In the AFL, the phrase ‘Line in the Sand’ gets thrown around from time to time. To draw a line in the sand, is to get to the point, in the AFL’s case - physically, where no one will go any further.
The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of ‘Line in the Sand’ was the contest between Hawthorn and Essendon in 2004. I would call it an iconic moment, but it was iconic for all the wrong reasons. Of course, the rivalry between the Hawks and the Bombers dates to the 1980s, when the Hawks entered one of the best eras in the history of the AFL and the Dons were also at their peak.
On this day in 2004, the Hawks, much like the rest of their season, had been struggling and the Bombers were flying, leading by over five goals at half time. After the Hawks kicked the opening goal in the second half, things started unravelling at the seams. After a pretty rough contest between Hawthorn’s Chance Bateman and Essendon’s Jason Winderlich, a big push and shove ensued, with a solid mixture of punches and wrestling to follow.
The end result not only yielded an 74-point Hawthorn loss, but a total of 16 games suspension and fines that totalled up to $70,700.
Now, if you’re thinking that whole basis of this article is that the Bulldogs need to start punching GWS blokes and hitting them off the ball on Friday night. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but this is not what this piece is about.
The Bulldogs are 0-2, last on the AFL ladder on percentage and they have been getting the blowtorch from all angles in the media, rightfully so. After posting the review on Monday, just to put it simply, Friday nights game against Greater Western Sydney is our line in the sand match. It needs to be.
It might be a bit unfair considering that the last three games the Bulldogs played have stretched out from September 2019 to mid-June 2020. But still, the facts remain that the Bulldogs were a finals team last year, and these losing margins have been 58, 52 and 39 points. The two games that were decided by 50-plus points were losses by teams that are expected to contend for Finals again, one of those were the Giants, who dismantled them in the second half of the Elimination Final last year. To their credit, they eventually went on to play in the Grand Final.
It was against the Giants that this backwards trend of bad losses began, and now it’s time to turn it around. I’ve been incredibly pessimistic around the house this week, and I’ve had friends tell me that it’ll turn around soon enough. It should make sense that the Dogs get back to their winning ways right? I'm not convinced about it, rather expecting another belting heading our way.
For the Bulldogs, they would’ve been eyeing off this contest since that day in Sydney. I hate reminiscing back to this, but the Dogs were pretty much victimised in every aspect on the ground. The Giants were +42 in contested possessions, 39 more inside 50s and nearly 80 more disposals than the Bulldogs. It was a massacre and when you think about it, 58 points is somewhat flattering considering that the Giants kicked 16.17 - 33 scoring shots to just 15. It says enough right?
I would’ve been okay if it was just that, a beatdown around the ground of the highest order, because the Dogs looked like they were going to be up against it all day long, but the thing that still resonates with me was the fact that the Giants wanted to play dirty and rough up arguably the most important player in the Bulldogs' team. Toby Greene attempted to gouge the eyes out of Marcus Bontempelli and by some miracle, got away with it. That was followed by GWS labelling Greene the victim himself, how about that?
I also remember Harry Himmelberg giving him a few cheap shots when the umps weren’t looking that day. I think there may have been others involved across the match, I’m not too sure about it, but I do know that they’re full of thugs. Shane Mumford, although won’t be playing on Friday night, loved nothing more than burying his opponents because he couldn’t do much else. Heath Shaw, as talented of a player he is, has had history of carrying on like a halfwit against the Bulldogs. Matt De Boer’s tagging jobs in recent years have seen him titled as a villain. Also remember Adam Kennedy who tried to take cheap shots at Charlie Cameron’s arm, which had already been through the ringer in the Semi Final the following week.
The way the Giants won that game was pretty much retribution from a rivalry that is continuing to blossom before our very eyes. In fairness, they did have a right to be angry at the Dogs following their round 22 encounter where the Bont laid a bump on Haynes that later on turned out to result in a fractured larynx. The Giants were furious that the Bont got away with only a fine. A part of me wants to tell them that they should be angry at the medical department for letting Haynes play on. Surely they would’ve known at the time right?
As many have said before us, we can’t change the past, but only look towards the future. What the future must entail is that the Bulldogs take a stand in a season where it already looks like it is spiralling out of control. I have no doubt the Giants will no doubt target the Bulldogs captain again on Friday night. Last year’s final saw that there were very few Bulldogs that flew the flag for Bontempelli. I dare say that they will be ready for whatever the Giants throw their way this weekend.
The Giants are reeling from their unexpected loss against North Melbourne last Sunday. Whether or not the Kangaroos remain the real deal in 2020 remains a mystery - I suppose we’ll get to them in a couple of weeks’ time. However, it was a game that many expected GWS to win and win comfortably. The fact that they didn’t means that they’ll be geared up to get back onto the winners list on Friday. When teams face the Dogs on the rebound of a heavy loss, that concerns me, especially when they are have been on the losing end themselves.
Here’s another reason that the Dogs need to stand up. GWS have won four of the last five against the Bulldogs, with an average winning margin of 47.5 points. Including the Elimination Final defeat last year, is an 82-point belting in round one, 2018 and a 48-point loss towards the end of the 2017 season. They were hard games to watch, the 2018 game was devoid of any effort and fightback and the 2017 game disappointingly blew out after an even first half.
If Tom Liberatore is fit, then they need to play him. Luke Beveridge left him out of the team last week because of his limited pre-season and his history of knee problems - hard to believe I understand that decision given the recent decisions at selection. The Dogs need some real mongrel in there that will compete with whatever GWS has to offer. I love Bailey Smith’s endeavour and he’s never one to shy away from a showdown, but the kid is still just that - a kid. If a 19-year old is going to be the one to fly the flag and stand up for his team mates, then the team, as a whole, has a more softish mentality than I thought.
I’m hoping that Beveridge will stop rolling the dice and trying players on the fringe, when there are players that have proven to do the job in the past. Toby McLean is another player that needs to come back into this side straightaway, as does Jackson Trengove - the man signed a three-year deal to come to the club at the end of 2018 and has played 32 of a possible 45 games and has yet to play a game in 2020 - what’s the point of signing someone that fills a need and not bothering to play him? If Tory Dickson and Josh Schache are fit, then I’d love them in the team as well - give me some lads that know how to get the job done in front of goal thanks.
He won’t be short on players to throw out into the reserves that only do match simulation. Aside from the obvious, Josh Bruce has had an underwhelming first couple of games, Jason Johannisen got stitched up by Jarryn Geary who had one working hamstring, whilst the tandem up forward in Sam Lloyd and Bailey Dale have been in poor form. But this is a hard thing - how long do you persist with the ones that are struggling? Especially when we’re one game back from a three-month spell?
I’m expecting the worst, but a small part of me keeps thinking that the Dogs will win. The Giants fired the last shot in the Elimination Final, and I think the Dogs will fire a shot back with some interest. Anything less than a fiery effort and people will really start to worry and doubt about this side.
Oh, and if Alex Keath can stop pointing fingers in defence whilst opposition small forwards stroll into the goalsquare, that too would also be great. I love him, but you only played your second game at the club. Put your head down and go to work in beating these bastards Friday night.