2ND SEMI FINAL: WESTERN BULLDOGS vs. SYDNEY, FRI NIGHT, MCG

[RevDog]

The Western Bulldogs are coming off a pretty ordinary 51 point defeat against a firing Hawthorn outfit whilst Sydney are coming down to Melbourne after a big win and flying start to September action against North at ANZ Stadium in pretty tough conditions.

Going to be a close game I think like the past 2 encounters this season, Sydney are known for their tough finals football though so it will be a lot harder for the Bulldogs than the last 2 games from earlier in the year.

My tip: I am going for my boys, Western Bulldogs by about 12 points.

 

[cleveland]

If Rocket doesn't **** up his tactics for a 2nd week running i think we should just about win a close one.

 

[Breakthelines]

The fact that the game is in Melbourne doesn't mean much as sydney are an experienced finals team.

Based on week 1 of the finals form, sydney by 35 over north and western losing to hawthorn by 51 it looks clean cut!

But i suspect the doggies will be fired up for this one and it will be a real in tight contest!

But you can't ignore the Bulldogs last 8 games with only 2 wins.

My Tip: Sydney by 16 points.

 

[bungee]

The fact that the game is in Melbourne doesn't mean much as sydney are an experienced finals team.

Based on week 1 of the finals form, sydney by 35 over north and western losing to hawthorn by 51 it looks clean cut!

But i suspect the doggies will be fired up for this one and it will be a real in tight contest!

But you can't ignore the Bulldogs last 8 games with only 2 wins.

My Tip: Sydney by 16 points.

You may have a point about experience. I certainly hope so. The Swans have played finals for every full year that Paul Roos has coached (2003-2008). They finished in the top four for half of those years and no lower than 7th. Many of the same players are still around and this will be the 14th Swans final over that period. If Micky O plays (20+ finals dating back to 1996 under Eade) that'll mean around 10 finals per player in this current team (a very rough figure with a few newbies to bring down the average).

That's a truck load of experience. The question is whether that experience is a match for the superior leg speed of the Dogs.

I hope it's a great game

 

[Doggies_2008]

The more i think about it, the closer i think it will be.

So im picking Doggies by 17 points. Will probley change mid-week.

 

[Soul_Pie]

I reckon Swans might get over the line for this match. Paul Roos looks like he has a point to prove in this finals series. The Bulldogs just seem to have lost all confidence at the moment. I'm not going to write them off just yet, but I think Sydney were very gutsy last week and they play a brand of football which is proven come finals time. If it's a tight, scrappy affair then I think the Swans will get up, whereas if it's free-flowing then I think the Bulldogs will win.

I'm going with the Swans to the tune of 3 points.

 

[Mingo]

Bulldogs by 7. Kinda quietly confident, but wouldn't be suprised with any result.

I like the fact we've beat them twice this year, as before this year they owned us.

 

[Skystyler]

the dogs spotted us a 5 goal headstart and still beat us in Canberra last time the two teams met. We won 3 out of 4 quarters that day, but got blown to pieces in the 2nd.
Earlier in the year at the SCG, the swans had more of the play but woeful kicking for goal cost them the match. The dogs flooded and hit us on the counter attack. They barely wasted an entry to their forward 50 and were ruthlessly effecient in front of goal.

I'm tipping the swans to be much better than they were in either of those games, and be too hard at the ball. The dogs peaked way too soon this year. Swans by 22.

 

[johnnyhoward]

I think Dogs will bounce back. They smashed the Swans interstate a few weeks back while in the middle of their poor patch (don't let the 16 points margin fool you, they were junktime goals by the Swans) so should find it much easier at home.

Both teams' form over the last 10 weeks has been ordinary, but with the Swans poor record interstate you have to give the nod to the Dogs.

 

[Axle17]

Being in melb, and the way in which the Bullies love to run the ball.
Im tipping Bulldogs by 16.

 

[Mongrel Punt]

Not keen on the Doggies I think they have some real issues down there.

Whilst they are slick and attacking, I don't believe they have that defensive nous and set up to go all the way in September. The Swans are loving the underdog tag this series and I reckon will make their way to another Preliminary Final for a last hurrah before having to rebuild the list over the summer.

 

[GoBuddyGo]

Sydney for mine. Finals experience will count. Better at stoppages than the bullies and expect big games again from Kirk , McVeigh and Goodes.
Swans by 5 goals

 

[BallaratBulldog]

Sydney were one of the two teams we beat in our form slump. That must count for something.

Dogs by 16

 

[liz]

Both teams' form over the last 10 weeks has been ordinary, but with the Swans poor record interstate you have to give the nod to the Dogs.

This season we've won in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne, plus under Roos we've previously won finals in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne. There will be a strong contingent of Bloods fans cheering them on at the 'G.

It's a tough game to pick but the Swans' record on the road will have no negative bearing on the outcome.

 

[The King!]

im tipping bruce will mention buddy franklin 5 times even though he is not involved in the game

im also tipping the swans by 34 purely out of support and hope and with no real consideration of the facts

 

[gs17]

im tipping bruce will mention buddy franklin 5 times even though he is not involved in the game

im also tipping the swans by 34 purely out of support and hope and with no real consideration of the facts

While the game is running 7 will show replays of Buddy's goals, Bruce will need his fix throughout the game. They will also show the crowd while the game is in progress so the actual amount of the Sydney Bulldogs game shown will amount to less than 10 minutes.

 

[bigsee]

im thinking this could be a repeat of the st kilda v swans prelim final from a few years ago. the way in which sydney lifted the intensity after half time and the performance of kirk, o'keefe, hall etc on the weekend shows that they might even be able to have a real crack at geelong in 2 weeks.

the dogs will get off to a good start and it will be tight going into 3 qtr time when im tipping the swans will storm home

 

[Axle17]

Sydney were one of the two teams we beat in our form slump. That must count for something.

Dogs by 16

Exactly why im tipping 16
This was in Canberra also.

 

[funkyfetlock]

After reading all the reasons that misguided people have given for a Bulldogs win, I have seen nothing to dissuade me from my original opinion.

Sydney wil win and win big. 64 point final margin.

 

[SM]

Sydney by 45 for me.

 

[Ferris_rules]

Exactly why im tipping 16
This was in Canberra also.

The Swans really have not beaten any team of note to date, the roos should have put them away early and missed their chance.

 

[SM]

Form means nothing when Finals come round. Swans defeated North for example.

 

[SonOfScray]

Tough game to pick. On form I'd have to say the Swans, purely because they've gone into the game with a good win and good players firing up while we're limping badly which is such a cause for frustration for us Dog's fans.

I'll go into the game with a bit of hope though seeing as though we've managed to defeat the Swans when we were up, and when we were down, both times not really playing our best brand of footy. That we were ablw to defeat them twice, when they've been a bit of a bogey team is a good sign I suppose.

MCG might help us break the game open and generate run, but if we can't win the footy in the middle I think Basil might have a day out against a defence that is still shellshocked.

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

The Swans really have not beaten any team of note to date, the roos should have put them away early and missed their chance.

Yep, just missed their chance by 6 goals. Try again

 

[Ferris_rules]

Yep, just missed their chance by 6 goals. Try again

Your a Sydney supporter so I will excuse your ignorance about not understanding the game, to appreciate that comment. The result was flattering in the end, as in elimination finals.