Round 14 - Blues v Western Bulldogs (Aftermatch Aftermath)

[ItsOurTime]

I knew we wouldn't win after Wood had a clear shot and handballed to Casboult who wasn't looking. Especially when we missed countless sitting duck shots before it.

Still, we started the game under the old style of game, refusing to look to the middle, which was sorted in the second half.

Win for Barker but he hurt his chances big time in the second half ith zero answer for the Doggie's Caleb. We just couldn't get it to the centre of the ground. We needed Casboult to take marks on the wing but nothing.

I liked Holman's game. Graham continues to grow and I think Cripps has now shown he is ready to be the captain when the new coach is appointed.

Yarran is playing angry, he's not good when he plays angry.

Some disappointing aspects to the game but I think most of us would havesaid within 2 goals and 70+ tackles would have been a good result before the game.

[cimm1979]

Jamison was very good .

2E was brilliant.

Couple of posters have written these two guys off repeatedly over the last two years and they were great.

I have similar faith in a few blokes written off tonight.

Dickheads say "Play the Kids" , so we play the kids and some don't have great games so they say "he's shit"

Not enough brains to fill a small sausage casing .

[blue4life]

Some disappointing aspects to the game but I think most of us would havesaid within 2 goals and 70+ tackles would have been a good result before the game.

I would have, except that Foorscray played nearly as badly as we did, a top side would have beaten either of us by 10 goals.

[BluePhantom]

Wasn't someone on here into Caleb Daniels last draft? They thought he would make a good player? Why aren't you head of recruiting ?

[DJC]

Haha, the stats tell me Tutt had 17 touches.  :o

I must have blinked for about 15 of them, maybe I was a bit harsh on him.

Other interesting stats were, we managed to out tackle them 71-65, Kreuzer was quiet with only 7 touches.

I don't think you were too harsh.

Tutt couldn't get a game for Footscray last season and he hasn't improved; poor decision making, average disposal and too easily beaten in one on one contests.

I know that he nominated us as his club of choice but I really don't understand how he ended up on our list.  I guess he was only one of several strange list management decisions.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Wasn't someone on here into Caleb Daniels last draft? They thought he would make a good player? Why aren't you head of recruiting ?

Crashlander who does most of the u18 player reviews pre-draft really wanted CD and had to work hard to convince most of us he was worth
recruiting given his size....and he was right and deserves full credit for identifying him as a player who would make it against the odds.
The kid has the same nous we give Cripps credit for just in  a smaller wrapper....think he will be a very good player for the Dogs and maybe he will give
the opportunity to some other smaller kids next draft rather than than being passed over for the taller mids...

[Vivian]

A reality check tonight.
while I'm yet to watch much of the game, having only caught the last bit (broken internet in switzerland, how can it be!), it showed that we have the same deficiencies we have known about for a long time. And that's fine. Let's be under no illusions.

Skills under pressure and decision making are the difference between the good sides and the likes of us and the other also rans, bulldogs included. We know that new players have to be brought in, and that improvement will come gradually and slowly. Our younger players get to play and develop, and some criticism of first year players is hardly fair.

The AFL is a big step up, and it has become more so in recent years. Its demands require a few years of development and it is rare that a 19 year old can have much of an impact for more than just a few games.  The gradual improvement of buckly, docherty and bell for example demonstrates how long it takes. All are becoming good footballers most of all by better decision making and skills under pressure, and reducing mistakes. Cripps will have his down games too over the next couple of years too, regardless of injuries.

A plus, despite the loss, is that the tackles were up, and we restricted scoring against too rather than getting holes punched in us. Suggests that we are maintaining structure much better, indicating commitment and better understanding of responsibilities.

[cimm1979]

Caleb Daniel will be a footballing curiosity.

He may even reach Jake Kings lofty heights, before being delisted for a real footballer.

[bignic]

We were Caleb Danieled.....Yarran was woeful on him...

Tutt..useless
Boekhorst...disgraceful
Johnson...not up to AFL standard..
Whiley..lacks in most skill areas except tackling
Kruezer and Wood won the hitouts but had zero other influence
Simpson was ordinary
Henderson isnt strong enough...in reverse the kid down the other end Redpath is a bull, no wonder they gave us Jones.

Casboult was crape...
Army....gives his best allbeit he lacks class but keeps on keeping on..
Curnows disposal is just rubbish
Bells disposal wasnt much better than Curnow's tonoght..

Cripps, Graham, Touhy were good, Murphy tried hard but didnt impact or create much, Buckley ok at times.....

Elwood, I was there, and your summary, well, it sums it up.

Yeah we lost players, but I can tell you this.
They are going through this mob with a fine tooth comb.

If Henderson wants to go, there would be little opposition, but he'll probably stay because he can't pack mark to save his life and he plays one reasonable game, and goes missing in the rest. And the other clubs know it!!!

Yarran may well be traded. He's not a shadow of his former self, and when, in the third quarter he was 50 out from goal, and instead of taking the shot, passed the ball to a contest, that said it all for me and I'm sure those in authority at  our Club know what I mean,. I'll leave it at that.

Murphy. He ain't Ablett, or judd, or going back in time, the Dominator, or Sellwood, or Hodge, he isn 't any of those.

Mark Murphy will never rise to the occasion and win a game off his boot for us. Yes, he'll have some very good games, but when you want him to be a frigging Captain and inspire, he is incapable of doing the job. AND as he has been doing for years now, will turn the ball over time and again. he needs to be replaced as captain next year. I would have no hesitation giving the job to Cripps. yes, he's young and inexperienced, but what a phenomenal player. I saw him yell at our blokes to get on their opponents. On one occasion, he went at the ball in a pack situation 3 times and got it out with sheer will and determination. What an example to players much older, supposedly wiser and far more experienced than him.

I recall when they put Gibbs in the leadership group as an 18 year or 19 year old. Gibbs was never the type of player that should have been there. Much like Sam Rowe today. Cripps is worth 22 Gibbs'. He's the future, make him the Captain next year.

Wood moves like a log of, well, wood.
Some of our turnovers from experienced players like Simmo and the open mouthed Curnow, were inexcusable. Casboult was asleep. Bell,did what bell does. One good game, last weeks, one cr@p game, this weeks. And his disposal is worse than my 2 year old grand daughters.

I actually thought the back line functioned far better with Jammo and Touhey back there and Rowe out. Add Docherty to it, and they would have gone close tonight. They really withstood a lot of pressure.
As I said, Elwood, you summed up the cr@ppy players well. But I have to say that Graham was ordinary tonight, and a major weakness in his game was on display. he can't think quickly enough, and at this point in time, he doesn't have the gift of a football brain. In other words, he aint good enough and it remains to be seen if he ever will be. I thought Holmann was ordinary too.

I have to say something about Boekhoerst. Nup, I better not. He'll sue me.

I would love to have known what barker said to the players before the game and at the breaks.

He says he's not coaching for the job, but I don't believe that. I reckon it's human nature for him to want to have the job.

To me, the instructions should have been simple. You kick backwards unless it's absolutely necessary, you get fined $500 out of your pay. Take the game on for the 120 minutes. No stupid short passing. take responsibility to kick a goal if you have the opportunity. etc. Etc

What I got out of tonight, is that the Dogs are an ordinary team.

We carried at least 12 passengers tonight together with injuries, and they only fell in.

Against a hawthorn, however,, we would have been slaughtered tonight.

We still have to keep playing the youngsters and see what the next two and a half moths produces.

The fact is that SOS has got a huge job., 15 years of neglect and incompetence is a lot to overcome.

From what I know, they are seeing exactly what we are seeing, and expect a decent clean out at the end of the year.

The pressure is on them to do a hell of a lot better.

I want to see another flag in my lifetime.

And I will curse them from hell, coz I reckon I've got a room booked there already, if they don't deliver me one before I depart this planet.

[MilkIt]

I missed the game but the result wasn't as bad as it could've been. Carrazzo, Docherty, Menzel and Rowe were massive outs and losing Everitt and Cripps just compounded that. (add Gibbs too).

We don't bat past about 12th on a good day and with those outs it was always going to be ugly.