Autopsy Post 2021 Grand Final Western Bulldogs game review, the good the bad and the ugly, come talk about it here!

[Dogs Rule]

We need a midfield bull. Bont is the Rolls, but we need one (or a few) midfield bulls that get the footy, are physical with a hard edge and give us some presence in there. Bulls that bash and crash and don't allow the opposition to waltz it from the middle uncontested. Whether it's trade or drafting, it's critical.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Yes we do need to change up a couple of things, but I don’t think drastic change is required. Melbourne are not unbeatable and lost to teams in the bottom part of the 8 more than us this year.

 

[LordLucifer]

Our delivery forward was horrendous didn't really give any of our forwards a chance to get involved

This surprised me too.

In the other finals, even when a Dogs player was running & carrying just inside the boundary line, whey they got close to the 50m arc there was normally a centreing kick on the 45 to which a rampaging "Aaron the Baron" would normally meet it in his crazy kamikaze attack on the pill in an attempt to mark, more times than not he did. This also gave Schache a chance to take a grab or two.

In the GF, the kicks to position inside the F50 were poorly directed and made it easier for the Dees defenders to spoil or outmark. Most were to a large pack instead of out into a space where the leading player could run in to.

Very strange and uncharacteristic.

The only reason I can give for that is that there may have been a belief that if the Dees won the ball it gave them a quick clean run straight down the corridor which then put the Dogs defenders under enormous pressure.

I would rather have given the forwards a chance to lead & mark even though there was risk attached.

Maybe there could have been a Dogs player positioned inside the centre square as a precautionary measure on these forward thrusts ??

 

[St 07]

We need a midfield bull. Bont is the Rolls, but we need one (or a few) midfield bulls that get the footy, are physical with a hard edge and give us some presence in there. Bulls that bash and crash and don't allow the opposition to waltz it from the middle uncontested. Whether it's trade or drafting, it's critical.

Not disagreeing at all but we literally have Dunks (who will improve) and Libba and Macrae is half bull, half elegant. West to come in. I don't know if we can go any more Bull, but maybe it's footy department expenditure and tactical. Just pondering

 

[LordLucifer]

We need a midfield bull. Bont is the Rolls, but we need one (or a few) midfield bulls that get the footy, are physical with a hard edge and give us some presence in there. Bulls that bash and crash and don't allow the opposition to waltz it from the middle uncontested. Whether it's trade or drafting, it's critical.

Is there no scope for Dunkley to be that player ??

At 191cm & 91kg, he's no stringbean.

Another option could be to see if Gardner could become a genuine battering ram, he's a big brute of a guy, just don't know if he has the leg speed & tank to do it.

 

[grassman75]

Some bogus dogs supporters in the crowd wanting high 5s from the dees lap of honour. WTF!!

All the "I'll put a Dog's scarf and cheer for the Dogs if you give me your barcode Eagles toffs

On SM-A515F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[grassman75]

I made this point in the Retire Wood thread and I'll make it again here.

Name a defender in the competition who could've done anything about the avalanche of inside 50 that they had coming their way when the game turned on its head in the 3rd? Richards, Gardner or Jesus ******* Christ himself wouldn't have made a lick of difference tonight when the Demons got on a roll.

It needed to be stopped in the middle and we couldn't do it.

And with 6 6 6 you can't throw a loose man back anymore

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[Mr. Walker]

Our delivery forward was horrendous didn't really give any of our forwards a chance to get involved

Agree. Also it is really hard to tell off the tv but I didn’t see much evidence of a lot of hard leading from our forwards. Our forward line looked static all night.

 

[X_box_X]

This loss hurts.

We shouldn't have lost after being 19 points up during the third quarter. We had all the momentum. I was in complete and utter shock what transpired from then.

I'm bloody proud of this club. I'm proud of the year we had. I'm proud of the bite and desire we displayed to make it to the Grand Final. Things were going so incredibly well when Bont kicked his third to put us 19 points up in the third quarter, but I'm just absolutely gutted with how we lost.

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? HOW?

 

[Dogs Rule]

Is there no scope for Dunkley to be that player ??

At 191cm & 91kg, he's no stringbean.

Another option could be to see if Gardner could become a genuine battering ram, he's a big brute of a guy, just don't know if he has the leg speed & tank to do it.

Potentially. I think we need that enforcer type in the middle. Is Dunkley the one? Not sure. We need a few mids with a bit of an edge, a bit of a Dipper, no nonsense type. A player who hits hard, crash and bash. That sort of stuff can and does change momentum when things start to slide.

 

[Dogs Rule]

This loss hurts.

We shouldn't have lost after being 19 points up during the third quarter. We had all the momentum. I was in complete and utter shock what transpired from then.

I'm bloody proud of this club. I'm proud of the year we had. I'm proud of the bite and desire we displayed to make it to the Grand Final. Things were going so incredibly well when Bont kicked his third to put us 19 points up in the third quarter, but I'm just absolutely gutted with how we lost.

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? HOW?

Same. Real proud of the club, but I hope in time every player watches the second half again. Don't ignore it.

Hopefully that sense of bitter disappointment and embarrassment is the spur to work harder and get fitter than ever across every second of preseason and we smash the 2022 season. This wrong need to be righted and only a flag next year will do that and that has to be the aim.

 

[Dogs Rule]

All the "I'll put a Dog's scarf and cheer for the Dogs if you give me your barcode Eagles toffs

On SM-A515F using BigFooty.com mobile app

Yeah, thank God we don't have to go through that charade again.

 

[St 07]

Potentially. I think we need that enforcer type in the middle. Is Dunkley the one? Not sure. We need a few mids with a bit of an edge, a bit of a Dipper, no nonsense type. A player who hits hard, crash and bash. That sort of stuff can and does change momentum when things start to slide.

We had a tankerous, maybe slightly slow, curly haired fella with a golden sheen who would probably fit the bill, but where there's smoke there's fire and by all reports he's off.

 

[adogsfan5]

Watch that second quarter again and take a look at our entries inside 50 and where they went. We look so dangerous when we get it in quick and about 20m from goal. That chaos ball from Bont that lead to Naughtons goal was a ripper.

 

[CarnTheScray]

Anyone else here getting some weird private messages from The Football Maestro ? He is sending me some bizarre sentences. Think he's mistaken me for someone else or he has schizophrenia.

 

[X_box_X]

My memory of the fourth quarter is almost a blur. When I knew we couldn't win, I wasn't watching the game with any level of anxiety or nervousness as per the first three quarters. As such, my recollection may be skewed a little.

Before I ask this question, I've avoided any review of the match until today. I just needed to deal with the loss in my own way, and that was blocking out anything to do with the game. It's actually taken a fair amount of courage to come view this thread today, not even 48 hours after our capitulation. It's therefore very possible and likely that this has been discussed at length...

Did we stop when we were no longer a chance to win the match? Were there signs that any of our players weren't giving 100% in the fourth quarter? I just can't fathom that Melbourne would have been able to outscore us by eight goals in the final quarter if all our players were giving 100%. Or maybe they were giving 100% and Melbourne are just that damn good that we had absolutely no answer for their relentlessness, desire and extremely high level of skill and execution.

 

[1961grandfinal]

This loss hurts.

We shouldn't have lost after being 19 points up during the third quarter. We had all the momentum. I was in complete and utter shock what transpired from then.

I'm bloody proud of this club. I'm proud of the year we had. I'm proud of the bite and desire we displayed to make it to the Grand Final. Things were going so incredibly well when Bont kicked his third to put us 19 points up in the third quarter, but I'm just absolutely gutted with how we lost.

At that time was preparing to break curfew and head to a daughter’s home. Planning a BF led triumphal march from the G to the whitten oval and that is what is called getting ahead of oneself.

60 years ago, we were nearly 5 goals up at half time and folded in the heat. Similar outcome. Need a response inside 55 years now.

 

[adogsfan5]

My memory of the fourth quarter is almost a blur. When I knew we couldn't win, I wasn't watching the game with any level of anxiety or nervousness as per the first three quarters. As such, my recollection may be skewed a little.

Before I ask this question, I've avoided any review of the match until today. I just needed to deal with the loss in my own way, and that was blocking out anything to do with the game. It's actually taken a fair amount of courage to come view this thread today, not even 48 hours after our capitulation. It's therefore very possible and likely that this has been discussed at length...

Did we stop when we were no longer a chance to win the match? Were there signs that any of our players weren't giving 100% in the fourth quarter? I just can't fathom that Melbourne would have been able to outscore us by eight goals in the final quarter if all our players were giving 100%. Or maybe they were giving 100% and Melbourne are just that damn good that we had absolutely no answer for their relentlessness, desire and extremely high level of skill and execution.

This video sums us up re giving up in the last quarter. Poor ruck effort, nobody near Petracca, waltzes out of the stoppage with no pressure.

 

[maddog37]

I’m ok after digesting the loss. It approaching it as if it is simply adding to the tapestry of life. The pain of losing this one adds to the reflective joy of winning the 2016 flag.

It’s another experience and one that whilst ending poorly, was a magnificent, joyous ride that many others would kill to experience. I love the club more now than ever before.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

I’m ok after digesting the loss. It approaching it as if it is simply adding to the tapestry of life. The pain of losing this one adds to the reflective joy of winning the 2016 flag.

It’s another experience and one that whilst ending poorly, was a magnificent, joyous ride that many others would kill to experience. I love the club more now than ever before.

Same, it’s part of the tapestry of following AFL. I used to think getting through to a GF even if we lost would be better than losing prelims. Now I have experienced two winning prelims, a GF win and a GF loss.

 

[Anja_Nees]

I like the fact Bev thanked the players for their effort straight after. I don’t think this will have an effect like the Adelaide/GWS/Port GF losses had on those clubs. It was a great effort to get there and we were good until well into the third. Plenty to be proud of.

Certainly we will not be taking the players to the bush blindfolded on a bus with the Melbourne club song playing on repeat.

 

[Dogs Rule]

I’m ok after digesting the loss. It approaching it as if it is simply adding to the tapestry of life. The pain of losing this one adds to the reflective joy of winning the 2016 flag.

It’s another experience and one that whilst ending poorly, was a magnificent, joyous ride that many others would kill to experience. I love the club more now than ever before.

My thoughts exactly. It hurts, but I've avoided all media since flicking off the TV during the final quarter, no post game, no footy shows, no articles, nothing and will do so until trade period starts. It's done me the world of good already. Sun is shining and feeling much better.

We have no experienced both sides of the Grand Final coin, the elation and the bitter and crushing disappointment. Makes me appreciate 2016 even more.

I have no doubt this will drive us to go one step further. No doubt. Bring it on.

 

[stefoid]

petracca has weird teeth.

 

[Deadly Darcy]

This video sums us up re giving up in the last quarter. Poor ruck effort, nobody near Petracca, waltzes out of the stoppage with no pressure.

Petracca basically decided to win the game and went on and did it. Best half of football from a single player I have every seen. He owned the field of play like you rarely see in footy game. Amazing stuff.

 

[MUYB]

Congrats dogs on a season you should be proud of. I think you were a bit unlucky to face a match-up where there were two really stark differences and both in our favour. The most obvious being ruck talent, but the other one being one of the fittest teams in recent memories while you've played four games in four states as your lead-up.

Hopefully hauling in the two best key position players in consecutive drafts is a bit of consolation to you.