AFL Finals Week 1 - 2016

[mdemon 266]

So composed & measured.

Luke Beveridge has done a wonderful job - if the Dogs get thru to the Prelim, he should get 'Coach of the Year' regardless of who ultimately wins the Premiership.

Boyd may just have announced his arrival (and in doing so, started to justify his $1million + salary)

[DemonWA 3,889]

I hate west coast! go Footscray!

[CBDees 3,165]

Well I am now effectively out of the Finals Tipping Competition, having fallen at the first hurdle. Well done Doggies. Now we have to watch whether the Kangas also surprise (though I will be barracking against the Hawks tonight)!

[DEE fence 4,963]

Awesome game by the dogs, what a team effort, smothers spoils, massive tackles, bold running play, not spitting the dummy at the stupid umps. Am going to pray for a miracle for Jong. Will go back to disliking the dogs next year, for now woof woof. 

[picket fence 16,799]

9 hours ago, Return to Glory said:

Well aren't the Meth Coke huge pretenders.

Im calling it JACK DARLING shocking shocking Kamahl moment!

" I hear your footsteps walking down the hallway in the middle of the night!"

Will find that hard to live down!

Well done Doggies, serious contenders, hope our boys take a leaf!

[jackaub 1,402]

I wondering why the demons cannot seem to play with the same level of commitment passion and self belief of the bulldogs

It must be cultural 

What a fantastic game of football well coached, well executed and when they had them on the ropes they pressed on and smashed them

I am hoping the demons can achieve that level next season but we still have our unique culture to deal with

[John Crow Batty 8,816]

Watching the game I could not help get the feeling we play like WC more often than not. The overwhelming favourites capitulating under pressure syndrome.

Edited September 8, 2016 by america de cali

[jackaub 1,402]

9 hours ago, mo64 said:

Caleb Daniel is a gun. Is so composed and doesn't waste a possession. 

Well done to Luke Beveridge. Never heard him complain about their constant injuries or use youth as an excuse for lack of effort. Hopefully Goodwin takes a leaf out of his book.

LB never complains about anything just gets on with the job

He has his players playing for him and the club supporters. Shows what can be achieved with a good team plan, good match day planning and absolute self belief and teamwork. Hope the DEes are watching

[ArtificialWisdom 4,045]

27 minutes ago, america de cali said:

Watching the game I could not help get the feeling we play like WC more often than not. The overwhelming favourites capitulating under pressure syndrome.

I still think that in 2016 both Melbourne and St Kilda are as good if not better sides than West Coast.... They are just as inconsistant the only differance is they have that "fortress" to hide behind... Although there are some rather large cracks forming in their fortress walls. Their spot in the 8 is ripe for the picking next year. 

[Pennant St Dee 12,804]

Great to watch and coming to work in WA this morning was wonderful.  Jack Darling another pathetic finals effort and he wasn't alone Yeo, Cripps, Hill, Lecras, Schofield and Wellingham plenty of downhill skiers 

[iv'a worn smith 1,979]

It's amazing what can happen when  a team plays for each other, supports each other and believe in each other.  This is what Melbourne sides had under Northey and Daniher.  That, I hope, will be the next phase in the evolution of our current team.  It all about degrees of improvement and I reckon we are not far away.

My next door neighbour is a Bullies supporter and is old enough to have seen their one and only premiership in 1954.  I was rapt for him last night and I hope they can go all the way.

[The Chazz 4,077]

Could tell when the Eagles were walking on to the ground before the start of the game that they weren't "on".

I will never understand why professional footballers, when playing as a team, can not get themselves up for a game, especially a final.  I've seen it so many times with the Dees - will often watch how they look during their warm-up then decide our fate from there.  Very rarely do you get it wrong when you look at how they warm up on the ground prematch.

[Willmoy1947 3,973]

How can we play a Finals game of footy where one team plays by the rules and one doesn't. Notwithstanding that the Eagles were bloody hopeless i thought there may as well not have been umpires out there last night, because statistically they weren't. We do have rules like pushing,hand balling and prevention from getting to the ball or something similar. I was not enthused by this game at all.

 

 

[Sir Why You Little 36,735]

A lot of that Bulldog side played their first Final last night& it was on the road. 

They were ready and unintimidated by it. 

I don't want to here any excuses next year from The MFC or people on here. 

If we lose soft games next year it is because this club is weak at the core. 

[John Crow Batty 8,816]

1 hour ago, iv'a worn smith said:

It's amazing what can happen when  a team plays for each other, supports each other and believe in each other.  This is what Melbourne sides had under Northey and Daniher.  That, I hope, will be the next phase in the evolution of our current team.  It all about degrees of improvement and I reckon we are not far away.

My next door neighbour is a Bullies supporter and is old enough to have seen their one and only premiership in 1954.  I was rapt for him last night and I hope they can go all the way.

In the Northey and Daniher years we were very good but never good enough.  We regularly missed opportunities  to grasp the next step and claim a flag.  I just hope the current crop does not end up the same way.  I still see too many undesirable cultural similarities that won't go away.

[The Chazz 4,077]

12 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

A lot of that Bulldog side played their first Final last night& it was on the road. 

They were ready and unintimidated by it. 

I don't want to here any excuses next year from The MFC or people on here. 

If we lose soft games next year it is because this club is weak at the core. 

Like this year when Sydney lost to Richmond and Geelong lost to Carlton?

Clubs will always lose a soft game here or there each season.  Our challenge is to make sure that we limit ours to 1 or 2 a year, not the current 4-6.

[Sir Why You Little 36,735]

1 minute ago, billy2803 said:

Like this year when Sydney lost to Richmond and Geelong lost to Carlton?

Clubs will always lose a soft game here or there each season.  Our challenge is to make sure that we limit ours to 1 or 2 a year, not the current 4-6.

I am not expecting 22 wins next year. But watching last nights game i think you know what i mean. 

Nowhere to hide

[iv'a worn smith 1,979]

32 minutes ago, billy2803 said:

Like this year when Sydney lost to Richmond and Geelong lost to Carlton?

Clubs will always lose a soft game here or there each season.  Our challenge is to make sure that we limit ours to 1 or 2 a year, not the current 4-6.

Finals are a different proposition all together.  Richmond and Carlton aren't in it, Geelong and Sydney are very much in the mix this year.

 

[CBDees 3,165]

15 minutes ago, iv'a worn smith said:

Finals are a different proposition all together.  Richmond and Carlton aren't in it, Geelong and Sydney are very much in the mix this year.

 

I think that they are more than "in the mix". We will see what upsets there are for the rest of the round but, (with due respect to the Doggies and GWS), I am expecting one or both of them to play off in the Grand Final.

[Grapeviney 9,572]

9 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

 

If we lose soft games next year it is because this club is weak at the core. 

 

9 hours ago, america de cali said:

In the Northey and Daniher years we were very good but never good enough.  We regularly missed opportunities  to grasp the next step and claim a flag.  I just hope the current crop does not end up the same way.  I still see too many undesirable cultural similarities that won't go away.

Finding 'cultural similarities' between current and previous generations of MFC teams is an easy trap to fall into, but it's based on a narrative that only a supporter can sustain. 

Bartlett, Goodwin, the players - none of them know or remember when Essendon came back from 47 points down to beat us at the 'G, or the time we lost to Sydney when they hadn't won a game all year. These memories live on only in the minds of the fans; they can't be passed down from one generation of MFC personnel to the next when the board, admin and playing group are constantly changing and evolving. 

This is especially true in the modern era, with clubs no longer made up of former players and staff. Look at Hawthorn - they have more ex-MFC people on staff than we do, yet haven't become infected with the MFC cultural syndrome or whatever you want to call it. 

 

[chook fowler 19,290]

Think our lot should be made to watch that game repeatedly to learn what pressure and toughness at the contest looks like. The Dogs were outstanding. They should also watch Caleb Daniel - best disposer and decision maker I have seen in a young player. Should have been rising star.

[Cards13 9,117]

18 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

Think our lot should be made to watch that game repeatedly to learn what pressure and toughness at the contest looks like. The Dogs were outstanding. They should also watch Caleb Daniel - best disposer and decision maker I have seen in a young player. Should have been rising star.

Apparently with Jong off he played the entire last term in the ball, handy effort racking up 14 disposals. 

[iv'a worn smith 1,979]

35 minutes ago, CBDees said:

I think that they are more than "in the mix". We will see what upsets there are for the rest of the round but, (with due respect to the Doggies and GWS), I am expecting one or both of them to play off in the Grand Final.

I think I said very much in the mix, didn't I.

[PaulRB 6,305]

What blew the Weagles away was the Doggies pressure and slick ball movement by hand to create space from which to deliver forward.

Sounds familiar? 

Made me think we're on the right path or game plan the way we've been getting much better at this as well.

Edited September 9, 2016 by PaulRB

[mo64 5,596]

41 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

Think our lot should be made to watch that game repeatedly to learn what pressure and toughness at the contest looks like. The Dogs were outstanding. They should also watch Caleb Daniel - best disposer and decision maker I have seen in a young player. Should have been rising star.

When discussing the Rising Star, many on here talked about how the likes of Oliver and Petracca have a higher ceiling than Daniel. If either of them can reach the level that Daniel displayed last night, I would be rapt. He may not make the highlights reel often, but jeez he'll be good for a long time.

Daniel is  pure footballer in the Sam Mitchell mode.