Preview Western Bulldogs vs West Coast Eagles. Round 1, 2014.

[lmach]

What are the chances of Murphy playing? I remember he all but ruled himself out on AFL 360 but now it sounds like he's a chance again.

 

[Igloo]

What are the chances of Murphy playing? I remember he all but ruled himself out on AFL 360 but now it sounds like he's a chance again.

Article in the HS says he's a certainty to play. Playing our intra-club tonight, and has the extra week as well.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

What are the chances of Murphy playing? I remember he all but ruled himself out on AFL 360 but now it sounds like he's a chance again.

He's playing in the intra club tonight and is a certainty for round 1 apparently, surprised all of us.

Griffen is less likely; won't play tonight and has to get through training next week.

 

[lmach]

What goes against the Eagles is that they have a few players who are ageing and as we know that can happen overnight.

Who are these players? We only have two players (Cox and Glass) over the age of 28. FWIW, we have the third youngest side in the league.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Who are these players? We only have two players (Cox and Glass) over the age of 28. FWIW, we have the third youngest side in the league.

Seems like every team has the third youngest in the league, Norf, Gold Coast, Richmond - who actually does have the third youngest list in the league?

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Who are these players? We only have two players (Cox and Glass) over the age of 28. FWIW, we have the third youngest side in the league.

Yeah I was quite suprised to see the actual age of some of your players, Butler, Hurn and Schofield look a lot older than their age. What are you guys giving them up there

 

[Oneiros]

Yeah I was quite suprised to see the actual age of some of your players, Butler, Hurn and Schofield look a lot older than their age. What are you guys giving them up there

Early male pattern baldness.

 

[ossie_21]

I'm looking more positively towards this match, for these reasons:

PROS
*Round 1, it won't all be smooth sailing for either team, it's who snaps out of scrappy play earlier/better
*We have the #1 clearance machine in the AFL
*Crameri gives us another dimension, I just hope Jones plays well at the intra-club because otherwise it throws the balance out with Grant already missing
*If Murph plays it will boost everyone
*Our entire midfield is hungry and raring to go, Stevens will want to smash it against his old club
*At the end of the day WCE have a new coach, unproven just how he reacts to certain situations during an actual game day. Could work for us if they don't get away from us early
*Cooney is back to his old, game breaking self

CONS
*It's at Subi, never a good ground for us
*Natanui/Cox combo can destroy anyone, and tbh I reckon Nat is WAY fitter than they are letting on. Ready to rip from the opening bounce I reckon
*Kennedy always destroys us...from the opening bounce. Need to keep him & Darling relatively quiet
*Same as one of the positives, new coach can also lead to them being right up for it
*Not sure if we have enough run in the team to match WC. Need to be way better in effective disposals when going forward because if we are chasing them around most of the day we will be screwed

 

[Jimmy_the_Gent]

Seems like every team has the third youngest in the league, Norf, Gold Coast, Richmond - who actually does have the third youngest list in the league?

Port Adelaide, going by the list I stole from this thread.

Here's the table:

Adelaide: 25.261
Fremantle:24.058
Sydney: 24.043
Richmond: 24.025
Carlton: 24.010
North: 23.343
Collingwood: 23.292
StKilda: 23.286
Hawthorn: 23.281
Essendon: 23.267
Bulldogs: 23.240
West Coast: 23.162
Geelong: 23.139
Melbourne: 23.139
Brisbane:23.029
Port: 23.026
Gold Coast: 22.188
GWS: 21.267

FWIW, I don't think these lists mean much. It takes 1 off season to go from one of the oldest to one of the youngest and being young doesn't actually mean you'll be good one day.

 

[Beutbrute]

Early male pattern baldness.

It's called the bald eagle

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Port Adelaide, going by the list I stole from this thread.

Here's the table:


FWIW, I don't think these lists mean much. It takes 1 off season to go from one of the oldest to one of the youngest and being young doesn't actually mean you'll be good one day.

Very true, age and experience are not always grown together. For example Williams is one of our senior players, but has only played 78 games due to injuries, Goodes is nearly 30 and through being recruited as a mature rookie, still hasn't played 50 games.

Take out Murphy, Morris, Goodes, Gia and Boyd and our age will drop dramatically. Fortunately our midfield doesn't rely on Boyd anymore, but our back line needs to get more experience into it, as Murphy and Morris still hold things together.

 

[Nightowl]

I reckon we're doomed.

Is that u Danny from Droop Street ?

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

I reckon we're doomed.

*Head may explode if Kennedy kicks a bag again

 

[threenewpadlocks]

We need to keep an eye on Gaff. Killed us last year in the game we won.

 

[fronkalicious]

We need to keep an eye on Gaff. Killed us last year in the game we won.

I wouldn't be tagging gaff. I'd be rotating macrae, cooney, hrovat and murphy through his wing and making him work both ways. I'd be tagging shuey.

My updated round 1 team:

FB: jj (resting mid) roughead (Nic/nat) Morris (kennedy)
Hb: murphy (lecras) talia (darling) Higgins (hill)
C: macrae wallis (tag shuey) cooney
Hf: Stevens Williams Crameri
Ff: dal jones Dickson
R: Minson griff Libba
Ic: hrovat, hunter, Boyd sub: gia

Picken, goodes, young, stringer, campbell and wood miss out.

I'm assuming griff and Williams are right to go. If Williams isn't right, I'd play stringer and have he and Crameri play as high half-forwards. If griff isn't right id play wood, for his ability to run through the middle and also to trouble-shoot on lecras, darling or hill if they cut loose.

Roughie can spell wilbur with Williams swinging back.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Tag has to go to Masten in my opinion. He has been immense over the pre-season and if he gets off the leash we're in trouble. I imagine Wallis will rotate though, covering Shuey, Masten and Gaff over the course of the match.

 

[Igloo]

Yeah, I'd go with Masten as well.

Although I do hate Shuey, so I wouldn't oppose seeing him shut down.

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

Yeah, I'd go with Masten as well.

Although I do hate Shuey, so I wouldn't oppose seeing him shut down.

Watch Shuey if he's on screen for a while or if you're at a WCE game live and watch how often his head twitches or moves. It gets to me now I've had it pointed out

 

[Cudi]

After watching tonights game this is my team for Round 1 (more so what I think it will be rather than what I want to see)

B: Morris Roughead Wood
HB: Murphy Talia Higgins
C: Macrae Boyd Cooney
HF: Stevens Jones Crameri
F: Hunter Cambpell Dahlhaus
Foll: Minson Griffen Libba
Int: JJ Wallis Hrovat Gia
Emg: Goodes Stringer Picken

Matching up against Eagles I'd go:

Cox/Naitanui - Roughead
Kennedy - Morris
Darling - Talia
Lecras - Wood
Murphy - Hill
Wellingham?/Other mid forward - JJ

 

[dogwatch]

Apropos Shuey:
I'm hoping there will be serious focus on the duckers this year so they don't automatically get a free when tackled high. Ideally it should be a free AGAINST you if you duck into a tackle (that would stop the practice pretty quickly) but we might just have to settle for the umpire calling "ducked into it ... play on!"

[NB: Joel Selwood is different. He sneakily buckles at the knee so his whole body drops and he gets taken above the shoulder - he doesn't so much duck (bend into) the tackle.]

 

[fargy]

I'd prefer more time be put into Shuey.

 

[doggies ftw]

I'm okay with it being play on, probably shouldn't be a free against just for ducking. But if you duck and get caught you should be pinged straight away.

Also for the game next week, I really wan't to see the Kennedy job go to Talia for the match, even if JK starts to get on top leave him there to see how he reacts, good match up for him.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

I actually think the 'ducking rule' was enforced really well in the pre-season. A few odd calls but you're going to get them regardless of what you do. Overall, though, the duckers were called out and it was play on. If the officiating during the season is as consistent as it was during the pre-season I'll be happy.

Also as a side note, while the Coasters may have a reputation for this kind of thing, a few of our boys are also exceptionally talented at it. It goes both ways.

 

[dogwatch]

I actually think the 'ducking rule' was enforced really well in the pre-season. A few odd calls but you're going to get them regardless of what you do. Overall, though, the duckers were called out and it was play on. If the officiating during the season is as consistent as it was during the pre-season I'll be happy.

Also as a side note, while the Coasters may have a reputation for this kind of thing, a few of our boys are also exceptionally talented at it. It goes both ways.

Not arguing that. I'm aware of it. I just don't like the practice, same as for Riewoldting (diving) which Johnno became proficient in, late in his career. Neither practice is in the spirit of the game and doesn't make good watching.

 

[pantskyle]

I'm tipping us to win by one million goals.

Nah just kidding, we won't win by that much but near enough.