The heart beats true

Jesse for Weed. The only certainty for me. Hibberd needs another week before he's ready from the looks of today. The idea of him and Jordy down back makes our defence look a lot better, so lets not rush it. Ben Ken for Hannan might be interesting. His defensive pressure up forward at times last year was great.

Really interesting. I think we want to possess the ball (clearly) but that gives the opposition the chance to set up defensively meaning we HAVE to over possess to pick through the zone. The only other alternatives are: Get the ball to a player who can run (Hunt) through the zone before it's set up, or kick over it (Petracca and I think Vince has this license to). Trac stuffed up a long kick early in the 4th but the next time he got the ball he went for another 60 metre kick which resulted in a Garlett goal. He's been trained to go for it. Or, Long down the line to the next contest and play for a contested mark or stoppage. No Hogan no go. We've really missed this with the ball in hand of younger players.

AFL has a problem with the bump. Cloke gets broken ribs, LeCras bumps Allir and they both get off, and now Ruggles gets concussed brutally. If they are ALL about the impact on players they need to adjust. The players are now getting lower and rising up into the centre of the body which is really dangerous but nothing specifically 'illegal' under the current rules. I was really shocked about the Zeibel/Cloke one. He could have tried to smother. Instead he bumps and costs another player 6 weeks. Can't see that being right.

Spent the last 4 weeks begging for the VFL season to start only for us to serve up this mediocrity :/

I'd suggest the FD see it exactly as I do, because he hasn't played in the 1's all year. I get it guys - I WANT Trekkers to be a star. He deserves it. I'm just judging it purely on the evidence I see. I hope he proves me wrong

Everybody sees it differently I guess. I just think there's a real sentimentality about the guy that I get, but it doesn't make me want to see him in the 1's. He's painfully slow through the core, which makes him slow to react when the pace is on.

Watch the replay of Trenners in the Sydney game last year. His lack of pace was exploited. It would be a nice story, but from what i saw at senior level last year he's just nowhere near the pace of the modern game.

NEVER KC! What you do for us is great mate.

I'd say the number 1 thing is pray the most dynamic midfielder in the country is born 15 minutes from your home ground and wants to go home in a deal that costs you nothing. Without him their last 30 games would have had 15 more losses in it - and they'd not be talking up their 300 game record.

I'm so looking forward to this game now. I reckon our boys will be stinging. I fully expect the first 10 minutes to be absolutely brutal. Viney, Oliver, Jones, Vince and Hogan all with something to prove. Will be a cracker.

I think you meant to say posters fall into 2 categories: 1. Those that reflect on the team and the game in a rational, reasoned manner (all be it from a myriad of diverse perspectives), or 2. Those who project their frustrations at life all over a sports team. Its got nothing to do with accountability, and everything to do with people having a sook about how personally slighted they feel by the club.

Mav Weller is positively Cro-magnon. Should be carbon dated after the game.

My understanding is that the suspended player must forfeit their payment and donate it to whichever supporter starts a new thread on DLand outlining the personal pain and suffering they've been handed by the club. ?

So does that mean the Dogs are at Breaking point now? Freo beat them too. How about Hawthorn and Carlton who got rolled by the Suns? You feel it because it's your club but every week 8 teams get beaten. We aren't as famous for losing games as you think. You just feel it that way. How some of you have stuck by this club through the 70's and 80's and the last 10 years is amazing. Now you're fed up? Now? We are 2-2 and have had arguably or best 3 players out the last 2 weeks. It's like some of you are looking for a reason to sook and it's really, really boring.

After watching the replay I think we also got exposed a few times by either lack of speed (Jetta is a gun but his weakness is going with speedy forwards) or the 3rd man up not getting the job done (both McDonald and Vince had 3 or 4 shockers that lead directly to goals). The conclusion I drew is get Hogan forward so Watts can go back to stem the bleeding, and to get Hibberd in to help McDonald kill the ball in the air.

Then you've come to the wrong place ?

This week: Hogan for Weid. Thats it. BECAUSE then you've got Jordy and Hibberd ready the following week, and Brayshaw hopefully in touch and knocking down the door. He's too good for the 2's. I also think our midfield need to be held accountable for that loss and be given a chance to atone. They were nowhere near it in the 3rd and they owe us a 4 quarter effort. Still not convinced about Hannan, but if Hibberd and Lewis go back, Vince and Salem can go to the wings and everyone rolls forward one spot pushing Hannan and Melksham out. I still wish we had another forward target. Watts and Hogan are good, but that 3rd versatile forward option is what we lack. I think the long term need for that and the Hogan suspension is all thats kept Weid and Hannan in.

We have an A grade mid. His name is Clayton Oliver. He's played less than 20 games, gets tagged every week and is still our best player. In another 20 games he'll be elite. We are very young and are learning it's an even competition. I think the players are learning the hard way, and in the long run that may be very, very good for us. I would have loved to pinch yesterday but it might be the making of us yet. 3-1 better reflects our effort, but if 2-2 teaches us we have to take our chances and work smarter and harder than I'll take it.

We have. We've won more quarters, been in every game we've played, and if not for some poor kicking in front of goal last week, and honestly the ball bouncing against us yesterday we could be 4-0. We are a competitive team, but it's a very even competition full of highly motivated individuals. I think people forget the quality of Freo's midfield, and that we have 3 of our best players out. If they played without Sandilands, Mundy and McCarthy yesterday (similar shapes and positions to our missing 3) we'd have rolled them by 6 goals. Lets try keep things in perspective.

For what it's worth I thought Petracca was outstanding in the last quarter when the game needed to be won. He's going to be an absolute gun. Playing half forward for us isn't easy, but it's even harder with C grade talls around you who don't demand the ball.

Same Bulldogs that got beaten by Freo last week? Freo aren't a bad side. And I appreciate everyone's perspectives but it gets SOOOOO boring around here when we lose a game and we have to start hearing about the desert since 1964. It's ups and downs, thats how it goes. Today was a frustrating loss, but not the end of the world.

Than we were 2 years ago? Give it a spell. We lost a game by 2 points to a team that we beat for 3 out of 4 quarters, and had arguably our 3 best players out (including the only AA we've had in 6 years, and the only KPF we've had since Neitz). Harmes kicks that goal at the end, or Kent's handball to Watts in the 3rd doesn't take a leg break and we win. No ones giving out awards for the most heartbroken supporter. Hang in there, but stop looking for reasons to feel bad about the club. It's not very constructive, or good for your health.

My 3 word analysis of these threads: Increasingly accenting negatives

I'm a Bernie fan but watching the last quarter again on replay I seriously doubt he could have done much more wrong. It wasn't just the last 2 minutes. It was a 20 minute horror stretch. Missed marks, turnovers, poor positioning. You name it.

Gees I hope the club asks why Watts didn't get a 50 when Johnson dragged him down at the end of the 3rd after he took that mark. Was clearly a 50 and even Johnson knew it. Would have gifted us a goal, and, well, the rest is history.