Game Day Round 9, GWS Giants v Western Bulldogs, 3.20pm, Spotless Stadium

[Next Waiting]

In a 2 horse race where the opposition are +28 on average for contested possessions, lead the league in overall possessions and have the most miserly defence through 8 rounds, $1.40 is significant unders for GWS I'd have thought. Happy to take the $3 bucks on us.

 

[Bemoreboyddog]

Can't see a win today. Don't think we can use it well enough going forward and might even struggle using it out of defence. Giants by 40.

Quite nervous actually. But please, oh pretty please, no more injuries or suspensions!

 

[dull_high_ahoy]

all gws emergencies (steele, tomlinson, reid) are playing in the 2's now. So Lobb must be playing 1s

 

[dogwatch]

Just so you can see the full extent of our absentees, here's the list:

Regular first 22:
Murphy* - Suckling - Adams - Johannisen - MBoyd - Redpath - TBoyd - Crameri* (if you want to count him)

Fringe first 22:
C.Smith - Hrovat (playing VFL first game after 6 week break)

VFL level:
Z.Cordy - Prudden* - Goetz - R.Smith

* = season

That's 8 regular first 22 players or 36% (7 if you only count one of Toyd and Redpath, 6 if you also don't count Crameri)
2 fringe depth players
4 lower depth players

In total it's 14 out of our 44 players or 32% of our list.
Surely it can only get better from here.

I know GWS have a few out as well but they are the form side of the comp playing on their own turf.
We're not without a chance but I won't be too disappointed if we lose by under 30.

 

[Dogsman16]

Really glad that Bev continues to back Soup and Roughy as the ruck combination and not be tempted to move Roughead back to play on Lobb.

We will need one of Campbell/roughy to be in the forward line nearly all the time so that we can function as a forward line and allow Stringer to roam and not be stuck deep all the time.

Big Jack come back to me

 

[Next Waiting]

all gws emergencies (steele, tomlinson, reid) are playing in the 2's now. So Lobb must be playing 1s

Lobb's inclusion will, if it wasn't already significant, up the ante around the ball and the overall importance of team defence. This could well be one of the most physically intense games/contests of the year and I think we're well equipped to handle it despite the outs. Melbourne were competitive last week, the witches hats that are GC not so much. A fair leap in intensity for GWS. Can't wait.

 

[dergert]

Will be ecstatic if we somehow manage to get up.

 

[dogwatch]

Don't mind if Lobb plays. The more complete their starting 22 the more it will give us a fair idea where we are at. I've already marked it down mentally as a likely loss so a win will be a bonus.
I saw Lobb in the NAB Cup game at Manuka before he was widely known and was very impressed even then. If he does well today it will help us develop some ideas on how to counter him in September.

 

[ossie_21]

Agree with most of the other opinion, I expect we have too many big outs to win but will happy to be in the contest

 

[Dogsman16]

We just need to smash them in the middle. Really do think Mumford won't cause much trouble because we will out jump him in the centre square and just use the 3rd man up tactic to negate him around the stoppages.

Need Stringer to FIRE as the tall forward if we are any chance. Good thing is that he's now back in form.

 

[fronkalicious]

Whoever plays predominantly forward replacing redpath / Tboyd needs to create a contest every time and spill the ball if it cant be marked. Adcock needs to play MBoyd's experienced role in the backline, guy puts himself in the hole time after time and intercept marks.

Confident our mids win today, just need enough scoreboard pressure from our efforts.

Patfull and mohr aren't big intercept markers. Haynes can be, but he's still developing that part of his game and he'll likely have his hands full with Dickson.

 

[Pannalstaroz]

I'm usually ok with tipping us to win or lose but I'm really 50/50 on this one. If both teams play to their strengths, with our outs it could be a bit ugly BUT, we have Bev, who will formulate something to make sure were competitive. If we can exploit them for pace and ball movement, we can win.

Dogs by 11. Stringer to kick 9.

GO DOGS

 

[fronkalicious]

It's never ugly with Libba, Wallis, bonti, dal, hunter,
Macrae and picken in your midfield. 100% competitive. Always.

 

[Cadillac]

I'm usually ok with tipping us to win or lose but I'm really 50/50 on this one. If both teams play to their strengths, with our outs it could be a bit ugly BUT, we have Bev, who will formulate something to make sure were competitive. If we can exploit them for pace and ball movement, we can win.

Dogs by 11. Stringer to kick 9.

GO DOGS

I love your enthusiasm Panas!
Midfield and possibly even our forward line could have them covered. GWS have no idea (nor do we on here) how we will set up with our big guys out. So that could certainly work in our favour.
It's just going to be so bloody hard to stop Cameron, Lobbe and Patton. Particularly with 5 of our starting 6 defenders out.

If are going to win then we have to dominate the clearances and make most of our opportunities Infront of goals.

With Stringer getting most of their attention, I'm predicting Dickson to have a big game.

 

[Boristown]

Not sure anyone should be worried by Patton. He's a decoy at best.

Lobb is under an injury cloud and may struggle to have an impact.

Cameron is the man today.

 

[bobby2]

It's never ugly with Libba, Wallis, bonti, dal, hunter,
Macrae and picken in your midfield. 100% competitive. Always.

Add in Stevens coming back too, and we should give them a fair beating through the midfield.

 

[Super Hans]

Can feel a huge game from Dahl today. Him, Libba, Wallis, Macrae and Bontempelli need to dismantle GWS in close.

 

[Cudi]

No late changes for either side.

Lobb plays as expected.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Everybody's talking about our injuries, but I'm just glad that we can send out our full-strength midfield out there with no injuries whatsoever.

GWS's been good for the entire year because their midfield has dominated hence their I50 numbers and contested possession differentials.

For the first time they're coming up against a midfield that's better than theirs. They're still a young team and when they see Bont, Libba, Macrae, Wallis, Picken, Dahlhaus, Hunter, Stevens as our midfield rotation smashing them in contested ball hopefully they'll drop their bundle a bit.

Hoping Campbell can halve the contest with Mumford like he has with Goldstein and Gawn (their possession numbers well down when up against Campbell) will be critical to the game.

 

[Boristown]

Everyone's assuming GWS will play at 100%, they've been up for a while, can easily see them down a few % which is all that's needed to get over the top of them.

Good luck guys.

 

[Scary_Foot_9]

Just got here for the final quarter but the lack of intensity in this NEAFL game is truly something to behold.

 

[TempleKelvington]

Not sure anyone should be worried by Patton. He's a decoy at best.

Lobb is under an injury cloud and may struggle to have an impact.

Cameron is the man today.

Yep agree he usually goes ok against us. Not sure who plays on him. I'd be tempted to go Wood, but I think it has to be Morris. Bigg's or Adcock to Johnson. Dad goes to Patton, roughy to lobb and fletch forward.

But Cameron is my main worry....but, there is more than a couple to worry about.

 

[Boristown]

Yep agree he usually goes ok against us. Not sure who plays on him. I'd be tempted to go Wood, but I think it has to be Morris. Bigg's or Adcock to Johnson. Dad goes to Patton, roughy to lobb and fletch forward.

But Cameron is my main worry....but, there is more than a couple to worry about.

They'll all get a crack at him at some point. I'd have Morris on Stevie J all day. He's one that can get off the leash if the talls get too much focus.

 

[Snarls Barkley]

I'm actually pretty confident today which is probably a bad sign. Our midfield is still full strength and that's where we've been winning games. I'm a little worried about our forward line, without Redpath and Boyd we have a severe lack of height down there and against North we couldn't find a way to score without them.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

They'll all get a crack at him at some point. I'd have Morris on Stevie J all day. He's one that can get off the leash if the talls get too much focus.

I'd have Wood on Stevie J, because he can attack more then other way if Stevie doesn't work hard defensively.