2019 Round 1: Western Bulldogs v Sydney Swans @ Marvel Stadium

[chuckie]

I think we rate our players far to high, honestly how many of them would get a regular game with the top sides.
Our skill level for years has been poor but we were able to get away with it by causing stoppage after stoppage playing that style will see us get murdered by good teams this year. The Bulldogs missed a lot of goals in the first half that saved us from being 10 goals down at half time.
I know it was only the first game but our vision is woeful the only time we seem to switch play is when we go backwards from one back pocket to the other back pocket and then we have to prop or we play on without looking what is ahead and we just turn it over.
The kick ins, after a couple you could see what our plan was run ten meters and kick it to Reid this is ok if he can get a run at the ball but when it is 1 v 4 and they stop him from jumping it is obvious you change it.

[Mr Magoo]

Someone summed it up perfectly earlier in the thread - we simply didn't get first use of the ball in the ruck contest

[707]

Someone summed it up perfectly earlier in the thread - we simply didn't get first use of the ball in the ruck contest

I haven't seen the game yet but if this comment is accurate up against English then I shudder to think what's going to happen when we face the really dominant ruckmen.

[111431]

I haven't seen the game yet but if this comment is accurate up against English then I shudder to think what's going to happen when we face the really dominant ruckmen.

we won the taps comfortably - just couldn't get our hands on it first (lost contested possession) and then had little chance of getting it out to a runner. we had too few in the right place at the contest and they outnumbered us time after time.

[stevoswan]

https://screenshotscdn.firefoxuserco...7be9bb6b0e.png

https://screenshotscdn.firefoxuserco...7b8b9e6e46.png

Check these screen shots from our game on Saturday night.....after Bont's matchwinner.

Gillon, is this the look of impartiality?

The fact that he was even in Hemsworth's box says it all.......then 'high fiving' with Dogs fans. He's a ............ . You can fill in the blank.

[waswan]

Bloody phone.

Play Mills on the ball end of story, he has served long enough an apprenticeship

Enough senior guys in defence to steady the ship with Mills

[Bexl]

Bloody phone.

Play Mills on the ball end of story, he has served long enough an apprenticeship

Enough senior guys in defence to steady the ship with Mills

Agree

[waswan]

Leave Papley as the small forward and play Hayward up the ground.

Papley is like Mcglyn, very good around goals and fwd 50 stoppages, Hayward is built like a modern day Midfielder and can kick more then 35m

[mcs]

Robbo questioning our game style (like everyone else) in his "dislikes" column for R1. He also pointed out last year we had the worst inside 50 differential for a finals side since 2001 (-21 on Saturday night).

Outline - Read & annotate without distractions

He is often full of it Robbo, but he highlights the huge issue which is the inside 50 differential. The game is moving away from a style in which you can run consistently at a negative in this space, but still find a way to win more then we lose. In the environment of a 6-6-6 start at centre bounces, and what may be a move towards a greater role again for tiredness/fatigue, there is likely to be in time more cleaner i50 entries then previous, and good teams will make us pay. It also doesn't help in that regard that we favour (as always) playing behind the man defensively. That can work ok for defenders with superior position or an excellent ability to spoil legally from behind, but not well in other cases.If we keep conceding big i50 discrepancies more often than not we are going to be struggling big time all season long.

- - - Updated - - -

https://screenshotscdn.firefoxuserco...7be9bb6b0e.png

https://screenshotscdn.firefoxuserco...7b8b9e6e46.png

Check these screen shots from our game on Saturday night.....after Bont's matchwinner.

Gillon, is this the look of impartiality?

The fact that he was even in Hemsworth's box says it all.......then 'high fiving' with Dogs fans. He's a ............ . You can fill in the blank.

He will do anything if he thinks he'll find a few more $$$$ out of it..... makes Demetriou look like a competent administrator!

[dimelb]

we won the taps comfortably - just couldn't get our hands on it first (lost contested possession) and then had little chance of getting it out to a runner. we had too few in the right place at the contest and they outnumbered us time after time.

Agree with this. It seemed at times that the Doggies read the tap better than our blokes!

[chuckie]

we won the taps comfortably - just couldn't get our hands on it first (lost contested possession) and then had little chance of getting it out to a runner. we had too few in the right place at the contest and they outnumbered us time after time.

A good ruckman makes a good rover.
Adrian Gallagher an above average player played for Carlton in the late 60's early 70's played in premiership sides and state side due to having a ruckman that could palm the ball to him. He later went to Footscray and really struggle because their ruckman couldn't give him the ball.
i was watching Sinclair on Saturday night and he really just hit the ball in the one spot whether this is because he can't control where he hits it or what I think the case is our midfielders are so defensively minded they are to busy watching their opponents than actually taking the game on and calling for the ball. I think when you are dominating the tap outs like we were on Saturday occasionally punch the ball 30 meters into our forward line taking their midfield out of the play.

[jono2707]

or what I think the case is our midfielders are so defensively minded they are to busy watching their opponents than actually taking the game on and calling for the ball.

This - we need more of a 'see ball get ball' mentality. Too often on Saturday (and last year) we seem to have been more focused on what the opposition are doing at stoppages, and we've let them be first to the ball. Maybe this worked in the past but it isn't a great tactic now - especially when you're not spot on with your structures and particularly when you're outpaced by your opponent. But I think we can fix this by being more proactive and being more focused on getting first hands on the ball.