Changes vs Richmond

[House_of_Dahl]

I don’t agree he does that in the games I have watched, admittedly most are on tv.

The TV is not going show footage of the ball not being kicked to space that has been closed down.

 

[DognBones]

With the very poor form of both Khamis and O'Donnell I was expecting Busslinger to make his debut this week rather than Freijah. Both have been consistently good for Footscray but I thought the need for a key back gave Busslinger preference. Have no insight into his being managed as mentioned here.
When and if fit he's due for an opportunity!
Having said that, Freijah's selection gives me some renewed motivation and hope to watch the team play this weekend.

 

[Doggies_13]

The TV is not going show footage of the ball not being kicked to space that has been closed down.

Outstanding selective quoting

 

[Doggies_13]

Continued selection is probably the only stat that indicates it's valued. You'd have to know the value and place of all the pieces in the puzzle to know the answer. We're all guessing.

His opponents most weeks also seem to get a lot of the ball. Which would suggest he either loses the contest or isn’t closing space down in relation to his opponent receiving the ball. Which if he is closing space suggests he is covering for other players if so.

I think we can all agree selection has been odd in relation to a number of players over the years.

But like you say and I agree we are all guessing when it comes to what they see internally

 

[Al dente]

I don’t rate VDM in the slightest and find the sprints stat ridiculous given almost every week he is bottom 10 for pressure acts, tackles and possessions. This suggests any running he is doing is not applying any pressure and is not getting in a position to get the ball.

Add to that, that his disposal isn’t great and he is generally a terrible shot at goal, especially set shots. I don’t see him as best 23.

I also don’t like the fake tough guy act he does a lot. Getting in an opponents face when a team mate out marks them or kicks a goal on them. When he shirks a lot of contests himself.

In saying all that, sanders couldn’t come in for him based on the VFL and Bedendo didn’t do enough either.

The luckiest player to survive for me this week is Gallagher. I like the kid but he looks tired and has for 3 weeks. When you watch him he’s screaming out for a rest.

Gallagher is this year's Lewis Young of 2017, inexplicably getting continuous games despite clearly needing a run in the twos

 

[SplintWhisky]

So I just saw the Weasel Barrett's sliding doors thing. He must hate Bevo so much if he thinks that the injury prone additions we have is giving us a chance on Saturday.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Gallagher is this year's Lewis Young of 2017, inexplicably getting continuous games despite clearly needing a run in the twos

It is the same trajectory as Arty last year. Took a few games but started to build and look like he had something, then clearly wore out and we continued to drive him into the ground. I'm hoping he's sub this week because he looks gassed.

 

[Bulldogs85]

So I just saw the Weasel Barrett's sliding doors thing. He must hate Bevo so much if he thinks that the injury prone additions we have is giving us a chance on Saturday.

The clown has hated Bevo for years it shouldn’t surprise anyone

 

[LondonBulldog]

I'm excited about Freijah...Keath coming back in arrhhh, yet maybe his last chance to finish his career on a high. O'Donell was actually worse the Khamis last week so can consider himself lucky. Against a weaker Richmond I think it was time to give Sanders another game as well.

Either way that team is good enough to get the job done.

 

[Libbaaaa]

Dusty and Bolton love playing us, could see them tearing us a new one.

 

[dogwatch]

So I just saw the Weasel Barrett's sliding doors thing. He must hate Bevo so much if he thinks that the injury prone additions we have is giving us a chance on Saturday.

Please don't.

We have had a string of oppo supporters come onto our board this year and say their club is no chance to beat us.
Those clubs were Eseendon, Fremantle and Hawthorn. We started favourite in all three ... and lost all three. We're the easybeats of the easybeats.

Inexplicably we seem to be favourites to beat Richmond.

Nothing personal, mind you. Happy for a chat after the game, win or lose.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Gallagher, Bramble and Vandermeer, for all of their slightly different positions and criticisms, are getting selected because there's a demand for more legspeed than teams we picked at the back end of last year.

Vandermeer has not been near our worst for a good five games, straightened up his goalkicking accuracy with two straight last week (this has been a major criticism of mine of his), and there are no obvious replacements who can play a similar role. Bramble I find a little interesting but I suppose JJ even played a worse game than him.

Gallagher I suppose we see as a long-term wing of the future, and given the fact we don't think Poulter is going to be that, that must be the logic here.

The most surprising team change isn't specific players but more that we haven't shifted Richards back to defence. With how woeful our defence was last week, and the fact it's not as if Richards has set the world on fire onball (the fact it was him that was moved forward and the fact that it's not as if he's getting 20+ touches or whatever in midfield). Sanders or even just rotating West/Garcia on ball and dropping one of Bramble/JJ for Richards to move back, or not picking Cleary, to accomodate Richards I had assumed for all money.

 

[dogwatch]

Gallagher, Bramble and Vandermeer, for all of their slightly different positions and criticisms, are getting selected because there's a demand for more legspeed than teams we picked at the back end of last year.

Vandermeer has not been near our worst for a good five games, straightened up his goalkicking accuracy with two straight last week (this has been a major criticism of mine of his), and there are no obvious replacements who can play a similar role. Bramble I find a little interesting but I suppose JJ even played a worse game than him.

Gallagher I suppose we see as a long-term wing of the future, and given the fact we don't think Poulter is going to be that, that must be the logic here.

The most surprising team change isn't specific players but more that we haven't shifted Richards back to defence. With how woeful our defence was last week, and the fact it's not as if Richards has set the world on fire onball (the fact it was him that was moved forward and the fact that it's not as if he's getting 20+ touches or whatever in midfield). Sanders or even just rotating West/Garcia on ball and dropping one of Bramble/JJ for Richards to move back, or not picking Cleary, to accomodate Richards I had assumed for all money.

JJ has been flying under the radar, probably because others have been worse. Started the season OK but hasn't done much recently in the games I've seen. I wouldn't mind if he were sub tomorrow but that seems unlikely.

I can only assume we are persisting with Richards in the guts for the same reason that Gallagher, Bramble and VDM are persisted with around the ground: we need more pace in the midfield and physically he is the best equipped to provide that. It'd need to click soon though, as it is costing us elsewhere.

 

[cleveland]

I honestly can't remember a worst 1st game from a player then what Clarke had. Callum Porter maybe, but I think Clarke was even worse then that. You can't keep a player in after a performance like that 1st gamer or not, you have to have some standards.

Dads first game was equally as bad if not worse

 

[geoffjennings79]

I honestly can't remember a worst 1st game from a player then what Clarke had. Callum Porter maybe, but I think Clarke was even worse then that. You can't keep a player in after a performance like that 1st gamer or not, you have to have some standards.

Dads first game was equally as bad if not worse

Tim Walsh probably qualifies too. #4 pick, did kick a goal in his debut (and only!) game, but 63% TOG in a game where the ball spent plenty of time in our forward line and only 3 disposals. Maybe a bit harder for a raw KPF to impose themselves, esp in that game where Grant, Johnson and Gia were the experienced forwards demanding the ball.

Conversely, Lewis Young, with the luxury of not really being required to man an opposing forward, had a debut game that encouraged many of us to over-enthuse about his potential. ☹

 

[SplintWhisky]

Please don't.

We have had a string of oppo supporters come onto our board this year and say their club is no chance to beat us.
Those clubs were Eseendon, Fremantle and Hawthorn. We started favourite in all three ... and lost all three. We're the easybeats of the easybeats.

Inexplicably we seem to be favourites to beat Richmond.

Nothing personal, mind you. Happy for a chat after the game, win or lose.

Here is a down to earth idea on how the game is likely to go from our point of view. It will look worrying for you Dogs supporters until about halfway through the Third Quarter.

Yze has the kids playing with a lot (I mean a lot) of effort. Because of this we have been able to stay with side for large portions of the game. Over the 4 games we have played against the current top 8 going into this game our average margin at 3 Quarter Time is 11.5 points behind. Our average losing margin in those games is 33 points. We just can't stay with teams over the long run.

Our biggest issue is that besides Prestia, who will need to be managed to about 50-60% of game time, Dow is our next most experienced pure midfielder. That can throw up some challenges from your opposition reports because you could end up facing an eclectic mix of mids. Your biggest threat is Bolton who seems to always turn it on against the Dogs.

I say that we have no chance but that is only because I have seen the trends of us the running out of puff and the more experience midfield of the opposition starting to gain ascendency over the contest. If the AFL or someone did a "timed" stats I would love to see the clearance and I50 differentials for our games from about halfway through the Third quarter to the end of the game.

 

[Mojorisin]

Dads first game was equally as bad if not worse

Luke Darcy's first game was bad and he followed it up with a few more before he finally came good.

 

[St 07]

Here is a down to earth idea on how the game is likely to go from our point of view. It will look worrying for you Dogs supporters until about halfway through the Third Quarter.

Yze has the kids playing with a lot (I mean a lot) of effort. Because of this we have been able to stay with side for large portions of the game. Over the 4 games we have played against the current top 8 going into this game our average margin at 3 Quarter Time is 11.5 points behind. Our average losing margin in those games is 33 points. We just can't stay with teams over the long run.

Our biggest issue is that besides Prestia, who will need to be managed to about 50-60% of game time, Dow is our next most experienced pure midfielder. That can throw up some challenges from your opposition reports because you could end up facing an eclectic mix of mids. Your biggest threat is Bolton who seems to always turn it on against the Dogs.

I say that we have no chance but that is only because I have seen the trends of us the running out of puff and the more experience midfield of the opposition starting to gain ascendency over the contest. If the AFL or someone did a "timed" stats I would love to see the clearance and I50 differentials for our games from about halfway through the Third quarter to the end of the game.

Hey Tiges, we are probably going to tune you up by a margin between 60 - 100 points. 80 point win is a fairly safe bet for us.

Not saying we're any good, we aren't, but it's just what we do.

 

[Norm De Guerre]

Some are saying he’s not playing because he is leaving / shouldn’t play for that reason

I Know it's not anything like definitive proof. Indeed its probably more of a reach. But if you watch any of the clubs social media pertaining to one of his teammates debuts. Then you will notice that he is always one of the first to get in and happily congratulate them. If we'd put a line through him or he was checked out, one would expect him to be moping out the back of these vids sucking his thumb. However all evidence is to the contrary and his form has been on a steady incline all season.

He was always going to be slow burn. His time will come.

 

[doggy_dog]

Some are saying he’s not playing because he is leaving / shouldn’t play for that reason

Even if this were true (which I doubt) we’d just be shooting ourselves in the foot. If he plays 6+ promising games and maybe snags a rising star nom his value is suddenly a hell of a lot higher

 

[Mr. Walker]

Luke Darcy's first game was bad and he followed it up with a few more before he finally came good.

I still remember vividly me screaming at Darcy to get off the ground. What year was that? Probably the last time I’ve been wrong about a footballer.

 

[Mr. Walker]

What I actually came on to post was that I am disappointed about Clarke being dropped. I agree he was bad but I would have liked him to get another opportunity to redeem himself and show something. Hope he takes it well and has a good attitude

 

[Planet Dogs]

We are running with a bigger team this game. Hopefully, we dominate in the air.

 

[maddog37]

That should work well coming off some showers and playing at night.

 

[Mojorisin]

I still remember vividly me dreaming at Darcy to get off the ground. What year was that? Probably the last time I’ve been wrong about a footballer.

94-95. Certainly wasn't the last time I was wrong about a footballer.