Game Chat – Western Bulldogs v Sydney

Written by Thommo on March 23 2019

Where and when: Marvel Stadium, Saturday March 23, 7:25pm

Last time they met: Marvel Stadium, round four, 2018: Western Bulldogs 11.13 (79) lost to Sydney 13.8 (86)

Oliver Florent announced himself with a daring run and goal under severe pressure to seal a thrilling win for the Swans. Lance Franklin was pivotal in a fiery match that started with a bang, as the Dogs targeted Dan Hannebery and Josh Kennedy pre-bounce.

What it means for the Western Bulldogs: An 82-point loss to GWS in the opening round last season demoralised the Dogs and another belting at the hands of West Coast a week later all but sapped any remaining hopes. They simply have to set the right tone in 2019.

What it means for Sydney: It’s strange to say a club that has made finals nine seasons in a row has a point to prove, but many are predicting the demise of this group of Swans. Extra motivation?

How the Western Bulldogs win: Star midfielder Jack Macrae and co need to control proceedings from the stoppages. Winning the ball was a strength in 2018, ranking third for disposals.

How Sydney wins: A forward line with tall options facing an undersized backline could be too potent under the roof at Marvel Stadium. Callum Sinclair, Sam Reid, Will Hayward and Aliir Aliir all pose an aerial threat, not to mention Lance Franklin if fit.

The stat: Significant personnel from the 2016 Grand Final match-up will be missing on Saturday night. Jason Johannisen (ankle), Tom Boyd (back) and Liam Picken (concussion) all featured in Norm Smith voting and are unavailable. Josh Kennedy is the only vote-getter on the day who is expected to play.

The match-up: Tom Liberatore v Luke Parker

The Bulldogs’ returning midfielder and Sydney star, who were taken with consecutive picks in the 2010 National Draft, shape as defining factors. Both sides struggled to score last season and first use under the new rules appears to be as important as ever.

It’s a big week for: Aaron Naughton

The Dogs’ talented swingman could be asked to curtail a Swans tall in defence in the absence of Dale Morris or provide a desperately needed target forward. Either way, there is likely to be a lot of responsibility on his second-year shoulders.

Thommo’s Tip: Sydney by 6 points.

**Our Admin isn’t always online.  If you have access to the SuperCoach scores, the SCT Coaches would be very appreciative if you could pop them into the comments below. Thank you!**

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53 thoughts on “Game Chat – Western Bulldogs v Sydney”

  1. NO LATE CHANGES

    FINAL INTERCHANGES
    Western Bulldogs: Josh Schache, Taylor Duryea, Ed Richards, Tory Dickson
    Sydney: Ryan Clarke, Oliver Florent, Jordan Dawson, Aliir Aliir

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    1. Macrae average vs Sydney: 86.6
      Last 3: 103, 98, 123

      Heeney average vs Bulldogs: 94.7†
      Last 3: 120, 131, 33
      † If you take out the 33, that goes up to 125.5

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      1. going on RD1 games to date then, you can throw past form out the window … has to be Macrae!
        One player that did look seriously good in JLT!
        And I don’t have him 🙁

        #strangedays

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  2. That SCG surface has already claimed a player , Suckling , 4 codes using 1 ground is a recipe for disaster , i wouldnt want to play on it

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  3. Horse loves to troll us. All this talk of Mills and Heeney in the middle. Heeney is deepest forward and Mills has barely been out of defensive 50.

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  4. So Easton Wood has kept Buddy to just two touches and sits on just 3 SC pts.

    Having an outstanding game, but spoils and pressure count for nothing it seems!

    Meanwhile Jake Lloyd, who’s had two positive influences (from what I’ve seen) on the game, sits on 88!!

    Everyone knows how I feel about Jake Lloyd and SC scoring, but this is beyond a joke. The Doggies are killing it!

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    1. i had him last year & your right , many games , i enjoyed watching his score going up & up , didn’t seem to be outstanding in those games either , your indifferent if you own him & i got him cheap which was even better last yr , he doesn’t have many clangers though , lots of little 1-2’s like ablett used to do , not too many hard ball gets last year either

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  5. Doggies look like they’ve had a hard pre season , it might be the jumpers , but to me , they look like the biggest & strongest doggies team i have seen in a decade

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  6. 3Q TIME

    Western Bulldogs : 9.14.68
    Lachie Hunter 101
    M. Bontempelli 101
    Jack Macrae 101
    Mitch Wallis 97
    Josh Dunkley 92
    Sam Lloyd 73
    Toby McLean 72
    Tom Liberatore 68
    Aaron Naughton 68
    Matt Suckling 68
    Billy Gowers 64
    Taylor Duryea 57
    Tim English 56
    Ed Richards 47
    Caleb Daniel 46
    Zaine Cordy 43
    Bailey Smith 41
    Josh Schache 38
    Bailey Williams 36
    Tory Dickson 35
    Hayden Crozier 34
    Easton Wood 12

    Sydney Swans: 5.6.36
    Jake Lloyd 90
    Tom Papley 82
    Callum Sinclair 77
    Jarrad McVeigh 75
    Luke Parker 66
    Callum Mills 65
    Harry Cunningham 64
    Dane Rampe 63
    Josh P. Kennedy 62
    Aliir Aliir 54
    Isaac Heeney 52
    Heath Grundy 52
    George Hewett 50
    Oliver Florent 49
    Zak Jones 47
    Will Hayward 40
    Ryan Clarke 39
    Sam Reid 38
    Nick Blakey 38
    Lewis Melican 32
    Jordan Dawson 29
    Lance Franklin 10

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    1. still 850 SC pts up for grabs!

      that’s c. 40+/player for the good ‘uns!

      good luck 😉

      will post FINAL scores later

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  7. Lloyd irritates me – how he can score so well yet frankly be an ineffective player. He doesn’t intercept, he doesn’t defend, he’s not damaging; all he does is kick to kick in the back 50 or long kicks down the line. Bit of sour grapes but average player

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    1. yep, disgusting thing is, he only has a couple more possessions than Macrae, but less tackles and only 2 CPs to 10 … but he is outscoring him. His DE though is rated at 86 to Macrae’s 72 – so that must be it.

      Anyone a little concerned Macrae also playing a lot of outside mid … not as much in the middle as last year thus far …

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      1. he’s also got a much higher kick to handball ratio … and as noted his kicks are very easy, not under pressure … here come the Swans – doggies look like they are running in quicksand!

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    2. You should have played a few games Jimmy then you’d understand the importance of a defender in the clear who can take a mark or receive a handball when your team is being bombarded. Without Lloyd the swans would have lost by 10 goals

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  8. dont know why the swans keep butting Buddy on the park when he’s not 100% , the hawks rarely did , i guess thats the difference between Clarco & the rest

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    1. I’m calling it PJ.

      Sydney got Buddy and his $1000000+ contract.

      The Hawks got a late first round draft pick.

      The Hawks won the Franklin free agency deal.

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      1. yeh when you look @ it , Buddys only really good season was when he kicked 100 for the hawks in 08 & won the GF , but he had the best midfield drilling it down his throat every time he led out , he’s still handy , draws the best defender & kills it on the odd game , but yeh , the hawks won that deal , he had to go though , any one would have for that much cash

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    1. he has actually been touching it and not getting paid any stats … he had 2 or 3 out on the wing earlier in the quarter and he received nothing (watching closely on the scores and TV) – so, maybe no longer a fav of CD??!!

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  9. As a Man City fan back in the early 80s, we used to call Ray ‘Butch’ Wilkins “the Crab”. Why? He did nothing but pass it sideways. He also played for Man Utd and nearly 100 games for England. No wonder England were crap back then.

    I’m calling Jake Lloyd “THE CRAB” 😉

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    1. Must face the wing all game cos he’s one of the best metres gained players in the league. Also the Swans seem to like his junk possession since they gave him a b&f for it. Funny how our owners goggles can change our perspective on players.

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  10. FULL-TIME

    still 40 pts to be allocated

    Western Bulldogs : 11.16.82
    M. Bontempelli 156
    Jack Macrae 131
    Lachie Hunter 104
    Caleb Daniel 104
    Sam Lloyd 97
    Mitch Wallis 95
    Josh Dunkley 95
    Toby McLean 94
    Aaron Naughton 87
    Matt Suckling 80
    Tom Liberatore 72
    Taylor Duryea 62
    Billy Gowers 61
    Tim English 60
    Zaine Cordy 54
    Ed Richards 51
    Josh Schache 45
    Hayden Crozier 41
    Bailey Williams 40
    Tory Dickson 35
    Bailey Smith 33
    Easton Wood 11

    Sydney Swans: 9.11.65
    Jake Lloyd 130
    Callum Sinclair 98
    Josh P. Kennedy 93
    Harry Cunningham 91
    George Hewett 88
    Luke Parker 86
    Tom Papley 86
    Zak Jones 85
    Jarrad McVeigh 85
    Dane Rampe 84
    Isaac Heeney* 82
    Aliir Aliir 79
    Callum Mills 75
    Oliver Florent 70
    Ryan Clarke 62
    Sam Reid 58
    Heath Grundy 55
    Lance Franklin 53
    Lewis Melican 53
    Will Hayward 46
    Nick Blakey 45
    Jordan Dawson 41

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  11. Bont was my main POD and very happy to start with considering some of my other round 1 mistakes!

    Happy bulldogs fan tonight!

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    1. very happy too. I put the C on the Bont tonight in my TECHTeam, after having the VC on Treloar (107?). Bit of a risk, but paid in spades!

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    1. had sheed in my team for 2 months , took him out for libba , want to see what he scores with gaff back in the team b4 i commit

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      1. the ONLY reason i didn’t start him. but if he keeps going like this … don’t think they’ll drop Masten but who knows!?

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  12. FINAL SC SCORES

    Western Bulldogs : 11.16.82
    M. Bontempelli 158
    Jack Macrae 132
    Lachie Hunter 104
    Caleb Daniel 104
    Josh Dunkley 98
    Mitch Wallis 96
    Sam Lloyd 96
    Toby McLean 95
    Aaron Naughton 90
    Matt Suckling 85
    Tom Liberatore 75
    Taylor Duryea 62
    Billy Gowers 61
    Tim English 61
    Zaine Cordy 54
    Ed Richards 51
    Josh Schache 45
    Hayden Crozier 42
    Bailey Williams 40
    Tory Dickson 36
    Bailey Smith 33
    Easton Wood 16

    Sydney Swans: 9.11.65
    Jake Lloyd 131
    Callum Sinclair 99
    Josh P. Kennedy 94
    Harry Cunningham 91
    Luke Parker 86
    Zak Jones 85
    Isaac Heeney* 85
    Jarrad McVeigh 85
    Aliir Aliir 83
    Callum Mills 79
    Oliver Florent 70
    Ryan Clarke 63
    Lance Franklin 55
    Heath Grundy 55
    Sam Reid 54
    Lewis Melican 53
    Will Hayward 47
    Nick Blakey 46
    Jordan Dawson 41

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  13. Why did my conciliatory/explanatory post get deleted? You blokes are as bad as the liberals with your attempts to demonise minorities. I’m so sorry for not being a typical white yobbo. Is that better?

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    1. Don’t think they moderate posts here, but I could be wrong. Are you sure it submitted properly? Perhaps it was an ID-10-T PEBCAC error (problem exists between computer and chair).

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    2. I haven’t moderated any comments from you, David. There’s no offensive language in there so I see no reason to delete anything.
      I will say this though…….we’re all here to help each other out. To start talking like the season is over after only six games is not helping anyone. Relax, take a deep breath and we’ll see how results look after 6-8 weeks……..

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    3. Ive had comments go missing in the past as well as some other people, which were strictly football questions. It just happens sometimes. Can be annoying when you’ve typed up an essay type of question or theory an it goes missing. It’s rare, but I remember it happening to me twice.

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