Eagles V Dogs - Sunday, 4pm, Subi, Fox Sports 1

cino

Dogs heading West to Subi again this weekend, this time to play West Coast.

The Doggies like Subi and enjoy running in the wide open spaces.

Current news on the game:

barkingspider · Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 9:51 pm Post subject: kerr trying to sound optimistic

http://au.sports.yahoo.com/afl/news/article/-/5504196/kerr-scared

Kerr: We won't be scared
Sportal - April 17, 2009, 9:10 am

Sportal Â©

West Coast midfielder Daniel Kerr says the Eagles won't be playing 'scared football' against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.

Having copped a 97-point thrashing from St Kilda last weekend, Kerr acknowledged the entire side was on notice after coach John Worsfold threatened player's careers if they didn't improve their mental attitude.

Worsfold said last Tuesday he would have accepted a five-goal loss to a superior team but felt the huge margin could only be attributed to a poor mental approach.

But despite the axe hanging over the entire side, Kerr said he expected his team-mates to still take risks against the undefeated Bulldogs.

"A 97 point defeat is unacceptable," Kerr said on Thursday.

"We've got a lot of young players who are a little bit down and a lot of older senior players who are extremely down, so it's very important for the confidence of the group to be able to bounce back and put on a good show against the Bulldogs."

"The review on Monday was probably the longest one I've been involved in while John was at the club," Kerr added, revealing the extent of Worsfold's disappointment with the result, coming just six days after the Eagles beat Port Adelaide by 50 points.

"Woosha doesn't yell or scream but when he speaks, people listen and he did give us a stern talking to."

"(He said) we just need to be harder, we need to put more pressure on them coming out of our forward line and we just generally need to lift our skills."

"(But) I don't think John minds if we make skill errors, it's how we attack the footy and the attitude we take on the ground (that he really cares about)."

"We're on warning that if our attitude isn't up to scratch, the way we attack the football isn't up to scratch, then there will be some pretty hefty changes."

"(But) we're not going to play a selfish brand of football, we're not going to play a scared brand of football, we're (still) going to go out there and take risks," Kerr said.

Without former captains Ben Cousins and Chris Judd in the Eagles' midfield, Kerr felt the full wrath of opposition tagger last season, in a disappointing 2008 marred by injury and suspensions.

Kerr managed just 11 matches in 2008 and was the subject of an ongoing contract extension saga that ultimately saw the 25-year-old re-commit to the Eagles late last year.

Kerr said he is gradually getting more accustomed to the attention of taggers, and is working hard on keeping his cool while players like Port's Kane Cornes and St Kilda's Clinton Jones tackle him before he can even reach the contest.

"I've been getting frustrated at points in the game. Historically I've lashed out once or twice and it's cost me weeks and that's what I'm trying not to do this year," Kerr said.

"It's (dealing with it) just a matter of putting it our of your mind and accepting that I'm going to have a tag on me every week."

"I'm probably playing with a tag for the next couple of years 'til Chris Masten and Brad Ebert come up and start getting a lot of the footy and I can finish my glory years in the forward pocket maybe," he said.

HAHAHA! ROFL

feel bad for kerr though. he gets a lot of bad attention every game. don't envy him. boyd'll be all over him like a rash
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it's OUR turn for a premiership and i reckon 2009 is gonna be it

amnesiac · Scott West Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 1897

Great to see Grant in the side. Don't want to bog him down with expectation but really looking forward to seeing how he goes in his senior debut.

Hopefully Harbrow gets a game this round.
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"It would be great to be playing in finals and in teams that are winning all the time, but I chose to come to Richmond" - Nathan G. Brown

barkingspider · Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 3:41 am Post subject:

so much for that. now i have to eat my words.

well, havn't seen the game yet but if the skills were like they were in the richmond game the week before, then i'm not surprised. thought that just might have been just a bad day but now i hope this isn't going to be a trend.

what a week of upsets though. the pies defeating brisbane, the dees defeating richmond (just) and port defeating hawthorn at the mcg.
so much for my tips this week..

how about st.kilda smashing freo like that!

http://au.sports.yahoo.com/afl/news/article/-/5508472/west-coast-upset-bulldogs-perth

West Coast upset Bulldogs in Perth
AAP - April 19, 2009, 9:27 pm

Western Bulldogs could enter next week's crunch AFL match against Carlton minus star forward Jason Akermanis, but coach Rodney Eade remains hopeful midfielder Adam Cooney and key forward Robert Murphy will return to bolster their stocks.

Akermanis faces an anxious wait after he was caught on camera tripping West Coast defender Mark Nicoski during the third term of the Bulldogs' 33-point loss to the Eagles on Sunday.

Although the former Lion, who stuck out his left leg as he was falling down in order to halt Nicoski's run, wasn't reported for the incident, it is sure to come under scrutiny from the match review panel.

Eade was visibly agitated after the 17.14 (116) to 12.11 (83) loss, ruing his side's costly turnovers and fadeouts near the end of quarters.

When asked whether Cooney and Murphy were a chance to line-up against the Blues, Eade replied: "Hopefully ... I think they'll play."

The pair's absence was keenly felt as the Bulldogs crashed to their first defeat of the season.

The Eagles, put on notice by coach John Worsfold earlier in the week following their 97-point capitulation to St Kilda, had winners all over the park.

Dean Cox, Daniel Kerr, Brent Staker, Adam Selwood and Matt Priddis gave them the ascendancy in the midfield, while the Bulldogs struggled to penetrate West Coast's zoning back six of Darren Glass, Mark Nicoski, Mitch Brown, Eric Mackenzie, Shannon Hurn and David Wirrpanda.

While Shaun Higgins (four goals) played a lone hand up forward for the Dogs, Quinten Lynch (three goals), Adam Hunter (three), Ben McKinley (two) and Mark LeCras (two) shared the load for the Eagles.

The Bulldogs were well served by Daniel Cross, Ryan Hargrave, Matthew Boyd and Akermanis, but the Eagles were a class above their opponents, proving their 50-point home win over Port Adelaide a fortnight earlier was no fluke.

"It's been a bit of a roller coaster ride the last three weeks," a proud Worsfold said after the match.

"We've learnt a lot form the last three weeks and we need to put all those lessons to good use.

"It was a pretty committed effort.

"To take on a very good side and beat them it was going to take full commitment and throughout the whole game there was a lot of good examples of strong leadership within the group out there, even from some of the younger players."

West Coast are yet to win on the road this season but Worsfold felt his charges were in good shape to topple last year's premiers Hawthorn in Saturday night's clash in Launceston.

"That's a test for us," Worsfold said.

"I would back them in that they would be a lot better prepared and more switched on than last week (against St Kilda)."

Worsfold heaped particular praise on Kerr, whose 13 possessions in the third quarter helped break the game wide open.

The 25-year-old also kept his temper at bay despite twice being cleaned up by Bulldogs youngster Liam Picken.

"He is copping a battering, we are all aware of that, but he's very disciplined to focus on his hard run ... and his teammates were pretty good sticking up for him," Worsfold said.

http://au.sports.yahoo.com/afl/news/article/-/5508458/eagles-enjoy-home-comforts-dogs-stutter

Eagles enjoy home comforts as Dogs stutter
ABC - April 19, 2009, 7:57 pm

West Coast collected another prized scalp to make it two wins from two at Subiaco Oval this season - seeing off the Western Bulldogs by 33 points on Sunday evening.

After last week's battering at the hands of St Kilda, coach John Worsfold asked his players to prove themselves and the Eagles group answered emphatically with a 17.14 (116) to 12.11 (83) victory in sweltering conditions.

The Eagles confidently defeated Port Adelaide by 50 at home in round two, but that performance was book-ended by a first-start loss to Brisbane and a 97-point humiliation by the Saints last weekend.

Experienced campaigner David Wirrpanda put the celebratory touches on an impressive display at Subiaco with a goal in the final three minutes adding to 28 touches and 15 marks.

Brent Staker then added a final goal for West Coast, igniting rapturous applause from the crowd as the Bulldogs were left to reflect on their first loss of 2009.

West Coast collected another prized scalp to make it two wins from two at Subiaco Oval this season - seeing off the Western Bulldogs by 33 points on Sunday evening.

After last week's battering at the hands of St Kilda, coach John Worsfold asked his players to prove themselves and the Eagles group answered emphatically with a 17.14 (116) to 12.11 (83) victory in sweltering conditions.

The Eagles confidently defeated Port Adelaide by 50 at home in round two, but that performance was book-ended by a first-start loss to Brisbane and a 97-point humiliation by the Saints last weekend.

Experienced campaigner David Wirrpanda put the celebratory touches on an impressive display at Subiaco with a goal in the final three minutes adding to 28 touches and 15 marks.

Brent Staker then added a final goal for West Coast, igniting rapturous applause from the crowd as the Bulldogs were left to reflect on their first loss of 2009.

Daniel Kerr used his guile and experience to lead the Eagles' midfield and, not content with a 26-point lead at the long change, busted his gut with 13 touches in the third quarter.

Kerr finished with 29 possessions and a goal and was ably supported by Wirrpanda, Andrew Embley, Adam Selwood (27), Matt Priddis (27) - and while West Coast controlled the match the Bulldogs gained more touches of the ball.

Quinten Lynch (3.1) and Adam Hunter (3.0) both kicked three goals apiece while in-form target Mark LeCras (2.1) and Ben McKinley (2.3) added braces.

The Bulldogs' Shaun Lynch was the stand-out goal scorer for the match with 4.2 in addition to 20 touches and six marks, while Matthew Boyd collected a game-high 30 disposals.

West Coast:* 17.14 (116) - Q Lynch 3, A Hunter 3, M LeCras 2, B McKinley 2, D Kerr, M Rosa, AHansen, A Embley, A Selwood, B Staker, DWirrpanda<br>*Bulldogs:* 12.11 (83) - S Higgins 4, M Boyd 2, B Johnson, L Gilbee, C Ward, R Griffen, J Hill, B Lake

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it's OUR turn for a premiership and i reckon 2009 is gonna be it

Mazza · Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 5:56 pm Post subject:

Was a fairly disappointing game in all. We just made too many mistakes and didnt take our opportunities while the Eagles really stepped up after a horrible performance last week.

I still think our forward line is always looking a tad average. We just never seem to have a target to kick to. He doesn't have to be big and tall, just has to be strong and put in a contest. Hill doesn't convince me as a full forward at all. Doesnt have the strength. He is better as someone working off a strong forward methinks. Personally I'd like to see one of Hahn, Johnson or Minson deep forward at all times, Hill just isnt that player. If Murph makes it back this week i think it will make a big difference though. Or maybe it is time for Granty to join the big time and give us a target!

It seemed like the game took a fair bit out of the boys, lots of running in pretty hot weather. I just really hope that they can come back and win against carlton because we have struggled against them in recent years and they will be looking for a win after two losses.

cino · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:34 am Post subject:

I think I turned off before 3 quarter time for fear the remote would go through the new TV - that would have cost me!

Only standout for me was the glorious Shaun Higgins. Nothing enlightening up back, and certainly nothing in the midfield. Poor effort from a team we expect more from, whether we believe we're better than we are or not.

Not encouraging signs going into Carlton this weekend, expecting a longer than expected recovery.

Another wonderful note from this game, Aker's attempted trip cost him one match. Hopefully we see a return from Murph and/or Coons this week.

barkingspider · Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 2:10 am Post subject:

so he did get pinged huh? bummer. even without murphy and cooney, there is enough depth that they can get some payback against carlton. they can do it. they are a good enough side.

Minson up forward will do the trick ;)
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it's OUR turn for a premiership and i reckon 2009 is gonna be it

Furtanken · Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:35 am Post subject:

I actually like Hahn up forward, but then again I like Hahn in and under at half forward too.
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barkingspider · Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:05 am Post subject:

yep and minson is a big strong target that can take a mark
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it's OUR turn for a premiership and i reckon 2009 is gonna be it

barkingspider · Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 10:24 pm Post subject:

watched the game last night and agreed. shouldn't have had hill as full forward. not big enough and he's more of an opportunist/crumber. eagles played like they were possessed and pressured the dogs all the way through the game forcing errors. travelling and hot weather is always going to take it's toll as well.

hope they recover enough for a win against carlton. i think they'll bounce back in a big way.

how about richmond beating north hey? didn't expect that!
_________________
it's OUR turn for a premiership and i reckon 2009 is gonna be it