PREGAME: Rd 01 vs Western Bulldogs

[Demonland 73,895]

Discuss everything to do with our Round 1 clash of the 2022 season against the Western Bulldogs.

[Chook 15,023]

Where my backline at?

[Jaded No More 68,976]

We might never win again after losing to Carlton tonight. Bring on the draft. 

[dees189227 12,461]

A first world problem I have to ask here. Compared to what's going on in Australia and the world right now this isn't a serious issue but for this game I have an important question. 

For people attending will you be rolling with your 2021 premiership tees or polos or sticking with what you usually wear. I normally roll with a polo but now we finally got our hands on these t shirts do I wear that now?

It's a position I've never had to worry about before. 

[WERRIDEE 5,603]

WERRIDEE'S best 23

B: J.Smith, May, Lever

HB: Salem, Tomlinson, Hibberd

C: Langdon, Petracca, Brayshaw

HF: Neal-Bullen, McDonald, Pickett

F: Fritsch, B.Brown, Spargo

FOLL: Gawn, Oliver, Viney

IC: Harmes, Bowey, Jackson, Sparrow

SUB: Jordon

Don't think they will risk Rivers for round 1 round 2 more likely for him.

Casey

B: Buntine, Turner, D.Smith

HB: Hunt, White, Baker

C: Howes, Dunstan, Rosman

HF: Melksham, van Rooyen, Chandler

F: Bedford, Weideman, M.Brown

FOLL: Daw, Laurie, Munro

IC: Woewodin, Moniz-Wakefield, Grey, Freeman  

[DeeSpencer 26,510]

FB: Hibberd  May  Lever
HB: Salem  Tomlinson Bowey
C: Brayshaw  Petracca  Langdon
HF: ANB  T Mc?  Spargo
FF: Fritsch Brown  Pickett
Foll: Gawn  Oliver  Viney
Int: Jackson, Sparrow?, Harmes?, Hunt/J Smith? 

I guess that's the team if the sore guys recover and everyone pulls up well from tonight.

I do wonder if we're a bit tall for early season footy. Generally the key forwards struggle to mark it early in the year and games can be won/loss on work rate and pressure. But there's no one really in the frame to replace T Mc if we went smaller, unless we go JJ in and use Harmes/Petracca forward more. 

The 7th defender is a worry. Could be Brayshaw and go JJ on a wing, but neither of those moves worked tonight.

Like most of our games against the Dogs in recent years it will be a big clash of styles and vital to get the game on our terms and likely goals will come in waves. Not grand final waves, but often 2-3 goals each way. We need our mids and half forwards a lot more switched on to get the game on our terms than they were tonight.

 

[BenJamin on Deesy St 805]

I like the man but Bevo’s got his Doggies confused with his counter revolutionary corporate mumbo jumbo of late. Perhaps he’s still trying to fathom what the hell happened in the last minute of the third quarter of the Grand Final - ‘twas over in the blink of an eye, he said. At least he put that succinctly and eloquently.

[KingDingAling 3,758]

2 hours ago, Ben E said:

I like the man but Bevo’s got his Doggies confused with his counter revolutionary corporate mumbo jumbo of late. Perhaps he’s still trying to fathom what the hell happened in the last minute of the third quarter of the Grand Final - ‘twas over in the blink of an eye, he said. At least he put that succinctly and eloquently.

Nothing wrong with trying to motivate the troops. It’s his job. List would be psychologically very flat. Even now. Grand finals are hard to even get to. Every player on that list would be flat, as would we be had we lost. Bevo is just doing his best. I respect it. Strategically though, we are well placed against the bullies, and actually against most sides. It’s what got us to the finals playing below our level most of last year.

[Superunknown 4,243]

Hi from near Lismore. Had to come into the Base today for internet access for work.

Absolute carnage up here - never seen anything like it. Still no NBN or Telstra/Optus 4G in many areas (ie no 000 access).
Fuel still scant.

Food re-appearing.

The carnage about town is unfathomable. Fence posts hanging off power lines (we're talking in hilly country too, metres and metres above the ground).

Anyhoo, I've a barcode for R1, I simply can't get there, sadly. The Wednesday night schedule is most inconvenient. Will be at Metricon for the Suns though if any DLers will be there.

 

Barcode R1, hit me up

[Jaded No More 68,976]

14 minutes ago, Superunknown said:

Hi from near Lismore. Had to come into the Base today for internet access for work.

Absolute carnage up here - never seen anything like it. Still no NBN or Telstra/Optus 4G in many areas (ie no 000 access).
Fuel still scant.

Food re-appearing.

The carnage about town is unfathomable. Fence posts hanging off power lines (we're talking in hilly country too, metres and metres above the ground).

Anyhoo, I've a barcode for R1, I simply can't get there, sadly. The Wednesday night schedule is most inconvenient. Will be at Metricon for the Suns though if any DLers will be there.

 

Barcode R1, hit me up

Wishing you guys all the very best up there. It sounds and looks horrific! 
 

[TRIGON 4,796]

14 hours ago, dees189227 said:

A first world problem I have to ask here. Compared to what's going on in Australia and the world right now this isn't a serious issue but for this game I have an important question. 

For people attending will you be rolling with your 2021 premiership tees or polos or sticking with what you usually wear. I normally roll with a polo but now we finally got our hands on these t shirts do I wear that now?

It's a position I've never had to worry about before. 

DEElemma!

[DistrACTION Jackson 10,429]

Expecting a massive game from Oliver and Petracca. They were both ordinary last night and looked like they were playing bruise free footy. Not surprised given it is a pre-season match and not concerned.

What I did like is Gawn got the players together as they were walking off, no doubt to let everyone know that's not good enough. He was the only player that looked like he gave a sheet.

[dl4e 5,851]

I would have Hunt in the side. Hibberd or Smith not in. Put Brayshaw back on the wing. One has to wonder if Goodwin will have a surprise pick for round 1.

[Demonland 73,895]

Alex Keith limped off the field with what looked like a knock to the knee in their practice match against the Lions. He returned to the field shortly afterwards but ultimately come off again and took no further part in the game. He missed the practice match the previous week with groin soreness.

He currently has 12 days until Round 1.

[Bring-Back-Powell 15,368]

8 hours ago, Action Jackson said:

Expecting a massive game from Oliver and Petracca. They were both ordinary last night and looked like they were playing bruise free footy. Not surprised given it is a pre-season match and not concerned.

What I did like is Gawn got the players together as they were walking off, no doubt to let everyone know that's not good enough. He was the only player that looked like he gave a sheet.

Absolutely agree with your last sentence.

Gawn is the one bloke at this footy club that busts his [censored] every single game from pre season game one to the grand final.

[Tarax Club 4,134]

On 3/3/2022 at 10:56 PM, Ben E said:

I like the man but Bevo’s got his Doggies confused with his counter revolutionary corporate mumbo jumbo of late…

On 3/4/2022 at 1:30 AM, KingDingAling said:

Nothing wrong with trying to motivate the troops. It’s his job. List would be psychologically very flat. Even now… Bevo is just doing his best…

Understand Bevo’s motivation pulling out all stops to resurrect the bullies’ fortunes. But from this side of the fence, the message appears a trifle muddied.

After concluding his holiday  R&R  reset which including readings  ‘From the Inside’ , ‘Hits and Memories’ , 'How to Shoot Friends and Influence People’ and Das Kopit (an internal secret review published by the peoples proletarian committee for agrarian reform put more succinctly footy department).

 Is he channeling Che Guevara’s revolutionary zeal or Mark Brandon Read’s sensitive new age group think? In order to instill the “killer instinct” or "mongrel" that went missing so spectacularly in last season’s not so grand finale. And get back the bulldog bite?

We await further developments…  but we’ll know he’s serious if he trims his ears and joins the comancheros.

Edited March 4, 2022 by Tarax Club
'we come out snarling... ' put a stop to it! RSPCA

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,339]

The dogs are not tall. If Keith misses even less so. I also think early in season you are better to play with more run (as not match fit) and less height (as key positions lack touch). Unsure what that means yet but would not be surprised if this dictates what we do with players 19-23 in the team. 

[Demon17 5,231]

20 hours ago, Action Jackson said:

Expecting a massive game from Oliver and Petracca. They were both ordinary last night and looked like they were playing bruise free footy. Not surprised given it is a pre-season match and not concerned.

What I did like is Gawn got the players together as they were walking off, no doubt to let everyone know that's not good enough. He was the only player that looked like he gave a sheet.

I reckon your'e right on this, esp given the Kangas game a few days earlier.  The team moved straight into gear in the Kangas game without skipping a beat (albeit against poorer opposition than the Blues)  and maybe thought all good, still got it etc.

And surely thery're only human and were to some degree thinking about the opening round, flag raising, blockbuster etc. 

The Blues game still proved to them, despite giving away 6 goals and losing by 4 points , they still had the ability to come from a long way back.

Nothing to see here hopefully, except for a few issues with Casey candidates.

[58er 6,854]

19 hours ago, dl4e said:

I would have Hunt in the side. Hibberd or Smith not in. Put Brayshaw back on the wing. One has to wonder if Goodwin will have a surprise pick for round 1.

I would have Hibberd first as he minds players and can play tallish and small. And is a good distributor of the ball.

Hunt will be better in with the other6 thatare regulars ( Tommo for Petty) 

Smithy can get some form and judgement in the Casey team and hopefully keeps injury free.

[titan_uranus 25,212]

17 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Absolutely agree with your last sentence.

Gawn is the one bloke at this footy club that busts his [censored] every single game from pre season game one to the grand final.

Incredibly harsh.

Gawn works hard, that is true. But so do ANB, Langdon, Lever, Brayshaw, Hibberd, Brown, May, TMac and a host of others. 

And Gawn has his down games through a season, just like everyone does.

[titan_uranus 25,212]

5 hours ago, Lil_red_fire_engine said:

The dogs are not tall. If Keith misses even less so. I also think early in season you are better to play with more run (as not match fit) and less height (as key positions lack touch). Unsure what that means yet but would not be surprised if this dictates what we do with players 19-23 in the team. 

I don't get this whole "the Dogs are not tall" thing.

Most people look at our best 22 as being the GF team. Which was a team which played the Dogs.

It's not like we're coming up against something drastically different.

I'm not sure if there is any merit to the idea of going in smaller in the early rounds rather than taller, but that aside I don't see the Dogs' lack of height as being relevant to our best 22.

[dazzledavey36 55,994]

 

[dazzledavey36 55,994]

 

[Dee Zephyr 19,290]

This is it people, holidays are over. Can you smell it? That would be sensational if we got 80k next week. 

[whatwhat say what 23,651]

Wow that would be massive - let's see how many 'no shows' we have as a result of the likes of mcc members having to prebook with no walk up; I would guess could be quite high

I was thinking anywhere around 50-55k on a Wednesday evening would be a great turn out