No Oppo Supporters Non Bulldog Footy Talk - Bulldogs Only - Part 6

[hutchy31]

Freo have talent everywhere, a significant home ground advantage and have only lost one game - which they probably should have won.

So my opinion that they are pretenders because their game style won’t stand up in three finals and their coach isn’t good enough is looking shaky. But I’ll stand by it - they can’t get away with playing conservatively for three quarters then release the shackles in the fourth.

If they manage to get to the GF I’ll be having a few bucks on their opponents. If it’s Brisbane I’ll be taking out a second mortgage.

 

[Doggy]

And we had half our side out.

They aren't winning anything

 

[Werewolf]

They aren't winning anything

I'm inclined to agree, but most people would've said the same about us in 2016

 

[BomToydd]

I reckon Freo have just about the best team in the comp. Stars everywhere. Got the best ruck, a good midfield, good talls and smalls at either end and a bit of speed to break open games

 

[Chicago1]

I had Freo by 17. Was worried there for a while. Glad to see some other team on top for a change.

 

[grassman75]

Gunston with 5.2 and it’s not even halftime

Surely he can’t keep doing this

 

[grassman75]

Shittest ladder leaders

It has a real 2016 feel about this year. No one is genuinely good I don’t think. Reckon we will see another year of any of 7 or 8 teams having a chance at the flag if they catch that bolt of lightning in finals. We get a few back and we are one of them.

Hawks lost 1 key defender in Barrass and fell in a hole. Gunston is 72 can he play a full season?

We lost most of our defence and half the rest of our team just in time to play Geel, Syd and Freo - don’t write us off just yet

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

Geelong for me

Yes, but Hawthorn getting very close.

 

[JTCWBFC]

And we had half our side out.

Not v the hawks we didn’t. We lost English and then crumbled as we normally do v them.

 

[Libbaaaa]

Luke Jackson

9

Luke Jackson

Age

24

Ht

199cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

2star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

3star

K

3.3

2star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

is a special, special talent. Until the Dockers prove it in finals they'll still have a tiny question mark next to them but it is all lining up for them at the moment. That being said Luke Ryan is a bit of a worry.

Also Hawthorn is cooked if Gunston misses any extended time.

 

[lachy]

Not v the hawks we didn’t. We lost English and then crumbled as we normally do v them.

Also lost a bloke out called Libba, Richards injured during the game, Jones from the week before a bit more than just English

 

[Fossie 32]

Surely he can’t keep doing this

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

It has a real 2016 feel about this year. No one is genuinely good I don’t think. Reckon we will see another year of any of 7 or 8 teams having a chance at the flag if they catch that bolt of lightning in finals. We get a few back and we are one of them.

Hawks lost 1 key defender in Barrass and fell in a hole. Gunston is 72 can he play a full season?

We lost most of our defence and half the rest of our team just in time to play Geel, Syd and Freo - don’t write us off just yet

We may have lost those games anyway without losing most of our defence, however in 2016 the teams we lost to earlier in the year we beat later on, with the exception of the Cats. You can learn a lot from a loss.

 

[doggiesin08]

Cripps looks cooked. Only 31 as well

Whether you can get real contributions from your first and second year players is so important, but I feel massively more important is whether your senior guys are still key players or completely fall away in their early or mid-30s.

Whether it’s injuries, game evolution, personal lives, or general slowing down there is enormous variability between what “old” blokes are delivering.

• Jack Macrae is 6-7 years younger than Scott Pendlebury and has made 2 x AA teams since Pendlebury made his last (overlapped in 2019).
• Josh Bruce is younger than Jack Gunston but didn’t really contribute at all in his 30s
• At age 31 a former B&F winner in Lachie Hunter was running around for Spotswood, while at the same age Isaac Smith was still playing for Hawthorn before giving another 3 solid years to Geelong.

I’m not suggesting Macrae, Bruce and Hunter even at their best were quite as good as those comparisons - but far out the bottom 4-6 and strength of depth people regularly complain about looks very different if they’re still running around (and others, McLean is only 30, Clay Smith 32, etc.) as top 10-15 players.

 

[BomToydd]

Whether you can get real contributions from your first and second year players is so important, but I feel massively more important is whether your senior guys are still key players or completely fall away in their early or mid-30s.

Whether it’s injuries, game evolution, personal lives, or general slowing down there is enormous variability between what “old” blokes are delivering.

• Jack Macrae is 6-7 years younger than Scott Pendlebury and has made 2 x AA teams since Pendlebury made his last (overlapped in 2019).
• Josh Bruce is younger than Jack Gunston but didn’t really contribute at all in his 30s
• At age 31 a former B&F winner in Lachie Hunter was running around for Spotswood, while at the same age Isaac Smith was still playing for Hawthorn before giving another 3 solid years to Geelong.

I’m not suggesting Macrae, Bruce and Hunter even at their best were quite as good as those comparisons - but far out the bottom 4-6 and strength of depth people regularly complain about looks very different if they’re still running around (and others, McLean is only 30, Clay Smith 32, etc.) as top 10-15 players.

Those examples are interesting. I wonder if it's because those clubs maybe spend a lot more on fitness and conditioning staff and probably psychology too

 

[Viva_Loca]

If I had to choose a flag contender to supposrt from Sydney, Geelong, Hawthorn and Fremantle, I know who I'd pick.

 

[Libbaaaa]

Whether you can get real contributions from your first and second year players is so important, but I feel massively more important is whether your senior guys are still key players or completely fall away in their early or mid-30s.

Whether it’s injuries, game evolution, personal lives, or general slowing down there is enormous variability between what “old” blokes are delivering.

• Jack Macrae is 6-7 years younger than Scott Pendlebury and has made 2 x AA teams since Pendlebury made his last (overlapped in 2019).
• Josh Bruce is younger than Jack Gunston but didn’t really contribute at all in his 30s
• At age 31 a former B&F winner in Lachie Hunter was running around for Spotswood, while at the same age Isaac Smith was still playing for Hawthorn before giving another 3 solid years to Geelong.

I’m not suggesting Macrae, Bruce and Hunter even at their best were quite as good as those comparisons - but far out the bottom 4-6 and strength of depth people regularly complain about looks very different if they’re still running around (and others, McLean is only 30, Clay Smith 32, etc.) as top 10-15 players.

Bruce doing his knee in 2021 really stuffed up his career, the one in 2023 ended it.

 

[Leon]

Not v the hawks we didn’t. We lost English and then crumbled as we normally do v them.

Was referring to the Freo game.

 

[geoffjennings79]

Whether you can get real contributions from your first and second year players is so important, but I feel massively more important is whether your senior guys are still key players or completely fall away in their early or mid-30s.

Whether it’s injuries, game evolution, personal lives, or general slowing down there is enormous variability between what “old” blokes are delivering.

• Jack Macrae is 6-7 years younger than Scott Pendlebury and has made 2 x AA teams since Pendlebury made his last (overlapped in 2019).
• Josh Bruce is younger than Jack Gunston but didn’t really contribute at all in his 30s
• At age 31 a former B&F winner in Lachie Hunter was running around for Spotswood, while at the same age Isaac Smith was still playing for Hawthorn before giving another 3 solid years to Geelong.

I’m not suggesting Macrae, Bruce and Hunter even at their best were quite as good as those comparisons - but far out the bottom 4-6 and strength of depth people regularly complain about looks very different if they’re still running around (and others, McLean is only 30, Clay Smith 32, etc.) as top 10-15 players.

Tom Boyd is 30. Imagine if we'd had him at the age where his career was peaking, 27-28-29? (Might be a tad late to get him registered for the MSD though... or is it!? )

 

[BomToydd]

Tom Boyd is 30. Imagine if we'd had him at the age where his career was peaking, 27-28-29? (Might be a tad late to get him registered for the MSD though... or is it!? )

Probably more realistic than Crossley lol but actually think he would have been great to pair with English in the ruck

 

[grassman75]

Those examples are interesting. I wonder if it's because those clubs maybe spend a lot more on fitness and conditioning staff and probably psychology too

More on myotherapists too

 

[grassman75]

If I had to choose a flag contender to supposrt from Sydney, Geelong, Hawthorn and Fremantle, I know who I'd pick.

It’s Wharfie Time

 

[doggiesin08]

Bruce doing his knee in 2021 really stuffed up his career, the one in 2023 ended it.

Yep fair enough, but Gunston also missed a full year in 2021 with a serious injury (back disc not ACL).

To be clear it’s not a criticism of Bruce, more a commentary that gives some sympathy to the challenges of list management.

 

[Ash1337]

Cant watch the dogs game because I don't have Kayo, so watching the Lions vs Blues game. Blues just flicked a switch in the 3rd qtr like essendon did in round 4.

 

[Mojorisin]

Cant watch the dogs game because I don't have Kayo, so watching the Lions vs Blues game. Blues just flicked a switch in the 3rd qtr like essendon did in round 4.

You mean theyre playing second halves instead of first halves now?