Review Dogs defeat Giants 86-71

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I would think that Oliver is definitely faster than Bont.
Yet the highest speed in game Oliver has registered this year is 31.7 & Bont 31.6. That’s kind of my point, he very well may be quicker than Bont but if you don’t use it in game it’s irrelevant, more about timing & smarts than raw pace - edit: not saying Oliver doesn’t use it in game, he definitely does as he hits contests at pace, but just an example.

We know Bont isn’t quick off the mark yet he streams out of the front of a clearance for us and gaps his opponent more than anyone else on our list.

I just don’t think you can refer to Bont as a one paced midfielder but Oliver as some modern day athletic beast midfielder.
 
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Once Bont gets a step or two he is almost impossible to stop due to the sheer length of his stride. A couple of times he intercepted the ball on Sat Night abd was gone before anyone had a chance to turn.
 

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Could Macrae play the Matty Boyd type Half Back role in the back end of his career?
 
Coaches votes

Greater Western Sydney v Western Bulldogs​

10 Marcus Bontempelli (WB)
8 Tom Green (GWS)
6 Tim English (WB)
4 Tom Liberatore (WB)
1 Bailey Smith (WB)
1 Josh Kelly (GWS)
 
Coaches votes

Greater Western Sydney v Western Bulldogs​

10 Marcus Bontempelli (WB)
8 Tom Green (GWS)
6 Tim English (WB)
4 Tom Liberatore (WB)
1 Bailey Smith (WB)
1 Josh Kelly (GWS)
Atta boy Kingsley.

38 & 3 was a huge game for Green but anyone who actually watched that game and thinks Green had more influence can fight me out the front of gate 3 this weekend, I’ll *ing deck ya
 
Coaches votes

Greater Western Sydney v Western Bulldogs​

10 Marcus Bontempelli (WB)
8 Tom Green (GWS)
6 Tim English (WB)
4 Tom Liberatore (WB)
1 Bailey Smith (WB)
1 Josh Kelly (GWS)
So same 5-4-3-2, different 1 votes.
Kingsley (or someone in their box) wasnt stressed out enough to still identify the best players!
 
Coaches votes

Greater Western Sydney v Western Bulldogs​

10 Marcus Bontempelli (WB)
8 Tom Green (GWS)
6 Tim English (WB)
4 Tom Liberatore (WB)
1 Bailey Smith (WB)
1 Josh Kelly (GWS)
A pretty solid consensus on where the game was won with a mutual nod to Green's outstanding game. Bailey get's some fatherly encouragement.
 
It is BS, but unfortunately wins sometimes do count towards some bias when the umpires pick the best on ground. Has been like that forever. If Bont and Oliver had exactly the same stats in the same game, and the Demons just pipped us, they will likely lean towards Oliver.

Not forever. Just from our own club, Dempsey won in 75 when we only won 11 games, and Templeton in 80 when we only won 5 (he polled in 10). I agree with your point though - since the mid-90s the Brownlow has been almost exclusively a midfielder medal, and usually from middle/top teams. Prior to that, rucks had a decent chance, but forwards and genuine defenders had started to drop off the radar.

Your Bont/Oliver comparison is a good point - last round 1996, I've heard Hird (herd!) say in an interview if we'd won the game, Chris Grant would have got 3 votes and Hird 2 - and their equal-first/equal-second finishes reversed.

Chris Grant was less than a kick plus an Ian Collins vendetta away from being a dual (and back-to-back) Brownlow medallist.
 
since the mid-90s the Brownlow has been almost exclusively a midfielder medal, and usually from middle/top teams
Funny enough, most sports have the same issue now. Soccer is normally in favor of who kicks the most goals combined with the biggest name. NFL MVP has become a pure Quarterback award.

Makes me wonder what has changed in the mindset of those voting, that awards now favor a select few.
 
Funny enough, most sports have the same issue now. Soccer is normally in favor of who kicks the most goals combined with the biggest name. NFL MVP has become a pure Quarterback award.

Makes me wonder what has changed in the mindset of those voting, that awards now favor a select few.
It's why I think PA's MVP and the Coaches MVP awards are actually the only 2 awards worth a pinch of the proverbial. And a club's B&f.

The Brownlow, whilst traditional, is a meaningless fancy dress gig.
 
It's why I think PA's MVP and the Coaches MVP awards are actually the only 2 awards worth a pinch of the proverbial. And a club's B&f.

The Brownlow, whilst traditional, is a meaningless fancy dress gig.

Not analysis by any means, but just by way of comparison of 2 arbitrary yeasr:

1969 Brownlow (the one Wee Georgie Bissett was robbed of, but that's another story!) featured the following with double digit votes:

(Also courtesy of afaltables):

1683531722032.png

K Murray - defender/utility - team finished 10th (of 12)
Davis - moved that year to ruck-rover from HB - team finished 6th
Bissett - rover - team finished 11th
B Murray - key defender - team finished 7th
Bartlett - rover - premiers
Thorpe - ruck-rover/centre (probably also cost Bissett a Brownlow, apart from the BS report in round 14!)
Wade - stay-at-home full forward
Kekovich - utility, played forward and ruck rover (arguably the standout season of his career) - team finished 8th
Nicholls and Thompson - standout ruckmen of runners up and losing prelim finalists
Goggin - rover - team played finals
Greene - first ruck for the premiers
Sheedy - still a back pocket/half back at that stage, again for the premiers
Waters - used primarily as a tall at either end that year - for finalists

Admittedly the 3 Tigers, 2 Cats and 2 Pies took votes off each other (as did our 2 Dogs), but they were all good enough to catch the umpires' eye.

2022 Brownlow double digit votes (lots more players and votes, and 2 more H&A games each), but almost all mids:

1683534027675.png
 

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No doubt, is he doing these things a lot more than say Tim O'Brien and Bruce? I have issues with all of our key defenders to varying degrees because none of them are good ball users.
Each player has their own strengths and weaknesses obviously and Bruce and O'Brien have certainly made their fair share of mistakes.

However, Bruce and TO'B currently bring a bit more in the contested marking stakes than Gardner, so to break even with them I'd suggest that Ryan needs to either make substantially less mistakes or start bringing more offensively.
 
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There's no coincidence that English has gone berserk in the same year that Brendon Lade has joined as the midfield coach.
I’d argue that’s the very definition of a coincidence. English was producing similar results over the first handful of games last season before injury pulled him back a bit, especially around the ground.

Timmy’s ruckwork has definitely improved this year but that’s no surprise as he’s turning 26 years old this season. That’s typically the age most ruckman take the next step in that regard.
 
Id call the Bont one paced in the same way I would Scott Pendlebury. Theses guys have exceptional agility and spacial awareness for their size.

Where The Bont has it over Pendlebury is how he uses his mass to his advantage.
And both have a good leap. Has anyone ever mentioned Pendlebury’s basketball background*.



*only a few thousand times….nauseating!!
 
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And both have a good leap. Has anyone ever mentioned Pendlebury’s basketball background*.



*only a few thousand times….nauseating!!
I did everything I could to avoid that trope.
 
Thought I'd accidentally logged onto the main board when I got online and started reading about trading Macrae and accepting we'd not get much for him.

That's crazy talk.

Trading Macrae... *!
 
Agree on all except re: Lobb.

Lobb as the second ruck is perfect.

Been crying out for a decent second ruck for years.

He’s not Gawn or Grundy but he does a decent job as back up to English.
Watch the game Leon
 
Watch the game Leon

I know you don’t post that much, but when you do, all you do it criticise the players, board, football administration and the club in general. Any chance you want to contribute anything meaningful around here?
 
Not forever. Just from our own club, Dempsey won in 75 when we only won 11 games, and Templeton in 80 when we only won 5 (he polled in 10). I agree with your point though - since the mid-90s the Brownlow has been almost exclusively a midfielder medal, and usually from middle/top teams. Prior to that, rucks had a decent chance, but forwards and genuine defenders had started to drop off the radar.

Your Bont/Oliver comparison is a good point - last round 1996, I've heard Hird (herd!) say in an interview if we'd won the game, Chris Grant would have got 3 votes and Hird 2 - and their equal-first/equal-second finishes reversed.

Chris Grant was less than a kick plus an Ian Collins vendetta away from being a dual (and back-to-back) Brownlow medallist.
Peter Russo was one of the umpires that day he he was the one who said in an interview that they gave Hird the three because Essendon won.

With seconds to go, Steve Kretiuk took a mark in the back pocket. Instead of going long down the line, he tried to go inboard to Craig Ellis. The kick missed it's target and Mark Mercuri kicked the goal from the turnover with something like 17 seconds left to give Essendon the win by three points.

Hird won a Brownlow and Grant didn't because of a play that neither of them were involved in.
 
Peter Russo was one of the umpires that day he he was the one who said in an interview that they gave Hird the three because Essendon won.

With seconds to go, Steve Kretiuk took a mark in the back pocket. Instead of going long down the line, he tried to go inboard to Craig Ellis. The kick missed it's target and Mark Mercuri kicked the goal from the turnover with something like 17 seconds left to give Essendon the win by three points.

Hird won a Brownlow and Grant didn't because of a play that neither of them were involved in.

I remember the very late goal. After a sh1tful year, I thought we were sending Steve Wallis into retirement with a win. Until those final seconds.

Btw, Peter Russo played for the Hawks. And umpire John Russo retired in 1995. But I'm sure the rest of it is correct! :)

Edit: John is/was a lawyer, but has had a colourful post-AFL career, to say the least. Years ago his 2 sisters accused him of forging his dying father's signature to cash in on a family property (was reported in HS and Age at the time), so he may well claim he umpired that game. I know other umpires who were 'bemused' by some of his adjudicating in games, and the game Greg Williams got some ridiculous amount of possessions and dominated, didn't get votes, and probably cost him a third Charlie, was one of several (alleged) grudge paybacks against some players.
 
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