Review Round 5, 2017 - Western Bulldogs vs. Brisbane Lions

[Bucking Beads]

Once again some really good signs showed by our boys. The first half was very good. I knew the Bulldogs were going to come back but that doesn't make it any less disappointing.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Performances like yesterday go a long way towards us keeping our young team together imo.

 

[Mingo]

Commiserations guys. Your rebounding out of our forward line and transitioning to a Brisbane goal was as good as I've ever seen in that first half. We were being out coached and it wad insanely frustrating to see us fail time after time and then be shown how it should be done. We were 5 goals down and the ball was in our forward half for 75% of the game according to the big screen. I've never seen anything like it

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[dlanod]

That 50 against Rich at 9:22 terrible call

That was the deal breaker for me. Watching in real-time Rich had left his feet and dived for the spoil before the ball arrived, collided and dragged the man down after he was already committed. So should he have pulled ninja s**t and changed course in mid air, or just allowed an uncontested mark? I'm pretty sure the umpire would've preferred the latter.

Can you collate all the bulldogs throws that weren't called.

I thought about doing that after the fourth or fifth incident where the Dogs dropped the ball without any reward for our tackle as opposed to what was getting paid against us, but it basically would've been footage of the full game.

 

[13Beast]

Yeah okay. Fair enough. I think we overrate Gardiner though. Anyway, yeah Dawson had a shocker. I don't rate him. Anyone, doubt he will be dropped after one game.


For me....
Out: Bastinac and Berry
In: Paparone and Walker

Hard to predict what Fagan would do, but if he leaves Dawson in after that, then you can likely take it to the bank that he'll leave Bastinac in too

 

[lioninthesand]

Yeah I know its a pointless excercise, but could someone with editing prowess please.. please.. compile a video of the lost and forgotten throws and ball drops from the Dogs. Must have been 10+ and throw in some other howlers while you're there.

 

[mikey127]

There were two absolutely FERAL Dogs fans sitting behind the Lions cheersquad giving us hell in the last quarter. They even had the audacity to target two elderly women behind us who were simply just trying to enjoy their time at the footy. Most disgusted I've ever been. Banter is one thing, but getting personal is another.

There was also one ferral just to the right of the Lions supporter bay that was silent all game then got very cocky in the last quarter. Was giving it to me and my mate as we left. I just reminded him that they were paying $1.05 and struggled to beat us.

Also I'm all for us supporting Fitzroy junior FC but does any else think that giving them the first 4 rows if the Lions supporter bay at the expense of members is going a bit far? Many of them don't even barrack for the Lions.

 

[Football Pope]

There were two absolutely FERAL Dogs fans sitting behind the Lions cheersquad giving us hell in the last quarter. They even had the audacity to target two elderly women behind us who were simply just trying to enjoy their time at the footy. Most disgusted I've ever been. Banter is one thing, but getting personal is another.

And that's when you report them to the security for anti-social behavior...get no result ring the number on the big screen...I've even gone down the path of filming and sending it to the offending club..as well as using it to show security how out of line they were...

https://membership.westernbulldogs.com.au/code-conduct-3

 

[Football Pope]

Hard to predict what Fagan would do, but if he leaves Dawson in after that, then you can likely take it to the bank that he'll leave Bastinac in too

...

Dawson is on gas .....He'll Liam..(sorry)

Bastinac did a couple of nice things...also stuffed up a couple of times...wasn't alone in the stuff up department

Young Schache was way of the pace may need time in the Magoos...

 

[13Beast]

...

Young Schache was way of the pace may need time in the Magoos...

He did look a bit slow. Not sure if it was mostly after that big knee to his ribcage though? He looked a bit ginger last week too.

 

[13Beast]

Close straight in if Schache isn't quite 100%

 

[AFLQLD]

As much as it irks many of us, the umpires seem to work on the premise that a few teams like the Dogs are just so skilled that they get away these amazing handballs yet other teams don't. This assumption gets built up over time and reinforced by the media.

In actual fact the Bulldogs are just the latest team to benefit from this mythical elevation of their skills in the eyes of the umpires. This isn't an attack on the Dogs or any other top team. I suspect we benefitted from it in our golden days too. It is a real problem for AFL where so many of the rules are open to subjective interpretation, perhaps more so than any other football code. Virtually every aspect of the game is at the whim of an umpire's interpretation.

Top teams in general get the benefit of the doubt, have negative aspects of rules applied more leniently and get away with more borderline rule breaking than bottom teams. I think the last decade of football provides plenty of evidence that this is the case. So many line ball decisions tend to go the way of the better team, far more than the statistical likelihood.

The unfortunate part is it can only ever be a discussion based on case by case examples rather than hard data because so much of it comes down to subtle interpretation around the grey areas in the rule book. How long is long enough for holding the ball? How much interference by a defender is too much? When does prior opportunity begin and end? What is incorrect disposal and what is a ball knocked out in a tackle? The words are clear in the rule book, but the actual interpretation is a sea of grey.

This isn't even conscious bias by umpires. I doubt there is a consciously biased umpire in the AFL. However they do it because they are human and the natural inclination is to assume greater benefit to a better team. The better team is assumed to be better in regard to the rules. It is very subtle and very hard to fight. Robot umpires would help!

And don't get me started on umpires giving Brownlow votes! In terms of impartiality, a really really bad idea! Talk about self-fulfilling prophecies. A first year sociology student could spot that as a flawed idea. Again, it is subtle but like it or not, an umpire has a clear conflict between impartial adjudicating and choosing best and fairest - but y'know...tradition.

 

[CarterS]

Wouldn't mind someone like Johannisen coming off half back. What a gun.

 

[BigCat2]

Good post AFLQLD. In Psychology it might be referred to as the Halo Effect, where highly regarded individuals / organisations are looked upon favourably in most regards, even in areas where said entity does not display proficiency in the area. Commentators going on about "Chris Judd missing a kick, that's unlike him" anyone?

But that aside, some clubs DO actively go out to influence umpires. Rumours of an umpire's wedding paid for by Hawthorn a few years ago...they are only human.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Liam Dawson looked lost down back. Has he even been playing down back in the ressies. He's got talent but looked out of position yesterday.

A lot of our turnovers are the direct result of our new style of play IMO. The players have clearly been told to back themselves and their skills but unfortunately it doesn't work out for us as often as we'd like.

 

[13Beast]

Liam Dawson looked lost down back. Has he even been playing down back in the ressies. He's got talent but looked out of position yesterday.

A lot of our turnovers are the direct result of our new style of play IMO. The players have clearly been told to back themselves and their skills but unfortunately it doesn't work out for us as often as we'd like.

As much as I am all for persisting with youth, you'd have to wonder after Dawson's performance last night. The trade off is always benefit of improvement vs on field liability. I think the latter is too big to keep him in just yet. If Cox/Berry/McLuggage continue to trend upwards this season, where they can hold their own admirably, carrying Dawson so he gets some experience wouldn't be as much of a glaring issue.

 

[AFLQLD]

Good post AFLQLD. In Psychology it might be referred to as the Halo Effect, where highly regarded individuals / organisations are looked upon favourably in most regards, even in areas where said entity does not display proficiency in the area. Commentators going on about "Chris Judd missing a kick, that's unlike him" anyone?

But that aside, some clubs DO actively go out to influence umpires. Rumours of an umpire's wedding paid for by Hawthorn a few years ago...they are only human.

I always remember Judd kicking a horror kick to a team mate who was a chance to run unopposed inside 50. The kick not only went along the ground but eventually rolled across the boundary line.

Bruce Macavaney: "Clever kick by the champ. Already planning his team's next move from the throw in."

 

[Bucking Beads]

As much as I am all for persisting with youth, you'd have to wonder after Dawson's performance last night. The trade off is always benefit of improvement vs on field liability. I think the latter is too big to keep him in just yet. If Cox/Berry/McLuggage continue to trend upwards this season, where they can hold their own admirably, carrying Dawson so he gets some experience wouldn't be as much of a glaring issue.

Depending on injuries I think it'd still be good to give Dawson another game to see how he bounces back from yesterday. Cedric Cox looks talented but looks pretty lost out there too. He'll probably go back to the Ressies next week.

 

[Dalions]

Close straight in if Schache isn't quite 100%

To be honest, i think Hammer deserves a go first. If they decide to go for a 3rd tall forward.
He has been showing more in the 2's.

 

[Cooties]

We've known this for a while but shout out to Martin for 50 hitouts, 80% DE for a big man and 96% time on ground... the man's a workhorse that keeps on giving

 

[jackess]

To be honest, i think Hammer deserves a go first. If they decide to go for a 3rd tall forward.
He has been showing more in the 2's.

Do we need 3 skinny tall forwards? Hammer still needs to run around to get wet in the shower.

 

[Dalions]

Do we need 3 skinny tall forwards? Hammer still needs to run around to get wet in the shower.

I agree. I am happy to stick with the 2 talls. I think the game as a whole is going more down the path of pace and mobility.

 

[scott_the_man]

Liam Dawson looked lost down back. Has he even been playing down back in the ressies. He's got talent but looked out of position yesterday.

A lot of our turnovers are the direct result of our new style of play IMO. The players have clearly been told to back themselves and their skills but unfortunately it doesn't work out for us as often as we'd like.

Been playing defence in the ressies this year. Racked up about 30 touches and 15 marks last week

 

[knaf]

Not complaining about the result. across four quarters the Doggies were the better side. But in terms of the Halo effect it appears that it follows the side with the run on. In the second quarter i think the free kick count favoured us. In the third I think the doggies got 8 or 9 free kicks in a row. 50/50s favoured the team on top in both quarters. Umpires clearly caught up in the emotion of the side with a run on. Been annoying me for years.

Congratulations to Bob. I think he belongs to all true foot fans. No just the Doggies.

 

[Nunez]

Liam Dawson looked lost down back. Has he even been playing down back in the ressies. He's got talent but looked out of position yesterday.

A lot of our turnovers are the direct result of our new style of play IMO. The players have clearly been told to back themselves and their skills but unfortunately it doesn't work out for us as often as we'd like.

I felt bad tor Liam. He was forced into Dizzys role (they're completely different footballers) with him being a late out and you could tell he was very nervous. If he stays in, I'm sure he'll be much improved next week. He's still a kid.