Review Bulldogs Lose To GWS (113 - 55)

[Norm De Guerre]

Every time we play the GWS they play loose with the rules and attempt to play a physically intimidating game that we can generally rise above once the heat goes out of the game. Today they brought that same intensity and clearly had a game plan based around restricting our fluid movement of the ball by crowding the ball carrier and applying intense pressure. The difference between this week and the past is that they were able to maintain it for extended periods of the game and all bar late in the 2nd qtr and we just could not get the ball out from under and when we did our players were constantly swamped and either easily pushed off, fumbled, missed or turned over the ball. As painful as it is much credit has to go to Leon Cameron for identifying how to stifle a game plan that saw us vault up the ladder in the second half of the season and to GWS for sticking to that plan.

Im disappointed in todays result but ecstatic with the turn around in form that Beveridge has been able to engineer in this team in the second half of the year. Hoping for the best (but fearing the worst) when it comes to "the teenagers" knee, but Im genuinely optimistic with the direction this team is headed. Bring in another couple of experience hard heads and we'll continue our journey Onwards and upwards.

Oh, and * those GWS campaigners in the arse. I despise that soulless franchise.

I suspect they will revert to type when they have to go on the road a play a finals game of real consequence and fail miserably.

 

[NBates]

Any campaigners wanna smash beers in town, let’s do it

Which town?, lol

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[Dazb86]

Midfield got outplayed. GWS bought the heat and we couldn't handle it.

Wood, Cordy and English all good. Few too many passengers today.

 

[Brian Perrin]

Can we agree Suckling isn’t up to it


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[Mofra]

I’m no expert but no ice on naughtons knee is alarming if it really was just a lateral

We weren't playing next week, why ice it?
It ain't the 70s anymore. Sports science has moved on.

 

[Struggle]

If gws bring that game next week they'll take out whoever wins tonight. We were outmuscled and bullied then missed easy set shots which always resulted in a 12 point turnaround. Unfortunate ending to a great second half of the year, we should be back bigger and stronger next year

 

[Dogs Rule]

Hopefully we will be better next year with the acquisition of some experienced players.

That’s the key now. Experienced hard tough bodies.

 

[Scary_Foot_9]

Well done to Naughts, Timmy, Zaine, Lewy Young and Toby. All of them balled out today.

Super performance from Easton as well under the most immense of pressure.

Bevo no doubt going to cop it - but GWS will beat a number of teams if they bring that intensity and he deserves a tone of credit for the job he’s done this year. He needed to dance with the girl who brought him to the dance.

 

[Bazzas Lovechild]

Opposition too good today. Crap start to the season but the last month was a pleasure to watch. Well done on the year Dogs.

I think we’ll be better next year but still have some pretty significant imbalances in the side. Hopefully a good trade period will help but not sure we can plug all the holes.

Hope Naughton’s knee isn’t too bad. We need him so desperately.

 

[dergert]

Need to get it in the forward line first

Im overlooking our midfield issue today because it has been our strength all year. I just hope our players and coaching staff dont allow today to be the blueprint on how to strangle us. But yes, isaac smith would look damaging sprinting through the guts on a fast break. He would also show ed richards a few tricks.

 

[Boyd oh Boyd]

I really believe football is half a mental game, half a physical game. Physically we aren't as developed and that'll just come in the next few years. Mentally I think nerves got to some. There were 11 players out there who had never played in a final. They'll be able to use this to grow and next time they're lined up in September they'll be ready and they'll be hungry.

 

[Leon]

He had 13 touches. Credit to him for battling away and yes he was tagged by probably the best tagger in the comp, but ultimately his inability to overcome it was part of the reason our midfield got smashed. He wouldn't make excuses for it and I don't think we should either.

Bonti could’ve used Libba today, De Boer wore him like a glove, needed a Libba to give De Boer body contact.


Bonti had a poor one today but he’s got four trillion credits in the bank, not overly fussed.

 

[hatescaptcha]

I thought Cordy was very good, despite disposal.


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[AJARWA]

Play Dickson in Dickson’s role for one.

Injured. Explained by beveridge in his pregame presser.

 

[Testekill]

Very young and inexperienced team got beaten by a team that many thought should be doing much better than it has been, just need to reset and reload for next year. Chase Bruce, Keath and Smith for some more mature bodies that will improve the team and keep on improving our bottom six.

 

[Dogsman16]

Dunkley was well down today. Needed far more from him.

Our forward line did stuff all but understandable when our backline was under siege for 75% of this game.

Pray for Naughty. Get Bruce, Keath in particular.

 

[Jeff 1975]

Could have played some of the payers earlier in the year

Overall a good season after a slow start

 

[Golden_6]

Injured. Explained by beveridge in his pregame presser.

Why would you take an injured player as the emergency?

 

[Libba39]

We play a high possession game but this team lacks the midfield depth that previous teams have had. Libba, Wallis, Jong and Daniel would have been handy. Some of our guys played liked flankers who were trying to be mids, and are simply not good enough.

 

[Ash1337]

Giants were out for blood as expected but won from bigger bodies and more experience. Doubt that would work against Tigers next week though. Expect them to be sat on their arse.

 

[mambavino]

On to next year, hopefully without Hayes seeing much senior playing time. Hate to be brutal, but VFL is his level.

 

[Anja_Nees]

Harsh on Macrae our best mid I thought

No doubt he worked hard and got his usual amount of ball, but he was less clean and put some players under the pump.

I’m not too hard on him, Bont and Dunks because they were met by a mature and talented midfield group but the reality is we lost it badly in the middle.

Maybe with Wallis and Libba back and Smith, West and Lipinski a year older and stronger we’ll have better support.

 

[Bazzas Lovechild]

Giants were out for blood as expected but won from bigger bodies and more experience. Doubt that would work against Tigers next week though. Expect them to be sat on their arse.

Yep

 

[weltschmerz]

If one of our brightest stars had to injure himself, at least it was now and not a month or two ago.

 

[DognBones]

Like others, it's probably not appropriate to judge our overall season's performance and particularly our second half, on today's game. Having said that, I was disappointed that some players did not consistently put their bodies on the line and preferred to hover around like seagulls when the contest became tough. Not all these players were young, inexperienced ones either. Hopefully, we can improve in our attack on the ball and the man in future because up til now the signs have been very good in this aspect of our game.