GRAND FINAL: Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs

[Demonland 72,170]

[In Harmes Way 7,768]

I hope that’s not the last we see of him…

[Demonland 72,170]

[At the break of Gawn 4,460]

Ryan Gardner has been dropped for this Saturday. Keath to replace him. I’m ok with this. Dogs have a pretty good win/loss record when Gardner plays.

[Demonland 72,170]

 

[Jaded No More 68,907]

They must be very confident Keath is right to go. Shame for us as Keath is a good defender. 
Work those hammies Big Ben!

[titan_uranus 25,014]

On 9/20/2021 at 3:41 PM, A F said:

Totally mate. 

As for the contested possession stuff, with Bontempelli's fitness questionable, they may have to go back to Libba at the coalface, which makes them more one dimensional and brings a tagger into the game. 

@Lucifer's Hero you don't happen to have CBAs for the Port v Bulldogs game do you? Was Libba back in there more? Without Drew starting on him in the first quarter, he was certainly controlling things from the stoppages. When Drew went to him at the end of the first, I wonder, and I didn't notice this, but I wonder if Libba then moved to half forward to throw the tag. He certainly didn't have the same influence after quarter time.

Bont 23, Macrae 22, Libba 20, Martin 19, Dunkley 14, English 8, Treloar 2.

[Adam The God 30,222]

6 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Bont 23, Macrae 22, Libba 20, Martin 19, Dunkley 14, English 8, Treloar 2.

Interesting. So it's still very much the usual suspects in there. Will they change it up? I don't think so, unless they're not getting enough wins at the contest and our guys are well on top.

As Clarkson said on 360, you don't want to pull a rabbit out of the hat on Grand Final day. You back your system to win out.

I know their entire system flows from the contest, but I think their three starting mids, alongside Martin, will be relatively predictable in terms of centre bounce at least.

Does Dunkley go into the stoppages around the ground as a negating mid, probably, but I think we'll have plans for that and a couple of things we'll try if things don't go our way and they're able to chain out of stoppage too easily. I think we'll go 1v1 at the contest and back our guys to zone off, allowed by the pressure created from our mids.

[Demonland 72,170]

17 minutes ago, Jaded said:

They must be very confident Keath is right to go. Shame for us as Keath is a good defender. 
Work those hammies Big Ben!

Whoever they play him on should run him all over the park. They might play him on Fritsch thinking he’ll stay close to home. Fritsch should run him ragged. 

[Longsufferingnomore 1,631]

9 hours ago, Lord Travis said:

I want to win at any cost and I don’t care if players are suspended next year. This could be our only chance for another few decades, so we need to win no matter what.

If they go after Max or anyone else physically, then we go after them when the opportunity is there. If Viney has a chance to tackle someone big, then I want them buried halfway to China and stretchered off the ground.

No one but us bitter Demons supporters remember Essendon as thugs in 2000. They are remembered as winners, big winners. It’s our turn to be winners, whatever the cost. Bury them Dees.

I just remember them as thugs especially DWallis

[titan_uranus 25,014]

10 minutes ago, A F said:

Interesting. So it's still very much the usual suspects in there. Will they change it up? I don't think so, unless they're not getting enough wins at the contest and our guys are well on top.

As Clarkson said on 360, you don't want to pull a rabbit out of the hat on Grand Final day. You back your system to win out.

I know their entire system flows from the contest, but I think their three starting mids, alongside Martin, will be relatively predictable in terms of centre bounce at least.

Does Dunkley go into the stoppages around the ground as a negating mid, probably, but I think we'll have plans for that and a couple of things we'll try if things don't go our way and they're able to chain out of stoppage too easily. I think we'll go 1v1 at the contest and back our guys to zone off, allowed by the pressure created from our mids.

The more the Dogs try to change to adapt to us, the better IMO.

They can beat us by just playing their regular game, so I doubt they are going to mix it up. Their path to victory comes from taking territory away from us, which they will achieve if they dominate CPs and clearances. That means they put their best mids in the middle for as much of the game as possible, in the hope of taking Oliver/Petracca/Viney's grunt away from us and forcing us to play too much of the game in our back half.

[Adam The God 30,222]

3 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

The more the Dogs try to change to adapt to us, the better IMO.

They can beat us by just playing their regular game, so I doubt they are going to mix it up. Their path to victory comes from taking territory away from us, which they will achieve if they dominate CPs and clearances. That means they put their best mids in the middle for as much of the game as possible, in the hope of taking Oliver/Petracca/Viney's grunt away from us and forcing us to play too much of the game in our back half.

Yep, agreed, but Luke is never afraid to change things up if they're not working.

But you're right, if you have a stoppage players like Libba and Bontempelli you'd be mad not to back them in a Grand Final.

[dazzledavey36 54,869]

Interesting looking at the doggies board they're all filthy that Gardiner has been dropped instead of Cordy..

[Demonland 72,170]

 

[At Least I Saw a Flag 5,238]

Footy Classified.

Lloyd and Wilson tipped Demons.

Lyon and Triplechins tipped Bulldogs.

[Demonland 72,170]

 

[hells bells 2,023]

Which Bulldogs players do you consider to be “tough” or play with a bit of “mongrel”?

Conversely, which of the Dees are tough?  Trying to establish which team has mongrel advantage.  I reckon the 2016 Bulldogs were far tougher than the 2021 version.

[The Lobster Effect 891]

10 minutes ago, bingers said:

Footy Classified.

Lloyd and Wilson tipped Demons.

Lyon and Triplechins tipped Bulldogs.

Good, don't want to be tipped by 99% of people!

[Demonland 72,170]

 

[Demonland 72,170]

 

[rpfc 28,386]

Win or lose I know we are going to 'play like Demons' on the last Saturday in September.

Back where we belong.

Checker Hughes would be smiling.

 

[rpfc 28,386]

15 minutes ago, bingers said:

Footy Classified.

Lloyd and Wilson tipped Demons.

Lyon and Triplechins tipped Bulldogs.

Lyon predicted that Geelong would 'get it done' two weeks ago. And Fatso McCreary is the biggest contrarian in the media.

Caro wants us to win and Lloyd is a talking wooden plank.

So that leaves us nowhere - that's Classified for you...

[Redleg 40,901]

2 hours ago, radar said:

Max is due for a blinder

Didn't he play well in the PF?

[layzie 33,794]

11 minutes ago, rpfc said:

Lyon predicted that Geelong would 'get it done' two weeks ago. And Fatso McCreary is the biggest contrarian in the media.

Caro wants us to win and Lloyd is a talking wooden plank.

So that leaves us nowhere - that's Classified for you...

Lyon was borderline obnoxious tonight. Suggesting the odds may come in close if the Dogs target Gawn. Clearly backing the Dogs and that's fine but gee wiz. 

[Demonland 72,170]