Western Bulldogs have modelled themselves on Hawthorn it’s hard to tell them apart, writes Mark Robinson
BRIAN Lake says it’s going to be brother v brother. The Western Bulldogs have modelled themselves so much on Hawthorn it’s hard to tell them apart, writes Mark Robinson.
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SYSTEM or shutdown?
That was the question posed this week and it’s increasingly obvious it is the age of the system.
It has been for 12 months, if not longer.
During last year’s Grand Final, the story goes that Sharrod Wellingham was asked by a Hawthorn player why they weren’t putting a player on a rampant Cyril Rioli.
Wellingham answered: “We’ll back our system.” Or words to that effect.
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge was asked this week what plan he has for Josh Gibson, the key defender turned loose man who had 44 disposals against West Coast.
It happened because Eagles coach Adam Simpson sent a forward to midfield stoppages, leaving Gibson alone at the back.
Will Beveridge stick with his system, which has exhilarated the first two rounds with his offence, dog-hungry intensity and attacking backs, or change it up to combat Hawthorn?
He said at his midweek press conference he might select key forward Tom Campbell to help make Gibson more accountable.
He didn’t. Campbell is an emergency. Unless he’s playing funny buggers and Campbell is a late inclusion, Beveridge his sticking with his system.
Is it any wonder Beveridge’s system is based on Hawthorn’s system and surely he’s not going to abandon it against the very team it must stand up against.
Look at the numbers:
— Bulldogs average points this season is 98. Hawthorn is 92.5
— Points launched from forward half is 57 and 56.
— Percentage of score launched from forward half is 58 and 60.
— Turnovers created in forward half is 30 and 29.
— Points from turnovers created in forward half is 46 and 38.
— Turnovers created in midfield is 44.5 and 44.5.
— Points created from turnovers in midfield is 40 and 39.5.
The defensive numbers for opposition defensive 50 are also similar.
Of course, it’s the actions that produce these numbers and, as Brian Lake noted this week, it’s going to be like Big Brother v Little Brother at Etihad Stadium.
The Dogs, similar to Hawthorn, want to defend in front of their opponents and push up to press.
Easton Wood, Jason Johannisen, Shane Biggs, Bob Murphy ... they play in front and play on the move.
As a team, they back their system, back themselves and back their teammates and when they win the ball they charge and quickly switch to defence if it goes wrong.
Like Hawthorn, they win the footy and keep the footy.
They average a staggering 490 disposals over the first two rounds. The Hawks are 409. Of other unbeaten teams, Sydney is 415, the Suns 377 and the Kangaroos just 357.
The Bulldogs have ball winners in the midfield, as does Hawthorn. Both forward-line groups apply fierce pressure. And the points scored are eerie: the Dogs average 14.14, the Hawks 13.14.
The Dogs, however, are giving up five goals a game.
They’ve been described as playing sexy footy, but their defence is phenomenal.
The Bulldogs, too, have Gibson types in defence.
The majority can intercept mark, play the high ball and are efficient by foot. If anything, they are more kamikaze coming out of the back half than Hawthorn.
Gibson is only one element, albeit an important element and Beveridge may make small adjustments to keep him preoccupied.
Against Geelong in Round 1, Gibson had Shane Kersten as an opponent.
The Cats were stoked with Kersten’s performance.
He had only six possessions and Gibson 24. Kersten had five of his disposals in the first quarter, all between the centre circle and the 50m arc, which suggests Kersten wanted to take Gibson up the ground, away from the Tom Hawkins-James Frawley contest.
Still, 24 is a solid game.
A two-time best and fairest in premierships seasons (2013 and 2015), Gibson will likely get a taste of several opponents. Will he get 44 again? Virtually impossible.
Beveridge might go radical and play Liam Picken as a minder, but that’s unlikely.
He’s a systems man, Beveridge and, funnily enough, he learnt that when he was at Hawthorn.
mark.robinson@news.com.au
Originally published as Western Bulldogs have modelled themselves on Hawthorn it’s hard to tell them apart, writes Mark Robinson
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