My Take - This week is FREE MONEY

[mjp]

You know something? I could care less about the result this week.

I want NO INJURIES and a bit of a return to positive footy...I actually thought we played OK vs the Bombers 2-weeks back (Peter Wright firing arrows from 50m out? That wont happen again!) and I think on projected score rate we had a 5-goal win...they hit, we missed, happens sometimes. Hawthorn? Bottom side in Tassie? Could. Not. Care. Less. And besides, haven't you heard that Clarko is a master coach? Except for everything that has happened since 2015 of course...which is 5x full seasons....(I mean, ask Luke Hodge how he liked living in Brisbane, ask Jordy Lewis about the MFC experience and ask the Hawks fans about how their recent finals form has been and how it feels watching Isaac Smith cut it up for the Cats!).

The finals start NEXT week. Nothing that happens tomorrow night really matters in the scope of the next few weeks. Win or lose - it doesn't matter - in both cases we play again the following week. If we are genuinely concerned about our ability to beat Essendon or the Orange (likely 7 and 8) well, we shouldn't be. We have been in the best couple of sides all year and those sides have been scrambling to make the 8...it's because we are better. Am I saying 'try to lose'? No - I'm saying it simply does not matter and the 'real stuff' starts in 7-days.

I hope we all get to sit down and watch a good game of footy tomorrow night - and relax and enjoy it. It's all about to get pretty real - the last two finals series have SUCKED for us - and double chance or no I'm going to be nervous as all get out next weekend....

So here's to the finals. Enjoy the prime time game in the last week of the season (with a finals spot sewn up). Enjoy the guarantee of a full week off before our next opponent...and Go DOGS.

[bornadog]

Double chance or not, I would still like to win against one of the top 4 contenders and get the psychological advantage over them. Having said that, Port haven't beaten anyone in the top four and I saw a stat the other day, Port have only won 3 of the last 27 against top 4 sides.

We are better than them, and fingers crossed for a great spectacle.

[Mofra]

The most concerning stat is the 'last 8 weeks before finals' - no team that has lost 5 of those has won a final in 20 years.
If we beat Port, we go 4-4 over that period. I think this week's game is very important and I'm less nervous than I am interested to see how we respond.

This is a team we beat on their own home ground in front of their fans just a few months ago. We know we can beat them, the question is whether we do.

[Axe Man]

Double chance or not, I would still like to win against one of the top 4 contenders and get the psychological advantage over them. Having said that, Port haven't beaten anyone in the top four and I saw a stat the other day, Port have only won 3 of the last 27 against top 4 sides.

We are better than them, and fingers crossed for a great spectacle.

It's amazing that Port could finish on top if results fall their way having only beaten Sydney, Essendon and GWS of the current top 8 to this point.

Ross Lyon was quite confident that we would win on Footy Classified last night and thinks that Port's defensive press doesn't stand up against the better sides.

[The Pie Man]

I was relieved this was a Friday game so we don’t - club & fans - have to wait long to right the wrong of last Sunday and lock in top 4.

Finals start now and I’m pumped

Should we lose tomorrow and finish 5th? Where/when we play, I watch & cheer…but I won’t be thinking we’re a serious contender for the flag. Can’t see us catching lightning twice.

[MrMahatma]

There's a possible benefit of not winning - cause if you win your way to a prelim, and then have another week off after the prelim (which is what's being suggested will happen) you have essentially 1 game of footy in almost a month in the lead up to the GF... that's not a lot.

[jeemak]

There's a possible benefit of not winning - cause if you win your way to a prelim, and then have another week off after the prelim (which is what's being suggested will happen) you have essentially 1 game of footy in almost a month in the lead up to the GF... that's not a lot.

That's if there's a pre-finals bye, which I think is less and less likely.

[Axe Man]

That's if there's a pre-finals bye, which I think is less and less likely.

Pre-finals bye has already been ruled out. There may be a bye before the prelims or Grand Final, or perhaps not at all.

MrMahatma is correct - if there is a pre-grand final bye a team could play say 28th August, 11th September Prelim and 25th September grand final.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

I don’t get how there can be a bye before the prelims. That would mean the two teams from the top 4 who win in week 1 would have two weeks off before the prelim. That’s surely not ideal.

[Rocco Jones]

I don’t get how there can be a bye before the prelims. That would mean the two teams from the top 4 who win in week 1 would have two weeks off before the prelim. That’s surely not ideal.

It would be due to quarantine period in WA. Either the week before the prelim if they are both there or the week before the GF if it's due the granny. Ideal and pandemic don't make for great bedfellows.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

If we blow a top 4 spot tomorrow night, I don't think I'll be overly invested the following week.

There was a stat flying around that we had been top 4 for 20 weeks. The most amount of weeks a team had been entrenched in the top 4 but missed out was like 11 (think it may have been Port).

Losing tomorrow night would be a disaster.

[bornadog]

I don’t get how there can be a bye before the prelims. That would mean the two teams from the top 4 who win in week 1 would have two weeks off before the prelim. That’s surely not ideal.

Before GF, not prelims

[Rocco Jones]

Before GF, not prelims

I think both are options.

[bornadog]

I think both are options.

Doesn't work Rocco. The winner of the qualifying would have two weeks off.

[MrMahatma]

Doesn't work Rocco. The winner of the qualifying would have two weeks off.

I guess if, say, PA made a prelim but not the right to host in Adelaide, and maybe Brisbane could also… or there could be COVID in Brisbane and Adelaide… it’d mean the AFL might run out of neutral venues to play at and have choice but go to WA for prelims and crowds.

Agree it’d be a horrible outcome for teams who should be advantaged by winning in week 1, but anything is possible!

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Doesn't work Rocco. The winner of the qualifying would have two weeks off.

I had seen mentioned that all options were on the table. I agree it doesn’t make sense before a prelim.

[Grantysghost]

If we blow a top 4 spot tomorrow night, I don't think I'll be overly invested the following week.

There was a stat flying around that we had been top 4 for 20 weeks. The most amount of weeks a team had been entrenched in the top 4 but missed out was like 11 (think it may have been Port).

Losing tomorrow night would be a disaster.

Agree I can't abide by the idea that it's ok to miss the top 4. It would be a massive mental hit for the entire joint.

Going into finals on the back of 3 losses we'd probably be the worst performing side in the series, you can't flick a switch to quote Bevo.

Having said that I'm confident this week.

[Mantis]

Agree I can't abide by the idea that it's ok to miss the top 4. It would be a massive mental hit for the entire joint.

Going into finals on the back of 3 losses we'd probably be the worst performing side in the series, you can't flick a switch to quote Bevo.

Having said that I'm confident this week.

Are you still confident? I guess it’s only names on paper, but it’s hard to see how we win.

[boydogs]

Are you still confident? I guess it’s only names on paper, but it’s hard to see how we win.

If we win the premiership it will be like West Coast 2006, just dominant mids

[Ghost Dog]

cool, yet for Bulldogs fans who have been in hard lockdown for over 200 days a win means a great deal.
The western suburbs is being affected disproportionately by the virus. people are jack of lock downs etc.

i take your point and it's nice to have the ladder position up our sleeve.
Also just hoping for a great game. an enormous amount of health and safety work must be going on behind the scenes.
for all the hassle i hope we win

[Go_Dogs]

Nervous excitement now.

Woof woof.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

Confidence is everything. Lose again tonight will make the mountain just a little bit steeper. Win tonight and the previous 2 weeks will be irrelevant to me.

With the lockdown etc it seems like results for supporters is exaggerated. Maybe it feels the same way for the players.

[GVGjr]

I get the feeling we will respond in a big way to a couple of underwhelming weeks.
Port will load up their forward line and we will look to run off them so I hope Dale, Duryea and Williams get amongst it early for us.

I'm hoping it's going to be an exciting game but one that we come out with the 4 points and a confidence booster.

[bornadog]

I get the feeling we will respond in a big way to a couple of underwhelming weeks.
Port will load up their forward line and we will look to run off them so I hope Dale, Duryea and Williams get amongst it early for us.

I'm hoping it's going to be an exciting game but one that we come out with the 4 points and a confidence booster.

Last two years we had to win the last game to make finals. This time we need to win to get the double chance. We can do it.

[Mantis]

How are you feeling about it now mjp?

It feels like we threw all our money on the table last night and lost the lot.

Going to withdraw our last $100 for next weekend, but the group is fragile so how do you come back from that?

[Go_Dogs]

How are you feeling about it now mjp?

It feels like we threw all our money on the table last night and lost the lot.

Going to withdraw our last $100 for next weekend, but the group is fragile so how do you come back from that?

Yeah. It’s going to be bloody tough to get the group up after that. Narrow loss, but we were outplayed for 2.5 quarters pretty comprehensively and were somewhat lucky they didn’t kick straight (until it mattered).

Our midfield was down, we were smashed in clearance and contested ball.

Our forward line wasn’t functioning well - lots of good opportunities went begging with careless things.

Our defensive group tried hard, but the mix isn’t right.

We will be playing a side who is in winning form.

This is going to be tough… another straight sets exit would be a horrible outcome.

[mjp]

How are you feeling about it now mjp?

It feels like we threw all our money on the table last night and lost the lot.

Going to withdraw our last $100 for next weekend, but the group is fragile so how do you come back from that?

I actually feel fine.

We didn't play our best yet led for 98% of the game and lost by less than a kick. I haven't seen the first half yet - watched from early in the 3rd once I finished work - and thought we competed pretty well. Some great play and finishing by Weightman and Hunter I thought showed the players care and fight. A couple of dropped marks - Liber's one handed half effort springs to mind - really hurt us. A couple of missed kicks - like the Macrae ==> Liber post CBD scrubber cost us scoring chances.

I think everyone knows I don't get too upset about Bont going for an occasional ruck know...I don't like him jumping at CBD's but watching him compete in a bit of a wrestle on the attacking 50m arc? Well...why not? I don't understand the angst about stuff like this...it's been happening forever and I saw a highlight in an old game yesterday where Brad Johnson contested the ruck in a f50 contest...I watched Scott West half-arse an attempt to go back with the flight and drop an easy mark (and I never remember calling him 'footsteps').

[jeemak]

I actually feel fine.

We didn't play our best yet led for 98% of the game and lost by less than a kick. I haven't seen the first half yet - watched from early in the 3rd once I finished work - and thought we competed pretty well. Some great play and finishing by Weightman and Hunter I thought showed the players care and fight. A couple of dropped marks - Liber's one handed half effort springs to mind - really hurt us. A couple of missed kicks - like the Macrae ==> Liber post CBD scrubber cost us scoring chances.

I think everyone knows I don't get too upset about Bont going for an occasional ruck know...I don't like him jumping at CBD's but watching him compete in a bit of a wrestle on the attacking 50m arc? Well...why not? I don't understand the angst about stuff like this...it's been happening forever and I saw a highlight in an old game yesterday where Brad Johnson contested the ruck in a f50 contest...I watched Scott West half-arse an attempt to go back with the flight and drop an easy mark (and I never remember calling him 'footsteps').

Because wrestling in a ruck contest from time to time is apparently a lot worse for a midfielder like Bont than being first to the footy and having three opposition midfielders pile into his ribs and back.

[comrade]

Rucking would be great for Bont’s clearly hampered shoulder, no doubt. And playing him inside 50 for large chunks as our other mids were slaughtered also did wonders for us.

[jeemak]

It'd be no worse for his shoulder than trying to free arms in a tackle and being slammed into the turf.

Agree with you his influence was needed around the contest more. He looked to be knackered though so not sure what's going on with him.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

He's clearly tired, why ruck him when he has to exert more energy to wrestle with much bigger opposition? We can spin it all we like but it's a ridiculous decision which highlights MC's ongoing stubbornness. Recruiting a 34 year old who had been injury prone the previous year was never the solution.

[jeemak]

Its impact is dreadfully overblown and if we think it's material to anything then we're completely missing the point.

It didn't have an impact on our sloppiness around the ground, it didn't stop us from two way running with Port midfielders. It's noise.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Its impact is dreadfully overblown and if we think it's material to anything then we're completely missing the point.

It didn't have an impact on our sloppiness around the ground, it didn't stop us from two way running with Port midfielders. It's noise.

That's not the point though. You don't put your best mid, who is already fatigued, in a position which will fatigue him more. Ask anyone who has played the game and constantly wrestling BEFORE the contest is a hell of a lot more tiring than just being a 'see ball, get ball' mid. Essentially we were asking Bont to contest the ruck AND win the ball on the ground.

I mean, we literally had Dunkley want to leave the club partly BECAUSE of being rucked. No mid wants to ruck, period. But we keep trying it.

I'm not Hannan's biggest fan, but WTF did we expect him to do in the ruck v Lycett or Ladhams? It's actually laughable.

[1eyedog]

That's not the point though. You don't put your best mid, who is already fatigued, in a position which will fatigue him more. Ask anyone who has played the game and constantly wrestling BEFORE the contest is a hell of a lot more tiring than just being a 'see ball, get ball' mid. Essentially we were asking Bont to contest the ruck AND win the ball on the ground.

I mean, we literally had Dunkley want to leave the club partly BECAUSE of being rucked. No mid wants to ruck, period. But we keep trying it.

I'm not Hannan's biggest fan, but WTF did we expect him to do in the ruck v Lycett or Ladhams? It's actually laughable.

People say CHF is the hardest position to play and while I agree it's the hardest position to make a big impact rucking is by far way more energy sapping and harder on the body than any other position.

[bornadog]

People say CHF is the hardest position to play and while I agree it's the hardest position to make a big impact rucking is by far way more energy sapping and harder on the body than any other position.

In the end how many ruck contests are we talking? 4, 5? I can't even remember that many

[jeemak]

In the end how many ruck contests are we talking? 4, 5? I can't even remember that many

It'd be great to know, because I didn't think it was a huge amount and as a result immaterial to anything.

[1eyedog]

But why? Bont in the ruck was a psychological dampener and smacked of a panic-striken reactive decision that was the icing on the metaphorical shit pie that has been our last three weeks.

[jeemak]

But why? Bont in the ruck was a psychological dampener and smacked of a panic-striken reactive decision that was the icing on the metaphorical shit pie that has been our last three weeks.

To who? The fans? The players? I'd be very very surprised if it was the latter, but if it was, very disappointed although it'd probably be an indicator of why they can't get their shit together.

[Grantysghost]

In the end how many ruck contests are we talking? 4, 5? I can't even remember that many

Bont ruck contests.

10 this week.
4 last week.

https://i.postimg.cc/JzNccrnv/Capture.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ZWqdJh6x)

[jeemak]

I don't know how he'll get out of bed today. ;)

This is me just joking. I get people don't like it, I don't think it's a big deal and don't know why it's fixated upon given the myriad more serious issues.

[azabob]

I don't know how he'll get out of bed today. ;)

This is me just joking. I get people don't like it, I don't think it's a big deal and don't know why it's fixated upon given the myriad more serious issues.

Wouldn’t you prefer English to take those 10 contests and have Bontempelli at his feet where he is a greater chance influence the contest? I know I would.

Hannan and Bontempelli attended 23 ruck contests and English only 5.

No issues with Young as our ruck, but surely English has to be second ruck.

[Mantis]

Wouldn’t you prefer English to take those 10 contests and have Bontempelli at his feet where he is a greater chance influence the contest? I know I would.

Hannan and Bontempelli attended 23 ruck contests and English only 5.

No issues with Young as our ruck, but surely Englishhas to be second ruck.

Yep.. how goals has Bont kicked or created at forward stoppages this year? Bit hard to do that when you’re bashing in at the ruck contest.

It was dumb beyond belief.

[Hotdog60]

Is it a case of the umpire yelling bulldogs ruck, bulldogs ruck and the Bont just nominating of his own accord because no other bugger would do it.
In the forward line English should have taken the ruck duties instead he walked back to the goal square. It may be more an instruction to English not to ruck than the Bont to ruck.

[azabob]

Is it a case of the umpire yelling bulldogs ruck, bulldogs ruck and the Bont just nominating of his own accord because no other bugger would do it.
In the forward line English should have taken the ruck duties instead he walked back to the goal square. It may be more an instruction to English not to ruck than the Bont to ruck.

But that logic is still flawed. English should contest the ruck when it’s inside our forward 50. This will give us the best opportunity to create goals.

[jeemak]

Wouldn’t you prefer English to take those 10 contests and have Bontempelli at his feet where he is a greater chance influence the contest? I know I would.

Hannan and Bontempelli attended 23 ruck contests and English only 5.

No issues with Young as our ruck, but surely English has to be second ruck.

Yes, absolutely I would prefer English to be taking them. Not sure why he didn't.

What I don't get is people being fixated on Bont taking them thinking it somehow demoralises the team and exhausts him.