BulldogBelle
12-05-2009, 09:55 PM
Eagleton article...
Slick hands, quick minds: Eagleton (http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/season2009/news/newsarticle/tabid/4112/newsid/76578/default.aspx)
Dogs Website
Steve Rice
Mon 11 May
QUICK hands and clever decision-making were vital in the Western Bulldogs 32 point-victory over Adelaide at AAMI Stadium, according to midfielder Nathan Eagleton.
After a scrappy first half in which the Dogs led by just a point, an eight-goal-to-one barrage in the third term enabled the visitors to come away with the points.
The game ebbed and flowed in the first half as both sides turned the ball over on numerous occasions, but it was the Dogs who adjusted better after the break and Eagleton believed his side’s skills under pressure was the reason for the second half turnaround.
“We knew Adelaide would make it tough for us [with their zone defence] so quick hands and decision-making came to the fore in the second half”, he said after the match.
“With the clearances, we were probably down on that a bit in the first half so to come out in the third quarter and really dominate the stoppages gave us a great run on them and won us the match.
“Contested footy has been one of our strengths for the whole season and that third quarter really set us up.”
Eagleton felt hard work on the training ground paid off following some recent poor performances.
He highlighted the work done by his fellow midfielders who took control of the game in the second half, turning around stoppage deficits to set up a comprehensive victory.
“We’ve been working on our skills quite a bit. We’ve been poor in recent weeks so in the second half we really stepped that up and just tried to pick the short passes and get through their zone and really dominate the footy.
“We wanted to close their space and make sure they didn’t have any room to move when they came out of the backline.
“The midfielders have been working really well this year and we wanted to make sure we won the stoppages which [the Crows] haven’t been so good at this year so far”.
Eagleton says if the Dogs can return to the basics of last year, they can mount another challenge for the top four.
The ability to score quickly, coupled with efficient skills, are areas he feels will put the Dogs back on track.
“We can score heavily quite quickly and that’s a real bonus that we have in our side.
“We haven’t probably done it yet this year, but this is the first time we’ve really strung a good six or seven goals together in a short space of time ... Last year we were doing that on a lot of occasions.
“If we can get back to piercing the zone and using our skill level we’ll be right up there.”
Slick hands, quick minds: Eagleton (http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/season2009/news/newsarticle/tabid/4112/newsid/76578/default.aspx)
Dogs Website
Steve Rice
Mon 11 May
QUICK hands and clever decision-making were vital in the Western Bulldogs 32 point-victory over Adelaide at AAMI Stadium, according to midfielder Nathan Eagleton.
After a scrappy first half in which the Dogs led by just a point, an eight-goal-to-one barrage in the third term enabled the visitors to come away with the points.
The game ebbed and flowed in the first half as both sides turned the ball over on numerous occasions, but it was the Dogs who adjusted better after the break and Eagleton believed his side’s skills under pressure was the reason for the second half turnaround.
“We knew Adelaide would make it tough for us [with their zone defence] so quick hands and decision-making came to the fore in the second half”, he said after the match.
“With the clearances, we were probably down on that a bit in the first half so to come out in the third quarter and really dominate the stoppages gave us a great run on them and won us the match.
“Contested footy has been one of our strengths for the whole season and that third quarter really set us up.”
Eagleton felt hard work on the training ground paid off following some recent poor performances.
He highlighted the work done by his fellow midfielders who took control of the game in the second half, turning around stoppage deficits to set up a comprehensive victory.
“We’ve been working on our skills quite a bit. We’ve been poor in recent weeks so in the second half we really stepped that up and just tried to pick the short passes and get through their zone and really dominate the footy.
“We wanted to close their space and make sure they didn’t have any room to move when they came out of the backline.
“The midfielders have been working really well this year and we wanted to make sure we won the stoppages which [the Crows] haven’t been so good at this year so far”.
Eagleton says if the Dogs can return to the basics of last year, they can mount another challenge for the top four.
The ability to score quickly, coupled with efficient skills, are areas he feels will put the Dogs back on track.
“We can score heavily quite quickly and that’s a real bonus that we have in our side.
“We haven’t probably done it yet this year, but this is the first time we’ve really strung a good six or seven goals together in a short space of time ... Last year we were doing that on a lot of occasions.
“If we can get back to piercing the zone and using our skill level we’ll be right up there.”