Bulldogs vs North - NAB Cup (Rd1)

[GVGjr]

Looks like the weather is going to play a big part in this game.

Do we have enough players willing to play the type of wet weather football that they will be confronted by?

Guys that should excel in the conditions are West, Cooney, Cross, Boyd, Harbrow, Callan, Addison, Morris, Hahn and Wight but will we have enough of them to combat a fairly strong bodied North side?
Also will the wet weather curb some of Norths key tall forwards?

I think the conditions will probably favour North but if we are switched on we should be able to win it.

Thoughts?

[The Coon Dog]

It's really going to be a slog fest in some ways, nothing scientific, just move the ball forward inch by inch.

The player who will WILL excel in these sorts of conditions is Aker, remember the 2 goals against Geelong in the wet when playing for Brisbane?

Hudson becomes important, particularly if he can gain some clearences.

Both sides will want to keep it tight in the midfield & hope for a quick break into an open forward line.

Maybe first goal wins?

[Go_Dogs]

Should be a ripper of a game, as I think both sides will come prepared to try a few new things. It'll be interesting to see how advanced North are in their preparations.

If it does rain a lot you'd think that would help the North side, as they do have bigger bodies over the ground still, and it will be a good test of our improvement in that area. Our skills could also drop away a bit, which will work against us as it is one of our best assets.

I'll be looking at Aker to make a good impression in the rain, and hopefully a few of the young Aboriginal lads can impress in these conditions.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Guys that should excel in the conditions are West, Cooney, Cross, Boyd, Harbrow, Callan, Addison, Morris, Hahn and Wight but will we have enough of them to combat a fairly strong bodied North side?


Its very much a collection of those guys that we need to match Norths collective grunt. Just listing those type of names fills me with confidence that we can start playing with the required physical intensity.

MacIntosh destroyed us in round 22 - Wells and Sansbury did a fair bit of damage also.

Obviously getting Hudson into the ruck mix should see its performance improve and we should have an improved depth of running power with fitter Cross, Murphy and Hahn.

Will Crossy go head to head with Daniel Harris? Those extractor type players will be very valuable under these conditions.

I expect us to win in a tough encounter.

[Go_Dogs]

Will Crossy go head to head with Daniel Harris? Those extractor type players will be very valuable under these conditions.

Great call. Something I'd like to see more of this year is Crossy really doing his best to not only win his own ball, but prevent his opponent.

[LostDoggy]

Looks like the weather is going to play a big part in this game.

Do we have enough players willing to play the type of wet weather football that they will be confronted by?

Guys that should excel in the conditions are West, Cooney, Cross, Boyd, Harbrow, Callan, Addison, Morris, Hahn and Wight but will we have enough of them to combat a fairly strong bodied North side?
Also will the wet weather curb some of Norths key tall forwards?

I think the conditions will probably favour North but if we are switched on we should be able to win it.

Thoughts?

200cm and skinny legs? Perfect shape for wet weather footy? He has had a good pre season but this is a stretch.

[hujsh]

If it does rain a lot you'd think that would help the North side, as they do have bigger bodies over the ground still, and it will be a good test of our improvement in that area. Our skills could also drop away a bit, which will work against us as it is one of our best assets.



I was just thinking the exact same thing yesterday. If we can beat a team as strong as North in wet conditions no less then we may have gained weight and toughened up this year for real.

[GVGjr]

200cm and skinny legs? Perfect shape for wet weather footy? He has had a good pre season but this is a stretch.

I don't think you have seen him play in the wet then. People can question his skills and decision making because they are valid question marks about his game but he is prepared to put his head over the footy in muddy conditions. I saw him do that on a few occassions at Werribee.

[LostDoggy]

I don't think you have seen him play in the wet then. People can question his skills and decision making because they are valid question marks about his game but he is prepared to put his head over the footy in muddy conditions. I saw him do that on a few occassions at Werribee.

Havent seen him play in wet, still think its a stetch. Hopefully im pleasantly suprised

[The Bulldogs Bite]

It's a good test for the players, particularly those aside from West, Cross, Boyd & Johnson as we know they excel in any conditions. We've been labelled soft among a hundred other things, this is a good opportunity to start with a clean slate against a side that is a very, very good wet weather team.

Wight is actually pretty good in the wet for a big man. Agree with Gary, seen him play quite a few times and he generally he does pretty well.

Hopefully a Harbrow/Addison/Callan type shows something too.

[fish]

It's interesting to hear Wight mentioned due to his wet weather skills. Perhaps somewhat obviously, early season sounds like it's going to be important for him. There seems to have been a fair bit of pre-season focus on Wight and Minson in the forward line - if one of these moves can work it would be a huge plus. However it seems a bit unlikely that both will work well, or whether that combination would be risked when the 4pt matches start.

With no Minson for this game, does that mean Wight will mainly spend time up forward? Even if conditions aren't ideal he needs to be getting into the right places, and showing that he can be used there in match situations.

Has been interesting reading the training reports and comments, living in the UK, means a distinct lack of watching options! I guess my overall query is how much the pre-season setup as to who plays where will really mimic the main comp.

[GVGjr]

It's interesting to hear Wight mentioned due to his wet weather skills. Perhaps somewhat obviously, early season sounds like it's going to be important for him. There seems to have been a fair bit of pre-season focus on Wight and Minson in the forward line - if one of these moves can work it would be a huge plus. However it seems a bit unlikely that both will work well, or whether that combination would be risked when the 4pt matches start.



I'm not sure that he has true wet weather skills but he does have that ethic that puts his head over the footy which should suit the conditions.

I'm very much looking forward to this game and the game next week as well.

[Bulldog Revolution]

I'm not sure that he has true wet weather skills but he does have that ethic that puts his head over the footy which should suit the conditions.

I'm very much looking forward to this game and the game next week as well.

I'm excited about what we will dish up tonight, we've heard talk about the disappointment 2007 left on the players, so it will be good to see us start to respond in 2008.

I am excited about the prospects of harbrow, hill, stack, addison, everitt and higgins AND fascinated to see where they line up tonight

[bornadog]

First Goal, Harbrow

[Templeton31]

It's interesting to hear Wight mentioned due to his wet weather skills. Perhaps somewhat obviously, early season sounds like it's going to be important for him. There seems to have been a fair bit of pre-season focus on Wight and Minson in the forward line - if one of these moves can work it would be a huge plus. However it seems a bit unlikely that both will work well, or whether that combination would be risked when the 4pt matches start.

With no Minson for this game, does that mean Wight will mainly spend time up forward? Even if conditions aren't ideal he needs to be getting into the right places, and showing that he can be used there in match situations.

Has been interesting reading the training reports and comments, living in the UK, means a distinct lack of watching options! I guess my overall query is how much the pre-season setup as to who plays where will really mimic the main comp.

welcome to WOOF Fishmeister. I certainly agree with your comments about Wight getting to the right spots. I doubt he (or Wayne Carey in his prime) would take 15 marks in the conditions we assume will be in Darwin tonight but it would be great to see him getting to the right spots at the right time.

[Rocket Science]

First Goal, Harbrow

I'll put dibs on Cooney....or Hahn if the game starts under 8 inches of water.

[aker39]

Johnno

[hujsh]

Murph to slot it and look classy.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Boyd for the first goal.

[BulldogBelle]

Eagleton for the first goal.

[GVGjr]

Eagleton for the first goal.

Higgins for the first goal

I'm really hoping we can get off to a solid start.

[BulldogBelle]

Higgins for the first goal

I'm really hoping we can get off to a solid start.

Quick...change your selection, Higgins is not playing tonight.

[GVGjr]

Higgins for the first goal

I'm really hoping we can get off to a solid start.


Damn, Higgins is out. Shaggy for the first goal

[GVGjr]

Nice goal to Aker. Harbrow should maturity beyond his years by patiently waiting for the Aker lead.

[Rocket Science]

I'll put dibs on Cooney...

what I meant of course was first bloke to miss the lot.

[hujsh]

At 3qtr time i've enjoyed Hudson's smother, Addison taking the hit off Thompson and Acker recovering from the hit off Harding to set up Welsh.

Not a great game for neutrals but great to see our boys slog it out even if we lose.

[Raw Toast]

Good to win, look forward to reading the reports.

[hujsh]

No-one could touch Griffen. Any reports on Ray?

[GVGjr]

Good to win, look forward to reading the reports.

Frustrating game to watch. Not the players fault though. Some good signs but we won't know until next week how we are really shaping up. Rays injury is a shame and hopefully it won't be too bad.

How bad was that miss by Murphy?

[BulldogBelle]

How bad was that miss by Murphy?

I think he thought he had it in the bag with that casual way he kicked it. Poor thing, he will cop a ribbing from his team mates about it for sure.

[hujsh]

Frustrating game to watch. Not the players fault though. Some good signs but we won't know until next week how we are really shaping up. Rays injury is a shame and hopefully it won't be too bad.

How bad was that miss by Murphy?

Shows everyone to not kick along the ground smash it through the middle above the ground and it will never roll away.

[Rocket Science]

Perhaps best to hold off on sweeping judgements in lieu of the conditions and stage of the campaign, but while plenty of triers out there was a less than convincing display.

Decision making with the footy still a major concern and too many shades of last years game plan and consequent strategic failings...but Aker's looking absolutely primed, Crossy exemplary effort-wise, and nonetheless pleased to get to see the boys lace them up again next Friday eve.

As an aside, anyone care to reflect on the consistency of umpiring or lack thereof? Bloody woeful for mine. Missed decisions aplenty.

[GVGjr]

I think he thought he had it in the bag with that casual way he kicked it. Poor thing, he will cop a ribbing from his team mates about it for sure.

I think supporters let him off the hook too easy. He does these sorts of things all too frequently. We love his talent and his poise but....his concentration at times lets the team down.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Frustrating game to watch. Not the players fault though. Some good signs but we won't know until next week how we are really shaping up. Rays injury is a shame and hopefully it won't be too bad.

How bad was that miss by Murphy?

Yep. conditions killed the game as far as getting a sighter on player's skill levels.
Very happy with the physicality we displayed, and I hope it becomes a positive side of our game as the year continues.

Wight moved well, but he really needs to improve his disposal.
For me the most pleasing sign was the mobility of the fellas coming back from long term injury:
Griffen- hasn't lost his confidence in backing himself to break tackles.
Cross- has bulked up and looks ready to further stamp himself in the engine room.
Mitch- moved freely and his fierceness has not diminished any
Murph- moved extemely well... pity about the shocking miss from a couple of metres out... that ones gonna be on his permanent blooper reel!
Cooney- no reason why he can't really kick on this year. looks biger and fitter, and hopefully he can use this to impose himself consistently throughout whole games.

One thing I noticed was that the addition of Hudson is really going to give us more of a chance at stoppages... but on the flip side when he went off Street looked lacking and we appeared to lose cohesion at stoppages.

Looking forward to getting a better idea of how much we have improved when we play at the Dome next round.

[Rocket Science]

Shows everyone to not kick along the ground smash it through the middle above the ground and it will never roll away.


yeah, should have kicked the cover off it...got cute and banged it off the bottom of the shin. Murph was reasonably busy though, positive signs.

As another aside...Callan had a so-so debut...looks the sort to rely upon stores of G & D and not much else. A step behind tonight, but hope to see him get another crack next week.

[GVGjr]

Perhaps best to hold off on sweeping judgements in lieu of the conditions and stage of the campaign, but while plenty of triers out there was a less than convincing display.

Decision making with the footy still a major concern and too many shades of last years game plan and consequent strategic failings...but Aker's looking absolutely primed, Crossy exemplary effort-wise, and nonetheless pleased to get to see the boys lace them up again next Friday eve.

As an aside, anyone care to reflect on the consistency of umpiring or lack thereof? Bloody woeful for mine. Missed decisions aplenty.

No doubt the conditions marred the standard of the game and yes I agree that some things had last year written all over them and as you say, we need another week to gauge this properly.

The umpiring? If it was difficult for the players, the umpires let things go on and missed plenty.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Boyd for the first goal.

;)

Thank you, thank you.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

;)

Thank you, thank you.

Nice work Nostradamus!

[Bulldog Revolution]

Whilst the conditions were difficult I was pleased with our first up hit out. More of our prime movers got more of the ball (West, Cooney, Aker, Griffen, Boyd, Cross etc) which I felt was a result of us controlling far more of the game than North, without being able to put it on the scoreboard. Our tackling and chasing were markedly improved (particularly in the forward line) and we consistently had guys willing to put their heads over the ball and attempt to make the play.

I was really pleased with Tillers game, playing predominantly back but pushing forward and kicking a nice goal. I thought his poise across half back was a really encouragin sign.
I thought Welsh worked very hard in difficult decisions for anyone playing on that front line of attack, and Hudson showed signs of his immense value. The backline held up well, Morris stuck to his guns on the dangerous Edwards, whilst Lake was solid and Addison, Callan, Gilbee, Everitt etc all chipped in

The depth of big bodied midfielders and runners looked much improved with Cross, Cooney, Boyd, Griffen all shining in patches whilst Murphy and Hahn looked far more agile and able up forward. Welsh enabled Johnson to roam a bit more freely. Wight whilst perhaps lacking a bit of self belief showed how useful he can be across half forward.

Without wanting to get too carried away I thought it was an encouraging performance, under difficult conditions, with scope for improvement, and it gives us an opportunity to market ourselves Saturday week at the Dome.

[Dry Rot]

For most of the time, it looked like we've learnt to tackle.

Very pleasing.

Any updates on Ray?

[BulldogBelle]

For most of the time, it looked like we've learnt to tackle.

Very pleasing.

Any updates on Ray?


Yes, they were very good with the tackling, I was impressed. On Ray, they say it is a twisted ankle.

[Bulldog Revolution]

For most of the time, it looked like we've learnt to tackle.

Very pleasing.

Any updates on Ray?

Foolishly didn't even know he was injured until the end, dont think it was too bad, as he didn't look in terrible spirits after the game even whilst on crutches

I was very pleased with his game, kept his feet well under pressure, did not resort to just slamming it on his left boot and hoping in. There was a real maturity to his game tonight, and with it an ability to get on to his preferred foot and find teammates

[Bulldog Revolution]

Yes, they were very good with the tackling, I was impressed. On Ray, they say it is a twisted ankle.

Thats a good scenario, its too early to say it, but I have a bet with a few mates that he will make it as a good footballer, and he looked well on the way to vindicating my faith tonight before injury

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Plenty have been quick to talk Callan up but he still has a fair bit to prove.

Agreed. Not close to our Best 22 at the moment, based on tonight.

It wasn't a pretty game of football, certainly not something you'd 'market'. Very scrappy game and ordinary conditions to play in. Skills from both sides were poor - simple handballs and simple passes were more often than not way off. Decision making was average too. It's hard to take away much from a game like this as the conditions just didn't allow it to be anything other than a 'win/loss' match - if that makes sense. I wouldn't be talking the boys up as we have a way to go, but it's pleasing to get the victory in any case.

The general game plan was working OK besides our bad skill level. Players were generally prepared to run with the football or help their team mate out. This was one of the most pleasing things; when the ball hit the ground we had numbers. We played more as a 'team' and not as individuals as we did towards the end of last year. The tackling was much improved; a lot of the tackles forced the error or gave team mates a chance to interfere play. This is an aspect we've been poor in for a number of years but tonight we were much better. The disappointing thing was that the team went to sleep about halfway through the last quarter - we mucked around with the ball and basically forced the Kangaroos to get themselves back in the game. Buckling under pressure? Probably. It's only the first game but it's still very frustrating that we are unable to put away a side when throughout the entire night, we had PLENTY of chances to.

Crossy was fantastic; dead set gun. He's looking as fit as ever and a lot stronger. Noticeably added a few kgs over the break and it's helped him. He was BOG for mine - his in & under work was brillant and he made himself an option all over the ground. His skills though not a strong point were a lot better than a number of other players, and he showed plenty of courage as he always does. Genuine leader and a great player.

Cooney looks in great shape; physically he's got the body of an elite AFL player. He's always had a bigger upper body than most, but it's very noticeable that he's hardened up. As far as tonight is concerned, he played pretty well and although made some skill errors (Who didnt?) I think all Bulldogs supporters would be very pleased. He was prepared to run hard all night and was one of the main differences on the night without a doubt.

Griffen hasn't missed a beat. From the word go his signature game was on show with fast paced running and classy skills. Probably had the best skills on the night. His dashes off half back were great to see, he's a very classy player.

Ray was probably in the Top 5 players for mine, at least prior to his injury. He looks considerably bigger than he has in previous seasons and this already helped him significantly through his tackling and breaking of tackles. He ran well and played the good wet weather game. Nothing fancy and was prepared to get down low and feed the ball out. Impressed by Ray's game, he looks good.

Akermanis was in fine touch too. He missed a goal he should've kicked with his eyes closed, but aside from that, he did pretty well. Picked up 16 possessions and most of them all hit the targets. When Aker found the ball you knew he was going to do something with it, and not just bomb it like a lot of the players were tending to do - particularly early on. Good signs, he too looks bigger.

Hudson didn't have an enormous impact on the game but his presence has already made a difference. It was noticeable that when Street went into the ruck, we didn't look as good around the stoppages or the center breaks. Hudson's one percenters are to note too; he made a great smother when The 'Roos were away with the ball and then got the hands off to a Bulldog player. Should of resulted in a goal but I don't think it did. Either way, we look much better with Hudson in our side.

Harbrow wasn't too bad early on either. The most pleasing thing was that he kept his feet, something he needed to improve on last years effort. Several players kept falling to ground but Harbrow did very well in this aspect and as a result had more time to dispose of the ball, which again, he generally did OK of. He's a smart little player too. He had the ball in the pocket about 50-45m out and was never going to kick it, and passed a beauty into Aker who went back and slotted it. Took his time and picked out a good option - pleasing stuff.

Addison had a solid game. He's a fairly big bodied player and he's fearless. Thompson was a sure thing on the lead to take a mark and Addison stepped in front of him to punch the ball away - not an easy task. His desperation and tackling was very good. He didn't win a lot of the ball which is something he needs to work on, but he played a good game IMO.

Murph & Hahn look back to their best. They both moved well and both were in the play a fair bit. Every time the ball went forward one of these two were basically in the action, in that regard, it was fantastic to see. Both were ordinary with basic skills but they wern't alone. In good conditions they'll be a lot better. Murph was up and about and looked in great condition, certainly back to his 05/early 06 movement. Missed a goal from 3m out after Aker put in a pearler pass. Very ordinary and should cop a serving for that, especially at a time where goals were almost non-existant. Hahn used his body to his advantage on several occasions and reinforced why he's a crucial player to our side. Welsh was pretty quiet, although he did work hard, and kicked the 'straightest' goal of the night, Everitt was dead quiet whilst Johnson & Hargrave were ordinary. Tiller was decent in stints; couple of times did well down back but a couple of times looked shakey, and was lucky to get a free kick late in the last quarter when The 'Roos were coming home hard. He made a nice lead & kicked a goal, and looks a good size. Have to see more of him but he was OK.

As I read up above, it's less than convincing but there are positives. We look a lot bigger & stronger, they were prepared to back one another up and players who were either injured or ordinary last year moved well.

[Dry Rot]

Yes, Ray looked very good.

I know the conditions were awful, but I didn't like what I saw with our forward line.

Great report TBB.

[BulldogBelle]

Thats a good scenario, its too early to say it, but I have a bet with a few mates that he will make it as a good footballer, and he looked well on the way to vindicating my faith tonight before injury

I have always thought a lot of Ray, the extra weight on him will do him good - I have a feeling this year he will absolutely kill it. Impressive he was this evening, before the injury.

[BulldogBelle]

Great report TBB as per usual. :)

[Bulldog Revolution]

TBB - Fine report and I agree with a lot of what you say. wont split hairs tonight, I'll re-read in the morning and comment further. Cooney was my BOG, but Crossy was super, but you just come to expect it of him so I might have underestimated his contribution

DR - I understand your health scepticism about the forward line, but Welsh is a class act even if the conditions didn't fully help him demonstrate it. Murphy showed patches of brilliance, Hahn was industrious whilst others bobbed up. We still need two young key forwards to emerge but theres plenty of life in that forward mix. But it probably cant be underestimated how bad our tackling in the forward line was last year and how much that enabled sides to load up attacks. Whilst we may not have sizzled with goal scoring power we had a better balance of attack and defence.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Yes, Ray looked very good.

I know the conditions were awful, but I didn't like what I saw with our forward line.


Whilst our forward line didn't function too well, a lot of it had to do with the delivery. It's our first game, conditions were slippery etc. etc. but at the end of the day, the delivery into the forward line was very poor. If we had of hit our targets we should of won by 5+ goals. Several times when players were on the run, we just bombed it long into the forward line too. Welsh had to contend with a couple players at times and was never a chance to mark. It made it real easy pickings for the Kangaroo defenders.

I agree though that our forward line still didn't look great. Johnson played a silly game of football, Wight tried hard but made some bad errors and Welsh among our other forwards were constantly trying to pull sky scrapers down when they're all but 180cms. Although Big Will hasn't proved anything, it seemed as though we needed him tonight. We needed a big presence like Will at FF, and that's the way we played for most of the game. In the second half we didn't blaze away as much, and it was mostly our skill errors that let us down.


TBB - Fine report and I agree with a lot of what you say. wont split hairs tonight, I'll re-read in the morning and comment further. Cooney was my BOG, but Crossy was super, but you just come to expect it of him so I might have underestimated his contribution

DR - I understand your health scepticism about the forward line, but Welsh is a class act even if the conditions didn't fully help him demonstrate it. Murphy showed patches of brilliance, Hahn was industrious whilst others bobbed up. We still need two young key forwards to emerge but theres plenty of life in that forward mix. But it probably cant be underestimated how bad our tackling in the forward line was last year and how much that enabled sides to load up attacks. Whilst we may not have sizzled with goal scoring power we had a better balance of attack and defence.

Cooney was probably my second best, so give or take - it was out of him & Cross. I thought that Cross was just more composed at a few pressure moments than Cooney was. Only a few instances but probably swayed me to choose Crossy. Both were very good on the night though.

Summed it up well in your second paragraph. Welsh obviously isn't a wet weather specialist but he still worked hard and always made a contest. He'll be a lot better in the dry conditions, especially at TD. Johnson was all over the place tonight, but I think come the H&A season, our forward line will structure itself a lot better.

Johnson / Minson / Welsh
Murphy / Hahn / Higgins

Likely to look something like that. Wight isn't capable of CHF so I think it's a pointless exercise of playing him there just because he's tall. Murphy leads up the ground well, Hahn fights hard for the ball, Welsh & Minson are the two players to fly for the 'sky balls' whilst Higgins & Johnson make the leads. Obviously I could go a lot more indepth but I think it's a forward line mix that will work reasonably well, especially when players like Gia, Cooney & Aker will spend time up there too.

Oh, and thanks for the nice feedback guys :-)

[Bulldog Revolution]

Wight isn't capable of CHF so I think it's a pointless exercise of playing him there just because he's tall.


I have to disagree here as I thought Wight looked ok as a leading CHF prospect.
Any discussion has to note the conditions and how difficult they were. However his speed and agility seemed to buy him space to mark from his direct defender. He looked tentative when he had it, and a bit unconfident at times but I see that as being fixable. His chasing and tackling was very good. I thought it was an encouraging start from Wight.

[Go_Dogs]

Did Griff spend much time in the midfield? And if so, did he answer some questions about his ability to play there more consistently this year?

Glad to see we won and that some of the key guys are looking good. Let's hope we can see Minson, Williams and Gia back soon, as well as Ray, and have a good run around in some better conditions.

[firstdogonthemoon]

Eagle couldve shouldve kicked for - if he had converted all of them

ifififfi

but - he was obviously in all the right places

[Bulldog Revolution]

Did Griff spend much time in the midfield? And if so, did he answer some questions about his ability to play there more consistently this year?



Griffens first half was very good, and featured moments of his swashbuckling best. Hes just such a terrific kick. I thought he played mainly off half back, but had a few cameos in the centre.

He had less impact in the second half, but he may not have played as much.

[LostDoggy]

For most of the time, it looked like we've learnt to tackle.

Very pleasing.

I think you might have jumped on this too quickly. Lets wait and see when the conditions are better if they have the same attitude.
Conditions were tailor made for contests around the midfield.

[LostDoggy]

Too much by too few last night in my opinion. It was the same olds of West, Cross, Johnson, Eagleton, Lake and Cooney (BOG) and a solid effort by Hudson and Welsh.

I would have liked to have seen better efforts from some of the younger guys like Everitt, Callan and Tiller. I suppose it was a good learning experience for them to play in difficult conditions

[mjp]

I think we are all being a little bit harsh.

Defensive pressure was up - way, way up, particularly when you consider the number of midfield turnovers. The players really reacted and worked hard back into space.

With the new boys:

Welsh - Worked hard against a good opponent (who got away with murder in a few one-on-one contests). We had butchered the game in the 3rd quarter - Johnson, Wight, Aker, Eagle etc - then Welsh took a mark, went back and slotted it from 30m out. Just a beautiful kick in what were clearly difficult and unfamiliar conditions. I thought he was tremendous.

Hudson - Well, we have a ruckman. Played well, contested hard and gave no ground. I think we are all going to like having him on our side.

Callan - Just a good honest trier. He and Addison are clones in some ways - hard working and fearless, but devoid of tricks and poor decision makers with the ball. How courageous was Addison cutting off the Petrie lead though? Have to love his commitment.

Others:

Hahn - Crash and bash I guess. Geez he butchers the footy though.

Cooney - Handball receive after handball receive. That is good, and showed a willingness to run - I wonder about his loose ball gets though...seems to be thinking 'receive' rather than 'get' around contests too often for me.

Wight - Not too bad, either forward or back. He is a useful player if he can do that. Whilst I thought he was lucky to be awarded the free kick against Thompson in the last quarter, at least he had the guts to play from in front.

Hill - Go and get the ball. Stop waiting and running wide.

Griffen - Outstanding off half back - but goes missing for too long. Needs to have a more consistent impact on the game.

Aker - Kicking woes continued for mine...a couple of turn-overs and one woeful miss in the 3rd quarter.

Everitt - Very passive game of footy. Was he sick? No run, no anything.

I really think had we kicked a bit straighter in the 3rd q the floodgates might have opened and we would all be pleased as punch with a 40 point win. As it was, we just got there but were clearly the best side on the night.

[LostDoggy]

Bring on Essendon or Brisbane on our home turf.

Last night i didnt see any, but watched the 2nd and 3rd quarter on replay today..

It was so weird at first to see Welsh & Hudson in there, gunna be weird untill they fit in right.

Loved how Addison put his body on the line against Thompson, came off 2nd best but was still brilliant effort. Murphy i was dissapointed with when he stuffed up in front of goals, all he had to do was go back and have a kick! instead; he played on and stuffed up as most players do :| All in all though its great to see them advance and i will be there next weekend :D

[LostDoggy]

I am with mjp -- reactions have been a bit harsh.

I for one am pleased to have won a close, low scoring match. I'd rather we win every game by one goal than trash weak teams and get trashed by the top teams and lose all the close ones. I think it's also significant that we were playing against a close to full-strength team that made the preliminary final last year and is widely tipped for the eight this year (admittedly by pundits going more on last year's form than on any deep analysis), and who were also clearly going for the win. The intensity in the game was definitely not of your run-of-the-mill preseason hit-out -- witness Dean Laidley during the breaks.

Structurally the team is far more mobile and (paradoxically) accountable than it has been in the past. This could be due to increased fitness perhaps?

Some of the boys are noticeably bigger and stronger -- Cooney, especially, looked almost impossible to shake off the ball once he started moving. I also noticed mjp's point about him generally waiting for a receive around the breakdowns rather than getting into the mix himself, but he'll be thereabouts when a game is there to be won during the regular season.

Hudson is a huge plus. There was a freekick paid against him at a throw-in where he literally just flung Hamish Macintosh to the ground with one hand without even looking at the guy. That's strength and mongrel in the ruck, to go with some serious rucking nous.

Murph, Johnno and Wight presenting off half-forward was reminiscent of our healthier set-up early 2006. Teams will have trouble covering all mobile options.

Scott Welsh is a very good addition. A proven goalscorer and class act that has freed up Johnno around the ground (although the value of this has yet to be properly discovered). Can't believe he lasted till pick four in the pre-season draft.

Forward tackling was noticeably a far greater focus. Players trusted their team-mates more and were less 'ball-hungry', so to speak, and stayed out of breakdown contests to instead stay close to their man and cut them out as a rebounding option.

Overall, I felt that we were in control of the match throughout (except for one or two patches where North rallied but we wrestled back control quite well), so that the tempo of the match was generally played on our terms.

Only sore points: Finishing (shooting for goal), and our players not trusting their own personalities a bit more (stepping up and grabbing an opponent or the match by the proverbial neck). There just seems to be a quarter-step of hesitation still in some of our younger players about whether or not they are good enough to be playing at this level, where some of the North players were taking the game on at every opportunity. Maybe it's a youth thing and as we gain experience these guys will start trusting themselves a bit more. We are definitely good enough, fit enough and tough enough to have a significant season. One good, tough win against a Sydney, Adelaide or a West Coast will knock that last bit of doubt out of a lot of these guys.

[LostDoggy]

Positives
Hudson-actually tapped the ball to our players unlike Street
Cross-his ball getting ability is amazing
West-Same old Westy
Cooney-Looked stronger
Gfiff-Trade mark dashes are back
Lake-Solid as ever
Morris-See Lake
Hahn-3 tackles in one piece of play never gives up
Murphy-Moved freely
Aker-Poise

Negatives
Kicking for goal
Still allowing opposition to get back into game, when seemingly on top
Wasted forward opportunities, lack of system
Still a lot of work to be done, but signs look promising

[hujsh]

What do you all think of Johnson's game. Some uncharacteristic mistakes. Got further up the field than normal.

There was a thread on him earlier where he was criticized for his defensive pressure. Do you think it was better yesterday?

[LostDoggy]

Not one of his better games, conditions did not suit him, made a few uncharacteristic mistakes, good that we didn't rely on him to win us the game.

[Bulldog Revolution]

I would have liked to have seen better efforts from some of the younger guys like Everitt, Callan and Tiller. I suppose it was a good learning experience for them to play in difficult conditions

I was very pleased with Tillers performance, if you'd told me after last year that he would play in a NAB cup game in the backline and look the part I would have been surprised.

Everitt did not play enormous ground time, and Callan will be better for having got that one under his belt

[Dogs 24/7]

Positives
Hudson-actually tapped the ball to our players unlike Street
Cross-his ball getting ability is amazing
West-Same old Westy
Cooney-Looked stronger
Gfiff-Trade mark dashes are back
Lake-Solid as ever
Morris-See Lake
Hahn-3 tackles in one piece of play never gives up
Murphy-Moved freely
Aker-Poise

Negatives
Kicking for goal
Still allowing opposition to get back into game, when seemingly on top
Wasted forward opportunities, lack of system
Still a lot of work to be done, but signs look promising

I agree with most of this but I didnt rate Cross's efforts that highly. He really seemed to struggle with his kicking and spotting up a man.

[LostDoggy]

Did Stack play?

[Rocket Science]

Stack played but was largely unnoticeable for mine...to be honest, probably not the greatest conditions for a player with his skill set to best demonstrate his wares.

[dog town]

I dont think you can take a great deal from the game given the conditions but it is pleasing to see us out work a side. I dont think we worked harder than the opposition once in our last 9 games last season with or without the ball so it is pleasing to see us really get our hands dirty and perhaps even relish that style of play. A few things that caught mny eye were

Crossy- As he started last year in that role coming off the wing at the centre bounces. I like him in this role as it strengthens us up around the periphery of the pack and also allows him to use his gut running as an extra link man. He also used his reading of the play and aerial ability to drop back a kick behind play.

Eagleton- Played as a genuine centremen which is probably a rarity for him. Seemed to enjoy it and found alot of space in the corridor. Not sure if they are looking to use him like that this year or if it just panned out that way but certainly was interesting.

Wight- Scooter may have found a role for him here. I think he made the call after we were pumped by West Coast that Wight could play as a hard working forward. Lets be honest he did not set the world on fire but if it was a dry night he would have had 9-11 marks pushing up to the wing and thats all we want from him. It gives us more versatility with Murphy IMO. Wight has a very solid attack on the footy and an immense fitness base so if he can polish up with a bit of poise it is well worth the experiment.

Cooney- Not really a great deal of difference. Was very good in close and at the back of the pack. Still need to see him get outside for some cheap kicks more often. We cant have him just relying on getting clearances, front and squares and hard ball gets. He needs to break away into space more often. Will continue to harp on this until he changes it. Very good player at the moment but the next step requires him to run almost just for the sake of running.

Welsh- Didn't think we used him that well. Bombed the ball on his head all night and then didn't push him up the ground very often.

Murphy- Got his agility and spring back. Big things coming from him this season.

Hahn-Looked short of a gallop. Need slightly more when the real stuff starts.

Hudson- Big positive IMO. Won very few clear hitouts but his second efforts and ground level work was absolutely outstanding. We knew thats why we got him across and straight away you can see the difference it makes at the stoppages.

Everitt- Agree with MJP. Looked flat and disinterested.

Gilbee- Sensational.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Cooney- Not really a great deal of difference. Was very good in close and at the back of the pack. Still need to see him get outside for some cheap kicks more often. We cant have him just relying on getting clearances, front and squares and hard ball gets. He needs to break away into space more often. Will continue to harp on this until he changes it. Very good player at the moment but the next step requires him to run almost just for the sake of running.


Disagree with this one, at least on the basis of the game last week. Cooney had a fair few handball receives and this was as a result of running and working hard all over the ground. If anything, he probably needed to find a few more hardballs rather than waiting for a handball out of the congested pack. Nevertheless he performed well - I thought he found himself in space a few times, and generally worked hard all night.

The probably with Cooney is his work rate; it's not always where it should be, and often when it's not he looks disinterested or lethargic in his approach to the game - particularly defensively. He seems to jog around without running hard to create space like you said, or apply defensive pressure. He improved on this last year a bit with tackling etc. but if he's going to become an elite midfielder, that's what needs to improve. His game on Friday night was a great way to start though, he found himself in the right places and that came by working hard.

[dog town]

Disagree with this one, at least on the basis of the game last week. Cooney had a fair few handball receives and this was as a result of running and working hard all over the ground. If anything, he probably needed to find a few more hardballs rather than waiting for a handball out of the congested pack. Nevertheless he performed well - I thought he found himself in space a few times, and generally worked hard all night.

The probably with Cooney is his work rate; it's not always where it should be, and often when it's not he looks disinterested or lethargic in his approach to the game - particularly defensively. He seems to jog around without running hard to create space like you said, or apply defensive pressure. He improved on this last year a bit with tackling etc. but if he's going to become an elite midfielder, that's what needs to improve. His game on Friday night was a great way to start though, he found himself in the right places and that came by working hard. Yeah well I count handball recieves out the back of congestion as winning the ball in tight. He has no problem doing that its the ability or will to sprint into space that is lacking. He gets a large percentage of his touches within 5-10 metres of the pack and he needs to be more that that.

Never had a problem with his defensive application. Consistently high in the tackle count from year to year despite playing as a forward for half the season. Accountability is a slight issue but his actual will to apply pressure when the ball is in his area has been fantastic from day one. Looks lethargic but the actual numbers stack up very well.

[hujsh]

Cooney got his own ball but also got allot of hb recieves so I'm happy. Seems to have no real weaknesses apart from shaking a tag.

[Mantis]

Finally watched the game for the first time last night, my observations were:

- Tackling - Much improved, huge positive.

- Cooney - increased work-rate, looked great.

- Harbrow - big fan of this kid, clean hands, doesn't panic, good pressure skills, for me a certain member of our best 22.

- Griffen - great dash, forgot how much we missed him.

- Johnson - ground kicking was well below average, for me he plays as a permenant forward.

- Murphy - agility was far improved from what we saw last year, good signs.

- Ray - Huge shame, looked in great nick. Skills were great too.

- Forward entries - still not alot of purpose, big bombs. Need to get the ball into the hands of our better kickers when going inside 50. I suppose conditions didn't help.

Was very pleased with the efforts of the team first and foremost. Pressure skills and the willing to do the 'team things' was much improved. If that's the benchmark for what we can expect this year, well I can cop that.

[bornadog]

Cooney got his own ball but also got allot of hb recieves so I'm happy. Seems to have no real weaknesses apart from shaking a tag.

I am still a little concerned about Cooney's disposal of the ball. Sometimes he tends to just bomb it long and hope for the best. He really needs to hurt the opposition and improve this side of his game.