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View Full Version : Round 16 Preview Thread: Western Bulldogs vs Carlton



comrade
08-07-2011, 06:50 AM
Match details

Western Bulldogs v Carlton, Sunday 10 July 2011, 4:40pm, Etihad Stadium

Intro

Let me be up front. I hate Carlton. I haven’t watched as much footy this year as previously but I’ve seen Carlton play. Prior to last week I was convinced they were a bunch of over-hyped prima donnas, beating up on lowly teams and getting the rub of the green by facing out of form opposition. Then they go and win by 100 points and Lygon St is buzzing. Every Carlton supporter has the same arrogance, a sense of entitlement. The polar opposite of a Doggies fan.

I hate them.

So, we go to battle with a flicker of momentum and happy memories of our last meeting - a 68 point destruction on the back of polished performances from Hall (6 goals), Boyd (33 disposals), Cooney (33 disposals) and Lake (28 disposals and 10 marks).

Only Lake isn’t around this time.

Can we muster up a performance to stop the boys from Princes Park? Let’s take a look...

This Week's Teams

Western Bulldogs

B: Robert Murphy, Tom L. Williams, Dale Morris

HB: Lindsay Gilbee, Easton Wood, Shaun Higgins

C: Daniel Cross, Matthew Boyd, Liam Picken

HF: Callan Ward, Liam Jones, Luke Dahlhaus

F: Jarrad Grant, Barry Hall, Daniel Giansiracusa

Foll: Ben Hudson, Ryan Griffen, Adam Cooney

I/C: William Minson, Josh Hill, Brennan Stack, Sam Reid, Lukas Markovic, Andrew Hooper, Nathan Djerrkura

In: William Minson, Josh Hill, Brennan Stack, Nathan Djerrkura

Out: Ed Barlow (hand)

Carlton

B: Jordan Russell, Bret Thornton, Lachlan Henderson

HB: Nick Duigan, Jeremy Laidler, Chris Yarran

C: Kade Simpson, Chris Judd, Bryce Gibbs

HF: Jeffrey Garlett, Jarrad Waite, Ryan Houlihan

F: Eddie Betts, Matthew Kreuzer, Andrew Walker

Foll: Robert Warnock, Marc Murphy, Mitch Robinson

I/C: Paul Bower, Andrew Carrazzo, Heath Scotland, David Ellard, Aaron Joseph, Brock McLean, Zach Tuohy

In: Paul Bower, Aaron Joseph, Brock McLean, Nick Duigan

Out: Simon White (hamstring)

Milestones

Lindsay Gilbee - 200 games

Key Match ups

Forward Half

Hall vs Henderson

Henderson took Riewoldt last week and was probably beaten in a team that won by 100 points. Hall looked up and about against Melbourne, kicking a couple early but chasing more than previous weeks.

Even as he nears the end, he is still one of the better leading forwards in the competition. IF we can win enough clean ball from the middle, his smarts should be too much for Henderson.

Gia vs Duigan / Laidler / Yarran

I expect Gia to have a few mid sized opponents rotate on him during the game. He has proven all his knockers wrong over the past 6 weeks with a sparkling patch of quality football and on-field leadership, just when we needed it most.

Melbourne made a blunder by leaving Garland on Gia for too long last week. Yes, he is much taller but Gia is just too smart in 1 on 1 marking contests. His favourite trick of using the hip to push off under the ball worked multiple times which I’m sure the Carlton defensive group are well aware of. Gia will need to keep his opponent accountable - Carlton have been very good at setting up off half back and probably fancy themselves to play off Gia. If he can get on the scoreboard early, it’ll tighten things up.

Midfield

Boyd vs Judd

With Cooney coming in to some good form, the pressure valve has released somewhat for Boydy. By his standards, he had a quiet game last week (especially in my SC team!). This year, that would generally mean we lost but with Cooney back, Boyd was able to play a more defensive game, eschewing the role of out and out ball winner and putting time into stopping his opponent. It’s an understatement, but we need that to continue this week. Against Richmond, Judd looked like he shrugged off any niggles with 31 disposals and 2 goals. Boyd needs to negate Judd’s influence at the stoppages by winning his fair share of clearances. He’s not going to be able to tag Judd out, but at least breaking even and allowing Cooney and Griffen to break away should be the goal.

Picken vs Murphy

Murphy is in scintillating form this year and has really gone to the next level as a game breaking midfielder. Picko eats game breaking midfielders for breakfast and looks hungry for more! Murphy has cut us up in previous years so Liam needs to sit in his back pocket, just like he did with Ablett and Scully. If he can curb Murphy’s influence, they lose a lot of their attacking drive. With a defensive group missing their best player (Lake), this would be a godsend.

Defensive half

Morris vs Betts / Garlett

Three cheers for Dale Morris. Due to our form, he won’t get any accolades but in my opinion, he’s having a better year than 2010. I don’t even want to think what we’d do without him and I’m sure his teammates feel the same way.

He once again has to do battle with the most dangerous opposition forward. Depending how the day turns out, this might be Betts or Garlett (or even Walker). I’m happy with either match up and would back Morris in to, at worst, break even. I should note that if Morris takes Betts, Murphy will take Garlett. Again, that’s a nice match up for us. Murphy toyed with Jurrah last week. Of course, it won’t be as simple against Carlton and Garlett’s defensive pressure is immense.

Wood vs Walker

A huge test for Wood. Walker is another Carlton player who has gone to the next level this year. Easton definitely has the physical tools to match up with Walker. Whether he has the defensive nous is a big question mark. With creative players like Murphy, Higgins and Gilbee down back, Wood’s objective must be to shut down Walker. He’s been criticised for not winning enough ball or breaking the lines. I don’t care about that stuff this week. First job - stop Walker. Second job - stop Walker. Third job - win some ball.

How do we win?

It’s not going to be easy. Our defensive intensity last week was the best we’d displayed all year and I think Melbourne realised it, hence the white flag going up pretty early. At a minimum, we need to maintain that level just to have a sniff. If we drop off we’re dead. To win, we need to go to another level. The match ups above are all critical to our success but Rocket needs to create mismatches like he did against Melbourne where we can push our advantage.

Our midfield is undeniably slower than Carlton’s so let’s turn it to our advantage and grind them into the ground. If we can curtail Judd and Murphy, we go a long way to winning this game and so Boyd and Picken are in the spotlight. A captain’s game is needed.

Questions to discuss

1. What is the key to beating Carlton?
2. How does our defensive group structure up against Carlton’s talls? Who takes Waite (if he plays) and Kreuzer?
3. Are we exposed in the ruck by playing Hudson and Minson?
4. Who should be the sub and why?

My Verdict

It’s tradition for the pre-match reviewer to go the optimistic route and always pick a Bulldog victory. So, who I am to fight tradition?

I think we genuinely have a shot but it is dependent on our best players standing up and performing well, just like last week. If after the game, our bests read:

Cooney, Griffen, Hall, Murphy, Ward, Higgins

then we’ve probably won. The result will be known at quarter time. If we come out snarling and gang tackling and grinding Carlton down from the first siren, we’re in it up to our eyeballs. Let’s rain on Lygon St’s parade.

Dogs by 16 points. :D

the banker
08-07-2011, 07:06 AM
Great preview Comrade.

Who do you think they will send to Griffen and Cooney? As usual the midfield battle shapes as the game shaper and then the rebound out of the defensive half. I am quietly confident Rocket will get our defensive match ups right. I get the feeling we will be looking for a lower scoring shut down game. Defensive pressure all over the ground priorities #1 and #2. Finals style.

Perhaps illogical, but I am optimistic that we will rise to this game. Can't see a blow out either way.

Mantis
08-07-2011, 08:08 AM
I too despise this mob.... Despise them... They are everything that I hate in this world.

I want us to go out and play the hard contested & intense footy we can.... It's time to make a stand and put these flogs back in their box.

I like the match-ups you discuss, I want Picken to smash into pretty boy Murphy all game. I want to see Dale & Murf control their dangerous smalls in Betts & Gartlett, I want to see Tommy play on Waite and beat him.... I want Cross to control Simpson and I want to see our forwards place pressure on the likes of Yarran, Scotland & Gibbs when they have the ball. I also want Ward or Reid to play on pseudo tough boy Robinson and beat him.

I want us to win.

Answers to questions:

1. Win contested ball and pressuring the ball carrier.
2. Tom takes Waite, Marko takes the ruckman.
3. We are not exposed in the ruck by playing these 2, we are exposed in the forwardline.
4. One of Hill, Stack or DJ - will add some run when needed.

Gia13
08-07-2011, 10:10 AM
Answers to your questions:

1. Stoping their small forwards
2. Tommy Williams to play on Waite and Markovic to take the resting ruckman when up forward
3. Very much so. Jamar/Martin are both in form and I thought Jones worked well as the backup ruckman
4. Djekurra or Stack or Hill if they play

bornadog
08-07-2011, 10:21 AM
Great stuff Comrade, you and Mantis have me revved up thinking we can win this . As with you this is my most hated club, even more than Collingwood and Essendon. If we can can do what we did last week and keep up the intensity and effort for 4 quarters we can give this mob a big fright.

LostDoggy
08-07-2011, 10:45 AM
Four quarters of intensity across the board will do it.

So dont pick Hill.

DJ for the sub.

LostDoggy
08-07-2011, 10:48 AM
Gold:
"Picko eats game breaking midfielders for breakfast "

Happy Gilmore:
"I eat pieces of s#!t like you for breakfast"
"You eat pieces of s#!t for breakfast?"

LostDoggy
08-07-2011, 03:57 PM
Great preview Comrade - I'm not sure there are many Bulldog supporters who would like the "filth" especially seeing we have long memories and the absolute arrogance of their former president making comments about "......the bulldogs sad, pathetic history" (or some such crap).

If we can come out and take it up to them, and Picken (aka Glove Mk II) can take out the Judd wanna-be impersonator (read Murphy), anything can happen! Go Dogs!!;)

LongWait
08-07-2011, 06:06 PM
Very entertaining read Comrade. I agree that shutting down the Carlton midfield is likely to be the key to the game. Thanks.

Greystache
08-07-2011, 06:47 PM
Good read Comrade

Scraggers
09-07-2011, 04:30 AM
Thanks for the preview Comrade ... Well thought out.

I'm curious ... Who do you see picking up Carrazzo ... From memory he has walked all over us the last three games we have played them (including our big win) ?

LostDoggy
09-07-2011, 10:22 AM
LMAO - this is one of the best previews I've seen and they are all pretty good.

Great match-ups all over the ground and we are definately right in this puppy!