WestCoast vs Bulldogs

[WestCoastJonny]

Are we worried about playing at the Telstra Dome (melbourne) against the Doggies or are we ready to not give it a second thought.

 

[Eagles4Ever]

I think that no matter where we play or who we play every game is going to be tough, and the same applies for all teams. The comp is tightening up more and more every year and this year will be no different. All we have to do is pick the right players to match up for each game and for those players to focus on doing the job given to them.

 

[Streaker]

If anything the Bulldogs would be more confident about playing at Docklands than we would be.

Their record at that stadium is pretty poor.

Played 48
Won 16
Drawn 1
Lost 31

They have only won 1 out of their last 10 matches there.

We don't fair that well when we play there either.

Played 14
Won 3
Drawn 1
Lost 10

We have won 2 out of our last 10 games there.

I think you will find that our new team set up will suprise a lot of teams as they haven't seen much of the likes of Johnson, Lynch and McDougall.

My prediction Eagles by 35 points

 

[sedders]

I hope you're right.

I actually think the doggies are gonna give us a real run for our money. The last time we played it was a draw at subi, a real suprise, and before that we lost by 51 points at optus.

My tip, very close, eagles by 1

having said that the doggies look good at $2.30 so i'd put my money there (but hope to lose it)

 

[WestCoastJonny]

Johnson, Lynch and McDougall. I can't wait to see these guys line up together for the coast. I think the team can only go forward with the likes of these boys playing.

From pre season talk Lynch sounds great at CHB and from all accounts thats were he should/will play but also is a good option to go forward. He proved this in 2002 with a couple bags of five goals including massive bombs from 50.

Johnson is a big boy and looks like he was born to play CHF and even if he does not have the kind of impact say a Treadre would he still would create a presents and that is what we need.

Now McDougall, who knows. Has tasted finals footy and played a few games and does look promising. I think he got something to prove to Woosha more so than most.

 

[Exeter]

Originally posted by WestCoastJonny
Johnson, Lynch and McDougall. I can't wait to see these guys line up together for the coast. I think the team can only go forward with the likes of these boys playing.

From pre season talk Lynch sounds great at CHB and from all accounts thats were he should/will play but also is a good option to go forward. He proved this in 2002 with a couple bags of five goals including massive bombs from 50.

Johnson is a big boy and looks like he was born to play CHF and even if he does not have the kind of impact say a Treadre would he still would create a presents and that is what we need.

Now McDougall, who knows. Has tasted finals footy and played a few games and does look promising. I think he got something to prove to Woosha more so than most.

Its also a new look forward structure untested at top level. There will be a bedding down period where players like Matera, Sampi, Embley et al will need to adjust to the new structure and there is the risk of uncertainty and confusion as the team adjusts to a very different structure and forward delivery

Potential is one thing, but I prefer to wait and see - I expect by about round 7 we'll have a clearer indication of what's likely to happen

 

[WestCoastJonny]

Originally posted by Exeter
Its also a new look forward structure untested at top level. There will be a bedding down period where players like Matera, Sampi, Embley et al will need to adjust to the new structure and there is the risk of uncertainty and confusion as the team adjusts to a very different structure and forward delivery

Potential is one thing, but I prefer to wait and see - I expect by about round 7 we'll have a clearer indication of what's likely to happen

this is a very good point, maybe even the whole season.

 

[The Passenger]

a game we must win early on to make a bit of a statement.

These guys were wooden spooners last year, and we are a team who should genuinely be looking for a top 4 spot (top 6 at worst) IMO.

Jade Rawlings is a big plus for them, and they do have some very good players - Grant, Darcy, Johnson, Smith and West and co. - but after their best 7 or 8 players, they've got very little. (In saying that, some unknown like Shane Birrs (is he still even on their list?) will come out and kick a bag or something.....)

Always important to get a round 1 win i reckon....

 

[Mead]

In view of our next month or so, a very very important game to win- with Port, Essendon and Brisbane in the next three weeks, a win here takes the pressure off us over that stretch- if we got through our first month say 2-2, with Gardiner running into some match fitness and Glass and Gassy back out on the park, then we can build our season from there on.

 

[Streaker]

Originally posted by Black Thunder
Jade Rawlings is a big plus for them, and they do have some very good players - Grant, Darcy, Johnson, Smith and West and co. - but after their best 7 or 8 players, they've got very little. (In saying that, some unknown like Shane Birrs (is he still even on their list?) will come out and kick a bag or something.....)

I think their list extends a fair bit beyond 7 or 8 players. From what I have seen of their pre-season campaign Bowden and Giansiracusa have been playing pretty well. I also think that they are hoping that Grant will come back and be the gun he was before his knee injury, but as we all know this doesn't happen very often. They would be in the same position as us in regards to talls with Grant as slow as Jakovich, Bandy doing his best Trent Croad impersonation and talls such as Skipper, Harris and Morgan all being promising KPP but not having the experience as yet.

I think our KPPs have shown more over the pre-season and where we could hurt them the most is through our small forwards in Matera and Sampi. It will be interesting to see how our midfield functions without Kerr (suspension) and possibly Fletcher (thigh) (although there hasn't been much mention of him missing). Woosha has said that "Chick, Braun and possibly Sampi" are all viable options in the midfield. I would like to see both Sampi and Wirrpunda rotating through the centre off of the back flank. I would also like to see Waters given a run off of the bench.

Should be an interesting match to see how the new boys play in the real game. Woosha has said that the opportunities are there to be taken and “I don’t necessarily expect them to be best on ground every week but I expect the same amount of effort every week. So as long as they’re putting in the effort they deserve a chance.”

 

[WaDsY]

If we are serious about being the team we all believe we are, then we should account of the bulldogs with ease. Simple as that.

 

[Streaker]

Originally posted by Exeter
Potential is one thing, but I prefer to wait and see - I expect by about round 7 we'll have a clearer indication of what's likely to happen

The same would have been said in '91 with the likes of Jakovich and McIntosh and a few others making their debuts. Rather than err on the side of caution I believe our players are good enough now.

 

[eagleye]

one thing i learned last year was that there are 2 eagles sides, the side that can play well with a fiery midfield and kick huge scores and beat the best temas in the league comfortably, then there is the team that can't travel, can't win many clearences, doesn't have a leading goal kicker, and struggle against the bottom 4 sides.
Now this season hopefully the leading goal kicker can be taken away, but our midfield although one of the best can be unpredictable. No one knows if the team that gets of the plane will be the great side or the lousy side. Being a victorian, i knwo we can play bad, really bad, last year i only saw us win one game live, the rest, like the st. kilda game, the bulldogs game in 2002, the essendon game and a bunch of others i can't remember were real shokers. Lets face it we sucked in those games.
Now fast forward to this season, and i think our leading forward problem has been answered, but we don't knwo whether we can travel, we don't know alot of things. I certainly hope we win and think we can but we might not, and if there is one thing i learned from last year is not to be to confident, especially at away games.

my tip: eagles by 21 points

 

[GoEagles]

We'll be fine as long as they close the roof. The game vs St Kilda was a joke when half the ground was in the shade and the other half had the players trying to shield the sun from their eyes.

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

Originally posted by sedders

having said that the doggies look good at $2.30 so i'd put my money there (but hope to lose it)

I'm tempted to put a bit down on West Coast to win by over 39.5pts at $4.15. Maybe hedge it by putting a similar amount on either team to win by under 15.5pts at $3.35

Only way you walk away with a loss is if the bulldogs have a comfortable win over us, or WC win by a margin between 16-39pts. But with WC winning 75% of their rd1's, playing against last years wooden spooners, I reckon its a decent bet. At least considering the returns, its a risk worth taking on (assuming you can afford to lose the money).

 

[sedders]

Originally posted by daddy_4_eyes
I'm tempted to put a bit down on West Coast to win by over 39.5pts at $4.15. Maybe hedge it by putting a similar amount on either team to win by under 15.5pts at $3.35

Only way you walk away with a loss is if the bulldogs have a comfortable win over us, or WC win by a margin between 16-39pts. But with WC winning 75% of their rd1's, playing against last years wooden spooners, I reckon its a decent bet. At least considering the returns, its a risk worth taking on (assuming you can afford to lose the money).

thats a very good bet. Given the eagles unpradictability over here, they'll either lose by a little, win by a little or completely thrash em.

Does +-15.5 include a draw?