Tackling the Bulldogs

[cub]

Apart from the 100 point shellacking at the start of 06 we have won 1 and been in both the other games up to our necks, so by no means they have the wood on us.

Discounting the oppsition we have played (All teams on their day can win these days) we have, believe it or not the better form.

St Kilda got on top going long into the forward line quicklyn and we have to do the same and have numbers at the contest.
Get Lids in the centre with Foley and Tambling and leave him there, we must get some drive from the centre.
The Bullies dont have much in attack , bring back Patrick Bowden if he playes half decent for Coburg. The backmen have to be accountable and the bullies will not have the scoring power we do.

West will allways get his disposals, so I think Johnson is the one to tag (Maybe Hyde) and just stick to him like clue all day.

Players such as Stevens and Shaw the other night were just given to much latitude. I reckon if we can keep B Johnson quiet we are in this with a big show.

And FFS play postive football which we can do, if we start to try and slow things down we are up the proverbial creek. (You listening JB)

Call me delusional as I am sure some will, it just comes with the territory of being a One Eyed Tiger 

[mightytiges]

You're right CUB. In the second game last year we lost because we kicked ourselves out of it in the first quarter. 6 behinds to 5 goals and had to play catch-up footy for the rest of game.

We're going to have to go into the game with a similar gameplan to that we used against the Swans. Keep things tight and accountable with plenty of contests which plays to our strengths and get numbers deep behind the ball when they get hold of it to slow their movement of the footy forward and force them wide. We can't let the Dogs get their running rebounding game out in space going or it could get ugly. That's the worry for us as we got killed by the Pies in that area after half-time. 

I don't think Hyde can go with Brad Johnson plays when he's up forward. A tough match-up. He'd be to nimble for Gas and Joel struggles against these mid-sized types (think Russell Robertson). If Rainsey wasn't out of form I'd be tempted to go with him or Newman or Moore.