How to Beat Geelong

[Ghost Dog]

It really does not matter what happens in the next 10 weeks.
If we can't find a way to beat Geelong or at least match them, the Bulldogs are dreamin'.

If you were Rocket Eade, how would you defeat Geelong?
What are the most important factors?
Your thoughts. Dog-sters.

[LostDoggy]

Sopt Pods leading up the middle of the ground.....which is where he is getting most of his goals from....

[Jasper]

How to beat Geelong...?

Pray to the injury gods...mmm... lets see....lets wish for injuries to their best key forward (Mooney), their best key back (Scarlett), an All Australian mid (Corey), one of their hardest players (Rooke), plus their number one All Australian Ruckmen (Ottens), a potentially seaon ending injury to their best young up and coming forward (Hawkins)...

Pray to the Morale/Team Spirit gods....how about: Drugs charges against a player (Stokes) and hope for their best player to be beset by rumours he is leaving for another club to sap morale...(you know who)


Hang on...isn't the above already the case....??


We are screwed...unless we get Hawthorn lucky.

[LostDoggy]

Alot can happen in a week of footy, let alone 10!

[The Underdog]

We couldn't even beat Essendon, who Geelong killed. To be honest I don't think we could beat Geelong in a final. We lack the mental capacity to match them for 4 quarters.
Sorry if that sounds pessimistic but we are a fragile side and I can't see that changing by September. I also haven't seen a performance this year that would indicate that we're anything near serious contenders. A lot would have to change.

[LostDoggy]

Look, the good thing is the AFL finals are a one game knockout tournament. Unlike some of the US sports that require a series of wins.
Anything can and does happen in single game finals. Remember the Crows premierships of the late 90s???

[BulldogBelle]

Yes, last year we were in much the same position as now and nobody thought we could beat the Cats or Saints at this stage but in the end we showed we were good enough to do it at least v the Saints who were top all year.

[LostDoggy]

Absoloutely. At this stage our focus is top 4 then anything can happen.

Come finals I think we are capable of taking it up to anyone.

[boydogs]

Geelong can struggle against ultra attacking styles - Collingwood were the only ones to get them in 2007 IIRC, and nearly had them in the prelim that year as well. Carlton got them last year and this year. Essendon have pushed them for a few quarters on each occasion this year as well.

Running the ball through the middle of the ground, defensive rebound and goalkicking midfielders are important. Harbrow was important in the 08 prelim, as were Higgins and Aker. Gilbee, Hargrave, Cooney, Griffen and Ward will need to star for us to win.

The cornerstone of Geelong's game is to move the ball quickly, taking risks and backing yourself and your team mates to win the ball and find the next option. Pressuring them and punishing their errors with an attacking approach going the other way is the way to get on top

[Hotdog60]

Geelong can struggle against ultra attacking styles - Collingwood were the only ones to get them in 2007 IIRC, and nearly had them in the prelim that year as well. Carlton got them last year and this year. Essendon have pushed them for a few quarters on each occasion this year as well.

Running the ball through the middle of the ground, defensive rebound and goalkicking midfielders are important. Harbrow was important in the 08 prelim, as were Higgins and Aker. Gilbee, Hargrave, Cooney, Griffen and Ward will need to star for us to win.

The cornerstone of Geelong's game is to move the ball quickly, taking risks and backing yourself and your team mates to win the ball and find the next option. Pressuring them and punishing their errors with an attacking approach going the other way is the way to get on top

gogriff, you've echo my thoughts exactly.

Who would have thought Melbourne would have been a chance against Colllingwood, at 3/4 time they showed a stat that Melbourne plays on after a mark 100% of the time when Collingwood was 40%.
If their kicking into 50 had been better or if they had a strong marking option they would have won.
Fast free flowing footy and strong defensive pressure is how we finished last year, we need to get back to that level and we can beat anyone regardless of who they are.

[chef]

We match up well against the Cats and if we can play 4 quarters of football against them, we can beat them.

[Mofra]

Geelong can struggle against ultra attacking styles - Collingwood were the only ones to get them in 2007 IIRC, and nearly had them in the prelim that year as well. Carlton got them last year and this year. Essendon have pushed them for a few quarters on each occasion this year as well.
Sums it up perfectly. Geelong play a high-risk style of play because they have talent all over the paddock. We tend to play best when we run the ball and move it quickly - we are not a quick side by foot despite what some tell us, but we would have to be one of the quickest in terms of ball-movement.

The teams that have beat Geelong recently play a high risk style of play (almost completely unaccountable at times). Against Geelong, a side full of Eagletons stands a good chance (cat amongst the pigeons yet? :p)

[LostDoggy]

Have an extra man on the field and hope no-one finds out?

[LostDoggy]

Have an extra man on the field and hope no-one finds out?

Yea an extra Brian.... Each end of the ground. :D

[Greystache]

Yea an extra Brian.... Each end of the ground. :D

And two Tom Lonergans to match up on him!

[LostDoggy]

How to beat Geelong?

Easy - be in front of them on the scoreboard when the final siren goes! ;):D

[LostDoggy]

How to beat Geelong?

Easy - be in front of them on the scoreboard when the final siren goes! ;):D

As once sang by someone

Took the words right out of my mouth:D

[immortalmike]

I think we've looked best against them when we've taken them on and pressured the ball carrier and perhaps most importantly kept their defence under a whole lot of pressure. All that's needed then is to take our chances and not miss easy opportunities in front of goal.

Failing that, if it's a Grand Final tell Barry to repeatedly knock-out whoever plays on him until there is nobody left to man him up.

[LostDoggy]

No one gave the Hawks much of a chance in 08, it just proves that football is a funny game anything is possible on the day!
So for the Dogs getting in the top 4 is the deal, maybe if St Kilda play Geelong and the Dogs play Carlton in the prelims the odds of us making the big one are better.

[LostDoggy]

We need to hit some pretty decent form in the second half of the year if we are going to make top 4. If we do get there I imagine we will be seriously up and about, and could beat anyone on our day.
We had stagefright early on in that first final against geelong last year - i doubt that will happen again...if we are confident and play with balls we are a huge chance, if we go into our shell we will be smashed.

We haven't been blown away in either of the last two prelims - in fact we have been getting closer each time. If we make the prelim again I would be fully expecting us to take the next step, where as last year i was kinda hoping but not confident at all.