Gone

[Code_Nerd]

Re: **** this team

Don't even think about comparing Hawthorn to the Bulldogs.

You would have no idea what it's like to follow the Bulldogs.

In 1989 our club was nearly went out of existence while your team won back-to-back flags.

As was previously stated, you have the 2008 GF DVD to look at and we have nothing.

You'll get no sympathy on this board, in fact I couldn't care less about what has happened to the Hawks this year.

My thoughts exactly..

 

[Code_Nerd]

I don't want to "take on the board" but one of the reasons I rarely visit bigfooty is because it is SOOOOOOO negative.

I don't understand the attitude because it is illogical to me. Surely you accept that what you see on the field is not a conscious conspiracy to play badly, but rather that sometimes the players can't put it together? There is merit and reason behind talking about why it happens, and where we can improve and who ought to play where and so forth, but to come out with the kind of outlandish "F This I'm not going to the finals because the players aren't putting in" stuff is childish and is pretty easy to type from the comfort of one's computer.

The sort of vitriol that happens here is stupid. I would urge people, before they type, to ask themselves, and answer honestly, whether they'd be comfortable saying what they type to the player in question's face. I would bet that half the tripe wouldn't occur.

I understand the frustration! It was horrible to watch our top 4 chances suffer a massive, probably fatal blow, but let's be sensible before we go questioning the commitment of our players... As I said, I thought we were better than that.

No dramas here telling the players what I think..

I would give my left nut to wear the Red, White and Blue, and they should be playing like there nuts are on the line!

 

[NBates]

If Akers efforts today can't lift these guys(insert metally week). Then nothing will.

I agree. Acker just keeps going & going. I felt sorry for him. I hope he doesn't wonder what the hell he is doing there.

I'd be interested in knowing how he views footy club and the team - what he thinks we need/what we lack. Whether it's something to do with the club culture wise and whether that affects the players mentally.

Having said that, I am actually worried about what he will say about this club when his career comes to an end.

 

[The Boy From Brasil]

I don't want to "take on the board" but one of the reasons I rarely visit bigfooty is because it is SOOOOOOO negative.

I don't understand the attitude because it is illogical to me. Surely you accept that what you see on the field is not a conscious conspiracy to play badly, but rather that sometimes the players can't put it together? There is merit and reason behind talking about why it happens, and where we can improve and who ought to play where and so forth, but to come out with the kind of outlandish "F This I'm not going to the finals because the players aren't putting in" stuff is childish and is pretty easy to type from the comfort of one's computer.

The sort of vitriol that happens here is stupid. I would urge people, before they type, to ask themselves, and answer honestly, whether they'd be comfortable saying what they type to the player in question's face. I would bet that half the tripe wouldn't occur.

I understand what you are saying. Some people tend to vent with more vigour than others after a loss. Especially a few hours after the game.

The thing is that we love the club and love the players(figuratively speaking) and so we take it as a personal slight when they underperform. Its not logical but passion rarely is. Today's loss was such a loss of an opportunity so many posters on here would be shattered.

 

[2691617]

All you Eagleton supporters out there have a look at the replay from today's game and a few others this year, opposition sides consistantly play through Eagleton's wing at every opportunity, it was great for me today I got to see a fair bit of the play close up, but for %uc&$ sake

Today was an absolute gut wrenching performance and it proved that players like Eagleton, Minson (cant keep his feet) Williams (even me as a big fan have my doubts now, Addison, SLOW SLOW SLOW are not up to it and will not take this club forward

 

[Lightning_Mcqueen95]

I don't want to "take on the board" but one of the reasons I rarely visit bigfooty is because it is SOOOOOOO negative.

I don't understand the attitude because it is illogical to me. Surely you accept that what you see on the field is not a conscious conspiracy to play badly, but rather that sometimes the players can't put it together? There is merit and reason behind talking about why it happens, and where we can improve and who ought to play where and so forth, but to come out with the kind of outlandish "F This I'm not going to the finals because the players aren't putting in" stuff is childish and is pretty easy to type from the comfort of one's computer.

The sort of vitriol that happens here is stupid. I would urge people, before they type, to ask themselves, and answer honestly, whether they'd be comfortable saying what they type to the player in question's face. I would bet that half the tripe wouldn't occur.

I understand the frustration! It was horrible to watch our top 4 chances suffer a massive, probably fatal blow, but let's be sensible before we go questioning the commitment of our players... As I said, I thought we were better than that.

The reason we have security at games is because I am sure we have plenty of people who would love to tell the players how they feel. We as a group are passionate about our club. Whilst we may not be good enough to do the playing of the listed players we just can't get past such inconsistent efforts when the season is at such high stakes. I will except poor performances from a couple of players but when over 80% of the team is playing like they are millionaires with as much intensity of a Sloth they surely deserve all that is flung there way. Not going to the finals because of this is completely understandable when you have watched a club such as ours with a little over 40% winning ratio for it entire history and an even poorer finals history. Some people on here have been watching these poor performances for over 40 years and sometimes its good to vent. Whilst by the time Tuesday comes around they are back on board. Its simply venting a frustration that has built up over a long long period and simply looks like not ending very soon. It may sound completely absurd but boy I can understand it and simpathise with them. If any supporters out there deserve to vent it is surely ours. However I get your point and I do understand your frustration at the supporters venting after a loss. Maybe you can read the post on here after Tuesday.

 

[Trugo3013]

Re: **** this team

West Coast has done what all the other teams we have lost to have done... Tag our midfielders and block the central corridor and guess what??? We lose... I believe our season is shot... It all started with the loss against the Saints. That basically emphasised that we aren't as good as what we all thought and that the stat that we have not beaten any teams above or even just below us, is an accurate indictor that we are just not good enough.

Our depth isn't that great if you look beyond Ward as the likes of Grant, Stack and Everitt aren't cutting the mustard, (talk about jumping the gun in awarding him our sacred no. 3). The only shining light is that Murph, Gia and Missy, weren't available... A difference perhaps in this game but what can we say about the games against the Saints, Cats, Pies etc....???

I can't be bothered finding excuses as my optimism is really drawing thin..... A GOOD TEAM THAT HAS A WINNING CULTURE WINS GAMES THAT ARE THERE TO BE WON!!!! WE SHOULD'VE CHEWEDTHEM UP AND SPAT THEM OUT!!!...

Regardless of how you look at it, we are not good enough and it will be a waste of emotion, if we were to pin our hopes on the Dogs in the finals. This team can't deliver the flag.... No matter what the players and coaches say...

The results are the facts... And the facts are there for everyone to see!!!!

Yep. What he said.

 

[#1 Dogs Fan]

The funny thing is 7 days from now when we beat the Lions I bet this forum will be the complete opposite as to what we are seeing today lmao.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

I am as disappointed as the rest of you, however we are going through a heavy training cycle at the moment preparing for the next three games and the finals. Unfortunately premature in terms of beating West Coast. If we play like this against quality opposition next week - then I will write them off for the year.

 

[Power_Forward]

I am as disappointed as the rest of you, however we are going through a heavy training cycle at the moment preparing for the next three games and the finals. Unfortunately premature in terms of beating West Coast. If we play like this against quality opposition next week - then I will write them off for the year.

Eade strongly denied this in his press conference today,and even threw in a none too subtle dig at Aker saying "only one person has said that and he is completely wrong"

 

[Gooka]

Re: **** this team

This explains why I'm more interested in the Ashes at the moment. My footy team suck a$$.

 

[Pigdog]

The funny thing is 7 days from now when we beat the Lions I bet this forum will be the complete opposite as to what we are seeing today lmao.

Winning next week won't gloss over the fact that we dropped an un-loseable game which will seriously hinder us in finishing the H&A season in a top 4 spot with an all important 2nd chance.

 

[bigdog54]

After a few days to calm down and take in all the rants and some good points, lets be realistic. We are not a contender, rather a bottom half of the eight side. We will not win one of the final three games not because of a fade out or heavy training load, simply because we arent good enough.
Lets not be too disappointed. We play good footy against sides that allow us...the shit sides. The media, supporters, players and coaches talk us up before the good sides show us where were really at. Thats the reality, no more cheap talk about flag aspirations, well only be disappointed!
So it looks like a finish of 6th or 7th and potentially a couple of finals. With our deficiencies (structure, body size etc) its what we should expect. Lets hope though that theyr building on this and can improve in a few areas so that we can turn it around quickly ala saints and cats.
So on a positive we arent really 'gone', as long as we are building. We are we we should be and there are 8-9 teams that would rather be in our position.

 

[Goosecat]

You guys are a different side with Higgins and Murphy up forward and they must come back now.

I have a feeling they could have played this week but were deemed un-needed to beat the Eagles (whilst gaining the benefits of an extra week off).
I also believe the rest of the side took that mental attitude into the game.

The coaches and selectors gave the whole group the impression they could win without necessarily putting their best foot forward and that filtered through the group as demonstrated in the first quarter effort. Of course once the mistake is realised the whole side feels the pressure to rectify that and guess what? more mistakes and errors under the extra pressure.

Eade and the club got it wrong. If you're going to manage players, you do it the way St Kilda did. Take the gamble against a good side but one thats vulnerable, (Hawks) and set the challenge to the team to perform and win it anyway.

In the Dogs case that would be against Geelong in two weeks. They should have played their best side against the Eagles and Brisbane, locked in a top 4 and then rested some stars against Geelong.
If the Saints had gone down against the Hawks they would mentally, as a group, console themselves with the thought they had "managed" some of their best and would get them back.The dogs should have played the same sort of hand over the coming weeks.

Get the win and percentage against the Eagles with a full side. Go to Brisbane and with a full side (I believe) knock them off. Then accept the challenge of a currently vulnerable Geelong whilst resting some of your best who need it the following week.

Higgins and Murphy must play next week no matter what, even at 85% fitness if need be. Go for the win against Brisbane first and then see how they pull up before deciding on the best approach against Geelong.

 

[Cruiserweight Champ]

You guys are a different side with Higgins and Murphy up forward and they must come back now.

I have a feeling they could have played this week but were deemed un-needed to beat the Eagles (whilst gaining the benefits of an extra week off).
I also believe the rest of the side took that mental attitude into the game.

The coaches and selectors gave the whole group the impression they could win without necessarily putting their best foot forward and that filtered through the group as demonstrated in the first quarter effort. Of course once the mistake is realised the whole side feels the pressure to rectify that and guess what? more mistakes and errors under the extra pressure.

Eade and the club got it wrong. If you're going to manage players, you do it the way St Kilda did. Take the gamble against a good side but one thats vulnerable, (Hawks) and set the challenge to the team to perform and win it anyway.

In the Dogs case that would be against Geelong in two weeks. They should have played their best side against the Eagles and Brisbane, locked in a top 4 and then rested some stars against Geelong.
If the Saints had gone down against the Hawks they would mentally, as a group, console themselves with the thought they had "managed" some of their best and would get them back.The dogs should have played the same sort of hand over the coming weeks.

Get the win and percentage against the Eagles with a full side. Go to Brisbane and with a full side (I believe) knock them off. Then accept the challenge of a currently vulnerable Geelong whilst resting some of your best who need it the following week.

Higgins and Murphy must play next week no matter what, even at 85% fitness if need be. Go for the win against Brisbane first and then see how they pull up before deciding on the best approach against Geelong.

You couldnt be further off the mark. Higgins has been injury plagued all season and to play him at 85% a month out frm finals is ridiculous. He wont be playing this week either, and murphy has to pass a fitness test. Playing injured players so close to a finals series is negligent and proves nothing, and its something the Bulldog medical staff will not do.
It's up to the players who come in to step up in their absence, and that didnt happen.

 

[The Boy From Brasil]

Lets not be too disappointed. We play good footy against sides that allow us...the shit sides.

You are easily pleased

 

[Goosecat]

You couldnt be further off the mark. Higgins has been injury plagued all season and to play him at 85% a month out frm finals is ridiculous. He wont be playing this week either, and murphy has to pass a fitness test. Playing injured players so close to a finals series is negligent and proves nothing, and its something the Bulldog medical staff will not do.
It's up to the players who come in to step up in their absence, and that didnt happen.

Mate I'm saying if you don't play him and Murph now then forget the finals. Anything below top 4 and you're just making up the numbers. You're supposed to be pushing for a flag remember. Johnson, Aker, Eagleton, Welsh etc aren't getting any younger next year.
The bulldogs should have been smarter and gone all out to win against the Eagles and Brisbane then managed players against Geelong and the Pies.

 

[FootscrayDogs]

ummm, is everyone forgetting that we kicked 11 straight behinds?????? If we had converted even half of them it would have been game pretty early on in the piece.

Yes we all know what we are lacking Key Forward etc. etc. however are we all forgetting that we are in the top 4? You dont get there by fluke, ok we havent beaten Geelong, St. Kilda blah blah blah, but we didnt get smashed by them either. Flags arent won in August, we lost a game we should have one, big deal, every team does that. Keep the faith people, i understand its very frustrating, i was very cut on Saturday but its not the end of the world.

They will bounce back.

P.S. If they dont bounce back, they are shit.

 

[Red.White and Blue]

We can beat Brisbane and just think if we won the Collingwood (where we fought our asses off to come back but probs shouldnt have been in that possy), Geelong (one shot after the siren) and the Eagles (shocking start again with 11 behinds) games then we would be equal 2nd with Geelong and on current form would probably be 2nd favourite. I know they are ifs but you have to realise we win this week and we are a game and a half clear of Brisbane and potentially 2 clear of Adelaide.

his week is it and I havent been too impressed by Brissy lately but they are very good up there. It is our destiny and I will be one of hopefully many sitting at the G in september screaming and cheering on my boys.

 

[Dry Rot]

ummm, is everyone forgetting that we kicked 11 straight behinds?????? If we had converted even half of them it would have been game pretty early

FWIW listening to Stan Alves on ABC radio, he reckoned that a lot of that came from WCE tactics ie the flooding of our forward line and then our forward line pushing up to far when the ball was in the Eagle's forward line and shocking delivery + having to shoot from a long way out or bad angles.

 

[Power_Forward]

just think if we won the Collingwood (where we fought our asses off to come back but probs shouldnt have been in that possy), Geelong (one shot after the siren) and the Eagles (shocking start again with 11 behinds) games then we would be equal 2nd with Geelong and on current form would probably be 2nd favourite. I know they are ifs but you have to realise we win this week and we are a game and a half clear of Brisbane and potentially 2 clear of Adelaide.

It's true we could have, but on each occasion we were between 37 and 47 points down at one point. We have to ask ourselves why this continues to happen. Clearly we are good enough to get back into the game and even back into the lead, but what is wrong with this group mentally that they keep finding themselves in that position?

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Luck has a lot to do with winning the premiership. Last year we had a little, winning some of the tight games which for us never normally happens. This year we have lost all three of them. If we don't make top four, I hope we slip down fast and win no finals and pick up a good pick in the last draft before the GC.

 

[windogs]

It is not my intention to be a smart ass here. I just wanted to remind us all how quickly things can turn around.

We are now, in my opinion, the form team of the competition. Lots of people, me included, were petrified that we'd lose all 3 of the games after WCE. Remarkably, we've beaten them all and looked spectacular in the process. 3 really gutsy, impressive wins against quality opposition with our spot in the 4 up for grabs. Inspirational.

So whatever happens on Saturday, let's always remember that we have the capacity to beat the best of the best on any given day.

I've seen many teams over the years and loved them all, when they were infuriating and when they were amazing, and I have a feeling that this team has the stuff of champions about it.

We can do it!!!!!!!! Go dogs!

 

[ctrain07]

It is not my intention to be a smart ass here. I just wanted to remind us all how quickly things can turn around.

We are now, in my opinion, the form team of the competition. Lots of people, me included, were petrified that we'd lose all 3 of the games after WCE. Remarkably, we've beaten them all and looked spectacular in the process. 3 really gutsy, impressive wins against quality opposition with our spot in the 4 up for grabs. Inspirational.

So whatever happens on Saturday, let's always remember that we have the capacity to beat the best of the best on any given day.

I've seen many teams over the years and loved them all, when they were infuriating and when they were amazing, and I have a feeling that this team has the stuff of champions about it.

We can do it!!!!!!!! Go dogs!

I don't want to blow my own trumpet but I along with many others thought we could turn it around. I doubted at first but after a good night sleep all was good again. Congratulations to those who stuck with it and never doubted because I did for a moment.

 

[The Boy From Brasil]

I don't want to blow my own trumpet but I along with many others thought we could turn it around. I doubted at first but after a good night sleep all was good again. Congratulations to those who stuck with it and never doubted because I did for a moment.

You did Ctrain along with some other posters and you deserve massive congratulations for having faith.

But lets not get too carried away until our first final. If we lose this week, we are back to square one. No matter what we did in the Home and Away, it is totally irrelevant now. It is how we go from here on in that will define our season. We can pat each other on the back when we win the GF. Until then, all we have done is replicated last year. We really need to win this week.