Western Bulldogs tough, brutal and having fun

[bornadog]

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Twelve months ago, Marcus Bontempelli was the poster boy for the Western Bulldogs.
In many ways, Bontempelli was the Bulldogs' only marketing tool as there was nothing much else to really get excited about. I remember vividly being on 3AW last year and the Bulldogs were doing their best to protect Bontempelli from being overexposed too early in his career.
The comment was made by many at the time that they should just release the shackles and get him talking as Bontempelli was all they had to excite anyone. How times have changed.

Over the past decade, Hawthorn and Geelong have been the most watchable sides because they play a high-tempo, high-scoring brand of football that makes you want to tune in and watch them. The Bulldogs may not be filling stadiums like the hierarchy are craving but they are everybody's second team because of their aggressive attack and their ability to run in waves.

What's equally as impressive is that they can defend just as well, which makes them very hard to plan for if you're an opposition trying to find a weakness.
The true sign of a team on the rise and one that's heading in the right direction can be how many players are in career-best form.

Luke Beveridge has to be coach of the year to this point due to his ability to have both old and young playing the best football of their lives, and achieving that within 12 months. Robert Murphy, Matthew Boyd, Liam Picken and Easton Wood have all reinvented themselves under Beveridge and could all be in the frame for All-Australian honours, while Mitch Wallis, Luke Dahlhaus, Jason Johannisen and Tory Dickson are also in career-best form.

Despite being young, you expect standout performances from Jake Stringer, Marcus Bontempelli and Jack McCrae because that is the expectation that comes with being selected in the top 10 of the national draft.
That is exactly what the Bulldogs are getting from those three players. In conjunction with the lesser lights playing out of their skins, the Bulldogs are going to be extremely hard to stop in their current mindset.
What I love about Beveridge early in his coaching career is that he has his players and staff believing anything is possible.

Beveridge never plays the age or injury card when he's preparing for a game or when his side loses. Every player who crosses that white line to represent the Bulldogs is one piece of the puzzle and is expected to come in and do the job.
Last weekend's team that dismantled Port Adelaide had six players that were originally on the rookie list in Morris, Dahlhaus, Picken, Campbell, Jong and Redpath. Michael Talia (39), Easton Wood (43), Bailey Dale (45), Caleb Daniel (46) and the in-form mature age rookie Tory Dickson (pick 57) were taken outside pick 38.
Add fringe players Sam Darley from Greater Western Sydney, Shane Biggs from Sydney and Joel Hamling from Geelong, who are all still trying to forge their careers, and it paints a picture of an extremely healthy environment that Beveridge has created so far at the kennel to be able to get the level of performance he has out of this group of players.

I questioned some aspects of Beveridge's coaching earlier in the season, particularly why he didn't play Will Minson in the ruck against Aaron Sandilands and why a player like Jack McCrae was playing VFL?.
Big Will and McCrae were obviously there because they weren't carrying out exactly what was required of them. Beveridge was laying the foundation early on for all his players that reputation means nothing and you have to earn the right to play.

Lachie Hunter has learnt the hard way and is a better player for it, recording 32, 36 and 31 disposals in the past three weeks. Only Jordan Lewis and Dane Swan have had more disposals in that time.
Hunter has played eight VFL games this year and was one of 12 players who played in the victory against Port Adelaide who has spent time in the VFL this year. Stewart Crameri (three games), Jack Redpath (eight) and McCrae for a couple of weeks also spent time there.

Some young coaches make a big mistake by trying to change too much too quickly with discipline and culture and they can lose key players and people because of the way they go about it. Beveridge seems to have been able to create a fun environment for his players but at the same time, a non-negotiable one with the standards he demands.
Younger and older players seem to be thriving under him because of his communication skills, which are said to be exceptional. This is the most important skill for a coach. It looks easy enough but poor communication is a basic skill that usually costs coaches their jobs. You have to give Beveridge a big pat on the back as nobody saw this success coming so early on.

I predicted a bottom four position for the Bulldogs in 2015, yet a top four berth is now theirs to lose. You get the feeling there is more to be written for the Bulldogs, and Bontempelli will play a key role in the script, although it will not be more important than his 21 teammates.
Who would have thought?

[LostDoggy]

Thanks BAD.

I bet it pained Lloyd to write that.

Along with Shaw, I find Lloyd the most annoying "expert" in the AFL media.

Incapable of any original or analytical thought.

[bornadog]

Thanks BAD.

I bet it pained Lloyd to write that.

Along with Shaw, I find Lloyd the most annoying "expert" in the AFL media.

Incapable of any original or analytical thought.

I can't stand him either and never have.