GRAND FINAL: Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs

[old dee 22,925]

1 minute ago, longsuffering said:

Agree OD. I just want to plant a small seed in the ump's minds.

A watermelon is needed ls. 

[Sir Why You Little 34,554]

4 minutes ago, A F said:

Our weakness at defensive 50 ground level has become a bit of a Demonland myth.

Neutralise Weightman and Bontempelli and it goes a long way to getting it done. Often we have Langdon, Gus, our other mids and even Kozzy and ANB pushing up to neutralise defensive ground balls.

Whereas, conversely, limit Daniels influence at the other end and we could get them in offensive ground balls.

Weightman didn’t play last night and there forwards functioned beatifully. 
We need to win the ball in the centre for 4 Quarters and starve their forward supply. They have part time Ruckmen up against Gawn & Jackson 

That is where it starts

Viney will be like Cameron Ling in 2011

Tracc & Oliver go to work

Friday Night we kicked straight early

The Bulldogs did the same last night

 

[old55 21,356]

1 hour ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

As I said Bulldogs should go to the resort that Geelong is at. 

Yes, the one that gave Geelong the virus.

[old dee 22,925]

Just now, Pollyanna said:

Yes, the one that gave Geelong the virus.

It is a version of Covid called the feline version it started in southern Victoria a few years ago and renders Geelong incapable in finals games. 

[Undeeterred 2,864]

We talk about Viney being ‘built’ for finals. Honestly, this has been the point of our list build. Viney, along with:

Gawn, Petracca, Pickett, Jackson, Spargo, ANB, Harmes, Lever, Bowey, Hibberd, Sparrow, Salem

These are guys who on the evidence so far just step it up in massive games. 

They’ve got Bailey Smith, Bont, Naughton and funnily enough Mitch Hannan

Edited September 12, 2021 by Undeeterred

[At the break of Gawn 3,519]

One thing on our side is the bye. The Dogs don’t play well after the bye. 

Some recent examples:

2021 - Rnd 14 - After the bye the Dogs lost to the Cats

2020 - EF - After winning 3 on the trot at the end of the season, following the pre-finals bye, the Dogs lose to the less fancied Saints.

2019 - EF - After 3 wins on the trot including some massive wins, the dogs lose to the Giants even though they belted them in rnd 23.

I really feel this week off will hurt them. As Gawn said in an interview, he said he felt like we’ve mastered the bye. We’ve handled it once extremely well and bashed the Cats. I have a feeling the Dogs won’t handle it as well as us.

[layzie 28,931]

This one will will start from the middle. Any edge you can get there could make the difference over the journey. Small forwards and x-factors here and there will be secondary.

[Sir Why You Little 34,554]

3 minutes ago, layzie said:

This one will will start from the middle. Any edge you can get there could make the difference over the journey. Small forwards and x-factors here and there will be secondary.

Yep. All about the engine room

[layzie 28,931]

5 minutes ago, At the break of Gawn said:

One thing on our side is the bye. The Dogs don’t play well after the bye. 

Some recent examples:

2021 - Rnd 14 - After the bye the Dogs lost to the Cats

2020 - EF - After winning 3 on the trot at the end of the season, following the pre-finals bye, the Dogs lose to the less fancied Saints.

2019 - EF - After 3 wins on the trot including some massive wins, the dogs lose to the Giants even though they belted them in rnd 23.

I really feel this week off will hurt them. As Gawn said in an interview, he said he felt like we’ve mastered the bye. We’ve handled it once extremely well and bashed the Cats. I have a feeling the Dogs won’t handle it as well as us.

I’m clinging to anything like this that will help! I hope it kills their momentum while we just start again. Heck our team looks so mentally sound we could play in a month and look as switched on as Fri night. 

[one_demon 826]

Dogs will properly use Stefan Martin to tag Gawn.  They'll use Schache as a defensive forward on Lever.  

[The Jackson FIX 2,293]

Apologies if this has been covered: is there any word on who will present cup to Max if we win? Gary is over there. Wowey and Wiz the only others I can think of that would be over there…

[Willmoy1947 3,783]

40 minutes ago, old dee said:

What you should be talking about is the dogs ability to constantly throw the ball and get away with it. 

..and their unbelievable ability to pass 15.10 metres.

[Stiff Arm 4,412]

I'm assuming we wear our navy blue and red home jumper and the dogs their predominantly white away jumper???

[old dee 22,925]

3 minutes ago, Stiff Arm said:

I'm assuming we wear our navy blue and red home jumper and the dogs their predominantly white away jumper???

Assume nothing where the AFL and jumpers is concerned. Just win I don’t care about the jumper at this point, pink, white, blue any winning one will be wonderful. 

[Stiff Arm 4,412]

Just now, old dee said:

Assume nothing where the AFL and jumpers is concerned. Just win I don’t care about the jumper at this point, pink, white, blue any winning one will be wonderful. 

Skins?

[Nicko 1,238]

3 minutes ago, Stiff Arm said:

I'm assuming we wear our navy blue and red home jumper and the dogs their predominantly white away jumper???

I reckon it will be same as this when we played them in round 19 - both in our normal jumpers with the dogs in white shorts…

[Charlie_Normy_Spargo 0]

Would any of you legends happen to have two spare membership barcodes for some West Aussie dees fans?

Thank you in advance.

P.S - Spargo for Norm Smith 😀

[Engorged Onion 9,334]

1 hour ago, Smokey said:

And the same commentators please

How good is the call with Jason Bennett... love the lack of hyperbole.

[rpfc 27,494]

8 minutes ago, Charlie_Normy_Spargo said:

Would any of you legends happen to have two spare membership barcodes for some West Aussie dees fans?

Thank you in advance.

P.S - Spargo for Norm Smith 😀

Go over to the ticketing thread - that’s where they are being ‘sold’.

[Ted Lasso 16,803]

Ruck is going to be a huge concern for them, Gawn will monster English at the contest, and Martin might be a better match up at the contest but unsure if he's going to be able to go with him around the ground. 

I see some really clear advantages for us in this game. if our pressure is up we should be REALLY hard to beat. 

But i am more nervous about the dogs than i would have been port. i'd back us to beat Port 8/10 

[Timothy Reddan-A'Blew 3,839]

Some great insight and analysis in the foregoing; thanks everyone - my insecurity is greatly diminished!

A common thread has been 'to be The Best, you beat the best'. I agree, and we have been provided that opportunity in the most clear way. A win will be a great win. And for the unaligned (poor b******s) it will be a great game and certainly not one of the many fizzers of the AFL era (specifically not mentioning two of them...)

One 'margin', observation: I was worried about this if Port we're in, but with the SA team out, I expect crowd support will favour us as well as, if not better, than Friday, thanks to the way the team played and entertained and the individual/character highlights. We got in first and WA won't be dropping us; indeed, I reckon a fair bit of rusting on might have happened! And so, though the Dogs clearly aren't concerned about 'away' crowds, I'm thinking (a) the boys continue to get inspiration they obviously value and (b) the Optus/umpiring effect will favour us (already did?)

And in passing, mustn't the AFL be rubbing its hands having two teams whose colours are on brand with theirs! Two weeks of a pretty narrow palette everywhere we look coming up (though cue the pale blue ump strip too? LOL)

[Demon4Life 599]

So I have a gauranteed GF ticket with my membership and have someone in Perth I would love to use it, but I haven't got an email from the club for months. I assume it's the same barcode I would have used to get tickets earlier in the season? And I think I would have priority 1 access. But I don't know what time they go on sale, and I can't contact the club until tomorrow morning by which time it might be too late can anyone help with some info?

[danielE288 596]

3 minutes ago, Demon4Life said:

So I have a gauranteed GF ticket with my membership and have someone in Perth I would love to use it, but I haven't got an email from the club for months. I assume it's the same barcode I would have used to get tickets earlier in the season? And I think I would have priority 1 access. But I don't know what time they go on sale, and I can't contact the club until tomorrow morning by which time it might be too late can anyone help with some info?

If you have GF Gaurantee it will be priority one and the same barcode that's on your membership card

[Sir Why You Little 34,554]

Kick Straight early. 
That was so important on Friday night

We were 4 goals up before Jeelong took a breath

Adreilin will be a huge factor

Tracc, Clarry and Viney’s  work in the middle must be rewarded 

[Macca 16,173]

Hard to guage either Preliminary final as neither the Cats or Port bothered to turn up.  In the end, a practice run for both teams with a fortnight's rest upcoming (that might help the Doggies more than us)

I'd rather judge our team & the Doggies on their respective best in big games throughout the year

We win out in the ruck (Gawn) so in theory, we can at least match them at the stoppages (with hopefully a win in that area)

But our all over the ground defence,  pressure acts and zoning is better than what they do as well (at least to the eye) ... our forward line defensive pressure is a standout feature as well. 

Not by a huge margin but if we bring our best, we are advantaged in those key areas

Midfield, defence & forward lines are line-ball

Demons by 30 points