The season reports started with Melbourne Demons who finished 16th, then Richmond Tigers, Fremantle Dockers, North Melbourne, Sydney Swans, the West Coast Eagles, Port Adelaide and the Hawthorn Hawks. Essendon Bombers finished 8th then we had Carlton, Brisbane, Adelaide, Collingwood and now the Western Bulldogs.
If you would like to do up any remaining season reports, please contact us and also give us your comments below on what you think of the report.
Hall has been offered a 3rd chance at the Dogs, which Hall will turn up for them? The answer to the Dogs forward line?
The Year It Was
- Finished: 3rd with 15 wins
- Kick2Kick Season Prediction: top four
What Went Right
The Bulldogs made the finals for the second year in a row, and for the second year in a row made it to the preliminary final.
Matthew Boyd had a very good, consistent year and Brian Lake reclaimed his position as one of the best fullbacks in the competition. Ryan Hargrave and Jarrod Harbrow were also shining lights down back for the Dogs. Hopefully Lake will re-sign to the club soon and will be a permanent fixture in our team for years to come. The Dogs had a fairly consistent year and cemented their position as a genuine threat in the coming years.
What Went Wrong
The Dogs lost the preliminary final to St Kilda, a game they should have won and therefore exited the finals one week before the grand final for the second time in as many years. They dropped consecutive games early in the year by big margins, and inaccuracy cost them a few close ones later in the season.
I think the main problem the Bulldogs had this year was their inaccuracy overall. A few games were lost because of the team’s inability to convert on the scoreboard. Games against Geelong (Round 9 and Qual Final), West Coast (Round 19), Collingwood (Round 15) and St Kilda (Prelim Final) were lost by mainly inaccurate goal kicking.
The dogs were also exposed a few times in the forward 50 when they had no choice but to bomb it in. There was simply no one to make a contest, and while I still believe we don’t necessarily need a KPP, someone to at least make a contest would be handy.
Player(s) that Stepped Up
Brian Lake answered his critics with another stellar year down back and may be in line for another Club B&F. Hargrave, Harbrow were also excellent down back, and Callan Ward was also able to put together a decent year.
Liam Picken showed some promise and will be a name to watch for the future. Will Minson was a good partner for Hudson in ruck but still has some work to do if he wants to be a permanent player in the team.
Trade Bait/ Goodbye’s
Only Scott Welsh has retired after two years at the Dogs so far but a few other players (Brad Johnson, Akermanis and Eagleton) are thinking about retirement. While Paul O’Shea, Cameron Wight and Wayde Skipper will be moved on by the club if not traded.
The biggest news so far is that Barry Hall “apparently” has been offered a 2 year deal with the dogs, so what will they swap for him? Griffen and maybe even Addison might be two players that could be considered for the trade or an combination of second and third round picks with the Swans.
Andrejs Everitt’s name has also been brought up for trade.
Improvement Needed by
Tom Williams needs to stay injury free and have a good year next year otherwise he might not be around much longer. Griffen still hasn’t shown enough and doesn’t have much more time.
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September 24th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Just to correct the “Trade Bait/Goodbyes”
Paul O’Shea, Cameron Wight and Wayde Skipper have all been advised they will not be retained, and the dogs will look to trade them
also interesting to note that Barry Hall “apparently” has been offered a 2 year deal with the dogs, the story as published on AFL website below
http://www.afl.com.au/news/blogarticle/tabid/8123/newsid/85253/default.aspx
Mike´s last blog ..Threadless Tshirt Giveaway at jaypeeonline.net
September 24th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Thanks for that addition Mike, I will add that when I get some time to update the original post!
I think the Dogs will be a better side with Hall, they have a young enough side to push for finals and not worry about this year being the last un-compromised draft.
Apart from a KPP forward can anyone else see any weakness in the side? I cannot, maybe the ruck with Minson still a bit player and Hudson ageing but Cordy & Roughead are ruckman first and forwards second, so that looks ok.
Jermayn´s last blog ..Western Bulldogs 2009 Season Report
September 24th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
no worries lol….
i think that Hall would be a handy addition to our team as long as he doesn’t become our only target up forward, one of our strengths is that we always hit up different players, Hall needs to become just another option up forward (and a the main option in bombed in big pack contests) but the dogs cannot afford to make him the only option.
and if we do get Hall (which seems an almost certainty), honestly the only two weaknesses i think we would have, is our inaccuracy at goals….and players not giving a 100% and being a team player, guys like griffen even akermanis (if they continue on) need to give 100% and play to their potential more often than not…
i hope Aker and Johnno go on, Eagleton as much as i admire him, it might be time to move on and let a young guy like reid or even addison take over
minson is improving every year and Cordy and roughead are on the way and will hopefully fill the 2nd ruckman/ forward role in the coming years, i think the dogs are similar to the geelong side a couple of years back. give it a year or two and they may well be just as good as the cats are now
Mike´s last blog ..Threadless Tshirt Giveaway at jaypeeonline.net
September 24th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Well they have a KPP forward who will give players like Cordy, Roughead & Grant even more time to step up and like you say if Hall can become a foil and another option, it will give your forward line even more potency and I would say maybe even the best forward line next to Hawthorns in the competition.
One down side is that next year its a win or break season. You will have three of the four or five oldest guys in the competition in Aker, Johnno & Hall only out shined by Richo.
September 24th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Good Season from the boys, just a couple of things from me
1. The Dogs had a goal to behinds differential of +79 which was the best in the comp by 10 goals, plus we hit the post more then any other team in history so the radar is pretty good, Our accuracy was only an issue against the other top4 teams(and the eagles but the less said about that day the better!!!) so perhaps we need to look at refining our goalkicking skill under intense pressure.
2. After the debacle of which was the first quarter of the QF against the Cats the Dogs conceded an average of 15 points per quarter over their last 11 quarters of footy(and in the heat of what has been a pressure packed finals series). To put this in perspective the St.Kilda side which is statistically the best defensive side of all time conceded 16 points a quarter throughout the H&A Season. It is this defensive mindset that the Dogs need to carry through to next season. It has been widely proven that it is defense that wins you premierships…
3. In ‘08 the Dogs learnt what it took to make a prelim, in ‘09 they have learned what it takes to make a GF, In ‘10 the only thing that can stop them from going even further is themselves. If this group can hold on to what they are feeling now and carry it through to next season then they will be very, very hard to beat.
September 25th, 2009 at 10:41 am
We need to get more out of Griffen, Gia even Cooney- though I suspect all 3 played the season with injuries.
You have to congratulate the guys that played in defence this year. Hargrave, Morris and Lake not the most talented but definitely the most underrated.
Next year the competition will be hotter than ever- Adel, Carl, Bris, Haw will be on a mission- luck (keeping everyone fit) plays a big part of it.