Our opponents next week: Geelong

[Dry Rot]

10 wins on the trot and they look unstoppable with very even contributions across the park.

Can we beat them? And how?

One things for sure - we'll need to put in for four quarters, and we haven't really done that this season.

[Go_Dogs]

We can, not sure if we will.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Their forward line did not function against Collingwood, they had a lot more of the ball but could not produce much going forward

Street and Darcy will need to be better than they were against Essendon, because I think we need to break them up in the middle of the ground with our run and athleticism.

They are a very good side but I do think we are capable of beating them, but we absolutely must dictate the terms of how the game is played. We need to win clearances and then run and spread - but really thats the key to our game every week. Our forward line must function - however I think they will struggle more to hold us at Telstra where our midfield will get more shots on goal.

[bornadog]

Our forward line must function - however I think they will struggle more to hold us at Telstra where our midfield will get more shots on goal.

They will find it hard to match up our forward line as most teams do, thats why we kick a lot of goals. As you say, the game will be won in the ruck and midfield. We have to stop Bartel and Ablett.

[BulldogBelle]

I feel that we being one of three teams to have beat Geelong this year probably will give our guys that added confidence coming into this game. We have had quite a few close games of late and granted Geelong has won 10 games in a row, time for us to stop that streak. Midfield dominance will be the key.

[Topdog]

10 wins on the trot and they look unstoppable with very even contributions across the park.




Kind of true but to be honest they haven't looked that impressive in recent weeks. It took 5 injuries for them to finally overcome Essendon and against Collingwood I think Malthouse made a few mistakes in his forward line that allowed Scarlet to run it out far too easily.


Can we beat them? And how?



I think we can but I'm not so sure we will. We definately need Grant back IMO and I believe that the game will be won with us being able to stop the run out of their backline. We need to have Robbins in there applying lots of forward 50 pressure.


One things for sure - we'll need to put in for four quarters, and we haven't really done that this season.

Yep, extremely dissappointing that we haven't.

[southerncross]

Truth of momentum or moment of truth for Dogs? (http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/truth-of-momentum-or-moment-of-truth-for-dogs/2007/07/15/1184438149224.html)


This is a very good article.

MOMENTUM is a priceless asset in football. And Rodney Eade certainly had plenty of it as he charged angrily down to the Telstra Dome turf from the Western Bulldogs' coaching box on Saturday night.
Lindsay Gilbee, sitting on the interchange bench, was the first to feel his wrath. Then again at the quarter-time huddle, along with Brian Harris and Matthew Robbins. All three might well have required immediate treatment for ruptured eardrums.
Momentum was what their various blunders had helped cost the Bulldogs, an early 26-point and potential percentage-boosting whitewash against Essendon having somehow become a one-point deficit at the break.
You could understand Eade's frustration, for while an eventual 33-point win was some comfort, that opening term was something of a microcosm of the Bulldogs' season.
A popular pre-season fancy for at least a grand final berth and perhaps even more, the Doggies haven't been able to maintain a decent head of steam for any length of time, thrice stringing two wins together before dropping their next game.
With another "streak" of two under their belt now, that pattern simply can't be repeated any longer if what seemed a realistic premiership challenge is to prove more than mere froth and bubble.
If the jury is still out on the Western Bulldogs after 15 rounds, its verdict well and truly will have been delivered by the end of the next three weeks, when Eade's side takes on Geelong, West Coast and St Kilda at Telstra Dome — perhaps even as early as this Friday night.
Much has changed since the Bulldogs met and beat the Cats back in round one. It remains arguably the Dogs' best performance of 2007. Yet even a return to that level this week might not be enough against a side that has struck the perfect balance of steel and skill. And which, with 10 wins in a row, obviously has momentum to spare.
West Coast might be a shadow of its former self, but Geelong at the moment is more than a fair representation of what the Eagles have been these past couple of seasons, and proved it again against Collingwood on Saturday.
All the trademarks are there. A defence led superbly by Matthew Scarlett, Tom Harley, Darren Milburn and now the likes of Andrew Mackie, which not only restricts opponents to miserly totals but generates an enormous amount of drive.
A midfield that bats very deep indeed — Gary Ablett, Joel Corey, Cameron Ling, Jimmy Bartel, Corey Enright, Paul Chapman and Joel Selwood merely the imposing top order.
And a forward set-up more threatening and flexible than anything the Eagles have cobbled together — Cam Mooney, Brad Ottens, Nathan Ablett and Tom Hawkins represent the array of talls from which to choose; Steve Johnson providing the in-between and dangerous "X-factor"; Chapman, Mathew Stokes and Travis Varcoe the dangerous smalls.
It's a potent mix that has proved beyond any rival's capabilities since April.
Over the past three weeks, Geelong has soaked up all the physical pressure Sydney and the Magpies could apply and come out on top, in-between dispensing with an Essendon that instead tried to trade punches with run and attack and still got blown away.
Now it's the Bulldogs' turn to match wits.
Scott West's crucial return is likely, but those of Daniel Cross and Ryan Griffen are still at least three weeks off.
That's time the Dogs can ill-afford, given their opponents over the next few rounds. Nor any longer for their skills to sharpen to the required level, Saturday night's win being punctuated by far too many turnovers and clangers.
Adam Cooney, Nathan Eagleton, Daniel Giansiracusa and a steadily improving Jason Akermanis are the sum of the polish at the moment, Matthew Boyd, Mitch Hahn and Dale Morris are trojans of defence.
Despite a handy recent record against Geelong, having won three of their past four clashes and losing the other by only one point, it doesn't seem armoury enough for the Bulldogs to cope this time with what the Cats will dish up.
Geelong has raised the bar, and Eade's side is going to need far greater levels of consistency to have a hope of reaching it even now, let alone come September.
Unless the Bulldogs can find that elusive momentum, they could have plenty of time on their hands to deal with their own disappointment, and one pretty peeved coach.

[bulldogtragic]

I've got a feeling for no apparent real reason that we will win by 4 or 5 goals.

I dont usually have feelings about games, but there's just something in me waters that says we'll put it together this week.

[LostDoggy]

I don't feel as confident as I was when we played West Coast at the G in 2005, but I do feel confident. It was interesting watching the game against Essendon - I felt they held back somewhat - I hope it is to conserve their energy for Geelong;)

[LostDoggy]

Seeing we haven't strung more than 2 games in a row so far this season, surely this is the week to put that to rest. I don't feel as nervous about this game as I did about the Essendon game - the ones we should have in the bag (eg Carlton) are often the ones that cause us problems. Geelong should be ripe for the picking - 10 in a row is an awesome effort.

I haven't watched much of Geelong this year. Are they really playing exceptional footy? Chapman is a player I worry about (terrific footballer). Who do we usually put on him?

[LostDoggy]

I don't feel as confident as I was when we played West Coast at the G in 2005, but I do feel confident. It was interesting watching the game against Essendon - I felt they held back somewhat - I hope it is to conserve their energy for Geelong;)
They certainly held something back in the last 5 minutes of the first quarter.

[GVGjr]

This from the Age

Thompson says Cats can contain Johnson (http://news.realfooty.com.au/thompson-says-cats-can-contain-johnson/20075418-ogd.html)

Western Bulldogs' full-forward Brad Johnson again looms as the potential match-winner against Geelong on Friday night, but Cats coach Mark Thompson says his defence is up to the task.

Johnson booted eight goals when the teams met in round one, guiding his team to a 20-point victory, and has proved a thorn in Geelong's side in recent years with 15 goals from the past three matches.

The 182cm Johnson leads this year's race for the Coleman Medal with 49 goals.

"He's a great player, there's no denying that. Captain of the All-Australian side last year reflects what everybody thinks of him," Thompson said.

Although Thompson admitted stopping the 31-year-old Johnson was a big focus, there were no special plans in place to try to curb his impact.

Instead, Thompson said he will just "throw the back six back there and let them decide who they want to play on and get the job done rather than reacting too much to the opposition".

"Our boys down there have to cope and if they are playing on a quick small or a small bloke and he's a good overhead mark, we try and place the right matchup," Thompson added.

Among the talls, Thompson said former captain Steven King had played two fantastic games in the VFL and was close to selection for Friday night's match at Telstra Dome.

But King's return will not come at the expense of established ruckmen Brad Ottens or Mark Blake, who have been excellent.

Thompson said the 21-year-old Blake has shown no signs of tiring and was not expected to, given his "strong and durable" body.

"The only other way he (King) is going to get in the side is (if) we think he's going to be of more service to the senior team moreso than one of the other ruckmen and the other ruckmen haven't done much wrong," Thompson said.

"Steven King deserves a game when we think it's warranted that he plays. It will purely be based on form, not on anything else."

One other possible inclusion is forward Nathan Ablett, who has missed the past two matches with a hip injury.

Thompson said Ablett was fit to play and will be considered for the clash with the Bulldogs. Otherwise, he will run out with Geelong's VFL side.

While some say the Cats might be "due" for a loss having put together a stunning 10-game winning streak, Thompson said that made no sense.

"It's not logical for us to think like that because all we've been doing is concentrating on our next opposition," Thompson said.

"I don't see any reason why a loss would be good for us."

[bornadog]

Shoot Out
I think tomorrow night is going to be a real shoot out, with both teams leading the ladder with most goals scored. Geelong are averaging 18.4 goals per game and we are averaging 17.4, If you discount the game where Geelong kicked 35 goals (say deduct 15 goals), we are about even in goals per game , however, we are conceding an average of 5 more goals per game than Geelong. This is where Geelong have done very well and where we need to aspire to, but can we do that with our style of game??

This means our midfield has got to work very hard to stop them feeding their forwards and our backline has to play at their peek. There still seems to eb a myth that our backline is short. I hear it on the radio all the time by so called expert commentators and rReading the article above, Geelong believe this myth as well and may try and outstretch our backline, but we seem to cover tall forward lines these days and if Grant is back we have another option.