Review Autopsy v Cats

[threenewpadlocks]

I didn't mind Campbell. Prefer him over Minson.

I can't agree with you there.

It's a good thing he was subbed out because he's proven time after time that he doesn't have the fitness base to play AFL. Not unless you're physically at the game until you can see how hard he finds it to be mobile and move around the ground in the last quarter of games.

Compare that to Minson who over the last 2-3 weeks has gotten better as the game has gone on. Vs Carlton and Gold Coast he dominated the ruck if you just look at the last quarter.

 

[David Schwarz]

Was surprised we were so close, to be frank

 

[lindsay_bulldogs]

Why can't it be awesome now? Why wait?

It is awesome in relation to where we are at. The list is good. Young blokes getting games in there first year. etc. etc. Down game today because of a lack of legs means nothing. Next weeks game will tell a better story.

 

[immortalmike]

Why can't it be awesome now? Why wait?

Have you seen our average age and experience, and injury list to boot?
That's why.

 

[Clay]

Liked Hunter's game. *braces self*

Good quarter of footy from Hunter

 

[Pannalstaroz]

Boys (and girls)

There is no time like the present. Saying how good well be in the future is great, but Port and north were going to awesome this year. Our future is right in front of us. We have had a good season and we have proven that consistency isn't the problem it often is for young teams. Finals beckons for us and we should have won today.

 

[Dogs Rule]

Today is what happens when you cruise for a month and think it will just happen against Geelong at home.

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

Roberts fits into the "you don't fully appreciate what they do till they're not there" category IMO. We missed him.

So much this. He's so adept at covering the space in which Geelong cut us to ribbons today.

Not quick, not big, but a genuinely good defender, and we need him.

 

[Pannalstaroz]

Have you seen our average age and experience, and injury list to boot?
That's why.

Come on, be better than that. Don't accept excuses. And they're excuses, not reasons.

 

[dogwatch]

hmmm... autopsy... i see bulldog supporters stationary, large spanner indicative of bulldog team form, assisted by gravity, indicative of bulldog team trajectory...

it all seems so familiar...

Painkillers wearing off TLU?

 

[Libba39]

We just were't good enough today. Dahlhaus was good but Caddy was better and a lot more damaging.
Geelong still have bigger bodies and we did not hold our tackles. Tactically they shut down our run from the backline and when we did get out the delivery into fwd 50 was poor.

People who are posting that we were better and should have won have no idea about football.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Why can't it be awesome now? Why wait?

Because in terms of list and players playing and their age and experience profile, we're such an outlier. We should be a bottom 4 team with the fact that week to week we're putting out a team in the bottom 4 for the league in terms of age and experience

There's no right that Bontempelli should as good as he is with less than 30 games played and as a 19 year old. It even took Fyfe 80-100 games to be as good as he is now - everybody knew he'd be a superstar from his first 50-70 games, but Bontempelli is playing games 10-30 in his career like Fyfe did from games 50-70. It's ridiculous.

It's the same for Stringer. No other player other than Jeremy Cameron has in the last few years kicked as many goals as he has when played as a forward in their first 40-50 games.

We're getting matchwinning performances out of players with less than 10 games experience. McLean was in the best 10 players in the two full games that he played, both times. Daniel has no right to be performing as well as he did in must his third game today - imagine in three years time when he's got 60 games under his belt?

 

[topdog69]

Campbell shouldn't being sub out off game should put him ino the forward line

 

[Bemoreboyddog]

Well, that was mighty frustrating to watch. Why I'm frustrated? Not a lack of effort. Not a lack of skill, that's a game wide issue. It's that I know our best can beat most sides. Not all, not everywhere but most.

Wanna give some credit to Bevo. Our worst footy is suddenly a whole lot better. Our best is infinitely better. The challenge now is to bridge that gap.

 

[Pannalstaroz]

Because in terms of list and players playing and their age and experience profile, we're such an outlier. We should be a bottom 4 team with the fact that week to week we're putting out a team in the bottom 4 for the league in terms of age and experience

There's no right that Bontempelli should as good as he is with less than 30 games played and as a 19 year old. It even took Fyfe 80-100 games to be as good as he is now - everybody knew he'd be a superstar from his first 50-70 games, but Bontempelli is playing games 10-30 in his career like Fyfe did from games 50-70. It's ridiculous.

It's the same for Stringer. No other player other than Jeremy Cameron has in the last few years kicked as many goals as he has when played as a forward in their first 40-50 games.

We're getting matchwinning performances out of players with less than 10 games experience. McLean was in the best 10 players in the two full games that he played, both times. Daniel has no right to be performing as well as he did in must his third game today - imagine in three years time when he's got 60 games under his belt?

I agree, but we have proven we haven't had the obvious swings in form that riddles young teams. Our young guys have shown they can do the heavy lifting. They've been magnificent, but today there was a game that was there to be won against a team that was, at best, average. I may expect a lot of the list, but they have shown they're up to it and today they let themselves down IMO. Campbell simply hasn't developed the way I expected him to, Prudden is lucky to be on the list, he is the living example of vanilla. Just my opinion. I'm very disappointed with today. We lost a game we should never have lost.

 

[Dav1d]

Campbell shouldn't being sub out off game should put him ino the forward line

That would mean that one of Boyd/Redpath would have to come off
otherwize we'd have one slow ass forward line

I'll be glad to see Rough used back in his right spot as a ruck, hopefully next week

I wish some our players gave as much effort as what Dahl did, he was incredible again

 

[TedDougChris]

A result that actually doesn't mask our recent poor form (Q4 last week excluded). Highlights the work we need to do to move forward. We were poor when we had it and needed to deliver I50, we were poor when they had it - as they always seemed to have more numbers upfield.

But we never gave up, the kids continued to develop. Given that the Cats best today would include: Duncan, Taylor, Bartel, SJ, Kelly, Hawkins, Blicavs and Stokes - we've been beaten by a small margin, away from home, playing poorly, by a team whose top players have played very well in a match they had to win. I thought they got the benefit of the umpiring 50/50's - even inventing some new rules to penalise Stringer for. Not earth shattering - although the critics will now say we are done (which we may be).

We still lack leg speed - particularly in the middle. Libba coming back won't solve this (although will help in other areas). We do need some true midfield pace and line breaking.

Our ball movement from the back half was good - but our forward structure was very poor today. Perhaps we were too top heavy and lacked run - we always seemed to not have enough players back. Dahl around the ball is good, but we need another couple up of him up forward.

Without meaning to single anyone out - Hunter looks to have learnt a little from his Q4 efforts last week. Worked hard and made an immediate presence. Someone needs to explain to Tom Campbell never to look to give the quick handball away after taking a pack mark. Turned it over 3 or 4 times by trying to be too cute. Great marks - horrible decision to give it off... Prudden was better this week than last, so hopefully he pulls up ok. The 'Redpath see man with ball - Redpath smash' - was very enjoyable today...

TL/DR - need to solve the ruck conundrum. Need more leg speed through the middle. Need to setup our F50 better. Need to improve our delivery into it. Kids improving - future looks bright.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Positives (because the negatives are making my head hurt) : Boyd was very good in the ruck and competed well around the ground; we consistently fought back and didn't drop our heads; Redpath was really good (10 tackles! ); Dickson back in good goalscoring form (despite being scragged more than I thought physically possible...lol at no free kicks for); JJ relentlessly trying to spark us; Hunter having an impact immediately; Prudden played pretty well; Macrae had some really nice, really aggressive kicks combined with what we all know he does well; Bont was held all day yet still broke away at times; Daniel's hands are excellent; the usual suspects.

 

[dogwatch]

Yea the close enough is good enough is getting a bit old we played a team that is outside the 8 who had their best player out.
If we don't demand more as supporters why should anyone take our club seriously?
That was a game we should have won yes we are young but we lost that game on work rate and commitment more than anything you don't need age on your side to bring those two things

We had our best player out too, plus a few others ... Roberts, Hamling, (by Dog, we missed them today!) Stevens, McLean, Minson, Smith. That's 7 players right there who would probably get picked if fit. (Assuming Minson was a genuine injury).
Not saying we accept mediocrity or take comfort in an "honourable loss". We had chances to win and blew them. However I can still take a little solace from this result, especially after coming back from Cairns and a string of wins against a side playing for its season. We'll be better for it next week.

 

[Leezorr]

Bad game, I think the last 4 win were definitely covering up some tired boys, we have looked pretty average at time and today really was a result we should have seen coming.

Dahlhaus played his best game, Daniel was great, Wallis tried all day played pretty well.

Lots of players were down today so I won't take pot shots, need to come out firing next week v the pies.

Great year so far guys we want to win them all but won't, we are building nicely but it's a long season and we are a very young group, we looked it today, chin up onto next week.

 

[True Dog]

Missed Stevens today, got smashed in close today....

 

[go you pups]

9 wins 6 losses 2007 round 15 after the win against Essendon

9 wins 6 losses 2015 round 16 after the loss against Geelong

How will this turn out? Must get Hamling and Stevens back next week, dunno with Minson and Roberts won't be ready until the week after. Geelong smashed us on the inside today, Stevens would've helped there, an extra key defender today might've freed one of Wood or Boyd up who were poor.

Our team is too reliant on defence and midfield this year, when we have injuries/form issues in those areas we generally don't do well (Hawthorn, St Kilda 1st time, Port, Melbourne, Geelong losses all had missing players from those areas)

 

[Bemoreboyddog]

Agreed Dan. So happy with how Hunter went about in the back half of his game against Suns and his time against the cats. Deserves to hold his spot.

Missed Koby. Missed Fletch. Missed Hammers. Boys are playing too similar to how we did with big bad Barry, just bomb it in and hope. Need to lower our eyes, like we did in 09.

 

[Dogsdoit]

**** me Roughead is an absolute spud. Almost the equal of Tom Williams and Cameron Wight

Horrible game but the umps killed any chance we had to sneak the win with 3 shocking calls late in the quarter

Agree with Roughead assessment. In Geelongs best for sure

 

[The Inbetweener]

I'm staggered at the loss being blamed on a lack of key defenders. I would hazard a guess that at least 50-60% of Geelong's scores came from them pushing harder forward than we pushed back, particularly after turnovers. They got us over the top regularly. A reliable key defender would have helped (although I'd be curious to know who people think this magical KPD on our list is...) but I don't think it cost us the game. I would blame poor decisions (sorry Beveridge but I really disagree with your views on Crameri - one of the worst decision makers in our team under pressure; his heavy midfield split does not work), poor turnovers, a dysfunctional zone, poor defensive running and complete and utter dysfunction around the half forward line way before I would a lack of key defenders. Their second and third key forwards combined for only two goals.

Couldn't agree more re Your Crameri comments