19 hours ago, Redleg said:

English looking likely according to media.

Sounds like a media report of the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

Virus total now up to 9, will it be played with no crowd?

AFL just announced sales for this weekends games are off till further notice.

Edited May 25, 20213 yr by old dee

7 hours ago, Sydee said:

I would be - it effectively means that we can't beat them in a final - this is as close to a final you can get during the season proper

It's the classic 8 point game, both teams have a chance to grab top spot and a clear break on the next in line 

We have to stop thinking near enough is good enough - why bother if we can't actually win a premiership. I for one am sick of making up the numbers 

Time to make a very big statement - are you good enough or not ? we get the answer this Friday night 

I get what you’re saying but there was that classic encounter where the Saints beat Geelong (with I think both team unbeaten at the time). Saints won the H&A but the cats won the game that mattered. 

If pound for pound we go with them, keep in mind this is on their home track as well, that will be something to take away. 

The only result that will be a disaster will be if they comfortably beat us without us giving a whimper. 

Love the positivity on this thread but the Dogs are the team to beat this year. They have been destroying teams while we have been just getting across the line against average teams.

Hopefully the Dees but I think the Dogs are just too good.

3 hours ago, tincan said:

Love the positivity on this thread but the Dogs are the team to beat this year. They have been destroying teams while we have been just getting across the line against average teams.

Hopefully the Dees but I think the Dogs are just too good.

We were destroying teams in 2018 as well. I think we're more structurally sound (well except for last week) but the have the capacity to blow teams off the park. Good matchup.

On 5/24/2021 at 6:57 PM, Pulp Fritschon said:

 

The other stat that caught my eye was Efficiency Inside 50  - Crows went at 51% - we normally keep the opposition under or just on 40% . We did lose a heap more one on ones in the D50 than normal 

It's all about pressure on the disposal.

We were there at every contest. Our structure and willingness to get to every contest was the same as the nine weeks prior, but we didn't affect the disposal with a tackle, attempted smother etc.

I have the feeling this will be addressed and won't be an overly difficult fix.

That said, I don't have us being able to go with the Dogs midfield. If we can stop them waltzing out of the middle, we're a huge chance but that task is mammoth one. 

Great test coming up.  I have no idea who will win.  Absolutely we're capable of winning.  We have a great deal of talent. 

Heat will be on if we lose.  Football world will come down on us.  They cant wait.

We're never gonna get our respect until we win a flag.  So for that reason, I can't wait to play the Bulldogs.  Then the next team, then the next, then the next.  Win 2 or 3 of them and we are the real deal.  If not, the 'noise' will come.

But theres nowhere to hide.  Bring them all on.  Lets just get it [censored] done.

 

Age Real Footy Podcast interesting on views of flag contenders.

Geelong consensus (with Cameron and Smith added) or Bulldogs
Dees second clearly

Last year when we played the doggies  Bontempelli was completely allowed to run free and carved us up. He is the Bulldogs. Without him they would not be on top of the ladder. I hope there’s a plan to tag him properly or shut him down.

On 5/25/2021 at 9:40 AM, Doug Reemer said:

I agree. The dogs basically would have gotten more out of a intra club match last Saturday night.

The Saints are the worst team in it. not the type of game you want before a huge clash! Half their mids won't get that much of a free run at it and will actually have to run two ways this week!

Viney’s not playing. 

1 hour ago, Antioch said:

Last year when we played the doggies  Bontempelli was completely allowed to run free and carved us up. He is the Bulldogs. Without him they would not be on top of the ladder. I hope there’s a plan to tag him properly or shut him down.

As we are with Clarry. No Oliver, no Dees I suspect, as evidenced against Crows. 

We currently have a dysfunctional forward line. Just can’t see us hurting them on the scoreboard. 

I've been looking forward to this game since we beat the Tigers - I know the players preach one week at a time but it would be hard for them not to look ahead and circle this top of the table clash on the calendar. We got through 3 games with wins not playing our best but tripped up at the last hurdle. Let's see how the players come out on Friday, hopefully they'll get back to the pressure and hard running that we displayed earlier in the year and in particular against the Tigers.

2 hours ago, Antioch said:

Viney’s not playing. 

Even without Viney. They'll have to trying and stop us anyway!

I do remember a few player saying how the preseason game against the dogs stung them. 

I feel strangely pessimistic, and optimistic, in equal doses.

I think I’ll only work out whether the forces of darkness or lightness in my head will prevail in the first 10 minutes following the opening bounce.

I’m hoping Skywalker will prevail.

 

On 5/25/2021 at 3:51 PM, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Sounds like a media report of the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

They probably said the same about Dunkirk ...

9 hours ago, Ron Burgundy said:

I feel strangely pessimistic, and optimistic, in equal doses.

I think I’ll only work out whether the forces of darkness or lightness in my head will prevail in the first 10 minutes following the opening bounce.

I’m hoping Skywalker will prevail.

 

Which one? And at which stage? Both Anakin and Luke went to the dark side and both returned to the light. ?

22 hours ago, Antioch said:

Last year when we played the doggies  Bontempelli was completely allowed to run free and carved us up. He is the Bulldogs. Without him they would not be on top of the ladder. I hope there’s a plan to tag him properly or shut him down.

17 clubs trying to figure that one out. Best they've come up with is hope he has a quiet one ??‍♂️

8 hours ago, Gorgoroth said:

Which one? And at which stage? Both Anakin and Luke went to the dark side and both returned to the light. ?

If that’s the case, we’ve got this.

 

43 minutes ago, Ron Burgundy said:

If that’s the case, we’ve got this.

 

But do we relax...

On 5/26/2021 at 11:31 AM, Webber said:

As we are with Clarry. No Oliver, no Dees I suspect, as evidenced against Crows. 

What evidence? 

On 5/24/2021 at 8:24 PM, dl4e said:

Sorry. We will get bogged on.

So negative.

1 hour ago, red&blue1982 said:

What evidence? 

Hopefully we’ll never find out!

All this talk about the Dogs blowing teams off the park.

Here's who they've beaten by more than 20 points this year: North Melbourne, Gold Coast, GWS, St Kilda.

Us by comparison: Fremantle, GWS, Geelong, Hawthorn, Richmond, North Melbourne, Carlton.

Their percentage is through the roof because of those two massive 100+ point wins, not because they're consistently destroying their opponents each week.