Time to get excited

[jeemak]

Woofers, we're playing finals this weekend and it's time to get excited about it.

I get that things are tough in Melbourne town right now, and it's tough that many of us don't get to see our team run out and beat the Saints this week. However, there needs to be more excitement around the fact that we're one of eight teams that have made it to finals this year in less than desirable circumstances and we've got a more than solid chance of going a few weeks deep into this year's finals series.

Mr Mahatma and Foxtrot Victor Charlie Yankee Sierra Hotel or whatever your name is, you guys have to give it all for we folk who can't make it. I really hope the night goes well for both of you and your families!

There's been a lot of trepidation around who we're playing but not much positivity - and I don't think the appraisal of our chances has been balanced. In this game our experience in finals lends us the upper hand, and if you look at form lines we match up pretty well to most sides in our half of the eight.

It's my view that our midfield and defencive mix will take a huge step up and deny the Saints any of the free running they'll crave to get on top of us. In those areas, aside from one or two players we clearly have the personnel who have endured the experience of finals where our opponents haven't. Our forward line is starting to gel, and is sufficiently crafty much like it was a few years ago to continually score.

Let's embrace the opportunity like our team should be. We've done what it takes to win when we needed to in order to give ourselves a chance, and we've played excellent football along the way. It's not the same as last year, it's a different feel to our build up.

Get on board. Get excited.

[Bulldog Joe]

I'm with you jeemak.

Really encouraged by the performance against Freo, where we did what was needed.

I feel we will do the same again this week.

Team performance, get the job done and assess where we are at 7.00 pm Saturday.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Victor Charlie Yankee Sierra Hotel is very excited!!
The whole family is excited to be going.
I've seen more Bulldogs games live this year than since 1984 when I was a lad growing up in Melbourne.

I'm also very much aware that my good fortune in this regard comes purely in contrast to and as an outcome of the heartache and loss of freedom people in Victoria especially are going through in 2020.
I don't take that for granted.

We will be cheering very loudly. My 7 yr old son has increasingly become vocal during the games he has gone to this year, and is especially happy that his idol Naughton is going to play. My 5 year old daughter is excited that she is going to see her hero Jackson Macrae (she loves him ever since he gave her one of the signed mini-footies last year after the Essendon victory).

My son has been playing games of footy in the backyard all week..and he reliably informed me that the result of his Bulldogs vs Saints game was a resounding 132 to the Bulldogs to the Saints 16......so there you have it.

Both my children were singing Sons of the West at the top of their voices yesterday post this 'victory'.. which carried through nicely from outside into my Webex work meetingI was in the middle of at the time.

[bornadog]

Can't wait for Saturday even though I won't be there live. I will be disappointed if we aren't at minimum competitive, but my gut tells me we will win this one, after a very tight game.

We have one of the best midfields in the competition, our defense is working well and we have the big guns in the forward line.

Bring it on, lets go Dogs!

[Happy Days]

Watching the games at home has been undeniably more tense than going to the ground. I think it's the feeling of total helplessness (as opposed to being at the ground, where I could be pulled from the stands to play centre half forward at a moment's notice).

I'm unbelievably excited but know that it will turn into a deep angst the second the ball is bounced. Saturday morning will be very self-care focused.

[GVGjr]

This will be the hardest game we play for the balance of the season and if we beat the Saints the next opponent will be coming off a loss. With a run of wins behind us I like our chances to win all of our games.

I'm genuinely optimistic about our chances but I'm not underestimating the Saints

Go Dogs

[The Bulldogs Bite]

I'm quietly confident too.

I'm almost certain Bevo will pull the levers of last year's EF drubbing and remind our group of what happened that day. We know how much that stung the club, so I fully expect us to perform to a high level on Saturday.

Bring it on.

[Grantysghost]

I'm confident. Finals are a different ball game. I'm not 100% happy with the venue as the Saints have more familiarity with it this season, however we need to get used to it obviously if we are to go deep.
I think the Saints over the top, out the back, Ratt's paddock whatever you want to call it needs clean stoppage work to feed it. We keep the contested ball and stoppages tight, their guys will stop running forward with confidence and their plan will grind to a halt. I feel this is where we will win it.
I'm really looking forward to seeing Josh Bruce in a final. I've got no idea which way it's going to go, but he's been building nicely and I think he will be fired up for the occasion and could have a big say. I expect Carlisle and Howard to try and ruffle some feathers back there. Think with Bruce and Naughton we have them covered if any BS arises this year!

[soupman]

Pretty optimistic. Despite our issues with the way St.Kilda play I think it is at worst a 5050 proposition, and am confident we will turn up and give it a red hot go. After that who knows, but playing a Brisbane that is staring down the prospect of two straight sets finals exits is very appealing.

Planning on decorating the house in red, white and blue and putting on some hotdogs or something (good ones, like from a deli or something).

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Dogs will improve on their last performance v Saints. Saints are potent and fast so a worthy challenger.
Bevo v Ratten very much a factor.
Bulldogs will perform well, learning from our last final v GWS physicality and drawing on our recent finals experience and put Saints to the sword. Lots of opportunists' goals and some very deliberate ones too.

[Eastdog]

Great to be in another finals series once again. Shame that most of us can’t go but for woofers who are cheer loudly for us.

It will be a challenging game as they will just be as determined but I reckon we will ultimately get the job done in the end. We have been in some excellent form the last couple of weeks and have players who have finals experience.

Hoping Josh Bruce has a big game up forward and Libba tears it up at the clearances.

Need to shrug last years Elimination final performance off and come out biting.

[The Adelaide Connection]

I'm confident. Finals are a different ball game. I'm not 100% happy with the venue as the Saints have more familiarity with it this season, however we need to get used to it obviously if we are to go deep.
I think the Saints over the top, out the back, Ratt's paddock whatever you want to call it needs clean stoppage work to feed it. We keep the contested ball and stoppages tight, their guys will stop running forward with confidence and their plan will grind to a halt. I feel this is where we will win it.
I'm really looking forward to seeing Josh Bruce in a final. I've got no idea which way it's going to go, but he's been building nicely and I think he will be fired up for the occasion and could have a big say. I expect Carlisle and Howard to try and ruffle some feathers back there. Think with Bruce and Naughton we have them covered if any BS arises this year!

I assume the Saints lobbied for the Gabba due to extra familiarity (6 games at 3-3 versus our 1 game at 0-1), locality (they are based at Noosa which maybe makes interstate that little bit harder), and from memory Geary and Carlisle’s wives are heavily pregnant enough to create a difficult interstate conversation.

That aside, does the AO actually suit them better?

The latest dimensions I can find are:
AO 167m x 123m
Gabba 156m x 138m

Would the extra length Of AO stretch us more against a team whose speed is touted as one of their biggest weapons and who have previously made us pay out the back?

Also, the Gabba is almost a cookie cutter of Metricon (158m x 134m) where we have obviously played most of our footy (with a 5-3 record).

They played probably close to their best football at AO against Adelaide and Port over a two week stretch. Hopefully the decision is the wrong one and comes back to bite them.

[josie]

Good observations Adelaide Connection.

[SonofScray]

I'm putting all my misgivings with the way the season and seasons past have gone since the flag away. No negativity from me over the next four weeks as we romp towards a flag that wags.

Our best is good enough. On our day we can beat anyone. We haven't had a heap of days yet, so here's hoping they've been kept in our back pocket for a magical month of footy.

[Dry Rot]

It's simple. We'll crush them.

[Twodogs]

It's simple. We'll crush them.

Yep. Just go out there and kick arse.

[Eastdog]

Yep. Just go out there and kick arse.

Simple but yep so true after what happened last year to us.

[MrMahatma]

Excitement grabbed me today too. It’s going to be great to witness finals footy again and really hope we can pull off a win.

Brisbane is going to get more and more, a footy vibe over the coming weeks. Those of us in Brisbane will be lapping it up as a very rare/once in a lifetime thing for us.

Go dogs!