Gutsy

[tony74]

Gutsy win that one. They were a pretty sore and battered lot after last week. It was a pretty physical game. 6 day break. Roo struggled all week and was 50/50 on Thursday. One of the gutsiest wins I can remember. They're knackered.
Paddy ready to go.

[BackFromUSA]

They need to get up for North in 7 days. With North's forward structure can we afford to go in short again? Sinclair unlikely to be given another week.

[Bluthy]

Hard, hard running tonight. It was like the Collingwood game where every single player ran their guts out to 1) put pressure on and then 2) on the spread to open up options and stretch the oppo. Its amazing how much better we look with the ball when players run so hard to make space and give options. We looked flat for a 15 min period in the 3rd quarter when it was all going their way and they looked like they would run over us. But then we girded out loins and took their blows and started to land some of ours - a really mature performance. The way we shut down their rebound was a testament to their determination to push through the running pain barrier. It only works if everyone does it otherwise they eventually find the loose man and slice you up.

It does feel like something special is developing. Tonight we were greater than the sum of our parts and thats a great sign with so much upside in individual players like Acres, Gresh, Billings, Paddy, Goddard etc etc etc.

Now if Freeman can get off the hook tomorrow, then heaven beckons.

[st.byron]

Tony, what's the go with Josh Bruce?

Seems to have dropped way off last year's form.

Something like 7 disposals tonight. SFA hit outs, tackles and influence. Been trending in that direction for some time.

Any insights?

[tony74]

Opposition have put more time into him, simple as that. Clubs often spend the off season working out how to combat " new" stars on the horizon. So they've put more time into Juice. And into Loney. And unfortunately you watch other clubs be ready for the Gresh's sidestep next year. Just happens. Same as why West Coasts game plan has been worked out.

[st.byron]

Opposition have put more time into him, simple as that. Clubs often spend the off season working out how to combat " new" stars on the horizon. So they've put more time into Juice. And into Loney. And unfortunately you watch other clubs be ready for the Gresh's sidestep next year. Just happens. Same as why West Coasts game plan has been worked out.

Thanks Tony. Appreciate your insights, simple humility and love of the club.

[Goose is king]

Thanks Tony. Paddy ready to go. I love it.
Can you have a look at the PM I sent you.
Thanks in advance

[Impatient Sainter]

Gutsy win that one. They were a pretty sore and battered lot after last week. It was a pretty physical game. 6 day break. Roo struggled all week and was 50/50 on Thursday. One of the gutsiest wins I can remember. They're knackered.
Paddy ready to go.

Tony we enjoy these good wins - but given the toll and effort to execute our game plan do you believe its sustainable in the long term?

[degruch]

And unfortunately you watch other clubs be ready for the Gresh's sidestep next year. Just happens.

Hopefully they'll be as on top of it as they were Milne's sidestep...it's one thing to know a player's got it in their repertoire, another to know when they'll produce it!

[Sainter_Dad]

Opposition have put more time into him, simple as that. Clubs often spend the off season working out how to combat " new" stars on the horizon. So they've put more time into Juice. And into Loney. And unfortunately you watch other clubs be ready for the Gresh's sidestep next year. Just happens. Same as why West Coasts game plan has been worked out.

As I see it - Bruce needs to be in the team to take the best defender - someone each and every week will have to sacrifice his dame to allow one of the others to score well - in the past three weeks it has been Bruce being quiet to allow Membrey and Roo to score multiples.

Long live the Bruce!!!!!!

[felix]

Opposition have put more time into him, simple as that. Clubs often spend the off season working out how to combat " new" stars on the horizon. So they've put more time into Juice. And into Loney. And unfortunately you watch other clubs be ready for the Gresh's sidestep next year. Just happens. Same as why West Coasts game plan has been worked out.

As I see it - Bruce needs to be in the team to take the best defender - someone each and every week will have to sacrifice his dame to allow one of the others to score well - in the past three weeks it has been Bruce being quiet to allow Membrey and Roo to score multiples.

Long live the Bruce!!!!!!

No way I'd give up my dame for anyone !,!!

[carn_sainter]

The effort and execution from all of the players were outstanding. The tackle number wasn't the highest ever but they stuck really well and some of them were brutal. The running was massive...couldn't ask for much more from the players. The one-on-one contests, particularly from our defenders, were fantastic.

I think the coaches also deserve the highest marks available. In every facet of their job I thought they were really bloody good. Round 2 this year we were thoroughly ourcoached and the dogs were far more well drilled than we were. Not this time.

Really well done Sainters!

[magnifisaint]

Bulldogs were decimated by injury. They ran out of legs. I knew Liberatore wouldn't play well. He is still suffering from the rib injury, so the win needs to be looked at in context.

[Jacks Back]

Opposition have put more time into him, simple as that. Clubs often spend the off season working out how to combat " new" stars on the horizon. So they've put more time into Juice. And into Loney. And unfortunately you watch other clubs be ready for the Gresh's sidestep next year. Just happens. Same as why West Coasts game plan has been worked out.

As I see it - Bruce needs to be in the team to take the best defender - someone each and every week will have to sacrifice his dame to allow one of the others to score well - in the past three weeks it has been Bruce being quiet to allow Membrey and Roo to score multiples.

Long live the Bruce!!!!!!

That can't be good for Bruce to be the decoy forward and hardly touch the ball though! It's making him, and our coaching panel, look ordinary in not coming out with a plan B for him to get into the games. Jacky boy has to break a tag most weeks and, while he's in the centre and has more room to do this, Bruce really has to learn to "break his tag".

[Russman]

Bruce will come into his own again when Paddy establishes himself in the side.

[8856brother]

Bulldogs were decimated by injury. They ran out of legs. I knew Liberatore wouldn't play well. He is still suffering from the rib injury, so the win needs to be looked at in context.

Sorry but I strongly disagree. We were clearly the better side, and apart from Morris the other 2 injuries happened in the last 10 minutes of the match.
We lost Paddy and Roo before 1/2 time against the Pies as well as Robbo in the 3rd qtr and still smashed them.
One of out great wins. And against good opposition.

[borderbarry]

And dont forget the umpires contribution to the Bulldogs, particularly in thr first half. 3 x 50 metre penalties, god knows how many frees to them and missed to us.

[SaintPav]

Media all over the Bulldogs. No respect.

[SaintPav]

And the Cats

[WellardSaint]

And dont forget the umpires contribution to the Bulldogs, particularly in thr first half. 3 x 50 metre penalties, god knows how many frees to them and missed to us.

A player marking, and his direct opponent following him and harrassing AFTER the whistle, is 50m every day of the week, unless you're in a Saints jumper and the umpire is a dwarf who hasn't forgiven the burning incident
(cue Midnight Oil's famous lyrics "how can we sleep when our dwarves are burning?")

[WellardSaint]

Media all over the Bulldogs. No respect.

I don't care about the media's opinions. Because they have their own favourites, their own agendas, their own strong views based on years of bias,
and whether they respect the Saints or not is not an issue.
We should bother about the umpires not respecting us enough to pay a 50 to Roo. Not paying arm chops on Roo/Bwoose. Not paying holding off the ball on Billings and Gresh (happens quite a bit)
Respect from the AFL when it's headed by a Saints fan, respect to maybe stop the Sunday night games for us.
Media can get knotted.