Game Day 2011 - R21 Western Bulldogs vs Essendon

[BulldogBelle]

This is the discussion thread for our Saturday night game against Essendon at Etihad Stadium.

My predictions are:

The Dogs by 15 points
BOG : Daniel Giansiracusa
Barry Hall to kick the first goal

[1eyedog]

Bombers by 48 points
BOG (for us): Callan Ward
First goal: Barry Hall

We are screwed without a fit Cooney (or Lake).

[bornadog]

Dogs by 18 points

BOG: Boyd

First Goal: Jones

[LostDoggy]

Bombers: 19 points

BOG: Murphy

First Goal: Hille

[LostDoggy]

This is ripe for the picking -- we will overcome the curse of the bye and come out firing against a Bombers outfit stuffed after last week's thriller against the bruising Swans.

Dogs by 5 in a see-sawing affair.
First goal to the Bombers (we always give up the first goal).
First Dogs goal to Gia.
BOG - Murph

[Daughter of the West]

Bombers by 37
First Dogs goal - Hall
BOG Dogs - Murph

Will be more than happy (ecstatic even) to be proven wrong.

[Greystache]

We need to blow it open, if it's close with 10 mins to go we've got no chance.

Dogs by 20+ (otherwise Essendon)
BOG- Ward
First goal- Gia

[the banker]

Dogs by 21 (if we dont give them a start)

BOG Bazza

First goal Bazza

[Ghost Dog]

Dogs by 21 (if we dont give them a start)

BOG Bazza

First goal Bazza

Ditto Banker

[Go_Dogs]

Dogs by 28 points
First goal Gia
BOG Murphy

[G-Mo77]

Bombers by about 30 points (I hope I am so wrong!)
BOG for us: Boyd
First Goal for us: Gia

Heading off to Werribee now, hope we're all smiling at the end of the night.

[Doggy]

Tullamarine by 37

BOG for us: Boyd

First goal: Higgins

[LostDoggy]

Dogs by 7 points

1st Goal Hall

BOG Griffin

[LostDoggy]

Dogs by 5 points
First goal = Gia
BOG = Murphy

[G-Mo77]

Cordy playing for Willy so no late change

[AndrewP6]

Sorry to say, I can't see us getting up here. Head says:

Bombers by 30+
BOG for us: Gia
First goal Baz

[SlimPickens]

Bombers 32 pts

First Goal Gia

Our BOG Griffen

[Flamethrower]

No chance tonight.

The James Hirds by 6 goals.

1st goal: Stuart Crameri

BOG: Son of Timmy

1st Dogs goal: Luke Dahlhaus

Best for Dogs: Daniel Cross

[LostDoggy]

Bumblers by 36

Morris bog

[Mantis]

Schofield is the sub.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Gosh I just wish the season would hurry up and end......

[GVGjr]

Very frustrating at the moment.

[LostDoggy]

Why can't Barry kick around his body? I noticed this a few weeks back and he had under kicked two in the first qtr tonight.

[Rance Fan]

If Hargrave bombs aimlessly forward again.....!!!!!
Higgins and Griffens kick in the forward line very poor also!

[Rance Fan]

Barry please dont go!!
Whos going to kick our goals!!

[The Pie Man]

Despite Barry's first min of 2nd qtr goal, this has got an awful club changing feel about it

[Rance Fan]

Suggesting Eade gone?

[Greystache]

I love the way we've selected the team so each individual defender is undersized, brilliant.

[LostDoggy]

How tough is Wood? Pushes people around but will take his eyes off the ball going backwards if there is a chance he'll get clobbered.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Dahlhaus is the only bright spot tonight, yet again,.

[ledge]

Okay they can take us out of the oven now , we are cooked.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

How tough is Wood? Pushes people around but will take his eyes off the ball going backwards if there is a chance he'll get clobbered.

Very cheap shot at Wood HM.
That was not indicative of his attack at the contest.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Can't believe they've given that a 50. Harden up umpires.
All Hudson said, quite vociferously was WHAT??. very soft.

[Greystache]

Barry retiring, next year looks really, really scary.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

I can't actually believe Eade wants to continue coaching this group. I wouldn't blame him if he just said forget this lot, good luck I'm outta here.
Some of the decisions by the players would give any coach nightmares.

[LostDoggy]

Very cheap shot at Wood HM.
That was not indicative of his attack at the contest.

Have another look YHF, he follows the ball over his head, was going to make a contest then backs out. Very soft and that's why he was so pissed off. Not at Rioli, at himself.

[Rance Fan]

Woods effort was very poor i thought and then to get sucked in to give away another was terrible.
Unexceptable!

[BulldogBelle]

Jesus, we are so shite.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Have another look YHA, following the ball over his head, was going to make a contest then backs out. Very soft and that's why he was so pissed off. Not at Rioli, at himself.

Not indicative of his usual attack at the contest, is what I meant to say.
I doubt you'd find one player out there who over the journey of his career would not have made a poor attempt like that.
I'd be inclined to agree with you, were it a common occurrence for him. But it's not.

You mean Davey too, not Rioli.
thank goodness Rioli isn't out there, or we might be 12 goals behind by now.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Woods effort was very poor i thought and then to get sucked in to give away another was terrible.
Unexceptable!

I agree, it was unacceptable, hopefully he'll learn from it.

[LostDoggy]

Not indicative of his usual attack at the contest, is what I meant to say.
I doubt you'd find one player out there who over the journey of his career would not have made a poor attempt like that.
I'd be inclined to agree with you, were it a common occurrence for him. But it's not.

You mean Davey too, not Rioli.
thank goodness Rioli isn't out there, or we might be 12 goals behind by now.

Corrected.
However I was always referring to the play in question. I like Wood and don't want him traded or dropped. But my point is don't act all tough when you bitched out of a contest 10 seconds before.

[Dry Rot]

Jesus, we are so shite.

Listening to ABC radio. They called us "pathetic".

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Corrected.
However I was always referring to the play in question. I like Wood and don't want him traded or dropped. But my point is don't act all tough when you bitched out of a contest 10 seconds before.

Yep fair enough, it read like you meant it was something he does regularly.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Listening to ABC radio. They called us "pathetic".

That would be a fair assessment of our whole season too.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Gees Markovic sure is a painfully slow mover...

[Rance Fan]

From rd 1 to now...not much changed

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Dahlhaus fantastic goal.
I hope Kevin Sheahan is watching this game! Surely if Luke keeps this up tonight he must get a NAB Rising Star Nomination.
He has been the one shining light for us.

[Rance Fan]

Hargrave subbed off...may be the last of him.
Served us well but time and injury has passed him by now i reckon

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

AS crap as we're executing, at least we have been having a dip. I'll give them that.

[Rance Fan]

AS crap as we're executing, at least we have been having a dip. I'll give them that.

Agree if we can get it together next year we may bounce back up the ladder.
Just need someone to cover Barry

[Rance Fan]

Dahlhaus star!

[kruder]

It's amazing that an 18 year old player always seems to take the right options yet so many of his senior team mates don't.

Doll and Hall the shining lights again. Actually I really do think Howard will make it, he seems to have more scope than just a half back flanker.

Shaun Higgins playing forward is a no no for me. He is just awfull.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Shades of the West Coast game, really piling on the goals, just feel we're coming from far too back and we're spending alot of petrol getting back to the contest.

[Dry Rot]

Shades of the West Coast game, really piling on the goals, just feel we're coming from far too back and we're spending alot of petrol getting back to the contest.

How can we be utter crap then suddenly decide to turn it on? Or play brilliantly against Carlton but be poor either side of that?

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

How can we be utter crap then suddenly decide to turn it on? Or play brilliantly against Carlton but be poor either side of that?

Maybe says alot about their mental make-up? When the stakes are high and pressure is, they tighten up. When the pressures off -ie - they look done and dusted, they loosen up.

I don't know if it's as simple as that, but all of a sudden just as we looked like we were getting close again, and the game was on we start missing goals we would usually get, and now the margin blows back out to 40 points.

[Rance Fan]

Gee Higgins is slow..mind n body
Such a disappointment


As i say that he kicks a goal! lol

[Dry Rot]

Maybe says alot about their mental make-up? When the stakes are high and pressure is, they tighten up. When the pressures off -ie - they look done and dusted, they loosen up.

I don't know if it's as simple as that, but all of a sudden just as we looked like we were getting close again, and the game was on we start missing goals we would usually get, and now the margin blows back out to 40 points.

When Eade gets the bullet in a few weeks time, I hope the players think about that.

And that the new coach busts theirs arses out of this.

[Dry Rot]

Has Morris broken his leg? Poor bastard.

[Rance Fan]

aww no Morris gone!

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Worst news possible.
Morris has broken his leg. A really, bad one too.

[jasopan]

Morris leg broken? D:

[Dry Rot]

Worst news possible.
Morris has broken his leg. A really, bad one too.

What happened? Just listening to radio. Says he is in agony.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

What happened? Just listening to radio. Says he is in agony.

Looks like a terrible compound fracture. Came down in a contest. It actually looked like an innocuous situation, I've seen him land more awkwardly.
Going to be gone for a long time, this just is terrible terrible news.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

You can just see how it's ripped the heart out of his teammates too, they've just dropped their heads and a bit, reckon we're going to be on the end of a flogging now.

[LostDoggy]

Story of the Rodney Eade dogs.
Wasting chances and missing goals in key 3rd quarters

edit: I'm watching it on delayed TV and apparently there is much worse news to come.
One of the worst possibly things that could have happened this game. Haven't seen it yet, but i hope he's capable of playing next year

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

I take that back, they've recovered now from the shock I think, and have started fighting it out again.

[Dry Rot]

Looks like a terrible compound fracture. Came down in a contest. It actually looked like an innocuous situation, I've seen him land more awkwardly.
Going to be gone for a long time, this just is terrible terrible news.


Thanks.

Poor bastard, he has finished that last three seasons with IIRC a broken leg, a broken back and now a badly broken leg.

Our most courageous player? Sadly I fear he career will be shorter for all of his courage.



Going to be gone for a long time,

Perhaps tonight and similar games are a look into our future over the next few seasons with a shit list.

Next year, no Hall, Hudson, Ward, Cooney (as we knew him), Lake most likely and now Morris. Murphy and Gia a season older.

Looks bleak for some time.

[Rance Fan]

Never in it really!

[LostDoggy]

Next year, no Hall, Hudson, Ward, Cooney (as we knew him), Lake most likely and now Morris. Murphy and Gia a season older.

Looks bleak for some time.

we still got Stack!

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Thanks.

Poor bastard, he has finished that last three seasons with IIRC a broken leg, a broken back and now a badly broken leg.

Our most courageous player? Sadly I fear he career will be shorter for all of his courage.



Perhaps tonight and similar games are a look into our future over the next few seasons with a shit list.

Next year, no Hall, Hudson, Ward, Cooney (as we knew him), Lake most likely and now Morris. Murphy and Gia a season older.

Looks bleak for some time.

Alas, I agree. I don't like to be pessimistic by nature, but no matter how I look at it, I just can't see this being a quick rebound for us.

[Dry Rot]

we still got Stack!

And Hill, Mulligan, Addison, Reid, Vez, Hooper and DJ!

The future is bright.....

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Can someone tell me who was nominally meant to be marking Stanton tonight.
Our midfield just seem to find a way this year of providing blokes with opportunities for career high games, Ziebell was one I immediately recall and now Stanton.

[divvydan]

Can someone tell me who was nominally meant to be marking Stanton tonight.
Our midfield just seem to find a way this year of providing blokes with opportunities for career high games, Ziebell was one I immediately recall and now Stanton.

It was Howard for about the first quarter but he was moved off him after that, not sure who was on him after quarter time.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

So we're now down our 3 most senior key defenders for the rest of the year. Lake, Williams and now Morris.
At this rate, even Port will be able to kick a score against our remaining tall defenders in Markovic and Markovic.

[Rance Fan]

Who did Stack have as an opponent?....He tries ok, seems to be the scapegoat?
Thought Markovic contested ok also...who was his man?

I reckon Hargrave is finished!
Morris gone for a while
Williams always a chance of an injury
Lake??
Gilbee finished
Mmmm doesnt leave much left in the backhalf!

[Hotdog60]

Gilbee back next week.

[LostDoggy]

oh my god, that's horrible.
Sadly, i can't see Dale back soon. Wish him a speedy recovery

[kruder]

Heart goes out to Morris. Been excellent since his been at the dogs.

[Doc26]

Trying to come to terms with our season and then the bloody unthinkable comes along and kicks you in the behind.

This game rips your heart out, shattered.

The best to Moz in his recovery.

[AndrewP6]

Doc larkins commented that the dogs camp were looking at morris' ankle ra
ther than leg

[the banker]

Chaotic.

Much ado about nothing in our game ATM. Some great efforts but no finesse and just chaotic play.

No sense of control in any of the matches I have seen. Even some we have won. ( eg Gold Coast)

[ledge]

We are a bottom side that tries.

[Dry Rot]

We are a bottom side that tries when we feel like it.

Corrected for accuracy.

[westbulldog]

Can't believe they've given that a 50. Harden up umpires.
All Hudson said, quite vociferously was WHAT??. very soft.


Another ridiculous example of an umpire imposing themself on a game when they should be transparent. Sure we were undermanned and well beaten on the night but this type of Razor Ray absurdity is becoming a regular occurence. The 50 against Hargreave was also suspect.
I thought the blokes had a go and can hold their heads high. Best wishes to Dale Morris for a good recovery.

[BulldogBelle]

Funny how we thought, and so many media experts thought we were headed for a GF this season...

I can't see us finishing better than 12 next year. We are going to take a plunge when Hall isn't there to kick goals, Cooney with a busted knee, Hargrave looks cooked, Morris, Lake & Williams battling injury, Gilbee, Hudson and most likely Ward gone...

[BulldogBelle]

Another ridiculous example of an umpire imposing themself on a game when they should be transparent. Sure we were undermanned and well beaten on the night but this type of Razor Ray absurdity is becoming a regular occurence. The 50 against Hargreave was also suspect.
I thought the blokes had a go and can hold their heads high. Best wishes to Dale Morris for a good recovery.

The AFL wants Essendon playing finals. Umps probably told to take no garbage from us.

[divvydan]

AFL_JasonPhelan Jason Phelan
Early reports out of Dogs rooms are that Morris' injury may not be as bad as it looked initially. Not Strauss-like at least.

[Doc26]

AFL_JasonPhelan Jason Phelan
Early reports out of Dogs rooms are that Morris' injury may not be as bad as it looked initially. Not Strauss-like at least.

Heard it's a broken Tibia.

[1eyedog]

Heard it's a broken Tibia.

It bloody looked like one. Half his bone pressed out against his skin on the side of his leg.

It is BAD and I am gutted. Poor bugger.

[LostDoggy]

It bloody looked like one. Half his bone pressed out against his skin on the side of his leg.

It is BAD and I am gutted. Poor bugger.

A broken tibia is almost the best option given how bad it looked. If it's true that the fibula somehow miraculously didn't break, he could be back before the start of the year

[1eyedog]

A broken tibia is almost the best option given how bad it looked. If it's true that the fibula somehow miraculously didn't break, he could be back before the start of the year

Just reported on 5th quarter confirmed broken tibia, they believe the fibula is intact, got to do with the side he landed on.

It's a 4-6 month injury if all goes well.

[BulldogBelle]

better than 12.... :(

[Mantis]

Corrected for accuracy.

You're a flog DR.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Things really are looking grim for the future.

No Hall is going to be incredibly painful.

[Dry Rot]

We are a bottom side that tries.


Corrected for accuracy.


You're a flog DR.


Fine Mantis. You know far more than us and you know what's really going on.

So how do you you explain the on/off switch with our team re different games and the same shit within different games?

Look forward to your learned view how we can be so shit house one game then not another, and also be so good a quarter or two in a game and then be rubbish for the rest of the game.

Look forward to your knowledgeable explanation of this phenomenon.

[AndrewP6]

Unfortunately this went much as I had expected. Didn't deviate too far from our season on the whole. When our two best are our oldest and youngest players, that's not good. I've enjoyed the rise of the Dogs in the last 5-6 yrs, I fear the next few will be very lean indeed. :(

Oh, and Davey ought to be ashamed, Fletcher should've been cited for tripping (again), and Essendon supporters suck.

That is all.

[Chicago1]

I couldn't get up to watch the start at 4.10am. However, I woke up at the end of the first quarter, had a look at the scores and went back to sleep. I think I chose wisely after seeing the final result. :(

[Dry Rot]

Things really are looking grim for the future.

No Hall is going to be incredibly painful.

I always thought Hall in 2010 masked a team in serious decline. IIRC he came second in the Coleman?

Take his contribution out and you can see a fairly sad form line for us after 2009.

The writing was on the wall after Rd 1 this year.

[Twodogs]

I always thought Hall in 2010 masked a team in serious decline. IIRC he came second in the Coleman?

Take his contribution out and you can see a fairly sad form line for us after 2009.




So it's your contention that Hall was the reason we made a prelim and missed out on a grand final berth by four goals afer being in front at half time and having one more scoring shot than St Kilda. All this was despite the fact tht our footy department spend was less than every other AFL club. You think that was all down to Hall because he was 'masking' a serious decline.




The writing was on the wall after Rd 1 this year


Lake, Cooney, Higgins, Hargrave, Hall, Gilbee and Grant missing large parts of the season due to injury or leaving the club have had nothing to do with our decline? Do you understand how important these guys are to us? Do you understand how important Harbrow was to us in 2010? Do you understand how important a fit and in form Hudson is to our engine room?

All of these players are/were vital compoments and they of them have carried injurys that have affected their form. Moles played 17 games last year and has missed the entire season due to injury-he's not the best player in our team but he did have has best year last year and has had no impact this year. Who could have anticipated that? I didnt.

Jones, Roughead, Liberatore, Wallis, Schofield, Dalhaus, Wood, Ward, Williams and Howard have all shown they can be important players for us in the short term future. A fit and firing Moles and an mproved season from Picken can only make us stronger. I know you love to look for negatives and 2011 has been a year from hell for us but to say we are in decline is as a long way from the mark.



When Eade gets the bullet in a few weeks time



Are you sure that will happen? If so who is a better alternative to him?

[Twodogs]

So how do you you explain the on/off switch with our team re different games and the same shit within different games?

Look forward to your learned view how we can be so shit house one game then not another, and also be so good a quarter or two in a game and then be rubbish for the rest of the game.


You could easily turn the question around and ask how could Essendon/other sides be so shit for a quarter or two and then turn it on for the rest of the game?

[Hotdog60]

Lukas Markovic is an interesting one, looked soundly beaten when the bombers were in control and looked a different player as did many others in the 3rd quarter when we were having a good run.
He's inexperienced can there be a future for him? Speed will never be an asset but if he can use some smarts do we keep him at the end of contract, the way our defenders are going down we will have James Mulligan back in even after a poor show at Willy.

Nathan Djerrkura played his best game for us last night, if he can build on it there maybe some hope for him.

Will we use in the next few weeks some debutants show their stuff?

[BulldogBelle]

Why do you say Marko was soundly beaten early? One of the goals their talls kicked was on Murf and another on Roughy. I know he looked better in the second half........

[BulldogBelle]

Lukas Markovic is an interesting one, looked soundly beaten when the bombers were in control and looked a different player as did many others in the 3rd quarter when we were having a good run.
He's inexperienced can there be a future for him? Speed will never be an asset but if he can use some smarts do we keep him at the end of contract, the way our defenders are going down we will have James Mulligan back in even after a poor show at Willy.

Nathan Djerrkura played his best game for us last night, if he can build on it there maybe some hope for him.

Will we use in the next few weeks some debutants show their stuff?



Mulligan was terrible yesterday for Williamstown, and handed West Coast a couple of goals in the last game he played for the Dogs.

We are better playing Cordy as Full Back with Lake, Morris and Williams out of the side to get some experience and games into him than Mulligan. Cordy is far more versatile and hopefully a reduced liability as compared to Mulligan.

Sure Markovic may be a tad slow, but he generally makes good decisions, and now with Morris out he will be able to show his leadership skills (he was captain of Box Hill)

[The Bulldogs Bite]

I was pretty critical of Markovic in the first half, however, I thought he did a really sound job in the second half. Tried his guts out and definitely gave us a physical presence. I'm not sure he can elevate himself to a solid/good AFL player - but he's handy at least and gives 100%.

DJ was very good too. Ball handling was a surprise, he didn't fumble. He also used his pace to advantage numerous times. If he plays like that - it's simple. He's AFL standard.

[Pickenitup]

Marko imo has been really solid and i believe with a Fully Fit Brian Lake Next Year we can throw Lake
forward with the confidence that Marko Tommy and Moz can do the job for us.
Make No mistake Lake will be our Power Forward Next year.