PC2011/12RP Inside the Kennel - A Western Bulldogs story (GAME HAS CRASHED)

[Tigz_09]

I was anticipating this starting later but got excited at the prospect of a new challenge and a lift in the difficulty setting for match days so it's on ahead of schedule.

After taking a look at who had little to no stories about them in recent times I was down to just 3
Sydney - Geelong - Western Bulldogs

I'm attempting Impossible difficulty and with the Bulldogs only having an expectation of pushing to play finals, I think I can get through more than 1 season without being fired.

RULES:
I can not Draft or Trade a player I acquired from my previous story.
Listed Melbourne players are fair game should I chose to grab one
So, Those who can't play for the Dogs are.
M.Kreuzer - D.Armitage - J.Geary - J.Darling - B.Stanton - R.Nyhuis - M.Wright - A.Hall - D.Talia - B.Gibbs - J.Crisp - A.Waterman
*L.Dahlhaus and L.Goetz are an exception as they are already WB listed players*

See how we go.

 

[haydo]

Should be an interesting story. Haven't seen many if any Bulldogs stories running around on here, so good luck with it

 

[Tigz_09]

 

[Tigz_09]

 

[Tigz_09]

PRESS CONFERENCE

Gia. Congratulations on your new role. What can you tell us about Luke Beveridges decision to leave the club?
"I don't know the full ins and outs of the situation. It's not my call to speculate on what happened or why. I was given the task of coaching this group and chasing another finals berth. That's where my focus lies and I'm happy to take questions regarding that."

You've stayed on at the club and have knowledge of the list. What expectations are you putting on this group for the season ahead?
"I'm targeting somewhere around 9th to 13th. The board expressed their opinion of pushing for a finals campaign. Personally, I don't think we can get there. But, If we can finish inside that bracket I mentioned we've had a good season. We don't have the forward fire power and our defence is a little under skilled. We're a young group. Average age is 22 so there isn't a lot of experienced bodies in the side. We're going to have to work damn hard for wins but this side is nothing short of promising and the future should be bright."

Who do you see as being the star performer/performers in 2016?
I'm expecting big seasons from Marcus Bontempelli, Jake Stringer and Bob Murphy.
These guys are going to have to play out of their skins right across the ground for us. Murphy will be playing all ends and in between, Jake and Marcus will be spending time forward and running through the midfield. If we can get the right combination of guys alongside these 3 it will do a lot to aid us in finding victories.

Anything worth noting about the players you acquired during the offseason?
Kieran Collins - Pick 26 - 2015 draft - Like the look of this kid. Primarily a defender, decent upside, and potential to play forward. good strength and will compete well. may be required to play from the outset but he'll only get better.

Matt Suckling - Traded (HAW) - Matt is a good addition. primarily a defender and pretty decent skill wise, has the ability to push forward but for us, he will likely play back flank or back pocket. Expect a lot of rebound work from him. Hasn't much AFL career left in him so I hope we see his best from the start of the season onwards.​

 

[TheBeardAmigos]

looking good mate!
looking forward to it

 

[Tigz_09]

The First round of the NAB Challenge is upon us.
Most teams have escaped pre-season training with a relatively healthy list of players.

Bulldogs new coach Daniel Giansiracusa spoke briefly about his list ahead of his first game as coach coming up against Essendon in NAB 1

"We've had a decent few weeks leading up to our first game. Luckily we remained primarily injury free with Johannisen our only loss.
He suffered a back strain a couple of weeks ago. So he won't take part in the NAB Challenge series but we are hopeful he will be ready for a round 1 return or round 2."
"We are coming up against an unknown side due to the Essendon saga and I'm expecting them to be hard at it. Most of these guys are playing on second chances and we can't take that lightly. Hopefully, we get through unscathed and I can learn a bit about our players prior to round 1."​

 

[Tigz_09]

NAB CHALLENGE ROUND 1
TEAMS

 

[TheBeardAmigos]

NAB CHALLENGE ROUND 1
TEAMS

like the layout mate!
very different to the Melbourne story!

 

[Tigz_09]

like the layout mate!
very different to the Melbourne story!

I figured I should do something different as it is a new story. I'm going to try and keep it the same throughout this time as I'll run out of ideas if I keep adjusting

 

[Tigz_09]

Coach Notes

pretty even for the first term. just behind in the possession count and inside 50's but we went into the break with a lead. Bontempelli went to CHF and made an impact straight away. Mitch Wallis on the forward flank came alive. Murphy had to swing into defense. Pushed Jong onto the wing and Dahlhaus into the middle. We need to find some more forward drive but it's ok so far.

Lost count of the amount of changes I made during the second term. We're still very competitive but can't get that reward on the scoreboard. Held scoreless and only had 7 inside 50's. We gave away 12 and allowed them 8 scoring shots. We have no avenue to the goal at the moment with even our best players struggling to find a shot. Wasted a few chances trying to pass when we should have had a ping. Need to get the boys to lift and show some urgency even in a pre-season game.

A bit of a stalemate quarter. Both kicking 1.2 and the margin remained as it did at half-time.
Still working harder than we should be. Making a mess of some forward entries and not really looking dangerous at all. They've got us stretched now with Parish working well on the wing and the Merretts causing us trouble through the middle. James Gwilt is killing us in their defense. He seems to be there at every forward kick we get in. Tried to take him away from the play but he won't bite. even dropping him one out in the square and trying to hit a target around 50 he's there. Crumbers aren't doing their bit either. need to find 4 goals from somewhere.

We won the quarter but not the match. Got the deficit down to as little 3 points but couldn't get the lead. We strung possessions together better in the final quarter but still let ourselves down when trying to get a score on the board. Having to play fast paced, We got caught on some rebound play but we really had to push hard to create scoring chances. Not the ideal way to start against a top up team, but at least we claim it's the pre-season competition.

Who were the standouts on the field?
"For us, Luke Dahlhaus tried all game. Wasn't rewarded on the scoreboard and we had to push him out on the wing where he did most of his work. took 14 marks and 27 disposals. Behind him, Roarke Smith showed a bit which I wasn't expecting. His run through defense was really good for a player of his quality. Punched above his weight today. D.Parish for the Bombers destroyed us on the wing. He was their best by a fair margin and really hard to shut down."

Gold Coast next round. What can you see in this match?
"Another difficult one for us. They have some good defenders, A top class midfield and decent forwards. We aren't that far apart but If we put up another showing like this game we'll get hurt. It'll be a fast game with lots of run and carry. Could well come down to has the best legs in the final term. It will be a good test for us. We're not that far apart."​

 

[Tigz_09]

 

[Tigz_09]

Giansiracus Pre-Game
"We're up against Gold Coast and they've put together a pretty strong team.
Obvious players we are concerned with is Ablett, Hall and Kolodjashnij. Brandon Matera can be dangerous and If Tom Lynch gets firing we could be in a little trouble. We're trying Suckling higher up the ground and hope his defensive work can keep the ball inside our forward for longer. If not then we can use to play lose in defense if required. I'm looking for a better forward combination this week, We have to find someone who can score for us if we want to win games."

​

 

[Tigz_09]

Coaches Notes

We got off to a good start. picking up the opening 2 goals but got shut down after that. Gold Coast clearance work around stoppages lifted and their outside players took over possession. Finding it hard to break into our centre-forward from the wings. We clear the ball well but it's the last kick inside 50 that's hurting us. A lot of spectators so far in this match.

We worked a lot harder in the second term. +8 for tackles +3 for clearances +5 uncontested marks. We had 15 inside 50's over 8 in the first quarter so we are getting the ball forward a bit easier. We still haven't found ways to score. Kolodjashnij has been superb for them in defense. We took him away from the contests but we still can't take a mark inside 50. It's been a really good contest and even in most parts across the ground. We just have to keep this up for 4 quarters and we're a chance to win.

Not a good quarter in the third. Gave away 6 straight goals and we could only manage 3 for ourselves. We broke even through the middle of the ground but their defensive rebound work lifted and we lost out allowing +6 inside 50's. We tried to play fast and run through the field but it appears it backfired on us. Our midfield carried it off well but we lack the support up forward and in defense to make it work.

What a return. We couldn't have run this game out any better. I was worried we didn't have enough in the bank but somehow we seemed to click and got it all working for us. The defensive combination ticked like clockwork. we defended superbly and our run out of defense was what started all of our attacks. Toby McLean was the unlikely hero for us. 6 goals with 4 in the final term. Koby Stevens has a lot to do that with that as his kicking inside 50 to a target was bang on. Superb effort to turn around a 23 point deficit into a 9 point win. Really happy with the final term effort. We need more of it.

A Happy Giansiracusa fronted the media.

Toby McLean. The unlikely hero today. How good was his game?
"He surprised me today. I actually didn't think he was doing enough during the first half I was on the verge of dragging him. I'm glad I didn't in the end as his final quarter was superb and really gave us the momentum to win. I expect he'll get another run there next week and see if he can replicate the performance."

Murphy and Dahlhaus were also good performers for you today how di you rate their games?
Bob played a vital role for us against Aaron Hall. We pretty much sat him with Hall all game and he did a good job slowing him down. Kept him to just 2 goals and 8 marks. Really happy with his game today. Luke followed up on last weeks game 15 marks and 25 disposals today. His work through the wing was outstanding. A vital part to our side going forward."

Where do you think the game was won today?
We were always in touch with Gold Coast but couldn't string enough plays together to make things work our way. We got our matchups right in the final term and allowed ourselves more free flowing play. Transition of ball from defense to forward was seemless and having an option up forward that could score turned the tide our way.​

 

[Tigz_09]

The only long term injury occurring for Richmond with Sam Lloyd suffering a back strain (during training) wich will sideline him until round 3. Doubtful he'll be ready to play by then and may require an extra couple of weeks to get his match condition back up.​

 

[Tigz_09]

NAB ROUND 3

Pre-Game Press Conference

What are you expecting from this match?
" Fremantle will be a good test. Their midfield is exceptional Bennell, Fyfe, Barlow, Mundy. they are all going to be tough to match up against. I think we can cover 3 but it will a tough test in the heart of the ground. We probably won't win much of the ruck battle, so having to read Sandilands will be important for our clearances. Mayne, Pavlich and Ballentyne up forward will tough to manage also. Goals will be premium for us again. Hopefully we can maximise our chances and stay in the contest."​

 

[Tigz_09]

COACHES NOTES

We were smashed from the outset. The only thing we won in the first term was contested possession.
Brought in the same team from last weeks pre-season team with T.Boyd being replaced by F.Roberts but we are dismal so far. Defense is poor and the midfield is getting destroyed. could be a painful game.

We put together a better second quarter. Bonetempelli and stringer were pushed out on the wing and we got the ball moving forward with a slower build up play. The goals are being shared around with 5 individual goal scorers for the quarter. clawed back 17 points. Won a few more key stats +2 inside 50's, +8 contested +7 contested marks +9 tackles. So I was pleased with our work rate. If we keep this up we could be challenging for the lead by the final term.

We held Fremantle scoreless in the third. Very good defensive effort but not without cost as Morris has left the ground with a concussion. We had already taken Liam Picken out of the game so were down to 2 rotations.Jake Stringer is providing the effort we need through the middle but he's fading along with a few others and I'm not sure if we have the legs to run this game out. Really pleased with their work rate, We're just 10 points behind. Going to ask the boys to put it on the line and try to win this game.

Demoralising final quarter. We had no run left and lots of empty tanks. The boys tried to hold on for as long as they could but by the 15th-minute mark, we were dead on our feet. Freo run rampant after that kicking 7 unanswered goals and I just had to sit and watch it all unfold. Barlow, Mundy through the midfield were very damaging 42 disposals to Barlow and 30 to Mundy. Grey in defense was really good for them too with 27. We're just short of the quality players needed to match so many. Stringer played well with 32 and Eastern Wood with 25 our next best ball winner.

A stern Looking Giansiracusa fronted media after the loss.

PRESS CONFERENCE

1 win and 2 losses for the pre-season. Not the start we expected to see given the side made the finals last year.
"That was last season. New kettle of fish for this one. While we would like to match and even beat the success we had last year, but a lot of teams have changed during that time. I've got to find the right guys for the right spots and we're adjusting to how I want the boys to play. It will take time, There will be losses. But, We're also keen on getting some good wins and finding out about ourselves."

Dale Morris was concussed. How does he look and what did his loss do to the team structure?
"He copped a head knock with Griffin going into a contest. He's ok. Doctors have been with him and he's up and about again. He'll get a week off training and will be ok for round 1 selection. We'd already pulled Picken from the ground so with Morris out it shut down our rotations and we were forced to keep players out there in key positions or risk giving away too much. Probably didn't matter in the end as well fell away but until the 15th minute of that final term we were still right in the match and only 10 points down."

Are your season predictions still holding water or do you think the side will finish lower?
"Look, I'm only 3 games in here. I haven't found my best 22 or locked in any spots yet so I'm still trying to find my fit. I believe we can finish where I stated earlier and that will be our baseline for the season. Our goal is to exceed that expectation and I will try and do what I can to make sure we are in the best position to do that."​

 

[Tigz_09]

 

[Tigz_09]

Daniel Giansiracusa has switched focus onto intense training now the side is not competing in the remaining NAB Challenge rounds.
The dogs are playing intra-club matches and training at a higher intensity to prepare themselves for round 1 just a few weeks away.

Tony Liberatore one of the players expected to lift, and one which Gia has placed attention on after a slow start in the pre-season comp.
Libba would have collected just 186 AFL Fantasy points in all 3 matches with a player rating of just 188 placing him in the lowest 350 top players.
Far below where he should be at given his talent and ability.

Tom Boyd Another player Gia would love to see more from. Boyd playing in just the 1 game had no impact up forward and was put into the ruck late in the game so he could find the ball. Highly Talented with bucket loads of potential. Bulldogs supporters everywhere are waiting for the day Boyd can cash in and perform to the potential everyone believes he can.​

 

[Tigz_09]

 

[Tigz_09]

The Final round of the NAB Challenge is about to be completed.
Fremantle and North Melbourne playing for bragging rights and an undefeated run into the season proper.

For the Bulldogs, Attention is turning amongst supporters to the first round team selection and who, If any of the first gamers will have a chance to play in round 1. We'll take a quick look at those yet to Officially debut for the club.
​

Josh Dunkley: Josh was overlooked during the NAB rounds and didn't get a chance to showcase his skills. The 19-year old is an outside midfield forward but lacks marking skills that would make him dangerous and will still need a few seasons to develop. With the lack of forward firepower, Giansiracusa may throw Josh an early round game but it's doubtful he would debut round 1.
​

Declan Hamilton: Another player overlooked in the NAB rounds Declan is an outside small swing player than can play forward and defense on the flanks.
He's more set up as a defender but has spent the last few weeks training with the forwards as Gia looks to improve his forward marking ability. Again, Not likely to debut in round 1 with better defenders ahead of him. His only likely chance is to play forward which we believe he'll be given an opportunity early.

Kieran Collins: Kieran is a certain starter for round 1. He's played all 3 NAB games in defense and held his own quite well. AFL Player ratings would have him at 164 currently, As a first year player standard goes he would be ranked inside the top 5. He's another player shaped for defense but appears to be grooming as a potential forward as he's spent the last few weeks training with the group. Bulldogs anticipate big things for this lad.

Bailey Williams: Bailey played in NAB 1 where he played just over a half of football for 9 disposals, 2 marks and 3 tackles. He's an Inside midfielder but at this stage well below the standards of AFL football and is doubtful to debut unless injuries create a spot for him. His attributes let him down for some good skills in and around the ball and up forward. Giansiracusa believes it will be the hard road traveled for Bailey to break into the side but he hopes he can do it.

Marcus Adams: A mature draft pick at 23 Marcus, Who played in NAB 1 performed ok with 12 disposals and 6 rebound 50's. He isn't stacked as an outstanding defender or prospect but he will be given opportunities throughout the year to showcase his abilities. One of the best leading spoilers in the Dogs list, He has lower than expected strength attributes despite his size haydo169 the premier player rater may have overlooked this as well as his marking stature as his highlight video shows he is quite capable in these areas . Every chance to line up in round 1 but not expected to be a seasoned player.

 

[Tigz_09]

The AFL MRP was busy before round 1 was underway as 9 players had to front up against alleged charges during the NAB Challenge.
4 Cases were refered to the Tribunal due to Umpire Contact and a spitting charge while the rest were handled by the MRP.
All players have accepted their sanctions with 4 players to miss the opening round.

 

[Tigz_09]

​

SUMMARY
The Dogs last beat the Eagles back in round 1 2015 by 10 points but a lot has changed since that victory. Daniel Giansiracusa takes over as coach of a young emerging list, Whilst Adam Simpson will be looking to build on the form that got them to the 2015 AFL GrandFinal.
Gia will be without the service of Luke Dahlhaus who injured himself during training this week and his loss will be felt on the wing. West Coast is far superior in all areas But will be without Luke Shuey as he serves his 2 match ban from the pre-season competition. Even without a star player, It's highly unlikely that Gia will enter his official AFL career with a win today.

IT'S A BIG WEEK FOR …
Daniel Giansiracusa - First Official AFL game as head coach. There's a lot of pressure and prying eyes around Gia at the moment and starting your AFL season off against the Eagles is a hard task. He'll need to do some high-quality work to stop this match from blowing out as most are anticipating a hiding despite the Eagles travelling to Etihad for the encounter.

PREDICTION: Eagles by +50

Giansiracusa giving 4 Bulldogs players their debut game in round 1 with J.Dunkley, D.Hamilton, K.Collins and B.Williams all set to run out for the first official time​

 

[Tigz_09]

GAME DAY

West Coast began the match in tremendous fashion with Darling and Kennedy combining for 2 very quick goals. It remained the Eagles game for almost the entire quarter as Kennedy showed his skill from long range kicking 3 goals in the quarter and looked very dangerous. West Coast had all the run and possession and kept the Dogs defending for over 18 minutes before Declan Hamilton snapped at his first goal but hit the post. It would take until the 27th minute before the Dogs could kick a major as Josh Dunkley kicked his first AFL goal from his first possession. The Bulldogs slowed the Eagles and regained some control of the ball in the final stages of the term but West Coast looked incredibly good. 33 points ahead

West Coast got further away in the second with another 3 quick goals inside 5 minutes as the margin blew out to 54 points. The Dogs didn't look despondent though as they continued to try and get themselves into the match. For a moment the dogs clicked and they went on a charge kicking 5 goals in a row and for the first time, they had the Eagles on the back foot and forced them to defend. With the Eagles class the fight back wasn't to last, as West Coast regained control in stoppage time and added 3 more goals to keep the margin close to the Quarter time total. 31 points in front

The Bulldogs took the game on in the third and put up a quick couple of goals to see them trail by just 16 points at one stage. That would be a close as they could get as West Coast lifted their work rate and slowly but surely took control of the game once again and pushed the dogs aside. The Dogs still able to go inside 50 found themselves making it harder as they couldn't convert a major and added just 4 behinds, Whilst West Coast had worked the margin back out to a healthy 37 points at the close of the term.

The final term was hotly contested and had this game been close it would have been exciting to watch. However the Dogs were always against it trying to get back 6 goals whilst the Eagles were looking to try and win big. The goals weren't many but they were tit for tat as the Dogs struck first only for the Eagles to fight back and score a reply. 6 goals were scored this way as the dogs tried desperatley to reduce the deficit. West Coast broke the trend when they kicked their 4th for the quarter and took the margin out to 46 and saw out the game with a nice first round victory.

Gia, First official game as head coach. How were the nerves?
I was pretty calm, to be honest. I've spent a bit of time in the box during last season. All that's changed now is I'm the big chair making all the calls.

Are you disappointed with today's result?
uuuhh. I'd say more frustrated than upset. We were always going to be up against it trying to win this match. We showed passages of play that were really good and we picked apart the Eagles, Then to have the complete opposite happen and we were made to look silly. We need to be putting together consistent efforts for longer periods of time if we want to win games.

You found it tough to score in the first quarter. Was that due to the Eagles pressure or did start slowly?
A combination of factors impacted that. Not so much up forward but through the middle for starter. They got away super fast and had 4 goals in a matter of minutes. We couldn't touch it through the middle and so It never forward of centre for a long time. Once we got going, We found avenues to goal. We missed a few easily gettable goals but the boys playing in the forward half aren't season campaigners so It was always going to be tough for them.​

 

[Tigz_09]