The Big 3

[Old Man Rivers 326]

As season 2008 continue's to unfold, could it be possible we have all gone early ?

Have we copped the Big 3 contenders in season 2008 in the the first 3 rounds?

Are we perhaps not as bad as appears & our terrible start is a consequence of the draw?

Will most other teams suffer the same fate against The Hawks, The Dogs & The Cats in 2008?

Without getting ahead of ourself, we may even give a solid account of ourselves on Sunday V the [censored].

All the answers will continue to unfold however after tonights result I can't help but wonder????????????

[beelzebub 22,225]

I must admit watching the doggies I was thinking similar.. . well you have to hang a coat on something !! :D

Im still going to stick with the concern we arent too flash just at the mo !! lol

[Whispering_Jack 28,007]

I must admit watching the doggies I was thinking similar.. . well you have to hang a coat on something !! :D

Im still going to stick with the concern we arent too flash just at the mo !! lol

I wasn't convinced about the Bullies even when they rolled us by 95 points last week but it takes a fair team to come from 37 points down at quarter time to win by 38. Their last three quarters against the Saints were almost as good as their last three against us.

Maybe, we're not so bad after all!

[beelzebub 22,225]

I wasn't convinced about the Bullies even when they rolled us by 95 points last week but it takes a fair team to come from 37 points down at quarter time to win by 38. Their last three quarters against the Saints were almost as good as their last three against us.

Maybe, we're not so bad after all!

Very impressed with the Bullyboys this evening.. They made the sainters look a bit average...no mean feat

The Doggies are Ok...we're not !! dont get too carried away

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I wasn't convinced about the Bullies even when they rolled us by 95 points last week but it takes a fair team to come from 37 points down at quarter time to win by 38. Their last three quarters against the Saints were almost as good as their last three against us.

Maybe, we're not so bad after all!

I went to the game and after being wiped in the first quarter, the Bullies made the Saints look sloooowwww.

Fantastic effort by them.

[grazman 6,487]

The Bulldogs won because not only did they get superior numbers to the contest, but they were able to run the slow Saints off their feet. Triple teamed Riewoldt and made Gehrigs lack of pace and mobility a huge issue for the Saints. The Saints rebounders were pretty much harassed out of the game. This seems to be the new trend in Modern footy. I still have nagging doubts about the dogs. Welsh & Hudson were both two very good low risk pick ups that have slotted in nicely, but I just wonder how their light frames will stand up to the rigours of a whole season, especially in September. I would rather have a Jonathon Brown or Nick Riewoldt standing at CHF than a Robert Murphy.

[Jarka 767]

This thread definitely deserves soem thought, however it's what our players didn't do and not the final score that worries me. A team can still be well beaten all over the ground but still endeavour to do the basic, something that we didn't.

[Gorgoroth 12,331]

Exactly right jarka, If you can't do the 1%ers then any team will [censored] you.

[Cards13 9,117]

Love the optimism of the thread. It holds some water but watching the Doggies last night and the seeing them and the Hawks first hand over the first 2 weeks shows how far behind we are. We've all know the issues it is time to start showing some improvement.

Does it frustrate you to see other sides roll out 2nd yr players who actually look like they can play AFL footy whilst our young players coming through look average?

Fraser might be spending a fair amount of time in the ressies..

[Jerry Lundergard 382]

In last weeks game we were outscored by 94 points in the final 3 qtrs.

The Saints were by 65 points in the last 3 qtrs.

The difference between us and the Siants is, you could probably name 6 or 7 players on their team, who would rate as A grade players, where as we probably have none.

Make what you will out of that, but maybe we have come up against some very good teams that have hit the ground running and are full of confidence.

We have been terrible, but i still hold hopes that our second half of the season will be much better than our first.

[titan_uranus 22,466]

The Bulldogs won because not only did they get superior numbers to the contest, but they were able to run the slow Saints off their feet. Triple teamed Riewoldt and made Gehrigs lack of pace and mobility a huge issue for the Saints. The Saints rebounders were pretty much harassed out of the game. This seems to be the new trend in Modern footy. I still have nagging doubts about the dogs. Welsh & Hudson were both two very good low risk pick ups that have slotted in nicely, but I just wonder how their light frames will stand up to the rigours of a whole season, especially in September. I would rather have a Jonathon Brown or Nick Riewoldt standing at CHF than a Robert Murphy.

The Dogs will be top 8 for most of the year, but their second half will be crap compared to what they're showing now. You're right about their light frames.

I don't even rate St Kilda as highly as some others. They played awfully against Sydney (though thats to be expected sometimes against that mob), hardly looked convinving over the pathetic Blues, and then was outscored by 12 goals in three quarters last night. Yeh, they won the NAB cup, but a) that never means anything and they won most of their games by less than a kick (Essendon, Geelong, Adelaide). Not premiership material.

[mo64 5,209]

I went to the game and after being wiped in the first quarter, the Bullies made the Saints look sloooowwww.

Fantastic effort by them.

Rhino, what's your opinion of Cooney now?

I rate the Dogs. Only team that I backed to make the eight prior to the start of the season, and backed em again last night.

The structure of the Saints forward line is similar to ours, but 100 times more talented. If their 3 key forwards are held, they get murdered on the rebound, which puts pressure on their midfield.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Rhino, what's your opinion of Cooney now?

I rate the Dogs. Only team that I backed to make the eight prior to the start of the season, and backed em again last night.

The structure of the Saints forward line is similar to ours, but 100 times more talented. If their 3 key forwards are held, they get murdered on the rebound, which puts pressure on their midfield.

He played well last night. But do change your spots after one game by a player? I have seen McLean (some years) ago play a great but I am still not convinced. I have never doubted Cooney's ability just his attitude to produce consistently. It will take more than one game. If he produces like that for the rest of the season, he will definitely rise up the rankings. But its his fifth year and like McLean Cooney should be starring. Cooney might be able to take the next step. McLean...dunno

To get down to their three forwards the ball has to be won by the St K midfield in the first place. They did in the first qtr they did not in the final 3 qtrs. FWIW, I think Gehrig is a decoy and is struggling in his final year. If you are playing Kosi and Riewoldt up forward you need to have pacy forwards to cover for Gehrig. Saints hoped to win the midfield on the night and stretch the Dogs up forward. Work for a quarter then the Saints got shown up.

After 1/4 time, Bulldogs applied more midfield pressure and the Saints were slow and got cut down in the middle. They are one paced and there supposed pace man Xavier Clarke is brittle. At the end of a great career, Robert Harvey is slow now and will struggle if others arent win their roles Some of the Saints players were lax in the second half and Bulldogs ran hard to make opportunities.

After Hawthorn, I doubt we will see Newton, Neitz and Robbo in the same foreward line. One is 33yo and the other two have little or no defensive pressure. I dont think DB goes for the 3 tall Fwd line week in week out.

[beelzebub 22,225]

very poignant that which you comment there towards Cooney / McLean...very !! Interesting

[Wrecker45 3,378]

After Hawthorn, I doubt we will see Newton, Neitz and Robbo in the same foreward line. One is 33yo and the other two have little or no defensive pressure. I dont think DB goes for the 3 tall Fwd line week in week out.

Rhino, I thought you watched Sandringham? Newton has shown no defensive pressure in the red and blue but that has not been the case at Sandringham. He even went off injured for Sandy in one game when he dived a good 2 metres parrallel to the ground trying to tackle an opposition player only to spear his shouler into the goal post.

He's played 10 odd games in the seniors and it hasn't clicked for him yet (besides mark of the year) but when it does he is a talent.

[Little Goffy 12,653]

An interesting call by the AFL to line up a bottom four team from last year against three of the 07 top four in the first four rounds (Hawks, Cats, Kangaroos). We can now say this was never going to be a cruising start to the season. And also, I'd love to hear how this arrangement was supposed to 'maximise attendences and viewers'.

Throw in the Bullodgs, who do seem to have made some improvement, and it's just abit of turd luck for us I spose.

Still, a win against Geelong on Sunday would bring the house down, wouldn't it.

[grazman 6,487]

Rhino, I thought you watched Sandringham? Newton has shown no defensive pressure in the red and blue but that has not been the case at Sandringham. He even went off injured for Sandy in one game when he dived a good 2 metres parrallel to the ground trying to tackle an opposition player only to spear his shouler into the goal post.

He's played 10 odd games in the seniors and it hasn't clicked for him yet (besides mark of the year) but when it does he is a talent.

Wrecker I was incredibly disappointed with his first up performance in rd 1. Last year he was committing himself to second and third efforts and chasing hard out of our forward line. In rd 1 this year, he made that lazy arse Trapper who literally walked from one contest to the next look like a workhorse. I hope it's a confidence thing rather than attitude, because you can give a player confidence, you can't give them hunger.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Rhino, I thought you watched Sandringham? Newton has shown no defensive pressure in the red and blue but that has not been the case at Sandringham. He even went off injured for Sandy in one game when he dived a good 2 metres parrallel to the ground trying to tackle an opposition player only to spear his shouler into the goal post.

He's played 10 odd games in the seniors and it hasn't clicked for him yet (besides mark of the year) but when it does he is a talent.

Wrecker, I do. When many people were calling for Newton's lift to the seniors very early last year there were a couple of posters that commented upon the need for Newton to develop his confidence and belief to put in the application to back his ability. I don't think he has worked out what is required to succeed in the AFL or has not committed to doing what is required He has run hot and cold at Sandy. When hot it inspires the belief that he is the next thing. When cold he does not look like he has got the ticker for the hard game. While there have been a few highlights, the same issues that were concerns last year clearly have not been resolved this year.

I think Graz makes a fair reference about him.