Q: IT'S obviously a huge match for the Doggies this Friday; do you think they can get over the Swans?
Darcy: I do. I think they'll be reeling a little bit from their performance last Friday night, but I've seen both their wins against the Swans this year and I think they can overcome their form of last week and get back on track.
They really need to win some more football in the midfield. [They can progress] if they win their fair share of the contested ball; that's really the stat that does count against the Swans more than anyone else. You have to get in and win the hard one-on-one footy against a side that's so experienced at doing that and then it's about the Bulldogs breaking the lines and using their speed -- they've probably got more hard-running midfielders than the Swans.
Q: It was no coincidence that Robert Murphy and Mitch Hahn were a bit quiet against the Hawks and the Dogs struggled overall; how crucial are the performances of those guys to the side's chances?
Darcy: I think the forward line that functioned so well to win 15 and a half home and away games has got to lift. When you look back it was an incredible year on the back of the way last year finished; there are just a variety of options that forward line provided and I reckon Friday night was probably the quietest I've seen that forward line function.
You could probably throw Scott Welsh into that mix and probably even Johnno to some extent. Aker started down back and I get the feeling that he might start back up forward this week, so all of those guys really need to fire and function well again.
I think in some ways for them, as well, it's about their defensive pressure. The first two thirds of the season I reckon that was something they did really well and they dropped off a fair bit last week. I reckon they'll be looking to that indicator and to see how many tackles they can lay inside forward 50, and how much pressure they can put on the Swans defence. They'll be trying to get some good one-on-one match-ups, but if that forward line plays like it did last week they'll be in strife – they need to fire.
Q: How would Rodney Eade have reacted to that loss behind closed doors this week?
Darcy: He would have been incredibly disappointed, as I think everyone that has the red, white and blue in their veins would have been, but he's a pretty logical sort of person. He would have analysed it for a while and said that it was unacceptable, but he would have moved on.
He would have planned and prepared, and I reckon he would have put it back on a lot of the group and said "righto here's an opportunity. We performed so well during the year to get a second chance now it's about character, it's about responding. Who can respond? Who can play well under pressure?" I think he would have been pretty positive and he would have been straight onto the game plan and onto how to beat the Sydney Swans.
Q: You mention the two previous wins over the Swans this season; can they really be a factor at this time of the year?
Darcy: I think it's almost like the final frontier for a lot of sides, actually beating the Swans. They've had an incredible record; I mean their last six seasons have been phenomenal. The way they play, they're incredible one-on-one, and the defensive pressure they put on sides is something that I know the Bulldogs have struggled with for a long time.
So to break through and beat them in Sydney and beat them at Manuka in Canberra was a massive mental barrier for the group and it sort of proved to them that they are able to match it with that side one-on-one.
Q: Would the fear of going out in straight sets be something that could possibly start to creep into a few players' minds?
Darcy: It would be a horrible way to finish a really positive year, and there's no doubt at some point that's going to be talked about and it will be something that will be in their minds. But I look across the group and I reckon it's a group that's got some really strong leadership.
Brad Johnson has been arguably one of the best players in the competition over the last 15 years, I reckon Daniel Giansiracusa's year will go close the being the Bulldogs' best and fairest – he's a real young leader – Murphy's a real young leader, so's Hahn and so are some of the more experienced guys who have come into the side in Hudson and Welsh who have both played a lot of footy.
So they've got guys that I reckon aren't going to be intimidated by a bit of pressure and by fronting up to a final where now everyone firmly has their sights on them. They want to see how they respond after last week and sometimes that's a really good thing, I reckon.
I've got a lot of faith in the character of the group and I think they can withstand the pressure.
Having said that they are playing against a hardened, seasoned finals side that's brilliantly coached and well-drilled and it will be a really enormous challenge for them.
Q: What needs to go right for the Swans to come away with the win?
Darcy: I think they're starting to hit their straps, as they often have, at the right time. They have Barry Hall running around looking confident again, they have the luxury of maybe throwing Adam Goodes forward and that adds an enormous amount of danger to their side as well. You know that Brett Kirk's just going to do what he's done now for such a long period of time and that's win the footy and inspire his team.
I really rate their defence. I think Craig Bolton is, in my mind, almost first picked as one of the All-Australian defenders, and they just get the maximum out of their ability each week. They'll make it a contest, they'll make it one-on-one and that suits a pressure game.
Q: A preliminary final against the Cats is the prize for the winner; how do you rate the Dogs' chances if they can progress?
Darcy: I don't know if anyone's got a group that can beat Geelong. I've got the feeling that you could combine the rest of the 15 sides and it might be a bit of a struggle the way they're going at the moment.
But, in some ways, winning this and then taking on Geelong, it's a bit of a free hit really. I don't think anyone expects whoever wins this game, or too many people at least, to knock off Geelong. Their focus will be on winning this and then you just front up and play your heart out and see what happens.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
