Game Day Round 1 - Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane Lions

[VitalDread]

My crack at the Round 1 team :

B - Morris Roughead Picken
HB - Johannisen Young Goodes
C - Libba Boyd Lower
HF - Dickson Murphy Dahlhaus
F - Cordy Jones Gia
R - Minson Griffen Cooney
Int - Cross Wallis Higgins
Sub - Smith

I agree with that but if Coons is healthy, i would take out Smith and put coons in.

 

[Viceregal]

I think we may have to go in with an extra tall defender, reckon Merrett will start forward alongside Cornelius with Brown the target man as usual.

Merrett will not be starting forward - that 'make a contest in the F50 and pinch hit in the ruck' role that he did far better than we expected will me more like Martin to start with ... we anticipate he will be in the back six for the whole year this time!

 

[Tommycash]

Merrett will not be starting forward - that 'make a contest in the F50 and pinch hit in the ruck' role that he did far better than we expected will me more like Martin to start with ... we anticipate he will be in the back six for the whole year this time!

I think people just don't expect you guys to bother playing talls on Cordy and Jones.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

You will field a very respectable looking side imo. Hope for your sake Cooney is fit and plays as he is worth watching and doesn't deserve early retirement. Last two games we have won well but prior to that it was mostly bad news which seems forgotten now. If we arrive thinking our NAB cup form will just repeat itself we will be mistaken. It is possible, we have a young side and this is the serious stuff. Hoping to win of course but have a soft spot for the dogs. May both teams escape serious injury on that surface and show enough for us to believe that the good times are not that far away.

 

[who_let_the_dogs_out]

You will field a very respectable looking side imo. Hope for your sake Cooney is fit and plays as he is worth watching and doesn't deserve early retirement. Last two games we have won well but prior to that it was mostly bad news which seems forgotten now. If we arrive thinking our NAB cup form will just repeat itself we will be mistaken. It is possible, we have a young side and this is the serious stuff. Hoping to win of course but have a soft spot for the dogs. May both teams escape serious injury on that surface and show enough for us to believe that the good times are not that far away.

Cheers mate, personally I'm just thankful we're meeting you at Etihad, which could make the end result a bit kinder on us. Looking forward to seeing Roughead on Brown. Will be good for him to learn his craft against one of the great forwards of the modern era.

 

[Toffee Lion]

Some nice words from Vossy about your mob.

Would he be on the money or maybe over-speaking?

"I've seen a few of their games over the pre-season and they've been tough and hard and competitive. They've run some pretty good teams to the wire … and you know those guys are going to crack in.

"I think they've been pretty impressive the way they've been going about their business, and quietly really. I think the general public will not have high expectations of them, but I think the Bulldogs will have high expectations of themselves."

Either way I hope the Doggies have a good 2013, so many people are quick to write you guys off but you're building a nice list and I'm sure we will have some battles in the next few years at the top.

 

[Haso]

going to be a close one,

lions by 200 points

Oi. This is not on. This isn't a banter thread, the Bay or the Main Board. You're lucky the Dogs mods are being patient - this is the kind of thing that will get you a whack from an opposition mod, and it would be deserved.

Save it for the right thread, Bris.

 

[Igloo]

Boyd out for 2-3 weeks with a calf strain .

Pretty much guarantees Stevens or even Hrovat being played.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Now I'm concerned.

 

[100action]

Boyd out, makes an extremely interesting scenario.​

​

I will watch with interest regarding certain points by naysayers and perhaps a new player that will take his spot.​

 

[Igloo]

http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/2013-03-25/boyd-injury-blow.workstation

 

[LukasTheGreat]

Looking at the positives, we need to learn to play without him and he butchers the ball anyway, interested to see how we go.

 

[Super Hans]

Looking at the positives, we need to learn to play without him and he butchers the ball anyway, interested to see how we go.

You're underselling him. He's still our second best mid behind Griff. Massive out.

 

[Brisbane2013]

Oi. This is not on. This isn't a banter thread, the Bay or the Main Board. You're lucky the Dogs mods are being patient - this is the kind of thing that will get you a whack from an opposition mod, and it would be deserved.

Save it for the right thread, Bris.

i was joking, you didn't see it, cause the mods deleted my post

pffft

 

[LukasTheGreat]

You're underselling him. He's still our second best mid behind Griff. Massive out.

I'm not saying it's not a massive out, but looking at the positives it gives someone like Macrae a chance

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

B: Young Morris Picken
HB: Goodes Roughead Johannisen
C: Griffen Stevens Cooney
HF: Giansiracusa Jones Dickson
F: Murphy Cordy Dahlhaus
R: Minson Lower Cross
I: Wallis, Liberatore, Higgins
S: Smith

Next in line: Macrae, Hrovat, Addison, Markovic, Pearce

 

[Keystone agony]

B: Young Morris Picken
HB: Goodes Roughead Johannisen
C: Griffen Stevens Cooney
HF: Giansiracusa Jones Dickson
F: Murphy Cordy Dahlhaus
R: Minson Lower Cross
I: Wallis, Liberatore, Higgins
S: Smith

Next in line: Macrae, Hrovat, Addison, Markovic, Pearce

I think Wallis, Libba and C.Smith have to be played ahead of Stevens and Cross

Cooney no certainty either id think Macrae will play if Cooney doesnt. Backline looks susceptible IMO, i mean it always was.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

I think Wallis, Libba and C.Smith have to be played ahead of Stevens and Cross

Cooney no certainty either id think Macrae will play if Cooney doesnt. Backline looks susceptible IMO, i mean it always was.

Wallis and Libba are in there. Stevens is more of an in-and-under natural ball winner than Smith, which is what we'll lack without Boyd. I agree that the vest on Clay is very rough but there aren't many alternatives. Cross is a definite starter, still much better than our young mids at the moment and provides experience.

Yeah, Macrae or Hrovat will get the nod should Cooney not play. Backline is young and developing.

 

[Igloo]

Wallis and Libba are in there. Stevens is more of an in-and-under natural ball winner than Smith, which is what we'll lack without Boyd. I agree that the vest on Clay is very rough but there aren't many alternatives. Cross is a definite starter, still much better than our young mids at the moment and provides experience.

Can't agree with some of that at all, Dannnnnnnnnnn . Smith is way more in and under than Stevens. I think I can even recall Koby saying he prefers playing outside, and used to do more of that earlier in his career, but he can do both.
Would put the vest on Stevens, personally. Higgins or Cooney if one of them play and still aren't right.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Can't agree with some of that at all, Dannnnnnnnnnn . Smith is way more in and under than Stevens. I think I can even recall Koby saying he prefers playing outside, and used to do more of that earlier in his career, but he can do both.
Would put the vest on Stevens, personally. Higgins or Cooney if one of them play and still aren't right.

Smith has played much more outside this pre-season imo, and when we needed an in-and-under mid to step up against Fremantle Stevens was our leading ball-winner.

 

[Igloo]

Smith has played much more outside this pre-season imo, and when we needed an in-and-under mid to step up against Fremantle Stevens was our leading ball-winner.

That's a very small sample size. Smith's biggest strength by a mile is his in and under ability, which we saw all last year. Stevens has the ability as well, obviously, but he's got a more... "expanded" game style than Smith. They will both probably spend time right in the middle anyway.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

That's a very small sample size. Smith's biggest strength by a mile is his in and under ability, which we saw all last year. Stevens has the ability as well, obviously, but he's got a more... "expanded" game style than Smith. They will both probably spend time right in the middle anyway.

It is, but when Smith played in-and-under he was criticised by almost everyone for his shocking kicking. On the outside, he kicked at something like 93% with a heap of possessions and a ripper goal. He'll become an outside mid in my opinion.

 

[Igloo]

It is, but when Smith played in-and-under he was criticised by almost everyone for his shocking kicking. On the outside, he kicked at something like 93% with a heap of possessions and a ripper goal. He'll become an outside mid in my opinion.

dogwatch, put this in the red faces thread . I'm 100% against you on this one . A lot of his kicks in that Hawthorn game when his DE was so high were very safe, short kicks. There's just no way he'll be an outside mid, imo.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

dogwatch, put this in the red faces thread . I'm 100% against you on this one . A lot of his kicks in that Hawthorn game when his DE was so high were very safe, short kicks. There's just no way he'll be an outside mid, imo.

It wasn't an out there, "quote me" prediction, just an imo.

 

[Keystone agony]

Agree with Igloo if Clay Smith isnt as good as inside as Stevens than you may aswell get rid of him, not alot else he had. Not trying to be mean here as im on another board i think hell become a little ripping player, just not a high disposal smooth moving outside type.

Stevens in my ability has now a much more rounded game to play both, no doubts hes a much better inside midfielder and probably always will be but he has better credentials outside opposed to Smith.

Smiths been much more impressive this NAB for me, i dont think theyll be throwing Stevens heavy inside if he has sore ribs either, depends on severity of injury.