What They're Saying - The Bulldogs Media Thread - Part 4

[weltschmerz]

Dogs spring surprise selection call for Hawks clash

The Bulldogs are set to make a surprise selection call for their elimination final against the Hawks

www.afl.com.au

THE WESTERN Bulldogs have produced a selection surprise by recalling midfield recruit James Harmes for Friday night's elimination final against Hawthorn at the MCG.

Harmes has experienced an interrupted first season at the Whitten Oval since moving from Melbourne in exchange for a future third-round pick last October.
The 28-year-old hasn't played senior football since being substituted out of the round 12 win over Collingwood after straining his hamstring in the first quarter.

But after a dominant display in Footscray's qualifying final win over Brisbane last Saturday, Harmes is understood to have been picked by Luke Beveridge.
The 2021 premiership player amassed 37 disposals, nine clearances and laid eight tackles at the Whitten Oval after finishing with 26 touches and a goal against Sydney a fortnight earlier.

Harmes won a round one spot after a strong finish to the pre-season but then copped a one-game suspension for headbutting former teammate Steven May in his first game for the club.
The Victorian then had to earn a spot via the VFL and was picked again in round six, holding his spot for seven weeks before straining his hamstring at the end of May.

Harmes then re-injured the hamstring in his return game for Footscray and missed another six weeks.

The Bulldogs have decent finals experience compared to Hawthorn, with Harmes a proven finals performer, not just in the premiership year but also 2018 and 2022.
All-Australian midfielder Adam Treloar is expected to face Sam Mitchell's side after dealing with calf tightness in the win over Greater Western Sydney on the final Sunday of the home and away season.

Arthur Jones replaced Rhylee West for the game in Ballarat and both played in the VFL on the weekend to press their case for a spot in the elimination final.

He’s been tearing up the VFL and he’s an experienced head in finals. I’m all for it.

 

[maddog37]

He’s been tearing up the VFL and he’s an experienced head in finals. I’m all for it.

Hawks mids have been fairly physical in the past and Harmes isn’t worried by that style of play which is a bonus.

 

[geoffjennings79]

I wonder if Bevo's only instruction to Harmes will be lifted from a predecessor...

"Shop early Jimmy!"

 

[Mofra]

Wonder if there’s any chance he goes to Newcombe

Sicily? We normally play a defensive forward on him.

 

[weltschmerz]

Sicily? We normally play a defensive forward on him.

Charlie Clarke was not a great option last time.

 

[dergert]

The great analysis we get from the biggest sports radio show in Melbourne

The question Sam Docherty's return poses about Bailey Smith

Healy believes Docherty's comeback begs a big question about Bailey Smith.

www.sen.com.au

 

[Lindsay_Gilbee]

for me that higgins goal vs pies is the clear goal of the year. hopefully reid wins it.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

Definitions of beg the question. verb. assume that the argument one is trying to prove is true, without arguing for it. assume, presume, take for granted. take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof.

Most people think it's the same as "poses the question". The editor who wrote the heading got it right.

 

[Bulldogs85]

Bevo looks to the future after Dogs beaten at their own game

The Western Bulldogs coach says his side was beaten at the 'coalface' and will be looking for new midfield talent

www.afl.com.au

THE WESTERN Bulldogs lost their fifth elimination final in the past decade because Hawthorn beat the Dogs at their own game – around the ball.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said after the first quarter, which saw his side carry a two-goal lead, "most things" went wrong. The Hawks had 101 more disposals at three-quarter time, and had doubled the Dogs' inside-50 count, before the extreme statistical lopsidedness steadied somewhat.
"We've been a pretty good contested side most of the year, at the coalface and at the stoppage and away, and the Hawks were just too good in that area tonight," Beveridge said.

"You ask yourself the question 'How much of it is Hawthorn and how much is it us', and I'd say probably a bit of both.
"Probably the main thing at half-time, the discussion point was around their intercept game and how many marks and the width we were giving them, their transition and movement up the ground. We had to make an adjustment ourselves, we had to take a number away from the stoppage.

"We didn't have any great influence through there, unfortunately. From the rucks through that brigade, it didn't happen for us. We just couldn't get any consistent territory.

"Our opportunities inside 50, which were few and far between, we couldn't keep it there with front-end stoppages and couldn't get any forward-half turnover. Everything that we'd been pretty good at, and you look at the KPIs throughout the year, we went away from it."
Skipper Marcus Bontempelli

4

Marcus Bontempelli

Age

28

Ht

194cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.5

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

10.3

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

4.8

5star

CL

4.4

5star

D

18.4

4star

K

9.7

4star

HB

8.8

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

4.1

5star

CL

4.0

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

5.8

3star

HB

6.2

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.8

5star

CL

1.8

4star

had a total of four disposals across the second and third terms, but Beveridge maintained there was no injury concern with the superstar.

"I don't think he did [spend any longer off the field]. To my mind, he might have got stuck on [the bench] a minute or two longer, but he was okay. He tried to lift us in the last quarter, he kicked a goal, he tried to kick a second," Beveridge said.

"That was the message at three-quarter time. After all our hard work, we have to make a fist of this. We started the last quarter like we could, then we just squandered a couple of forward forays where we possibly could have put a bit of pressure on and belief that we could have come was still there. But in the end, there was a significant gap on the scoreboard, and they earned it."
With a host of young, tall talent, and an engine room entering the twilight portions of their careers (Bontempelli is 28 years old, Adam Treloar

1

Adam Treloar

Age

31

Ht

185cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

28.2

5star

K

12.9

5star

HB

15.3

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

4.9

5star

CL

4.6

5star

D

30.3

5star

K

16.3

5star

HB

14.0

5star

M

2.0

2star

T

3.3

4star

CL

5.8

5star

D

18.0

5star

K

11.2

4star

HB

6.8

5star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.6

4star

CL

1.6

4star

31, Tom Liberatore 32), Beveridge has midfielders at the top of his off-season wish list.

"As far as who's talented and who's got a healthy list – we'll continue to work on it. As I've said in the past, we need to shuffle a few around," Beveridge said.
"We'll need to create some more depth through our utilities and our midfield ranks, because of the key position players and rucks that have come into our group over the last four years.

"We think Ryley Sanders is going to be a really good player for us in the future, so there's some real promise, but no one came here tonight thinking we'd be strong-armed in the game, and I think in the end, Hawthorn strong-armed us."

 

[geoffjennings79]

Hey Bevo, did anyone "come here tonight" thinking Sicily and Newcombe would dominate? What a surprise, hey? Sam Mitchell really sprung that one on you... again!

 

[bigdog54]

David King never gets it right. He tipped us for the flag. I can only hope he gets on Geelong

 

[Snarls Barkley]

David King never gets it right. He tipped us for the flag. I can only hope he gets on Geelong

He generally just follows what Champion Data says. Helps him seem to be the analyst guy, so wouldn’t be surprised if he has Hawthorn now.

 

[hutchy31]

He generally just follows what Champion Data says. Helps him seem to be the analyst guy, so wouldn’t be surprised if he has Hawthorn now.

Memorably predicted a massive win for the Swans in 2014 right before the hawks tore them a new one. Imbecile.

 

[bigdog54]

Memorably predicted a massive win for the Swans in 2014 right before the hawks tore them a new one. Imbecile.

To be fair this is a tough year to go all in on.

 

[hutchy31]

To be fair this is a tough year to go all in on.

Then don’t go all in.

And don’t tip the dogs, who have been completely unreliable in finals for the best part of a decade.

As a supposed expert he should know better. But he’ll blindly follow CD and pretend it’s his own view.

 

[bigdog54]

Then don’t go all in.

And don’t tip the dogs, who have been completely unreliable in finals for the best part of a decade.

As a supposed expert he should know better. But he’ll blindly follow CD and pretend it’s his own view.

Lol. Much as he likes us, he's no expert. He's a media personality who has to make a claim to be relevant.

 

[BrunswickDog]

I am tired of the same old rubbish being accepted. Structurally we were second rate on Friday night.

We left Sicily as a spare in our backline for most of the game, and he tore us a new one.

We kicked it high into our forwar line to out numbered forwards, or forwards that were not willing to compete at 100% irrespective of what the delivery was like.

I cannot count how many mongrel kicks the Hawks went forward on, with their players reacting or working harder to get to.

This is a mindset. And Our dogs didn't have it.

And to not have our best player and captain there on the field, at the coal face when we needed it most is shocking. This is negligent.

I think that we need change. We have been on a path to mediocrity since 2016, and Friday night showed it.

Professional sports teams that win need an edge, and our bulldogs don't have it. They really never have, with Bevo. The dogs win games when it is on their terms. If not, we fall apart.

Time for a change.

 

[MYOB]

 

[Johnny_Dogg4]

 

[maddog37]

Would that make the Bombers orcs??

 

[Dogs Rule]

View attachment 2105654

Not wrong, not wrong at all. Hope the players read everything and listen to everything being said and wear it.

 

[RWnBluey]

Lloyd on Footy Classified just now when asked what we should do with our talls setup - English ruck, Darcy and Jamarra fwd, Naughton back to replace Lobb. The same Lobb that has transformed our backline and was BOG for us in a final.

Yep and these ‘experts’ are actually paid for their opinions. Incredible stuff.

 

[GetDimmaBack]

Lloyd on Footy Classified just now when asked what we should do we our talls setup - English ruck, Darcy and Jamarra fwd, Naughton back to replace Lobb. The same Lobb that has transformed our backline and was BOG for us in a final.

Yep and these ‘experts’ are actually paid for their opinions. Incredible stuff.

That's why no-one should watch this stuff.

Mind numbing.

 

[AJARWA]

I am tired of the same old rubbish being accepted. Structurally we were second rate on Friday night.

We left Sicily as a spare in our backline for most of the game, and he tore us a new one.

We kicked it high into our forwar line to out numbered forwards, or forwards that were not willing to compete at 100% irrespective of what the delivery was like.

I cannot count how many mongrel kicks the Hawks went forward on, with their players reacting or working harder to get to.

This is a mindset. And Our dogs didn't have it.

And to not have our best player and captain there on the field, at the coal face when we needed it most is shocking. This is negligent.

I think that we need change. We have been on a path to mediocrity since 2016, and Friday night showed it.

Professional sports teams that win need an edge, and our bulldogs don't have it. They really never have, with Bevo. The dogs win games when it is on their terms. If not, we fall apart.

Time for a change.

Couldn't agree more. We are classic front runners. This is the softest dogs team I can remember. Might win us games during the season and get us to finals or thereabouts. But just doesn't have the competitive edge to meet the higher intensity level of finals football. Especially when the game isn't being played on our terms.

 

[RWnBluey]

Couldn't agree more. We are classic front runners. This is the softest dogs team I can remember. Might win us games during the season and get us to finals or thereabouts. But just doesn't have the competitive edge to meet the higher intensity level of finals football. Especially when the game isn't being played on our terms.

The talent of the 2016 team was nowhere near the current list but it was full of competitive, hard nosed, resilient footballers.