Game Day - Bulldogs vs Crows

[GVGjr]

This is the discussion thread for todays game.

Who's you tip to kick the first goal for us? I'll go with Akermanis

This shapes as a huge game for us for so many reasons.

[The Coon Dog]

Scott Welsh.

[The Underdog]

Brad Johnson for 1st goal.
We need to win this game, We have a lot to prove and the fact that it's Johnno's 300th should be the icing on the motivation cake. Adelaide aren't necessarily the most talented side going around but they are very fit and very disciplined. We need to show that we've made improvements and can match teams in those two areas. We have a pretty good early draw and if we are going to be a top 8 team should be 3-1 after 4 rounds.

[Mantis]

We need to win this game, We have a lot to prove and the fact that it's Johnno's 300th should be the icing on the motivation cake. Adelaide aren't necessarily the most talented side going around but they are very fit and very disciplined. We need to show that we've made improvements and can match teams in those two areas. We have a pretty good early draw and if we are going to be a top 8 team should be 3-1 after 4 rounds.

Well said.

Watching a bit of last nights game at the Dome re-inforced how hard it is to break down teams which are committed to play a defensive style. Even though Craig wants the Crows to play a more offensive game this year they are still a very good 'pressure' team so we are going to have to match there intensity for the full 4 qtrs.

1st goal - Aker

[LostDoggy]

I normally get a bit nervous before the first game of the season but today is so important for us for a number of reasons.

I think we will win a close one and I'll go with Scott West for the first goal.

[LostDoggy]

Well said.

Watching a bit of last nights game at the Dome re-inforced how hard it is to break down teams which are committed to play a defensive style. Even though Craig wants the Crows to play a more offensive game this year they are still a very good 'pressure' team so we are going to have to match there intensity full the full 4 qtrs.

Curbing their 'pressure' midfield will be the key to the game. Scoring the 14 goals that we will probably need might prove a hurdle for us as well.

[Mantis]

Curbing their 'pressure' midfield will be the key to the game. Scoring the 14 goals that we will probably need might prove a hurdle for us as well.

Going by modern footy we only need to kick 6.... What a joke that game was. Both teams should be charged with bringing the game into disrepute.

[LostDoggy]

Going by modern footy we only need to kick 6.... What a joke that game was. Both teams should be charged with bringing the game into disrepute.

Is this the typical way that the Swans start their early season games ? Wasn't there a huge issue last season or the one before with their negative game plans?

[Dogs 24/7]

Bulldogs by 15 points, Johnson the first goal and Cooney the best on ground

[LostDoggy]

Bobby 1st goal. Johnno bog, dogs up bu 16pts.

[The Underdog]

Going by modern footy we only need to kick 6.... What a joke that game was. Both teams should be charged with bringing the game into disrepute.

Yeah but watching it i came out thinking that last year we would have lost that kind of game by 5 goals. Adelaide and St.Kilda will show us early on how committed we really are.

[Mantis]

Yeah but watching it i came out thinking that last year we would have lost that kind of game by 5 goals. Adelaide and St.Kilda will show us early on how committed we really are.

More like 8+ goals

[The Underdog]

More like 8+ goals

Yeah I was being a bit kind.

[Go_Dogs]

I'll go for Johnson for the first goal. I'm getting a bit nervous/excited about how the game will unfold. Going to watch it with my dad, so hopefully the Dogs can get a win - I can't deal with a Crows win.

[wimberga]

Cant wait for todays games, i think im almost excited as Johnno

Murph for the first

[hujsh]

Alright I'm pumped.

Carn Welsh for the first goal

[Mofra]

Cam Wight to run the lines, give off, keep running, receive & kick our opener.

We have too much to play for to lose this game.
- Johnno's 300th
- Westy matching EJ's games record
- Welsh & Hudson playing their old sides
- We should finally have a dominant ruck division
- Minson playing as a tall forward
- Murph & Hahn finally over their knee injuries
- I have level 1 seats :)

[fish]

2.30am here in the UK. internet radio does wonders (although how long i'll last i'm not sure)

Good start for the doggies - Welsh with the first goal, and a couple of good marks by the seems of it.
Seem to be moving the ball very quickly, with a lot of handballs - sounds like the players are supporting each other very well.

[fish]

1/4 time
5.4 - 2.1

2 posters as well in the behinds. Very little from the crows, dogs held off one attack in the last few minutes - sounded like lots of bodies getting involved - was important to go in with at least the 20pt lead considering how the quarter went. Then went upfield and nearly kicked one more.

Hope they start the next quarter in the same fashion.

[mjp]

2.30am here in the UK. internet radio does wonders (although how long i'll last i'm not sure)

Good start for the doggies - Welsh with the first goal, and a couple of good marks by the seems of it.
Seem to be moving the ball very quickly, with a lot of handballs - sounds like the players are supporting each other very well.

Yep. We are playing very well. Convincingly winning the contested possession battle. Wish Johnno and Gilbee had taken those chances though - very gettable.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Some observations from the Fox telecast.

*for the first time in a long time, we are winning contested ball convincingly, against a team renowned for being hard at the ball
*Hudson has vastly improved our ball winning abilities in the centre.
*Cooney and Griffen in the midfield have been very good, with Cooney especially looking very fit, and damaging.
*Welsh 2 goals has done well on Rutten.

Now 3 quarters to go!

[fish]

mistakes early in the second quarter, and sounds like we need a goal to settle things

..... and Murphy obliges ... but Burton gets another for the crows

[fish]

argh turnover after turnover

Hadnt heard Johnson or Welsh this quarter (although Johnson has just been involved).

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Second quarter the opposite of the 1st.

*losing in the centre and in contested ball.
*increased pressure from Crows has seen our quality of disposal nosedive, Higgins & Morris have made some critical disposal errors.
* Lake looks very underdone, and seems hampered in his movement.

We need to turn this around quickly otherwise Adelaide will cut loose in the 2nd half.

[fish]

So far multiple mistakes by Morris and cross, and then have also heard lazy/bad kicks by gilbee, eagleton - and others. Really sounds like things were a mess. Not quite sure why that sort of change around happens - although i presume part of it was adelaide pressure.

6.9 - 7.8

At least it is close even after a terrible (sounding) quarter

[fish]

not a great start to third quarter - two quick adelaide goals...

[fish]

important goal for wight ... but still sounding bad

[fish]

just noticed that we've only made 20 tackles in contrast to 32 by the crows ...

[fish]

bizarre quarter - not in it (?) to begin with, but (presumably) perservered, made less mistakes, and able to kick straight to go in 13.9 - 12.13 so 2 points ahead.
Sounds like the last quarter will depend on clearances and midfield pressure. When Adelaide attack appears we dont have a match up for Burton, and Lake is struggling wherever he is, so they seem likley to score. But when we've won the clearances (and not made clangers) we sound on top. There was a good bit of play by Minson in the ruck towards the end of that quarter - which is a good sign.

Lets just hope the players have got some run left

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Fantastic game from young Hill, he's got some sticky hands. His disposal has been good too. In praccy games and his 1 outing against the Eagles last year, i worried about his kicking-seemed to kick a few floaters, but it has been good today.
Good comeback this term, and now we really need to show some fight in the last.
Hudson is going to have to ruck his pants off in the last and we need to run, run run and negate Adelaides rolling wave of numbers.
They seem to generate run from slowing the ball down and then running in waves? Hard to tell from the TV, but this seems to be what they do.
If we can keep the ball moving as we did in the 1st and most of the 3rd, we can negate this.

[fish]

sounds like everyone is tired and will be who makes the least mistakes - too much excitement for 4.30am

[fish]

2 quick adelaide goals...

[fish]

crucial long goal by gilbee (ps i realise there is probably bo-one reading this, but I needed to release some of the tension)

[fish]

getting too mcuh ... minson/cooney tandem in the middle set up johnson to put us 4pt up

[fish]

crap - bock has a kick for it...

[fish]

woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fish]

So good to get the win, glad I stayed up, sleep now - look forward to reading the post-match reports from all those who were there!

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

So good to get the win, glad I stayed up, sleep now - look forward to reading the post-match reports from all those who were there!

What a finish. Some concerns that we were going back to our 2nd half season efforts there during the 2nd and first part of the 3rd quarter. But they fought through it, and what's more against a team that if you give a sniff to usually grind you into the dirt.
Highlights for me.

* Overall (2nd quarter aside), there seemd to be a greater commitment to put the body on the line.
*Cooney- almost his best full game performance. During every quarter he contributed something. When it was hot late in the game, he won crucial clearances and his disposal was first rate.
*Minson- apart from a stupid bounce whilst being tackled, I thought his rucking efforts were of great support to Hudson. Didnt do anything up forward, but hit a number of taps to CRUCIAL advantage, and really gave us momentum.
*Josh Hill- faded late, when MacLeod went on him, but showed he has the ability to take a contested mark (took 4 contested marks out of twelve).
* Welsh-yet again he kicked a bag... in a Bulldogs Adelaide game... only this time it was for us. Took a lot of pressure off Johnno in the first half. As a result it took the pressure off the team by having a second avenue to goal, if Johnno was being held.
*Hudson- thought he drifted late, but was very good overall, and most of the time gave our on ballers 1st shot.

Disappointing were, Higgins, Lake, and Wight.
Higgins disposal was at times sloppy, and his defensive efforts were quite poor.
Lake- just looked out of sorts fitness and game time wise.
Wight- tried hard, but just doesn't seem to read play well and gets caught out of position more often than not.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

So good to get the win, glad I stayed up, sleep now - look forward to reading the post-match reports from all those who were there!

Nice effort Fish... sleep the sleep of a satisfied Bulldog supporter!! Good luck getting the pulse rate down though after the nail biting finish.....
I went into the foetal position, on the floort, myself when Bock marked the ball inside fifty in the last 30 seconds..... visions of Pre Lim 97 came back.... and I just couldn't watch...... I heard the fans scream.....the siren go... I presumed he'd kicked it.... but my wife who has steelier nerves than me said "he missed it dogs won!

[Go_Dogs]

What a game. Our opening and then committment after the 1st half was great. Cooney was fantastic, Griffen and Gilbee very important, Gia played the best game he's played for 2 years, Akermanis used every touch to perfection, Higgins looks fitter, Hill was bloody fantastic. Johnno, Welsh, Hudson and Minson were all great too.

How good were some of Minson's spikes out the centre bounce? HUGE.

Some good signs from todays game, but both sides are well behind Geelong.

[Go_Dogs]

I must also comment on the umpiring - some very strange decisions paid and not paid both ways. I think it ended up fairly even, although a few obvious ones - like hands in Morris' back which resulted in McLeod snapping a goal etc were pretty poor and costly misses, thankfully though it worked both ways and we weren't too effected by the time the game was over.

[hujsh]

What a game. Our opening and then committment after the 1st half was great. Cooney was fantastic, Griffen and Gilbee very important, Gia played the best game he's played for 2 years, Akermanis used every touch to perfection, Higgins looks fitter, Hill was bloody fantastic. Johnno, Welsh, Hudson and Minson were all great too.

How good were some of Minson's spikes out the centre bounce? HUGE.

Some good signs from todays game, but both sides are well behind Geelong.

BANG! Straight to Eagle or Gilbee. Really impressive in the ruck but they don't kick it to him on the lead when forward.

Without Minson Johnson couldn't have got that last goal as he worried them so the double-teamed leaving JOHNNO!

Loving Hill and Welsh and Hudson.

Was it Welsh who laid an awesome tackle on the Crows side of the centre square in the last quarter?

Although we made some poor decisions due to pressure we were able to reciprocate it and cause several free kicks due to them holding the ball.

Not perfect but we won AND THE FOOTY'S BACK!

[wimberga]

Must say iv just got back from the game

Hill is a VERY exciting prospect and seems to very fit.

Cooney was awesome today, gave him my BOG for the dogs and cannot wit, he will have an amazing season if he can stay injury free.

Griffen showed some glimpses of the player he can become and did well in hist first league game since injury, cant wait. All in all, im VERY excited about this year and believe this was a brilliant first game for the dogs.

Just a question, for those of you who saw it, what happened between Van Berlo and Minson in the centre square in the 2nd half? it was way off the bal, and i just spotted van berlo on the ground wiht minson streaking away?

Cheers

[hujsh]

Just a question, for those of you who saw it, what happened between Van Berlo and Minson in the centre square in the 2nd half? it was way off the bal, and i just spotted van berlo on the ground wiht minson streaking away?

Cheers

I didn't see Minson hit him but i saw him go down so i would guess Minno will be hoping there were no cameras

[Go_Dogs]

Just a question, for those of you who saw it, what happened between Van Berlo and Minson in the centre square in the 2nd half? it was way off the bal, and i just spotted van berlo on the ground wiht minson streaking away?

Cheers

Couldn't really see much from the tv replays, so I'm not exactly sure what happened. Certainly was Minson who hit him though according to the commentators, and it was definitely off the ball.

Perhaps someone at the game had a better view of the incident and can elaborate a bit further. Hate to lose Minson for a few weeks now.

[hujsh]

Couldn't really see much from the tv replays, so I'm not exactly sure what happened. Certainly was Minson who hit him though according to the commentators, and it was definitely off the ball.

Perhaps someone at the game had a better view of the incident and can elaborate a bit further. Hate to lose Minson for a few weeks now.

Damn i was close to the incident but was just a bit slow to see No doubt was Minson but can they prove it?

[Go_Dogs]

Damn i was close to the incident but was just a bit slow to see No doubt was Minson but can they prove it?

If there is no video evidence and no umpires actually saw it - which it didn't look like as I didn't see his number get taken, perhaps he'll escape. I'm still unsure if there was any malice involved, if they were both running the line to get to a space/contest or something, which appeared to be the case, it shouldn't be an issue at all, should it?

[hujsh]

If there is no video evidence and no umpires actually saw it - which it didn't look like as I didn't see his number get taken, perhaps he'll escape. I'm still unsure if there was any malice involved, if they were both running the line to get to a space/contest or something, which appeared to be the case, it shouldn't be an issue at all, should it?

Early plea and a good record (if he has one) should get him off.

I liked the way Wight moved forward. Once to get a mark just outside 50 and (i think) set someone up (although he should have got it when he was straight out not on the angle) and again to get that little soccer goal after looking a bit lazy.

[wimberga]

If there is no video evidence and no umpires actually saw it - which it didn't look like as I didn't see his number get taken, perhaps he'll escape. I'm still unsure if there was any malice involved, if they were both running the line to get to a space/contest or something, which appeared to be the case, it shouldn't be an issue at all, should it?

I was close to the incident but only noticed once Van Berlo was down.

Dare say it wasnt a collision as later in the game Minson and Van Berlon had a tussle on my side and a few words exchanged. Im certain some malice was involved, but would hate to lose Minson.

[hujsh]

I was close to the incident but only noticed once Van Berlo was down.

Dare say it wasnt a collision as later in the game Minson and Van Berlon had a tussle on my side and a few words exchanged. Im certain some malice was involved, but would hate to lose Minson.

Especially after today, to have Street (shudder)

[GVGjr]

I had just about written us off three times towards the end but what a game by Johnson. A day very much to be proud of the boys methinks.

[hujsh]

I had just about written us off three times towards the end but what a game by Johnson. A day very much to be proud of the boys methinks.

If i don't give up they don't come back;)

[Booka]

I was just wondering if anyone knew what happened to Eagleton? I didn't watch the game, but read that he injured his ankle?

[Go_Dogs]

I was just wondering if anyone knew what happened to Eagleton? I didn't watch the game, but read that he injured his ankle?

Collision, didn't really look like a sprain, more an impact injury. He was icing his ankle when he went off and didn't return. Thought he'd played a pretty good game.

[hujsh]

I was just wondering if anyone knew what happened to Eagleton? I didn't watch the game, but read that he injured his ankle?

Collision in the forward line and he limped off with the trainers

[Booka]

Collision, didn't really look like a sprain, more an impact injury. He was icing his ankle when he went off and didn't return. Thought he'd played a pretty good game.

Yeah he had a pretty good game, at least statswise anyway. Any idea of how bad and how long he will be out for?

[The Underdog]

Yeah he had a pretty good game, at least statswise anyway. Any idea of how bad and how long he will be out for?

They were talking a broken bone and 6-8 weeks on the radio.

As for the game, I was ecstatic that we won, i thought the first quarter was sensational and seemed like everything they promised over the pre-season. Great pressure, running in waves, kickng to Welsh in the forward line, not just letting the opposition run the other way when they turned it over. Then the 2nd quarter was the exact same rubbish we served up for much of last year.
In the end i thought we were a bit lucky but the physical pressure came back a bit in the 4th quarter and we kept at it. Still digesting it all a bit. thought Josh Hill's first 3 quarters were fantastic.

[LostDoggy]

Sorry to say but Eagleton's injury was his own fault basically. Failed to go in a 50/50 low and hard.

[The Underdog]

Sorry to say but Eagleton's injury was his own fault basically. Failed to go in a 50/50 low and hard.

I don't disagree, he half committed.
I found him such a barometer of our form in the first 3 quarters. He really frustrates me.

[Booka]

They were talking a broken bone and 6-8 weeks on the radio.


Darn, one of my mates had said that is his likely lay off, but I really hoped he was just bluffing! Ohh well at least it will open the door to some of the other young bulldogs.

[The Underdog]

Darn, one of my mates had said that is his likely lay off, but I really hoped he was just bluffing! Ohh well at least it will open the door to some of the other young bulldogs.

Assuming everyone else is fit, we need to replace Eags and Addison might be in trouble. Maybe Harbrow in if he's ready, possibly Tiller if he's better.

[GVGjr]

Assuming everyone else is fit, we need to replace Eags and Addison might be in trouble. Maybe Harbrow in if he's ready, possibly Tiller if he's better.

Tiller didn't play yesterday and neither did Stack. Harbrow and Callan could be contenders

[Bulldog Revolution]

A very pleasing performance, a real pressure cooker game, and Adelaide are certainly a formiddable team.

Apart from the second quarter when we were smashed we were very good.

Welsh was very active up forward and always looked threatening when the delivery gave him a chance. Minson was excellent in the ruck in bursts. Johnson quiet but finished with a game breaking 5. Hudson, Akermanis. West, Boyd, Morris, Gilbee, Cross very solid. Cooney superb. Griffen handy. Hill was super on a wing and played a terrific 3rd quarter to get us back in the game. Whilst making mistakes Eagle did lots of good things. Hargraves gave away a few free kicks but actually played a pretty good game. Giansiracusa had a terrific first half and I really noticed how smart a player he is of where he kicks the ball and where he runs to - he is actually a classy player when he does the hard stuff to back it up like he did today.

Very encouraging start but they must back up against a Melbourne group that is probably going to have dung heaped all over it by the media this week

[LostDoggy]

Oh My Goodness What A Game, My Voice Has Gone, It Was So Dam Hot In There Today, That Siren Couldnt Have Come At A Better Time, Luckily Bock Or Whoever It Was Missed The Goal.

That Was One Of Wills Best Games, If Not His Best, Still Needs To Work On Stuff In The Forward Line, But It Worked Out Well Today.

Im Stil Lso Excited And Ive Jsut Realised I Wrote All That In Capitals, Hehe Sorry Guys.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Oh My Goodness What A Game, My Voice Has Gone, It Was So Dam Hot In There Today, That Siren Couldnt Have Come At A Better Time, Luckily Bock Or Whoever It Was Missed The Goal.

That Was One Of Wills Best Games, If Not His Best, Still Needs To Work On Stuff In The Forward Line, But It Worked Out Well Today.

Im Stil Lso Excited And Ive Jsut Realised I Wrote All That In Capitals, Hehe Sorry Guys.

Minson was very good today so you have every right to be pleased. His forward work wasn't terrible. He created a goal in the first quarter, and our delivery was so appalling in the second quarter he had absolutely no chance of getting it.

Sure he has work to do on his forward work but the crows ability to bottle us up didn't help him get on the end of any easy ones, and he aint getting any smaller

[hujsh]

Minson was very good today so you have every right to be pleased. His forward work wasn't terrible. He created a goal in the first quarter, and our delivery was so appalling in the second quarter he had absolutely no chance of getting it.

Sure he has work to do on his forward work but the crows ability to bottle us up didn't help him get on the end of any easy ones, and he aint getting any smaller

I say that we would lose without Minson. Set attacks up with his taps/punches (on the ball not Van Berlo) and gave that crumb to Johnson in the last quarter for the 10pt lead because of his size

[LostDoggy]

Minson was very good today so you have every right to be pleased. His forward work wasn't terrible. He created a goal in the first quarter, and our delivery was so appalling in the second quarter he had absolutely no chance of getting it.

Sure he has work to do on his forward work but the crows ability to bottle us up didn't help him get on the end of any easy ones, and he aint getting any smaller


What he didnt do in the forward line, he made up for it in the ruck, some of those hitouts were bloody huge, and straight to a player.

Cant wait to see a replay of this game, ill be watching it as soon as i get it, thats if i do get it.

[hujsh]

What he didnt do in the forward line, he made up for it in the ruck, some of those hitouts were bloody huge, and straight to a player.

Cant wait to see a replay of this game, ill be watching it as soon as i get it, thats if i do get it.

Same spot each time to Eags of Gilbs...works every time;)

[The Bulldogs Bite]

The forward line looked pretty dangerous, and thats encouraging, because The Crows have one of the best backlines going around and it's no secret in years gone by they've murdered our forwards & midfielders. Minson contested well and as a result we got a few goals, including Johnson's last. His ruck work was impressive too, he should be well pleased. Welsh was fantastic, he applied great defensive pressure (How about that run down?), was nice on the lead & marked & kicked very well. He's a good pick-up for us, I'm sure Johnson would concur. Murphy looked brillant for three quarters, went a bit missing in the end, but he played a good game. Looked his old self with the way he moved and took some nice marks on long leads. Really encouraging signs, he can make our forward setup look so much more dangerous.

Hudson was fantastic for most of the game, too. Really adds some much needed bite around the contest and his ruck work is great. Without him & Welsh, Adelaide would've beaten us by 4+ goals at least. He works tirelessly around the ground, dropping back when needed & making himself an option in the middle of the ground and around the wings. Very impressed and very happy we picked him up. Cooney & Westy were great, I thought Cross & Boyd were a little down and at times were handballing like madmen. Griffen was a nice addition to the midfield and he'll only improve. Eagleton played pretty well, his run was crucial, it's a huge loss if he's injured. Imagine Eagleton & Ray in the one side, running hard - very handy.

Hill was fantastic; he's a good height for a midfielder/flanker. His vertical leap is impressive; he took a couple of contested grabs off one step. When he's given a run at a pack, he's even more impressive. For just his second game, Hill was incredibly impressive and was close to BOG for the first three quarters. He worked hard all day, running up & down the wings as well as applying good defensive pressure. He's got good skills, strong hands & a very smart head on his shoulders. That passage of play where he knocked the ball to Aker's advantage was pure instinct and un-teachable. He's an exciting prospect young Hill, I reckon we've uncovered a beauty. Whack 4-6kgs on Hill, some experience, and he's going to be a really exciting player that'll be hard to match up on.

The backline was a disaster. Lake was good for the first half but faded afterwards. Hargrave was murdered all day by Burton, he really did it tough. Morris was pretty ordinary too, dropped a few marks, beaten at ground level & made some really poor passes by both foot & hand. Gilbee was alright in patches but at times made some strange decisions and executed poorly at times. Looked a little tense, but that last quarter goal was a gem. Wight did OK in parts but lost the battle in the last quarter. The backline was as bad as I've seen it, it's an area they really drastically need to improve before results can come. Against the top 4 or 5 sides we'll be belted if they don't improve. The midfielders MUST play a more accountable brand of football, too many times The Crows had midfielders standing by themself in the 50m arc.

Just to note; Higgins shouldn't play in the midfield. He hasn't got the motor and he's got no defensive game at all. Decision making was average and execution wasn't much better. At this stage, he's best suited to a HFF because he's a liability IMO playing through the middle, especially if playing on quality (eg. Goodwin).

All in all, a pleasing performance. The midfield/forward setup looked good and worked. Still improvement in these areas as a few players could've done a lot better (Boyd, Cross, Hahn). Gia seems to make a couple of silly mistakes a game, but overall he did very well and proved he's an intelligent and damaging player. The backline needs a lot of work, but with players to come back (Ray, Harbrow, Everitt, Williams) we should be very pleased with the win.

[ledge]

A couple of thoughts of mine on the game, i sat in a forward pocket level 3.... Our forward line structure is still not quite right,i did see johnson and another of our players run to the same hole, causing a crowding effect, in the second and part of third quarter we looked too scared to have a shot at the goals.
When we run and move it quick we look very very good but the minute we have to stop and find a target we are terrible.
We made some horrid mistakes with handball when on our own, maybe just first game cobwebs.
But positive sides are Minson,he has so much bulk in the ruck, if only he could hold those marks in the forward line!
Aker, every game i have seen him he just rips a side apart in a qtr. dont underestimate his value to us.
Welsh and Hudson look like great recruits not crocks.
Addison tried hard got the ball a lot but is a bit nervous.
Hill good kid hopefully he gets some more weight on to hold his own as he did get bumped off a bit in one on one contests.
Johnno , well he is just Johnno full of tricks and capable of anything.
Gia, great game.
Cooney heaps of possies just get his delivery right.
My favourite, Griffen you know he is going to try and break a line or 2.
Eagle well he gives his all i think , sometimes buggers it up but lets remember the good things he did too.
Lake and Hargraves toiled hard in what sometimes seemed to be a flood of crows players.
Can i ask as a kid we were taught to take the number of the bloke your playing on and when the opposition have the ball , stick to him. whatever happened to that?
At times, when we kicked a point we still let the opposition get the ball to the wing before we tried to stop them .

[Twodogs]

I was impressed at how much physical pressure we applied. At times our skills were appalling but we always dumped and bumped the ball carrier or runner and applied team tackles. Adelaide players who had just disposed of the ball were almost always bowled over. Good, good stuff.

[Twodogs]

Can i ask as a kid we were taught to take the number of the bloke your playing on and when the opposition have the ball , stick to him. whatever happened to that?



At one stage in the third quarter an Adelaide player was having a set shot from outside 50 and four of our guys just stood still in the centre watching and made no effort to run and pick a player up or clog up space.

[ledge]

But in saying that it hey we won !!! woohoo yeehaaa great to win and still say we can see areas of improvement! so we can only get better! congrats johnno and hopefully we can do it for Westy next week when he breaks E.Js record!
Now for Melbourne mmmm they looked shocking, lets not take this game for granted, be great to be 2-0

[Throughandthrough]

I was impressed at how much physical pressure we applied. At times our skills were appalling but we always dumped and bumped the ball carrier or runner and applied team tackles. Adelaide players who had just disposed of the ball were almost always bowled over. Good, good stuff.


Yes indeed.


Was commenting on that myself.

[Throughandthrough]

At one stage in the third quarter an Adelaide player was having a set shot from outside 50 and four of our guys just stood still in the centre watching and made no effort to run and pick a player up or clog up space.


The problem we had in the second quarter was skill errors.


Its all good when you are flooding forward as a team, but when a pass misses the target, causing a turn over, it gets very ugly very quickly, with lose players everywhere.

[hujsh]

I was impressed at how much physical pressure we applied. At times our skills were appalling but we always dumped and bumped the ball carrier or runner and applied team tackles. Adelaide players who had just disposed of the ball were almost always bowled over. Good, good stuff.

For sure. If we made a mistake we did what we could to make them turn the ball over.

Are we desperate enough? We looked like getting a goal when they were under pressure but they kicked it off the ground and somehow got a goal.

[Big Will]

Big Will was very good today. He made his contribution to the team. A lot of criticism of Will has been on his uncontrolled agression... that was nowhere to be seen today. Not everyone can be a superstar but our team desperately needs the contribution that Will gives...

-Big, strong presence in the forward line
-Taps down Cooney's and West's throats
-Monster centre hit outs to half forward down eagletons throat
-Provide hard protection up the middle for our running players (Van Berlo didn't look like getting up)

And how good was his contest in the goal square for Johnno to kick the sealer!

[LostDoggy]

Unfortunately didn't get to attend the game today as the parent own a shop on the coast and as it's easter I had to stay and help. Bugger. However over the weekend, a LOT of bulldogs suppoters/members came trhough the shop, all wearing their hats proudly. I was happy with that, it makes me glad to see the members proud to wear the colours.

Ok, so I ran away and watched the game on Foxtel out the back. Almost had a heart attack in the last 10 mins you could say! (the last 5, in particular).
Some of my personal highlights from the game

-Johnno. Looks like he's back, I was kind of concerned he'd dropped off a bit in the nab cup, but nope, back to his magnificent self.

-Hudson and Welsh. Always good to get back at Adelaide, innit?

- Minson. I completely agree with what someone mentioned before about his ruck work with his huge spiking, it was excellent.

-Gias goal. You know, the one set up by Johnno. I was screaming, it was UNBELIEVABLE. I thought goals like that never happened to us!

[ledge]

screaming out the back of a shop, thats a bit of a worry, hope they didnt think you were being robbed!

[The Coon Dog]

My voice is gone! Unbelievable game today, there were times I thought to myself, here we go, Adelaide will run away with it, but we just hung in, which to me was very pleasing.

Great first up game by Scott Welsh, a beautiful foil for Johnno. Loved his chase & tackle late in the game.

Gee, we certainly contributed to our own downfall early with turnovers that cost us dearly, lost count of the number in the end, but it would be something that would no doubt cause some degree of angst amongst the coaching staff.

I felt for Shaggy, when Burton's on, he's on & today he was on! Didn't matter whether Shaggy tried to play from behind or infront.

Eagle was terrific, particularly in that first quarter, certainly had a hand in a few goals. Shame he got hurt, tho it's a bit harsh to suggest it was because he didn't go hard enough, the Crows player barrelled into & under him.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man! Johnno, you are an inspiration! Another telling contribution again in round 1.

I thought some of Aker's possessions were telling, very poised.

Cooney seemed to get alot of it, didn't always use it to advantage but kept working very hard.

Loved Scotty West's game today. You just can't put an old head on young shoulders! He linked very well with those prepared to run & recieve.

For a bloke who's unfairly (in my view) maligned & had very little pre season, I thought Gia was fantastic!

Another 'Lindsay Special' I love those handball receives from outside 50 that sail effortlessly over the goal umpire.

What a class act at the end of the game by the Adelaide Football Club to form a guard of honour for Johnno! After a gruelling contest that was both physically & mentally draining, the easiest thing would have been for them to trudge off to the sanctuary of their rooms.

I guess it's a game most of us thought was really more of a 50/50 chance than perhaps many neutrals did & that's how it proved to be.

What a bloody fantastic feeling when that final siren sounded, couldn't have beard the thought of a Crows win in a big game by 2 points........again.

Interesting next week, playing a team many consider to be wooden spoon favourites who are coming off a 16 goal shellacking. No doubt the media will pour scorn upon them & they'll have a point to prove, so we must a) ensure we don't take them for granted & b) not let Ben Bloody Holland kick a bagful of goals on us (never kicks them against anyone else).

With a bit of luck we'll get some positive media attention this week & a significant boost in membership as a result.

Be interesting to see who will replace Eagle. Probably out of Tiller, Harbrow & at a pinch Callan Ward.

[BulldogBelle]

Oh My Goodness What A Game, My Voice Has Gone.

Yes, same with the voice - not much of it left. Great game, I knew we would win this game, had no doubt whatsover- even during those last few minutes...I refused to believe they wouldn't win it for Johhno, in the end Johnno won it for himself.

Had a couple of Crow guests sitting with us, they were shellshocked but good sports.

[hujsh]

b) not let Ben Bloody Holland kick a bagful of goals on us (never kicks them against anyone else).

With a bit of luck we'll get some positive media attention this week & a significant boost in membership as a result.

Be interesting to see who will replace Eagle. Probably out of Tiller, Harbrow & at a pinch Callan Ward.

Hasn't Holland retired? I forgot he existed.

Hopefuly we get a good boost at the Melb match in members

Wouldn't surprise me if McDougal came in

[The Coon Dog]

Hasn't Holland retired?

No, he hasn't.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Eagle was terrific, particularly in that first quarter, certainly had a hand in a few goals. Shame he got hurt, tho it's a bit harsh to suggest it was because he didn't go hard enough, the Crows player barrelled into & under him.


Absolutely it was Eagle's fault he got hurt!

They Crows player put his head down and attacked the ball, Eagle was closer to the ball than his opponent but tried to finese.

Cross would never have been hurt this way, he would have been low and hit the Crows player shoulder to shoulder.

Wasn't impressed at the time and told Ernie and TwoDogs so!

[dog town]

Absolutely it was Eagle's fault he got hurt!

They Crows player put his head down and attacked the ball, Eagle was closer to the ball than his opponent but tried to finese.

Cross would never have been hurt this way, he would have been low and hit the Crows player shoulder to shoulder.

Wasn't impressed at the time and told Ernie and TwoDogs so!Yep saw it the same way. Eagle got hurt because he didn't go in as hard as the other bloke. Had a good game other than that.

[Go_Dogs]

Yep saw it the same way. Eagle got hurt because he didn't go in as hard as the other bloke. Had a good game other than that.

Watching the replay of the game last night, it almost looked to me like Eagle pulled out of the contest at the last second fearing he'd make high contact to the other players head and give away the free. Unfortunately he made the decision too late and was collected.

[dog town]

Yeah it was a split second thing. Not hanging him for it though. Wont be the last guy to do it.

I was reasonably impressed with our efforts. To beat a side like the crows for endeavour was the most encouraging part I suppose.

I thought our game suffered when we went a little bit indirect and over used the footy. Once we started pumping the ball back in we started to put some score on the board again and the game swung back our way. When you have Johnson, Murphy and Welsh in a forward line set up you really want to be getting in as quickly as possible.

You would have to be a little dissapointed that they scored 123 points but we were a little bit undermanned defensively. Personally I thought Rob Murphy could have come back onto Burton pretty early given that Murph had minimal impact up forward. Murph ended up playing on Goodwin and Morris did a good job on Burton in the last but I would have gone with Murph from half time or so. Actually thought Shaggy did well to still contribute after being pantsed by Burton. Shaggy was an important player when the game was up for grabs as was Harris who had a nightmare game in some ways.

Hudson- Delivered exactly what we had hoped he would. Strong presence at ground level really made a difference.

Morris- Made some blunders but he was bloody brave all day and fought to the death for every touch.

Wight- Did a reasonable job on McGregor. Cant afford to give up front spot with such a size disadvantage which caught him out a few times. Pretty much held one of the crows key forwards though.

Welsh- Classic Welsh game. Just makes every touch count. The mark he took running back into space during the first quarter is typical of how Welsh gets alot of his goals. Just very clever angles on his leads and understands space. Needs to work on his understanding with Minson a little bit.

Higgins- Disposal wasn't as polished as we are used to but his fitness looked much better.

Cross- Would be filthy on himself for a couple of skill errors. Missed an easy target going inside 50 during the second or third quarter and dropped that mark late in the last quarter. Other than that I thought he was brilliant as always.

Hill- Long way to go but some encouraging signs. His pace looks a little better than it was even with his laconic running style and he appeared more prepared to put his body on the line. Going to be a tough match up as he develops. He has elite talent but now we need him to get an elite work ethic and desire.

Minson- Just need to persist with him up forward. The work rate is apparent we just need a few things to stick and he will be away. The main problem is that we simply dont use him often enough or with any purpose. They need to kick it to him with confidence. His ruck work was much improved but the dees will do some homework on where he was hitting it. Needs to back it up now.

Johnson- Brilliant. Missed tackle in the last quarter only blemish.

[LostDoggy]

What frustrated me about our defence was how many times we failed to put the big fist at the ball. Wight did this often. What was poor was reliable players like Harris, Hudson and Morris did it as well yesterday.

[dog town]

Harris was terrible in the air yesterday Ernie. His third man up attempts were poorly timed and left us exposed a few times and in his one on one contest he went for the mark too often. Wight let the ball get past him once in the last quarter which was pretty poor.

Thought Morris did a great job yesterday in terms of defending anyway. I saw a contest in the last quarter where the ball came in long over his head and Burton had a positional advantage but Morris somehow spoiled it. Not one other player in the side could have stopped it. One of our most valauble players IMO.

[hujsh]

Harris was terrible in the air yesterday Ernie. His third man up attempts were poorly timed and left us exposed a few times and in his one on one contest he went for the mark too often. Wight let the ball get past him once in the last quarter which was pretty poor.

Thought Morris did a great job yesterday in terms of defending anyway. I saw a contest in the last quarter where the ball came in long over his head and Burton had a positional advantage but Morris somehow spoiled it. Not one other player in the side could have stopped it. One of our most valauble players IMO.

When Burton snapped a goal it was because Lake went the mark from behind instead of the fist so Burton could crum himself (?) and kick a goal

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Harris was terrible in the air yesterday Ernie. His third man up attempts were poorly timed and left us exposed a few times and in his one on one contest he went for the mark too often. Wight let the ball get past him once in the last quarter which was pretty poor.

Thought Morris did a great job yesterday in terms of defending anyway. I saw a contest in the last quarter where the ball came in long over his head and Burton had a positional advantage but Morris somehow spoiled it. Not one other player in the side could have stopped it. One of our most valauble players IMO.

Morris is certainly one of our most valuable players, but I think you're over-rating his game a little. Did well in the last few minutes, but he was beaten several times before and turned the ball over far too often. I'd consider it one of his worse games, minus those last few spoils.

Cross was the same, he improved in the second half, but he still made far too many costly errors. A few resulted in shots on goal for The Crows, whilst he also dropped a couple of marks and missed a few tackles. For mine, Cross didn't play too well at all - but he's entitled to one bad game, he's been fantastic over the last few years.

[dog town]

Morris is certainly one of our most valuable players, but I think you're over-rating his game a little. Did well in the last few minutes, but he was beaten several times before and turned the ball over far too often. I'd consider it one of his worse games, minus those last few spoils.

Cross was the same, he improved in the second half, but he still made far too many costly errors. A few resulted in shots on goal for The Crows, whilst he also dropped a couple of marks and missed a few tackles. For mine, Cross didn't play too well at all - but he's entitled to one bad game, he's been fantastic over the last few years.
No doubt Morris made some costly blunders but he probably saved 5 or 6 goals through sheer will power and had the most contested possessions on the ground.

Wasn't the best game Cross has played but I struggle to find fault with anyone who puts himself on the line as often as Cross does. I pin pointed a few of his costly errors but things like his quick handpass out of congestion after a centre bounce in the last quarter were as valuable as his errors were costly.

On a seperate note I should probably acknowledge how good Guido was. Very tidy with the ball in his hands and always looked dangerous. Very impressed with him off a short preparation.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Wasn't the best game Cross has played but I struggle to find fault with anyone who puts himself on the line as often as Cross does. I pin pointed a few of his costly errors but things like his quick handpass out of congestion after a centre bounce in the last quarter were as valuable as his errors were costly.

On a seperate note I should probably acknowledge how good Guido was. Very tidy with the ball in his hands and always looked dangerous. Very impressed with him off a short preparation.

Just think Cross made too many errors. His handballing, usually a feature, often missed the target. He was still important around the packs because of the way he throws his body in, but he'd probably want to improve his disposal because he missed a lot of targets. His first two possessions in that first minute or so were pretty poor.

I agree wholeheartedly with you about Gia though, he was exceptional out there and deserves more credit than he's probably got. 24 disposals & 3 goals from a very limited pre-season highlights his importance to this side. Every year his name is bandied about by supporters as possible trade bait, but he's a vital player and a leader of this football club. Gia needs to find a little more consistency though. Yesterday he did most things right, including his first rate attack on the ball. If he can keep this sort of attack on the ball and performance up most weeks, he's going to be a very dangerous player and especially handy with the likes of Johnson, Murph, Welsh & Aker/Higgins running around.

[Mantis]

Wasn't the best game Cross has played but I struggle to find fault with anyone who puts himself on the line as often as Cross does. I pin pointed a few of his costly errors but things like his quick handpass out of congestion after a centre bounce in the last quarter were as valuable as his errors were costly.



I honestly thought it was Crossy's worst game for us for a long time when 100% fit. Too many skills errors and too much indecision. I have made the point before that Cross kills our momentum when on fast breaks through his unwillingness to kick the ball, its not good enough and he did of a number of occassions yesterday, especially in the 2nd qtr.

Could the fact that he hasn't played for 3 weeks be a factor remembering that Cross missed our final practice match due to a wedding? He looked very scratchy.