What’s wrong with the dogs?

[WetCrow1991]

an understatement in the circumstances.

Hmm, but I like the look of the young guys in your side and the games they are getting now will hold them in good stead going forward when you, like us hopefully get players back.

 

[Dogs till i die]

Like the 5 goals he kicked to knock you out in 2015?

All pointless in the first week of finals if u dont go on and win the GF. Did Eddie play in the 2017 GF?. What was his stats?

 

[_Mike_]

Hmm, but I like the look of the young guys in your side and the games they are getting now will hold them in good stead going forward when you, like us hopefully get players back.

we're miles off from where Adelaide are now - probably/realistically another 2-3 years before we're back in the mix

 

[WetCrow1991]

All pointless in the first week of finals if u dont go on and win the GF. Did Eddie play in the 2017 GF?. What was his stats?

Nah can't move the goal posts champ. Haha 'All pointless' righto there.

 

[Brunswick Trap King]

I attended my my first GF for 38 years in 2015 what a bloody let down

I was very close to spending more money than I could afford to go that day. I'm pretty glad I chose to watch it with my brother instead

 

[Juddernaut08]

wow that is some kicking - takes effort to kick that...wayward

 

[Dogs till i die]

You got lucky.

Frank, all premiers have some luck or good fortune during their season. I'm just glad we took our chance during whats turned out to be a narrow premiership window. We lost 3 consecutive prelims frpm 2008-2010 in a wider window without taking our chance. What period do u think all bulldogs supporters prefer? We won a flag winning 19 games. We werent lucky - we took our chance and im very thankful we did.

 

[Chuckie357]

Nope, just that you are now a recent premiership team without really deserving it. Just had unbelievable good fortune for that month, AFL introduces a bye week and you get all your injured players back refreshed, umps weren't pinging your blatant throwing of the ball, umps were paying the played for high contact - how is that spring headed McLean going?

So worked up no, annoyed yes, but looks like you'll need to bask in the glory of 2016 because I don't see your team going anywhere in the next few seasons/decades.

Someone’s salty! How’s that apparent captain you have working out for you? You know the one who always stands up during the big important games, like round 2 against the reigning premiers when it DOESNT count. The dogs might be rubbish now BUT at lest last time they played in a GF their senior players and captain showed up to play and look like a massive muppet during his 1st loser speech

 

[Frank Gallagher]

Frank, all premiers have some luck or good fortune during their season. I'm just glad we took our chance during whats turned out to be a narrow premiership window. We lost 3 consecutive prelims frpm 2008-2010 in a wider window without taking our chance. What period do u think all bulldogs supporters prefer? We won a flag winning 19 games. We werent lucky - we took our chance and im very thankful we did.

Yeah fair enough, i'd be smashing the keyboard if someone said our flag was tainted, the only reason i said it is because i predicted it, i wasn't a fan of the new format and i'm on record as saying both qualifying winners would lose their prelims.

 

[_Mike_]

i'd be smashing the keyboard if someone said our flag was tainted,

worrying about what "randoms" on the internet think about your club winning a flag - 1st world problems.

 

[Frank Gallagher]

worrying about what "randoms" on the internet think about your club winning a flag - 1st world problems.

Can't win Mike, not here anyway

 

[Dogs till i die]

I was very close to spending more money than I could afford to go that day. I'm pretty glad I chose to watch it with my brother instead

After watching footy for.......well a long time......ive come to realise only September matters. Win enough games to get there and then be at your best. Good luck to the Eagles and Crows this year. Both have impressed me so far....but September is a fair way off. Dont get over confidieny in Mid-May.

 

[Juddernaut08]

dogs biggest issue probably just loss of personnel through form or injury or retirement. in such an even comp we are seeing injuries are
almost a bigger factor than overall list talent. just look at GWS.

Macrae has been a revelation but needs more help.

 

[ManOfClay]

Still suffering psychological damage from their close encounter with Brisbane.

No wonder St Kilda are s**t, they copped you round one

 

[Scary_Foot_9]

Yeah fair enough, i'd be smashing the keyboard if someone said our flag was tainted, the only reason i said it is because i predicted it, i wasn't a fan of the new format and i'm on record as saying both qualifying winners would lose their prelims.

You're last flag was tainted though, if it was played under today's rules it would have gone to extra time and the way that game was heading the Saints would have rightfully won. Your one of two two teams in VFL/AFL who needed two bites at the apple to win the cup. If that isn't asterisk material I don't know what is.

 

[Frank Gallagher]

You're last flag was tainted though, if it was played under today's rules it would have gone to extra time and the way that game was heading the Saints would have rightfully won. Your one of two two teams in VFL/AFL who needed two bites at the apple to win the cup. If that isn't asterisk material I don't know what is.

So you're using a drawn game to discredit me? Really?

 

[Dogs till i die]

Yeah fair enough, i'd be smashing the keyboard if someone said our flag was tainted, the only reason i said it is because i predicted it, i wasn't a fan of the new format and i'm on record as saying both qualifying winners would lose their prelims.

That new bye week was arguably our only good fortune that year. We lost Murphy early and others then Redpath, Wallis, Libba and Macrae in consecutive weeks late in the season. That was the first year of the pre finals bye. Top 4 clubs didnt know how best to cope. There was no precedent for them to copy. Is it best to train hard, have a rest, what do we do? In 5 or 10 years time top 4 clubs will have worked out how to best cope and it will be a non event.

 

[Golden_6]

Simple to me. We are ‘rebuilding’ but the club hasn’t hinted at the suggestion. If anything has bothered to look at the teams we’ve been putting on the park they would see. A fair bit off the best teams but extremely confident with we’re we are at.

 

[Scary_Foot_9]

So you're using a drawn game to discredit me? Really?

I find the idea that any Bulldogs supporter would be regretful of how our premiership is perceived by others slightly farcical, as I'm sure you found how I perceive yours the same way. As we proved at several stages during that year in H&A games against Sydney, Hawthorn and the first half against Geelong we were in the top handful of teams at our best and healthiest. People can let what has happened in the following two years to colour their perspective if they wish but for all Bulldogs supporters we know their was nothing tainted or less about what that 2016 side achieved, in fact its something only one other club has done (win four elimination finals in a row, Adelaide the other).

Whether people want to acknowledge it or not probably 7 of top 10 most influential players in that side (Morris, Boyd, Smith, Liberatore, Hamling, Biggs and Picken) (Bont, Macrae and JJ probably the others) are no longer playing in our current 22. I don't care who you are there's going to be drop off it that happens.

 

[Scary_Foot_9]

Simple to me. We are ‘rebuilding’ but the club hasn’t hinted at the suggestion. If anything has bothered to look at the teams we’ve been putting on the park they would see. A fair bit off the best teams but extremely confident with we’re we are at.

Yeah I don't get how people can really watch us and not get it, aren't they like who are these guys? Bailey Williams? Ed Richards? Billy Gowers? Aaron Naughton? Tim English? I don't remember any of these guys...

 

[north_lad]

Why is this board just fans trying to discredit premierships? I would take a fluke premiership 8 days a week

 

[north_lad]

Lippy Crows fans are VERY amusing by the way. Even we've won a flag more recently. Think about that

 

[master bate]

Backline is rebuilding. You don't lose Boyd, Murphy and have Morris out injured plus trade Hamling and not have to build that up again.

Midfield is still good to very good on their day.

Forward line I guess you can say is rebuilding. Although I'd say the reality is they threw together a forward line mix with an unlikely cast of characters and found a set up that worked in 2016 so it's more trying to recreate that at this stage that rebuild.

Grand Final forward line:
HF: Picken Cordy Stringer
FF: Dickson Boyd Smith

Goal kickers: 3 - Boyd, Picken, Dickson. 1 - Stringer, C. Smith, McLean, Cordy

It's quite amazing to see an entire third of the ground almost totally replaced so far away a premiership.

 

[Tristan34]

Pretty much how they've played for the last five years except for four games at the end of 2016 where, with massive assistance from the umps, they played completely above themselves. I believe Tom Boyd even play his one career very good game in that block of four.

They are an irrelevance, one of the Melbourne clubs that should have been sent north to save us from the blight of GCS & GWS!

That's a bit harsh!!! On Grand final day, at least they turned up and showed some heart as underdogs and won...

 

[RobbieGray17]

They got hot and had everything go there way over a month or two.

They aren’t actually that good of a team and this is closer to what they consistently have been the last few years, as opposed to a premiership team.

Also, they have literally no decent talls... like none, zilch.

Was thinking about this tonight. They were in the right place at the right time. A season where the comp was extremely tight and making the finals would give anyone a reasonable opportunity to go all the way. They outplayed everyone in the comp in finals. They also played an uncompromising style of footy, Similar to the Kangaroos this year of which I don't think is sustainable.

1st 2nd and 3rd had 17 wins
4th, 5th and 6th had 16 wins
Bulldogs had 15.

Sydney had a bit of dominance over Geelong, and I thought the Cats were the best side overall. Sydney in my mind were not even close to the strongest side to make the grand final.

Geelong, GWS and Hawks were all better sides.

In any event the Bulldogs won when it counted, and showed how even the comp was.