Are we under achieving or just about where we should be?

[ratsmac]

As a bit of a pessimist I thought the Bulldogs would just make the eight this year considering our retired players, delistings and ageing list from last season. I would have put them around 7th or 8th come round 22. In saying that though I didn't expect them to get beaten by 123 points by the current wooden spooners either.

I must admit that the media professionals who were tipping the Bulldogs to make top four and some even suggesting we would be playing in the grand final, had me at hello. I started believing that we were genuine contenders.

Looking at the season as a whole thus far, I think we are probably about right where we should be considering that we have had 5 debutantes and injuries to key players. Although every team gets injuries, but we don't seem to cope as well as others.

Are we under achieving or just where we should be?

[bornadog]

We really should have nailed the Freo and Sydney matches and then we would be about where we should really be, so slightly under achieving at the moment. I can't see us beating any teams in the top eight they way we are currently playing.

[The Adelaide Connection]

I feel like we are in a similar place to where Hawthorn were last year. At round 9 they should have definitely been top 8, probably have been sitting top 6 and arguably should have been top 4 but they had a horror run and got stuck in a massive rut.

By round 7 they were sitting at 1-6 and that included losses to North Melbourne, the eventual wooden spooners West Coast, the eventual 3rd bottom Essendon and a 60 point walloping by Collingwood.

Round 8 they were very lucky to beat eventual 2nd bottom Richmond by 3 points, they beat Carlton convincingly in round 9, and then they got out of jail with narrow wins against Sydney and Port. This started their good run home and after this they would go on to win 8 of the next 11 (with one draw and a 2 point loss to Geelong in there).

We are in a similar position, but I think the critical question is can we arrest the slide? That will be tough in the next two weeks at least and we face the possibility that by the time we meet Adelaide we are 3-8 and a team that has really forgotten how to win, with little or no self-belief. The good news is that Adelaide could be in the same position.

[Mantis]

We are in a similar position, but I think the critical question is can we arrest the slide? That will be tough in the next two weeks at least and we face the possibility that by the time we meet Adelaide we are 3-8 and a team that has really forgotten how to win, with little or no self-belief. The good news is that Adelaide could be in the same position.

The St.Kilda game in 2 weeks time will be huge for both teams.

Given it will be extremely tough to beat Geelong at their dung heap the game the following week shapes as a must win.

[The Adelaide Connection]

The St.Kilda game in 2 weeks time will be huge for both teams.

Given it will be extremely tough to beat Geelong at their dung heap the game the following week shapes as a must win.

Agree. The Saints would have loved an out of form team next up and that really would have got them un-slumped and up and going. Fortunately for us they hit a brick wall in Collingwood and it will be about the only time I cheer the Pies on, we wan't them to do to the Saints what West Coast did to us... give them an absolute physical and mental battering.

The Saints could really help launch our year, with the following to come:

Adelaide (Home)
GoldCoast
Melbourne
Carlton
North Melbourne
Sydney (Home)
West Coast (Home)
Bye
Essendon
Port (Away)
Hawthorn
Freo (Home)

Not an "easy" run, but leading up to the bye we only play one team in the top 4 and four of the other six teams aren't in the 8. Like Hawthorn last year, we need to build momentum in this period for the tough 4 week run into finals.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

As a bit of a pessimist I thought the Bulldogs would just make the eight this year considering our retired players, delistings and ageing list from last season. I would have put them around 7th or 8th come round 22. In saying that though I didn't expect them to get beaten by 123 points by the current wooden spooners either.

I must admit that the media professionals who were tipping the Bulldogs to make top four and some even suggesting we would be playing in the grand final, had me at hello. I started believing that we were genuine contenders.

Looking at the season as a whole thus far, I think we are probably about right where we should be considering that we have had 5 debutantes and injuries to key players. Although every team gets injuries, but we don't seem to cope as well as others.

Are we under achieving or just where we should be?

We are where we should be! Last year we probably had the best performing full back and full forward in Lake and Hall going around which hasn't been the case this year. The loss of Harbrow is huge and he hasn't been adequately replaced. The injury to Cooney is also crippling the side and to a lesser degree Hargrave. Hudson was excellent last year but hasn't recaptured that form in 2011.Grant is another who showed so much promise last year, but has dropped off. Gilbee is struggling badly. Higgins still to regain his touch. You can see that there have been many factors in the down slide. Thank goodness for the likes of Griffen, Boyd, Morris and Murphy who continue to play well.

[always right]

We are where we should be! Last year we probably had the best performing full back and full forward in Lake and Hall going around which hasn't been the case this year. The loss of Harbrow is huge and he hasn't been adequately replaced. The injury to Cooney is also crippling the side and to a lesser degree Hargrave. Hudson was excellent last year but hasn't recaptured that form in 2011.Grant is another who showed so much promise last year, but has dropped off. Gilbee is struggling badly. Higgins still to regain his touch. You can see that there have been many factors in the down slide. Thank goodness for the likes of Griffen, Boyd, Morris and Murphy who continue to play well.

I agree we miss Harbrow's line breaking run but watching him on the Gold Coast reminded me of how many times he would bolt out of defence and run out of gas when he got to kicking the ball. Still can't kick on his right foot and his disposal tends to be exemplary or poor...no in between.

[Dancin' Douggy]

Maybe we are about where we belong but we're no where near where we, or the media expected us to be, and we can be rational about close losses to freo and the swans, but that Eagles game was like someone ripping the bandaid off a festering sore. Even taking injuries into account. You would have to be deluded to still think we are a threat this year. Hope I'm wrong.

[Go_Dogs]

I must admit that the media professionals who were tipping the Bulldogs to make top four and some even suggesting we would be playing in the grand final, had me at hello. I started believing that we were genuine contenders.

Good post ratsmac, especially liked this part :D

[LostDoggy]

For side which does not have a settled 22 we are where we should be , we just havn't been ticking all the right boxes right from the first bounce Round 1 . The gap between us and the sides in the top 6 is wide and getting wider , an example is the stats I posted in the Preview thread before the Hawthorn game

Hawthorn have Osborne, Burgoyne, Savage, Sewell, Bailey, Guerra, Birchall, Murphy, Gibson, Puopolo, Whitecross, Suckling all with a disposal efficiency over 75%

We have Hall, Murphy,Hill, Morris and Wood with a disposal efficiency over 75%

Their forward line has made 151 tackles

Our forward line has made 81 tackles

Hawthorn's ability to cleanly use the ball made the difference between us and them crystal clear

We have a tough game against Geelong at Skilled Stadium and then 12 games till the end of the season , now it's just a case of getting maximum game time into as many younger players as possible so we can restart for next season with greater list depth and fresh minds

.

[Mantis]

Hawthorn have Osborne, Burgoyne, Savage, Sewell, Bailey, Guerra, Birchall, Murphy, Gibson, Puopolo, Whitecross, Suckling all with a disposal efficiency over 75%

We have Hall, Murphy,Hill, Morris and Wood with a disposal efficiency over 75%

Hawthorn's ability to cleanly use the ball made the difference between us and them crystal clear



The amount of pressure placed on opposing teams means these figures need to be taken with a grain of salt. Sure Hawthorn used the ball well, but how many times did they spot up a leading player with a 20 to 30m kick... probably 120 to 150 times?? I would say 85 to 90% of these were kicks taken under very minimal pressure or in stopped ball situations.

It was very different on our side of things as Hawthorn applied good pressure to the ball carrier and forced us to make skill errors.

[stefoid]

For side which does not have a settled 22 we are where we should be , we just havn't been ticking all the right boxes right from the first bounce Round 1 . The gap between us and the sides in the top 6 is wide and getting wider , an example is the stats I posted in the Preview thread before the Hawthorn game

Hawthorn have Osborne, Burgoyne, Savage, Sewell, Bailey, Guerra, Birchall, Murphy, Gibson, Puopolo, Whitecross, Suckling all with a disposal efficiency over 75%

We have Hall, Murphy,Hill, Morris and Wood with a disposal efficiency over 75%

Their forward line has made 151 tackles

Our forward line has made 81 tackles

Hawthorn's ability to cleanly use the ball made the difference between us and them crystal clear

We have a tough game against Geelong at Skilled Stadium and then 12 games till the end of the season , now it's just a case of getting maximum game time into as many younger players as possible so we can restart for next season with greater list depth and fresh minds

.

I wouldnt worry about hawthorns disposal efficiency so much, that is their backline chipping it around to each other all day. Thats not a saying ours is great (it isnt), its just that the hawks generates a lot of no pressure kicks and uncontested marks.

Id also note that for us to make a tacke in the F50 the ball has to get into the f50 and be in dispute inside the f50 in the first place, and we are currently 15th for F50 entries, above only GC and Power, and if there was a stat for kicking directly to the opposition or nobody at all inside the f50, Id bet we would be close to leading it.