A TIME and place exists where you have to execute your skills to the nth degree.
Clearly, the opening round of the NAB Cup in the middle of February at Blacktown International Sportspark is not that time.
The Western Bulldogs first competitive hit outs – they played two matches of 20-minute halves on Saturday night – were best described as scratchy.
They fell over the line for an ugly five-point win over home side GWS Giants to avoid the embarrassment of being the expansion club’s first scalp.
Later on the same night, a watered down Collingwood beat them by seven points in a disappointing result when you line up the strengths of both teams.
The Bulldogs, not unlike their intra club game a week earlier, played like a bunch of strangers.
Fear not, this is largely due to new coach Brendan McCartney rolling out a fresh game plan with an emphasis on shorter kicking, a tougher attack on the packs and a pinpoint delivery system to the forwards.
To steal a line from a hair care ad, it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.
It is a work in progress for the Bulldogs and that is what this series of matches is all about.
Tom Liberatore, a revelation in his rookie season, thrived on the new playing style to be one of the Bulldogs most effective players on the night.
Matthew Boyd, a noted ball winner around the stoppages, showed no signs of cobwebs.
Daniel Cross and Liam Picken were at their trademark best, fishing the ball out from beneath the packs.
McCartney promised a hard-nosed approach to the contest and the Bulldogs delivered for the most part.
Their skills, however, were sloppy, but so, too, were those of the Giants and Collingwood players on a pressure cooker evening that saw numbers around the contest resembling that of an Auskick game.
One aspect you can control is delivery into the forward line.
The set-up appeared to be spot on, but the transfer of the ball was sadly lacking for the Bulldogs.
The biggest query is how the Doggies will replace boxing-bound Barry Hall and the answer was certainly not be found in 80 minutes on Saturday night.
The Bulldog forward who worked the hardest and reaped the results with a couple of goals was Zephaniah Skinner.
The 22-year-old made his presence felt, be it in the air or around the packs, and reeked of a player who is desperate to be included in the round one match up with West Coast Eagles.
An interesting experiment saw Patrick Veszpremi inserted on a half-back flank with positive results. The former Sydney Swan produced plenty of run and carry out of defence. First round draftee Christian Howard excelled in a similar role and enjoyed a run on the ball with his skills a feature.
The Bulldogs decided to trial ruckman Will Minson, Jordan Roughead and Ayce Cordy on the ground at the one time. The triple timber worked and should be further tested in the preseason. You got the feeling all three individuals were desperate to put their case forward for round one and that makes for healthy competition.
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