Autopsy Doggies Woof all over Cats by 47 points.

[Footy_Fan2007]

We aren't top 4 good, no doubt at all about that. We are 7-12 good. Our areas of deficiency were a real concern for me pre this game, and then magnified by Neale's absence a little; yet he does not yet provide some of what we need- a powerful ruckman, and a replacement for Hawkins, along with ball-getting mids.
We looked as if a virus or gastro had been through the team- lack-lustre, weaker efforts, no zip- whatever it was, it does not create confidence for games in Tassie or Marvel, or back at Geelong.
One thing for certain, Bulldogs can be confident of going deep in September- they have the list, the form, and it seems the hunger.

They got absolutely hammered by port 2 weeks ago.
They were great last night but we were nothing short of embarrassing.

Let’s not get too carried away with the Dogs. They are on less wins than us with a harder draw. They aren’t a certainty at this stage at all.

 

[Heckler]

Watched replay, first half : Can't bear to watch rest

Initially thought Lady Luck was Dog's best player
She was at the end of every rushed Cat's kick
Fell her way at every smother or spilt pack mark
Took prime position at every stoppage clearance
Every pin-ball ricochet, bad bounce, into her lap

How were Dogs defying the odds?
Were the Cats cursed? Their drinks spiked?

Re-watched dispassionately and analytically.
Simply: Dog's got into set position and waited.
They didn't converge on the ball, as did the Cat's
They didn't gang tackle but waited for the spill
Teammates knew where they were positioned.
They nudged, knocked, blocked to advantage
They had and outlet ready and waiting ahead

Cats looked great when running in free space
This opportunity or luck rarely fell Cats way
Dogs closed Cat's space, created their own.
Bulldogs played the odds... and it paid off.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Watched replay, first half : Can't bear to watch rest

I can’t believe you put yourself through that.

 

[year of the cat]

Also, I’ll claim the easiest meat tray ever very early for next week:

In: Neale, Bruhn
Out: Knevitt, Parfitt.

Atkins likely back too.

 

[Lana]

The conditions didn't impede the Dogs though.

The conditions didn't affect their ball handling, their thoughts process, or their intent.

They wanted it. They came to compete.

We didn't give so much as a yelp.....we couldn't be bothered, and we played dumb. Our bodies turned up without our heads and hearts.

They have different players, the condition won't effect the two teams to the same degree. Wet weather changes a game of football. half the ground was a bog.

We play a certain way dictated by the players we have at our disposal, that require certain conditions.

We're weak at the contest, we're weak aerially behind and ahead of the ball. We're giving away size in every line. Our advantage is ball use and workrate into space . Every contest that occurs they get an advantage, every contest we avoid we get an advantage.

On offense we need the ground to be as large as possible so we can go around, once we go around a few times, our opposition zone's becomes looser as they have to cover a greater width so we can attempt to go through. On the night due to the conditions the effective area of the ground was halved, the ball was heavier so kicking distances go down a bit. Collectively that means we're kicking into congestion, they don't mind doing the same to us. Inch by inch they get the territory advantage.

 

[Catman]

Watched replay, first half : Can't bear to watch rest

Initially thought Lady Luck was Dog's best player
She was at the end of every rushed Cat's kick
Fell her way at every smother or spilt pack mark
Took prime position at every stoppage clearance
Every pin-ball ricochet, bad bounce, into her lap

How were Dogs defying the odds?
Were the Cats cursed? Their drinks spiked?

Re-watched dispassionately and analytically.
Simply: Dog's got into set position and waited.
They didn't converge on the ball, as did the Cat's
They didn't gang tackle but waited for the spill
Teammates knew where they were positioned.
They nudged, knocked, blocked to advantage
They had and outlet ready and waiting ahead

Cats looked great when running in free space
This opportunity or luck rarely fell Cats way
Dogs closed Cat's space, created their own.
Bulldogs played the odds... and it paid off.

Great point about the Cats converging. It's been a trend throughout the year, where we get close to the contest, but not close enough to affect it. When we lose it, we then get burnt on the outside by opposition players hanging further back, in space.

 

[catsfootyfan89]

At the ground I said the same thing to my sister. You just knew early it wasn't going to end well.

Yup. I commented early in the game day thread and certainly received some raised eyebrows.

 

[D BRIDGE]

I hadn't paid enough attention to the Doggies of late to even see that Lobb was playing key back.

I wonder if our MC also didn't notice that... because it makes pulling Neale out of the game looks like a ridiculous self inflicted error if they did.

Similar to making Stanley a late-out v Grundy in that final many moons ago.

 

[Cataholic]

They have different players, the condition won't effect the two teams to the same degree. Wet weather changes a game of football. half the ground was a bog.

We play a certain way dictated by the players we have at our disposal, that require certain conditions.

We're weak at the contest, we're weak aerially behind and ahead of the ball. We're giving away size in every line. Our advantage is ball use and workrate into space . Every contest that occurs they get an advantage, every contest we avoid we get an advantage.

On offense we need the ground to be as large as possible so we can go around, once we go around a few times, our opposition zone's becomes looser as they have to cover a greater width so we can attempt to go through. On the night due to the conditions the effective area of the ground was halved, the ball was heavier so kicking distances go down a bit. Collectively that means we're kicking into congestion, they don't mind doing the same to us. Inch by inch they get the territory advantage.

Can't argue with that, but I will strenuously argue that the size of the fight in the dog (excuse the pun) IS entirely within our control.

We just weren't willing to work last night.

There was a lot of ball watching and people watching instead.

 

[MisterMarcus]

I admit that I'm no AFL coach, but I don't think a game plan of "boot it straight down Rory Lobb

7

Rory Lobb

Age

31

Ht

207cm

Wt

106kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.0

3star

K

6.7

3star

HB

4.4

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

0.9

4star

D

11.3

3star

K

8.0

3star

HB

3.3

2star

M

4.6

4star

T

1.4

2star

G

1.0

4star

D

7.0

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.6

3star

's throat" was the right way to go....

 

[Finknottle]

Great point about the Cats converging. It's been a trend throughout the year, where we get close to the contest, but not close enough to affect it. When we lose it, we then get burnt on the outside by opposition players hanging further back, in space.

And on a day when the ball is more than likely going to squirt to the outside, the bees to the honeypot method is dumb. The Dogs seemed to always have players free on the outside and other players lining up for outlet kicks and always another player free down the line. They kept waltzing down the flanks with relative ease. Their midfield was like a machine ours played like a wind up toy. That especially applies to Dangerfield who is good in spurts but takes a while to recover for the next contest. Players like Treloar and Bontempelli are constant and relentless.

 

[Commando]

Sometimes you watch team sports and you can just tell from the first five minutes whether it's going to be a genuine competition or not.

The first five minutes of this game just didn't pass the eye test for me. It's not who scores or who wins contests or anything metrical. It's just the intent and compete. And it just wasn't there for me. It's not often you get a 'crystal ball' feeling in this sport with the closeness of the competition, but I just knew this one wasn't going our way.

Yep, I was there with best mate who is a Dogs supporter and he knew in '2 mins' they'd come to play
I wasn't confident going in and even less confident after that!

 

[supahoops]

A nice reality check against a team who played to their potential while we were a few steps behind. Selection going forward will be interesting, you could make the case that Stanley, Clark, Bruhn, MOC, Neale and of course Atkins would’ve made us better last night. Ted looked good and Mannagh one of our best. Odds for this game were mental, thought it was a 50/50 game going in.

 

[Lana]

Can't argue with that, but I will strenuously argue that the size of the fight in the dog (excuse the pun) IS entirely within our control.

We just weren't willing to work last night.

There was a lot of ball watching and people watching instead.

It does affect the efficiency of output to dog in fight ratio.

Our guys could be going 10% harder then the opposition yet still not achieve the same visible results. Our "effort" wins just didn't go as far as theirs

 

[D BRIDGE]

I admit that I'm no AFL coach, but I don't think a game plan of "boot it straight down Rory Lobb's throat" was the right way to go....

Our coaches know better... don't question them... they are at the club full-time and see things we don't see

 

[Commando]

Just also on the weather conditions
I still think we are a decent wet weather team as highlighted by the MCG performances
But last night was just a bog, two different scenarios

But we played terribly to the conditions as previously mentioned here

And how often do late changes work?

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Lobb, Buku, English, Darcy, JUH- these players dominated us.
Along with Bont, Treloar, Richards.
They certainly are top 4 worthy- the last 2 weeks , beating 3rd and 2nd... next week will tell us a bit more v Swans.
Are we capable of getting up again from this? Time will tell, but that was our worst performance since Demons prelim

I think so.

North and adel are soft kills the next 2 weeks and should get our form back up.
But given our soft draw we might not know where we are at until the first final.
But atkins and bruhn back in will help (we badly missed both in that mud) plus neale or a ruck-structurally we didnt have the right team last night and we need dry conditions.

 

[winty]

Probably lucky to be as close as 8 goals in the end. Dogs just better everywhere on the night. They forced us down the line a lot which was always going to play to into their hands as we had no presence in the air. We butchered going into the 50 and continually kicked to them. Our forwards had very little chance. Dogs also didn’t allow us to switch the ball so we were kicking to congestion all the time and as was mentioned in earlier posts we got there second and didn’t play infront.

I thought the defensive unit held up ok considering the amount that came their way. De Koning battled hard, Stewy, Close and Guthrie did too. Rest looked lethargic and well beaten.

I was amazed how it seemed we didn't even try to mix things up when the kick long down the line wasn't working, but kept going back to it. Usually we would do something like that, but for some reason we didn't last night.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Can't argue with that, but I will strenuously argue that the size of the fight in the dog (excuse the pun) IS entirely within our control.

We just weren't willing to work last night.

There was a lot of ball watching and people watching instead.

Potentially but a team with no ruck no full back (because hes rucking) and a bunch of small forwards plus no big inside mids is always going to struggle in those muddy conditions.

Our pressure could have been better but theres no way we would have won anyway.

 

[Cataholic]

It does affect the efficiency of output to dog in fight ratio.

Our guys could be going 10% harder then the opposition yet still not achieve the same visible results. Our "effort" wins just didn't go as far as theirs

Maybe, but then I didn't see our boys go into the contest that hard, I didn't see them run and support each other, I didn't see them play smart by getting in front of their opponent, etc......but I DID see a lot of watching, standing still, letting a teammate be outnumbered 3 to 1 some distance away, and a lot of fumbling.

It was a minimal effort, characterised by Cameron.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

We aren't top 4 good, no doubt at all about that. We are 7-12 good. Our areas of deficiency were a real concern for me pre this game, and then magnified by Neale's absence a little; yet he does not yet provide some of what we need- a powerful ruckman, and a replacement for Hawkins, along with ball-getting mids.
We looked as if a virus or gastro had been through the team- lack-lustre, weaker efforts, no zip- whatever it was, it does not create confidence for games in Tassie or Marvel, or back at Geelong.
One thing for certain, Bulldogs can be confident of going deep in September- they have the list, the form, and it seems the hunger.

I rate the dogs on paper but with their draw the next month they are no certainty to even make finals..they might finish 9th like in recent years.
They will have to win it from 7th or 8th which is statistically really hard whereas we are still likely to finish 3rd or 4th if we dont drop our bundle.

 

[Cataholic]

Potentially but a team with no ruck no full back (because hes rucking) and a bunch of small forwards plus no big inside mids is always going to struggle in those muddy conditions.

Our pressure could have been better but theres no way we would have won anyway.

I hear what you're saying, but imo, it's not like they even really tried.

If they'd had a red hot go I'd be ok with it, but for mine they were lame and left their hearts in the change room.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Maybe, but then I didn't see our boys go into the contest that hard, I didn't see them run and support each other, I didn't see them play smart by getting in front of their opponent, etc......but I DID see a lot of watching, standing still, letting a teammate be outnumbered 3 to 1 some distance away, and a lot of fumbling.

It was a minimal effort, characterised by Cameron.

I get that but lana is also right..part of our gameplan is holding width to get the ball to the outside (this is where guys like dempsey and our 4 smalls and cameron become so damaging because they are quick) and then get it into open space for our quick forwards running back to goal. Because of the mud we couldnt switch from one side to the other by foot so we couldnt score, this also stuffed our short marking gameplan. It made us go long up the tramlines and we dont have the talls for that. The dogs knew where we had to play and they just stacked their talls where they knew we couldnt outmark them.

Tbh the game was lost when we let the curtain raiser be played there-somebody should have tried to move that game.

 

[Strange Cat]

That was one of the laziest, and dumbest, games I've seen the GFC play.

This x1000

No efforts to get in front of the man and play hard ..instead just stand by while the opposition marked it time and time again

Lazy and disappointing game to watch

 

[Munich]

Has this cost us top 4? I can't even be bothered doing the math.