Match Committee - Round 17, 2017 vs Carlton

[Eastdog]

If you were on the Bulldogs match committee what changes would you make for our round 17, 2017 match against Carlton at the MCG?

As always a brief explanation for your changes would add a lot of value to the discussion.

[GVGjr]

Should we target Docherty likes sides are doing against JJ?

[Mantis]

Should we target Docherty likes sides are doing against JJ?

We don't target anyone... We play to our strengths and back in our players.

[GVGjr]

We don't target anyone... We play to our strengths and back in our players.

Yep, we are nothing if not stubborn even when other teams are using the tagging option effectively.

I think Smith could go to Docherty and give their players something to else to focus on.

[Go_Dogs]

Should we target Docherty likes sides are doing against JJ?

Yes - let's play Picken as a defensive forward and hope he can nullify Docherty and maybe snare a goal or two.


Just the one change for me, Honeychurch out and Bailey Williams in and I'd move JJ into the forward line, Williams into defence.

[bulldogtragic]

Outs: Roberts, Honeychurch, M. Boyd,

Ins: Collins, Webb, Williams

Cloke or Tom Boyd if available.

We need to play kids with some VFL form behind them.

[kruder]

Outs: Roberts, Honeychurch, M. Boyd,

Ins: Collins, Webb, Williams

Cloke or Tom Boyd if available.

We need to play kids with some VFL form behind them.

Agree time to have a look at Collins progress. We need a defender that can take a mark, the contrast between the two defences was stark. Love to see Webb on a forward flank/wing or even HBF our ball use is so bad. He is never going to be an inside mid at AFL level its time to develop him in an area that he can succeed in and add value to the team.

[Rocco Jones]

Just to start with
Honeychruch- I don't get why he played. i don't want to have a go at him, great attitude. MC shoulders all the blame on that one.
Roberts- really seems to have confidence issues and dropping him won't help but he is a liability at the moment.
Clay- Love his attitude but doesn't get near it. Make no mistake, mobility wise we have to count him as playing an extra tall.

Not so much dropped but...
JJ- obvious issues
Stringer- reverting back to doing enough to earn a spot. He is best 22 at the moment via spurts of effort.
Dahl- this is the worst fortnight I've seen from him. Wow. When the uber intensity isn't there his lack of footy polish is glaring.
Libba- looks like he doesn't think footy is the type of thing he wants to do with his life. I'm not being glib there. Just a thought.

[The Underdog]

Interesting that Bevo singled out Suckling as having done his job tonight. I don't think he's on the block but he certainly has plenty of detractors here.
I'd struggle to give a list of ins at this point. I'd like to see Bailey Williams back and Cloke if he's ready as well as any of the players out injured from this week. The list of potential outs is huge, Wallis, Stringer, Smith, Roberts, Libba, Honeychurch, M. Boyd, JJ and probably a few others.

[Sedat]

We gave Honey a good run at it after a string of excellent 2nds form. Thanks for having a crack but it's time.
Roberts getting dropped after 1 game is counter productive IMO. Was awful tonight but having Roughy down back throws us all out structurally.
Is Clay out of contract? Rapt for him to get his rewards last year but I wouldn't be offering a new deal.
We cannot continue to carry all of Hunter, Picko, Dahl and Wally in the midfield - 2 dreadful disposers too many.

[bulldogtragic]

Signed Smith to 1, Picken 2, Roberts 2, Adams 3.

Still nothing from Dale, Webb, Redpath.

[boydogs]

Out: Smith, Honeychurch
In: Murphy, Biggs

[soupman]

There's gonna be calls from some (I'm thinking particularly the Facebook crowd) to "play the kids". Weirdly that's not applicable to a Beveridge side, the entire side is already "kids", and all the ones that have deserved a call up have received one before. Having said that this is where we should be heading:

Players we should look at phasing out over the course of the rest of the season are the following:
-Honeychurch. He has had his chance and did earn it, but sadly lacks the polish required at the level. His skill level makes our weaknesses worse, and he fails to add something that we don't have, even his pressure isn't what it was in that brief early 2015 spell.
-Boyd. Obvious one, has struggled all season and really fallen away of late.
-Smith I am unsure on. He was outstanding last year not just in the finals but in various games. I remember the GC game in Cairns he had about 10 shots on goal. Lacks skill or mobility and I don't see a big future with us but I wouldn't be ruling him out just yet like the other two.


Players we should consider giving a chance.
-Hamilton. Our most underwhelming draftee of the last few years, but is meant to be smart and a good user. Beveridge has shown a keenness to give fringe players an opportunity to show something over the course of 3-4 games (see Cordy, Honeychurch, Darley), I am expecting Hamilton to get his chance to show why he has been on the list 3 years.
-Lynch. Another that has been on the list for 3 years, with no senior games. Has attributes that we are lacking, in skill and pace.
-Lipinski. A natural forward, who has shown an ability to kick multiple goals at VFL level and is pacy.
-Greene, Collins and Prudden are the other three I'd be looking at. Greene for similar reasons to Lipinski, he could offer us something in a position we are shallow in. Collins I have doubts on, but his VFL form seems to have improved so may be viable as the tall defender positon Roberts is currently in. Prudden I would be looking at to step into the Boyd role. An assured clean ball user coming out of defence that plays primarily a supporting role within the defensive unit. I don't have huge faith in Prudden's longevity, but I would be happy to see him get a chance.

Williams and Webb belong in their own category, along with Dale and Mclean. All have shown enough to suggest they have bright futures at AFL level, all are good users of the footy, can carry the ball and are potentially more balanced than some of our other players who seem to be weighted heavily one way (ie. Hunter is very outside, Dahlhaus extremely inside etc.). They should all be playing the majority of the remainder of the season, form/effort permitting.

The only ones left that are not injured are Young, English, Tweedie and NMM. None of them for mine are ready physically to make enough of an impact in their preferred roles, and they have enough time on their sides to not need to make an impact this year to justify their spots.

[westbulldog]

re "'There's gonna be calls from some (I'm thinking particularly the Facebook crowd) to "play the kids"."

A comprehensive post. I am one who advocates playing the kids, viz Williams, Webb, Lipinski, Young, Collins however I am not for the record one of the "facebook crowd" and have no idea who you are referring to.

[The Underdog]

re "'There's gonna be calls from some (I'm thinking particularly the Facebook crowd) to "play the kids"."

A comprehensive post. I am one who advocates playing the kids, viz Williams, Webb, Lipinski, Young, Collins however I am not for the record one of the "facebook crowd" and have no idea who you are referring to.

Two things on this, you can play some of the kids, but they still need a tier of experienced leadership who can direct them. If you throw a bunch of the kids in together at the same time then you don't get a valuable learning experience, just kids running around and likely losing confidence while they get killed. While the stand alone VFL team is a huge help in players knowing the way we play, stepping it up to senior level is another thing and they need protection. It also helps if those senior players actually play to the gameplan and structures but that's another point entirely.
The other is the kids have to have earned the opportunity. Williams has clearly shown he can mix it, Webb is always around the fringes and has had a couple of shots already. Lipinski and Young are certainly likely to get a shot before the end of the year. Collins also may. What we can't do is throw Collins and Young together and expect them to do anything other than flounder (I'm not suggesting that you are advocating this westbulldog, but playing the kids needs to be done with a method and a purpose).