LAST TIME THEY MET: EAGLES STUN THE BULLDOGS AT MARVEL
The last time we faced the Bulldogs was the last time any of us felt any joy, as we stunned the football world by taking the 4 points for just the 3rd time all season. Ironically, many of us felt it was a rather bitter-sweet victory as it was widely assumed that it was going to cost us Pick 1 and the beautiful long-haired campaigner that storied pick would bring us. That was until the mighty North Melbourne did the unthinkable and put the hapless Gold Coast Suns to the sword down in sunny Hobart in Round 24.
For the first time in a while, we burst out of the gates and held control for the majority of the game. We kicked the first 3 goals and, for the first half, held firm and went into half time with a close lead of 11 points. However, our traditional slump in the premiership quarter reared its ugly head once again, as we allowed the Dogs to outscore us in the 3rd quarter 5 goals to 2. This saw us go into the final change down by 9 points.
Enter: Jamie Cripps.
3 last quarter goals from the veteran from Northampton saw us home, running out victors by 7 points.
HOW WE DID IT
The stats sheet for this game was dead even across the park, the only significant difference between the two sides was our marginally better ball use. We went at 74% disposal efficiency, 69% for the bad guys. Our i50 efficiency was 54%, compared to 47% for them.
Theyedged nudged us in the hitouts, 57 to 46, however we just took come the choccies in clearances, both from the bounce and around the ground.
The only other significant stat win for us, was in the marks. Adam Simpson’s genius premiership game-plan proved superior once again, as we played the game on our terms with our familiar chip-mark-chip-mark style.
Oh, and there was one other stat the Bulldogs won, which will shock all of you:
I personally can’t wait to see Cody Weightman kick 5 first quarter goals, all of them from incorrectly paid free kicks! (Cope and seethe, I know)
CAN WE DO IT AGAIN?
Of course we can. Our form suggests otherwise, but if you don’t tune in with that glimmer of hope every week, then you might as well not tune in at all. Obviously, a lot needs to go right for us to take home the choccies this week. The main thing we need to work on is our turnovers. Not necessarily how many we’re making, because the Giants actually made one more than we did last week.
We need to stop making them in the middle of the ground and leaving ourselves wide open to the counter-attack through the corridor. Our turnovers cost us 33 points in the first half alone against the Giants.
I believe this is going to be a trend we continue to see for the foreseeable future, if Simmo continues with this new game plan. There will be some pain while our young midfield adjusts to this new, bolder style (dare I call it Bazball like???) I’m a fan of it, and I’d rather lose heavily trying something new than just continue going through the motions like we have been for the past 3 years. It’s new, it’s exciting, and I think the short term pain will be worth it when we start to string it all together.
The Dogs are fresh off a comprehensive win over Dimma’s ProdigalSons Suns in Ballarat. The Dogs smashed the Suns all over the park, comprehensively winning the clearances, possessions, marks, and tackles despite leading for the entire game. They were hungry, and showed they’re a serious side once again.
But... they haven’t seen our secret weapon: a 19 year old with a s**t moustache and a hairline that’s giving up quicker than Luke Shuey’s hamstrings did.
MEET COBY BURGIEL
He’s exciting, he’s young, he’s fast,and he’s (hopefully) making his debut this week. * RECORD SCRATCH * due to unforeseen circumstances (having his appendix removed under a shroud of mystery), Coby Burgiel will sadly not feature for the foreseeable future.
The young lad from Gippsland was taken with pick 29 in the 2022 National Draft. He only played 3 senior games in the WAFL last season, but managed to average a solid 20 touches and 4 marks, and has been at the top of everyone’s weekly inclusions following a solid pre-season with the Beagles. This is a real shame, because we could really ******* use someone like him right now.
WILL WE DO IT AGAIN?
This game will be a more true representation of where we’re at than the Giants game was, in my opinion. The Giants are quite rightly the Premiership favourites, and they came to the West with a point to prove after their shock loss to us last year.
The Bulldogs have been a bit of a bogey team for us in recent years, but we showed in Round 23 that we can take it up to them, and beat them, on their home patch. Sure, we don’t have some key personnel, but we’ve gained one of the most exciting young prospects in recent years in Harley Reid. We’ve got more green shoots waiting in the wings, waiting to stake their claim. Will we do it again? Probably not, but hey, we’ve got Harley Reid now, so 61 touches and 19 goals from him will just about seal the deal.
Prediction: Eagles by 1 goal for every mark Jack Darling takes (so probably like 2 goals), Luke Beveridge to pelt a half full Gatroade bottle at Tom Morris in the presser.
The last time we faced the Bulldogs was the last time any of us felt any joy, as we stunned the football world by taking the 4 points for just the 3rd time all season. Ironically, many of us felt it was a rather bitter-sweet victory as it was widely assumed that it was going to cost us Pick 1 and the beautiful long-haired campaigner that storied pick would bring us. That was until the mighty North Melbourne did the unthinkable and put the hapless Gold Coast Suns to the sword down in sunny Hobart in Round 24.
For the first time in a while, we burst out of the gates and held control for the majority of the game. We kicked the first 3 goals and, for the first half, held firm and went into half time with a close lead of 11 points. However, our traditional slump in the premiership quarter reared its ugly head once again, as we allowed the Dogs to outscore us in the 3rd quarter 5 goals to 2. This saw us go into the final change down by 9 points.
Enter: Jamie Cripps.
3 last quarter goals from the veteran from Northampton saw us home, running out victors by 7 points.
HOW WE DID IT
The stats sheet for this game was dead even across the park, the only significant difference between the two sides was our marginally better ball use. We went at 74% disposal efficiency, 69% for the bad guys. Our i50 efficiency was 54%, compared to 47% for them.
They
The only other significant stat win for us, was in the marks. Adam Simpson’s genius premiership game-plan proved superior once again, as we played the game on our terms with our familiar chip-mark-chip-mark style.
Oh, and there was one other stat the Bulldogs won, which will shock all of you:
I personally can’t wait to see Cody Weightman kick 5 first quarter goals, all of them from incorrectly paid free kicks! (Cope and seethe, I know)
CAN WE DO IT AGAIN?
Of course we can. Our form suggests otherwise, but if you don’t tune in with that glimmer of hope every week, then you might as well not tune in at all. Obviously, a lot needs to go right for us to take home the choccies this week. The main thing we need to work on is our turnovers. Not necessarily how many we’re making, because the Giants actually made one more than we did last week.
We need to stop making them in the middle of the ground and leaving ourselves wide open to the counter-attack through the corridor. Our turnovers cost us 33 points in the first half alone against the Giants.
I believe this is going to be a trend we continue to see for the foreseeable future, if Simmo continues with this new game plan. There will be some pain while our young midfield adjusts to this new, bolder style (dare I call it Bazball like???) I’m a fan of it, and I’d rather lose heavily trying something new than just continue going through the motions like we have been for the past 3 years. It’s new, it’s exciting, and I think the short term pain will be worth it when we start to string it all together.
The Dogs are fresh off a comprehensive win over Dimma’s Prodigal
But... they haven’t seen our secret weapon: a 19 year old with a s**t moustache and a hairline that’s giving up quicker than Luke Shuey’s hamstrings did.
MEET COBY BURGIEL
He’s exciting, he’s young, he’s fast,
The young lad from Gippsland was taken with pick 29 in the 2022 National Draft. He only played 3 senior games in the WAFL last season, but managed to average a solid 20 touches and 4 marks, and has been at the top of everyone’s weekly inclusions following a solid pre-season with the Beagles. This is a real shame, because we could really ******* use someone like him right now.
WILL WE DO IT AGAIN?
This game will be a more true representation of where we’re at than the Giants game was, in my opinion. The Giants are quite rightly the Premiership favourites, and they came to the West with a point to prove after their shock loss to us last year.
The Bulldogs have been a bit of a bogey team for us in recent years, but we showed in Round 23 that we can take it up to them, and beat them, on their home patch. Sure, we don’t have some key personnel, but we’ve gained one of the most exciting young prospects in recent years in Harley Reid. We’ve got more green shoots waiting in the wings, waiting to stake their claim. Will we do it again? Probably not, but hey, we’ve got Harley Reid now, so 61 touches and 19 goals from him will just about seal the deal.
Prediction: Eagles by 1 goal for every mark Jack Darling takes (so probably like 2 goals), Luke Beveridge to pelt a half full Gatroade bottle at Tom Morris in the presser.
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