3 things learned from Rd 6 vs StKilda 2024

[GVGjr]

Please list the 3 things learned from our R6 encounter against St Kilda.

[GVGjr]

1 - Don't believe the media
2 - We can kick straight
3 - It's way too early to be speculating on a coaching change.

[SonofScray]

1. The players will get up for a coach under pressure. But aren’t able to bring the requisite level of commitment week to week. Not sustainable.

2. They struck a rythmn tonight with goal kicking, sublime performance on that front. The golf swing, blindfolds et al work.

3. Sam Darcy is the real deal.

[westdog54]

1. Sam Darcy might just win the Rising Star this year.
2. If tonight was Bailey Dale's response, and last week was Macrae's, I can't wait to see Caleb Daniel get another crack.
3. There will be selection headaches this week.

[westbulldog]

1. A great win but Freo and its band of ferals await.
2. Sam Darcy is going to be a nightmare for defenders.
3. We needed that win.

[bornadog]

1. The season has a long way to go. Supporters and Media calling for blood have rocks in their heads - Wait for the season end to assess performance.

2. Naughton is a forward

3. Team effort tonight

[Grantysghost]

1. The Saints have the worst list in the AFL.
2. Maybe Lobb has a future
3. Garcia is a keeper.

[1eyedog]

1. Adam Treloar cares deeply for this football club. He's become more Bulldog than Magpie this year, if there was ever any doubt.
2. I saw Ed Richards the midfielder for the first time and I liked it very much.
3. The Saints do not have a top 8 list.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

1. Intestinal fortitude is rare. Beveridge has it.
2. There's disharmony down at the kennel according to some. Obviously not according to Macrae and Dale's response tonight.
3. I'm a galoot for not going tonight. Took the soft option on the couch. Morning swim at Willy for me this week.

[comrade]

1. If a team is off the boil, we can put them to the sword. Time to win against sides that bring their A game.

2. Richards adds a different element to the midfield and should spend plenty of time there now.

3. Williams needs a spell, bring back Caleb.

[Warrnambulldog]

1. Dogs some value at $51 for flag during the week
2. Still are at $41 now
3. We did this without Jamarra, Libba and Daniel. Let?s get our s#it together boys and give this comp a shake

[ledge]

Dale needs to be allowed to wander forward.
Take Weightman off after 1/4 time :-)
Macrae is still our connector.

[Uninformed]

1. Premiership coaches are a rare and very valuable commodity. Bevo was completely unfazed by the media rubbish and the FFA (Fractious Fans Alliance.) The man can coach.

2. Buku Khamis is a keeper.

3. Garcia can football

[Scorlibo]

Bailey Dale can have as much influence on a match as the Bont or Libba. Dynamic today, created scoring opportunities out of nothing while being the defensive wall.

Our best football this year is better than it was in either of the previous two years. The challenge is to find the consistency.

Richards and Garcia can improve us through the guts. Going to be a tough few weeks for the selectors and coaches to find the right mix and rotations.

[jeemak]

1 I've been critical of our depth and don't think it is where it needs to be for long enough, but tonight I learned it can hold up if it sticks to plan and plays committed football

2. While we still have some shaky moments, if teams allow us to move the ball quickly and we take the quick options we can get speed on the footy and get it down the ground quickly enough to trouble them

3. A mix of players helping out in the midfield can work and is something we need to see more of

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

So I've been in Adelaide for two days with my work, and only got home just upon half time. Have now caught up and watched in full.

1. It was an impressive performance and if that's the benchmark for the remainder of the season, that we bring each week, then we will play finals.

2. Bont can be selfish and hypocritical. Twice last night he absolutely burned his teammates and had long range pings when there were way better options. And yet I also saw him twice give players bakes (Lobb was one) for doing the same.

3. We can stop another team's momentum. In the second the Saints were pushing us hard for a patch of about 10 minutes, and were one more goal away from getting right back into the contest. Twice however just when they looked about to get some wind in their sails, off the back of a goal, we hit right back. And it broke them. Would've loved to have seen some of that during that horror 90 second patch in the 21 GF.

[bulldogtragic]

1. Dropping big name players seems to have had the response we wanted. Lobb was good, Dale 39 touches, Macrae was effective. With Richards a bonafide mid, maybe Daniel comes back at HB ancc DXC does the same.

2. It’s nice watching a game and not thinking they’re going to miss this easy set shot. Footy is pretty easy when you kick for goal well.

3. I think we need to see Charlie Clarke soon. I think with Cody & West they could be a great unit.

[Mantis]

1/ The AFL fixturing is a ****ing mess.

2/ Taking you chances and building scoreboard pressure allows for lapses... which are going to happen.

3/ Sam Darcy is going to be a problem in 2-3 years.

[Can Bar]

1/ Confirmed Footy Pundits/Media have no clue.
2/ Wandering how long until footy Pundits/Media declare Dogs a serious Top 4 chance. And Support gets negative when performance trend changes.
3/ Back & Support the people running the club in all departments to do their job, without interference & noise. Review at seasons end. Its actually a strong possibility we will end the year like 17 other clubs, and unlucky not to be the lucky club.

[azabob]

1. Dale has pride in his performance, can he back it up for the remainder of the season?

2. Khamis is doing everything right to be our intercept defender. He made some mistakes, but gee whiz he is getting better and better each game. 6 intercept possessions, 3 score involvements from only 11 touches is extremely good going. Khamis form also allows Beveridge to play Richards in the midfield.

3. Naughton can kick straight. No reason why he can't covert more set shots than not moving forward.

[JanLorMill]

1. We are so Jekyll & Hyde atm can’t be convinced we make top 8 yet.
2. Need to put Richards more in the midfield rotations every week.
3. Dureya at 33 looks far from cooked at this point.

[Sedat]

1. We are sneakily developing a sustainable turnover and rebound marking game. The wider media will eventually pick up on this around August.
2. Pressure is everything - to see Macrae hunting the oppo ball-carriers and sticking tackles shows that he is invested.
3. Having different looks in the centre square is never a bad thing - we need to be less predictable and we need to preserve the legs of our best players.

[The Underdog]

1. Dropping big name players seems to have had the response we wanted. Lobb was good, Dale 39 touches, Macrae was effective. With Richards a bonafide mid, maybe Daniel comes back at HB ancc DXC does the same.

2. It’s nice watching a game and not thinking they’re going to miss this easy set shot. Footy is pretty easy when you kick for goal well.

3. I think we need to see Charlie Clarke soon. I think with Cody & West they could be a great unit.

I’m interested in some peoples constant calls for Clarke. From what I’ve seen of him this year, he seems to have improved his fitness and game involvement, but still seems a bit off AFL level especially if we want him to play a high half forward role which I don’t think he’s suited for at this point. I’m just not sure who he comes in for.

[AshMac]

1. Really positive signs from some of our players of the future - Buku, Gallagher and Garcia. In particular I thought Garcia looked very slick at times

2. As a team we are capable of kicking straight for goal

3. Nothing changes for me in my views of the coach and gameplan until we start doing that against top 8 teams

[BornInDroopSt'54]

*what we are capable of and should be consistently;
* we can move the ball off half back like a laser to a leading fwd who kicks straight;
*Treloar is so professional.

[Mofra]

1. If I didn't see it, I wouldn't have believed Richards could play well as a mid in his first opportunity.

2. Darcy has bigger upside than any tall on our list. His disposal by had and foot was excellent.

3. If only we could play like that when we're favourites as well.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Having heen a footballer and golfer, Ive always paralleled set shot goal kicking with putting.
Both involve a slow, methodical approach, not reactive instead like a drill, accompanied by a meditative state.
So Lucas Herbert schooled our forwards this week.. From todays The Age:
"Herbert told The Scoop that parallels can be drawn between putting and set shot goalkicking.
?It?s really about routine and processes,? Herbert said.

?I can?t imagine it?s anything that these guys haven?t heard before, and it wasn?t groundbreaking that it will suddenly make them a premiership team, but potentially it?s opening up a conversation line about how different sports focus on different things.

?Golf has a bigger focus on mentality, whereas footy is maybe more physical, that?s probably one area we focused on.
?It?s one thing for a club psych to tell them X-Y-Z, but to have someone that?s doing it actively in another high-level of sport, it maybe relates to them differently.?
His appearance at the kennel this week came about because of his friendship with club legend and Bulldogs goalkicking consultant Brad Johnson.

Johnson, whose role is similar to that of Matthew Lloyd at Essendon and Jonathan Brown at North Melbourne in recent memory, started this season.

His record of 558 goals from 364 games speaks for itself, and that?s without mentioning his six All-Australian honours and three best and fairests.

Johnson said the insight that Herbert was able to provide some of the players was fascinating.

?Lucas was able to talk a lot about, when he hits the green, what his routine is,? Johnson said.
?It?s something that you stick to. You know it, you understand it like it?s no tomorrow. Then he started to think about the way he analyses his game.

?I was intrigued. This is so cool and something a bit different that I think the players would certainly appreciate.?

Many of the league?s premier players are also avid golfers, including players at the Western Bulldogs.

Tim English, Rory Lobb, Taylor Duryea, Anthony Scott and Oscar Baker are some of the Bulldogs who have been able to play with Herbert when he?s in town.

?He is an elite-level performer, so I think the players that have had the chance to play golf with him, they would really benefit from his experience, particularly when it?s coming from a winner on the world stage.?
Herbert believes that kicking for goal, particularly from a set shot, is less about raw talent and more about routine and mindset.

?There?s no one who is unable to kick really well. It?s how you manage your emotions and everything that goes with taking each and every shot,? he said."

[Hot_Doggies]

Ritchie Smith (Min Woo Lee’s coach) has been helping with Freo’s goal kicking for a few years.

[mighty_west]

1. Was calling for Garcia to play from round 1, and wanted Ed given midfield minutes this week on the back of Gary's pre season reports, bravo Bevo, it worked and worked well! Spreading the load in the middle makes us more unpredictable but also brings those players into the game more, we've looked stale, tired, easy to play against for a long time now, but mixing it up can only help those players but also re energize the group, more of Mr Ed in the guts please.

2. The land of the giants can work, IF the team works all over the ground as a whole with intensity and purpose, but those talls need seperation, Darcy clunking them up on a wing at times, Naughton too, Lobb, English all did well. Darcy!!! whoa, those hands at his age, the ball just sticks everytime and like others have mentioned, in a few years he'll be almost unstoppable.

3. Great win, against a Ross Lyon team that is almost always stingey with their defensive game stopping teams kicking a big score BUT without trying to be too negative, the Saints played 3 games in 11 days so you could actually excuse them for being a bit off and not working hard enough defensively, that said our percentage is in a good shape.

[jeemak]

*what we are capable of and should be consistently;
* we can move the ball off half back like a laser to a leading fwd who kicks straight;
*Treloar is so professional.

I'm disappointed you didn't quote me.

[Bullies]

1. We are so Jekyll & Hyde atm can?t be convinced we make top 8 yet.
2. Need to put Richards more in the midfield rotations every week.
3. Dureya at 33 looks far from cooked at this point. Duryea is very much under rated. He is certainly the leader down back and he is always at Khamis with encouragement and advise.

[azabob]

*what we are capable of and should be consistently;
* we can move the ball off half back like a laser to a leading fwd who kicks straight;
*Treloar is so professional.


I'm disappointed you didn't quote me.

Nets

[HOSE B ROMERO]

I?m interested in some peoples constant calls for Clarke. From what I?ve seen of him this year, he seems to have improved his fitness and game involvement, but still seems a bit off AFL level especially if we want him to play a high half forward role which I don?t think he?s suited for at this point. I?m just not sure who he comes in for.

I've watched the vfl this year and he still seems a way off.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Ritchie Smith (Min Woo Lee?s coach) has been helping with Freo?s goal kicking for a few years.
Imagine coming across a golf group with English and Lobb in it, two giraffes.
At Box Hil GC I crossed fairways with Rocket, Aker and Mattie Boyd. Great blokes on a golf course.

[Dry Rot]

1. We are a better team with Garcia in it, maybe Harmes too

2. Dropping players out of form and promoting players in form isn't a bad policy

3. West is rapidly becoming a very, very good HFF

[FrediKanoute]

1. Ed Richards is heir apparent to the Bont - a tallish, big bodied midfielder who can use the ball well and is quick

2. When we play players in natural positions they perform (looking at you Jacko and Dale)

3. It's not jsut a matter of being quick, you also need to be smart and use the ball well - Garcia and West have this in spades

[jeemak]

How good was West's flat kick into space in the third where Naughton got a slight block and some distance on his opponent.

It was another sign that West is actually a thinking footballer.

[Happy Days]

How good was West's flat kick into space in the third where Naughton got a slight block and some distance on his opponent.

It was another sign that West is actually a thinking footballer.

Yeah that was unreal. It was so clean that it was also the exact moment that the commentary decided to stop talking up St Kilda and start calling the game.

[jeemak]

Yeah that was unreal. It was so clean that it was also the exact moment that the commentary decided to stop talking up St Kilda and start calling the game.

It took them a lot of convincing on the night.

[angelopetraglia]

How good was West's flat kick into space in the third where Naughton got a slight block and some distance on his opponent.

It was another sign that West is actually a thinking footballer.

Agree. It was sublime. But wasn't it also great to see Naughton actually leadning and also leading in good patterns against the Saints. Rather than just asking for it to be kicked long.

[azabob]

Yeah that was unreal. It was so clean that it was also the exact moment that the commentary decided to stop talking up St Kilda and start calling the game.

Im watching the replay now and even when Dale kicked his goal they special comments was how bad saints defending of the mark was… not the fact Dale played on from 60 and drilled a goal on the run from 50 which didn’t look like missing. I was up that end behind the goals… it was a glorious goal which was reminiscent of his 2021 & 2022 season.

Im not gonna lie, every time the say Daisy and the Dale ‘fckn’ Thomas speaks I die a little inside as I forget it’s him and not Daisy Pearce.

[Happy Days]

Im watching the replay now and even when Dale kicked his goal they special comments was how bad saints defending of the mark was… not the fact Dale played on from 60 and drilled a goal on the run from 50 which didn’t look like missing. I was up that end behind the goals… it was a glorious goal which was reminiscent of his 2021 & 2022 season.

Im not gonna lie, every time the say Daisy and the Dale ‘fckn’ Thomas speaks I die a little inside as I forget it’s him and not Daisy Pearce.

I actually really like Daisyman, he does this novel thing where he tries to talk about the game and why things are happening in it. Much prefer him that Joel Selwood tripping over his words and getting a free kick for it somehow.

[westdog54]

Im watching the replay now and even when Dale kicked his goal they special comments was how bad saints defending of the mark was… not the fact Dale played on from 60 and drilled a goal on the run from 50 which didn’t look like missing. I was up that end behind the goals… it was a glorious goal which was reminiscent of his 2021 & 2022 season.

Im not gonna lie, every time the say Daisy and the Dale ‘fckn’ Thomas speaks I die a little inside as I forget it’s him and not Daisy Pearce.

I actually don't mind Dale Thomas as an analyst. Thought he handled BT's loaded question about the Marra/Lobb selection dilemma with a bit of class, despite BT's cringeworthy efforts to put words in his mouth.

[SquirrelGrip]

1. Everyone on the board who said Richards can only play back has gone very quiet.

2. A kick up the backside can still be an effective coaching technique to get a player back into form.

3. JJ, Doc and Jones are great experience in the back line.

[Flamethrower]

1 Teams are so even that all it takes is a handful of players to be off 0.1% to lose.

2. If you play a team that has been in the media spotlight all week, you had better bring a finals like intensity or you will lose.

3. Playing 300 games for Port Adelaide doesn't not stop you from being a brain dead moron. The SA fire department dodged a bullet.

[chef]

1. Naughton is a better forward without Jamarra.

2. Richards in the middle, didn't see that working. Nice.

3. Daniel is going to need to play well to get back in the side.

[bulldogtragic]

Another learning. Beat Geelong and Dogs finish this round in 5th.

The middle of the ladder is very even so keep on winning and there’s opportunity ahead.