The Western Bulldogs kicked off the 2016 AFL Finals series last night by eliminating the West Coast Eagles in an impressive and unexpected boilover. Check out our talking points from the match!
How far can the Dogs go?
The biggest question after every final is always going to be: can this winning team go on and take out the whole thing? From the position of elimination finals, the answer is almost always no.
That’s probably the case here, but in such an even year, maybe, just maybe, there’s a sliver of hope that the Dogs can make a real run deep into September.
The decision to bring back a number of injured stars paid off marvellously, and they now look primed for a strong finish to the year.
They’ll be up against Hawthorn or Geelong – depending on tonight’s game – at the MCG next week. Then it’s the Swans or the Giants in Sydney for the winner of that match.
You’d think the Bulldogs season probably ends sometime in the next two weeks, but after a performance like that, who would dare to write them off?
West Coast’s wasted year
Eagles coach Adam Simpson said after the match that 2016 felt like a wasted year for his team, and he’s not wrong. After making the grand final in 2015, this season was bitterly disappointing.
What’s most concerning is that the boost we expected the Eagles to get from the recruitments of Jack Redden and Lewis Jetta, as well as the return of Eric Mackenzie, completely failed to materialise. None of the three played last night.
Redden is currently playing WAFL footy. Mackenzie too. Jetta was in the senior side but missed through a calf injury – his form was pretty average anyway. Mackenzie might not be at the club next year.
That’s a pretty big headache for the Eagles and here’s another one – Nic Naitanui is going to miss most, if not all, of the 2017 season. And the Scotty Lycett/Jon Giles/Mitch Brown three-man ruck combo is not a great answer to that problem.
I’m a big believer that the Eagles have the time and the talent to return to premiership contention with this playing group. But there’s a lot of hard work ahead of them if they’re going to do it.
Bye week debate rages on
Footy fans spent much of the past week decrying pre-finals bye week and the result of last night’s game is only going to add more fuel to that fire.
The Eagles were arguably the hottest team in the league going into the first week of finals with three straight wins over top-eight opponents. But did the week off kill their momentum?
The Dogs, on the other hand, brought back five players – four of them from injury – for this match. If it had been played a week earlier, they might not have had that luxury.
It’s a bit of an unpopular opinion but I’m actually a fan of the bye week. In my case, I found it really whet my appetite for finals to begin.
If the Eagles can’t find it in themselves to stay psyched for finals over the weekend off, that’s on them and them alone.
The more chance we have to get injured stars back on the park for finals the better, in my opinion. I’m sure plenty will disagree but the pre-finals bye is fine by me.
Tom’s a big Boyd now
If you took a quick glance at Tom Boyd’s statline from last night you might not be that impressed – fourteen disposals and 0.2 on the scoreboard.
But despite not kicking a goal it was arguably Boyd’s best ever performance at AFL level simply due to his ability to impact in the ruck, take some important marks, and offer quality defensive pressure as a forward.
Those are all question marks we’ve had over Boyd at one stage or another and really, seeing him contribute so well in those areas is nearly more impressive than if he’d booted a bag of goals instead.
If you re-did the Rising Star votes this morning…
Caleb Daniel would have to be a pretty big chance to steal the win. He was arguably best on ground last night.
33 disposals – most on ground. Five goal assists – most on ground. And a goal of his own. Not a bad effort when you’re playing just your 31st career game, on the finals stage, away from home.
Callum Mills will get his own chance to show his worth on Saturday, but regardless of which is the two is really better, there can be no doubt that the Bulldogs got an absolute steal drafting this superstar at pick 46.
Lroy
Guest
He was a No 4 draft pick as well!!! Someone needs to ask some questions about how that happened, and how he has managed to play so many games.. I reckon by his 50th game it was pretty clear he was a decent middle distance runner, but not much of a footballer ;-)
13th Man
Guest
Yeah the Eagles finally got proper Umps for the first time at home all year and look what happened.
13th Man
Guest
Masten is the most uneffective crab in the AFL, he racks up meaningless possesions but his disposal is so ordinary. Even most West Coast supporters can't stand him (similar to us with Dawson) Have said it before West Coast should get rid of him
Mango Jack
Guest
I wouldn't want to be your keyboard, Northerly. Have faith, brother.
rusty
Roar Rookie
I know. Finally. It only took 25 years....
Simoc
Guest
It looked like the Bulldogs came to play finals footy and the Eagles weren't up to it. Great to see the Bulldogs back playing their best footy at the right time to produce it. Lets hope they can win the next one to. That would be good for the AFL and the old Footscray. They're easily the best footy playing team I've seen the club put on the field.
Brad
Guest
As an Eagles fan I don't believe that the bye round is an excuse. Sure it is unlikely that the 4 returning players from injury might not have played and the Eagles may have continued their momentum but that is a few "ifs". I think the glaring problem for the Eagles is the midfield. Their top players are great but after that they fall away and definitely don't have the depth of the bigger teams. Maybe it is wishful thinking but I believe Jetta and Redden will start to come into their own next year, and hopefully with some good trading... Lobb and Swallow cough cough, they can fix those areas that need work. The Doggies were manic last night and their small midfielders were brilliant, I've jumped on board and hope to see them push a long way into finals!
Josh563
Guest
Hmmmmm yes, one game of footy and we can safely say the bye is a killer for momentum
dave
Guest
There was an article earlier in the week highlighting the free kicks differential eagles receive. Would be interested to know what it was last night compared to average.
Captain Captain
Roar Rookie
Momentum is a chimera. No one talks momentum come preliminary finals or when a team is on a roll and inevitably loses a game. Secondly, I want to see the best players or as many as possible, strutting their stuff on the big stages come September. Surely that's the best outcome for footy supporters. The bye didn't defeat WCE. They lost to dogs in round 11 when the dogs swarmed them and denied supply through their midfield pressure. WCE probably need to have a long hard look at themselves. Team selection, lack of speed, slow movement, no plan B, outcoached and outplayed by a less experienced but more determined team. It's not rocket science.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
The TV ratings website reports: 420k for Fox; 676k for Seven;and 222k for 7Mate. Total ratings (Fox plus 5 city metro): 1,318k
Macca
Guest
Firstly Stinger was playing 2's the last couple of weeks so he definitely could have played and you can not be certain the other 4 wouldn't have played last week. This is the injury report on the bulldogs players from before round 23; Easton Wood (ankle) Test Tom Liberatore (ankle) 2 weeks Jack Macrae (hamstring) 2 weeks So Wood was a test for round 23 so you would expect he would have played last week and Roughhead wasn't listed as injured so not sure what was going on there. As for the other 2 they were listed as 2 weeks so maybe they wouldn't have played - or maybe they would have been jabbed up and played anyway who knows. But that is beside the point - the argument being made here is that the Bye halted the Eagles momentum while letting the dogs refresh - why didn't the Eagles players get refreshed and the in form dogs players lose their mojo? Blaming the Bye is just looking for an excuse for being beaten badly by a team who clearly out played them.
Northerly
Guest
I AM AN EAGLES FAN... WE DESERVE TO BE KNOCKED STRAIGHT OUT OF THE FINALS... NO EXCUSES WHAT SO EVER.. GOOD LUCK TO ALL TEAMS LEFT... (we are very fragile minded and unbelievably useless when there is a bit of pressure on us)... I HAVE NO FAITH IN MY TEAM FOR NEXT YEAR EITHER (unless we toughen up mentally)...
Cat
Roar Guru
So Macca you are saying those 5 players the Dogs were able to bring in solely because they had that extra week before they were called on made no difference at all? Take away the bye and those 5 players aren't fit enough to play.
Macca
Guest
I really don't follow the logic that a Bye hurts the Eagles but helps the Dogs. every year before the preliminary finals the 2 teams that finished top 4 and won the first week of finals get a Bye - how many times has that team lost a prelim? How often do we hear teams moaning that the earned the week off and it hurt them?
mattyb
Guest
can't argue with that Birdman. The AFL should investigate for sure. The way the Doggies magically found some form over the bye week shouldn't be considered a coincidence either. Pretty sure this bye weekend ,Thursday night final will stay because the tv people are going to say so.
Birdman
Guest
I thought the umps were top drawer last night -made calls on their merits and didn't cave to the crowd.
Birdman
Guest
reminded me of the Dockers swarming over Sydney in 2013 prelim. Happy for the Dogs but the Weagles will def. having a quiet word with the AFL over the bye as it can't be a coincidence that the team with the best form going into finals dropped off a cliff. Will it help the Roos or the Hawks?
Lroy
Guest
;-)
Penster
Guest
Someone drop a Xanax in your Banana, Bill? Looked like finals football from one side, and tools down from the other to me!