Three things you've learned. Round fourteen 2021 v Geelong

[Twodogs]

OK let's go. Tell us three things that you know now that you didn't know this afternoon.

[GVGjr]

Bump

[bulldogtragic]

1. We are very good this year. But dropping that has ramifications.
2. Hannan doesn’t seem to add much of anything.
3. Crozier is not winning me back.

4. With 25 seconds the gap between both teams is 8 premiership points. Now we are the same points. Huge potential to scuttle our season desire of top 2.

[Mutz]

1. We can kick goals without Naughts, just get the ball onto the ground and we have swift small forwards to finish
2. Our backline is rock-steady – they had easy entries and we kept ourselves in a position to win
3. Losing to Cats, again, at their kitty litter ground always hurts more than I remember

[The Bulldogs Bite]

1. We probably don't finish top 2 from here, but as long as Melbourne/Geelong do, it doesn't matter.

2. Unbelievable effort considering our injuries to key players, but I am not sure I can visibly sit through another game vs Geelong for a while.

3. A look of despair that I shared with an older Doggies lady tonight directly after the loss will probably stick with me for a while. Whoever you are, stay strong!

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

1. Libba just herculean, if he sustains it, when the cavalry arrive (Dunks, Treloar) we're going to mix it with the best. Those guys, with an in form Libba make us a completely different challenge for the other top sides. Richmond, Melbourne and Geelong haven't faced us with all 3 in our line up
2. Bont - missed a goal, blah blah.....he's a star, and gave us way more postive inertia, than his miss detracted. He is in career best form, and elevating his game to another level.
3. Bailey Williams, his getting his step back, is important to us in the back half of the season.

[SonofScray]

1 we haven’t taken our best ruck combo into any of the three losses.
2 Kardinia Park is cursed.
3 Selwood can GAGF

[AshMac]

Not really learnings but

1. When we get the overlap handball game running we look better than the best
2. We have to be in the top 2 teams for finishing games off over 4 quarters albeit the last 40 seconds last night
3. Anthony Scott’s best game by far. Keep working hard champ

[comrade]

1. Bevo going with English as solo ruck has some real 'smartest man in the room' energies
2. Our inability to keep our feet in the first half was completely unprofessional (JJ you were the biggest culprit!)
3. Covid is doing it's best to ruin our season

[Ghost Dog]

I'm loving the positivity here everyone. Haven't seen game yet. Lots of positives.

[angelopetraglia]

1. We can't play English as our solo ruck. It cost us again last night.

2. Libba is even better than I thought. Absolute star. When he was off in that 2nd quarter they kicked two consecutive goals from centre clearances.

3. McLean surprised me. A little rusty at times, but just threw his body into every contest and had a much bigger impact that a lot of others. Huge comeback.

[bornadog]

1. Naughton going down really hurt us. He would have been huge in the last quarter.

2. After a shaky start, Mclean was a surprise coming back from an ACL. 10 disposals in the 3rd.

3. I am still feeling unhappy about the loss and all the what ifs in the last 1 minute.

[DOG GOD]

1. Top 2 is GONE!!!!
2. I’ll say it again, Libba is the most important player on our list. Get him signed NOW
3. Intercept marks continue to kill us

4. If for some reason we have to play with just 1 tall in the fwd 50, then we need to use the chaos ball more often. Take the intercept marking out of the equation.

[comrade]

1. We can't play English as our solo ruck. It cost us again last night.


I thought we'd learned that in 2020.

[Doc26]

1. I now have a great appreciation of what it must have felt like for local Uraguayans having to listen to an Aussie centric commentary team during their World Cup qualifier against us. Seriously felt like the Western Bulldogs were some Russian based team against Geelong last night given the complete lack of knowledge and commentary on anything Bulldogs by the 7 and Fox commentary teams.
2. Our key defensive talls in Keath, Cordy and Gardner were a decent match for the much lauded Hawkins, Cameron and Rohan on their home deck.
3. Special mention to Bailey Williams performance as they game intensified. He’s become our new Iceman down back.

[Mofra]

1. We can win the whole damn thing. From the second half we have three A graders to put into that side (Dunkley, Treloar, Naughton)

2. Our three tall forward structure works better when we have three tall forwards in it.

3. I'm convinced English is either one of the best forward/rucks in the AFL, or about the 25th best ruckman. I prefer him playing Option A thanks.

[Bulldog4life]

1. We can win the whole damn thing. From the second half we have three A graders to put into that side (Dunkley, Treloar, Naughton)

2. Our three tall forward structure works better when we have three tall forwards in it.

3. I'm convinced English is either one of the best forward/rucks in the AFL, or about the 25th best ruckman. I prefer him playing Option A thanks.

Tim did get 29 hit outs the most of any player in both teams and had little help from any of our pretend ruckmen. I think we are too quick to condemn his ruck work. Plus he is still learning the trade.

[The bulldog tragician]

1. Keath has become one of our top 5 most important players. He manages to square the ledger against those monster forwards, in particular he nullified those scary situations where that big brute rucked in the forward line.

2. Geelong players are among the most entitled in the league. They never ever think a free kick against them is justified.

3. Cordy is our most maligned player. I don’t know what more he could have done than beat his opponent and send the ball forward out of the danger zone. Going to the boundary line would have certainly incurred a deliberate decision against us. The point is more why was their forward line so open, with one on one contests everywhere, should we have flooded back earlier?

[comrade]

1. Keath has become one of our top 5 most important players. He manages to square the ledger against those monster forwards, in particular he nullified those scary situations where that big brute rucked in the forward line.

2. Geelong players are among the most entitled in the league. They never ever think a free kick against them is justified.

3. Cordy is our most maligned player. I don’t know what more he could have done than beat his opponent and send the ball forward out of the danger zone. Going to the boundary line would have certainly incurred a deliberate decision against us. The point is more why was their forward line so open, with one on one contests everywhere, should we have flooded back earlier?

It definitely would have but would have given us more time to set up behind the ball. They may have still picked out a marking player inside 50 but it would have been tougher to execute.

Anyway, the loss doesn't fall squarely on his shoulders, the last 3 minutes after the McLean goal was a masterclass in s***ting the bed and that last minute in particular was stunning in terms of our lack of composure.

[Dry Rot]

1. Tom Hawkins is an unselfish player.

2. Tom Hawkins is a very unselfish player.

3. Tom Hawkins is a really unselfish player.

[Bullies]

Not really learnings but

1. When we get the overlap handball game running we look better than the best
2. We have to be in the top 2 teams for finishing games off over 4 quarters albeit the last 40 seconds last night
3. Anthony Scott’s best game by far. Keep working hard champ Agree with what you say about Scott. He often gets targeted but he has done some big jobs - Rich Byrne Jones and Saad come to mind.

[Mofra]

Tim did get 29 hit outs the most of any player in both teams and had little help from any of our pretend ruckmen. I think we are too quick to condemn his ruck work. Plus he is still learning the trade.
Yes, he's learning. And come September he'll still be pretty much where he is now.
I think our best football this year has been when we've played with the two ruck structure.,

[chef]

1. We can go toe to toe with anyone in the league. Game could have gone either way, we'll be alright.

2. Libba is our most important player, need to keep him fit.

3. Sweet must play if Martins out, cant not have the 3 headed monster up forward. Big mistake.

[1eyedog]

1. The absence of Dunkley in particular shows just how immature a player B Smith really is. At this stage he is a cream player and needs one extra inside midfielder playing so he can be unleashed on the outside. His inside game atm is putrid and he has not stood up at all this year following Injuries to Ads and Dunks. I’m ok with it because he’s young and developing but he has a lot to improve on.

2. I don’t wanna bash Hannan (actually I do) but it isn’t really fair because it’s not his fault he’s playing it’s an issue at MC level. Hannan is either not good enough or is terribly out of form. He seems to just get in the way of our talls, his set shots are horrendous (on the few occasions he gets an opportunity) and I felt his defensive efforts on Friday were sub-par. He lacks confidence and you can see it on his face. Needs to make was for Wallis (or Schache if we feel we need more Wallis in the midfield until Dunks returns), up forward for a few weeks

3. With Martin, Treloar and Dunkley back, and with a fully fit McLean we can win the flag this year.

[Ghost Dog]

1. Well I have to be honest and say I thought Bevo's press conference was a bit 'interesting'.
Yes there may be a fair bit going on behind the scenes as he says. It may be that some footballers face some uncertainty as to when they will see their families for the time being. But they will shortly, no doubt.
Let's not forget they are well paid and will be flown first class all the way. Also it affects both teams.

As an expat, I haven't seen my family for a year, am unlikely to for the foreseeable future, tickets are up around 20 grand, if you can get one, and the Australian public has 0 sympathy for re-opening borders. Be that as it may, I am glad I am not in India. Fairly sure our players would rather be playing than not, in a job than not.
I feel for the boys, with their uncertainty, but Bevo might also remind them things could be a hell of a lot worse.

2. Our defensive backs did a great job I thought, from the replay anyway. We will only be better with Woody down there.
If we can reproduce that effort with Wood, Martin, Josh back in the team, we should be fine to get one back.

3. Chris Scott is an ugly coach. His behavior in the box is annoying. He was a thug as a player, and is a thug of a coach. But I didn't learn that, I just was reminded.

[Jeanette54]

1. Our much maligned back six showed their work ethic is equal to the task against the best.

2. Libba (again) confirmed he is the engine room of this team.

3. The Bont is our best onfield leader since EJ, no question.

[Bulldog4life]

Yes, he's learning. And come September he'll still be pretty much where he is now.
I think our best football this year has been when we've played with the two ruck structure.,

Agree with this. For sure.

[Bulldog4life]

1 Selwood has always been a dirty thug. That will never change.
2. Game could have easily gone either way.
3. With our ins come the finals feel very confident we have Geelong's measure.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Geelong always out west us.
Rebrand as Greater Eastern Geelong see how that works.
Change to the Wolfhounds as our emblem and release a pack of them to run from goal to goal every home game. They run like cheetahs.

[Mitcha]

Missing multiple easy set shots (Bont, Scott) at crucial times (early last quarter) is costly but that has been known for some time.
We must hit the post more often than any other side in living memory.
Geelong are the luckiest side in living memory and also the most arrogant and entitled group I can remember, their coach is a knob and Selwood and Dangerfield expect everything their way and look totally shocked when anything goes against them. They can get stuffed.