Review R22: The Good, Bad and Ugly vs. Footscray

[Mutineer]

6 goals from centre square clearances surely means ROB and the mids did OK.

 

[jenny61_99]

How do you explain our 1st month of football...

We all know what happened. Nicks changed the attacking style of play from last year to try to shore up our poor defensive efforts. We’d lost a lot of close games last year and they were working on a definite weakness. However, in so doing, he buggered us up until it was too late to fix. Since those first four weeks though, we’ve won 8, drawn 1 and lost 8. We were only blown away in two of those 17 matches against Hawthorn who are on fire and Sydney the ladder leaders. We’ve won by 2, 57, 30, 99, 16, 32, 2 and 39 - including 3 games away. We’ve lost by 3, 4, 27, 8, 42, 11, 66, and 5 - including 4 home games. We’ve beaten Carlton, Essendon, Port, GWS and WB, and lost by 3 to Essendon, drew with Brisbane and then lost to them by 11, lost by 4 to Collingwood, - all were either in the 8 or vying for a position. We aren’t that far off it.

I’ve been saying all year, we are there and there abouts. And it is very clear, we’ve got the structure of a very nice footy team in place. Our forward line will be as elite as Port’s midfield (if they aren’t already). Our defenders are a work in progress but will be better for the massive learning curve they’ve had this year. Our midfield has some real gems developing now (Soligo, Taylor, Rankine, Dawson and Crouch with a smattering of Curtin and Rachele). What would be ideal, is to bring in an experienced big body mid.

I don’t think Nicks is the one to take us forward, but he has been extended so we will be lumped with him for a while yet. But I’m telling you this, if he can turn the corner, like our team has done, and he starts winning games with them next year, I’ll be cheering him on just as loudly as our lads.

 

[huludicidal]

Good:
ROB - arguably best on ground. Destroyed English. Not only did ROB win the hitout battle 59-15, he actually laced out a beautiful pass inside 50, took a couple of strong marks, had something like 20 hitouts to advantage, and just did everything you’d want him to do.

Rankine’s first half - electric reminder of what he can do when in the right role

Fogarty - is building into one of the best key forwards in the comp

Keays - understands his role, and performs it admirably.

Thilthorpe - I’m still frightened that he’s made of glass, but is building nicely

Curtin not getting subbed off and getting some reward at the end

Laird being removed (hopefully permanently) from the centre bounce rotation

Crouch - underrated game. Was huge when it mattered.

Sholl - absolutely racked it up and I thought made good decisions, playing within his capabilities.

Keane - much improved performance and in particular I loved his kick-in work, which the likes of Laird, Worrell and Murray were comparably shithouse at.



Bad:
That unbelievably ridiculous umpiring decision where Fog was called for holding the ball when he handballed it in front of himself. Piss off maggot.

Probably balanced out by the equally ridiculous non-free paid against Fog when he flew for the ball and took out a dogs opponent, allowing Keays to mark and goal.

The “play-on” decision when Fog caught an opponent cold.

There was a lot of “bad” involving Fogarty and umps today!


Ugly:
Sam Darcy’s kicking for goal

The results this weekend resulting in Port being in the box seat for the double chance



Bonus good:
We can still ruin Port’s double chance hopes

 

[FR0GGY]

Bad: that Max couldn’t get his first goal when he was so close to having a set shot.

 

[jenny61_99]

Luke Brown never looked particularly spectacular playing the same role and he played 189 games and I don't think anyone ever questioned his spot in the side.

Oh yes they did. He was a whipping boy in here on the regular.

 

[jo172]

Thought ROB absolutely towelled up English

 

[jenny61_99]

He said himself he has put on several Kg's over the summer/pre-season. You can see it too if you look at before/after pics.

Thanks mainly to Josh Manuel at the club who he mentioned.

I was being facetious… he’s a runner… he’s got the body of a D Mac and Van Berlo before him. He’ll never bulk up much.

 

[Samcro24]

What was with all the scratching? Lots of our players had fingernail marks on their faces and bodies.

Bulldogs bite and bulldogs claw.

They give their very best.

 

[PCORF]

Probably the best effort of the season. Fogarty superb. Maybe the first showdown was a better effort.

If only we played like this earlier in the season. First 4 rounds, Draper dance, Rankine running too far (no he didn't), draw vs Brisbane, that god awful loss to Richmond.

Next 2 weeks vs 2nd Port and 1st Swans on the ladder. Despite that I think they will be hard fought games. Don't care about the result as long as we fight it out, any win is a bonus.

Next year, not sure, will see when the time arrives.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

People aren't seriously going down the Nicks didn't have the players at the start of the year path.....

 

[Ciao Giacomo]

Best team we have had in this year? Need more depth. And urgently


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

It’s surprising how much better Nicks coaches when we have our best players on the park.

It is a total joy watching Rankine and Dawson.

 

[Mutineer]

Rooch upset Bevo with his 1st question at his presser

 

[George Kramer]

We all know what happened. Nicks changed the attacking style of play from last year to try to shore up our poor defensive efforts. We’d lost a lot of close games last year and they were working on a definite weakness. However, in so doing, he buggered us up until it was too late to fix. Since those first four weeks though, we’ve won 8, drawn 1 and lost 8. We were only blown away in two of those 17 matches against Hawthorn who are on fire and Sydney the ladder leaders. We’ve won by 2, 57, 30, 99, 16, 32, 2 and 39 - including 3 games away. We’ve lost by 3, 4, 27, 8, 42, 11, 66, and 5 - including 4 home games. We’ve beaten Carlton, Essendon, Port, GWS and WB, and lost by 3 to Essendon, drew with Brisbane and then lost to them by 11, lost by 4 to Collingwood, - all were either in the 8 or vying for a position. We aren’t that far off it.

I’ve been saying all year, we are there and there abouts. And it is very clear, we’ve got the structure of a very nice footy team in place. Our forward line will be as elite as Port’s midfield (if they aren’t already). Our defenders are a work in progress but will be better for the massive learning curve they’ve had this year. Our midfield has some real gems developing now (Soligo, Taylor, Rankine, Dawson and Crouch with a smattering of Curtin and Rachele). What would be ideal, is to bring in an experienced big body mid.

I don’t think Nicks is the one to take us forward, but he has been extended so we will be lumped with him for a while yet. But I’m telling you this, if he can turn the corner, like our team has done, and he starts winning games with them next year, I’ll be cheering him on just as loudly as our lads.

We weren’t poor defensively last year, we had the 9th best defence. He ****ed up with a massive overreaction and we didn’t lose close games due to poor defensive efforts that required a change in gameplan, you practise closing out games, you don’t change your whole gameplan!

As for the improved performance, you realise that’s basically 50-50 and we’d still piss out on finals?

 

[Southerntakeover]

Oh yes they did. He was a whipping boy in hear on the regular.

Wouldn't be the first thing you've made up

 

[George Kramer]

It’s surprising how much better Nicks coaches when we have our best players on the park.

It is a total joy watching Rankine and Dawson.

They didn’t play the first 4 weeks?

 

[Southerntakeover]

We weren’t poor defensively last year, we had the 9th best defence. He ****ed up with a massive overreaction and we didn’t lose close games due to poor defensive efforts that required a change in gameplan, you practise closing out games, you don’t change your whole gameplan!

As for the improved performance, you realise that’s basically 50-50 and we’d still piss out on finals?

The upside is barely competitive, but the shills love to act like its top level

 

[Raysboy]

Our season is over and we play like this. The apologists come out of the woodwork.

We had our best side for the year.Finally Rankine, TT and Dawson played together.

 

[George Kramer]

The upside is barely competitive, but the shills love to act like its top level

And aren’t they all back!!!

 

[Southerntakeover]

It’s surprising how much better Nicks coaches when we have our best players on the park.

It is a total joy watching Rankine and Dawson.

If you only ever turn up after a win, things are pretty good

 

[Southerntakeover]

And aren’t they all back!!!

They rock up one in every three weeks

 

[Danger in Texas]

Murphy is just woeful. Gets cheap disposals, cant win his own ball unless he flops like a seal for frees. Worst player, im calling it, worst ever player to pull on a shirt. He is worse than McHenry.

One thing’s for sure, we clearly need to move past him

Hoping that Pedlar builds his tank enough in pre-season to be able to match Murphy’s running, whilst being more dynamic offensively

Otherwise grab Joe Richards from the Pies

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Rooch upset Bevo with his 1st question at his presser

What did he ask?

 

[ABAB]

People aren't seriously going down the Nicks didn't have the players at the start of the year path.....

Only Thilthorpe would have made a difference to the game plan Nicks was trying to play (although clearly an unknown how much he had improved but he has looked very good since returning).

 

[119others]

Yep can agree with that.

Today was his first full game.

Plays round 1 and builds on those 6 disposals, and 3 clearances, by now he is getting 10 plus disposals.

On SM-A325F using BigFooty.com mobile app

Agree, that’s more realistic. 10 plus disposals doesn’t contend for the Rising Star as a mid though - not anywhere near it.

 

[Mutineer]

What did he ask?

Full post-match, R22: Bulldogs

Watch Western Bulldogs’s press conference after round 22’s match against Adelaide

www.afl.com.au