Hotdog60
10-03-2021, 06:45 PM
https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/615c313295a50021a5107710414a0f86?imwidth=768
The Western Bulldogs have sent a dangerous message to the rest of the AFL, while under-pressure coach Simon Goodwin is facing a stressful year based on Melbourne’s performance.
From the opening bounce the Dogs’ ball movement was impressive, with commentator Garry Lyon suggested the new man-on-the-mark rule perfectly suited them.
Caleb Daniel and Jack Macrae each had 11 disposals in the opening quarter, with the latter gaining over 250 metres in the process, as they dominated possession and territory against a weakened Demons midfield.
Unfortunately their forward line and forward entries both remained a major problem - which could’ve been foreseen after failing to recruit any talls at either end of the ground - keeping them to a 2.6 (18) to 2.2 (14) lead at quarter-time.
Marcus Bontempelli’s strong game saw him finish the first half with 19 disposals, 540 metres gained and an impressive long-bomb goal, but his side failed to grow its lead in the second term, leading 5.8 (38) to 5.5 (35) at the long break.
Jay Lockhart was taken to hospital at halftime for assessment after injuring a testicle, while Aaron Naughton was removed from the game with a forearm complaint. The Dogs big man had his arm in a sling in the rooms, though he played on with the injury suffered in the second term.
The Bulldogs also feared a left shoulder injury to defender Hayden Crozier, after he was forced into the rooms. An AC joint injury is likely to see him miss Round 1.
Bontempelli added two more goals as his side finally built a healthy lead, moving to 11.11 (77) at three-quarter-time, ahead of the Demons’ 6.6 (42).
After being the Demons’ best player of the game, Steven May needed to be helped off the ground midway through the fourth quarter following a heavy mid-air collision and concussion concerns.
This might be the season gun Bulldog Caleb Daniel begins receiving closer attention from rival sides more consistently – otherwise he could tear the competition to shreds.
Daniel had a brilliant start to the game, racking up a game-high 11 high-quality disposals in the first term, while also applying tremendous defensive pressure to create big headaches for Melbourne’s coaching staff.
One of the most elusive movers and best kicks in the AFL off either boot, Daniel looms as a big beneficiary of the new ‘stand’ rule, as he’ll have more freedom to run around teammates, rack up ample handball receives and send the Dogs forward.
Daniel’s brilliant start to the game came nearly two weeks after he starred against Hawthorn in the Bulldogs’ scratch match and days after reigning Richmond best and fairest Jayden Short proved he could go to another level in 2021, finishing with 43 disposals against Collingwood.
Melbourne champion Garry Lyon said the solution to stopping the likes of Daniel and Short was simple.
“Clubs are going to have to start thinking about tagging half-back flankers,” Lyon told Fox Footy.
“Caleb Daniel … we saw Short on Friday night have 43 (disposals). You just have to put time into these blokes.”
St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt added: “Tag them or go out of your way to play through their man, which is what we saw St Kilda do to Carlton on Thursday night with (Sam) Docherty and (Adam) Saad.”
Richmond champion Matthew Richardson wrote on Twitter: “Wouldn’t mind be a running half back who can use the ball in 2021. Lots of handball receives to be had.”
Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph predicted on Twitter that Daniel was “going to get tagged under the new rules”, adding: “What a weapon.”
DEMONS’ WORRYING SIGNS AHEAD OF CRUCIAL YEAR
Simon Goodwin is contracted for next year, but if this is what Melbourne is going to produce in 2021, he might not get to 2022.
After clinging to the Bulldogs‘ coat-tails in the first half thanks to their inaccuracy, the unbalanced stats sheet finally was reflected on the scoreboard.
By the final siren, Melbourne had lost the disposal count 418-304, the clearances 48-24, the inside 50s 64-41 and the game by 39 points.
Admittedly the Demons were understrength, missing Angus Brayshaw, Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney from their midfield, plus Ben Brown and Sam Weideman up forward.
But this was still a particularly poor performance. We‘re not going to overreact now - but if this is happening again in April and May, Goodwin’s future will be the talk of the footy world.
SAME OLD DOGS - FOR BETTER AND FOR WORSE
From the opening bounce, it seemed as if nothing had changed with the Bulldogs.
Their midfield was electric. At quarter-time they‘d had twice as many disposals as the Demons - they had the top seven possession-getters on the ground.
Caleb Daniel and Jack Macrae were gaining metres at will, with 11 touches apiece in the first term alone, and an admittedly weakened Demons midfield had no answers.
But then came that pesky problem known as the forward 50 arc, which seems to sap the Dogs‘ strength like something out of Space Jam.
Luke Beveridge‘s side couldn’t work out how to penetrate the Demons’ defence, and a lack of strong forward targets didn’t help. Both teams had three marks inside 50 in the opening quarter and a half, despite the Dogs’ utter possession dominance.
It means we again need to ask what exactly the Dogs were doing last trade period, because their midfield looked typically brilliant even without big-name recruit Adam Treloar in the side.
Treloar certainly isn‘t going to help fix their dysfunctional forward line. Last year Josh Bruce kicked 14 goals, with six of them coming in one thumping of North Melbourne. He hardly seems like the answer.
The Dogs also can‘t necessarily rely on Aaron Naughton up forward, because that means he’s not using his height in defence, where they were badly exposed in their elimination final loss to St Kilda.
So for now what we‘ve learned about the Bulldogs is that they may not have learned anything from their 2020 mistakes.
THE BONT TO BECOME THE BEST?
Marcus Bontempelli is a star. He’s been a star for years.
But this could be the year the Bulldogs captain emerges as a genuine AFL superstar and becomes the best player in the competition.
That’s despite the acquisition of Treloar and the well-known squeeze for midfield minutes at the club. But early signs suggest the triple All-Australian and triple best and fairest winner could become a more well-rounded midfielder and, like Dustin Martin and Nat Fyfe before him, a greater threat inside 50 in 2021.
Bontempelli’s numbers were ridiculous: 32 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 13 score involvements, nine inside 50s and seven clearances.
But it’s what the 25-year-old did around goal that would delight Dogs fans the most – and prompt many punters to possibly change their Brownlow tip, booting 3.1.
“He’s in rare nick, Marcus Bontempelli,” Melbourne champion Garry Lyon told Fox Footy. “He’s doing it at both ends and in the middle of the ground … He’s just owning this game.
“There has been a knock on his goalkicking, maybe set-shot than on the run. But he has flushed a couple of absolute gems – and that’s a fantastic sign.
“We know he’s a magnificent ball-winner and accumulator, but if he can start to get value for possessions – and his ball use has been great (against Melbourne) – but if he adds (goalkicking) to his game, he’s already in the top five or six players but he goes to the very pointy end.”
Bontempelli launched two massive, long-range goals on the run – one in the second then another in the third – before pulling out a ridiculous snap goal from the pocket that had the Marvel Stadium crowd – and Fox Footy commentators – in raptures.
“Save it! Stop doing it now, please Bont,” Fox Footy commentator Anthony Hudson cheekily said.
Lyon added: “Oh no! Don’t waste it in pre-season.
“You can’t play any better – and it’s a practice match.
“He’s getting ready for a massive season. He hasn’t looked any better than he has tonight. He’s just owned the footy, he’s owned the game.”
LINK (https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2021-preseason-western-bulldogs-vs-melbourne-demons-live-scores-updates-aami-community-series-stats-video-stream/news-story/8a6979278fffb2104f9746e99238bba1)
The Western Bulldogs have sent a dangerous message to the rest of the AFL, while under-pressure coach Simon Goodwin is facing a stressful year based on Melbourne’s performance.
From the opening bounce the Dogs’ ball movement was impressive, with commentator Garry Lyon suggested the new man-on-the-mark rule perfectly suited them.
Caleb Daniel and Jack Macrae each had 11 disposals in the opening quarter, with the latter gaining over 250 metres in the process, as they dominated possession and territory against a weakened Demons midfield.
Unfortunately their forward line and forward entries both remained a major problem - which could’ve been foreseen after failing to recruit any talls at either end of the ground - keeping them to a 2.6 (18) to 2.2 (14) lead at quarter-time.
Marcus Bontempelli’s strong game saw him finish the first half with 19 disposals, 540 metres gained and an impressive long-bomb goal, but his side failed to grow its lead in the second term, leading 5.8 (38) to 5.5 (35) at the long break.
Jay Lockhart was taken to hospital at halftime for assessment after injuring a testicle, while Aaron Naughton was removed from the game with a forearm complaint. The Dogs big man had his arm in a sling in the rooms, though he played on with the injury suffered in the second term.
The Bulldogs also feared a left shoulder injury to defender Hayden Crozier, after he was forced into the rooms. An AC joint injury is likely to see him miss Round 1.
Bontempelli added two more goals as his side finally built a healthy lead, moving to 11.11 (77) at three-quarter-time, ahead of the Demons’ 6.6 (42).
After being the Demons’ best player of the game, Steven May needed to be helped off the ground midway through the fourth quarter following a heavy mid-air collision and concussion concerns.
This might be the season gun Bulldog Caleb Daniel begins receiving closer attention from rival sides more consistently – otherwise he could tear the competition to shreds.
Daniel had a brilliant start to the game, racking up a game-high 11 high-quality disposals in the first term, while also applying tremendous defensive pressure to create big headaches for Melbourne’s coaching staff.
One of the most elusive movers and best kicks in the AFL off either boot, Daniel looms as a big beneficiary of the new ‘stand’ rule, as he’ll have more freedom to run around teammates, rack up ample handball receives and send the Dogs forward.
Daniel’s brilliant start to the game came nearly two weeks after he starred against Hawthorn in the Bulldogs’ scratch match and days after reigning Richmond best and fairest Jayden Short proved he could go to another level in 2021, finishing with 43 disposals against Collingwood.
Melbourne champion Garry Lyon said the solution to stopping the likes of Daniel and Short was simple.
“Clubs are going to have to start thinking about tagging half-back flankers,” Lyon told Fox Footy.
“Caleb Daniel … we saw Short on Friday night have 43 (disposals). You just have to put time into these blokes.”
St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt added: “Tag them or go out of your way to play through their man, which is what we saw St Kilda do to Carlton on Thursday night with (Sam) Docherty and (Adam) Saad.”
Richmond champion Matthew Richardson wrote on Twitter: “Wouldn’t mind be a running half back who can use the ball in 2021. Lots of handball receives to be had.”
Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph predicted on Twitter that Daniel was “going to get tagged under the new rules”, adding: “What a weapon.”
DEMONS’ WORRYING SIGNS AHEAD OF CRUCIAL YEAR
Simon Goodwin is contracted for next year, but if this is what Melbourne is going to produce in 2021, he might not get to 2022.
After clinging to the Bulldogs‘ coat-tails in the first half thanks to their inaccuracy, the unbalanced stats sheet finally was reflected on the scoreboard.
By the final siren, Melbourne had lost the disposal count 418-304, the clearances 48-24, the inside 50s 64-41 and the game by 39 points.
Admittedly the Demons were understrength, missing Angus Brayshaw, Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney from their midfield, plus Ben Brown and Sam Weideman up forward.
But this was still a particularly poor performance. We‘re not going to overreact now - but if this is happening again in April and May, Goodwin’s future will be the talk of the footy world.
SAME OLD DOGS - FOR BETTER AND FOR WORSE
From the opening bounce, it seemed as if nothing had changed with the Bulldogs.
Their midfield was electric. At quarter-time they‘d had twice as many disposals as the Demons - they had the top seven possession-getters on the ground.
Caleb Daniel and Jack Macrae were gaining metres at will, with 11 touches apiece in the first term alone, and an admittedly weakened Demons midfield had no answers.
But then came that pesky problem known as the forward 50 arc, which seems to sap the Dogs‘ strength like something out of Space Jam.
Luke Beveridge‘s side couldn’t work out how to penetrate the Demons’ defence, and a lack of strong forward targets didn’t help. Both teams had three marks inside 50 in the opening quarter and a half, despite the Dogs’ utter possession dominance.
It means we again need to ask what exactly the Dogs were doing last trade period, because their midfield looked typically brilliant even without big-name recruit Adam Treloar in the side.
Treloar certainly isn‘t going to help fix their dysfunctional forward line. Last year Josh Bruce kicked 14 goals, with six of them coming in one thumping of North Melbourne. He hardly seems like the answer.
The Dogs also can‘t necessarily rely on Aaron Naughton up forward, because that means he’s not using his height in defence, where they were badly exposed in their elimination final loss to St Kilda.
So for now what we‘ve learned about the Bulldogs is that they may not have learned anything from their 2020 mistakes.
THE BONT TO BECOME THE BEST?
Marcus Bontempelli is a star. He’s been a star for years.
But this could be the year the Bulldogs captain emerges as a genuine AFL superstar and becomes the best player in the competition.
That’s despite the acquisition of Treloar and the well-known squeeze for midfield minutes at the club. But early signs suggest the triple All-Australian and triple best and fairest winner could become a more well-rounded midfielder and, like Dustin Martin and Nat Fyfe before him, a greater threat inside 50 in 2021.
Bontempelli’s numbers were ridiculous: 32 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 13 score involvements, nine inside 50s and seven clearances.
But it’s what the 25-year-old did around goal that would delight Dogs fans the most – and prompt many punters to possibly change their Brownlow tip, booting 3.1.
“He’s in rare nick, Marcus Bontempelli,” Melbourne champion Garry Lyon told Fox Footy. “He’s doing it at both ends and in the middle of the ground … He’s just owning this game.
“There has been a knock on his goalkicking, maybe set-shot than on the run. But he has flushed a couple of absolute gems – and that’s a fantastic sign.
“We know he’s a magnificent ball-winner and accumulator, but if he can start to get value for possessions – and his ball use has been great (against Melbourne) – but if he adds (goalkicking) to his game, he’s already in the top five or six players but he goes to the very pointy end.”
Bontempelli launched two massive, long-range goals on the run – one in the second then another in the third – before pulling out a ridiculous snap goal from the pocket that had the Marvel Stadium crowd – and Fox Footy commentators – in raptures.
“Save it! Stop doing it now, please Bont,” Fox Footy commentator Anthony Hudson cheekily said.
Lyon added: “Oh no! Don’t waste it in pre-season.
“You can’t play any better – and it’s a practice match.
“He’s getting ready for a massive season. He hasn’t looked any better than he has tonight. He’s just owned the footy, he’s owned the game.”
LINK (https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2021-preseason-western-bulldogs-vs-melbourne-demons-live-scores-updates-aami-community-series-stats-video-stream/news-story/8a6979278fffb2104f9746e99238bba1)