Three things I have learned Rnd 9 vs Geelong

[Twodogs]

Gee, its been a long time since we beat the cats at Kardinia Park.


Tell us three things you have learned today.

[GVGjr]

Bump

[AshMac]

1. We played against the most efficient scoring team in the league - 21.6
2. The end score doesn’t represent the game over 4 quarters. Our midfield matched theirs and dominance seesawed until middle of 4th qtr
3. Bailey smith again took another step up - still gets rid of the ball a little too quick sometimes, look forward to him burning blokes in the future

[DOG GOD]

1. Against teams like Geel you have to kick every set shot.
2. Stewart has joined my list of smug faces to want to punch
3. Smith is doing great things early on.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

1. Until we address the skill deficiencies on our list, we will never compete with the big boys on the scoreboard. We give too many easy scores from turnovers, and we have to labour way to hard to score goals ourselves
2. Anyone lamenting again why Fletcher Roberts is languishing in the two's, please refer to tonight. I'm not talking about the marks to Hawkins.. I'm talking about his fumbliness below his knees, his slowness covering ground, his decision making.
3. Hayes. Did he have any positive contributions tonight? All I saw was fumbling, turnovers, dropped marks. I can't believe we used a pick in the national draft on him. He's a rookie pick at best given his flaws.

[comrade]

3. Hayes. Did he have any positive contributions tonight? All I saw was fumbling, turnovers, dropped marks. I can't believe we used a pick in the national draft on him. He's a rookie pick at best given his flaws.

And we’re doubling down by playing him ahead of others who have actually shown potential arm AFL level. It’s insanity.

[bulldogtragic]

I missed the game so only insights learned from stats:

1. Smith keeps ticking over new career bests each week, in multiple fields. That tells me he's working on making an impact and raising expectations on himself to keep getting better.
2. Hayes after his first two, unremarkable games, has not recorded a new career best in any field in the last three weeks (except 4 tackles last week). When you start your career at 'zero' and just tick it over in two games, and then the last three games not record career bests you can make a credible argument that, remarkably, he's plateaued at game 2. Smith finds new ways to do it every week, something most new players are able to do because they're coming off a zero base. But Hayes is the first player since I've been updating the 'career best thread' to do this so obviously. If he's not getting better from week to week, then perhaps he could have a long run in the VFL.
3. It's hard reading how well guys are playing in the VFL, week after week.

[MrMahatma]

Was going to put that I learnt Hayes isn’t up to it... but I learnt that 7 weeks ago.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

And we’re doubling down by playing him ahead of others who have actually shown potential arm AFL level. It’s insanity.

It's incredibly baffling.

I didn't rate him in the VFL and was very disappointed we drafted him. I simply cannot fathom we are now PLAYING him ahead of much better and much more talented footballers.

How is it we can drop Schache (fair enough), Young (WTF?) yet justify playing Hayes and Lachlan Young? They must show a whole lot at training....

Lipinski and Dale should have been in the side a few weeks ago. It's the dumbest selection choice by any MC I have ever seen week after week.

[Remi Moses]

1. Mate at the game reckons he’s never seen so many adults wearing footy jumpers ! My God
2. Hayes and Gowers aren’t good enough, and Roberts is cooked
3. Tim English is a big out

[Mitcha]

1. A distinct difference in class was apparent, we scrap for most of our goals whereas Geelong are clinical with their ball use and finishing skills.
2. Class, this leads me to Gowers and Hayes, I'm sorry Bevo but they DON'T HAVE ANY. Gowers refuses to hit up at the ball carrier and continually plays from behind looking for the cheapie, gives away too many ridiculous free kicks and more often than not applies zero defensive pressure to lock the ball in our forward 50, ONE tackle again yesterday to go with ONE mark. Schache or Dale could fill this role.
Hayes is what I would call a double grabber and brings pressure on himself with his failure to control the ball early and give him time to assess options upfield and just an average kick, surely Lipinski or Williams would add more.
3. I think we won the clearance numbers but it was infuriating that when Geelong got on a roll we quite often allowed them free ball into their forward fifty area with little or no defensive cover away from the middle meaning far too much time and space was allowed to their taller forwards with our back six unfairly exposed.

[westbulldog]

Smith is improving with every game.
The Bont's 2 goals underlined that he can do what few players can.
Stewart joins the Warren Tredrea club of smug arseholes.

[bornadog]

1. We had 40 more disposals, more clearances, more centre clearances but just can't use the ball.

2. Geelong had 17 marks inside 50 - there is the ball game.

3. We need English back in and we need Schache to find form

[Danjul]

1. We had 40 more disposals, more clearances, more centre clearances but just can't use the ball.

2. Geelong had 17 marks inside 50 - there is the ball game.

3. We need English back in and we need Schache to find form

I suspect that most of the extra disposals were handball. Geelong got a lot of early goals from our handball game. Some 40 metre precision kicking would make a nice change. It would open up the game and players would know where to run.

[Mantis]

1/ Smith is such an exciting when he runs with the ball, too often he looks to handball off straight away, but in the 2nd half he decided to run.. and it was great to watch. He gives us such a POD in the middle.

2/ Having McLean more around the ball is a good thing, he runs the angles as well as anyone in our team.

3/ Before the game I could've written down who our bottom 6 players would've been and probably got them in order. The hallmark of our 2016 was our evenness across the board and that we would just 'out last' teams... we are along way off this at the minute.

4/ We continue to give away goals with 30m chip kicks in dangeous spots, Caleb is good for 1-2 a game. We work so hard for goals, but give them up so easily.

[whythelongface]

1. Normally despondent after a 40 point loss but this week I thought there were some real positives in our performance and will build on into the future.

2. Trengove has really been impressive since his return. It is critical to a developing team to have an experienced campaigner in the team who gives his all and does not shirk the contest.

3. Bailey Smith is carving it up. Certainly my son's favourite player, not far behind in my books either. Smith, English, Naughton - three players that will delight us for the next decade.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

1. This was a missed opportunity to play Lew Young in the ruck and Trengrove, a stronger bodied player on Hawkins
2 At the end of the day our lack of depth became the difference. Hayes and Gowers need to go back to Footscray and as does Richards which is not unusual for a second year player
3 Our Club desperately needs to play a second tall forward to support Naughton. This became most obvious against a strong Geelong defence

[Ghost Dog]

Some very good observations in this thread. I missed the game so cannot comment. But thanks for all the insights.

[AshMac]

We work so hard for goals, but give them up so easily.

This!

[Twodogs]

Some very good observations in this thread. I missed the game so cannot comment. But thanks for all the insights.

How come you missed the game?

[Ghost Dog]

How come you missed the game?
Some work bs

[Twodogs]

Some work bs

Damn! I hate it when work interferes with the important things in life