Preview Semi Final v Bulldogs @ The Gabba, Saturday 4th September 2021, 7.20pm.

[Cotchy9]

Maybe we are being justifiably difficult and not agreeing to twilight.

The game should suit us as it's our home final, but the opposition are whining and using covid to get the first win in the game.

Absolutely this. The game should 100% be when Brisbane want it. Bulldogs don’t want to sit in a hotel all day? Bad luck, don’t lose your last 3 games and miss top 4

 

[mpal6]

Maybe we are being justifiably difficult and not agreeing to twilight.

The game should suit us as it's our home final, but the opposition are whining and using covid to get the first win in the game.

Agreed, hope we stuff them as I'm sure they'll be doing the same to us if roles are reversed.

They can fly up saturday morning if they want to

 

[briztoon]

Personally I’d drop Fullarton, bring Ballenden in, and play four or five smalls up forward. Clear out the forward 50 for Charlie and send in low balls to our small forwards, instead of bombing in high balls.

 

[Lazza16]

Weightman now has the umpires looking at the way he plays for free's. They wont come as easy on Saturday 100%.

He will just throw it instead when tackled.

 

[Lazza16]

I would just go small and get Tom Berry in the forward line.

Plenty of pressure and he'll go a long way in making sure the Bulldog entries aren't a walk in piece of cake.

I saw Tom in the forward line against Doggies in Ballarat and he was invisible with 1 disposal if I recall correctly n dropped the next week.

 

[Lazza16]

I know why we got rid of him but Walker wouldn't be the worst option down back at the moment

Dont forget Hendo, Butler, Yeo n Docherty n Witho

 

[T Rick]

OUT: Mathieson
Don't think he can afford to play agai

Maybe we are being justifiably difficult and not agreeing to twilight.

The game should suit us as it's our home final, but the opposition are whining and using covid to get the first win in the game.

That western sun for the first hour or so with a twilight game is a real bummer...

 

[martinson]

Listening to Fages tonight it's unlikely we'll be going any left field changes. Andrews and Gardiner good to go it seems. He did hint we might be forced to go a smaller forward line. Had an uncharacteristic half whine about McStay going down in the first 5 minutes.

Nothing unsurprising. Gave any thoughts of sympathy to Toby Greene

4

Toby Greene

Age

31

Ht

182cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.7

5star

K

12.5

5star

HB

10.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

3.0

5star

G

1.2

4star

D

17.5

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

8.0

4star

M

4.8

4star

T

1.0

2star

G

2.3

5star

D

26.6

5star

K

12.4

5star

HB

14.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

3.6

5star

G

0.0

1star

short shrift.

 

[FFB1]

If we name both Fullarton and Ballenden I’m cashing out my punt, we’d be going in to the game with the equivalent of 19.5 players. 18.5 if Mathieson keeps his spot.

 

[lioninthesand]

Gee whizz, Dogs fans are MEGA confident on their board - we are a push over apparently. Sure we are vaunrable and banged up, but we are bloody hard to beat at home. I'm looking forward to this one.

 

[lioninthesand]

Listening to Fages tonight it's unlikely we'll be going any left field changes. Andrews and Gardiner good to go it seems. He did hint we might be forced to go a smaller forward line. Had an uncharacteristic half whine about McStay going down in the first 5 minutes.

Nothing unsurprising. Gave any thoughts of sympathy to Toby Greene short shrift.

I thought Fages seemed a bit flat tonight, short answers etc. If he is feeling anything like us, this roller-coaster of a year is probably taking its toll. Hope we put a smile on the old blokes face Saturday evening.

 

[bato]

Gee whizz, Dogs fans are MEGA confident on their board - we are a push over apparently. Sure we are vaunrable and banged up, but we are bloody hard to beat at home. I'm looking forward to this one.

That doesn't bother me as much as some of them trashing our players for no reason.

Oscar is apparently the worst remaining finals ruckman?

 

[martinson]

I thought Fages seemed a bit flat tonight, short answers etc. If he is feeling anything like us, this roller-coaster of a year is probably taking its toll. Hope we put a smile on the old blokes face Saturday evening.

Yeah. A little down.

Got a bit on his mind I think.

Some banged up players and no options to replace them perhaps.

 

[lioninthesand]

That doesn't bother me as much as some of them trashing our players for no reason.

Oscar is apparently the worst remaining finals ruckman?

Yeah saw that too. Cocky bunch, bit like their players.

 

[lioninthesand]

Yeah. A little down.

Got a bit on his mind I think.

Some banged up players and no options to replace them perhaps.

Yeah and probably a bit of stress/concern about getting done, let's be real.

 

[MacMum]

Perhaps we have a lot more sore players than has been let on..

 

[Lazza16]

Listening to Fages tonight it's unlikely we'll be going any left field changes. Andrews and Gardiner good to go it seems. He did hint we might be forced to go a smaller forward line. Had an uncharacteristic half whine about McStay going down in the first 5 minutes.

Nothing unsurprising. Gave any thoughts of sympathy to Toby Greene short shrift.

Could a smaller forward line be a hint to McFadyen getting a go?

 

[luthor]

Whatever the selection changes, I am dead against this crazy idea of playing Oscar forward and bringing in Archie as first Ruck.

Apart from the fact that Oscar is absolutely nothing like a like for like replacement for McStay, he is far and away our best Ruckman, whilst Archie has never shown much at all in that area and in the past, has been invisible around the ground. As opposed to Oscar, who works his guts out for the entire game

In case no-one has noticed ,the Dogs have a gun on-ball brigade.

Does anyone think that Archie, who hasn't had a gig in the side for over a year, is going to be able to give our mids any decent service at the centre bounce or around the ground?

We would get slaughtered.

And when it doesn't work, what do we do then?

Put O back in the Ruck and play Archie at FF?

LOL!!!

Laughable

 

[martinson]

Perhaps we have a lot more sore players than has been let on..

Well MacMum we have the obvious ones in Andrews, Gardiner, Birchall.

Then not making excuses but Zorko definitely wasn't right Saturday night. For a guy who's thrown himself at everything for weeks he was skirting the edges. McCarthy as well wasn't right imo. Just wasn't attacking it like he usually does.

These are all older players so the niggles or something more endemic is harder to shake off.

 

[mattsmob]

Could a smaller forward line be a hint to McFadyen getting a go?

Don't mind it if his main job is to attack the ball in the air and crash packs, will struggle to get to the amount of contests and right positions as McStay but it's going to take a a group effort from our tall forwards to step up and cover the amount of work Dan gets through.

 

[martinson]

Whatever the selection changes, I am dead against this crazy idea of playing Oscar forward and bringing in Archie as first Ruck.

Apart from the fact that Oscar is absolutely nothing like a like for like replacement for McStay, he is far and away our best Ruckman, whilst Archie has never shown much at all in that area and in the past, has been invisible around the ground. As opposed to Oscar, who works his guts out for the entire game

In case no-one has noticed ,the Dogs have a gun on-ball brigade.

Does anyone think that Archie, who hasn't had a gig in the side for over a year, is going to be able to give our mids any decent service at the centre bounce or around the ground?

We would get slaughtered.

And when it doesn't work, what do we do then?

Put O back in the Ruck and play Archie at FF?

LOL!!!

Laughable

Yeah I've seen some nutty ideas thrown out there.

That's No. 1. Take one of your best weapons ,stick him in the goal square and bring a guy into a final who can't play more than 60% game time or run or mark , in fact who hasn't played with the rest of your M/F all year and think that'll work.

 

[MacMum]

Perhaps we need Richy to break away and run through to kick a long bomb goal or two.......and I really wish he'd mix up his kick-ins a bit more, same spot nearly every time. Has been a bugbear of mine for a while.

 

[martinson]

Perhaps we need Richy to break away and run through to kick a long bomb goal or two.......and I really wish he'd mix up his kick-ins a bit more, same spot nearly every time. Has been a bugbear of mine for a while.

There's obviously a reason from the coaching perspective because every time he thinks about it he reverts to the same spot . I'm not smart enough footy wise to really work out why but the opposition have.

 

[The Zork]

There’s going to be some patches of really contested hot football with bodies flying in to put pressure on. Obligatory push and shove to ensue.

Umpires won’t like what they’re seeing and will start looking to take control.
The crowd noise will naturally build and our players will put that little extra into the tackles and the dogs knees will start to buckle.. unnoticed scoops out the pack increasing.

The finest of lines in these moments between controlled aggression and overzealous treatment against a team who is proven for years they can use it against opposition and it could be the difference.

 

[lioninthesand]

Whatever the selection changes, I am dead against this crazy idea of playing Oscar forward and bringing in Archie as first Ruck.

Apart from the fact that Oscar is absolutely nothing like a like for like replacement for McStay, he is far and away our best Ruckman, whilst Archie has never shown much at all in that area and in the past, has been invisible around the ground. As opposed to Oscar, who works his guts out for the entire game

In case no-one has noticed ,the Dogs have a gun on-ball brigade.

Does anyone think that Archie, who hasn't had a gig in the side for over a year, is going to be able to give our mids any decent service at the centre bounce or around the ground?

We would get slaughtered.

And when it doesn't work, what do we do then?

Put O back in the Ruck and play Archie at FF?

LOL!!!

Laughable

The idea is play 2 rucks and try and work over their young ruckman and potentially give first use.

Oscar is then allowed to spend more time forward.

Its probably not the way we will go, but it's really not the worst tactical suggestion.

When you compare it to playing Payne and Fullerton together in a forward line? that would be a disarster too.

All our options are shit, pick your poison.