round 7, crows verses the dogs, 2009

[barkingspider]

i have the game downloaded. it'll be nice to sit down on friday night and enjoy the win

http://au.sports.yahoo.com/afl/news/article/-/5556698/changes-did-trick-dogs

Changes did the trick for Dogs
Sportal - May 10, 2009, 8:26 pm

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said a sustained effort and improved execution saw his team produce some match-winning football in the third term against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.

The Dogs were pushed by the Crows in the first half but took control of the Round 7 clash with an 8.5 to 1.3 'premiership quarter'.

Eade said the team made some changes after the long break which made a significant difference to the contest.

"I think coming into the game we performed pretty well in the stoppages and obviously that was an area Adelaide had spoken about publicly they needed to work on," he said.

"And I think they had first use of the ball too much in the first half so we spoke about that, we needed to get first access."

"We obviously changed our forward structure and went smaller than we have in the past and we spoke about our execution inside 50, we tended to bomb it a bit (in the first half)."

The improved efforts of Adam Cooney (29 disposals) and Robert Murphy (four goals), who haven't dominated since coming back to the game from injuries, was also a factor in the result.

"I think Coons and Murph are probably a couple of weeks away from playing their best but at least they are getting confidence into their body," he said.

"I think obviously Robert gives us that lead-up forward, we are not a big side and his ability to get off his man (is important) ... he's still rusty with his execution at the moment but that will return."

Matching effort with a high skill base has been the biggest challenge for the Dogs this season which, previous to the West Lakes game, had lost three matches in a row.

Eade said he hadn't been too worried about his team's fortunes during this slump.

"We haven't played well in the last three weeks but as I said after the game last week, when we were beaten reasonably comfortably, our effort was there," he said.

"The hard-ball gets we won and the stoppages we won last week so that's an indication the players were willing to put their body in."

"As a coach you can't cut crook if they are trying really hard."

"If you've got that at least you've got one set ticked off - if you get smashed and its poor intensity and poor effort then you've really got some worries."

"I think the confidence was actually staying there, the confidence was there because of that work-rate we just needed to hopefully turn it around as far as execution goes."

http://au.sports.yahoo.com/afl/news/article/-/5556662/bulldogs-barking-beating-crows

Bulldogs barking after beating Crows
AAP - May 10, 2009, 7:51 pm

The Western Bulldogs have snapped a three-game losing streak to put their AFL season back on track, overwhelming Adelaide at AAMI Stadium.

While coach Rodney Eade was cautious about what might lie ahead, forward Robert Murphy said the Bulldogs could now set themselves up through the middle of the season.

The Bulldogs kicked eight goals to one in the third quarter on their way to a 32-point win over the Crows, 17.16 (118) to 12.14 (86).

The `Dogs are among four teams on four wins, while Adelaide and seven other sides have three wins each.

Collingwood are one of those sides on three wins and have a chance to climb the ladder when they play unbeaten St Kilda on Monday night at Etihad Stadium.

"We thought after the first six that at 3-3 we would've liked to have at least one more win, but I think today's win tips the scales," Murphy said.

"We can really set ourselves to make a charge.

"It's such a long season that it's easy to get carried away after three losses and talk of crisis and all that, which was not the case internally at all, so we came over here to do a job, we did it and we're back on track."

Eade said the team's confidence had never dropped during their losing run and was particularly pleased with Murphy and Brownlow Medallist Adam Cooney.

Murphy and Cooney were impressive, following injury-interrupted starts to the season.

"There's not much difference between the teams and if you can scrape a win when you can, terrific," Eade said.

"Whether that means we'll win five of the next seven, I don't know, but our confidence hasn't dropped and it proves to the players they're not far away."

Also on Sunday, West Coast held off Melbourne to win by eight points at Subiaco, 12.18 (90) to 13.4 (82).

The Eagles have joined the group of teams on three wins, while the Demons and Richmond remain on one win apiece and the Saints and Geelong are unbeaten.

The Cats were without No.l player Gary Ablett, but didn't miss a beat on Saturday when they outclassed Sydney by 51 points.

Swans full-forward Barry Hall was held goal-less in the 17.14 (116) to 10.5 (65) regulation win.

North Melbourne withstood Port Adelaide's late flurry of goals to triumph by five points on Saturday night at Etihad Stadium.

But North could only attract 14,342 fans to watch them win 20.5 (125) to 18.12 (120) and that is expected to cost them a six-figure sum.

In another twist to the AFL's stadium deals issue, North's home games this year are now apparently running at a loss.

Carlton suffered their second narrow defeat in as many weeks, losing to Fremantle on the Gold Coast by seven points, 13.10 (88) to 11.15 (81).

The Tigers squandered a strong first quarter on Saturday at the MCG, losing to Brisbane by 26 points.

The pressure on Richmond coach Terry Wallace will continue to build after the 15.7 (97) to 10.11 (71) loss.

And Essendon scored one of the upsets of the season on Friday night, belting Hawthorn by 44 points at Etihad Stadium, 17.14 (116) to 10.12 (72).

http://au.sports.yahoo.com/afl/news/article/-/5556434/bulldogs-run-crows-feet

Bulldogs run Crows off their feet
ABC - May 10, 2009, 4:34 pm

Getty Images ©

The Western Bulldogs have ended a three-game losing streak and recorded their first win over the Crows in Adelaide since 2001 to move back into the AFL's top four.

An eight-goal onslaught in the "premiership" quarter saw the Bulldogs win the term 53-9 and they went on to prevail 17.16 (118) to 12.14 (86).

Robert Murphy kicked four goals and Jason Akermanis three while seven Bulldogs players amassed over 25 possessions.

Nathan Eagleton (29 possessions and two goals) and Adam Cooney (29 and one) led the way, while skipper Brad Johnson and Lindsay Gilbee (27 touches and a goal each) were also influential.

Reigning Brownlow Medallist Cooney admitted the Bulldogs were back to their running best to stifle the Crows.

"It's been disappointing the last few weeks, our midfield hasn't had that spread (of possessions)," Cooney told ABC Grandstand.

"The guys got back to their running game today."

Cooney praised rookie forward Josh Hill, who kicked two final-quarter goals to kill off a fight-back from the Crows.

"He's an up and coming player, he's obviously very quick," he said.

"He seems to get out in open space a lot, I suppose once he gets that consistency in his game he's going to be a super player for us."

Surprisingly Adelaide has not won at its home ground since beating the Bulldogs in the final round of last season, a sequence spanning a record-equalling five matches for the Crows.

They are now 3-4 for the season following last week's defeat in the Showdown and the fans are voting with their feet, with a crowd of 31,742 the Crows' lowest at home in almost seven years.

"We just couldn't string four quarters together unfortunately," said midfielder Chris Knights, who had 24 touches and three goals.

"We believe we played three really good quarters of footy, just in the third we let ourselves down.

"When you're that far behind it's too hard to get back.

"In the clearances in the middle we just weren't hard enough."

The Bulldogs led by as much as 50 points in the final quarter before the Crows pulled it back, kicking four straight goals.

Adelaide's Scott Thompson had 26 disposals by half-time but was silenced somewhat thereafter, finishing with 34.

Taylor Walker, a 19-year-old tall forward in his debut season, managed 4.3 for the home team. Bulldogs: 17.16 (118) - R Murphy 4, J Akermanis 3, J Hill 2, N Eagleton 2, A Cooney, B Johnson, D Giansiracusa, L Gilbee, M Hahn, W Minson.Crows: 12.14 (86) - T Walker 4, C Knights 3, J Porplyzia 2, K Tippett, S Goodwin, T Edwards.


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

[Furtanken]

Yeah it was like 2 different games from the first half to the second.
The only positive I could find for the first half was that we were up by one point.
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<img src="http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e343/Furtanken/griff.jpg">

[DoggyOutWest]

I'm not getting too excited. Nor will I this week against the Demons, who we really need to be careful not to underestimate, as the fight and spirit they showed against the West Coast Pr**ks was extraordinary.

I'm waiting for Round 9. Geelong. If the boys can't stand up to be counted then, we may as well not bother.
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Validus Occasus mos orior oriri ortus iterum!! - The Mighty West shall rise again!!

[barkingspider]

[cross4brownlow]

well i thought the game against the crows was good, the 3rd qtr was the best we have played in a while, the boys managed to hold on the fourth which would of been hard with all the adelaide supporters or should that be the 19th man (the crows have this thing that the crowd is their 19th man this season whichs goes with them being in the afl for 19 years, so at the start of every home game a member gets to raise some flag) getting behind them when they kicked those early goals. Was great to see cooney and murph get some good form into them, eags played another great game doing all the 1% things as always. this weeks game will be interesting, melbourne can match us well and we have had some great battles over the years, but i have confidence that our boys will get over them esp if they play the way they did in against the crows... come on doggies prove to us faithful you are the real deal!!!
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no ticket ? no heart!!

[barkingspider]

yep they should do it.
i hope welsh comes back soon too. think they've been missing his agility up forward
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it's OUR turn for a premiership and i reckon 2009 is gonna be it