Autopsy The gentle dogs go down in a thriller

[Lindsay_Gilbee]

I’d like to think I’m not old, I’m 30. But I reckon I’m a bees dick away from being the bloke who just stops following footy. It’s not even just nostalgia, it’s a completely different game to what it was 20, 10 Christ even 5 years ago.

I’m not sure why anyone would want to pay money to go to the footy going off the last two weeks.

I’ve never seen a single game umpired like the last fortnight has. It’s beyond terrible. Why would anyone wanna win the footy anymore? You’re better off just letting the other bloke get it and pinning him. There’s no incentive to win the footy.

It’s been embarrassing watching the last two weeks. Players get the footy and unless they’re a freak like Bont, Neale or Daicos they’re literally just giving shitting two metres handballs to someone so it’s not their problem. It’s so hard to watch.

I hope they fix it because I love footy but I don’t think I’ll be sticking around for the product I’ve seen the last two weeks.

 

[The Inbetweener]

Compared to our recent opponents, Average Days between Games this season:

• Sydney 7.9
• GWS 7.7
• Brisbane 7.6
• Collingwood 7.2
• Bulldogs 6.3

Us and Adelaide are the only clubs who:

• Played a Round 1 opponent who had already played when we hadn’t
• Don’t have our byes until the last bye round, when 12 other clubs have already had 2

We do seem to cop it with the fixturing, I.e playing Port at Gather Round last year.

 

[W W Biscuit]

The 'multiple teams having two byes well before we have one' thing is something they AFL should answer but of course they won't. It's a disgrace. Not the reason we lost but we would've got extra numbers back and been fresher had we at least had one bye by now.

I seem to recall the week off being a talking point when we brought in six players for the elimination final in 2016. And that was a situation where all teams benefited from the time off. Not fair, boo hoo. Now, we have a situation where one team is at a genuine disadvantage because of ridiculous fixturing. Let's see if the media pick up on this.........What's that?.........The sound of crickets?

 

[lachy]

One common denominator this season is our midfield being beaten when our 3 best midfielders are in together Bont, Libba and Trealor. Maybe Garcia in particular should have attended many more stoppages particularly with red out

On SM-S926B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Bulldogs85]

We do seem to cop it with the fixturing, I.e playing Port at Gather around last year.

Watch us cop it again in next year’s fixturing

 

[Pocket Terrace]

Last year and this year are completely different seasons… him being not good this year doesn’t mean he wasn’t awesome last.

His ruckwork, especially at throw ins, was as pathetic last year as it has been this year. Last year he was towelled up by players like Reeves and Lycett.

 

[TiAn_]

Plenty of injuries to key players and multiple in-game injuries the previous two weeks. Coming up against an opponent coming off a bye and with their season at death’s door. We’ve played more good footy than bad lately, not going to flip out about this one.

 

[The Inbetweener]

Getting more and more obvious that Naughton and Darcy are our best two forwards. I’ve got time for JUH but he hasn’t really clicked yet.

Neither JUH or Lobb are much good at standing under the high ball - something Darcy and Naughton excel at.

Without those two and Weightman our forward line is lacking. Not a lot of confidence the forward line we’ll have next week will be enough to get through a very good Freo backline.

 

[SayerTheCreator]

Probably verging on utter sacrilege and I feel dirty posting it because he’s my favourite player but does the midfield work better without Lib?

 

[fargy]

The perfect storm of crapola last night. I don’t know when the umpires decided that ‘we must protect the tagger at all costs’. Berry staged for every kick.

Umps sucked, we sucked, the fixture sucks, the coaching group sucked, the commentators sucked even more than usual (both on 7 & Fox, the smile on the Fox teams faces at half time was something to behold. Does anyone get the feeling commentators are heavy gamblers?).

Time for a weekend that sucks!

 

[Dogs Rule]

I’d like to think I’m not old, I’m 30. But I reckon I’m a bees dick away from being the bloke who just stops following footy. It’s not even just nostalgia, it’s a completely different game to what it was 20, 10 Christ even 5 years ago.

I’m not sure why anyone would want to pay money to go to the footy going off the last two weeks.

I’ve never seen a single game umpired like the last fortnight has. It’s beyond terrible. Why would anyone wanna win the footy anymore? You’re better off just letting the other bloke get it and pinning him. There’s no incentive to win the footy.

It’s been embarrassing watching the last two weeks. Players get the footy and unless they’re a freak like Bont, Neale or Daicos they’re literally just giving shitting two metres handballs to someone so it’s not their problem. It’s so hard to watch.

I hope they fix it because I love footy but I don’t think I’ll be sticking around for the product I’ve seen the last two weeks.

But Laura Kane thinks she's doing such a great job she reckons she's a chance to be CEO one day

I'm a bit the same. I don't get the same excitement out of the game. Maybe it's because I've got a growing family and that's more my focus, but it's frustrating to watch (even when we win).

The way the game is over officiated combined with the way we play (apart from odd glimpses) makes you want to switch off.

I've got a social membership with a seat and have done since we got to Docklands, but for the first time, I'm strongly reconsidering for next year.

As for the media commentators, why do so many seem to get so much satisfaction when we lose? They don't want us getting above our station? What is it?

 

[doggiesin08]

Not saying it’s the reason we lost, but for good measure we went down again on the team total distance covered 277km to 285km, taking us to 1 win and 12 losses on that measure for the year.

 

[Pocket Terrace]

I remember when going to the footy was a weekend activity. Win, lose or draw it was a good day out.

Since the start of 2022, this was the 22nd night game tacked onto the back of a work day. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays have all had a run.

What is this rubbish? Feels like we’ve lost most of them too.

 

[cecil]

Khamis as sub was a poor choice. Talls never work in that role. Not pulling the trigger earlier was also dumb.

JUH (and later Khamis) both went for the easy ball out the back continually. At least Lobb led up at the ball carrier.

Daniel is done with us. His play to take the advantage should see him dropped.

Treloar/Bont/Libba isn't working as a starting set up. Richards should be top 3 for centre square starts going forward. Treloar/Bont/Richards/Libba as the main rotations. Macrae and Garcia both playing minor roles. Sanders isn't really yet and can't play forward so needs to go to the VFL with Daniel.

 

[spindles11]

Oliver G what was the free kick breakdown? Fox were showing the holding the ball frees number in the first half but city hall must’ve shut that down after HT

 

[Al dente]

We were never winning this one. Next week is the big one. Must get to 7-7 at the bye. Then charge home. Lachie Smith in and send English forward. Busslinger can have a debut for Keath or Lobb. Richards in for McNeil.

Smith got towelled up in the VFL by Brisbane's Smith

 

[Bulldogs85]

Bevo said this about holding the ball rule in his press conference

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has urged the AFL to protect prior opportunity, saying the holding-the-ball rule tweak has become “risky” to players hunting the ball.

Describing it as a “challenge” for the AFL, Beveridge believes the mid-season adjustment could have gone too far.
“In the AFL’s charter, it talks about our game being a contested game,” he said after the Bulldogs’ 17.12 (114) to 10.11 (71) loss against the Brisbane Lions on Friday night.

“In the charter, you have to protect the player who tries to win the ball, so we can’t move away from that otherwise the game changes.

“What happened last week was a reaction to some feedback from some senior coaches.
“But they were talking about situations where players were standing up in tackles and the request was for the whistle to be blown a bit earlier, whether they’ve had prior opportunity or not — just blow it earlier.

“But now that’s been taken into situations where players have been taken to the ground.”
Beveridge believed the AFL needed to “absolutely uphold” prior opportunity for players with the ball.

“In essence we need to protect the guy who wins the footy if he gets tackled straight away,” he said.

“We need to make sure we get back to making sure we’re in in sync with the spirit of the game.

“What’s happened is now that the game has evolved and changed within the space of two weeks.

“It’s risky now and a concern if we’re not looking after the ball-winner.

“I’m not confused because I know what should happen.

“There’s people who have said ‘get rid of the prior opportunity’, but if you do, it’s a very different game.”

Beveridge’s passionate plea came a day after rival coaches Michael Voss (Carlton), Brad Scott (Essendon) and Alastair Clarkson (North Melbourne) declared they were satisfied with the AFL’s clarification following round 11.

The tightening resulted in a spike in holding-the-ball free kicks paid — up 41 per cent to an average of 11.6 across the seven matches in Round 12.

It was a significant rise on the average of 8.2 holding-the-ball free kicks paid across all games played earlier in the season. In the Bulldogs’ game on Friday night, the Lions were awarded seven holding-the-ball free kicks in the first-half.

 

[Al dente]

Maybe Lobb is better off at a club were he is the main forward

I just cant watch Lobb being hunched over at the point the ball reaches the marking contest any more. absolutely does my head in. apart from tap work, he gets no benefit from being 207cm, might as well be 190

 

[bigdog54]

His ruckwork, especially at throw ins, was as pathetic last year as it has been this year. Last year he was towelled up by players like Reeves and Lycett.

And that kid from Geelong...

 

[Bulldogs85]

And that kid from Geelong...

Toby Conway good young Ruckman Geelong have a good one their

 

[CarnTheScray]

We must have the worst home record in the league. I’ve attended all marvel home games this year, only to see one win.

 

[Al dente]

Hard to believe some of these numbers...

Clearances - Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4
WB: 6 / 7 / 12 / 7 (32)

BL: 18 / 13 / 10 / 9 (50)

Centre Clearances - Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4
WB 2 / 3 / 3 / 4 (12)

BL: 6 / 3 / 3 / 3 (15)

Ball Up Clearances - Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4
WB: 2 / 1 / 4 / 3 (10)

BL: 5 / 6 / 3 / 2 (16)

Throw In Clearances - Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4
WB: 2 / 3 / 5 / 0 (10)

BL: 7 / 4 / 4 / 4 (19)

Centre Bounce Attendance / Centre Clearances

Q1
7 / 1 - English
7 / 1 - Treloar
6 / 0 - Bontempelli
6 / 0 - Sanders
4 / 0 - Liberatore
1 / 0 - Garcia
1 / 0 - Lobb

Q2
6 / 0 - Bontempelli
6 / 0 - Treloar
5 / 2 - Liberatore
4 / 0 - English
3 / 1 - Lobb
2 / 0 - Sanders
2 / 0 - West

Q3
7 / 0 - English
6 / 1 - Bontempelli
5 / 1 - Macrae
5 / 0 - Liberatore
5 / 0 - Treloar

Q4
7 / 1 - Treloar
7 / 0 - English
6 / 1 - Bontempelli
5 / 0 - Liberatore
3 / 2 - Macrae

Centre Bounce Attendance - Centre Clearance Rate
38% - Macrae (3/8)
25% - Lobb (1/4)
11% - Liberatore (2/19)
8% - Bontempelli (2/24)
8% - Treloar (2/25)
4% - English (1/25)
0% - Garcia (0/1)
0% - West (0/2)
0% - Sanders (0/8)

Tidied it up in the second half but it was already too late, we needed to mix it up sooner. Garcia, Macrae, West and even Gallagher should've been rotated through the midfield from QT onwards, the signs were there 5 minutes into the game.

effectively its saying the Sanders into the middle on Neale move was diabolical,
still, we need to get those experiences into the kid for his development, does Bevo have one eye on the future

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

We lost total team run by 8km again. Think that’s 12 of 13 games we’ve ran less than our oppo. Coaching, fitness, work rate or all 3?

Younger team? As opposed to a hardened mature team?

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Disappointed in the Bronx cheer from our fans, hurt his ankle and like the rest of the team was up against it last night. No wonder we can’t attract other players.

 

[Bulldogs85]

Disappointed in the Bronx cheer from our fans, hurt his ankle and like the rest of the team was up against it last night. No wonder we can’t attract other players.

He was pathetic all night before the ankle injury