Review Dogs 132 def Giants 44

[Cookie]

Bramble has quietly kept up his good form since the Swans game.

Nothing amazing but he has been consistently solid for a while now.

Strangely enough, I see a bit of Mick Egan in him. That ability to run at the ball, take possession, one foot a tackler, and then dispose of it. If he turns out as reliable as Megan, I'd be happy and he'd have a good career.

 

[worbod]

There's a saying you sometimes hear that "the right team won". On this occasion, the right team lost.

 

[stefoid]

I'm convinced that the reason we match up on them so well is because they don't have the kicking skills to pierce us up the middle like an Adelaide, Collingwood, Geelong...
(Especially sans Kelly).

It's why disposal (and kicking) efficiency % is a bit of a faux indicator.
Their entire backline will chip around and play it safe all day long.
Ash, Idun, Himmelberg, Taylor all >80%.
Whitfield >75%, but all as threatening as a mosquito at an elephant sanctuary.

(Also, when Channel 7 think the best of them to talk up for a big game was Stringer, the cupboard is pretty bare...)

137 contested possessions to 86
40 something clearances to 24

and Id love to know the pressure ratings of both sides.

they were just soft and weak

 

[glenashley]

Stating the obvious, but what a great club man Lobb has become.

Whatever role the coaches ask of him, he just has a red hot go and has the tools to offer plenty.

All with 100% TOG.

 

[Dogs Ball]

Yeah, it was a weird burn. We remember when you beat us in 2016 then won the premiership???

I’m thinking, yeah you do!

So 2/3rds of their banner were positives for us / reasons we are better than them. Bizarre behaviour

Exactly the type of discussion we had around the topic.

My wife added something along the lines of they tried to make it a talking point. “It worked, we’re talking about it”.

Backfire much

 

[maddog37]

Couple of instinctual ball picks up from the fridge were next level.

Also noticing some chemistry between him and Sanders. Promising.

 

[bullish23]

As another poster has said BT asked Libba what he spoke to her about in the always cringeworthy “roving Brian” segment. Libba wouldn’t divulge what was said just that she was a woman from the Bulldog Community Foundation, he didn’t know her name and she has suffered a recent bereavement.

Might have been the caller to Garry and Tim on Thursday. An elderly lady who recently lost her husband and she mentioned how much the whole family loved the dogs. The son was woofa at one point. It was a lovely call actually.

 

[Mucat]

Keeping Hogan to a single kick + goalless was impressive.

Who was on him

 

[flamethrower]

Hogan was clearly injured and should not have played. Limping from his first run at the ball. Sub out of the game with the injury.

I watched Hogan closely during the Giants warm up and he looked OK -was flushing his shots at goal. It was mentioned that his foot was re-injured in the first quarter and it got worse the longer the game went. He finally went to the bench early in the last quarter and is an unlikely starter next week according to their coach.

The HTB free kick against Busslinger was absolutely the correct decision. The rule states that even with no prior opportunity, if the tackled player has one arm free he must "attempt" to legally dispose of the ball even if it just drops to the ground. If caught like that again Jedd should let go of the ball and make a kicking motion at it - this will give the umpire a reason to call play on.

With Oskar Baker's improved form and one wood being his speed and endurance, I wonder if Bevo would consider using him as a tagger if we play Adelaide (Dawson), Fremantle (Serong), Gold Coast (Rowell), Brisbane (Neale), Geelong (Holmes), Hawthorn (Day) or Collingwood (N Daicos) in September.

 

[Optimistic Dog]

There is new dynamic duo in town. What is the appropriate moniker Batman and Robin. Maybe as one already has reference to space it should be Hans Solo and Chewbacca. They sure look good in red, white and blue.

 

[Mucat]

I loved watching JJ tonight, it's easy to forget what a great player he is when he can get that old body firing . Loved the way he ignored Darcy & Naughton and waited for his mate English to pop up , then stuck the ball right in his mitts.

Nice moment when he wrestled with Stringer & it ended with more of a smiley hug.

I didn't boo Stringer. 2016.

To me stringer was the most exciting player at the club was disappointed he had left

 

[CDBulldog]

Less blokes running forward for cheap handballs and more defensive focus.

More predictable for the forwards and less isolation of our defenders.

A good balanced approach makes a big difference. Seems players had a much clearer definition of their roles too.

Really liked the game of JOD and there is just something about Garcia that makes me think a big game is just around the corner.

Garcia’s game has been underrated. Does dirty work in and under packs, tackling, enabling better ball users to sit on the edge of the pack like Richards to do the damage when he receives or win the ball. I like him in a midfield rotation.

 

[Astro_]

Was listening to SEN at the ground and Adam Simpson was on special comments, he was impressed with how we've abandoned the zone when GWS had the ball in defence in favour of a tight man-on-man. Then we'd go more zonal as the ball went forward. It restricted the 'orange tsunami' , not that it ever seems to affect us.

Bev also surprised Simpson in having so many of his best players off together- English, Libba, Bont and Richards all on the pine together. I've noticed this in the past & it can coincide with teams getting a run of goals on us. But we seem to have stemmed much of that recently , in favour of agonising close defeats ...

Busslinger hardly sets the world on fire, but since he's come into the team Lobb can go second ruck and English seems to have more freedom. I hope he shows some trajectory in his development...

For most of the year I’ve noticed English, Bont, Richards all head to the bench at the time

 

[Astro_]

The fact that we are now getting Lobb to relief ruck so that Darcy can stay forward tells me we are going all in on offence. I like the strategy - let's play to our strengths. If we can't stop the best sides from putting up big scores then let's just try to score more.

It also allows Darcy to stay in his strongest and most dangerous position for the longest time possible.

If he rucks he is forced time on the bench to recover limited his forward presence

 

[House_of_Dahl]

Also how stiff was Buss with that holding the ball? No prior, one arm pinned behind his back and Riccardi wrapped up his legs his while being swung around, but "could have disposed of the ball". Pathetic.

It's wierd but I think they expect him to just drop it in that situation

 

[doggiesin08]

The team is so much more threatening when McNeil and Poulter are contributing like they did last night.

That’s what sets the good teams apart.

I was still ropable that McNeil missed the easiest of his chances on the run!

 

[King Harold]

To me stringer was the most exciting player at the club was disappointed he had left

My son sat next to his old man.
Friendly guy apparently and was hoping the crowd didn’t boo him !

 

[Mofra]

Cench have pointed out that at one point in the 4th quarter our midfield rotation was Rory with Riley, Ryley and Rhylee.

Quality shithousery from our boys to rub it in.

 

[weltschmerz]

Cench have pointed out that at one point in the 4th quarter our midfield rotation was Rory with Riley, Ryley and Rhylee.

Quality shithousery from our boys to rub it in.

I don't want Reilly O'Brien for any other reason but a Reilly, Riley, Ryley, Rhylee centre bounce just once.

 

[grassman75]

I was still ropable that McNeil missed the easiest of his chances on the run!

Or that he didn’t give it back to Bont

 

[Outback Footy]

I watched Hogan closely during the Giants warm up and he looked OK -was flushing his shots at goal. It was mentioned that his foot was re-injured in the first quarter and it got worse the longer the game went. He finally went to the bench early in the last quarter and is an unlikely starter next week according to their coach.

The HTB free kick against Busslinger was absolutely the correct decision. The rule states that even with no prior opportunity, if the tackled player has one arm free he must "attempt" to legally dispose of the ball even if it just drops to the ground. If caught like that again Jedd should let go of the ball and make a kicking motion at it - this will give the umpire a reason to call play on.

With Oskar Baker's improved form and one wood being his speed and endurance, I wonder if Bevo would consider using him as a tagger if we play Adelaide (Dawson), Fremantle (Serong), Gold Coast (Rowell), Brisbane (Neale), Geelong (Holmes), Hawthorn (Day) or Collingwood (N Daicos) in September.

The problem for Jed was he was in a position where his legs were both pinned too. If he let it go it would have been a clear dropping the ball free. It was a very unusual situation he was in. UNLUCKY

 

[4Seasons]

Main board with thr "Darcy gets a charmed run eith the umpires "

Clearly never watch him get assaulted every week

This stuff belongs in the "opposition supporters say" thread.
I seriously don't understand why someone would be so obsessed with opposition fans, rather than our club?

 

[perro_loco]

Early in the game Cleary had to stick tough tackles and make strong plays and he did. It was a big step forward

I agree with the above two comments. Cleary looked mature in his efforts. I hope he maintains his endeavours and that the mC persevere with him in that role. He had a really great game imo for the few chances he has been given.

 

[perro_loco]

Last week when I posted that Baker and Poulter had decent games a few people immediately jumped on it, pointing out things like “yeah but it was only Essendon” and so on.

So this week they come out and play just as well or even better against a side in top form and it’s “yeah, but it was a 15 goal win”.

Is it just possible that one reason we won by 15 goals is that these blokes played well?

I’m not saying they were in even our best 10 last night (Poulter was for a while, Baker definitely not) and I’m not even sure they are best 23 (Baker’s not, Poulter is close). I’m just saying let’s give them credit for what they’ve done, how hard they are working at their game and for doing what people here (and presumably MC) have been calling for. This also includes the likes of Cleary, McNeil, Garcia and probably Busslinger too.

Importantly MC has given them time to settle into the lineup, develop chemistry with blokes they haven’t often played with and learn their role. If we chucked players out after one week like so many want to do in the team selection threads we’d never see any growth in these players.

That said I can agree that at least some of these players are still not conclusively proven in tight matches. That can’t happen until we actually have a close or a tough game.

Until then they can’t do much more than perform against whoever we are up against. Let’s give them due credit for that.

I have been a critic of both Poulter and Baker. Poulter had a great first quarter. His intensity to the ball was excellent, until being subbed. Baker was also excellent in the first quarter and solid throughout the game. He convered alot of ground and provided amazing pressure on GWS players. What we need from the bottom six to 8 players is to play their role to perfection and we can be really hard to beat.

 

[SPower]

Hogan wasn't subbed out. McMullin was

I think he'll be poor mans Ryan Hargrave. Can do a bit of everything in the backline

Heath says hi. Lol