Game Day Pies vs Dogs AKA the Travis Cloke Cup

[Oliver G]

Frustrating win but a win none the less. I'm stating the obvious but we should've won by 6+ goals with...

+149 disposals
+25 contested
+124 uncontested
+19 inside 50s
+9 shots at goal

The same old story of poor entries and shocking accuracy in front of goal.

Collingwood had 21 marks inside our 50 while we had just 11. I thought Smith and Macrae were outstanding with Williams and Dunkley not far behind. Bontempelli struggled but did some nice things (not sure how he was listed in the best though).

Garnder made 1 or 2 errors in the first half but was excellent in the second half with a team high 6 spoils and 91% of his disposals were effective. Daniel's kicking is just unbelievable when you think about it and I thought Dale is nice in defence.

McNeill made some obvious mistakes but he'll learn pretty quick. I didn't notice Scott all that much but he still managed 16 disposals at 80%.

Duryea was excellent and Bruce was great in the first half. Martin really could be the difference for us this year, our centre dominance cannot be overstated and let's hope it continues.

Treloar was a little disappointing but had some moments and to be fair it's his first game with our system and he's only going to improve.

Now as always here are some of the stats that aren't usually published…

Centre Bounce Attendance
17 - Macrae, Martin
15 - Bontempelli, Liberatore,
14 - Dunkley
4 - English
2 - Treloar

Ruck Contests (Hitouts/To Advantage)
59 - Martin (15/4)
23 - English (4/2)
1 - Dunkley (0/0)

Hitouts To Advantage

CO: 12
WB: 6

First Possessions
CO: 30
WB: 43

Clearances/Effective Clearances
CO: 32/18
WB: 38/30

Tackle Efficiency
CO: 50%
WB: 66%

Forward Half Contested Marks
CO: 4
WB: 5

Score Launches
4 - Martin
3 - Treloar
2 - Liberatore, Lipinski, Macrae
1 - Duryea, English, Gardner, McNeil, Smith, Williams

Shots At Goal
CO: 18 (39%)

WB: 27 (37%)

Targets Inside 50
9 - Bruce, Naughton
8 - English
5 - Wallis
3 - Bontempelli
2 - Hunter, McNeill
1 - Dunkley, Treloar, Vandermeer, Smith

Unforced Turnovers
CO: 9
WB: 11

No Pressure Errors
CO: 9
WB: 7

Turnovers Punished By Goals
1 - Daniel, Dunkley, Hunter, Naughton, McNeill

Pressure Gauge
CO: 178 (Below Average)
WB: 192 (Above Average)

Free Kick Summary


Score Sources

 

[Anja_Nees]

Was great to be back there.

Was obvious from the get go we have adopted some short kicking, presumably to have more controlled ball movement but some of our forward entries were awful.

Midfield was terrific and the backmen killed balls that seemed certain goals. Just need to polish entries and convert (feel like I’ve been saying that for decades - Bont, Tim and Bruce what the f).

When Bruce marked it on the boundary I told my Collingwood mate he’ll spray it out past the far point post. He refused to believe it was possible. He delivered.

All things considered I think we look better this year. Thought Dale back was fine and the mids worked well together. Martin made a massive difference in the middle.

 

[yebiga]

Yeah I agree

Dale was definitely more impactful but not by a lot. Neither can be dumped from a winning team with those efforts

Dude, be honest, neither of us thought Dale had the defensive effort in him we saw tonight. I was stunned he could win a contested ball at all - he had never shown that as a forward. If he can do that consistently, than his skills when in space make him quite a valuable asset coming from half-back. Goodness me! he even executed a perfect defensive spoil when he looked out of position and completed a pretty good contested mark. You can have your doubts, but it won't kill you to acknowledge what was unexpectedly good from him.

 

[fred cook]

The Two things I remembered tonight.
1. How much i missed being at the footy.
2. How bad Collingwood supporters are.

S. They are shocking


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Braybrook Son]

I still think Naughton needs to play back. Look at the difference Moore makes? Naughton back, Gardner out and Schache into forward line until Ugle-Hagan is ready. Think this could be the difference between top 8 and top 4

 

[SharkMeister4]

I still think Naughton needs to play back. Look at the difference Moore makes? Naughton back, Gardner out and Schache into forward line until Ugle-Hagan is ready. Think this could be the difference between top 8 and top 4

Im pretty torn on this, especially as gardner continues to improve down back. Im very meh on the idea of two spud key forwards, naughton is a legitimate threat even if he is fairly inconsistent while both shache and bruce have a few big games ahead of them before they get my faith.

 

[adogsfan5]

I still think Naughton needs to play back. Look at the difference Moore makes? Naughton back, Gardner out and Schache into forward line until Ugle-Hagan is ready. Think this could be the difference between top 8 and top 4

Agreed big time. By the time JUH is ready naughto is probably going to be moved back anyway. Make the change.

 

[Mattdougie]

Dude, be honest, neither of us thought Dale had the defensive effort in him we saw tonight. I was stunned he could win a contested ball at all - he had never shown that as a forward. If he can do that consistently, than his skills when in space make him quite a valuable asset coming from half-back. Goodness me! he even executed a perfect defensive spoil when he looked out of position and completed a pretty good contested mark. You can have your doubts, but it won't kill you to acknowledge what was unexpectedly good from him.

He was ok but as I’ve said several times now better than I expected. I’m not going to say he was fantastic because he wasn’t.

Still have JJ or Richards before him but in that effort he plays again.

 

[Dogsman16]

I still think Naughton needs to play back. Look at the difference Moore makes? Naughton back, Gardner out and Schache into forward line until Ugle-Hagan is ready. Think this could be the difference between top 8 and top 4

Naughton is not the distributor that Moore is. Completely different levels in terms of running with the ball and using it effectively.

 

[adogsfan5]

My take:

Was emotional being back at the footy as a Victorian. Shed a tear when we ran out.

Our midfield is powerful and is going to keep us in games when things aren’t going well. Rotations worked well tonight.

Bailey Dale

31

Bailey Dale

Age

28

Ht

188cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.2

3star

K

7.6

3star

HB

5.6

4star

M

3.1

3star

T

1.6

4star

MG

117.4

2star

D

9.0

2star

K

5.1

2star

HB

3.9

3star

M

2.3

2star

T

1.7

3star

MG

117.4

2star

D

8.0

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

3.0

3star

M

1.4

2star

T

2.0

4star

actually is courageous and looks like a half back. Could work!

Our game plan is retain footy. Very obvious but it kills us at times. We’re slow to get it inside 50 and if we turn it over badly we are cooked defensively as everyone has worked up the ground.

Stef Martin is a gun. Absolute workhorse.

Tim is almost there.

Baz is a freak.

Wallis I’m worried about. Needs to find another gear and bow. Maybe a defensive forward? The deep forward role isn’t going to work if we have 30 players inside 50.

Duryea is better than JJ.

I love Treloar

 

[yebiga]

Im pretty torn on this, especially as gardner continues to improve down back. Im very meh on the idea of two spud key forwards, naughton is a legitimate threat even if he is fairly inconsistent while both shache and bruce have a few big games ahead of them before they get my faith.

Agree, I would never have considered Gardner a chance but if you graph his improvement - its crazy exponential. He actually looks serviceable - knows his limitations and is looking half comfortable. Honestly, you have to give him a chance to continue to improve. Not entirely sold but he is close now.

 

[SharkMeister4]

Agreed big time. By the time JUH is ready naughto is probably going to be moved back anyway. Make the change.

If shache cant crack into the 1sts and bruce doesnt begin to deliver, then there is room for both JUH and Naughton going forward. That being said unless JUH absolutely boots down the door Im not keen on him playing key forward for more than a few games this year. Wont hurt him to develop away from the spotlight, it could hurt him a lot to be put in too early

 

[adogsfan5]

If shache cant crack into the 1sts and bruce doesnt begin to deliver, then there is room for both JUH and Naughton going forward. That being said unless JUH absolutely boots down the door Im not keen on him playing key forward for more than a few games this year. Wont hurt him to develop away from the spotlight, it could hurt him a lot to be put in too early

Agreed. I think a Bruce, English, JUH/Schache fwd line could work. Don’t forget Bont and Dunks go down there too.

 

[Leon]

Good win, only annoyed that we won by just 16, should have been at least 5-6 goals.


Treloar - Thought he was pretty good, handled the occasion well, the opening kick to Naughton was fantastic. He’ll get even better

Wallis - Love him to pieces like everyone but was pretty quiet tonight and was in pre season against Melbourne too. He has credits in the bank from last year though. But yeah, start kicking a few again Mitch.

Bonti - Awesome first half, faded a little in the second but still influential. Should have nailed that set shot but only blemish on his game.

Dunkley - Thought he was excellent.

Smith - He’s just a legend this kid, works his arse off, thought as nails, got plenty of it, kicked 2 goals and saved a couple too. BOG by a street.

Hunter - He is important and he always gets a lot of it, I just don’t really like playing him anywhere near the goals.

Martin - OMG i love him I wanna good him get him up here. I’ve tagged on our ruck strategy for 2-3 years now, we go and get Martin and he is a godsend.

Macrae - Death, taxes and Jack Macrae just quietly racking up possessions every week. We’re so lucky to have him.

Duryea - Been underused the past couple of years, mainly cos of our abundance of half back players. Had an excellent game and wonderful mark in the last quarter.

Bruce - I actually thought he was good. Yes, he needs more goals, but the one he did kick was excellent, and he still just constantly works his ass off.

Libba - Solid without being hugely influential.

VanDerMeer - Love him, creates and scores. Stay fit please!

Lipinski - Have said before, he’s a very clean user of the footy. Seems to have nailed his position in the side.

Scott - Liked his game agains Melbourne pre season and whilst he wasn’t bad tonight, I’d probably have others ie West in the side ahead of him.

McNeill - Same as Scott. Not bad, but others ahead of him atm.

Dale - Wasn’t sure about him at half back but seems to be going pretty well there.

Naughton - That set shot he nailed from outside 50 was on par with that one a few years ago against Freo from the pocket as the best he’s kicked.

Williams - Thought he was ok, I rate him through the roof and whilst he wasn’t bad, he has had better games.

Daniel - Typically excellent game, never wastes the ball.

Keath - Did one shocking kick but other than that absolutely superb.

Gardner - I’ve been critical of him and have questioned his place in the side, I’m also more than willing to give him credit and would be delighted to have him prove me wrong. He was very good tonight, his best game for the club, delighted for him.

English - Other than that set shot in the second quarter his game was very good.




Good to start the season with an excellent performance - especially after the debacle against the same opponents last year.

Our forward line still needs to improve a bit, but overall we looked a solid side tonight.

And also, yes, it was bloody good to be back at the MCG.

Go Dogs.

 

[CDBulldog]

This might sound frightening but Gardner has all the athletic traits to become a very good defender. Just needs to keep building confidence and continue to learn the art. A year ago I would have laughed at anyone making that comment but I’m starting to see the potential. I think JJ is going to struggle to break into the team this year. I’d rather Duryea for that extra defensive solidity. Run and carry from our backline is not an issue particularly with our mids and wingers that are willing to push back. So JJ’s point of difference and value is diminishing. The Martin/English tag team is going to be really good for us this year. KPF spots will be very contested come mid-season, particularly if JUH and Schache continue to perform. It would be a very weird feeling having an over abundance of KPF to choose from. Very unbulldog like!!!

 

[yebiga]

If shache cant crack into the 1sts and bruce doesnt begin to deliver, then there is room for both JUH and Naughton going forward. That being said unless JUH absolutely boots down the door Im not keen on him playing key forward for more than a few games this year. Wont hurt him to develop away from the spotlight, it could hurt him a lot to be put in too early

What exactly do the Bruce knocker want from him that - that he isn't doing? I don't get it? He was very solid tonight - is a real presence, brings the ball to ground. I just don't get the pick on Bruce refrain - it's dumb, dull and wrong.

 

[SharkMeister4]

What exactly do the Bruce knocker want from him that - that he isn't doing? I don't get it? He was very solid tonight - is a real presence, brings the ball to ground. I just don't get the pick on Bruce refrain - it's dumb, dull and wrong.

To answer your question directly, goals. His game today was good, and I am interested by talk of his lighter frame and he seemed to get around better tonight. But yeah, goals.

As a side note, the pairing of JUH and Naughton going into the future doesnt necessarily exclude Bruce from the team while he is in his prime. Part of why I loved targeting Bruce was that he is at his peak now and should be declining by the time JUH is ready for that spot. Im not part of the pick on Bruce refrain so to speak, Im just wanting him to start delivering - and yes, tonight was a good first step in that equation

 

[SharkMeister4]

Agreed. I think a Bruce, English, JUH/Schache fwd line could work. Don’t forget Bont and Dunks go down there too.

I personally really really want Shache to come good. On paper he is the perfect counterpoint to what Bruce/Naughton/JUH all provide as key forwards. He is the different player where the other three have similar strengths. Im just not holding my breath with Shache anymore

 

[Slack Nang]

Cats are cute, it is why I have two. We had a power outage just before the game started so I listened to the first quarter on the radio on my phone. The power was restored just after our third goal but I had a cat in my lap

It is against the law to disturb a cat when it is in your lap

Kinda feel that is how we played tonight

 

[doggies ftw]

Really happy with that game and there was a lot of good to take away from it.

The defence is looking pretty settled. Williams & Daniel are unbelievable, Doc is so solid and should be a mainstay. Dale really really impressive, I can see what Bev is doing with this one it does make sense. Gardners best game and definitely improving and Keath can hopefully hold it down. Swap Croz for Scott and it would be more than okay I think. Hopefully even Wood next week, need a little more aerial coverage.

I think JJ still has a spot, Scott didn’t do anything wrong which is good but I can’t say I noticed much of an impact from him. JJ would have loved last night, he would of had a serious impact with the space and flow from halfback. One of him or Richards needs to play we need speed from half back still.

how good was Baz, he’s taken to an outside role unbelievably well. Absolutely owned that wing. We really did brutalise a very good midfield at times. We’re just gonna wear down teams week after week I feel. Martin so important, Dunkley back to his best he was terrific. Bont wasn’t at his best I felt, which is good for us.
Macrae & Libba standard games as expected from them now, they don’t miss a beat.

Thought Bruce and Naughty were okay, and Timmy was great. Naughty did a lot right and is so important to us. didn’t tear it up
But threatened to at times, and still had an impact. I can’t see how anyone watches that game and wants to send him back. Every week these 3 get under their belt together is a positive for us. The forward line still hasn’t geled but that was one of the better defences they were up against. Needs a genuine small as we all know. Would like Cav or West to take Mcneils spot for now. Even JJ could add something there imo

 

[doggies ftw]

Wallis and Hunter worry me a bit. They both are AFL quality players obviously and it would be very hard to leave them out but their really not suited to our new team. I feel like we’d probabbbly be better off with say West and JJ/Cav in the front half over them. They’ll probably still play every game and it would be a huge call but I wouldn’t be against using them for trade bait at the end of the year. I don’t want either of them delivering inside 50 ever and I think the wings are sorted with Baz/Treloar/Lip and I like the 3 prong tall forward line so you need everyone around them to be quick

 

[Maverick Dog]

A

What exactly do the Bruce knocker want from him that - that he isn't doing? I don't get it? He was very solid tonight - is a real presence, brings the ball to ground. I just don't get the pick on Bruce refrain - it's dumb, dull and wrong.

Bruce was gifted games and was shocking last year but i thought he was pretty good. Just needed to kick another goal

 

[Munnez]

WOW
I thought English swapped jumps with Grundy at one stage

Thought English was pretty impressive didnt allow Grundy to move him off the line like last year. Couple of times he was able to shoulder Grundy for a clear tap.
Matin has been good for his development and English's strength is coming along allowing him to match up better

 

[Munnez]

Duryea plays every week he is fut

Got a bit of mongrel about himI love it

Loved the mongrel shown by Vanders after his chase down tackle that was awesome. Love what he brings to the side

 

[BRWB]

Wallis and Hunter worry me a bit. They both are AFL quality players obviously and it would be very hard to leave them out but their really not suited to our new team. I feel like we’d probabbbly be better off with say West and JJ/Cav in the front half over them. They’ll probably still play every game and it would be a huge call but I wouldn’t be against using them for trade bait at the end of the year. I don’t want either of them delivering inside 50 ever and I think the wings are sorted with Baz/Treloar/Lip and I like the 3 prong tall forward line so you need everyone around them to be quick

JJ sprays it even more than Hunter. Based just on field work Im not a Hunter fan but would ship JJ before Hunter. Hunters tank is incredible and will become invaluable with less rotations. I don't rate JJs heart. One of the few players at our club who avoids contact and appears not to try when it gets tough. Pea hearted response to clubs hard tagging him.

On the game. Duryea was massive in the last QTR and quite possibly saved the game.

Bont needs to see a sports psych. That miss to ice the game was an abomination. Happens far too often.

The further Bruce is away from our goals the better he looks. Not necessarily a great trait in a deep fwd.

Wallis had a bad game but could have had two goals with luck. I'm backing him

Stef Martin was immense. Shutting Grundy down was the main reason we won IMO.