Autopsy Bulldogs lose 127-113 to Geelong. Flat

[TheScriptorWL]

It's a weird line to toe. On one hand, shoddy free kick decisions at pivotal times and the pure one-sidedness we experienced at times on Thursday undoubtedly gives the opposition an edge(Almost like that's the whole Pont of giving them out)
However, as a nuffie supporter it's the easiest excuse to make, as it inherently absolves the team of any wrongdoing if we feel hard done by. (Which I do but let's be objective).

The reality is we won the Centre clearances, Had more Contested and uncontested possessions and were the superior side in all the statistics we're told you need to beat Top 4 caliber sides.

However, the key flaws that opens this team up is their accuracy in front of goal, which we've noted. But additionally a bad overreliace on our handball game when put under enormous boiling pressure.

Let me ask you this, how many times did we have the ball on the flank and handball to a man almost running Into opposition contact. Too many times.

Sam Darcy while being an accurate scorer and big body, is a giant target for the opposition. And he gives us the confidence to balance Bevo's chaos Football with a more traditional Kick/Mark style. I believe That is the blend that will win us our Third Flag.

 

[dogwatch]

It's a weird line to toe. On one hand, shoddy free kick decisions at pivotal times and the pure one-sidedness we experienced at times on Thursday undoubtedly gives the opposition an edge(Almost like that's the whole Pont of giving them out)
However, as a nuffie supporter it's the easiest excuse to make, as it inherently absolves the team of any wrongdoing if we feel hard done by. (Which I do but let's be objective).

The reality is we won the Centre clearances, Had more Contested and uncontested possessions and were the superior side in all the statistics we're told you need to beat Top 4 caliber sides.

...

I agree that it's hard to find the right stance on this stuff.

Nobody likes a free kick whinger. Yet we've all done it. We scream injustice when we're at the ground, or on the couch at home. And in the Game Day Thread too. The same thing is undoubtedly playing out at 17 other clubs every single week.

Then when the game's over and the passion subsides we don't want to be seen as one of those whingers. It has the odour of bad sportsmanship. Being a poor loser.

But more importantly - as you say - it lets our own shortcomings go unchallenged. In effect our players and coaches get off the hook. That's the area that has the greatest impact on our results. It's also the only area that is 100% in our control. That's why it's important not to focus too much on the free kick count and related injustices (like marks being paid over the boundary line). Let's be the best version of a football team that we can be before we start blaming the umpiring.

Umpiring in the AFL must be incredibly hard because of the way the rules are drafted and frequently changed, often illogically. Then even more frequently they are instructed to re-interpret a particular rule or give it special emphasis in some given week because a coach or a media commentator has made a public fuss. So that rule has to be applied in a very different way to the week before. Yet my guess is that umpires make fewer clangers and misjudgements each week than the average player or coach does. And after all that, somehow the umpires are the first ones put to the sword.

Yet occasionally a series of umpiring errors do affect the result. Do we stay silent about that? How do you comment without sounding like "that whinger"?

For coaches and club officials it's simple enough. You say nothing at the press conference (for fear of a $10,000 fine) but if it's bad enough you raise it away from the media glare with the AFL's Umpiring Dept during the week.

For the fans it's not so easy. We can discuss it on our BF board but you can bet what you say will quickly be quoted (with a ) on some other club's "they say the darndest things" thread. As long as we discuss it dispassionately, fairly and objectively I think that's fine. One way of commenting with a bit more objectivity is to look at whether the rule in question has been interpreted consistently all game. Inconsistent interpretations drive us fans crazy and must be baffling for players.
However even there we probably still have the club filter on what we see and what we fail to see.

 

[Libbaaaa]

Zero excuses at the end of the day, game all tied up with an eternity remaining and we couldn’t get the job done.

 

[Ted's Robot]

The cats were better where it counted and that is kicking goals although they did get some help with this through our turnovers and some home team umpiring.
We had plenty of chances to kick them ourselves but were not quite good enough on the night.

 

[Boristown]

Is it any surprise Geelong players slot goals from every orifice when they're training at that shit hole day in day out, kicking from every angle, learning where to start each shot, adjusting to the wind etc. Putting aside the rubbish home town umpiring they get down there, it's the familiarity they get from being only Vic side that gets to train on the same ground they play on which is their biggest advantage and one that doesn't get talked about enough.

Chris Scott

Chris Scott

Age

49

Ht

182cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.2

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.4

3star

should have 2 or 3 more flags to his name, given the leg up those pack of campaigners get.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Is it any surprise Geelong players slot goals from every orifice when they're training at that shit hole day in day out, kicking from every angle, learning where to start each shot, adjusting to the wind etc. Putting aside the rubbish home town umpiring they get down there, it's the familiarity they get from being only Vic side that gets to train on the same ground they play on which is their biggest advantage and one that doesn't get talked about enough.

Chris Scott should have 2 or 3 more flags to his name, given the leg up those pack of campaigners get.

Yep, and why they get top four every year, and also why on a number of occasions they have gone out in straight sets.

 

[Bulldogs85]

Yep, and why they get top four every year, and also why on a number of occasions they have gone out in straight sets.

One reason why they have always had a whinge about playing a final down at that shit hole

 

[CarnTheScray]

Is it any surprise Geelong players slot goals from every orifice when they're training at that shit hole day in day out, kicking from every angle, learning where to start each shot, adjusting to the wind etc. Putting aside the rubbish home town umpiring they get down there, it's the familiarity they get from being only Vic side that gets to train on the same ground they play on which is their biggest advantage and one that doesn't get talked about enough.

Chris Scott should have 2 or 3 more flags to his name, given the leg up those pack of campaigners get.

They are a four goal better side down there because of it.

We still should’ve won though. Would be interesting to see us play them at the MCG.

 

[Boristown]

They are a four goal better side down there because of it.

We still should’ve won though. Would be interesting to see us play them at the MCG.

Last year’s loss to the Dogs was Geelong’s biggest at that shit hole since Scott took over, yet it was just 47 points. There’s a reason they’re so hard to beat down there, let alone destroy and it’s not because they’re some magical team of unicorn footy savants.

Footy media nuffs treat Scott and the Cats as if he’s a genius and they’ve clocked footy, when the answer all along is just train at the ground you play most of your games and have a massive home ground advantage.

 

[W W Biscuit]

I think I have known this for a long time, but it dawned on me this week how absurd and over the top the footy media landscape is and has become. It’s not healthy for anyone in the industry and it doesn’t benefit the fans at all. I barely engage with it anymore (less less so over the years).

I turned the sound off at half time and watched the second half in silence. That’s the first time I’ve done that in all my years watching footy (30 plus years). They were obsessed about Smith to the point where I thought I was watching “Bailey Cam”.

The media has been obsessive about Smith all week. He made one off the cuff remark, which was unnecessary but relatively meaningless and harmless, and posted a “funny” social media post, and the media were frothing at the mouth to generate a narrative that suited their purposes.

At the end of the day, the kid wanted to play full time midfield. We didn’t offer that position. So he went to another club who also gave him a change of scenery which is what he needed for personal reasons and perhaps due to the ACL injury. It’s hardly a big deal. We didn’t really get fair consideration, but you can’t win every deal and we made up for it with clever drafting (Freijah) and recruiting (Kennedy).

I don't seek out the football media at all these days, but it still comes up on my socials newsfeed. And that is more than enough to reinforce that I have made the right decision to disengage.

I watched the whole of Thursday's game with the sound off. That's where I'm at...the feeling that, with one or two exceptions, it is just an invitation to invite bozos into my living room. The only footy commentary I get is on YouTube, watching the occasional quarter from yesteryear. Lou and Pete et. al. may not have been the most insightful commentators, but at least it was honest, inoffensive and occasionally entertaining.

 

[Wetdog]

I don't seek out the football media at all these days, but it still comes up on my socials newsfeed. And that is more than enough to reinforce that I have made the right decision to disengage.

I watched the whole of Thursday's game with the sound off. That's where I'm at...the feeling that, with one or two exceptions, it is just an invitation to invite bozos into my living room. The only footy commentary I get is on YouTube, watching the occasional quarter from yesteryear. Lou and Pete et. al. may not have been the most insightful commentators, but at least it was honest, inoffensive and occasionally entertaining.

There was someone, I cannot recall whether it was a poster on here or a football personality in the industry, who listened to classical music whilst watching a game.

It’s not really my genre of music, but I have thought about giving it a try. I think it might bring out the grace and beauty of the game, rather than the commercialisation, bias, soapbox drama and manufactured humour and entertainment that comes with the tv commentary.

 

[dogwatch]

Some games are Brandenburg Concerto. Some are Beethovens 5th. And some are just Benny Hill.

 

[Testekill]

Would love a year where we don't have to play at that shithole. Unfortunately the big clubs don't want to play down there or the AFL moves the Geelong home games to the MCG if the game is too big.

 

[SPower]

Number one request for next yr is no game at Alphabet stadium.
2 . Easter Friday night game.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

What's the big deal about saying the umpiring was a factor in the loss? Not to mention the mark over the boundary which they goaled from? I agree it shouldn't be used as an excuse, but can't see why people don't find the 26-12 free count somewhat annoying and a factor in the result ... What if it was like 50 to 10? Where do you draw the line in saying Nothing To See Here?
I wouldn't want the players blaming the result on the umps but I don't think what we say on here influences them

I couldn’t believe the 50 metre penalty paid against Bont, he never ever has 50 metres paid against him, what a joke.

 

[dogwatch]

I couldn’t believe the 50 metre penalty paid against Bont, he never ever has 50 metres paid against him, what a joke.

I thought it was (technically) there. As was the stupid one Tim English gave away.

It was just the inconsistency of application that annoyed me. There would be plenty of times the Bont one wouldn't be paid as a 50, but if you're going to pay that then you have to pay all the similar ones.

As a general observation I think 50m can be too harsh a penalty for some minor infringements (like disputing an umpiring call ... LOL after being red hot on it for a few weeks last year, when did they last pay a 50 for that?) I'd rather the umpires were a bit less obvious in a game too.

 

[TheScriptorWL]

I thought it was (technically) there. As was the stupid one Tim English gave away.

It was just the inconsistency of application that annoyed me. There would be plenty of times the Bont one wouldn't be paid as a 50, but if you're going to pay that then you have to pay all the similar ones.

As a general observation I think 50m can be too harsh a penalty for some minor infringements (like disputing an umpiring call ... LOL after being red hot on it for a few weeks last year, when did they last pay a 50 for that?) I'd rather the umpires were a bit less obvious in a game too.

I despise Ruck frees In general. One aspect of the game that within reason should be anything goes. No overt violence, just physical prowess.

 

[Doggstats]

However, the key flaws that opens this team up is their accuracy in front of goal, which we've noted. But additionally a bad overreliace on our handball game when put under enormous boiling pressure.

Let me ask you this, how many times did we have the ball on the flank and handball to a man almost running Into opposition contact. Too many times.

I think we've proven that our handball game can hold up under pressure it's just that we kept making blatant mistakes and missing easy handballs vs the Cats, even under no pressure.

Like this handball by Baker under 0 pressure and misses by a mile,

There's just no excuse for that.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

I thought it was (technically) there. As was the stupid one Tim English gave away.

It was just the inconsistency of application that annoyed me. There would be plenty of times the Bont one wouldn't be paid as a 50, but if you're going to pay that then you have to pay all the similar ones.

As a general observation I think 50m can be too harsh a penalty for some minor infringements (like disputing an umpiring call ... LOL after being red hot on it for a few weeks last year, when did they last pay a 50 for that?) I'd rather the umpires were a bit less obvious in a game too.

It's also funny how the "not 15" seemed to disappear for a lot of Geelong's short passes in the second half.

 

[Ted's Robot]

It's also funny how the "not 15" seemed to disappear for a lot of Geelong's short passes in the second half.

Said the same thing, like when Ed was done for htb after not 15 was called but his tackle on blicavs was a ball up. Both players had no prior. The not 15 rule is one the most inconsistent calls every game.

 

[Doggy]

Said the same thing, like when Ed was done for htb after not 15 was called but his tackle on blicavs was a ball up. Both players had no prior. The not 15 rule is one the most inconsistent calls every game.

We were crucified against Fremantle for it too ...

 

[dogwatch]

It's also funny how the "not 15" seemed to disappear for a lot of Geelong's short passes in the second half.

And even some of Geelong's kicks were a good 25m and called "not 15".
Don't they test prospective umpires for spatial awareness?

 

[ExRoyboy]

Would love a year where we don't have to play at that shithole. Unfortunately the big clubs don't want to play down there or the AFL moves the Geelong home games to the MCG if the game is too big.

It is a bit ridiculous though the disadvantage that we have to bear almost every year in regards to this. When you consider that each team doesn’t play every other team home and away every year, we only play 6 teams twice, so every year there will be 11 teams that we only play once and that game could be either at Marvel/Ballarat or at their home ground. Where you get drawn in that game makes a difference. If you get that game away against really good teams and you only get the bottom teams at home then this can impact on your record against the top teams.

Over the past 12 years excluding the Covid impacted year of 2021, the Bulldogs have played at GMHBA stadium 10 out of 11 years. In that time we have played Geelong twice in a season in 5 out of 11 years, so in those years we played both at Geelong and at Marvel in 4 seasons and the other game was played in Adelaide last year. In the other 6 years we only played them once and yet 5 out of 6 that one game was at Geelong. Only in 2018 was that single game for the season at Marvel. Even last year there was effectively only one game that could be scheduled at either Marvel or at Geelong but of course it was at Geelong. How is that considered fair?

So basically almost every year we either have to play them twice or at a minimum we have to play them at Geelong. We rarely if ever get to only play them once and have that game not be at their home ground. It is just another way in which the draw is inherently unfair. No wonder we struggle to beat these bastards when we seem to always have to play them at Geelong. I imagine North Melbourne and StKilda have a similar issue. The AFL really need to address these sorts of problems that make the competition so unfair for certain teams.

 

[ExRoyboy]

The umpiring in the game definitely favoured Geelong, I think the home crowd basically impacted this a lot. As many have said, it was very inconsistent and that inconsistency generally favoured Geelong because they would call holding the ball on us when we barely had prior opportunity and yet Geelong were given the benefit of the doubt. Again I think the crowd played a part in this so it helps to be at home which Geelong normally are when we play them.

But we also missed so many chances with poor goal kicking and they took their opportunities. That’s what ultimately cost us the game and it’s like a broken record complaining about this every year. Even last week when we smashed Essendon we should have probably won by about 130 points if we kicked the goals that we should have. Just really poor goal kicking accuracy. Naughton and Buku missed relatively easy shots, McNeil missed some when we really needed them and there were plenty of others.

We had some bad turnovers but I think it was not taking advantage of our chances that was the reason we lost. I heard some commentators blaming our bottom 6 players as the reason but after watching the game a couple of times on replay I don’t think they were that bad. Maybe in the second quarter, but in general our role players with maybe the exception of McNeil did their job. Baker was okay, JOD played pretty well but was out pointed by Cameron whenever he ended up on him, VDM was okay, Buku was pretty good, Davidson played well, Doc Duryea was not that good but overall I didn’t think that group off players were terrible.

We just really need to fix our goal kicking and get a better run with the umpiring and we would have won that game.

 

[Zeno The Great]

4 days later and I'm still dirty about Thursday night massive wasted opportunity, should have won the game.

I'm rapt with how we are playing this year, but concerned we can't get over the line against the top teams. Just have to beat the hawks in a fortnight, really feel if we don't we are heading to another similar lower half of the 8 finish and then likely another early finals exit.

Would love nothing more to play Geelong at the G in September.