Game Day - Western Bulldogs vs West Coast

[BulldogBelle]

This is the discussion thread for this Saturday afternoon's game at Etihad Stadium against West Coast.

My predictions are:

The Dogs by 35 points
BOG : Jason Akermanis
Mitch Hahn to kick the first goal.

[AndrewP6]

Dogs by 39 (hopefully more!)
First goal... WILLLLLBUR (gonna pick him for first goal until it happens!)
BOG... Aker

[lemmon]

Dogs by 46
BOG- Cooney
First goal- Stack

[LostDoggy]

Dogs by 29
BOG Hargrave
First goal Stack

[boydogs]

Dogs by 24 points
First Goal Robert Murphy
BOG Brennan Stack

[GVGjr]

Minson for the BOG
Akermanis for the first goal and the Dogs by 31 points.

[BulldogBelle]

Dogs by 69
First Goal = Eagleton
BOG = Boyd

[Scorlibo]

Dogs by 46
First Goal to Everitt
BOG to Cooney.

[Happy Days]

Dogs by 42,
Stack first goal,
Aker BOG.

[Mantis]

Dogs by 34

BOG - Lake
1st goal - Hahn

I hope to see a good win and our young guys continue to improve, bar that no injuries please.

[LostDoggy]

Dogs by 23
Bog...boydy
1st goal....Will or Josh Hill

[Bumper Bulldogs]

Dogs by 52 points
Johno first goal
Cross BOG

[Go_Dogs]

BOG - Griffen
First Goal - Gilbee
Dogs by an even 50.

[LostDoggy]

Dogs by 53.

Lake BOG.

First goal Akermanis.

[comrade]

Dogs by 43
FG: Addison
BOG: Ward

Stack to take a mark of the week contender, but otherwise have a quiet one.
Wood to outshine Eagleton and take his spot for the rest of the year :)

[LostDoggy]

Dogs by 26
BOG Crossy
First Goal Hahn

Hope they dont trouble us or the scorers.

[The Underdog]

Dogs by 23 points
Akermanis first goal
Boyd BOG

[LostDoggy]

Dogs by 51 points
BOG = Lake
First goal = Stackmeister

[The Pie Man]

Dogs by 37
First goal Cooney
BOG Cross

[Ozza]

dogs by 36
Johnson first goal.
Coons best on ground.

[Ozza]

Dogs by 34

BOG - Lake
1st goal - Hahn

I hope to see a good win and our young guys continue to improve, bar that no injuries please.

Agreed. Just a solid win with no fuss and injuries would be great - get a long way up early and then gear down and save the legs for the run home. 70 or 80 up at 3 quarter time would be lovely -- and then the boys can go home for all I care.

[DOG GOD]

dogs by 18pts
Boyd BOG
Aker 1st goal

[hujsh]

Gotta kick straighter. 0.8 isn't good enough

[LostDoggy]

Everitt and Addison only 1 disprosal each.

8 Behinds, come on Doggies. Kick STRAIGHT

[LostDog]

Eagleton ??????? what the hell is he doing
We are not goingto be a premiership side with this goose in our team

[DOG GOD]

bye bye top 4

[LostDoggy]

This is disgraceful.

[LostDoggy]

All My goodness 35 points down 12 mins in to 2nd quarter.

[BulldogBelle]

pathetic

[Scorlibo]

This is unbearable. We're waving any premiership chance we had down the drain right here.

[DOG GOD]

and my bro thought i was stupid putting $30 on weagles at $10.50 outright

[LostDoggy]

Thats is it, i am turning off now. 7 goals behind

[LostDoggy]

Unbelievable.
We will come back. Think positively.....or just switch it off...

[cinder]

At least we finally got a goal ...

[cinder]

Two in fact

[LostDoggy]

Only 28 points now, can't believe that to be honest.

[DOG GOD]

geez how could we possibly be back in the contest.

[cinder]

Not a bad end to the half at least

[LostDoggy]

geez how could we possibly be back in the contest.

It is ridiculous.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Well to says we needed to finish that 2nd term with some momentum is an understatement.
For all but the last 10 minutes we have been at our most insipid.
Easily the most disappointing performance of the year, and we are very lucky we are within 5 goals at half time, thus giving us a sniff.
Given we need at least 2 more wins to hold a top 4 spot and have 3 difficult games to end the season following this game, I just find it hard to fathom how we could not be switched on for this game.

I expected us to come out and really give it to West Coast, especially following the lacklustre second half last week.
If we lose this game, then we can forget about season 2009.

[DOG GOD]

Williams needs more than a ROCKET up his ass at htime....poor...very poor.

Thank god for Lake, otherwise we wouldve been murdered by now.

[The Adelaide Connection]

That is a big turnaround, thank god for that. 5 Goals from the 24 minute mark to put the game back on. 22 Points is manageable but still require a big lift.

They made a mention that Hudson and Cross were beting into Natanui. Exactly what is required. But I am still concerned about the ease in which they are taking grabs in their forward 50 and having players slip off the back of the pack. Needs to be rectified fast, otherwise with a bit of a momentum swing it will be back out to 40.

[DOG GOD]

we need the 1st 2 goals to put doubt in weagles minds...they get the 1st 2 goals then the fat lady WILL be bringing the house down.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Williams needs more than a ROCKET up his ass at htime....poor...very poor.

Thank god for Lake, otherwise we wouldve been murdered by now.

I think a few fella's might want to line up and cop one too. Eagleton, Cooney, Boyd

[Scorlibo]

I think a few fella's might want to line up and cop one too. Eagleton, Cooney, Boyd

Stack, Minson, Harbrow, Everitt, Addison

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Stack, Minson, Harbrow, Everitt, Addison

Yep.. that takes care of just about the whole half time break. Eade won't have much time for much else.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Gees... talk about important moments... Eagleton easy set shot in front. Miss.. ball goes the other end and Le Cras nails a similar shot.

[Scorlibo]

The next 10 minutes are so very critical to our season.

[LostDoggy]

Can't believe my eyes, good fight back.

[Throughandthrough]

Had Everitt ever added anything to our club?

Great fight back though, lets hope we win this bloody thing or its season over.

[DOG GOD]

the delivery into our fwd 50 has been insipid, but i guess u cant expect anything more when u dont have a TARGET!!

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Can't believe my eyes, good fight back.

Yes, we're still skill wise short of the mark, but effort & workrate has improved immensely.
We need to hit the front early in the last to put some doubt in West Coast's mind.

[DOG GOD]

another loss under a kick coming up?

yep.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Gutted.
I know this is hyperbole, but top 4 all but gone, and season gone.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

This is plain and simple, embarrassing.
I've seen plenty of spankings in my 30 years of following the Dogs, but that is up there with the most disappointing performances I've ever seen.

[DOG GOD]

If i was rocket, i would head from the coaches box straight to home...no need to say anything to the players...let em read the papers in the morning if they dont know what theyve lost.

[Scorlibo]

F*ck hyperbole. SEASON OVER. Time and time again they let us down, utter bullsh*t. I'm absolutely gutted.

[Dry Rot]

Williams injured again?

IMO the seeds of this were sown last week.

[Scorlibo]

If i was rocket, i would head from the coaches box straight to home...no need to say anything to the players...let em read the papers in the morning if they dont know what theyve lost.

I agree. Don't stick around for them when they've put up such a horrid performance, make them feel the pain.

Oh and as a side note, is this the 3rd year in a row we've gone for a finals preparation training program and consequently had a late season fade out?

[Ozza]

Rocket and the coaches have had an ordinary few weeks as well though.

One of the players will come out and say "we have to make sure we play to instruction rah rah rah..."
But in reality - our full forward line for the majority of the first half was Addison, Stack and Hill - with flashes of Aker and Minson. And we played the game like we did against the Saints - with no forward line and no one to kick to up forward. Our lack/absence of structure is astounding and embarrassing.

Sort it out boys.

Apart from that - this 'high intensity training' derailed us last year - and it may well have cost us a top 4 spot by us being put behind the 8 ball for today.

Big Dylan Addison our full forward....I'm still gobsmacked.

[GVGjr]

Not to take the pressure of our own insipid performance today but I thought West Coast played with a lot of purpose today and were we drilled especially up forward. The way their forwards blocked our defenders really freed up their team mates.

Hurn was also good in the back line zoning off and often standing 20mtrs in front of his opponent.

Worsfold didn't have great cattle today but he got the most out of them.

[Sleeve1970]

Rocket and the coaches have had an ordinary few weeks as well though.

One of the players will come out and say "we have to make sure we play to instruction rah rah rah..."
But in reality - our full forward line for the majority of the first half was Addison, Stack and Hill - with flashes of Aker and Minson. And we played the game like we did against the Saints - with no forward line and no one to kick to up forward. Our lack/absence of structure is astounding and embarrassing.

Sort it out boys.

Apart from that - this 'high intensity training' derailed us last year - and it may well have cost us a top 4 spot by us being put behind the 8 ball for today.

Big Dylan Addison our full forward....I'm still gobsmacked.

Why was Addison even in the team..... trade him please.....

[Sleeve1970]

Did Rocket get signed up a little to early?

[GVGjr]

Did Rocket get signed up a little to early?

You can blame the coach for team selection but not for the decision making errors we saw today. I actually think we put close to our best side on the field today from the players available.

[chef]

Did Rocket get signed up a little to early?

He's not signed yet and shouldn't be until the end of the season.

[Dry Rot]

Big Dylan Addison our full forward....I'm still gobsmacked.

Next week we could try Harbrow or Eagleton.....

[BulldogBelle]

Very angry, like everyone else. Pathetic display. We are a million miles away from a Flag. How can some of these guys play with no passion? Our forward line is an embarrassment.

[AndrewP6]

I've simmered here for a while, reading the posts. Now I'm a bit calmer.

Just a pathetic effort. I came today feeling fairly comfortable of our chances. So too, apparently, did the players. Fundamental skill errors are simply not good enough for us to be legitimate contenders. Decision making is awful, even from regularly consistent players. Going from the backline, or middle, we have no one to kick to, and either turn it over, or bomb it long to "contests" -eg- Hill vs everyone. Which, of course, most often leads to a turnover. If someone like Hall doesn't lob at Whitten Oval, well, I'll go 'he'. At times it seems we're preparing for that - kicking long and high to contested situations, and at the moment, we don't have the cattle to pull it off.
Yes, our outs hurt us. But the Saints show that shouldn't mean you drop your bundle. Our defensive pressure is either pretty good, or shocking. no consistency whatsoever. Players get by us FAR too easily and too often, IMO.
We need to spend FAR more time in front of goal. These blokes are highly paid professionals, and shouldn't miss some of these kicks.

I reckon it's a real worry that our two best players/hardest workers today were the two oldest (Aker and Johnno).

Jeez I'm pissed off. And I don't have any grog at home either. :(

[addo22]

Can someone please tell me why williams stands 10 yards behind his player and allows them to run??
Get in front!!
and dont let me get started on the forward line

[angelopetraglia]

Jeez I'm pissed off. And I don't have any grog at home either. :(

Just finished my first beer for the night. Already feeling better ;)

[AndrewP6]

Just finished my first beer for the night. Already feeling better ;)

Shite, now I feel worse! Send me one?

[angelopetraglia]

Shite, now I feel worse! Send me one?

http://www.world-discovery.de/Bilder/diary/Victoria%20Bitter%20-direkt%20nach%20Haake%20Beck!.jpg

[LostDoggy]

In the words of Lloyd Bridges from Flying High, looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking!!

Boy, oh boy, so glad I wasn't there to witness the Doggies self-destruct yet again. With a wedding getting closer, had to spend time with the parents and fiancee today doing suit fittings, and was unable to get to the game.

Snuck a look on AFL.com.au, saw the score 9.3 to 0.10. Had a second glance. Then a third. My reaction, "that'd be right!". When you've barracked for the Doggies long enough, you come to expect this crap. Doesn't make it right.

Someone needs to go down there and give those insipid and weak players a good hard kick in the pants, and then look them in the eye and say, "Heart... Heart... Does one of you have one? How much do you care about the jumper that you wear each week? Do you just want a regular pay check, or do you want to win the ultimate, the premiership cup?"

As supporters we have to stop accepting this from our team, or we will keep getting it.

[LostDoggy]

I suppose the good thing is that the Western Bulldogs and Williamstown won't both lose this weekend!! ;)

[AndrewP6]

http://www.world-discovery.de/Bilder/diary/Victoria%20Bitter%20-direkt%20nach%20Haake%20Beck!.jpg

:D:D:D

Good one...

[The Coon Dog]

As supporters we have to stop accepting this from our team, or we will keep getting it.

As supporters, just exactly how do we do that?

[LostDoggy]

As supporters, just exactly how do we do that?

ha ha!

[The Underdog]

As supporters, just exactly how do we do that?

We could start by not accepting mediocrity;)

[AndrewP6]

As supporters we have to stop accepting this from our team, or we will keep getting it.

As supporters, we have zero control over the result. We don't have to like it, but we HAVE to accept it. It's the coaches and players who shouldn't accept it.

[LostDoggy]

For four weeks now sides are able to just run off their CHF area and get cheap marks all over the ground. The number of consecutive uncontested marks in our own half we give up are shocking, and points to both a loose defensive structure as well as unaccountable players, starting with Lake. He's good enough to compensate most of the time, but Williams, Hargrave, Harbrow, Gilbee et al are not (Morris is the only one that sticks to a job), and forwards from the Saints, Freo (!) and WC have been taking full advantage.

Every other team has studied this and know that our defenders are loose one-way runners. Fev mentioned this a year ago and was crucified for it, but every team knows this and the better ones (or more motivated ones) will take full advantage.

This malaise goes through the rest of team as well. Other than Boyd, Picken and Cross, no one else pays any respect to their opponents consistently, Cooney and Griffen being the main culprits in the middle. And they say a fish rots from the head.. Johnno, bless his soul, wouldn't know where his opponent was 90% of the match.

FFS, just defend with some gumption already.

[Mantis]

For four weeks now sides are able to just run off their CHF area and get cheap marks all over the ground. The number of consecutive uncontested marks in our own half we give up are shocking, and points to both a loose defensive structure as well as unaccountable players, starting with Lake. He's good enough to compensate most of the time, but Williams, Hargrave, Harbrow, Gilbee et al are not (Morris is the only one that sticks to a job), and forwards from the Saints, Freo (!) and WC have been taking full advantage.

Every other team has studied this and know that our defenders are loose one-way runners. Fev mentioned this a year ago and was crucified for it, but every team knows this and the better ones (or more motivated ones) will take full advantage.

This malaise goes through the rest of team as well. Other than Boyd, Picken and Cross, no one else pays any respect to their opponents consistently, Cooney and Griffen being the main culprits in the middle. And they say a fish rots from the head.. Johnno, bless his soul, wouldn't know where his opponent was 90% of the match.

FFS, just defend with some gumption already.

Your post lost all my respect when you threw those 2 names up as examples.... FFS indeed.

[Rocket Science]

Cross, perhaps I can comprehend...but you're suggesting Boyd's an unaccountable footballer?

[Mantis]

Cross, perhaps I can comprehend...but you're suggesting Boyd's an unaccountable footballer?

Yep.

Runs around with his head cut off when the opposition have the ball. He likes to guard space rather than an opponent.

[Stefcep]

Well, all the issues that have been raised here as failings won't be addressed:
1. No-one will be dropped for under-performing.
2. It was effort that was the problem, not a structureless forward line, not poor delivery to the forwards, n ot unaccountable defenders.
3. The problems are not deep AND easily fixed

So says Eade:
"While he bemoaned a kicking efficiency that ran as low as 35 per cent at times, the coach said he would resist the urge to vent his frustration at the selection table this week.

"I don't think you make a knee jerk reaction at this stage," he said.

"In the cold light of day over the next couple of days we'll think about it. The older players are obviously the ones who have to carry the can, but some of the younger ones as well who had their chance didn't grab it. It was across the board.

"I don't think you over-analyse. I think we know without having to look at the tape too much [areas] where we need to rectify, but they're things that we can rectify pretty quickly"

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/82319/default.aspx

[Mantis]

Why didn't we try and shut Embley down in the last qtr? He carried his team over the line. Ward was playing on him, but I'm not sure he was playing a stopping role, if he was it was a poor example of completing this task.

Why did it take us 2 and a half qtrs to work out that Hurn was playing on from a kick out, bombing it has fair as he could and allowing Nic Nat to punch it their way so the runners could run onto the ball. Our defenders were still in their poofy zone across half back and the ball got flipped over their heads to the waiting WC forwards. Why did we allow the ball to get over the back so often? Why didn't our defensive zone roll back? Why didn't our defenders abandon the zone and go stand next to their opponents? Why oh why??

Why did Johnson play so far up the ground in the first half? He was one of our only forwards who showed some smarts in where to run and was wasted up the ground. FWIW I thought Johnson busted his arse yesterday trying to get us over the line.

Why do we continue to play Eagleton? (I had to throw that in ;) )

[comrade]

Why do we continue to play Eagleton? (I had to throw that in ;) )

Blind faith :rolleyes:

[Mantis]

Blind faith :rolleyes:

Well surely on yesterdays performance that faith has to run out.

I spoke to many depressed Bulldogs fans drowning their sorrows last night and not one of them could understand why or how he is still in the team.

I really don't care how well liked he is around the club he isn't pulling his weight and has to make way for someone who might.

[Go_Dogs]

I really don't care how well liked he is around the club he isn't pulling his weight and has to make way for someone who might.

With the players to come back in it probably means Eagle won't be asked to play forward as much as he has had to. (Gia, Murph, Higgins amd Welsh).

So I guess it comes down to, is Eagle going to give us better service than other potential options for the wing?

At a quick guess, Hill, Griffen, Ward, Reid, Stack, Wood or O'Keefe :eek: ? Who else could realistically be a chance to provide run and carry? Everitt?

[anfo27]

This is my first post on this website. i've been a pasionate member for 13 years now & am rapt i finally found a forum that i can vent my spleen with fellow bulldog lovers. Where do i start with the problems? i can't blame rocket for the players not turning up in the first half but he made some ordinary moves or non moves in that 2nd half. I've seen rocket been out coached too many times, collingwood game perfect example. Why did he allow the eagles a loose man in defence and if he didn't allow a loose man then there was nobody on that 3rd man up taking all those marks in that last quarter. Everitt is a massive worry (another clayton masterstroke) he just doesn't have the mental toughness to ever make it. Tom Williams the great white hope, he really worries me i just don't see anything that is going to make him a very good player & we need him to be. Only positive i thought was Easton Wood &Callan Ward. Give Aker another contract & get rid of eagleton.

[Topdog]

Why didn't we try and shut Embley down in the last qtr? )

Do we have anyone that can stop a big strong midfielder? Goddard did the same to us.