Quote Originally Posted by muzzyahoy View Post
I guess when I say defensively minded, I'm meaning the ability to transition defensively. Every team takes the approach at every contest of winning the pill and becoming offensive. But the Bulldogs stoppage group's total belief that they are going to somehow still win the clearance, even when the opposition has won the ball, and the ball is no longer in dispute, is a problem that has existed for too many years now. The structure collapses, players get ball watching, the ball evades the collapsed group and now the opposition is running in a wave. The outnumber begins and defensively, our defenders don't stand a chance. As long as the opposition can identify their definitive outnumber, scoring becomes effortless.

How you then coach players ability to identify the right time to collapse around the footy, or maintain an exterior minded shape is for greater football minds than mine (obviously), but Geelong do it really well, GWS and Collingwood to an extent do it well.

Mainly, the way we play around the footy fails the eye test, and it's super evident on the way opposition seems to enter our defensive end. It was super evident watching the St. Kilda game two weeks ago. Did anyone else notice how much they looked like us defensively in that game?
I guess I get what you're saying. But I still want to challenge you to tell me what team - realistically - does what you're asking for. For example, we played Freo on the weekend...who out of Fyfe, Serong and Brayshaw is doing what you ask? None of them. Fyfe is legendary for winning brownlows and never defending. Doesn't mean he isn't a good player.

No team in the AFL does what you are looking for...they just don't.

You mention the Giants? Please. Green, Coniglio, Kelly etc - they haven't run defensively since Auskick...they are the ones with the ball. You mention Geelong? Are you trying to tell me Dangerfield runs defensively? Please.

Geelong and the Giants have a better structure/players (take your choice - Stewart and Taylor cover up for a LOT of mistakes) behind the ball which gives the mids more time...

If you want to criticise our guys for getting killed at the stop on the weekend - have at it. But they 100% push back to defend...could we do with some more legspeed in there to assist with the defensive running? Of course - and we've all been saying that. Liber, Macrae and Bont are mid-paced (generous) and getting in and out of the stop and into the next phase is not simple.