Let’s start again - Changes R18 vs Carltank

[Optimistic Dog]

The late great racecaller Bill Collins (also a president of South Melbourne) famously once said when asked if a short priced favourite was a certainty. "The only certainty in life was death and taxes". Well, I think there a third the blues beating the dogs this week. I know this contrary to my username but we just do not have the defenders this week plus our best forward this season is out. Happy to have egg on my face but will not be happening.

 

[bresker]

Not to disrespect Bill Collins' erudition, but that quip came from Benjamin Franklin in 1789. Don't know what chance Benny would give the Dogs this week.

 

[Optimistic Dog]

Not to disrespect Bill Collins' erudition, but that quip came from Benjamin Franklin in 1789. Don't know what chance Benny would give the Dogs this week.

I am old but was not around in 1789 to hear him say it.

 

[Martyn_30_]

The team this week has a stronger midfield and forward line than the one that kicked 149 against one of the form teams in the comp Freo a couple of weeks ago.

I’d be surprised if Coffield doesn’t play on Curnow, he was playing as a key defender before he got injured at the start of the year.


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[House_of_Dahl]

There is a positive here. The amount of melts has a direct correlation with us winning. Perfectly set up for English to dominate and McNeil and Gallagher to play key roles in getting us a win!

 

[Libbaaaa]

TDK late out I think, but Pitto owns Timmy anyway.

 

[TiAn_]

Wouldn’t be the worst lineup we’ve won a game with under Bevo. Hopefully the team’s schizophrenia works in our favour this week. I have no idea what to expect. All you can do is follow another great man’s advice and just strap yourself in and feel the Gs.

 

[Chalky White]

View attachment 2045672

Look up all time worst backlines and this is what you'll find.

It's going to be a freakin massacre.

Weird when Bramble is second best performed defender in the lineup

 

[Fossie 32]

44
Was the high point of his career though, didn't fit into to Wallace's structure after that. Was the right man at the right time. Grant moved to CHB, Osborne broke his arm mid-season (home game at the G on a Friday night v North!).

Watts kicked most of his goals first half of 96 playing alongside Ossie though, as a bit of a foil. His tally dropped off after Osborne was injured, as it was just him and young Hargreaves manned by experienced defenders. Think he went back to Werribee after he was delisted? Was a popular club man while at Footscray though.

Crap sorry Jason! Good effort.
We have had some low scoring leading goal kickers even in recent years tho.

List of Western Bulldogs leading goalkickers - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Chalky White]

A few observations:

Happy to see Weightman in. With a suspected groin strain (his not mine) I was expecting he'd be out for 3-4 weeks. I just hope he's ready. He is a point of difference in our forward line (different in that he scores goals) and we really missed him last week.

No real objection to Poulter coming in. It's only tinkering at the edges with our 22nd or 23rd best player after all. His advantage is that he is young (still only 21) so he may have improvement left in him, and he is tall and can run. His biggest weakness seems to be playing in traffic. Poor evasive skills. He needs to play in the open spaces. So if he's not in the vest let's hope he lines up on the wing. I don't know where else we could successfully play him. (Surprise me, Bevo!)

Like most other people I can't see how we don't get murdered by Carlton's tall forwards. Maybe a slight chance if Curnow really is a late scratching. Yet this is one of those games where Bevo is just as likely to pull off some outrageous moves that quell Carlton's forwards enough for us to get over the line. I have no idea what those moves will be so I wait in eager anticipation. A genuine test for Lobb tomorrow. One way or another this game is likely to tell us how good a defender he's really going to be.

Curnow playing injured and in bad form? I'll believe it when he's a withdrawal. He has kicked 46 goals from 16 games at nearly 3 goals a game this year. Only just behind his 81 goals from 26 games last year. His career average is 2.14 goals/gm so he's well ahead of that this year at nearly 3 a game.

The only way we can deal with Carltons tall forwards is via hyper defensive effort on Blues midfield. The delivery into the monsters being scrappy and dirty.
Listening to SEN last night it was rumoured that Curnow, Weitering and TDK under massive fitness concerns and McGovern already out that it might be a different kind of game. Healy and Cornes suggesting it would be folly to risk Curnow who has an ankle/foot concern before finals.
Hopefully they are right.

 

[Chalky White]

44
Was the high point of his career though, didn't fit into to Wallace's structure after that. Was the right man at the right time. Grant moved to CHB, Osborne broke his arm mid-season (home game at the G on a Friday night v North!).

Watts kicked most of his goals first half of 96 playing alongside Ossie though, as a bit of a foil. His tally dropped off after Osborne was injured, as it was just him and young Hargreaves manned by experienced defenders. Think he went back to Werribee after he was delisted? Was a popular club man while at Footscray though.

My memory was that he was a very accurate kick at goal. Not dissimilar to Tory Dickson.

 

[geoffjennings79]

Crap sorry Jason! Good effort.
We have had some low scoring leading goal kickers even in recent years tho.

List of Western Bulldogs leading goalkickers - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Yep, I thought you might have confused that 28 with Gia's in 2012. Hard to believe we've had so many recent low totals. Even harder to believe Bissett and Hobbs tying with 16 in 1963!

 

[House_of_Dahl]

Listening to SEN last night it was rumoured that Curnow, Weitering and TDK under massive fitness concerns

Geez that would even the ledger. C'mon Blues you'll easy win a couple more, you don't need this, don't be desperate, rest these 3!

 

[Faucon Bleu]

Curnow maybe a late change, has a injury.

 

[Optimistic Dog]

How rumours grow. It started with King saying Curnow must be injured because he is down on form and may have rolled an ankle before last weeks game. Well Curnow was beaten by Buckley but his last quarter was his best did not look to injured to me. Pittonet gets selected so TDK will be an out they have played 2 rucks before. Weitering got a corky early but came back on.

At best one may be out all 3 and we would be a chance. You only have to look at their emergencies 3 smalls so no way 3 talls are out.

 

[scooter600x]

Yep, I thought you might have confused that 28 with Gia's in 2012. Hard to believe we've had so many recent low totals. Even harder to believe Bissett and Hobbs tying with 16 in 1963!

Didn’t Shane Loveless win one with about 24 in the early 80’s and Adrian Campbell about the same a few years later?

 

[ScragCity]

View attachment 2045672

Look up all time worst backlines and this is what you'll find.

It's going to be a freakin massacre.

This is a shit post that's very disrespectful to 6 blokes who wear our jumper. One of these guys has an AA jumper and another has a played in multiple Premierships. It's obviously not our first choice backline but the players deserve more respect.

 

[Dogs Rule]

This is a shit post that's very disrespectful to 6 blokes who wear our jumper. One of these guys has an AA jumper and another has a played in multiple Premierships. It's obviously not our first choice backline but the players deserve more respect.

Hard to tell when you're being serious...

Not saying at all they're terrible players individually, far from it, but as a collective back six against Curnow and McKay and the rest it doesn't fill me with confidence at all.

 

[Dazb86]

Judging on the team/melts ratio we should win by plenty

 

[BallaratBulldog]

Judging on the team/melts ratio we should win by plenty

only if our match day thread title says Dogs will discombobulate them

 

[my plums]

only if our match day thread title says Dogs will discombobulate them

Discombobluelation

 

[Golden_6]

This has the potential to be really really ugly but I do actually see a path to victory here.

Blues fans have mentioned that their side struggles against pace. We’ve loaded up with a reasonably quick side this week. We can win this game if our midfield is at its absolute best and restricts the supply Carlton receive forward of the ball.

Curnow, TDK & Weitering all apparently under injury clouds. All terrific players but if they all play, it might have the potential to backfire if we can somehow get moving quickly.

 

[The Inbetweener]

Curnow maybe a late change, has an injury.

What’s his injury?

 

[Snarls Barkley]

I would like Richards to play a run with role like Smith did against Carlton last year. Body Cripps at all the stoppages and then try and use his pace to spread after the stoppage.

Thought Bailey Smith

3

Bailey Smith

Age

24

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

did it really well on Cripps and Laird last year. Don't understand why they went away from it and chucked him to half forward where he didn't flourish.

 

[maddog37]

This weeks vibe.