BulldogBelle
07-05-2009, 12:01 AM
Good article by Hird....
James Hird says Bulldogs must employ running game (http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25440013-19742,00.html)
The Herald Sun
James Hird | May 07, 2009
THE Western Bulldogs must win in Adelaide on Sunday. This was touted as the year of the Dog, but a loss to Adelaide would extend the Bulldogs' losing streak to four, and no team since North Melbourne in 1975 has won the premiership after losing four in a row.
There is no doubt the Bulldogs have talent and are well coached, but they cannot afford another loss.
It might only be the start of May, but Sunday's game is an early final.
Rodney Eade's boys are a good team, but at the moment they are not playing to the level they would have set themselves.
In each of their three losses there are potential excuses, but when the win-loss record is tallied at the end of the season, excuses, injuries and travelling to Perth twice in three weeks do not give you an extra win.
The good news for the Dogs is there are obvious areas for improvement.
They lead the competition in clangers - blatant turnovers - averaging 22 a game, don't have enough tall options up forward and, due to their turnovers, are putting a young backline under enormous pressure.
In all the major statistical areas their past three weeks have been poor.
Compared to the opposition they have been significantly beaten in disposals, kicking efficiency, contested possessions, uncontested possessions, inside-50s and tackles.
Stats are not the be all and end all, but numbers like that means things have to change.
The only area they are winning is the clearances.
This is good, and says workhorses Matthew Boyd and Daniel Cross are fighting hard to get the ball to the runners.
Last week the Bulldogs played against a ferocious outfit. St Kilda's actual and perceived pressure caused the highly skilled Bulldogs to make critical kicking and handballing errors.
It is very hard to win a game when your kicking efficiency is 63 per cent and your opponent's is 76 per cent.
Brad Johnson, Nathan Eagleton, Daniel Giansiracusa, Ryan Griffen and Shaun Higgins are all below the AFL average in kicking efficiency.
This from their most skilful players is crippling the Bulldogs' forward thrusts and hurting them on the rebound.
RUN AND TAKE RISKS
At one stage in the second quarter the Saints had the Bulldogs pinned within 30m of the St Kilda goal.
It was amazing to watch the Bulldogs try, and fail, to work the ball out of the backline with handball and precision passing.
Where was the risk taking and skill we have come to expect with this team?
Against the Saints, you must run and challenge and try to break down their forward line pressure time after time, because falling into stop-start kicking plays into their hands.
Sunday's match at AAMI Stadium will be a big test because the Crows love to play the strangulation game St Kilda has perfected this year.
If Lindsay Gilbee and Griffen are not released into space by their teammates and given the protection to run and dash through the middle of the ground, it will be very hard for the Bulldogs to win.
GET IT TO GRIFFEN
Griffen's game on Sunday was OK - he had the ball 23 times. Not bad, but not elite.
In my opinion he has the ability and body to become an elite player.
In full flight he is unstoppable, but against the Saints he was not allowed to run the lines and open up the play.
I were playing in the same team as Ryan Griffen I would be trying to get the ball to him as often as possible, with space to run.
When Griffen has had the ball 30 times, had 10 inside-50s and six tackles we will all know he has worked hard enough and, more than likely, the Bulldogs have won the game.
Players like Griffen are few and far between and when you have them in your side they need to hurt the opposition.
He may not realise what he can do, but for his team to be able to mix it with Geelong, Hawthorn and the Saints, he needs to lead the way.
FORWARD PROBLEMS
There is no doubt the Bulldogs need to find a tall forward option. In big games when the pressure is on, the ability to make pinpoint passes into the forward line is reduced.
Having a tall forward who takes contested marks and brings the ball to ground means the delivery into the forward line does not need to be as exact.
It also prevents the forward line from being one-dimensional. Being all big or all small means you are predictable and easier to defend.
Eade has tried to create a potent forward set-up and will continue until he gets the mix right. Unfortunately for the coach, his resources are limited and you have to play with the players you have.
Leaving aside the lack of a genuine star forward, it seems the Dogs need more from what they have.
Having a fit Robert Murphy and Adam Cooney back in the side will help, but they also need more from Mitch Hahn.
Hahn is a player I admire. He is hard, ferocious and uncompromising. He is also a barometer of success for the Dogs.
Since the start of 2008 Hahn has averaged 85 SuperCoach points in Bulldog wins, and 52 points in losses.
What that says is that when he hustles and bustles, and plays with the intensity we know he can, the Bulldogs win.
To me he sets the scene for the club. When he is up and about the Bulldogs are up and about.
Over the past three games he has been flat, but the Bullies need him to hit a few bodies, ruffle a few feathers and let the competition know they are here to play.
His ability to get the ball to ground and keep it in the forward line is vital to where the Bulldogs finish this year.
May 10 is far too early to write a side off, but the Bulldogs need to draw a line in the sand and decide their season is at the crossroads in Adelaide.
Play ferocious, uncompromising, attacking footy and they are back on track.
Fail to do so and suddenly the road to September looks a little rocky.
James Hird says Bulldogs must employ running game (http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25440013-19742,00.html)
The Herald Sun
James Hird | May 07, 2009
THE Western Bulldogs must win in Adelaide on Sunday. This was touted as the year of the Dog, but a loss to Adelaide would extend the Bulldogs' losing streak to four, and no team since North Melbourne in 1975 has won the premiership after losing four in a row.
There is no doubt the Bulldogs have talent and are well coached, but they cannot afford another loss.
It might only be the start of May, but Sunday's game is an early final.
Rodney Eade's boys are a good team, but at the moment they are not playing to the level they would have set themselves.
In each of their three losses there are potential excuses, but when the win-loss record is tallied at the end of the season, excuses, injuries and travelling to Perth twice in three weeks do not give you an extra win.
The good news for the Dogs is there are obvious areas for improvement.
They lead the competition in clangers - blatant turnovers - averaging 22 a game, don't have enough tall options up forward and, due to their turnovers, are putting a young backline under enormous pressure.
In all the major statistical areas their past three weeks have been poor.
Compared to the opposition they have been significantly beaten in disposals, kicking efficiency, contested possessions, uncontested possessions, inside-50s and tackles.
Stats are not the be all and end all, but numbers like that means things have to change.
The only area they are winning is the clearances.
This is good, and says workhorses Matthew Boyd and Daniel Cross are fighting hard to get the ball to the runners.
Last week the Bulldogs played against a ferocious outfit. St Kilda's actual and perceived pressure caused the highly skilled Bulldogs to make critical kicking and handballing errors.
It is very hard to win a game when your kicking efficiency is 63 per cent and your opponent's is 76 per cent.
Brad Johnson, Nathan Eagleton, Daniel Giansiracusa, Ryan Griffen and Shaun Higgins are all below the AFL average in kicking efficiency.
This from their most skilful players is crippling the Bulldogs' forward thrusts and hurting them on the rebound.
RUN AND TAKE RISKS
At one stage in the second quarter the Saints had the Bulldogs pinned within 30m of the St Kilda goal.
It was amazing to watch the Bulldogs try, and fail, to work the ball out of the backline with handball and precision passing.
Where was the risk taking and skill we have come to expect with this team?
Against the Saints, you must run and challenge and try to break down their forward line pressure time after time, because falling into stop-start kicking plays into their hands.
Sunday's match at AAMI Stadium will be a big test because the Crows love to play the strangulation game St Kilda has perfected this year.
If Lindsay Gilbee and Griffen are not released into space by their teammates and given the protection to run and dash through the middle of the ground, it will be very hard for the Bulldogs to win.
GET IT TO GRIFFEN
Griffen's game on Sunday was OK - he had the ball 23 times. Not bad, but not elite.
In my opinion he has the ability and body to become an elite player.
In full flight he is unstoppable, but against the Saints he was not allowed to run the lines and open up the play.
I were playing in the same team as Ryan Griffen I would be trying to get the ball to him as often as possible, with space to run.
When Griffen has had the ball 30 times, had 10 inside-50s and six tackles we will all know he has worked hard enough and, more than likely, the Bulldogs have won the game.
Players like Griffen are few and far between and when you have them in your side they need to hurt the opposition.
He may not realise what he can do, but for his team to be able to mix it with Geelong, Hawthorn and the Saints, he needs to lead the way.
FORWARD PROBLEMS
There is no doubt the Bulldogs need to find a tall forward option. In big games when the pressure is on, the ability to make pinpoint passes into the forward line is reduced.
Having a tall forward who takes contested marks and brings the ball to ground means the delivery into the forward line does not need to be as exact.
It also prevents the forward line from being one-dimensional. Being all big or all small means you are predictable and easier to defend.
Eade has tried to create a potent forward set-up and will continue until he gets the mix right. Unfortunately for the coach, his resources are limited and you have to play with the players you have.
Leaving aside the lack of a genuine star forward, it seems the Dogs need more from what they have.
Having a fit Robert Murphy and Adam Cooney back in the side will help, but they also need more from Mitch Hahn.
Hahn is a player I admire. He is hard, ferocious and uncompromising. He is also a barometer of success for the Dogs.
Since the start of 2008 Hahn has averaged 85 SuperCoach points in Bulldog wins, and 52 points in losses.
What that says is that when he hustles and bustles, and plays with the intensity we know he can, the Bulldogs win.
To me he sets the scene for the club. When he is up and about the Bulldogs are up and about.
Over the past three games he has been flat, but the Bullies need him to hit a few bodies, ruffle a few feathers and let the competition know they are here to play.
His ability to get the ball to ground and keep it in the forward line is vital to where the Bulldogs finish this year.
May 10 is far too early to write a side off, but the Bulldogs need to draw a line in the sand and decide their season is at the crossroads in Adelaide.
Play ferocious, uncompromising, attacking footy and they are back on track.
Fail to do so and suddenly the road to September looks a little rocky.