where do we stand?

[TheTimberMerchant#14]

unlike a few others on this board, im not too downcast after watching this game and a few others over the weekend.

IMHO the bulldogs were super y'day and apart from a 15 minute period at the start of the 2nd quarter, where everything they touched turned to gold, i thought we pretty much stuck with for the remained. granted the game was as good as over when they got 6 goals up, but i think the way we played y'day wasn't too bad against definately the best victorian team (after watching the saints v dees on friday).

other games, the way the were played and the results also make me think that this result was ok even if we did lose. the pies v roos and saints v dees games which contained 3 out of the best 4 vic teams last year, the other being the dogs, enstiled plenty of confidence that we could easily account for them on ours and their showings this weekend. also results like port def freo and dons def crows, both at home, shows that the gap may have closed dramatically over the summer.

if i do have to be critical of y'days performance it would be that the ball had to be delivered properly to our forwards, rather than thinking we've got giants against their dwarfs in the back half so all we had to do was kick it long and high. but as y'day showed all they had to do was make the ball hit the deck and the dogs were able to rebound with great effect.
this was also a bit more worring yday as we normally have great forward line crumbers able to pinch the occasional goal or at least hold the ball in there.they seemed to go missing yday.
also the midfielders need to back themselves more when they have a chance to kick a goal. can think of a couple of times yday (prismall and enright?) when they tried to effect a pass instead of having a shot on goal which they should've done.

after all that, i believe the the dogs are easily the best vic club, and after watching a few others believe that we are the 2nd best, and last time i looked it was enough to get into the 8.

just had to get that off my chest.

but then again if we lose to carlton the above may just be rubbish?

 

[TheTimberMerchant#14]

thoughts

 

[thegerman]

It is a good post, however I know what sort of trash will come your way. There is a lot of people on this board who are too pessimistic for their own good. Cannot see any good point in a 100pt win if they were expecting 200pts.

I think we are thereabouts, (as in the top 8), however I know we are better but I don't need to go ballistic just because they lost.

We have some highly skilled team-members out, some forced through night activities, and some through suspensions. Rooke is out injured, so is King.

We have some great thoughts to take out of the weekend, like Nathan Ablett and Corey Enright.

The Dogs are a classy unit, they have pace to burn and remember that the dome is perfectly matched to their game. So no need to panic just yet.

I think we will learn a lot from this game.

 

[DK#8]

Bulldogs strength is their pace and it is our weakness. We need to become more of a physical side that smashes teams around the packs, considering our lack of pace. Or else we will go no where

 

[nunya]

I agree, I went to the Brisbane game a couple of weeks ago and we were killed by pace out of their back half. On owe day we have talent to burn, but when a team gets a roll on as the doggies did the other day we need to show some physical stuff. We will struggle to match them for pace.

Blokes like Cam Mooney and Scarlett need to show some of the phsyical stuff we know they love so much. Sometimes Mooney just looks frustrated and Scarlett looks bored.

I think we will show a lot more this week against Carlton!

 

[chapmanmagic35]

unlike a few others on this board, im not too downcast after watching this game and a few others over the weekend.

IMHO the bulldogs were super y'day and apart from a 15 minute period at the start of the 2nd quarter, where everything they touched turned to gold, i thought we pretty much stuck with for the remained. granted the game was as good as over when they got 6 goals up, but i think the way we played y'day wasn't too bad against definately the best victorian team (after watching the saints v dees on friday).

other games, the way the were played and the results also make me think that this result was ok even if we did lose. the pies v roos and saints v dees games which contained 3 out of the best 4 vic teams last year, the other being the dogs, enstiled plenty of confidence that we could easily account for them on ours and their showings this weekend. also results like port def freo and dons def crows, both at home, shows that the gap may have closed dramatically over the summer.

if i do have to be critical of y'days performance it would be that the ball had to be delivered properly to our forwards, rather than thinking we've got giants against their dwarfs in the back half so all we had to do was kick it long and high. but as y'day showed all they had to do was make the ball hit the deck and the dogs were able to rebound with great effect.
this was also a bit more worring yday as we normally have great forward line crumbers able to pinch the occasional goal or at least hold the ball in there.they seemed to go missing yday.
also the midfielders need to back themselves more when they have a chance to kick a goal. can think of a couple of times yday (prismall and enright?) when they tried to effect a pass instead of having a shot on goal which they should've done.

after all that, i believe the the dogs are easily the best vic club, and after watching a few others believe that we are the 2nd best, and last time i looked it was enough to get into the 8.

just had to get that off my chest.

but then again if we lose to carlton the above may just be rubbish?

But this 'but we lost to the Dogs' excuse can't stand. They are a good side, but if we are willing to accept losing to them, where will we be? I don't want to finish sixth, I want to win a premiership.

How are we the second best Victorian side??? There is no logic to suggest so. The Bulldogs, Melbourne, St Kilda and even Collingwood are still ahead of us.

We have a logn way to go if we want to challenge for success. IMO, this group has proved to me they cannot take us to a premiership. I hope like hell I am wrong.

 

[Turbocat]

Where do we stand?
Its a bit early to make that call or even to say we are the second best Vic team but I also agree its a bit too early to be overly reactive.

Rather than focus on the result or the pace of the Dogs , my thoughts drifted to the things within our control like how we performed at neutral ball situations like ballups , how we used the ball when we had possession , the method and pace we brought the ball into the forwardline and how we scored and had shots at goals.

We were one of the poorest clubs last year at clearances and I see no real evidence that there will be huge improvement. Blake need to develop influence if he is going to be a future player for us and apart from GA we really lack the kind of class around the ball that worries opponents

We tried to run the ball up the middle, sometime it looked good but it mostly resulted in a long bomb to a forward under pressure. We still lack a quality 80M player. A guy who can run 15 , have a bounce , run 15 and kick the 50M goal. GA can do it but he needs help. Wojo did it Sun and if he could make it happen more often that would be great but Tenace,Byrnes and anyone else with pace must not just run quick but must finish. Maybe its time to bring in Varcoe.

Its early and we may be fitter but I don’t see any huge change in our skill level and maybe that’s why there has been a far degree of negative reaction. We will know more by the end of May.

 

[WE Are Geelong]

Mate its a sensible post in that you have set it out well as an opinion.

We werent in the game after quarter time. Thats my bottom line. The doggies arent a top four side yet...they werent four quarters match fit for footy yesterday either... we clearly outscored them in the last quarter and we were never in it and never gave a proper yelp in the second half.

According to bomber we were shell shocked at half time?...

I mean has this comment just blown everyone else by? Why are we overreacting as posters...if the players themselves were shattered at half time according to the coach?

Other posters on here seem to find it offensive some people want to raise some concerns about yesterday...why...the players were demoralised apparently at half time...? Why cant we be inquisitive and questioning as to why that might be?

Whilst I think its great you have set your opinion out the way you have...to me not being able to create some sort of chance of winning a match that was very winnable...is always completely unacceptable at this level.

We need to asap get back to the sort of footy we played in the first half against the Tigers in the NAb Cup....unfortuantely the Tigers are probably the worst side in the league though right now...so who knows how relevant that form is....the reality is we havent seen anything like it since....why?

We have 5 winnable games coming up...with two stern home tests against top four sides after that. Winning games is the only currency that matters now.

Just read your post above Turbo...makes sense.

 

[catman2006]

When we play the dogs latter in the year, the team will be alot different then the one on sunday.

 

[year of the cat]

When we play the dogs latter in the year, the team will be alot different then the one on sunday.

How?

 

[cat in sydney]

How?

new coach

 

[thehoff]

new coach

Wiseguy,

name a better option at the current time? No well-established coach is available. Get used to Bomber being around for another 22 rounds, hopefully plus finals.

 

[Mooney_d'King]

Wiseguy,

name a better option at the current time? No well-established coach is available. Get used to Bomber being around for another 22 rounds, hopefully plus finals.

Indeed. Following on from that, the danger could also be that if a fair few other coaches don't get their contracts renewed, the pickings will be slim anyway. We need to not over-react at this point anyway. Having said that, we should quietly start speaking to Vossy

 

[chapmanmagic35]

Wiseguy,

name a better option at the current time? No well-established coach is available. Get used to Bomber being around for another 22 rounds, hopefully plus finals.

Yep, agreed. Bomber is here until seasons end.

Best for everyone to accept rather than churning out the 'Sack Thompson' threads.

 

[Partridge]

Wiseguy,

name a better option at the current time? No well-established coach is available. Get used to Bomber being around for another 22 rounds, hopefully plus finals.

I think a lot of people overrate the "established" coach theory. Seeing as both Paul Roos and John Worsfold are first time coaches, and both have premierships to their name, I'm not totally convinced you need to be established for 5 years to be any good.

 

[catswhiskers]

Having seen the second half (only) in replay i'm feeling a bit better. The cats played well and but for a couple of dodgy free kicks to the doggies we would have been a lot closer.
Being unable to close down the game when the dogs got the run in the second was disappointing but I forget we had 4 easy shots at goal we missed. If these had been goals the rot would have stopped a lot sooner and the doggies runners would have had to be more accountable.
Perhaps with the immediate impact of the running youngsters from this draft in Round 1, we need to keep Selwood in for a good run and Djerkurra probably needs a chance soon. It does look like it was a good draft pool.
Its not time for big changes. Its time to support.

 

[cat in sydney]

Wiseguy,

name a better option at the current time? No well-established coach is available. Get used to Bomber being around for another 22 rounds, hopefully plus finals.

I wasn't really advocating that we sack Bomber. I can't see that happening during the season either.
My point was more in response to the poster who said that we would be a different team the next time we play the doggies. The only way I think we'll be a different team is if we have a new coach. Up till then, I'm not sure our game plan/style is going to change too much.

 

[Xcat]

Having seen the second half (only) in replay i'm feeling a bit better. The cats played well and but for a couple of dodgy free kicks to the doggies we would have been a lot closer.
Being unable to close down the game when the dogs got the run in the second was disappointing but I forget we had 4 easy shots at goal we missed. If these had been goals the rot would have stopped a lot sooner and the doggies runners would have had to be more accountable.

Funny how the dogs managed to kick the goals when needed (From 50, Turnovers, Roving) yet the same old Geelong could not kick goals from marks 40 metres out directly in front. I cringe watching Nablett kick for goal, will he be the new Kent?

 

[carn_the_cattas]

I cringe watching Nablett kick for goal, will he be the new Kent?

He used to be a really good kick. Maybe all that time Kent spent in the VFL badly influenced Nathan.

 

[cat_fanatic]

Funny how the dogs managed to kick the goals when needed (From 50, Turnovers, Roving) yet the same old Geelong could not kick goals from marks 40 metres out directly in front. I cringe watching Nablett kick for goal, will he be the new Kent?

He has come a long way since the days of Kent. Looks much bigger, quicker and skillful. I'm just looking forward to the day our mids delivery improves - Nath will blow them away.

 

[TheTimberMerchant#14]

Where do we stand?
Its a bit early to make that call or even to say we are the second best Vic team but I also agree its a bit too early to be overly reactive.

Rather than focus on the result or the pace of the Dogs , my thoughts drifted to the things within our control like how we performed at neutral ball situations like ballups , how we used the ball when we had possession , the method and pace we brought the ball into the forwardline and how we scored and had shots at goals.

We were one of the poorest clubs last year at clearances and I see no real evidence that there will be huge improvement. Blake need to develop influence if he is going to be a future player for us and apart from GA we really lack the kind of class around the ball that worries opponents

We tried to run the ball up the middle, sometime it looked good but it mostly resulted in a long bomb to a forward under pressure. We still lack a quality 80M player. A guy who can run 15 , have a bounce , run 15 and kick the 50M goal. GA can do it but he needs help. Wojo did it Sun and if he could make it happen more often that would be great but Tenace,Byrnes and anyone else with pace must not just run quick but must finish. Maybe its time to bring in Varcoe.

Its early and we may be fitter but I don’t see any huge change in our skill level and maybe that’s why there has been a far degree of negative reaction. We will know more by the end of May.

agree with alot of things that u r saying.
what i was trying to say that we COULD be the 2nd best team in victoria atm not necesserly that we are atm. we need to see a few more of our games and other clubs b4 we can make a sound judgement.

what i was trying to get at was not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. its only been 1 game and i think that, that performance was not our worst, wehave played a hell of alot worse in recent memory. at the end of the day we lost to a better team, and was just a tad sad that after the first game we would be calling for blood already.