Nobody believes in us. Are they right?

[AshMac]

I?m less concerned with our players and more concerned with our coaching staff and gameplan. We just rely too heavily on individual brilliance and have a lack of structure and flow through the middle of the ground.

Happy there were changes off-season - not enough for me personally

[WBFC4FFC]

I?m less concerned with our players and more concerned with our coaching staff and gameplan. We just rely too heavily on individual brilliance and have a lack of structure and flow through the middle of the ground.

Happy there were changes off-season - not enough for me personally

My concerns are similar, although I think they have done a heap of changes. All will be revealed I guess.

"For me" we do rely too much on "individual brilliance". Sacrificing for the team is what is required. Not sure Socceroo great (and older brother of Lucy) Ned Zelic would agree.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2-dYH7-sSI

[whythelongface]

Yeah look I know I should probably have a whole lot of trepidation coming into the season, given our past issues, but I genuinely remain very upbeat about the direction of the club, and our prospects this year. I really think we're going to surprise quite a few pundits and fans alike.

Even the club produced behind the scene's type short video released today or yesterday reaffirms what I already knew. It's a well run club, with a very professional set of connected strategic and operational programs in place that flow down to the tiniest details, not to mention highly qualified and motivated staff.

This was evident from the discussion in the above mentioned club produced player development video about having a Bulldog's dictionary that is connected to different digital learning packages to make it easier for new players to quickly adopt and come to grips with he club IP, game plan, game situation expectations and roles and philosophy.

This should really produce some longer term benefits in helping speed up new players transition to what is required at Bulldogs AFL footy level.

Irrespective of what happens in the first round or two, I think we will have a top 4 season. I know, I'm a lunatic. But I just think the review and subsequent changes as well as the return to Whitten Oval this pre-season just might take the air out of the collective pressure the group has felt. Whether its a burden of unrealised expectations, I don't know, but I'm really hopeful we'll see a new breed emerge this season.

Just the arrival of Sanders and some nice showings from JUH, Dacy, Richards and Naughton this pre season give me confidence there is a new ceiling we can reach this year with impetus from the younger tier. This will finally spread the burden that our Skipper has largely tried to bare on his shoulders these last few years.

If others step up as I describe above it could even have the potential affect of helping Bontempelli reach another level again.

Great post YHF. I am pumped after reading this. Bring on the season. Stuff those pundits. They know jack.

[josie]

Nice post YHF. Sunday here we come.

[bornadog]

I?m less concerned with our players and more concerned with our coaching staff and gameplan. We just rely too heavily on individual brilliance and have a lack of structure and flow through the middle of the ground.

Happy there were changes off-season - not enough for me personally

What are your concerns with the gameplan?

[jeemak]

It's like we're the first team to rely on our stars, and it's a bad thing.

Our supporting cast does need to lift a LOT, but every team relies on its stars and always will. Your supporting cast can only do so much at the pointy end of games, rounds and seasons....let alone finals. And that "so much" is super valuable, but it's not the same or anything close to the big game contributions from absolute stars.

Aussie Rules is structured in a way that everyone on the field can have an impact.

[Mavericks]

What are your concerns with the gameplan?

our ball movement from the backline was bottom 4 according to the stats. We have not evolved and we were hand balling backwards, sideways, backwards, adding an extra fwd around the contest that we do not need with LIBBA and Bont there and teams would get numbers back. Once numbers were back we would bomb Into the fwd line hoping for a speccy From naughts.

I agree, we quite often won despite our game inferior game plan because we have some of the most talented players in the AFL and the games best player.

i feel we have made up some ground this preseason so I have high hopes for a top 4 finish. Looks like Egan is heavily involved in all facets including training which is good.

[bornadog]

our ball movement from the backline was bottom 4 according to the stats. We have not evolved and we were hand balling backwards, sideways, backwards, adding an extra fwd around the contest that we do not need with LIBBA and Bont there and teams would get numbers back. Once numbers were back we would bomb Into the fwd line hoping for a speccy From naughts.

I agree, we quite often won despite our game inferior game plan because we have some of the most talented players in the AFL and the games best player.

I was asking in relation to this year, and what we have seen in training and practice matches. Yes last year we were not fluent in our ball movement

[westbulldog]

If Bevo continues to do nothing to halt opposition run ons it will be the same old.

[jeemak]

This has gotten dark.

[AshMac]

What are your concerns with the gameplan?

In it simplest form it?s our defensive structure when the other team has the ball. We play this wide zonal system which seems we?re always running to chase the ball and teams too easily carve through the middle or get out the back.

We struggle with ball movement end to end and NEVER lower the eyes kicking into 50. Watching sydney last night I was amazed at their reluctance to kick it high and long, often going sideways until an option opened up.

Outside of gameplan - the second biggest problem I thought we had last year was fitness. We just looked slow and tired all season I thought.

Again - lots of off-season change - not enough for me

[angelopetraglia]

On what we sad today, sadly yes they are right.

[FrediKanoute]

our ball movement from the backline was bottom 4 according to the stats. We have not evolved and we were hand balling backwards, sideways, backwards, adding an extra fwd around the contest that we do not need with LIBBA and Bont there and teams would get numbers back. Once numbers were back we would bomb Into the fwd line hoping for a speccy From naughts.

I agree, we quite often won despite our game inferior game plan because we have some of the most talented players in the AFL and the games best player.

i feel we have made up some ground this preseason so I have high hopes for a top 4 finish. Looks like Egan is heavily involved in all facets including training which is good.

Our ball movement on Sunday was slow, ponderous and allowed congestion to build up the field. That needs addressing. If you are going to go wide, then you have to go quickly.

[bornadog]

Our ball movement on Sunday was slow, ponderous and allowed congestion to build up the field. That needs addressing. If you are going to go wide, then you have to go quickly.

I partly blame JJ for not bouncing the ball once