Thoughts on this week...

[dog town]

Geelong have said they will try and play with alot more flair and run this season and it certainly looked that way in the pre season games I saw. They really carried the ball alot and linked up with alot of handballs in one game I saw so we need to be sure that we work both ways and try to close them down. Generally they have been a bit of a shut down side and have played a very accountable style of game where they are happy to create stoppages but I think they will try to add more run. They wont go right away from the old style that served them so well before last seasons disaster because they have so many players suited to it but the way footy is going is forcing them to play with a bit more daring.

I regard them as one of the better defensive sides in the competition so it should be a good test for our slightly new look forward line. Scarlett , Harley and Egan are all quality tall options who can play small as well and with guys like Milburn , Hunt and Wojcinski able to rotate down there to provide run its going to be important that our forward line functions well so that they are kept honest. Scarlett had 34 touches playing loose the last time that we played them and also went onto Johnson and shut him down at a crucial part of the game . Its going to be very interesting to see how they go because they really have alot of versatility down back. I think we need Darcy and Doogs up forward as much as possible so that it forces them to keep their better defenders away from the likes of Johnson and most of all doesn't allow Scarlett to play loose. I think we need plenty of goals from Aker , Cooney , Murph , Robbins and these types with our tall guys basically playing decoy roles to take their best defenders away from our other dangerous players. If they have to play 2 of their 3 tall defenders (Scarlett , Harley and Egan) on Doogs and Darcy then Rocket would be ecstatic IMO. Basically if our forward line clicks we will win because the cats will not only be coughing up goals but they will be less able to run and create.

Geelong will score against us if they get enough supply and I dont think anyone can doubt that. We are missing our bookend and they have a full list of forwards who are all up and firing. I think the match ups will depend on how deep certain players play. I would be pretty suprised if Mooney and Ottens both had the same opponents all game with a mixture of Hargrave , Wight and Grant the likely combination for them. I would probably leave Morris for the dangerous small forwards like Ablett and Chapman. Dont be suprised if Milburn gets thrown forward at some stage. I would love for Ottens opponent whether it be Wight , Grant or Hargy to run him up and down the ground as often as possible to take him out of position and also to weaken him when he rotates into the ruck otherwise we could see him having a big impact in the ruck late in the game. Not overly concerned about them playing a third tall such as Nathan Ablett because we will run them ragged if they play an overly tall and crowded forward line. If they are going to go tall against us then it needs to be quality otherwise they are just playing into our hands and I think in the main we will see just 2 tall forwards

We need a big effort from our engine room against the cats who rely on a solid effort from a group of 5 or 6 guys who are very strong over the ball and love slugging it out with lots of stoppages . We dont want to get bogged down trying to match them here we just want to get first hands on it and move the ball into space. I dont think I would tag any of the midfielders for them because they are generally pretty even . The only smaller running types that I would look at playing defensive types on would be Ablett and Chapman but they are likely to spend most of the game up forward. Wojcinski , Tenace and Byrnes will try and provide alot of the run and carry for them with Wojcinski looking very dangerous off half back or on a wing second year back from a knee reco. The cats will probably look to take West out of the game to try and stop him supplying our runners possibly with Ling who has done the job before with mixed results. Confident we can run them into the ground as long as we win enough of the ball and match them for the contested ball. Dont be shocked if they play David Johnson or a Rooke on Aker just to guard against one of his big stage performances. Johnson usually gets the job on him for the cats.

How do others see the game happening? I am a little nervous but on paper we should get the job done.

[GVGjr]

Typical terrific post DT.

I think your last line sums up things well however, I'd like to pose the following:

I think Eade caught out the Cats the first time we played them last year and then Thompson changed things around in the second encounter. Has Eade got a few more tricks up his sleeve to catch them napping again?

Can we curb their talls without Harris who would normally shut one of them down?

Is there a defensive match-up for Griffen because I doubt he currently has the engine to go into the midfield after missing a couple of weeks? Will it be Griffen vs GA jnr again?

Who is given the task on the very dangerous Chapman? Are Morris, McMahon or Boyd viable options?

We need to cover their dangerous forwards without being too negative, this is the real trick that Eade and Drain need to counter.

[dog town]

:

I think Eade caught out the Cats the first time we played them last year and then Thompson changed things around in the second encounter. Has Eade got a few more tricks up his sleeve to catch them napping again?

. I just think he has more options up his sleeve to unsettle them than last time. We were very much Brad Johnson orientated for much of last year. Eade has more ways of manipulating the way Geelong set up because he has basically got 4 new forwards to add to the mix.





Can we curb their talls without Harris who would normally shut one of them down?

.
We can if we limit the supply but if they kill us through the midfield then Harris or no Harris we will leak goals. We need them to be chasing arse all game not the other way around.


Is there a defensive match-up for Griffen because I doubt he currently has the engine to go into the midfield after missing a couple of weeks? Will it be Griffen vs GA jnr again?

Who is given the task on the very dangerous Chapman? Are Morris, McMahon or Boyd viable options?

We need to cover their dangerous forwards without being too negative, this is the real trick that Eade and Drain need to counter. Wouldn't suprise me if we try and play a loose man just to make sure we get enough run even though it allows them the option of playing a loose man and they have several dangerous options for that role. Last year both teams operated with a loose man for the majority of both games.

I think Morris will take one of Chapman or Ablett with the other going to a mixture of Power , Jordy and Griffen. I think Gilbee will play either on the third tall or one of the young smalls provided he isn't playing loose. Grant will be loose at some stage you can just about guarantee it. I think for us to go forward as a side we need to be able to trust our entire back 6 to stop quality opponents so I have no real problem if Eade chooses to play a Mcmahon or Gilbee on a dangerous player. Interesting to see how he goes because like you he will be worried about stopping them without losing too much run.

[alwaysadog]

Terrific post DT and some great further analysis GVG. Strange that in what was a tough year for the cats we weren't able to get away from them. Mind you we had a pretty tough year ourselves but found greater resources and resolve.

I would expect it to be close but expect another narrow win.

Chapman is a pest we have to do something about. In the NAB Cup come Praccie matches that I saw the Geelong defensive KPPs didn't look in great form but they always play well against us. Somehow I don't think Eade will repeat the Griffen v GA jnr unless his first choice doesn't stop him.

[GVGjr]

Who has Gilbee being matched up on when we have been playing them? Wasn't he on a tall in the first encounter? I seem to recall thinking 'Oh we are stuffed here' and then by quarter or half time thinking 'gee this match-up is working well for us'. I just can't put a name to it though.
You would like to think Gilbee could cover one of their small forwards but typically that's not the way Eade uses him.

[BulldogBelle]

Great post DT,

Will be a very entertaining match and I can just sense another close game between both teams. It will probably be the typical shoot out type style game. Looking forward to watching our players at TD this week-end. Will be interesting to see what Eade serves up this time around against the Cats.

[The Coon Dog]

To me Geelong are so much more dangerous when Matthew Scarlett is allowed to zone off & set up attacks from defence. Quite simply, we have to make Scarlett accountable.

[Go_Dogs]

Who has Gilbee being matched up on when we have been playing them? Wasn't he on a tall in the first encounter? I seem to recall thinking 'Oh we are stuffed here' and then by quarter or half time thinking 'gee this match-up is working well for us'. I just can't put a name to it though.
You would like to think Gilbee could cover one of their small forwards but typically that's not the way Eade uses him.

Exactly right GVGjr. I would say with some certainty that Gilbee will play on a taller opponent at some stage against Geelong, and really use his run and drive off the taller player. With Harris not playing (and I'm sure everyone has noticed how attacking he has been during the pre-season) Gilbee will probably need to pick up a bit of the slack and run his player out to our forward line and have a few shots on goal. Last year Gilbee didn't kick anywhere near as many goals as he managed in 2005, and that is one aspect I would like to see him build on again this year - being able to run forward and kick goals off his opponent.

Very good summary you've done DT, and I agree with most points you make. I feel that we will often play 2 talls in the forward line, with Doogs and Darcy/Minson also spending time forward. Having players such as Higgins, Robbins, Akermanis, Cooney, Gia and Monty rotating through the forward line with Murphy and Johnson gives us a very potent mix up forward, one that will be hard to match up on, and also move to different parts of the field - deeper forward, or up with the play to cause mismatches. Eagleton will need to kick goals too.

Our hardness at the clearances will still be the main question mark for me this week, given that we are one key defender short our midfielders will need to be able to win first ball frequently, and run just as hard backwards as they do forwards. Players like Boyd, Cross become so important this week. It's going to be interesting to watch the use of Griffen too, and I would love to see him spend some quality time in the middle, although coming back from his hamstring he may not.

Should be a ripper of a game.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Its a very interesting matchup this week having narrowly beaten Geelong last year and also having been narrowly defeated by them.

Scarlett and the rest of their backline have often shut us down and made us look very impotent in attack. Whilst King has only appeared a shadow of himself in previous years, I am not disappointed he is missing as before that he had troubled us with his size and physicality. Without King I think we can gain an ascendency in the ruck.

Given that Geelong have decided to make their game plan a bit more a bit more free-wheeling I just cant see them beating us at that game - their habits just seem to far ingrained. And whilst I have a very high respect for Corey, Enright, Ablett, Ling and Chapman I just dont know that they have enough leg speed and creativity to out gun us, I could not see Tenace, Byrnes or Wojinkski carving us up - Tenace and Byrnes would struggle to get a game for us as would Wojo on last years form.

Not sure who will get the assignment on Ablett, dont see if being Griffen, although he may have a spell on him, but I see him being left to do his own thing a bit more, I think Boyd is better suited midfield and pushing forward, McMahon could be an option as could Morris, who always sacrifices his game to blanket an opponent, I think I like the idea of Morris on him.

Hargraves might have enough run, to stretch Mooney out running the other way. Ottens is a player on which Wight, Grant and McDougall may get opportunities

[LostDoggy]

Scarlett and the rest of their backline have often shut us down and made us look very impotent in attack.

I haven't seen all Geelong V Bulldogs games since Scarlett has been around but I don't think this is the case recently.
He struggles on Brad Johnson. We haven't had talls for him to match up on so I height might have been a factor.
Our midfield didn't dominate last time we played them as its why we looked impotent in attack.

[dog town]

I haven't seen all Geelong V Bulldogs games since Scarlett has been around but I don't think this is the case recently.
He struggles on Brad Johnson. We haven't had talls for him to match up on so I height might have been a factor.
Our midfield didn't dominate last time we played them as its why we looked impotent in attack.
Probably about 50/50 between Johnson and Scarlett. Scarlett was the difference between the sides last time we met. 34 touches playing loose for 3 quarters then shut out Johnson for a quarter.

[alwaysadog]

Probably about 50/50 between Johnson and Scarlett. Scarlett was the difference between the sides last time we met. 34 touches playing loose for 3 quarters then shut out Johnson for a quarter.

We need two strategies. Make him play tall but have smalls ready to cut off his runs out of defense. Probably one of the real advantages about having tall forwards - as long as we can stop quick rebounds from attack. Robbo is very important here so his position at the foot of packs becomes crucial IMO. It may take some time for our samlls to adjust to new roles.

[Raw Toast]

Excellent thread DT and the other posters.

I'm a bit nervous too, which means I guess that I think it's ours to win or lose. I reckon if both teams play close to their best we'll win. That said, Geelong are at their most dangerous when they feel they've got nothing to lose.

Rooke is a big out for them (if he is out) imo - one of their toughest nuts who refuses to stop giving his all and started to use it quite well last year.

I think they'll come out fired up and running and contesting hard, so it's a good test for us. We might start a little slowly but I'd expect us to work our way into the contest. If we can get our run from defense happening we'll be very hard to stop as we should have a few more damaging forward targets.

Contested ball and intensity is obviously a key indicator (it always will be, but against teams like the Cats it is extra crucial as they generally thrive on contests). I agree that Scarlett is also a key factor, and I suspect whoever he takes will do a fair bit of decoy running (or if its someone like Johnson I reckon he'll try and run Scarlett into the middle of the ground).

I reckon the cats might still be a bit mentally fragile, and that if we cut off a few of their 'daring/risk-taking' forward thrusts and turn them into goals for us, they might drop their heads and lose confidence. Might be worth starting with someone loose in defence for this reason. While this might free Scarlett up, we'll hopefully be able to use our forward options better this time and bypass him. Murphy and even Power might be important here, while heaven help Doogs if he bombs it forward to Scarlett the whole time.

[dog town]

Excellent thread DT and the other posters.

I'm a bit nervous too, which means I guess that I think it's ours to win or lose. I reckon if both teams play close to their best we'll win. That said, Geelong are at their most dangerous when they feel they've got nothing to lose.

Rooke is a big out for them (if he is out) imo - one of their toughest nuts who refuses to stop giving his all and started to use it quite well last year.

.Agree that Rooke is a big out for them as he would have got a big job. Also looks like King is out as well. King missing gives us alot of options to try to exploit them. I think opens the door for a Darcy or Doogs to exploit them with hard running towards the end of quarters as I dont think Blake could go with them around the ground. Also could force them to shift Mooney or Ottens into the ruck more than they would like if we can work Blake over.