Autopsy 2025 Round 21 - Western Bulldogs vs GWS Giants, 7.30pm Thursday 31 July, Marvel Stadium

[Capital hawk]

Credit to the dogs English and their midfield have great chemistry and bat deep. Darcy is elite and virtually unstoppable.
English is a terrible match-up for big Briggs who cannot get near him around the ground. Every time we play the Dogs he feasts. Too many players could not get near it last night - 13 with 10 possessions or less.

 

[steviewonder36]

I fear we will go out of the finals like last year, if we do make it.

Good sides do have downers, but they lack on consistency is again concerning.

Greene, Kelly and Buckley would have helped last night, but not to the point we were a chance to win.

 

[Colonial]

mutts just aim up really well against us, like us and the Cats.

Think we can go far if we can get some luck. It ain’t over yet.

 

[GWS Goose]

I reckon we used up a lot of tickets against the Swans last week.
That was a stinker.
Dont get too carried away, you never go through a whole year where you play well every week.
Sometimes its best to cop your licks and move on.
10 day break and come back and get it done against North.

 

[sydney_gws]

mutts just aim up really well against us, like us and the Cats.

Think we can be I far if we can get some luck. It ain’t over yet.

Hopefully we don't play Dogs or Freo. I think we match up badly against their very big/ stocky midfielders ( like Serong/ Brayshaw)

 

[Battlepants]

I reckon we used up a lot of tickets against the Swans last week.
That was a stinker.
Dont get too carried away, you never go through a whole year where you play well every week.
Sometimes its best to cop your licks and move on.
10 day break and come back and get it done against North.

I agree. That was a truly terrible game, but we had won 6 games in a row leading up to it. We were probably due for a loss. Also, most ladder predictions I'd done had us losing this game anyway, so it's not really unexpected. Although the margin and the manner we lost in is certainly concerning.

Really hope we can bounce back well from this next week. Unfortunately, with that loss and the damage it did to our percentage, top 4 is probably out of reach now. Best hope for us is a home elimination final.

 

[Giant Pete]

The way we lost is most disappointing. We couldn’t move the ball. Our contest work was deplorable.
What the hell is going on with Briggs… the gap between his output and English could not be wider.
I know you can’t be up forever and it was their gf, but we won’t be beating them for a while.

 

[Pres]

Midfield had a collective shocker which you cannot do against the Dogs.

Would not have made a difference but thought the defensive match ups were off. I think someone earlier mentioned this but I would have put Aleer with his leap capabilities on Darcy and the octopus on Naughton.

10 day break now and you'll destroy us in Canberra to reset the confidence levels. We've checked out and habitually finish seasons deplorably.

 

[Land of the Giants]

Hopefully we don't play Dogs or Freo. I think we match up badly against their very big/ sticky midfielders ( like Serong/ Brayshaw)

That's why Round 24 will be so interesting.

 

[GWS Goose]

Yeah cause Cogs should not be playing in the team for the rest of the year. Horrible performance for the stand in skipper. The bloke is on $1.2m a year...

He had a team high 7 clearances and equal high 3 tackles, seems an odd to single him out.

 

[Bjo187]

What we take out of the last few weeks is that their best is as good as anyone's, however inconsistency is still a major issue. This is particularly the case when having to win at least 3, but likely 4 finals in a row, against probably the strongest top 8 we have seen in a long time.

I think they are better than 24 (despite ladder position), but still lesser than 23 at this stage. I do hold confidence that the giants typically go up a level in intensity come finals time, so hopefully it clicks for a month right at the right time.

 

[Joshawk23]

We could be out of the 8 come our next game in 10 days

 

[Orange Agent]

I hope we ask the AFL for an explanation of what Briggs is doing wrong in ruck contests but I cannot see why so many frees are being paid against him.

 

[Maximus 2011]

He had a team high 7 clearances and equal high 3 tackles, seems an odd to single him out.

I single him out because he has zero impact.

 

[Orange Agent]

Some teams just match up better on some opposition sides. For us we have the wood on Geelong, we go well against Collingwood. Dogs are our bogey side and have been for a while.

 

[Land of the Giants]

What the hell is going on with Briggs… the gap between his output and English could not be wider.

I knew we were in trouble when English took that mark near goal early in the first quarter. He's been their leading mark-taker in seven out of our last ten defeats. Kingsley mentioned it in the presser.

If we make finals and play them again, which is possible, we need more height in the team, such as Keeffe or Madden. Briggs can't be everywhere at once.

 

[Tenens Pila]

If we make finals and play them again, which is possible, we need more height in the team, such as Keeffe or Madden. Briggs can't be everywhere at once.

Yep. Considering how many TALLS the Dogs have, we must match that in the team selection as much as possible.

Daniels, Greene, Buckley and Kelly missing hurt a lot, but the Dogs must have been very pleased when they saw Briggs being the only recognised ruck. They had the 'luxury' of English, Lobb and Darcy if necessary.

It's interesting listening to commentary when Riccardi is the stand-in ruck. It's often suggested that it's the opposition's opportunity to take advantage while Briggs is resting.

If we play the Dogs again this season, I would drop Riccardi in favour of Madden or Keeffe.

 

[Giant Gutsache]

Yeah cause Cogs should not be playing in the team for the rest of the year. Horrible performance for the stand in skipper. The bloke is on $1.2m a year...

In fairness to Cogs he was a top 10 mid 2017-19 and was being chased hard. Can’t blame him for taking the money offered.
Sadly he was crippled with injuries after signing the long and lucrative contract, plus he wasn’t a natural in the role of captain. Not his fault as he clearly aspired to be captain and did his best.
It is odd that he would be called on the be even stand-in captain after his first stint in the role. Could see him drop out of the leadership group next year.
Hope he can get his body right and finish off his career as he started out.

 

[Maximus 2011]

In fairness to Cogs he was a top 10 mid 2017-19 and was being chased hard. Can’t blame him for taking the money offered.
Sadly he was crippled with injuries after signing the long and lucrative contract, plus he wasn’t a natural in the role of captain. Not his fault as he clearly aspired to be captain and did his best.
It is odd that he would be called on the be even stand-in captain after his first stint in the role. Could see him drop out of the leadership group next year.
Hope he can get his body right and finish off his career as he started out.

Mate I would love to see it work out for him. But let's be honest what is he now? He is too small to compete with the inside ball winners, he is too slow to run with the fast players, he isn't agile any more which used to be his one wood. He struggles to kick 40m it seems now. All I can picture in my head from the game agains the Bulldogs was him being matched up on Bont the ball came through the middle kicked in their direction, Bont took an uncontested mark and then simply played on and ran around Cogs like he was a witches hat.
Baffles me he was chosen to captain this game.
Again I hope he can get his body right but it just looks very unlikely at the moment. Also can fully understand the love for the man, seems an amazing guy and very loyal unfortunately his body seems completely cooked