitude and in the space of minutes can score multiple goals.

This confidence is multiplied with the likes of Cloke, Crameri and Murph in the team. Cloke is a significant weapon in his own right but he also takes immense pressure of the others such as Stringer to free them up. We are a joy to watch when on song - it is like watching Brazil (in their heyday) play football - just absolute class.