Preview Saints v Dogs, Easter Sunday night 7:20pm @ Marvel

[beside the seaside]

The first of three games in a row at Marvel, all against tough opposition.

This is a huge game in the context of our season. 3-2 is a fantastic building block, now what can we do with it?

They will likely get Bont back and their talls will be tough to match up on.

Possible ins: Henry, Keeler, Clark

 

[Miha]

Lack of height will kill us

 

[Klaatu]

Our medium size forwards in Sharman & Owens might get off the chain if you look at previous WB games, Morris for Bris kicks 4 & Kemp for Carl kicks 5,Fredrick for Freo 3 goals.

 

[BrutThough]

As much as I was for dropping Keeler last week, I think we need him back in into take a defender away from Sharman/Owens. Unless there is anyone else tall who can do that?

Big watch on whether Henry is fit enough to bring back.

I'd also give Hastie the chance to start and move Trav to sub.

 

[Joffaboy]

Is Bont back this week?

Edit, a possibility for this week apparently.

 

[Doggy]

Is Bont back this week?

Yeah he should be. Wouldn't be surprised if he spends a bit of time forward and rotating into the midfield.

 

[Joffaboy]

Yeah he should be. Wouldn't be surprised if he spends a bit of time forward and rotating into the midfield.

Yes just read your medicals. For our sake I hope he is underdone like Butters was for Port.
Hopefully we can give you guys a contest, thankfully the AFL has decided not to break their own rules and give us a 7 day break instead of a 5 day break after two interstate games. We were cooked last year.
Good game, no injuries. Cheers

 

[Doggy]

Yes just read your medicals. For our sake I hope he is underdone like Butters was for Port.
Hopefully we can give you guys a contest, thankfully the AFL has decided not to break their own rules and give us a 7 day break instead of a 5 day break after two interstate games. We were cooked last year.
Good game, no injuries. Cheers

To an extent he will be underdone.

Was looking in rare form in the preseason so the injury really sucked. He should be breathing fire. A fit Bont would have probably got us over the line in at least 2 games

 

[Joffaboy]

To an extent he will be underdone.

Was looking in rare form in the preseason so the injury really sucked. He should be breathing fire. A fit Bont would have probably got us over the line in at least 2 games

Will be interesting to see how Macrae goes against the old club. Was really excellent the first month but was well held v GWS.
Players like to prove a point against their old club.

 

[Train12]

Will be interesting to see how Macrae goes against the old club. Was really excellent the first month but was well held v GWS.
Players like to prove a point against their old club.

Wouldn’t it be funny if Lukey boy tagged him
Couldn’t break into the dogs midfield, but I’ll tag him lol.

 

[Doggy]

Will be interesting to see how Macrae goes against the old club. Was really excellent the first month but was well held v GWS.
Players like to prove a point against their old club.

We love Macrae

 

[Nutsngum]

Will be interesting to see how Macrae goes against the old club. Was really excellent the first month but was well held v GWS.
Players like to prove a point against their old club.

How hard a tag do the dogs lay is the question. Macrae was pretty well held out of the contest last week.

 

[BucketsandBanger]

Last year we had just put in a semi-competitive performance against the Giants at the end of a long road trip and came back to play the Dogs at Marvel and the game was over in the first 10 minutes with them far far too good. This game is season defining in a lot of ways, how much have we improved on last year? We will find out.

 

[Joffaboy]

We love Macrae

My whole family are Bulldogs supporters as are many friends as I live in the district, and everyone one of them said the same thing.
We desperately required a Macrae type, Dogs decided to go in a different direction.
We got a very good player, you got 400k a year off the books and replaced him.with Kennedy as a backup who has already shown his worth.
Win win for the trade.

 

[Remboy]

Last year we had just put in a semi-competitive performance against the Giants at the end of a long road trip and came back to play the Dogs at Marvel and the game was over in the first 10 minutes with them far far too good. This game is season defining in a lot of ways, how much have we improved on last year? We will find out.

I remember thinking how much quicker the dogs looked compared to us last year. Then again, successive interstate trips followed by a five day break will probably have that affect.

 

[TheNewEnsign]

Lack of height will kill us

We're going to have to bring in Keeler and play him down back, from memory he's played there quite a bit in the VFL.

No way can we put Hammer on D'Arcy and Wilkie on Naughton (well, Wilkie / Naughton might be ok).

Rough for Keeler but it's either that or bring in Moose / Boyd and play Marshall in defence which would be worse imo.

 

[Coconut_twirl]

Should be one of the games of the round. Good test for the club.

 

[The Jack]

Can never work out how we'll fare when playing the Dogs. When I'm confident we've got a good chance winning we tend get pumped, and when I think we've got next to no chance, we win.

I'm up in the air with this one, so maybe a draw coming up.

 

[Zzzed]

Marshall if he plays, has to play the old-fashioned kick behind the play - effectively the loose behind the ball.
GWS & Brisbane are a class above, and I do rate the Dogs as a top 8 team, but this is one we have to find a way to win if we want to make finals this year.

 

[akaifu]

How hard a tag do the dogs lay is the question. Macrae was pretty well held out of the contest last week.

The Bulldogs don't normally tag I think so the most attention he'd cop would probably be from a Kennedy who's done some run-with roles in the past

I'd assume they'd be more concerned about the half back who is coming off a 3 goal performance though

 

[Bulldogs85]

This will be a great game hopefully we can make Easter Sunday fixture our own going forward. It will be hard seeing Macrae running around in other jumper love the great man and glad he is doing well for you guys

 

[True Believer]

Can never work out how we'll fare when playing the Dogs. When I'm confident we've got a good chance winning we tend get pumped, and when I think we've got next to no chance, we win.

I'm up in the air with this one, so maybe a draw coming up.

I don't see how on Easter Sunday, the Saints don't get the chocolates ??!!

 

[hotdish]

We're going to have to bring in Keeler and play him down back, from memory he's played there quite a bit in the VFL.

No way can we put Hammer on D'Arcy and Wilkie on Naughton (well, Wilkie / Naughton might be ok).

Rough for Keeler but it's either that or bring in Moose / Boyd and play Marshall in defence which would be worse imo.

The key distinction here is process v outcome and short v long term, something that Ross has alluded to verbally for the last two years and illustrated through selection.

Our structures are built around limiting the quality of entry (ie pressured ineffective kicks into our D50) and forcing entries out to the boundary lines. If they didn't bring in an extra tall (Arie) against Hogan/Cadman or Lord/Georgiades they aren't going to change their structures for Darcy and Naughton.

I acknowledge those two talls are elite and pose huge threat, but Ross will back in going small and using our elite advantage off HB (Wanganeen Milera and Sinclair).

Keeler will return and play fwd. We saw in recent years that throwing Cooper Sharman between fwd/back and wing didn't help his development... I assume that Keeler will continue to play as a forward in seniors/VFL, especially with Dougal Howard back in 3 weeks.

 

[Diehard Saint]

We love Macrae

So do we.

 

[Diehard Saint]

Last year we had just put in a semi-competitive performance against the Giants at the end of a long road trip and came back to play the Dogs at Marvel and the game was over in the first 10 minutes with them far far too good. This game is season defining in a lot of ways, how much have we improved on last year? We will find out.

Played them off two 5 day breaks and travel. We were done.
Another shocking fixture.