Selector's Table Tonight

[Sockeye Salmon]

I'm going tonight.

Will anyone else be there?

Does anyone know who is on?

[Sockeye Salmon]

Will I need my social club medallion to get my freebee?

[aker39]

I'm going tonight.

The panel is Chris Grant, Ryan Griffin, Cam Faulkner & Jason Mifsud.

Yes, you will need to bring your membership ticket.

[bulldogtragic]

Working tonight. Please do tell everything about Faulkner. Body language, attitude, feeling in the room towards him, his goals and expectations for 2007 and 2008 etc.

Should be an absolute cracker.

[Go_Dogs]

Looks like a great line up, look forward to hearing how it went. Let's hope Griff is walking un-aided. Jason Mifsud should be interesting too, he's really impressed me with what little I have seen/heard from him.

[aker39]

Looks like a great line up, look forward to hearing how it went. Let's hope Griff is walking un-aided. Jason Mifsud should be interesting too, he's really impressed me with what little I have seen/heard from him.


I've seen him him at our last 2 games.

At the Power game he was on crutches, at the bombers game, no crutches, but a very bad limp.

[Go_Dogs]

Well, noticeable improvement is a good sign I guess.

[The Coon Dog]

I'm going tonight, just hope Aker39, doesn't wear navy & white hoops(he was spotted in a Corporate Box on Saturday night in a Black & Red shirt, then tried to tell anyone who'd listen that it was chocolate, not black).

[aker39]

Three questions Kevin Hillier will ask tonight

Chris Grant - Will you play this week
Ryan Griffin - When will you be back
Cam Faulkner - What do you have to do to get back in the team.

Three questions I'd like asked

Chris Grant - Will you play NEXT year
Ryan Griffin - How are you handling training with the machine Daniel Cross
Cam Faulkner - Why were you dropped from Werribee a couple of weeks ago

[Go_Dogs]

I'm going tonight, just hope Aker39, doesn't wear navy & white hoops(he was spotted in a Corporate Box on Saturday night in a Black & Red shirt, then tried to tell anyone who'd listen that it was chocolate, not black).


Very questionable. Haha

[southerncross]

Looking forward to a detailed report

[The Coon Dog]

Tonight's Selectors Table guests were Jason Mifsud, Chris Grant, Ryan Griffen & Cameron Faulkner.

Kevin Hillier opened proceedings with a joke. Wanted to know what a yo-yo, frisbee, hula-hoop, Shane Warne & Terry Wallace had in common? They all rely on spin!

Jason Mifsud (or Jason Soap Suds as Cam Faulkner called him) referred to himself as an attitude coach with the Western Bulldogs. He has a 2 year deal & at the conclusion wants to move into line coaching.

He was asked who outside the club he feels he can seek advice from & nominated Grant Thomas & Gerald Fitzgerald.

He gave a bit of a run down on the progress to date of some of the players that he looks after.

* Jarrod Harbrow - exceeded expectations so far & being used in some differing roles of late.

* Andrejs Everitt - very laid back but a deep thinker.

* Gavin Hughes - 40 touches last week & starting to develop the required work ethic.

* Josh Hill - surprised me by saying he thinks Hill can be another debutant this season.

* Brennan Stack - suffered severe home sickness early on as his girl friend & young child are still in Perth. Looking forward in the next few years to seeing Stack & Hill tear Telstra Dome apart with their sublime skills.

* Marty Pask - let himself down last week by being reported for striking. Misses this week which was a good chance to test himself on Courtney Johns.

* Stephen Tiller - giving him a chance to play as a running defender to assist his development. Played in forward line recently & defensive efforts were ordinary.

* Malcolm Lynch - missed last week as he went to hospital but an operation wasn't required. Thought was an appendicitis.

* Travis Baird - his early season efforts were not great but in the past month his intensity has picked right up.

* Paul O'Shea - steadily improving. Played a shocker last week, otherwise might have been promoted this week. Very raw as still understanding the game.

He also mentioned that as a runner he likes to know the message being delivered by the other runner as he can expand on that if needs be when out there. Trying to get Bob Murphy to get 'that look' out of his eyes when he sees the runner approaching as he hates being approached by the runner.

Cameron Faulkner is a very funny man. Has a quick wit & is very much seen as a father figure by the 'blackeys' as he calls them or the 'brothers' as everyone else refers to them as. He was woken at 8am this morning. Went into the kitchen & all the brothers were there & helping themselves to breakfast. They rocked up at about 11pm (Cam was asleep then) & had some late dinner before crashing there.

Cam knows he's playing for his football future & now treating every game he's playing as tho it's his last one. He'd prefer to remain a Bulldog next year but is also a realist & knows that he needs to improve to make this happen.

He said Brennan Stack & Melbourne's cold weather (Stacky is from Broome) are not getting along. He normally has jackets on everywhere & usually has a hot water bottle necklace draped around his neck.

To relax Cam likes to go out with his dogs rabbit hunting. The dogs do the killing & the 'brothers' do the cooking.

Ryan Griffen dislocated his kneecap, chipped the bone & damaged some ligaments in his knee when he got hurt against Brisbane. The surgeon thinks he'll return about round 21. I just got the feeling listening to Griff that he wasn't as optimistic. He's in rehab 6 days a week.

He can't believe just how hard Daniel Cross is working at present. They had a swim the other day & Griff had flippers on & Crossy still beat him!

Griff went to the hospital two days ago to see Adam Cooney's daughter. Thankfully she is now at home & all the players were in awe of Coon's ability to 'compart' things.

Yesterday Griff presented the stoppages report (usually Wayne Campbell does this) which detailed how we went at clearences/stoppages in the centre & around the ground. We won those against Essendon.

Chris Grant is going to be a father again in September. His wife Mel is expecting their 3rd child. Hopefully it will be a boy this time, tho he's not optimistic. The doctors said your second child is a 60% chance to be the same as your first & if you have 2 of the same sex then the odds increase to 95% for the 3rd being the same sex. He currently has 2 daughters.

If we had of played on Sunday this week he may have played. He had a spasm in his hamstring (caused from running too fast he said) which caused a minor strain.

Granty doesn't like the recovery session in the sea. He reckons the first minute is 'Hellfire Town', then after that it's just numbness.

He will approach his future as he has the past few seasons by sitting down with the coaches at the end of the season & determining whether there's a role for him, how he & his body feels, the development of Tom Williams, Andrejs Everitt & Cameron Wight (I got the feeling he was thinking if those 3 could hold down key defensive positions, he didn't wish to impede them). He said the door's not completely shut on another season, just more closed at present than open.

With regard to Geelong this week the focus on them was what parts of their game worked well for them & how we might be able to dismantle that component. They're not like Essendon where you stop Lloyd & Lucas & you go along way towards a win. Geelong are even across the board & it will need everyone to do their bit.

Next week, the panel will include Matthew Drain, Luke Darcy, Travis Baird & Gia.

I nearly forgot that there was a quiz & Sockeye Salmon won. Would have given Barry Jones a run for his money....not!!

(I have just posted this on BF, but edited one or two references).

[Dry Rot]

Good report Coon Dog.

Thanks.

[The Coon Dog]

Good report Coon Dog.

Thanks.

No worries, tho it's hard when you get home & try to decipher the scribble you penned at the time. Not too sure how BB does it to be honest. If I missed anything Aker39 & SS were there so they can fill in any gaps.

[aker39]

I think TCD has covered everything, except for his attempt to try and embarass me.

Anyhow, the thing I got out of last night is, don't be surprised if Griff does not play again this year.

The doctors are saying round 21, which means he would play for Werribee in the corresponding VFL round of AFL round 22. But that is the 1st week of VFL finals and Werribee are no certainty to play, currently sitting 10th on the ladder. If he can't play any lead up games, I'll find it very hard to see him playing 1st up in the finals.

The other thing that came to mind last night, is that we are most likely not going to get the chance to say goodbye to Granty in a farewell game. He is pretty clear that he will not make a decision until the season is over.

[bulldogtragic]

Great Stuff TCD.

[bornadog]

TCD, enjoyed the read, its great to hear news about the recruits etc.

I have never been to a selectors table night. Is it open to all members or just Social Club? What is the format ie, is it tables of ten? Meal etc.
Thanks in advance.

[aker39]

It is open to all social club members, members and non members.

If you are a social club member you are entitled to go to 1 show for free.

A member pays $25 and non members $30.

It starts at 6.00pm and includes a 2 course buffet. They have a raffle with some wine & bulldog merchandise as prizes.

About 7.15pm Kevin Hillier (MC) interviews a member of the coaching panel, and then 3 players. It usually winds up about 8.45pm

There are tables of 10, but you certainly don't have to have a table of 10 to book, they will just put you on a table.

[Go_Dogs]

Would be a real shame if Griff can't make it back, and it seems as though he's almost conceded to himself that he might not be back.

Thanks for the report.