Round 14 - Blues v Western Bulldogs (Aftermatch Aftermath)

[PassIt2Carrots]

I just don't get this at all.
We should have won if we kicked straighter, didn't turn the ball over, hit up our targets, ran and spread better, or all of these and a few more?
In short, we should have won if we played better.

Okay, just kick straight and we win. No doubt about that. Do you get it now? I know you'd rather have people believe the sky is falling because that's what you've been preaching for a while but it simply isn't the case.

[PassIt2Carrots]

Pinched this off BF.




Gradual improvement. Fork off Mick you imbecile.

[Baggers]

I like that Barks said he wasn't into honourable losses. Good stuff. It was an honourable loss but so what. We want to be into winning.

There is a palpable culture growing in this group and it is a culture of sustained hardness that we've not seen from our club for many, many years.

Boekhorst is probably the only 'kid' who really worries me, but perhaps this kind of game didn't suit a 'one-way' outside player. Serious doubts over whether this high pick can make it. Has to learn a lot and change a lot to be a part of the culture that is growing.

We only lost this game due to terrible, fundamental errors and missing a few key blokes. What a pity Juddy didn't get to play in this culture, he would have torn it up.

Hard to cop a loss but I would rather our future than the Dishlickers.

[cookie2]

I left Etihad feeling a bit disappointed and frozen! However I wasn't devastated and I think we could have got up had we have kicked better for goal - I looked at the scoreboard at one stage and we were 4.11.

Much of the story has already been written but overall, our defence held its own, especially Tuohy and Jamo, our midfield were probably beaten on the night (haven't checked all the stats). Murphy had a tough night and received a lot of attention. Cripps was really a shining light and Graham is emerging as a very important contributor for us. Kreuz had one of his more ordinary games.  Our forward division was our major let down and where we really lost the game IMHO. We were ragged and that comedy sketch between Wood and Casboult just about summed it up for me. When Everitt was injured that was about end of story in terms of any hope. We need major improvements here as a matter of highest priority.

It's pretty obvious we are methodically sorting the sheep from the goats whilst trying not to be run over by crushing defeat so I guess last night wasn't too bad in terms of effort and staying with them until the finish. Richmond will be a tougher job of course and getting a stronger 22 out there, including Gibbs, will be essential if we are not to be embarrassed.

Also, looks like Cripps and Everitt's injuries aren't serious

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-07-05/bl...ous-injury

[Jean-Claude]

A game that we lost not the Bulldogs winning.

Boekhorst is such a carbon copy of Lucas it is scary. He along with Curnow and Johnson were involved in a couple of passages of play when we were on top and they just failed to hit targets and stuffed both plays up.

How a full time recruiter with the experience of drafting Lucas before and watching an inordinate amount of games can still pick Boekhorst I have no idea. Just another ticks all the boxes has some speed, has some size, has some skill jack of all trades master of none pick. That's why Gibbs' career has stalled because they actually don't excel in anything. If you look at Hawthorn and Sydney etc all their palyers they pick actually excel at one particular aspect.

Graham is a gun though, reminds me of Sam Mitchell a bit just a real natural footballer.

[Brettie]

Seriously mate an 11 point loss without Walker, Gibbs, Menzel, Docherty, Rowe, Carazzo, Ellard, Thomas and an injured Everitt and Cripps is hardly soul crushing stuff. Boekhorst was the only really substandard performance. Whiley, Johnson and Holman deserve another crack.

Ummmm......never said it was soul-crushing, far out, where'd that come from? Interesting interpretation to say the least. FMD I said it was always gonna be tough when 7 players from the previous week's win weren't on the park halfway through the last quarter, that the forward line was terrible this week (fact), Kreuzer was ordinary (fact) and that Whiley, Boekhorst and Johnson may as well have not been out there (fact). If you think Johnson was anything close to okay, then you need to watch the game again.

I also ended my post by saying that if we kicked straight, we win.......yep, that sure sounds as though I thought it soul-crushing doesn't it? Sheesh......

[Brettie]

A game that we lost not the Bulldogs winning.

Graham is a gun though, reminds me of Sam Mitchell a bit just a real natural footballer.

Both great calls.

[DJC]

Perhaps a too simplistic analysis but I reckon Springer was the difference.  He was fairly well held but kicked three straight from limited opportunities.

It was a scrappy game and it's hard to see the Bulldogs holding on to their spot in the eight.

[cookie2]

Perhaps a too simplistic analysis but I reckon Springer was the difference.  He was fairly well held but kicked three straight from limited opportunities.

It was a scrappy game and it's hard to see the Bulldogs holding on to their spot in the eight.

Yep. I wouldn't be getting too excited if I were a Dogs supporter. They made a lot of errors.

[PassIt2Carrots]

Both great calls.

Hey I made the Graham/Mitchell comparison last week!