comrade
24-03-2010, 10:41 PM
2010 AFL SEASON
ROUND 1 - MATCH PREVIEW
WESTERN BULLDOGS versus COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES
Docklands, Sunday March 27th, 2:10pm
---------------------------------------------
WHEN THEY LAST MET:
Round 22, 2009 Home and Away Season
Docklands, August 30th
Western Bulldogs 100
defeated
Collingwood 76
With third spot up for grabs, the Bulldogs met the Pies in the last game of the home and away season.
After a tight first half, the Bulldogs switched to plan B - denying Collingwood consistent use of the ball. By cutting off supply to their front runners, the Bulldogs were able to apply scoreboard pressure, before breaking the game open in the fourth quarter.
Boyd (35 disposals) was at his ball winning best, with Brad Johnson ending the night with four majors, including the late goal that secured third position on the ladder.
---------------------------------------------
PRE-AMBLE
Here we are. The real stuff.
There's a buzz at the Kennel, everyone wants to jump aboard the Bulldogs wagon. For the long suffering fans, the pre-season has presented a dilemma: Do we soak in the wave of optimism and euphoria or screw that damn lid on tight?
Well, the pre-season is over and means nothing now. Round 1, against a genuine contender who matches up well against us will show whether we are as good as we think (hope) we are.
With a tough first 6 rounds, a win straight up is vital....
---------------------------------------------
SELECTION TABLE: BULLDOGS
An impressive pre-season, culminating in the club’s first piece of senior silverware for 40 years, means that spots in the 22 are at an absolute premium. We’re in an enviable position in that we probably have 25 or more players who have genuine claims on playing top line AFL football. Unfortunately, 25 doesn’t go in to 22.
With Johnson looking more likely as the game draws nearer, and Hahn training without issue, there are 2 spots up for grabs and three players pushing hard.
Andrejs Everitt has been our biggest improver over the pre-season. After a tumultuous trade week, Dre has put his head down on the training track, running with the lead groups and pushing himself physically for the first time in his career at the Bulldogs.
His NAB Cup form has been solid without being outstanding, but he’s competed well in defence, particularly one on one, which has been a glaring weakness for the past 2 years.
Brodie Moles has been the suprise packet of our pre-season. He’s ready made - clean at ground level, neat with his kicking and strong in the clinches. As a rookie, new to the club, he has not put a foot wrong.
Josh Hill has continued to excite and frustrate in equal measures - the remaining hairs on Rocket’s head must fear for their longevity when Josh takes the field.
He’s teamed well with Hall at times, floating as third man up to take the ball when the opposition defender has his hands full with big Bazza. But, as is his want, Josh has gone missing for long stretches of play. He is a great talent, and provides another marking target which may come on handy if Johnson has reduced game time this week.
For mine, Everitt is a lock based on a solid pre-season and his ability to provide extra defensive cover. The Moles/Hill decision is less clear cut - with both Johnson and Hahn just about locked in, do we need another mid-sized forward? Is extra midfield depth more valuable against a pretty deep (but slow) Magpie engine room?
Too close to call, but Moles could be unlucky.
SELECTION TABLE: MAGPIES
After a solid pre-season, the Magpies have an almost fully healthy list to choose from.
With the addition of Ball and Jolly, and an even playing group, spots in their 22 are going to be hard to come by.
Steele Sidebottom, Shane O’Bree, John McCarthy and Sharrod Wellingham are all fighting for midfield spots, with Ben Reid and Nathan Brown on the selection radar, but probably not required against the Dogs, with Presti to take Hall and Leigh Brown a head of the queue.
They may not be jam packed with stars, but their depth is good, with plenty of young players who have had exposure to top line senior football.
---------------------------------------------
KEY MATCH UPS
Picken vs Didak/Lockyer/Thomas
Despite a blue collar vibe, the Magpies have some of the league’s best front runners (cheats). In the Round 15 game last year, Lockyer snuck out the front on numerous occasions to put us to the sword.
Picken plays well on outside types and may rotate on all three. He could also play a sweeping role, sitting just outside the congestion, denying the likes of Lockyer the chance to run away un-impeded. Stopping these types will go a long way to choking up their attacking forays, and will allow the likes of Lake and Morris to destroy the high balls that come in.
Jolly/Fraser v Hudson/Minson
The Pies’ boom recruit gets to match up against the bare knuckled (and severely underrated) duo of Hudson and Minson. Hudson has performed well against Jolly in our last few outings against Sydney, and Minson has come back nicely from his Bonsoy scare.
The Jolly/Fraser combination will no doubt try to stretch our ruckmen around the ground, and up forward We may see Everitt play a run with role for periods ala his Round 22 performance last year.
Winning the ruck duel, giving our midfield first use and providing quick ball movement for our forwards first use will go a long way to putting a match winning score on the board. Watch for our big guys to be aggressive and take it to Jolly and Fraser from the first bounce.
Johnson vs Shaw
With Johnno coming off no game time over the pre-season, he will need to use all of his smarts to curtail the defensive run of Heath Shaw. The Magpies playmaker, Shaw is a crucial piece of the Collingwood attacking puzzle. When he plays well and is given a licence to run and create, they generally win.
Johnson will probably stay deeper than he normally would, due to his lack of pre-season game time and as a defensive ploy against Shaw. Despite his great attacking instincts, Shaw does struggle closer to goal when forced to play a close checking role. If Johnno gets the best of it and comes away with a few goals whilst keeping Shaw quiet, we should win.
The 6 headed defense monster vs our forward line
Collingwood has mastered the art of ‘communal defending’. Very rarely are Harry O, Presti or Maxwell left one out with their direct opponent. They’re happy to let opposition forwards run high up the field, allowing them to peel off and provide extra coverage when the ball comes in.
Winning the clearances and moving the ball quickly will help to isolate their defenders. Playing through the direct opponents of Maxwell and Harry O (guys like Higgins and Murphy) will be crucial in breaking up the structure.
In stead of re-wording Lantern’s preview from last year, here’s what he wrote about the Collingwood defensive unit:
Though a poor facsimile of Brian Lake, Nick Maxwell performs a comparable role down back for Collingwood, and will chop off any ill-considered forays forward, and won't be shy about taking the body in the process. Therefore, whether rapid-fire or patient as the situation dictates, we must be judicious with our ball-use entering forward 50, lest we spoonfeed the likes of Davis, O'Brien, Lockyer and damaging ball-carrier Heath Shaw, who ranks 2nd only to Sydney-based brother Rhyce for running bounces in the AFL.
Likewise, under no circumstance can we succumb to the trap of long bombs to a goal-square-bound Minson, who'll be a sitting duck for Prestigiacomo's superior spoiling, and in-turn Heath Shaw's rebound. Our small forwards must continue to be diligent about locking the ball into our forward-50, but we can't afford to have them chasing tail all night thanks to indiscriminate attacks.
Pretty much nails it, in my opinion.
---------------------------------------------
THE X-FACTOR
Barry.
The hottest man in football (not literally, obviously) adds an extra dimension to our forward line whenever he takes the field. A buzz drifts around the ground and all eyes are on the big fella.
On the back of quick direct ball movement, he can break a game open within a quarter as we saw against the Saints in the NAB Cup final.
More importantly, we’ve already seen him play the role as bail out option. He won the game against Port Adelaide, but he also took some strong contested marks against St Kilda when we had no other options available. This will be important against the Pies, as there will be times when they push us wide and we’re forced to go long.
Special mention goes to Brad Johnson and his 350th milestone - in front of a packed house in the first game of our most hyped season since 1954. Let’s hope we can harness that energy and swamp the Magpies from the first bounce.
---------------------------------------------
THE VERDICT
The Bulldogs are the most hyped ticket in town, for better or worse. We showed in the NAB Cup that our defensive pressure has stepped up a level, and with a new bald bloke causing havoc, we’re certainly a genuine premiership contender.
The Pies were the second best performed team of the pre-season. With a clean bill of health, and an even spread of talent on every line, they will go in confident.
Our ability to win the contested ball and overwhelm the Collingwood defence will be crucial in putting a winning score on the board. With Boyd and Cross going head to head with the likes of Swan and Ball, it should be a cracker in the middle.
Ultimately, I think we may just have too much class, with quality finishers such as Akermanis, Murphy and Gia adding polish to the aforementioned grunt men.
Bulldogs by 21 points in front of a sell out crowd.
ROUND 1 - MATCH PREVIEW
WESTERN BULLDOGS versus COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES
Docklands, Sunday March 27th, 2:10pm
---------------------------------------------
WHEN THEY LAST MET:
Round 22, 2009 Home and Away Season
Docklands, August 30th
Western Bulldogs 100
defeated
Collingwood 76
With third spot up for grabs, the Bulldogs met the Pies in the last game of the home and away season.
After a tight first half, the Bulldogs switched to plan B - denying Collingwood consistent use of the ball. By cutting off supply to their front runners, the Bulldogs were able to apply scoreboard pressure, before breaking the game open in the fourth quarter.
Boyd (35 disposals) was at his ball winning best, with Brad Johnson ending the night with four majors, including the late goal that secured third position on the ladder.
---------------------------------------------
PRE-AMBLE
Here we are. The real stuff.
There's a buzz at the Kennel, everyone wants to jump aboard the Bulldogs wagon. For the long suffering fans, the pre-season has presented a dilemma: Do we soak in the wave of optimism and euphoria or screw that damn lid on tight?
Well, the pre-season is over and means nothing now. Round 1, against a genuine contender who matches up well against us will show whether we are as good as we think (hope) we are.
With a tough first 6 rounds, a win straight up is vital....
---------------------------------------------
SELECTION TABLE: BULLDOGS
An impressive pre-season, culminating in the club’s first piece of senior silverware for 40 years, means that spots in the 22 are at an absolute premium. We’re in an enviable position in that we probably have 25 or more players who have genuine claims on playing top line AFL football. Unfortunately, 25 doesn’t go in to 22.
With Johnson looking more likely as the game draws nearer, and Hahn training without issue, there are 2 spots up for grabs and three players pushing hard.
Andrejs Everitt has been our biggest improver over the pre-season. After a tumultuous trade week, Dre has put his head down on the training track, running with the lead groups and pushing himself physically for the first time in his career at the Bulldogs.
His NAB Cup form has been solid without being outstanding, but he’s competed well in defence, particularly one on one, which has been a glaring weakness for the past 2 years.
Brodie Moles has been the suprise packet of our pre-season. He’s ready made - clean at ground level, neat with his kicking and strong in the clinches. As a rookie, new to the club, he has not put a foot wrong.
Josh Hill has continued to excite and frustrate in equal measures - the remaining hairs on Rocket’s head must fear for their longevity when Josh takes the field.
He’s teamed well with Hall at times, floating as third man up to take the ball when the opposition defender has his hands full with big Bazza. But, as is his want, Josh has gone missing for long stretches of play. He is a great talent, and provides another marking target which may come on handy if Johnson has reduced game time this week.
For mine, Everitt is a lock based on a solid pre-season and his ability to provide extra defensive cover. The Moles/Hill decision is less clear cut - with both Johnson and Hahn just about locked in, do we need another mid-sized forward? Is extra midfield depth more valuable against a pretty deep (but slow) Magpie engine room?
Too close to call, but Moles could be unlucky.
SELECTION TABLE: MAGPIES
After a solid pre-season, the Magpies have an almost fully healthy list to choose from.
With the addition of Ball and Jolly, and an even playing group, spots in their 22 are going to be hard to come by.
Steele Sidebottom, Shane O’Bree, John McCarthy and Sharrod Wellingham are all fighting for midfield spots, with Ben Reid and Nathan Brown on the selection radar, but probably not required against the Dogs, with Presti to take Hall and Leigh Brown a head of the queue.
They may not be jam packed with stars, but their depth is good, with plenty of young players who have had exposure to top line senior football.
---------------------------------------------
KEY MATCH UPS
Picken vs Didak/Lockyer/Thomas
Despite a blue collar vibe, the Magpies have some of the league’s best front runners (cheats). In the Round 15 game last year, Lockyer snuck out the front on numerous occasions to put us to the sword.
Picken plays well on outside types and may rotate on all three. He could also play a sweeping role, sitting just outside the congestion, denying the likes of Lockyer the chance to run away un-impeded. Stopping these types will go a long way to choking up their attacking forays, and will allow the likes of Lake and Morris to destroy the high balls that come in.
Jolly/Fraser v Hudson/Minson
The Pies’ boom recruit gets to match up against the bare knuckled (and severely underrated) duo of Hudson and Minson. Hudson has performed well against Jolly in our last few outings against Sydney, and Minson has come back nicely from his Bonsoy scare.
The Jolly/Fraser combination will no doubt try to stretch our ruckmen around the ground, and up forward We may see Everitt play a run with role for periods ala his Round 22 performance last year.
Winning the ruck duel, giving our midfield first use and providing quick ball movement for our forwards first use will go a long way to putting a match winning score on the board. Watch for our big guys to be aggressive and take it to Jolly and Fraser from the first bounce.
Johnson vs Shaw
With Johnno coming off no game time over the pre-season, he will need to use all of his smarts to curtail the defensive run of Heath Shaw. The Magpies playmaker, Shaw is a crucial piece of the Collingwood attacking puzzle. When he plays well and is given a licence to run and create, they generally win.
Johnson will probably stay deeper than he normally would, due to his lack of pre-season game time and as a defensive ploy against Shaw. Despite his great attacking instincts, Shaw does struggle closer to goal when forced to play a close checking role. If Johnno gets the best of it and comes away with a few goals whilst keeping Shaw quiet, we should win.
The 6 headed defense monster vs our forward line
Collingwood has mastered the art of ‘communal defending’. Very rarely are Harry O, Presti or Maxwell left one out with their direct opponent. They’re happy to let opposition forwards run high up the field, allowing them to peel off and provide extra coverage when the ball comes in.
Winning the clearances and moving the ball quickly will help to isolate their defenders. Playing through the direct opponents of Maxwell and Harry O (guys like Higgins and Murphy) will be crucial in breaking up the structure.
In stead of re-wording Lantern’s preview from last year, here’s what he wrote about the Collingwood defensive unit:
Though a poor facsimile of Brian Lake, Nick Maxwell performs a comparable role down back for Collingwood, and will chop off any ill-considered forays forward, and won't be shy about taking the body in the process. Therefore, whether rapid-fire or patient as the situation dictates, we must be judicious with our ball-use entering forward 50, lest we spoonfeed the likes of Davis, O'Brien, Lockyer and damaging ball-carrier Heath Shaw, who ranks 2nd only to Sydney-based brother Rhyce for running bounces in the AFL.
Likewise, under no circumstance can we succumb to the trap of long bombs to a goal-square-bound Minson, who'll be a sitting duck for Prestigiacomo's superior spoiling, and in-turn Heath Shaw's rebound. Our small forwards must continue to be diligent about locking the ball into our forward-50, but we can't afford to have them chasing tail all night thanks to indiscriminate attacks.
Pretty much nails it, in my opinion.
---------------------------------------------
THE X-FACTOR
Barry.
The hottest man in football (not literally, obviously) adds an extra dimension to our forward line whenever he takes the field. A buzz drifts around the ground and all eyes are on the big fella.
On the back of quick direct ball movement, he can break a game open within a quarter as we saw against the Saints in the NAB Cup final.
More importantly, we’ve already seen him play the role as bail out option. He won the game against Port Adelaide, but he also took some strong contested marks against St Kilda when we had no other options available. This will be important against the Pies, as there will be times when they push us wide and we’re forced to go long.
Special mention goes to Brad Johnson and his 350th milestone - in front of a packed house in the first game of our most hyped season since 1954. Let’s hope we can harness that energy and swamp the Magpies from the first bounce.
---------------------------------------------
THE VERDICT
The Bulldogs are the most hyped ticket in town, for better or worse. We showed in the NAB Cup that our defensive pressure has stepped up a level, and with a new bald bloke causing havoc, we’re certainly a genuine premiership contender.
The Pies were the second best performed team of the pre-season. With a clean bill of health, and an even spread of talent on every line, they will go in confident.
Our ability to win the contested ball and overwhelm the Collingwood defence will be crucial in putting a winning score on the board. With Boyd and Cross going head to head with the likes of Swan and Ball, it should be a cracker in the middle.
Ultimately, I think we may just have too much class, with quality finishers such as Akermanis, Murphy and Gia adding polish to the aforementioned grunt men.
Bulldogs by 21 points in front of a sell out crowd.