Western Bulldogs may split with Williamstown

[Hotdog60]

I for one wouldn't mind a stand alone team in the VFL. But I would call it Western Bulldogs still and the positive points I can see are if it was free entry and the club relied on merchandise, food drink and supporter gear for income. Parents would take their kids along because it's a free day out and then get the kids following the team with a bit of luck and then become future members of the main team.
Our kids can get fast tracked and be played in positions that we want to develop them in. I still like the idea of Hill and Panos as a forword combo and at this level in our own team this could of been happening for the season.

We get to see if players are up for it maybe earlier into their careers and or if we want to pursue them more and the game plan should be the same in the Seniors as in the reserves which should help player grasp their role in the team more quickly.

Points raised loss of main members but if the club is doing well at both levels could we gain future members with the free exposure. Cost is a telling factor and local merchants may like the idea of the lower financial cost at a lower level than in the main group so you may gain a little bit of sponsorship and be wise with the selling on a game day.

Also the club would need to have games played that didn't clash with the dogs AFL fixture some supporters can get to both games.

[Ghost Dog]

I for one wouldn't mind a stand alone team in the VFL. But I would call it Western Bulldogs still and the positive points I can see are if it was free entry and the club relied on merchandise, food drink and supporter gear for income. Parents would take their kids along because it's a free day out and then get the kids following the team with a bit of luck and then become future members of the main team.


Also the club would need to have games played that didn't clash with the dogs AFL fixture some supporters can get to both games.

Mr Hotdog, I love your work.

[LostDoggy]

If we can afford the cost to be in charge of our own development then do it.
If they don't want us and all the positives we have then tell them where to go!
Its not a one way street, we have done plenty for them over the years. It's not like it's been ideal for us.

Like to see them prosper in the bastardized competition that the vfl now is.

[soupman]

I have a different question to those raised in this thread. Team balance and what will it affect?

For example, last weekend non AFL playing players make up the following stand alone VFL side:

FB: Addison, Talia, Mulligan
HB: Hargrave, Roberts, ...
C: Moles, Smith, JJ
HF: Panos, Jones, Hooper
FF: Skinner, Hill, Roughead
R: Campbell, Greenwood, Jong

Redpath

Look at all the massive players that are impractical to play together, and this is considering Markovic is out as well. Without a VFL reserves side we are forced to play all these big blokes together, should we have this many on our squad. Does this mean we recruit less big blokes because they will only stifle eachothers development?

I'm just not sure how we are meant to field a side that has 6 massive guys all spending time up forward in Hill, Jones, Roughead, Panos, Redpath and Campbell, when they are all by and large big strong marking targets with maybe a couple of leading forwards amongst them. Ball hits the ground and our crumbers are nowere to be seen because a) we don't have any and b) the ones we potentially have are forced to play as midfielders because the above mentioned certainly can't play through the middle.

[bornadog]

I have a different question to those raised in this thread. Team balance and what will it affect?

For example, last weekend non AFL playing players make up the following stand alone VFL side:

FB: Addison, Talia, Mulligan
HB: Hargrave, Roberts, ...
C: Moles, Smith, JJ
HF: Panos, Jones, Hooper
FF: Skinner, Hill, Roughead
R: Campbell, Greenwood, Jong

Redpath

Look at all the massive players that are impractical to play together, and this is considering Markovic is out as well. Without a VFL reserves side we are forced to play all these big blokes together, should we have this many on our squad. Does this mean we recruit less big blokes because they will only stifle eachothers development?

I'm just not sure how we are meant to field a side that has 6 massive guys all spending time up forward in Hill, Jones, Roughead, Panos, Redpath and Campbell, when they are all by and large big strong marking targets with maybe a couple of leading forwards amongst them. Ball hits the ground and our crumbers are nowere to be seen because a) we don't have any and b) the ones we potentially have are forced to play as midfielders because the above mentioned certainly can't play through the middle.

I think you will find teams like Collingwood, Geelong have players that are just VFL players, otherwise as you say, team balance will be right out. Of Course these players have to be on the payroll and will cost extra.

[SlimPickens]

I think you will find teams like Collingwood, Geelong have players that are just VFL players, otherwise as you say, team balance will be right out. Of Course these players have to be on the payroll and will cost extra.

Correct but really VFL seniors get what roughly $500 a game which in the scheme of things isn't a huge amount of money.

Having our own team could also allows us to invite players down for the season to have a closer look at them for the year and see how they respond to our coaching, our plans etc

[KT31]

Correct but really VFL seniors get what roughly $500 a game which in the scheme of things isn't a huge amount of money.

Having our own team could also allows us to invite players down for the season to have a closer look at them for the year and see how they respond to our coaching, our plans etc

Agree, and say with a dozen core VFL players it will also strengthen our training stocks.
Players who had been forced to train at Willy, will now train with the main group 100% of the time.
We will also have the main say on who plays where on the weekends.
Footy back at Whitten could only be a good thing.
Would also give us a chance to add to our nine flags.

[soupman]

I think you will find teams like Collingwood, Geelong have players that are just VFL players, otherwise as you say, team balance will be right out. Of Course these players have to be on the payroll and will cost extra.

Thats not the issue I see. I understand that we will draft in extras to fill out the squad.

My issue is to do with the type of players in our side ie. All year we have heard supporters complain about how top heavy the Bulldogs are. How 3 ruckmen is too much, that our forwardline has too many big blokes. My point is that by having a stand alone side we aren't fielding a VFL reserves side, which means all of our players play senior VFL. This means that depending on the Bulldogs selection and injuries, we may have 3 ruckmen playing in the same side in the VFL. Tom Hill recently has been playing VFL reserves because Willy's forwardline is too tall to put him in the mix too.

Basically, without having a thirds side that we can drop players to, we are forced to play everybody in the same side no matter the effect on team balance. This means theoretically that our forwardline could be made up of 6 key forwards, all getting in the way of eachother.

[LostDoggy]

Thats not the issue I see. I understand that we will draft in extras to fill out the squad.

My issue is to do with the type of players in our side ie. All year we have heard supporters complain about how top heavy the Bulldogs are. How 3 ruckmen is too much, that our forwardline has too many big blokes. My point is that by having a stand alone side we aren't fielding a VFL reserves side, which means all of our players play senior VFL. This means that depending on the Bulldogs selection and injuries, we may have 3 ruckmen playing in the same side in the VFL. Tom Hill recently has been playing VFL reserves because Willy's forwardline is too tall to put him in the mix too.

Basically, without having a thirds side that we can drop players to, we are forced to play everybody in the same side no matter the effect on team balance. This means theoretically that our forwardline could be made up of 6 key forwards, all getting in the way of eachother.

I don't see that as a problem more an advantage.
They are playing together developing, not in the 3rd rate vfl reserves. Think Geelong and collingwood are doing ok with it.
The 3 rucks were in the seniors and none were playing at Williamstown.

[w3design]

If we can afford it, I think we must go with the stand alone option. While I would miss going down to Willy, Whitten Oval games would more than make up for that.

Now sorry but, a VFL side should definitely be Footscray and NOT the Western Bulldogs.
There is a long and glorious tradition of Footcray the VFL side. There is no history of a WB side in the VFL.
I am quite sure people are bright enough to not get confused by the two different club names, and am equally certain it would gain far more fan support than it would lose to any confusion. Particularly now that the WB are wearing a Footscray jumper these days.

I would be happy with the idea espoused earlier of paying a $50/ season [ or whatever] surcharge on my membership to also become a 'Footscray member' in order to support the project financially as well.

Yes we could use the team to look at potential recruits to see if they have the right stuff, but it might also extend for an extra year or two the careers of ageing stars, allowing them to avoid the cold turkey finishes to distinguished careers. The other obvious benefit of this would be new kids getting to play with and learn from champions earlier in their development.