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

[Madas]

Sorry mate, we're all a bit touchy, but we'll get there.

You’ll be right mate
I can understand your disappointment.
Lucky you won one a few years ago .
Your clubs on a good road mate , lots of young talent, great coach , good fan base and best of all you aren’t considered one of the flog Victorian clubs from most neutrals perspective. Hang in there Dogsy, I reckon you’ll be in the mix again next year

 

[Dogsman16]

Everything aligned beautifully for Melbourne. List profile, age demographic, form of key players and most importantly injury list just all stacked up wonderfully for them.

You know you are having a charmed season when the only long term injury is to your 3rd tall defender whom is immediately replaced by a player who becomes a future best 22 lock. Meanwhile between their top 15 players they probably missed about 2- 4 games collectively.

Meanwhile we have a ruckman on his last legs and underdone, our leading goal scoring doing an ACL in the last 10 seconds of a game, huge chunks of games missed by 2 of our top 6 mids, our 2nd best KPD (imo) doing both shoulders and our star KPD and small forward returning after injuries that often take a week or 2 game time to work through.

It just wasn't our time. It was there time. Which they well and truly deserved. We have seen dynasty clubs have to fight through crippling injury lists just to stay afloat (like Richmond had to) during there prime. Let's see if their list health remains the same.

 

[Dogs Rule]

You’ll be right mate
I can understand your disappointment.
Lucky you won one a few years ago .
Your clubs on a good road mate , lots of young talent, great coach , good fan base and best of all you aren’t considered one of the flog Victorian clubs from most neutrals perspective. Hang in there Dogsy, I reckon you’ll be in the mix again next year

Thanks mate and likewise. We should adopt the Dockers as our second team given Bob, Matty Boyd and Simon Garlick are over there flying the flag.

 

[huddo#9]

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.

Great vision, lack of respect by the guy supposed to be manning Petraccs at the stoppage. nfi

 

[the dog's kennel]

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.

God don't remind me. I don't care what anyone says - Mitch Wallis should have been in our team at the very latest from rd 22 onwards (after Bruce went down) in my book. It's going to make me so sad watching him do well for another team. If Dunkley goes with him, leaving our midfield unbalanced, I will be furious.

 

[Doggy]

God don't remind me. I don't care what anyone says - Mitch Wallis should have been in our team at the very latest from rd 22 onwards (after Bruce went down) in my book. It's going to make me so sad watching him do well for another team. If Dunkley goes with him, leaving our midfield unbalanced, I will be furious.

Liam Pickering said Dunkley won't be leaving this year. Then said he's looking at an extension.

Relax

 

[go you pups]

Forced myself to watch those Melbourne clearances in the last 10 minutes of the third.

That we didn’t set up at least one defensive sweeper is inexcusable.

This

 

[Al dente]

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.

this kind of vision of English has been shown for 3 years now, sadly he's not getting any better

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

Liam Pickering said Dunkley won't be leaving this year. Then said he's looking at an extension.

Relax

For a moment I read that as Liam Picken - how the heck would he know?

 

[stefoid]

this kind of vision of English has been shown for 3 years now, sadly he's not getting any better

he has been getting better, just off a low base as far as ruck work goes. All rucks take a number of years to hit their straps - maybe 4 or 5, and English might take 6, so trading him after 4 years on our list is just a gift to another team after we have already sucked up the most of the waiting period.

mostly what I get from that video is Roarke Smith, flat-footed, still trying to work out what is going on after his direct opponent has already grabbed the ball.

And have a look at Bailey Smith who starts within arms length of Oliver and ends up lamely jogging after him as Oliver sprints 20m to make position.

Our guys were sleep walking

 

[Chicago1]

As the last part of my sig says:

A fool will lose tomorrow reaching back for yesterday...

I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

 

[St 07]

petracca has weird teeth.

Hey he just takes it one crown at a time.

 

[Black Dog]

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.

I can't remember the stage in the last quarter, but it was reasonably early, but they definitely put the cue in the rack. Whether it was effort or exhaustion, they absolutely gave up.

 

[Boyd oh Boyd]

By the next afternoon I was over it. I've been a bit less emotional about the footy this year so maybe that was it, but thinking back to my expectations at the start of the year it was to win a final. By mid year I thought we could win the lot but I'd take a prelim loss as a pass as lots of good sides can't even win those. By round 23 it was again to just win a final. I reckon even the most optimistic supporter would take being runners up at the start of the year.

The margin stings but Melbourne are a great side. Defensive system is excellent, their players were totally committed, and so many of them were in career best form. I saw some strange things in that last quarter that makes me think we might've just gotten a bit desperate. Roarke seemed to try to tag Petracca which was a total 'this probably won't work but we're out of options' move, Schache was in defence, Smith was getting centre bounces for the first time all finals. We were just trying anything to see if it worked and probably blew the whole game apart. Add that to how hard it would be to stay mentally switched on when you know the season is over and you can see how it happened.

 

[Dogs Rule]

As the last part of my sig says:

A fool will lose tomorrow reaching back for yesterday...

I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Yes. One of my favourite as well is 'Be kind to people on the way up because you'll meet the same people on the way down.'

A lesson for fans of all Premiership winning teams.

 

[hutchy31]

By the next afternoon I was over it. I've been a bit less emotional about the footy this year so maybe that was it, but thinking back to my expectations at the start of the year it was to win a final. By mid year I thought we could win the lot but I'd take a prelim loss as a pass as lots of good sides can't even win those. By round 23 it was again to just win a final. I reckon even the most optimistic supporter would take being runners up at the start of the year.

The margin stings but Melbourne are a great side. Defensive system is excellent, their players were totally committed, and so many of them were in career best form. I saw some strange things in that last quarter that makes me think we might've just gotten a bit desperate. Roarke seemed to try to tag Petracca which was a total 'this probably won't work but we're out of options' move, Schache was in defence, Smith was getting centre bounces for the first time all finals. We were just trying anything to see if it worked and probably blew the whole game apart. Add that to how hard it would be to stay mentally switched on when you know the season is over and you can see how it happened.

If the dees had kicked on from QT and kept the margin about 3-6 goals then beaten us comfortably I could have lived with that way more easily than what happened. One hand on the trophy at 19 points up with a decent chunk of the third gone, Bont firming for NS and Melbourne have only scored one goal in what seemed like an age. Then a break here and there, Melbourne get a goal and all of a sudden 6-6-6 and the centre clearance debacle.

Anyway, I'm still pretty down about it - but we absolutely got beaten by a better team. Now fully fit, with both teams coming through winning QFs/PFs maybe it's closer, but that was our own fault plus some shitty injury luck. Fair play to the dees they took their chance with both hands and I'm less concerned about the blowout than the ridiculous second half of the third quarter.

 

[MrChristo]

It's ok to criticise and make rational/factual comments, but when they become vial and are constantly directed at specific players, then the question has to be asked??

It's like a Petri dish for vitriol...

(bboom-tish. I'll see myself out, etc... )

[it's 2 days after the fact, I still have some blood in my alcohol system, and I figure it's now best to laugh it away...]

 

[Dogs 13]

By the next afternoon I was over it. I've been a bit less emotional about the footy this year so maybe that was it, but thinking back to my expectations at the start of the year it was to win a final. By mid year I thought we could win the lot but I'd take a prelim loss as a pass as lots of good sides can't even win those. By round 23 it was again to just win a final. I reckon even the most optimistic supporter would take being runners up at the start of the year.

The margin stings but Melbourne are a great side. Defensive system is excellent, their players were totally committed, and so many of them were in career best form. I saw some strange things in that last quarter that makes me think we might've just gotten a bit desperate. Roarke seemed to try to tag Petracca which was a total 'this probably won't work but we're out of options' move, Schache was in defence, Smith was getting centre bounces for the first time all finals. We were just trying anything to see if it worked and probably blew the whole game apart. Add that to how hard it would be to stay mentally switched on when you know the season is over and you can see how it happened.

I was really enjoying this season up to round 18 when they shut us out for good again. Footy is about attending for me and I'd been able to get to 9 games.

I just don't feel the same about matches on tv, they're not real somehow (although that doesn't stop me yelling at the tv with BT, Hamish and Brayshaw talking bullshit). A loss doesn't seem to hurt as much and it would have felt hollow if we'd won and couldn't be there.

I'd still rather we'd won though

My God, 360 and On The Couch will be unbearable tonight, think I'd best stay away.

 

[Dogs Rule]

I remember as a kid I used to watch the replay of the '92 and then the '97 Prelims on VHS and would stop '92 at half time and '97 at three quarter time and just dream about a Grand Final and if the final stages of those games turned out differently.

What could've been? Over and over again. Same again in 08 and 09 and by 2010 I was just fed up and over it. Since 2016, there's only one game from the past I'll bother watching in full over and over again - the Grand Final (also partly because I haven't got a videotape player anymore).

The lesson is we can analyse what happened Saturday over and over, but the result won't change and we'll drive ourselves nuts. I trust our club and our players to deal with it, learn from it and to make amends next year.

Look what we did this year, we had some great wins, some massive wins and the three finals wins were epic. The fire is clearly there and if anything is should be even more intense in 2022.

 

[Dogsman16]

Looking back at some of the vision, May is an absolute master at defensive holds and pushes. Doesn't make it look blatant but he's constantly putting a shove in the side or enough of a hold (but not too much) so that his opponent gets no room. Not to mention he playing back shoulder so he can't be shoved back in return.

Jamarra's development will be vital in assisting Naughton. Usually you have one lockdown defender but if Jamarra can use his speed and leap (like Naughton) then they won't be able to shut down both.

 

[Hobdog]

Definitely think the fact my Wife urged me to switch off early meaning I subsequently missed any on or off-field celebrations, along with my media blackout has allowed me to move on much faster.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Boyd oh Boyd]

I was really enjoying this season up to round 18 when they shut us out for good again. Footy is about attending for me and I'd been able to get to 9 games.

I just don't feel the same about matches on tv, they're not real somehow (although that doesn't stop me yelling at the tv with BT, Hamish and Brayshaw talking bullshit). A loss doesn't seem to hurt as much and it would have felt hollow if we'd won and couldn't be there.

I'd still rather we'd won though

My God, 360 and On The Couch will be unbearable tonight, think I'd best stay away.

That might have something to do with it. I only went to 2 games this year, round 1 and 2. Someone in my family is immunocompromised so I had to limit the amount of places I went that would have a lot of people.

Work, supermarket, footy, and a handful of other places. I love staying at home but even for me it's been a boring year.

 

[Dogs 13]

That might have something to do with it. I only went to 2 games this year, round 1 and 2. Someone in my family is immunocompromised so I had to limit the amount of places I went that would have a lot of people.

Work, supermarket, footy, and a handful of other places. I love staying at home but even for me it's been a boring year.

Perfectly understandable, we all do what we have to do.

Round 2 was by far my favourite game that I attended this year, so at least you got a good one.

 

[lateniter]

I've been moping around for a couple of days, but now I think I'm prepared to say we were never in it.
Melbourne came out hard, made some crunching tackles and looked sharp while we were uncertain and fumbly.
We scrambled our way back, thanks to Bontempelli, but got overrun in the third.
I think Melbourne embraced the historic pressure when I thought it would be the opposite.
It would be good to hear the club's assessments of how the the leadup, playing all over the country in quarantine, affected our players physically and mentally. Melbourne had their feet up while we were touring five states.
It looked like we just hit a wall. I really don't want to blame the players for a lack of effort.

 

[stefcep]

Can the coaching team also look at the video of the number of times we have two players going up for the same mark.