Game plan vs Dogs.

[bigred]

Can someone tell me what it was because I have absolutely no idea and most of the time players had no idea where they were going either. Sucked up the ground to congest and repeatedly had the dogs just handball around us.

Our Interchange situation is far from good. Sat behind the bench tonight and it was a shambles.

Mids, apart from #3 were just second rate tonight, and #3 butchered it terribly so you can hardly let him off for it.

Bulldogs have shades of Geelong circa 2007 for mine. Always someone sideways and behind the contest for a handball. Doggies are a good side and will go deep into September this year. They made us look like rubbish. Absolute rubbish and I honestly thought we would have a good show tonight.

Should we even bring up our skill level?

Bottom of the ladder tonight. Looking great.

[shrodes]

What do you mean about the interchange situation?

[bigred]

Repeatedly, and i mean this went on the entire game....

Guys are running on, not really knowing where or what they are doing. Looking back to the bench for direction.

Over and over, guys not knowing when to come off. Players waiting, two or three deep to come on...waving frantically at blokes on the field. WTF.

Looked smooth and organised on the opp side.

[ROLS-LEE]

Dogs always had a loose man on the opposite wing. They seemed more structured than us. In a contested situation they knew were to put the ball as they knew a man was going to be there. We seemed slow, unorganized, disposal and decision making poor and was always second to the ball. They wanted it more. Lucky there forward line didn't function as well as there midfield as we would have been beaten by over 100 points.

[ROLS-LEE]

This was also a game were defensive zones should have been thrown out and just man up on a man.

[matrix]

Dogs are st kilda 2009
I hope they go all the way tbh

[asiu]

Dogs are st kilda 2009
I hope they go all the way tbh

Yep ... tend to feel that way about em as well.
... got their mojo 'n belief in octane mode.
... when they knock off the dawkers next week our loss wont look so bad.

i'd have no trouble supporting em in a granny.
... good luck to em ... wish it was us.

[Con Gorozidis]

One thing I want to bring up is the attack from half back. Now we all know that attacking off half back is a HUGE part of modern footy. It is something the Hawks do brilliantly and the Dogs also do brilliantly but I feel we are one the worst at this. I am not even sure what our plan is? Montagna, Fisher, Roberton, Armitage, Geary and Ross were our leaders for Rebound 50s. For the Dogs it was Adams, Suckling, Biggs, Murphy, Johanissen. Now what do you notice about these two groups?

I'll tell you - the Bulldogs are either very fast or beautiful kicks. That is the requirement to do this role. Johannissen and Biggs are very fast - the other guys are lovely kicks. Now lets look at our boys - all slowish and some of them are ordinary kicks at best. This is the part of the game where I fee we are miles off the pace. Playing against a good side - pressure and defence isnt enough - you have to be able to put pressure on via the counter attack. This is where we fall apart. Sure we put pressure on the ball carrier - but when we get it our counter attack is pathetic. It is either too slow or we turn it over with a poor kick.

IMO to be one of the 6 rebound players - you need to be either lightning quick OR have lovely kick. Better if you can do both.

This is the reason I feel Geary shouldnt be in the side and Ross shouldnt be played as a rebound player. I would play Newnes as a defensive lock down defender and rebounder in Geary's role. Newnes is a good honest and tough player with a neat kick but lacks a real position. He should replace Geary.

And what the hell is Savage doing? If he isnt a rebound defender then what is the point of him? He doesnt use his pace at all. He has become a nothing player.I would be playing McKenzie every week and telling him his main role is be an offensive backman. Run and carry.

The reality is we are still several players short back there. Brandon White might come good in this role but he is years off it.

And what is Gilbert now? Also seems to play a nothing role. No longer a rebounder. More of an average midfield bit player.

The coach needs to do something drastic to that back 6. It is absolutely bog ordinary. The coach is delusional if he thinks that back 6 of Geary, Fisher, Dempster, Roberton, Webster, Montagna is going ok. It is old and no good. He needs to fall out of his irrational love for Geary and start actually looking at what is happening out there.

[matrix]

Watched gears do a greeat little spoil on the back wing, crumbed up and then did a small 20 meter kick to newnes i think it was, may be wrong, and it went 15 meters long 1.5 meters high and came off the boot like it was covered in butter and he wasnt under massive pressure.

This s*** is not on
Indoors, no wind, no wet and cant drop the footy correctly on to the slipper as a defender

I like gears, tough as, has a crack, best distance run er at the club , heart fully in it...just has a 50% chance of hitting a target by foot.


Savage....did he have any running bounces ????...i mightve missed it as i was too busy losing my shite at the tv

[Con Gorozidis]

Watched gears do a greeat little spoil on the back wing, crumbed up and then did a small 20 meter kick to newnes i think it was, may be wrong, and it went 15 meters long 1.5 meters high and came off the boot like it was covered in butter and he wasnt under massive pressure.

This s*** is not on
Indoors, no wind, no wet and cant drop the footy correctly on to the slipper as a defender

I like gears, tough as, has a crack, best distance run er at the club , heart fully in it...just has a 50% chance of hitting a target by foot.


Savage....did he have any running bounces ????...i mightve missed it as i was too busy losing my shite at the tv

Coach's love child. Contracted until 2018. Just a fricking joke of a club. Absolute amateur hour. It is suburban standard sometimes.

And Savage is just playing so conservatively. Runs backwards every single time. Never uses his pace. Completely gun shy. Coach should be telling him to use his bloody pace. I dont care if he gets caught holding the ball. We need to atttack from defence or we are stuffed. If not then what is the point of Savage? Either he attacks or he is just a wasted body.

[Bluthy]

The thing is we really tried to take the game on as much as possible, taking risks by playing on quickly. We almost tried to play the dogs on at their own game. Difference is we didn't have the skills/fitness/compsure to pull it off - dogs did. Richo is constant about wanting his players to dare and play on. I'd rather go down swinging than playing some safe loss-minimisation game plan. You only get better by pushing your limits and we tried that last night. Paddy did it once where he played on after a mark and got smothered - but he followed it up and recovered. I'd rather that than just running back behind the mark and then being forced to bomb. Playing on quickly there will be errors, there will be WTF moments that leave you with your cap pulled over your eyes slumped in you seat. Suck it up. It will pay off in the long run.

I think we are still under-done physically - playing Gresham didn't help that and I think if Richo had it over again he wouldn't play gresh the first two games until he got some decent fitness and composure. WE have a mixture of old legs and young legs and the mid-range legs that should be our greatest weapons are on players that are not particularly talented. When your legs are rubbery and you are chasing all night, your execution goes flabby. We saw that against Port and with a six day turn around after a tough road trip we saw it yesterday. That was a great learning game - to try and execute under that stifling pressure is how you improve your reaction speed. We'll be a lot better after that.

[bigred]

Geary copped a knock early in the 1st qtr.

From that point on he was rooted.

I gotta stop going to games....My seat is right next to the interchange and reading body language pisses me off.

[Con Gorozidis]

The thing is we really tried to take the game on as much as possible, taking risks by playing on quickly. We almost tried to play the dogs on at their own game. Difference is we didn't have the skills/fitness/compsure to pull it off - dogs did. Richo is constant about wanting his players to dare and play on. I'd rather go down swinging than playing some safe loss-minimisation game plan.

Savage mustnt have got the memo because he is playing ultra conservatively and going backwards when he gets it. And if he isnt prepared to run and attack off half back then who is? Roberton is slow and an average kick. Geary is slow and a poor kick. Where is our drive and counter-attack supposed to be coming from? I dont see any plan at all from our half backers. I am not sure what the coach is thinking here. Webster did a couple of runs off half back but not enough.

[Griggsy]

Dogs are st kilda 2009
I hope they go all the way tbh

I'd say saints 04, or Hawks 08.

A good chance in early development but still have many years.

[Saint_J]

hate to post this but last night we seemed to be going backwards compared to last year. i couldn't see any type of game plan. even in 15 i struggled to see one. I hope Ritcho is the man but currently i'm 50/50 on him as a coach. some average decisions in player selection is also worrying me.

lets face it dogs are in a league above us atm. they're structure was unbelievable