That look in the eyes!

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

AS the game wore on tonight, I was really concerned that we had lost belief and even our desire. This seemed to compound in the last quarter culminating in a complete breakdown in composure when the Dees hit the front.

I really thought, and I think most did, that we would come out from the start tonight and take last weeks disappointment out on the Dee's with a totally committed four quarter effort. Yet we seemed bereft of emotion and run for the most of the game, and seemingly out of chances to get on top.

I was thinking late in the game that even if we got out of jail we would paint a post game picuture of a dispirited and near broken group.
However I saw a real spark of passion first with Lake's goal, which rose even more on the back of Griffen's goal and his ensuing ROAR!!!

The way the group reacted, and the steely look in their eyes post siren was the best result(besides the 4 points) for the team tonight and I really hope that this goes some way of kicking their season into action.

Good teams find a way to win, when they are down and seemingly out, we saw that first hand last week -to our dismay. Well this time the shoe was on the other foot and maybe, in spite of the woeful display by the guys for 99% of the game, this is the spark that will ignite our season.

Collingwood were almost as insipid as us against the Dees in perfect conditions, and they really hit their stride following that near miss.

I really hope that is the case for us, because next game against Sydney is going to be a HUGE game for us.
Sydney are not the same team that we have had the wood over in recent times, they are a much pacier and slicker outfit, than when we last met them.
If we are to win again them we need to improve out of sight, and must have that look in our eyes - that we showed in the dying minute or two tonight - right from the get go and maintained for the 4 quarters...Oh and it would help too if they can remember to bring the skills, precision and poise and teamwork which they seemingly left in the dressing room for most of tonight.

[LostDoggy]

Agree with YHF as usual. I think this win is a turning point. There was real joy in the team post win, not just relief.

[BulldogBelle]

Amen to all of that!

[KT31]

Agree with YHF as usual. I think this win is a turning point. There was real joy in the team post win, not just relief.

Lets hope you are right.
Still along way to go and we have better oposition to come.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Agree wholeheartedly.

I was extremely disappointed with our side up until Lake went forward and competed very well. He turned the game along with Cooney/Griffen. The passion was great to see - I, myself, haven't been that fired up in a game either. I thought we were gone but to come back and snatch victory (especially after last week) shows a resilience I've been critical of in the past.

Best last five minutes of a game for a long time. Felt good to stick it up the nearby cocky Melbourne supporters!

[Remi Moses]

Gee Melbourne fans moaning about the officials.Buy a frigging Dvd of Round 21 2005 and fast forward to time on last quarter!!:rolleyes:

[jazzadogs]

Was nice to see Gia gather the boys post-match and have a chat. You can only imagine the sorts of things he was saying, but it's those kinds of things which spur on the "Gia For Captain" argument.

[angelopetraglia]

Absolutely agree.

Was at the game and also got back home in time to watch the entire last quarter on TV.

The sheer joy and passion when that siren went, really showed how much it meant to the every player to get over the line tonight.

Hopefully we can build from this.

How important is one goal. To lose to goals by under a kick would have absolutely devastated the confidence of the group. To get across the line in such a tight game does so much for the belief, particularly after the demons of last week.

[LostDoggy]

Was a good comeback. But in reality, there shouldn't have even been a need for us to comeback. In saying that it was a big relief that we did come away with the 4 points and hopefully, please, please, please, lets hope this is the turning point for the boys.

[Sedat]

Best last five minutes of a game for a long time.
Our last 5 minutes really were outstanding. It was fantastic to see Lake, Cooney and Griffen take it upon themselves to will us over the line.

Having said that, the 30 minutes from late in the 3rd qtr to late in the last qtr were probably the worst 30 mintes we've played all season save for the the Brisbane 2nd half. The complete and utter lack of run and the total breakdown in forward 50 structure was alarming to see from such a highly credentialed team. Melbourne really dominated us during this period and were more composed when they had the ball, were far better at creating run and overlap, and were much cleaner with their skills than we were. We sure have a number of players well down on form and condifence.

[wb_age]

For those who got home in time to watch the last 5 mins on delay.

The way Boyd hugged Griff when the siren went was something that captured the feeling in this thread. (it was beautiful)

Boydy then went on in similar fashion to the rest of the guys, future captain 100%.

[Topdog]

Was nice to see Gia gather the boys post-match and have a chat. You can only imagine the sorts of things he was saying, but it's those kinds of things which spur on the "Gia For Captain" argument.

Watch the goal again and see Gia's celebration in the goalsquare as it bounced through. Great to see.

[LostDoggy]

Best last five minutes of a game for a long time. Felt good to stick it up the nearby cocky Melbourne supporters!

You can say that again, but I did look pretty stupid when I thought Lake kicked a goal (even he was celebrating) haha.

[The Pie Man]

Gee Melbourne fans moaning about the officials.Buy a frigging Dvd of Round 21 2005 and fast forward to time on last quarter!!:rolleyes:

Ahhhh so THAT's what they did to buy the bad karma from last night.

Thanks for reminding me/clearing that up :D

[LostDoggy]

Lots of passion in the song also

[Stefcep]

Meh.

We won by 4 points against a team full of kids that had better hand and foot skills in wet conditions, were better organised, played with a game plan, and our experienced midfield boasting a Brownlow medalist was towelled up by two first year players.

Nothing to be passionate about.

[Go_Dogs]

our experienced midfield boasting a Brownlow medalist was towelled up by two first year players.

Nothing to be passionate about.

Scully had a good night, Trengove was OK but certainly wasn't his best night.

We did win the clearances quite comfortably and the contested ball, so perhaps towelled up isn't the best way to describe the midfield performance.

Out of curiosity, what was so good about Melbourne's game plan? Or are you simply implying that we didn't have one? :rolleyes:

[Ghost Dog]

I was watching the replay last night and was feeling sick. I could not resist the temptation to peep at the final score before continuing to watch as last week put me in a foul mood all weekend. Agreed, fire in the eyes is key and great to see the boys pumped.

[Stefcep]

Scully had a good night, Trengove was OK but certainly wasn't his best night.

We did win the clearances quite comfortably and the contested ball, so perhaps towelled up isn't the best way to describe the midfield performance.

Out of curiosity, what was so good about Melbourne's game plan? Or are you simply implying that we didn't have one? :rolleyes:

When a first year kid gets 35 possessions, your midfielders have been beaten

Melbourne went forward trying to kick to targets that presented themselves. They failed in their execution: a couple of passes going a couple of metres wide or short. Mistakes kids make.

OTOH we kicked to clear the ball hopefully, anywhere and to no-one in particular. So yeah for the life of me I could not see if we had a system.

[EasternWest]

Watch the goal again and see Gia's celebration in the goalsquare as it bounced through. Great to see.

Pure emotion. It was a great, genuine reaction.

[Scorlibo]

It was wonderful to see the players boom out the song, instead of whimper it as they have been doing lately. Griff's passion was sooo good!

[Go_Dogs]

When a first year kid gets 35 possessions, your midfielders have been beaten

Melbourne went forward trying to kick to targets that presented themselves. They failed in their execution: a couple of passes going a couple of metres wide or short. Mistakes kids make.

OTOH we kicked to clear the ball hopefully, anywhere and to no-one in particular. So yeah for the life of me I could not see if we had a system.

I'd rather Scully have 39 touches than Aaron Davey though. Scully was good, but he had at least 5 really bad clangers that I saw, and whilst he got a stack of the ball I wouldn't have had him as the most influential player on the ground. I guess we saw it differently.


To me, in the conditions, it seemed both sides played a similar style of game in trying to scrap the ball forwards. Bate was the only real difference as he was able to make good front position and get on the end of a few kicks, where as once again we seemed to fall down a bit around half forward if we didn't run and carry the ball to or over that area.

It was a scrappy contest, and whilst I think you're a little harsh on us, there were times when our ball movement was lacking thought and we'd kick long to no one. Working out our issues across half forward (ahem, Murphy) will go a long way to making these 'holes' in our game plan disappear, at least IMO.

[Sedat]

I'd rather Scully have 39 touches than Aaron Davey though. Scully was good, but he had at least 5 really bad clangers that I saw, and whilst he got a stack of the ball I wouldn't have had him as the most influential player on the ground. I guess we saw it differently.
Ended up with 8 clangers for the night. That's no knock on the kid because it was an amazing gut-running effort to rack up 39 possessions (18 in the last qtr alone). Scully, Trengove and Grimes represents a serious future to build a team around. Grimes in particular was outstanding off half back both mopping up and winning one-on-one contests - Melbourne have absolutely killed it with the pick 14/Travis Johnstone/Cameron Wood 3-way trade.

Davey's 20 odd possessions were all very damaging and had a hand in many of Melbourne's successful forward thrusts. He carves us up every single time, and we simply let him off the leash too often again last night.

[Flamethrower]

Meh.

We won by 4 points against a team full of kids that had better hand and foot skills in wet conditions, were better organised, played with a game plan, and our experienced midfield boasting a Brownlow medalist was towelled up by two first year players.

Nothing to be passionate about.

Don't underestimate how good Melbourne are. They crushed Brisbane (who crushed us), ran a red hot Collingwood to a point, and are a very real chance of playing in the finals this year.

[chef]

Don't underestimate how good Melbourne are. They crushed Brisbane (who crushed us), ran a red hot Collingwood to a point, and are a very real chance of playing in the finals this year.

Yep, they are going to trouble a lot of sides this year.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Meh.

We won by 4 points against a team full of kids that had better hand and foot skills in wet conditions, were better organised, played with a game plan, and our experienced midfield boasting a Brownlow medalist was towelled up by two first year players.

Nothing to be passionate about.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that what we dished up was in anyway a good performance.
However anyway you want to play it, there were two choices the team could have taken when 9 minutes down, with very little time left, and with all the momentum with Melbourne.

We could've submitted and taken absolutely nothing from the game, and in turn compounded the teams woes. Instead we found something, dug deep, and in return gained a very valuable 4 points, and perhaps just as significant going forward, steeled the group to take advantage of their good fortune.

The reaction of the players after Lake's and Griffen's goals, and then after the siren was a very passionate response.

Does is solve all of our problems? Does it ensure a good performance next week? Does it mean that the coaching staf and players can ignore the poor performance they turned up for much of the second half?

No.

But I think it would've made our problems and our chances next week infinitely worse had we not found a way to win, and that makes the win and the emotion shown in my book better than 'Meh'.