Preview R19: Essendon vs Bulldogs, 21/7 @ 7:50pm - DC is Better Stadium - CHANGES ARE IN

[DallasCrane316]

OFFICIAL CHANGES:

Out - Weideman, Menzie and Hind.
In - Cox, Phillips

 

[faible]

Do we know why Cox was pulled at half time in the VFL? Injury concerns? Load management? Keeping him fresh for Friday night as an in?

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Do we know why Cox was pulled at half time in the VFL? Injury concerns? Load management? Keeping him fresh for Friday night as an in?

Pretty sure was to keep him fresh for Friday game.

 

[eth-dog]

Do we know why Cox was pulled at half time in the VFL? Injury concerns? Load management? Keeping him fresh for Friday night as an in?

Most likely the latter

 

[TheGrizz]

I would suspect:

In: Phillips, Cox, Baldwin (pending Laverde)
Out: Weideman (omit), Hind (Sub), Laverde (inj.)

 

[Matthew_Lloyd]

Ah the Dogs, the third team that has a psychological stranglehold on us, along with Geelong and Richmond. Where the Tigers usually do enough to beat us by only 4ish goals, and the Cats (bar last week) take the foot off the gas after getting out to a 12 goal lead, the Bulldogs never miss a chance to completely tear us apart. As others have mentioned, we've only beaten them once in 9 years. In the year where we finally beat them, they obliterated us again just a few weeks later.

But at the end of the day, this is another challenge we must face, if we want to get out of 20 years of mediocrity. I believe with the quality of football we are capable of playing, we can win this game. The Dogs may look good on paper, but they've been very average this season.

They'll likely bring in 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

this week to try and stretch us. We need to apply a lot of defensive pressure this week. The Bulldogs have a lot of players that can hit lasers by foot, and they'll cut us apart if we bring the bruise-free rubbish from last Saturday again.

This game will be all above the shoulders. Just like Geelong and Richmond, the Bulldogs have a psychological hold on us, and know that we are usually mentally defeated before the ball is even bounced. It's time to finally stand up to the pricks when they attempt to bully us again!

 

[andleanback]

If stringer isn’t fit, I’d pull him, give him a week off and go with another small.

 

[citizen-erased]

Expect the Cox decision is in preparation for Laverde missing.
I wonder if they give a couple some time to freshen up (Hepp and Stringer notably).

In: Cox, Flip
Out: Lav (Inj), Hepp (rest)

Ridley - Zerk - Kelly
Redman - Cox - McGrath
Martin - Perkins - Durham
Menzie - Weideman - Guelfi
Stringer - Wright - Langford
Bryan - Parish - Merrett
Hobbs - Caldwell - Flip - Snelling
Hind

 

[eth-dog]

With Parish free to play:

Out: Weideman, Laverde, Heppell
In: Phillips, Baldwin, Cox

McGrath - Zerk-Thatcher - Kelly
Redman - Baldwin - Ridley
Martin - Hobbs - Durham
Snelling - Stringer - Guelfi
Langford - Wright - Menzie
Bryan - Parish - Merrett
Cox - Perkins - Caldwell - Phillips
Hind

 

[citizen-erased]

With Parish free to play:

Out: Weideman, Laverde, Heppell
In: Phillips, Baldwin, Cox

McGrath - Zerk-Thatcher - Kelly
Redman - Baldwin - Ridley
Martin - Hobbs - Durham
Snelling - Stringer - Guelfi
Langford - Wright - Menzie
Bryan - Parish - Merrett
Cox - Perkins - Caldwell - Phillips
Hind

can only wish

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

With Parish free to play:

Out: Weideman, Laverde, Heppell
In: Phillips, Baldwin, Cox

McGrath - Zerk-Thatcher - Kelly
Redman - Baldwin - Ridley
Martin - Hobbs - Durham
Snelling - Stringer - Guelfi
Langford - Wright - Menzie
Bryan - Parish - Merrett
Cox - Perkins - Caldwell - Phillips
Hind

You resting Heppell? or is he injured or a team balance thing? He was pretty good a few weeks ago (can't remember too much of Sat night tbh sigh).

 

[bombreys]

Why the Parish out?

I was close to certain they'd rub him out.

Cancel that one out.

 

[eth-dog]

can only wish

Those two are irrelevant to each other. Baldwin back, Weid forward.

You resting Heppell? or is he injured or a team balance thing? He was pretty good a few weeks ago (can't remember too much of Sat night tbh sigh).

He's playing a role that I think Cox would play better.

 

[citizen-erased]

Those two are irrelevant to each other. Baldwin back, Weid forward.

Yeah, but i want both changes

 

[Snake Charmer]

Has Cox earnt a game? Legit question.. watched him 2-3 weeks ago and he looked a mile off

 

[andleanback]

Has Cox earnt a game? Legit question.. watched him 2-3 weeks ago and he looked a mile off

Was good against Gold Coast
I think type of player that suits afl over vfl

 

[ghostdog]

You were correct. Parish all good to play.

Merrett got a fine for staging though

Because he accepted the boys chairing him off the ground? It did seem a bit lame.

 

[Call Me Cake]

If Weed plays then Scott and the MC are officially The Nuffies™©®

 

[bombreys]

Has Cox earnt a game? Legit question.. watched him 2-3 weeks ago and he looked a mile off

I think his proven (albeit short) ability at AFL level might give him an advantage - and the fact he’d bring something different.

By form, he’s a fair way behind Baldwin and Montgomerie for mine.

 

[Shanghaistu]

is there any chance that we already served up our annual versus-the-bulldogs performance last Saturday by accident, and now we can go into this game with a fresh script? Or is there a risk that we could still repeat the 2019 v Bulldogs effort?

 

[cAsEy_18]

I'm less worried about the mental edge the dogs have over us than Geelong.

Geelong physically dominate and intimidate us. You can see it within the first 10mins every time.

The dogs don't do that. They tend to be a front-running, outside, flashy looking team (not unlike us in the past, just better at it). A defensive game-plan and a defensive minded team has more ability to limit the dogs, as well as score on them, than they do against Geelong.

Prior to last week, I was quietly confident going into the game against the dogs. Hard to put last week out of your mind completely, but the dogs certainly aren't Geelong in terms of an intimidation factor.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Has Cox earnt a game? Legit question.. watched him 2-3 weeks ago and he looked a mile off

Looks nowhere near it. He could come in for someone else but not for Laverde …that has to be Baldwin

 

[Runk]

I'd play Cox over Hind every day.

 

[MiguelM]

I'm less worried about the mental edge the dogs have over us than Geelong.

Geelong physically dominate and intimidate us. You can see it within the first 10mins every time.

The dogs don't do that. They tend to be a front-running, outside, flashy looking team (not unlike us in the past, just better at it). A defensive game-plan and a defensive minded team has more ability to limit the dogs, as well as score on them, than they do against Geelong.

Prior to last week, I was quietly confident going into the game against the dogs. Hard to put last week out of your mind completely, but the dogs certainly aren't Geelong in terms of an intimidation factor.

Agree, helps Macrae isn't there either.

I think our forward line poses a real threat to the Dogs, potentially.

Will be interesting to see how we respond.

 

[brain taylor]

Keen to also see how Brad responds. Was quite the reality check.

was it really a reality check for the guy who has said “we’ve got a long way to go before we’re a good side” at every presser this year?

 

[ant555]

Has Cox earnt a game? Legit question.. watched him 2-3 weeks ago and he looked a mile off

Probably just in the frame now. I agree he was horrible for a few games but his last half against the GC was very good and the half he played this week was good as well.