Premiership coach Denis Pagan reveals his plan to fix the Western Bulldogs

Now is the time for some home truths at the Western Bulldogs.

The reigning premiers are not hard enough at the ball and the figures don’t lie.

After 12 rounds last year, the Bulldogs were the best in the competition at contested football, winning the count by an average of 16.5 possessions per match.


This year, they are 12th, losing the count by an average of one each week.

At the same point in 2016, they were first for clearances and fourth for scores from clearances. Now? The Doggies are 16th and 13th, respectively.

They are also averaging just 81 points per game.

Those numbers say a lot about the problems at the Bulldogs.

They have no real strength this year and they simply aren’t scoring enough.

It is a misconception that the Bulldogs were battling through the first half of last season.

They were fourth – not ninth – after 12 rounds of 2016, with nine wins in the bank.

And at the moment, 2017 looks like being a wasted year for the Bulldogs.

They have got the talent. Geez, they were good last year. As a footy fan, they really excited me.

I didn’t want to miss a Bulldogs game just to see their ferocious attack on the ball.

And the good news for the Bulldogs is that the AFL season is not over yet.

But if I was in Luke Beveridge’s position, there are three things I would do immediately.

1) Acknowledge the problem

This week, I’d be sitting down with the players in front of a whiteboard and asking them a series of questions.

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How are we being viewed currently? How do we want to be viewed?

How will we rectify our form? And what were you doing in 2016 that you aren’t doing now?

Hopefully the group comes up with the right answers themselves.

I’d want no clichés or bullsh*t – just robust discussion.

2) Ramp up the aggression at training

The Bulldogs have got to train as they want to play.

And that means ruthless attack at the ball – even if it is against team-mates.

Sure, there’s a risk of blokes getting injured, but it’s all aimed at improving the approach and attitude of the players.

3) Pick and stick

Beveridge has made plenty of changes to his side through the year and, on the surface, it seemed a good move to keep players on their toes.

But a strategy like that also brings about a lot of uncertainty and it has made no impact on this occasion.

Now Beveridge needs to pick his best side and stick with the group for three or four weeks.

He can tell the players that the side isn’t changing and they can play without fear of getting dropped the next week.

The back-to-back challenge

Winning a premiership is such a wonderful achievement but it is so tough to go back-to-back, as I experienced.

The Bulldogs seem like great celebrators.

I thought they were over the top after winning the preliminary final last year and that that may come back to bite them on grand final day, but I was proven wrong.

I was fascinated with Tom Liberatore’s movements in the off-season and it looks like they have become comfortable.

The last two weeks for the Bulldogs have been simply terrible.

They need to support Jason Johannisen better, who is now getting targeted by opposition sides.

Maybe Beveridge could start him at half-forward or on the ball just to mix things up, but they need him up and firing.

I don’t think the contract discussion surrounding him has helped, either.

One thing is for sure: the Bulldogs are now feeling the blowtorch of the footy world.

The way they respond will be fascinating.



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No revelations there, blind freddy could work that out.

I like listening to Denis with his old fashioned approach.

Nothing to earth shattering there but a good starting point.

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Originally Posted by GVGjr

I like listening to Denis with his old fashioned approach.

Nothing to earth shattering there but a good starting point.

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Yeah I like him too. Some of the sayings he uses resonate with me like; Never argue with an idiot, they just drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience

One of the best points to come from the article for me is that we have 'no real strength this year'. It's been a luxury to hang our hat on contested ball numbers, and build from there. It's something that McCartney got dead right. A slip from 1st in contested ball to 16th is unacceptable in itself, but quite removed from that - what are we about now if not contested ball? Can this group be about anything else?

The thing that concerns me is that I'm sure some home truths were delivered after the Sydney debacle but the team, although dominating the first 15 minutes against Melbourne, could only score 1 point for the quarter and they scored so easily from our turnovers. That is a big problem

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Originally Posted by merantau

The thing that concerns me is that I'm sure some home truths were delivered after the Sydney debacle but the team, although dominating the first 15 minutes against Melbourne, could only score 1 point for the quarter and they scored so easily from our turnovers. That is a big problem

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Our forward pressure was non-existent and we couldn't trap the ball in our F50 like we were doing last year and earlier this year. Dickson had 2 tackles, Stringer 1, Honeychurch 4, McLean 3 to name a few culprits.

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Originally Posted by bornadog

Our forward pressure was non-existent and we couldn't trap the ball in our F50 like we were doing last year and earlier this year. Dickson had 2 tackles, Stringer 1, Honeychurch 4, McLean 3 to name a few culprits.

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We had more tackles inside 50 than Melbourne did. And equalled them for tackles over the course of the day. I really think Sunday's issues were far more to do with ball movement, than pressure acts.

In terms of the forwards, I'm more worried about their ability to be a hit up target, than I am about how many tackles they lay.

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Originally Posted by Ozza

We had more tackles inside 50 than Melbourne did. And equalled them for tackles over the course of the day. I really think Sunday's issues were far more to do with ball movement, than pressure acts.

In terms of the forwards, I'm more worried about their ability to be a hit up target, than I am about how many tackles they lay.

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The ball was inside our F50 for far far longer than it was in Melbournes.

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Originally Posted by Topdog

The ball was inside our F50 for far far longer than it was in Melbournes.

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Opposition teams know this and apply massive pressure there. When we are beaten for contested ball inside F50 it doesn't matter how long it's there for. Teams almost wind the clock down inside our F50 now because they know they can score faster than us.

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Originally Posted by Ozza

We had more tackles inside 50 than Melbourne did. And equalled them for tackles over the course of the day. I really think Sunday's issues were far more to do with ball movement, than pressure acts.

In terms of the forwards, I'm more worried about their ability to be a hit up target, than I am about how many tackles they lay.

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Originally Posted by Topdog

The ball was inside our F50 for far far longer than it was in Melbournes.

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Without looking at stats, it felt different watching the game, but I guess when you lose like that you don't see it.

I really thought the effort of the players all over the ground wasn't as bad as the scoreboard suggests, however, our disposal and movement was really way off. Handballs to either feet or over heads, field passes way off target and general skills were way off. Melbourne's pressure was way better than ours and many players got caught and couldn't break tackles.

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Originally Posted by merantau

The thing that concerns me is that I'm sure some home truths were delivered after the Sydney debacle but the team, although dominating the first 15 minutes against Melbourne, could only score 1 point for the quarter and they scored so easily from our turnovers. That is a big problem

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There are a lot of if's and but's involved, but I wonder how different the game would be if Honeychurch kicks the first goal or the snap to get us back within a couple?
The longer it went in the first quarter, the less likely we looked liek scoring and the more confidence they got. Melbourne, for me, are one of the most fragile in the league- confidence is key and when they have it they play some great footy.
The missed snap obviously went up the end where they converted and suddenly it was like the pressure valve was released for them and our energy bubble bursted.
Same deal with the Cloke free versus Geelong. They were on the ropes and had little answers and all of a sudden they get a gift, their tail wags, and the pressure is shifted to us.

We NEED to start strongly against NM. A couple of early goals and I think we will win comfortably. Give them a start and it will be line ball again.

FWIW I don't blame Honeychurch, but these two examples spring to mind. I think we really owe him another week, hopefully in a side that plays good footy. It's pretty easy to put a line through him, but the reality is the last bloke in (who hasn't played all year) is going to have a tough day when the blokes around him are stinking up the joint. It can't do wonders for your nerves and anxiety levels.

It's a good point about Honeychurch. Small forward is the worst position on the ground to play because you are so reliant on the players up the ground kicking quality balls into the forward line and the even when the ball is in the forward 50 you tend to be third or fourth in order of importance so nobody kicks it to you (unless you're Eddie Betts) and you are expected to do all the stuff the rockstar forwards don't want to do like tackle and block, draw opponents away from the play and make space for the tall forwards. You have to fight and scrap, often against teamates, for every touch.

And to top it all off because he is playing for the first time in a while none of the mids are going to get the ball and think "where's Honey?" like they would think "where's Jake" or "Where's Tom" because they aren't used to his presence in the forward line yet.

He should have nailed those goals and I'm still mightily annoyed he did but I'd like to see him get another week because he's playing in a difficult position and I'd like to see him play well in it.

Great. A hot take from a real estate agent who hasn't coached for a decade.

Let's get Bluey Hampshire to weigh in while we're at it.

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Originally Posted by Rocket Science

Great. A hot take from a real estate agent who hasn't coached for a decade.

Let's get Bluey Hampshire to weigh in while we're at it.

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I think Denis Pagan has earned enough respect in the football world to be able to offer an opinion on the difficulties that face premiership sides the year afterwards - particularly seeing as he was a defending premiership coach twice.

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Originally Posted by Ozza

I think Denis Pagan has earned enough respect in the football world to be able to offer an opinion on the difficulties that face premiership sides the year afterwards - particularly seeing as he was a defending premiership coach twice.

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and basically his article pointed out the bleeding obvious.

When he coached football was very different.

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Originally Posted by bornadog

and basically his article pointed out the bleeding obvious.

When he coached football was very different.

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Football tactics have changed. And Pagan hasn't referred to any tactical changes he would make.
The comments that he has made are around re-invigorating the mindset and attitude to get up and going coming off a form slump.

Tactics have changed. But the concept of a coach getting the team to gel and perform together as a team is still very relevant - and its something Pagan was the best at in the 90s.

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Originally Posted by bornadog

I really thought the effort of the players all over the ground wasn't as bad as the scoreboard suggests, however, our disposal and movement was really way off. Handballs to either feet or over heads, field passes way off target and general skills were way off. Melbourne's pressure was way better than ours and many players got caught and couldn't break tackles.

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I'm defiantly no expert but that's how I saw it, also we don't have the ability to kick to a team mates advantage, the ball always seems to go to the advantage of the defender.

Do the players have to get perms?

It isn't just our hardness at the ball that has dropped away, it is also our work rate.

Last year we were clearly the best side when we didn't have the ball - our defensive running as a team was second to none, and we moved as a swarm from contest to contest. Now half the team just walks around like Brown's cows when the ball leaves their area, and opponents slice through our defence like a hot knife through butter.

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Originally Posted by Flamethrower

It isn't just our hardness at the ball that has dropped away, it is also our work rate.

Last year we were clearly the best side when we didn't have the ball - our defensive running as a team was second to none, and we moved as a swarm from contest to contest. Now half the team just walks around like Brown's cows when the ball leaves their area, and opponents slice through our defence like a hot knife through butter.

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Spot on. If a player has the ball 20 times that would mean he would be lucky to have that ball in his hands for 1 minute all up if you timed it. So then what is he doing for the other 119 minutes? That's where the game is won and lost. Take care of the 119 minutes and the 1 minute will take care of itself.

I've got no idea what goes on inside the club walls, but assume engagement, buy in, ownership, coaching through the grow model etc are things we do. We need to rediscover what our trademark is and get the playing group back to a level of drive they'll leave no stone unturned to achieve it.

Didn't mind this article.

Looking forward to seeing us again this weekend.

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Originally Posted by Scorlibo

One of the best points to come from the article for me is that we have 'no real strength this year'. It's been a luxury to hang our hat on contested ball numbers, and build from there. It's something that McCartney got dead right. A slip from 1st in contested ball to 16th is unacceptable in itself, but quite removed from that - what are we about now if not contested ball? Can this group be about anything else?

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When we got our hands on the ball last year, that was it, we would always work it out to the outside with lightning handball and be on our way. Now the good contested ball sides (Sydney, Geelong, Melbourne) are tackling us and turning the ball over. We need to become the best at that again - not so much winning the ball, but getting it out of congestion into the clear for a clean, targeted kick forward

Just on coaching, are we missing Brett Montgomery? He was there for 6 years and the most seniors of the assistants. I always felt that he saw things differently to Bevo, which is a nice mix to have.

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Originally Posted by boydogs

When we got our hands on the ball last year, that was it, we would always work it out to the outside with lightning handball and be on our way. Now the good contested ball sides (Sydney, Geelong, Melbourne) are tackling us and turning the ball over. We need to become the best at that again - not so much winning the ball, but getting it out of congestion into the clear for a clean, targeted kick forward

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Yep. We were really good at just hacking the ball forward last year in an inevitable forward push. That urgency has gone.

Didn't want to start a new thread.

Denis has just trained a Victoria Derby win. He has had his license for 6 months, and I think this is his only horse.

What an achievement.

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Originally Posted by bornadog

Didn't want to start a new thread.

Denis has just trained a Victoria Derby win. He has had his license for 6 months, and I think this is his only horse.

What an achievement.

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And he owns it outright.

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Originally Posted by Doggy

And he owns it outright.

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Handy prize money of $1.2 milion, less costs like jockey fee.

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Originally Posted by bornadog

Handy prize money of $1.2 milion, less costs like jockey fee.

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Especially as he only paid 50k for him.

And the Bulldogs are still a “nice” bunch.

Just wondering would he be a good bloke to have at the club in some form ?
And what role would he be good in if he did come ?

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Originally Posted by ledge

Just wondering would he be a good bloke to have at the club in some form ?
And what role would he be good in if he did come ?

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Now 73 years old. does that change your mind

So we buy a racehorse ......

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Originally Posted by bornadog

Now 73 years old. does that change your mind

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Depends what role ., the Essendon president looks like he is 90

I first met Denis Pagan in 1980 when he coached Yarraville in the VFA , might even have been 1979 but the point is he was a terrific bloke then, I'm guessing he is still a terrific bloke now and I couldn't be happier for him and his training success.

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Originally Posted by ledge

Just wondering would he be a good bloke to have at the club in some form ?
And what role would he be good in if he did come ?

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Because he won a horse race?

He could spin yarns.

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Originally Posted by ledge

Just wondering would he be a good bloke to have at the club in some form ?
And what role would he be good in if he did come ?

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He might convince Caleb Daniel to become a jockey.

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Originally Posted by Happy Days

Because he won a horse race?

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Of course not . I have no idea on horses , just a thought as he is very highly regarded in football and his history.