Bulldogs Hungover? Not for mine...

[ep2018]

Ah i forgot about the bye that only we had

Gave you opportunity to regain your injured stars. Wrecked our momentum. A flag is a flag though, no need to worry about what I write.

 

[Doggy]

Gave you opportunity to regain your injured stars. Wrecked our momentum. A flag is a flag though, no need to worry about what I write.

I didn't know Freo were in the finals last year

 

[Damon_3388]

Matthew kreuzer is not a bullocking ruckman at all.

That's his main value in terms of ruck play, his stoppage work once the ball hits the deck.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Gave you opportunity to regain your injured stars. Wrecked our momentum. A flag is a flag though, no need to worry about what I write.

How did the bye help us retain our players from injury? Macrae and Libba were injured six weeks before the first week of finals. Whether or not there was a game the week beforehand, it wouldn't have made any difference to their ability to recover in a six week period. All it meant was that they missed 5 H&A games, rather than 6, without a bye, which makes no difference because we were 3 games ahead of 8th on the ladder.

If anything it actually harmed us, because it gave them a couple of days less recovery (and Macrae was clearly out of touch that game and played very poorly that might not have happened with a day or two more recovery) than if the game was played on a Saturday if there was a game the previous week.

Continue your salt through twisting the truth though.

 

[GetDimmaBack]

Week off before playing West Coast. 'Home' SF against a cooked Hawthorn. PF against GWS who are finals virgins. GF against a non-Vic Sydney at MCG.

I didnt rate them that highly last year, still dont now. Well done on their flag last year, but it will be seen as an anomaly when top 4 teams win flags from here.

You didn't think 4 wins in a row in a final series was pretty good?

The biggest ever loss for WCE in a home final?

A win against the AFL's lovechild on it's own track?

Beating the minor premiers to win the granny?

Has such a thing ever been done before?

I sincerely hope all clubs underrate them as you have done.



Luke Beveridge: "They're trained like a Cox Plate horse...".

 

[threenewpadlocks]

You didn't think 4 wins in a row in a final series was pretty good?

The biggest ever loss for WCE in a home final?

A win against the AFL's lovechild on it's own track?

Beating the minor premiers to win the granny?

Has such a thing ever been done before?

I sincerely hope all clubs underrate them as you have done.



Luke Beveridge: "They're trained like a Cox Plate horse...".

Apparently winning 3 finals at your opponent's home ground, of which 2 are interstate, isn't impressive. Who knew. You'd think West Coast fans of all people should know the difficulty of winning interstate.

 

[GetDimmaBack]

Apparently winning 3 finals at your opponent's home ground, of which 2 are interstate, isn't impressive. Who knew. You'd think West Coast fans of all people should know the difficulty of winning interstate.

Nah, nothing's impressive unless the Eagles do it...

 

[Jcpdragonx]

Week off before playing West Coast. 'Home' SF against a cooked Hawthorn. PF against GWS who are finals virgins. GF against a non-Vic Sydney at MCG.

I didnt rate them that highly last year, still dont now. Well done on their flag last year, but it will be seen as an anomaly when top 4 teams win flags from here.

I think the pace of the game is at a point where its too much for the human body. 5-10 years ago we saw dominance but not anymore, there's been more emphasis on fitness and since, its been open season. Hawks never dominated the H&A season like Collingwood 2011 or St.Kilda 2009, they were just miles ahead of everyone when it game to playing their best during finals.

The dogs played an outstanding finals series, despite losing to the same Freo that were 0-10. They also beat Sydney in Sydney earlier. They are one of, if not the best team at their peak, but no team can currently sustain anywhere near their peak. We're seeing more down games than ever from teams, management of players is as important as ever. You could argue that no one has beaten anybody of significance because x somehow lost to y.

As good as it is for a healthy competition, there's nothing quite like watching an empire crumble (Cats 08) and it looks unlikely we'd see something like that in the near future.

 

[Doggy]

Nah, nothing's impressive unless the Eagles do it...

Well they did bomb out of the finals impressively, and got impressively poleaxed by Hawthorn and Essendon this year.

 

[The_Flying_Egg]

Actually agree with this.

They weren't the best side last year and aren't the best side this year.

They just had a fantastic finals series.

If the Dogs weren't the best side last year, who was??

And the Dogs are not flying, but I'm not too worried right now. Will win more than enough to play finals

 

[Xtreme]

Not only are they hung over.... they are so hung over that it will last another 52-54 years before they have a chance to win a third flag.

 

[Whiskers]

They only finished 7th because they had a heap of injuries last year. Easily a top 4 side without injuries.
The crows however who everyone drool over had a blessed run with injuries and still missed top 4 yet everyone forgives them. They miss Sloane for a game and go to water real fast.
I don't think they are going as well as last year but the competition also doesn't seem to be as strong. Things can change very very quickly but the dogs have heaps of improvement left. I wouldn't be worried in the slightest as a dog fan.
Who do they have to worry about? Maybe Geelong match up well on them but we played out of our skins last week to beat them.
They can beat everyone else no problem. Still think GWS are the main threat this year for the flag, they like the dogs last year can blame injuries for not dominating.

 

[JayJ20]

If the Dogs weren't the best side last year, who was??

And the Dogs are not flying, but I'm not too worried right now. Will win more than enough to play finals

They weren't the best team. That's why it was such a surprise that they won.

I'd say that Sydney, GWS and Geelong were better throughout the season. Some might argue that West Coast's second half was also very impressive.

But they were the best team in the finals and that's all that matters really. That's why it is not a surprise to see them with a record of 5-4, possibly 5-5 if St Kilda get up. I agree that it shouldn't be an issue for them to make the finals, but I don't see it as a premiership hangover if they finish say 7-8 because they weren't the best home and away side last year to begin with.

 

[Bokonon_]

How did a thread about 2017 prospects become yet another bragging thread about 2016?

 

[Philth]

They've been consistent. A few losses but no blowouts. They can easily win the flag again this year. I'd be quietly confident if I was a dogs fan.

 

[blitzer]

Personally I don't know yet how good the Bulldogs are this year. But this idea that because they won it from 7th last year that they could easily do it again is total crap. If you don't finish in the top group of teams there is every reason to believe you won't be good enough to win 4 games consecutively (including away games at interstate locations) to make it.

What Bulldogs did last year was an anomaly and full credit to them for achieving it but if there's one thing we know its that there has been an enduring pattern for decades that top 4 (really top 3) teams win the flag in the end. There is every likelihood that we will revert to that pattern this year.

I'll state it now: If Bulldogs are not in the top 4 come finals time then I don't think they will win the flag. Its not impossible but its improbable.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

I think the pace of the game is at a point where its too much for the human body. 5-10 years ago we saw dominance but not anymore, there's been more emphasis on fitness and since, its been open season. Hawks never dominated the H&A season like Collingwood 2011 or St.Kilda 2009, they were just miles ahead of everyone when it game to playing their best during finals.

The dogs played an outstanding finals series, despite losing to the same Freo that were 0-10. They also beat Sydney in Sydney earlier. They are one of, if not the best team at their peak, but no team can currently sustain anywhere near their peak. We're seeing more down games than ever from teams, management of players is as important as ever. You could argue that no one has beaten anybody of significance because x somehow lost to y.

As good as it is for a healthy competition, there's nothing quite like watching an empire crumble (Cats 08) and it looks unlikely we'd see something like that in the near future.

I don't think the Hawks were necessarily miles ahead of everyone when their three wins in their three prelims from 2012-2014 combined for only 13 points total margin. They should have lost the 2012 prelim if Adelaide had kicked straight - people very quick to forget that.

 

[demondavey]

Dogs are starting slow but it's a long year and they're very fit. It'll be a good game this week against St Kilda. I think they'll come into their own, but I also think teams are able to penetrate their zones by kicking over and through. And if you have a heavy forward line like we saw last week in Geelong (Hawkins & Taylor), I think you can expose them.

In saying that, I think it's a good move dropping Redpath and Cloke, I don't think their game accommodates 3 big players (including Boyd), and I think they'll be more dangerous having smaller mobile types getting around. Dickson I rate highly, and I think he plays a great FF / HFF and if Stringer can hit form they'll be a very dynamic duo.

 

[demondavey]

I don't think the Hawks were necessarily miles ahead of everyone when their three wins in their three prelims from 2012-2014 combined for only 13 points total margin. They should have lost the 2012 prelim if Adelaide had kicked straight - people very quick to forget that.

Not to mention the 13 preliminary Final. Varcoe missing.

 

[demondavey]

They only finished 7th because they had a heap of injuries last year. Easily a top 4 side without injuries.
The crows however who everyone drool over had a blessed run with injuries and still missed top 4 yet everyone forgives them. They miss Sloane for a game and go to water real fast.
I don't think they are going as well as last year but the competition also doesn't seem to be as strong. Things can change very very quickly but the dogs have heaps of improvement left. I wouldn't be worried in the slightest as a dog fan.
Who do they have to worry about? Maybe Geelong match up well on them but we played out of our skins last week to beat them.
They can beat everyone else no problem. Still think GWS are the main threat this year for the flag, they like the dogs last year can blame injuries for not dominating.

I think you're underestimating Geelong. Top 4 last year, embarrassing preliminary Final exit, great versatile list, lots to prove. I think you're well and truly in the hunt for the flag.

 

[Tas]

I don't think they are much different to last year, were 6/3 and are now 5/4. They were up and down last year, came in at 7th spot, it was their finals campaign that was exceptional, H&A was mediocre. They had a number of close games and had managed to get on the right side of the ledger more often than not, they have more closer games so far this year and not having as great a run at winning them. They just need to hang in there until the finals.

When you have a lot of close games it is hard to maintain a very high win/loss ratio, there is such a small margin for error.

 

[PP34]

They've had some injuries but I just think they clicked at the right time last year.

Plus I've heard a few things that make me think they're pretty content with last year and being a pretty young team, the party life is a bit hard to resist.

 

[olimauldon]

I think we're going to be just fine, warming into the season now, gathering key players back and still have a few out that will push for selection. We've played pretty poorly as a majority this year but a positive out of that is we have been able to reel in deficits which shows what we are like at our best and how punishing we can be off the oppositions turnover.

I think people sometimes tend to forget that we are still quite a young side with the core of our players in that 20-24 age range and at that age performances are still at times inconsistent and teams usually are on the cusp of seriously contending, not coming off a premiership win. In that way we are no different, our best is top tier, but our worst is quite embarrassing.

A lot of our players would feel pressure to perform every week which would come in the form of being labelled 'reigning premiers', opposition teams wanting to knock us off which wouldn't have occurred with any of the players and even from Bevo who has said no one is more important than anyone else and then gone through with this and dropped key players. All that plus the age range of players who could still at times be working themselves into the top level of football and it is somewhat easy to see why we are below our best.

I didn't believe at the start of the season that we would come out knocking teams off by 50+ points every week, thats just not us, not yet at least. It will be interesting to see how we play the rest of the year but honestly, I'm not stressing to much over our results thus far this year, and to be honest, i don't think many Dogs supporters are.

 

[Sedat!]

They were never all that great to start with and where they are on the ladder now just reflects where they are at rather than a premiership hangover.

They're just a middle of the road team who got lucky last year, now they're in the mix with a number of other middle of the road teams fighting for the finals.

They aren't like the all powerful premiership teams that Hawthorn and Geelong were during their premiership dynasties despite what their supporters think.

It is a source of great mirth to see the way it eats you up inside knowing your mob had a 20-2 season and fluffed their lines whereas we manage to snag a flag from 7th at our first attempt in 55 years. Even better that it came completely out of the blue and struck you right between the eyes like a sledgehammer.

 

[00Stinger]

How quickly everyone forgets the did a Bradbury last year. Its hard to do it two years in a row

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