All guns blazing
The Bulldogs Express is usually pretty full when it points its nose north as more than a few Dogs fans use the yearly jaunt to sunny North Queensland as a way to escape another icy Melbourne winter. And fair enough.
But tan management aside, we’ve got a reasonably important game of football to win when the ball is bounced at 4:35 on Saturday.
While the recent record is good, the Dogs are yet to drop one at Cazaly’s Stadium, but as Luke Beveridge said earlier in the week, that was then and this is now.
Nope, nothing comes easy in a competition this even and we really will need to come out ‘all guns blazing’ if we’re to bring home the points this time.
The Twilight Zone
Everyone’s mood picks up a bit with a bit of sun on the guns, so it could be just the weather, but for some reason in each of our three games at Cazaly’s Stadium, we’ve had someone set a new career high in disposals.
In 2014 Jack Macrae picked up 43, in ’15 Liam Picken had 36 and last season, Koby Stevens bullocked his way to 34.
So, will anyone do it this week?
Here’s our candidates.
Bailey Dale: Taken at #45 in what we’re now calling the 2014 ‘super draft’ Dale has been in red-hot form lately, landing among the best regularly and setting a personal best last week with 27. Real chance.
Toby McLean: Has taken a leap this year, Toby, and has already set a PB twice already this season (Rd 4 against North & Rd. 16 against the Crows). So, the new mark is 32.
Caleb Daniel: Take out the odd lean week and CD is averaging 26 touches a game since Round 8. Throw into the mix a dewy North Queensland deck that suits the smaller players and this could be the week that he breaks through the 33 disposal barrier.
Remember when…
It’s no secret that if the Dogs are to be involved in September action this year we’re going to have to string a few wins together and quickly.
And even then, with a percentage of 94.2%, even that might not be enough.
So we’re going to have to score, and score reasonably heavily. The last time the Dogs really laid it on was … you guessed it, against the Suns in Cairns.
A 62-point last quarter saw the Dogs storm home to the tune of 22 points back in July 2015. That’s 10.2 in a half hour of football.
A return somewhere near there this weekend would be just what the doctor ordered.
A traveller’s guide
Of course, before we start counting scores we need to focus on the win and there hasn’t been a lot of them interstate this year. Zero actually.
Luke Beveridge addressed it earlier in the week here, and it’s probably a pretty simple equation for us from here.
To make the finals, we’ll have to win on the road, and to have an impact once we’re there, we’re going to have to win on the road.
We travelled reasonably well last year, winning five of eight, including finals, but we’re zero for six this year.
Whatever the code is, we’re going to need to re-crack it on Saturday afternoon, and if we can do that, and get a bit of momentum who knows what happens next.
Is it game time yet?
