Toast Round 17 = Western Bulldogs 77-89 Collingwood

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Our defence was out of whack but held up.

Bruzzy is a lynchpin and his absence left a very big hole. Howe seemed undersized at times and so did Murph (fast becoming a favourite).

Our forward line mix was not ideal either. Putting Billy F. in attack was like fitting a square peg in a round hole.

Having said that, they were magnificent in the 3rd so arguably, we're nit-picking. The dogs are a good team.
I would of liked Billy F to go back in the 3rd qtr on Naughton and give Howe a run forward. Anyway the 3rd turned out a blistering display of footy by the boys.
 
A good win last night, especially since i was sitting in the Bulldogs cheer squad, aren't they an interesting bunch, some very questionable things said to me and to the players.

We started and finished pretty bad, that last 15 minutes, if Jordy had of kicked that goal, (not his fault though.) I think would of sealed the game.

JUH is a talent, fix up his straight on kicking at goal and he'd kick 5 goals a week easy, great at the snap around the corner goals, brilliant over his head. Too bad his talent will be wasted at the Doggies. ;);):p Same as Naughton, although he has to stop aiming for the goal post, they seem to be stocked with tall fwd players, would be good to pry one out of them, either JUH or Naughton, except Lobb, he is a dud, they can keep him.

The people’s moustache just keeps delivering, love him
I love it. I look forward to seeing him run out of our backline for the next couple of years. He seems to thrive in our system, i think if he had of gone to the Blosers, it would of been another Richmond and GC.

Would of been great if Cox had of kick a couple of those goals and gee, didn't he get held a lot, should change his last name to Curnow.

Some notable mentions, N and J Daicos (duh), The Peoples Moustache, IQ, Moore, DeGoey, Titch, Pendles, even Cameron seems to be finding form. But being behind the goals (which i hate), some times it's hard to see what's happening at the other end of the ground, so it feels like i missed half the game.

It will be great to have Bruz and Checkers back, we missed them last night. I think Steele isn't too far away as well.
 
I have to give Matthew Richardson a slap here; on the one hand he says of the JUH decision (paraphrasing here) “when you have an arm around the forward the umpires will pay that every time”, and then when Cox gets absolutely mauled in every direction it’s “you could even make the argument that that should have been a free”.

Ridiculous.
Cox took a mark in the 50 with an arm around him the entire time. Don't know how that could be missed. "He marked it" isn't an excuse not to pay the free.
 

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A couple of those goals were in "junk time", but when the game was hot particularly in that 3rd quarter, Weightman was unsighted....
Weightman is a small forward. We completely dominated the third quarter and it was one way traffic into our forward line. Dogs forwards didn't get a look in. Attributing Weightman not getting near it in the third to Quaynor is ridiculous.
and
The dogs got it back to a two goal game with 5 minutes to play. There was no junk time.
 
Weightman is a small forward. We completely dominated the third quarter and it was one way traffic into our forward line. Dogs forwards didn't get a look in. Attributing Weightman not getting near it in the third to Quaynor is ridiculous.
and
The dogs got it back to a two goal game with 5 minutes to play. There was no junk time.
There was only just over a min to go when they got it to 2 goals.
 
Fly's presser

You like to test yourselves in different ways and tonight was another type of method of getting the 4 points.
"Yeah, we went into the game thinking there was going to be a high stoppage game. The opposition are really good at that part of their game. We won the scores from stoppage battle which is something Hayden Skipworth and Scott Selwood have done a great job this year getting that part of our game going. Credit to those guys. We're here to bank wins. We're in the business of qualifying as every team in the competition are, so these wins are really important".

Your forward efficiency in the first quarter and a half was poor compared to the Dogs, but it's as if there was a flick of a switch. That must have pleased you?
"Yeah, that was the most pleasing part. I showed some footage at half time of parts of our game that we probably didn't put enough attention to before the game. I probably shouldn't say that. I think our forwards just adapted better and we had a couple of little method changes and that's the pleasing part out of the game. Every opposition is difficult to beat and they throw different things at you so you got to adapt and evolve, so I think that's probably the best thing out of tonight that whatever is thrown at us, we have an ability to adjust in game and then get the game how we want it to look".

How important was Nick Daicos in the 3rd quarter?
"It's just week after week. It's just press play and repeat on the messaging. He's an incredible talent. He has an ability to see things that others don't see in tight congestion and then his running capability; again it might not come through on TV but he's incredible at covering the ground. Then a couple of really classy goals. He's an amazing player".

6 clearances in the first quarter for Nick Daicos and then he finished up with 11 in total and 5 in the centre, he's really got that balance between his inside and outside game.
"Yeah, he keeps coming to me midweek and saying 'am I playing mid? am I playing mid?'. It's hard to put him back isn't it? When he performs the way he is in recent times. What more can you say week after week, but he's really impacting the game right now".

What does that mean for other players that someone such as Adams will be 'squeezed out' if Nick and Jordan De Goey stay in the middle?
"It's not really the language you use 'squeezed out'. It's like you just look for what the team needs on that week. Crispy played a bit more back this week knowing they're going to bring a midfielder up to a stoppage or a forward to a stoppage and it really is having an extra mid anyway. His run early was really significant I thought. I'm not sure, Tay's played a lot of forward this year but then pitch hit through the midfield. It's a good problem to have at the moment".

Next week you'll have Mihocek and McStay available for selection and Ash Johnson kicked 3 tonight. With 27 or 28 players good enough to be in the senior team, how do you keep them all happy?
"Well everyone's writing about this for about 3 or 4 weeks. It's just never happened. We haven't had our best 22 all year. So every time you think 'oh this magnet's back', you lose one other. We haven't played a game without Checkers for like; I think he played every game last year, maybe missed one. It's different like so it's getting opportunities to see what Billy Frampton can do up forward. Mason [Cox] had to play more minutes forward than he has been. We just haven't had that as a situation yet that the magnets all haven't been there. We'll deal with it when it happens".

Did you take in a brief moment to soak in the crowd atmosphere when Scott Pendlebury broke the disposal record?
"Yeah, I got off the bench and we all stood and applauded him. We wanted to celebrate it before the game. We preempted he was going to get 14 disposals, hoping we didn't moz him but we wanted to honour him in the game and celebrate every touch he had and give him the ball. It's an incredible achievement. The ability to accumulate all those numbers but the longevity, you know the game has never seen it clearly. We wanted to celebrate that".

Do you think Pendlebury can get to 4,000 touches?
"He's had 9,800 or something".

You were down 19-0 in the first quarter when Oleg Markov tackled Bailey Williams on the wing. I think you brought in Markov as a 'metres gained' player anticipating Nick Daicos might graduate off half back. How important has Markov been for the team?
"It's a good assessment. We saw a need on our list. We want Nick [Daicos] to be a midfielder futuristically but it's a cost. You move Nick from the backs, and you don't have this overlap and you don't have this decision making and Oleg [Markov] is clearly not Nick, but he's a great version of himself and that's all we want. We don't ask him to be anyone else. His running capability I've known historically is unbelievable. We're starting to see that confidence. Believe in people, give them a role, feel a sense of belonging and then get to work. Right now his magnet is firmly in that position".

It sounds like you identified some potential gaps to fill from last year. How early did you to get to work on that and it looks like you've found your targets that have improved your team?
"Graham Wright and Derek Hine, we get together late last year. This is our needs. We need someone inside mid that can be a first possession player; clearance worker. We don't have a number of magnets in that role so opportunities present; Tom Mitchell. Last minute of a trade period thankfully. I'm sitting at home biting my nails hopefully we get that done, but we did and credit again to Wrighty for doing that and then other parts of our list we saw opportunities to, and we were not going to stand still on this. I know you're talking futuristically, but right now we're seeing what we need and there's still holes. We've got many. We're not finished".

Speaking of Markov and Nick Daicos, it seemed like they combined with Noble and Quaynor with their run to turn the momentum in your favour from halfway through the 2nd quarter?
"Yeah and that's part of adapting to what the opposition are doing. How are they defending us? What are they committing numbers to? So where's our opportunities? Most times you have to have a break and a spell to be able to do that but our team's finding ways to see it and read the play and read the defence and they go 'ok they're overcommitting there or they're doing something else there, here's our opportunity'. So again, we're getting to work on those things".

How serious is the issue with Will Hoskin-Elliott?
"The report was that he's going to have scans and likely see a surgeon early in the week and probably require some operation. 3 to 4 weeks I'm hearing".

Broken hand for Hoskin-Elliott?
"Yeah, he broke his hand".

Do you expect to have Brayden Maynard back next week?
"Well, I gave him a hug after the game. I said 'you're right next week?'. He goes 'I'll be there'. That's not his fitness test, but it's going to be hard to keep him out I would have thought".

What did you make of the moment when Darcy Moore tackled Marcus Bontempelli in the goal square to save you from conceding a certain goal?
"There's so many of those things. We take great pride of those. I reckon I showed five or six really big inspirational acts that really inspire others. It's something we want to pride ourselves on. That real fight and fingernail type approach to things and it was really important wasn't it".

You spoke last week of setting yourself up for this block from July.
"Someone quoted me saying "big boy month"; I never said that. That's a Richmond thing. That's not me so I don't know where that came from, but it's an important part of the year".

Is that a general observation, or is that drawing on your days at Richmond and Brisbane when you did have success or is it something that's been identified internally?
"It's a reality of the competition right now. Everyone's trying to qualify and everyone's giving their best effort to rise. Time's running out and it's cold and it's wet and wintery. Last night's game [Richmond vs Sydney] was a real battle, the hard conditions so we're lucky enough to be under a roof, but it doesn't always present that way. It's time to get your hands dirty type of month and we set our sights on this four-week block in particular".

Is this week 1 or 2 of that block?
"I can't tell you that".


 
Fly's presser

You like to test yourselves in different ways and tonight was another type of method of getting the 4 points.


Your forward efficiency in the first quarter and a half was poor compared to the Dogs, but it's as if there was a flick of a switch. That must have pleased you?


How important was Nick Daicos in the 3rd quarter?


6 clearances in the first quarter for Nick Daicos and then he finished up with 11 in total and 5 in the centre, he's really got that balance between his inside and outside game.


What does that mean for other players that someone such as Adams will be 'squeezed out' if Nick and Jordan De Goey stay in the middle?


Next week you'll have Mihocek and McStay available for selection and Ash Johnson kicked 3 tonight. With 27 or 28 players good enough to be in the senior team, how do you keep them all happy?


Did you take in a brief moment to soak in the crowd atmosphere when Scott Pendlebury broke the disposal record?


Do you think Pendlebury can get to 4,000 touches?


You were down 19-0 in the first quarter when Oleg Markov tackled Bailey Williams on the wing. I think you brought in Markov as a 'metres gained' player anticipating Nick Daicos might graduate off half back. How important has Markov been for the team?


It sounds like you identified some potential gaps to fill from last year. How early did you to get to work on that and it looks like you've found your targets that have improved your team?


Speaking of Markov and Nick Daicos, it seemed like they combined with Noble and Quaynor with their run to turn the momentum in your favour from halfway through the 2nd quarter?


How serious is the issue with Will Hoskin-Elliott?


Broken hand for Hoskin-Elliott?


Do you expect to have Brayden Maynard back next week?


What did you make of the moment when Darcy Moore tackled Marcus Bontempelli in the goal square to save you from conceding a certain goal?


You spoke last week of setting yourself up for this block from July.


Is that a general observation, or is that drawing on your days at Richmond and Brisbane when you did have success or is it something that's been identified internally?


Is this week 1 or 2 of that block?




He's a freaking genius. I don't doubt one single decision he makes. Not one.
 

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Yep- first half of the season he was looking almost sad, sore and almost disappointed in himself or something.
He is looking menacing out there as of the last 2 weeks.
He was still looking disappointed with himself when he missed a couple yesterday. He’s his own biggest critic. Seems too hard on himself.
 
It was already clear he wasn't up to it, but anyway, that's a pretty ridiculous way of thinking about it. Bring Wilson and Murley in this week to make sure?
You don't have to take every comment so literally. And I can think about something however I choose.
 
I think they attempted to even it up in the second half and frankly did a mediocre job of it

The inconsistency was still rife.

They complained about Cameron’s throw while ignoring Libba’s in the first quarter…which led to a goal

Richards got a ridiculous 50 in the first

Only for Elliott to not get an absolutely obvious one later

Moore puts one arm around Jamara for half a second and gives away the free

Cox was literally held the entire night and didn’t get a free

In Collingwood games the free kick is almost never reflective of how the umpires actually performed. Our biggest issue in games is the frees that get ignored that really should have been paid. Both against the oppo and for us. It’s maddening and is happening weekly now

Gets molested in every marking contest and no protection from the maggots.
 
How good is winning on Friday night?
Stress free weekend.
No BS Sunday time slot. About time AFL.
This is where we belong!
That’s why I like Friday night games too.It’s a great way to start the week end.Unfortunately we don’t get many of them.It’s been more than three months since our last one..
 

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