Review Plucky Dogs run over tragic 0-3 Blues

[my plums]

The AFL introduced a blanket rule a few years back that the Marvel roof is closed for all games, due to the shadow effect of day games. Fair enough the roof is closed for day games but it's ludicrous that rule is rigid for night matches given they also start the season in mid March.

From memory one of the Scott brothers flipped his wig when it started drizzling in the last quarter of a game and his team lost.

 

[Libba39]

I should've named my daughter Darcy instead of Mara.

Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk

Look on the bright side.

At least you didn't name her Ugle...

...with emphasis on the E

On SM-A505YN using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Werewolf]

Such a good win in the end.

We normally drop those.

Davidson what a beast

Day off... I hope you got that for thanking the Carlton board for Kennedy?

 

[X_box_X]

Watched the highlights over here in Florida!

Good win by the lads! I don’t mind the new look VDM, starting to have an impact on games.

Go Dogs!!

How long are you in Florida / The States?

 

[House_of_Dahl]

Was scrappy but effort won us that game.

Shades of 2016 with a group of kids and a handful of older guys playing out of their skin.

Dare I say it but the huge amount of injuries may end up playing to our advantage, if we get to halfway being competitive and then get the full squad back.

 

[Johnny_Dogg4]

very happy with that win considering that 1st qtr

we are Getting more contributions from the lower tier players which is good. Davidson good pick up so far

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Libba is a JET

Footy won’t be the same for me when he retires

My favourite Doggies player

We ran in to Tony at Southern Cross, after getting a photo, he said his son always rises when he has responsibility.

 

[bobs head soup]

With so many top liners out, we've needed a few mid tier players to really step up in the first 3 weeks and assume more leadership.

Reckon Bailey Williams has been fantastic. Taking on multiple roles and doing great jobs.

Massive influence last night.

Matt Kennedy has been great in this regard also.

Rapt with Ryley Sanders second half too

Ended up with 12 contested possessions for the game, no Dog had more. Key goal too.

As a second year player, his steady growth and output way exceeds the persistent negativity he cops in here (some game day thread comments this week were poor).

 

[Doggy]

We copped a few soft tissue injuries over the preseason but jeeze we are fit and running out games well

Williams was huge tonight. Him and Davidson won so many huge contests
This new VDM is kind of nice to have
Libba being Libba
We lose that if Kennedy is still at the Blues
Darcy is not fair
Naughton was off but my God the delivery to him was bad, made his chance count when it mattered
Dolan few good moments when everyone was cooked

I'd say the Naughton goal went over the post.

That said, the Darcy review was inconclusive so they cancel each other out

 

[Doggy]

With so many top liners out, we've needed a few mid tier players to really step up in the first 3 weeks and assume more leadership.

Reckon Bailey Williams has been fantastic. Taking on multiple roles and doing great jobs.

Massive influence last night.

Matt Kennedy has been great in this regard also.

Rapt with Ryley Sanders second half too

Ended up with 12 contested possessions for the game, no Dog had more. Key goal too.

As a second year player, his steady growth and output way exceeds the persistent negativity he cops in here (some game day thread comments this week were poor).

Sanders always builds into the game and tends to have a good second half. He has been good in all 3 second halves now.

He cops it unfairly here.

Maybe we just need to have him arrive at the game early and start early.

 

[NthBondiDoggies]

Hard game to rate other than sometimes you just have to find a way to win. Carlton are a good team but we ran over them in the last two quarters.

I reckon Carlton gave it everything in the first half - came up with great intensity - can see in the numbers - we looked like getting beaten but just held on. The when we accelerated they could not keep it up. I expect the humidity hurt a bit but we were running over them.

What I love about this team is how many players are better in the fourth quarter - Davidson, Sanders, Darcy, VDM, Dale and Kennedy with 11. This is fitness and determination.

The good:

- Davidson, Kennedy, Libba, Williams and VDM

The bad:

- Naughton, Bramble, Red

The ugly (poor games but a couple of very important moments)

- McNeil, Dale, Friejah

Surprises:

- Dolan has so much poise for a kid - under pressure he was very good even if he looks 10 years old. With Davidson and Dolan we may have filled our two biggest gaps. Drumroll for recruiting - add Kennedy, Hynes looks fantastic and Jacques and LKennedy are promising. We will also look back at Croft (looked very good in the VFL) and Sanders as a great play to get us two first rounders.

- JOD is a great swingman - he was very important and runs hard in an attempt to open up the backline. Poor kicking still had it bombed to where Weitering was having a field day but he was doing his job.

- Buku is getting closer - he does brave things but still lacks defensive intensity. The best mediums are either fast or hard - he hesitates in 3/4 contests. When he goes he generally makes a good play but needs aggression to be a good defender. I want to see him and JOD as the best swingers since the 20’s (or a 70s key parties) - swapping based on match ups. If the opp have three good tall forwards then Khamis too small and JOD goes back and Khamis goes forwards - if more mobile and two with mid / then Khamis back JoD forward.

- At the start if the season - I would only reluctantly have picked VDM in best 22. He just dropped too many marks under pressure and frankly as a forward who didn’t kick goals it didn’t make sense. But he has developed from a dodgy kick to one of our best kicks at goal - he has gone from dropping sitters to being very solid. Well done to the kid - that is on him. And now he is a solid part of the team.

- Gallagher - he was quiet and that is a great thing. He did his job as a defender and no clangers. He did a couple of very good defensive acts where he just attacked the ball. He is such a nugget that if he can do this - he will have found his place.

- What happened to Bramble / last year he seemed like a miracle. Now he is second guessing himself and not playing with the flair that has us loving him and a walk up best 22. With JJ out and looking dodgy whether he will come back - he doesn’t have much competition - Baker his biggest threat now. Barring injury Baker may replace him if he doesn’t snap out of it.

- English improved where we were hoping but dropped around the ground which we didn’t expect. His marking has really dropped off. You can see his lack of confidence as he stands still and jumps up barely even looking at the ball. As a ruck he should always be the man and go for it. That means coming to the ball hard or pushing back hard like Scotty Wynd but never standing there like a sitting duck. And around the ground he is also stepping back - Tim is AA level talent around the ground and he needs to get back to this. However, I think this game was a step in the right direction. A much better game than we have seen in a while and he and Darcy rotating should (not could) be the best 1:2 in the comp.

 

[Del203211]

English won the hitouts for a change tonight, TDK might’ve smashed him around the ground but Tim was pretty good in the ruck.

Had no issue with his ruck work.
My issue was the softness. trying to collect a ground ball down back and being bowled over by Francis Evans, and countless times going for a mark and the ball spilling through his hands.

 

[TMoney22]

Naughton is a problem. There is no excuse for him having no impact. Yes delivery was terrible last night but there is also no defensive side or help on the ground. I don't see him making guy running leads to make space for others. He did have this last previous years, what's happened?

If he doesn't get it lace out he has nothing else. I don't know what the solution is, I like him in the ruck for a few minutes but that only occurs once a game.

 

[House_of_Dahl]

Seems like Sanders is so much better in the 2nd half than starting the game

3 weeks in a row he's looked borderline delist material then meaningfully contributed after half time

Yeah it is a pattern. I reckon it's a combo of two things

• elite endurance
• nerves/anxiety

I've seen that second point in one of my kids with soccer. Regularly off to a slow start on matches, over thinking, and worried. By the second half he's head is just in the game and no longer worrying - then he looks great again and plays like he does at training.

 

[Zgope1]

The Tim English experience this year for me has been that if I see him in a marking contest or helping out in defence I assume he’s not going to positively impact it

I didn’t feel that during Q4 last night. He ran out the game okay. Also looked dynamic at ground level in a couple of crucial centre clearances.

He’s frustrating as hell to me but I don’t consider him a worry.

Same with Aaron. Got embarrassed.

But I actually have a lot of faith in both of their resolve to impact despite struggling and to turn their form around

 

[X_box_X]

Naughton is a problem. There is no excuse for him having no impact. Yes delivery was terrible last night but there is also no defensive side or help on the ground. I don't see him making guy running leads to make space for others. He did have this last previous years, what's happened?

If he doesn't get it lace out he has nothing else. I don't know what the solution is, I like him in the ruck for a few minutes but that only occurs once a game.

It doesn't get any easier for him next week unfortunately but surprisingly, he historically plays OK against Freo. While he went goalless in the EF against them in 2022, he did a reasonable job in the match prior and three games since the EF with totals of 3, 3, 2 & 2 goals. We will definitely take that against one of the better defensive teams in the comp.

Hopefully playing in Perth gives him extra motivation. I imagine it would.

 

[X_box_X]

We're suddenly one of the quickest teams in the competition. It's obvious Bevo favours quick players. I'm not sure how many games we will get out of Treloar and JJ but they are automatic selections when they're fit.

I was critical of Buku getting a game instead of Busslinger but it makes sense with Buku being quicker.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

I'd say the Naughton goal went over the post.

That said, the Darcy review was inconclusive so they cancel each other out

They kept showing replays from behind the goals. Whereas, when he kicked it, the vision from the front looked as if it kind of curled around the top of the post. But they wouldn’t use that view for some reason

On another note, as well as all the other fine contributors, how about young Dolan. He looks about 12 (reminiscent of Bailey Dale in his early games) but plays with such assurance, not a bit intimidated by the physicality of AFL-level footy. He’s going to be a fan favourite.

 

[go the dogs]

Have faith in Sanders all he will be a very good player. He is an inside mid

 

[Libbaaaa]

Great win for the group. The Blues hot start was a complete 180 from how they had been playing so far this year, so kudos to the coaching team adjusting.

Thought it wasn’t going to be our night when Brodie Kemp turned into Jason Dunstall.

That second half by Sanders is what I want to see, had a lot more poise in the contest. Love that he can kick a goal too.

 

[glenashley]

JOD now played 27 games to pass Simon's 24. His grandfather Kevin played 49. JOD on track more than both of them combined.

Great to see Simon in the rooms with Luke Darcy.

Both dad's sporting legends in their own right.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

Even though we sucked hard in the first one and a half quarters, Carlton couldn’t get away from us and make a big score. My hopes started to rise when we scrambled to be only a goal down, which then fluctuated a bit, but we were ready to make our move when the opportunities occurred.

 

[CDBulldog]

Why cant we seem to put the ball in front of naughton? Is it him, or the kicker, or both?

You could see Naughtons exasperation every time the ball was kicked to his opponents adavantage. Not sure what he can do about that. Perhaps he needs to get some separation but even so the blame should be equally shared with the mids for his poor performance.

 

[Libbaaaa]

Am I right in saying there wasn’t a clear angle that showed Darcy’s goal being touched? ‘Appears to have touched by the Carlton player’ is not good enough.

 

[Dogs Rule]

Am I right in saying there wasn’t a clear angle that showed Darcy’s goal being touched? ‘Appears to have touched by the Carlton player’ is not good enough.

But dontchaknow we're favoured by the umps?

The whole umpiring system is a step below amateur if that's possible. It's pathetic. Basically just guesswork and for a supposedly professional organisation like the AFL, how it's tolerated is beyond me.