What can be done to lift self belief with our team

[Eastdog]

It seems that we have potential to play well during matches (eg: 1st quarter today) but then our heads drop afterwards and we shut down. What can be done at training most likely to lift self belief in our team so they can play that brand that we saw today in the 1st quarter of footy for the entire match.

[LostDoggy]

Fitness and accountability.

[1eyedog]

Crack in

[Bumper Bulldogs]

It could be two things, The coaching staff just don't have a plan "B" on game day. O still have my doubts on Macca at game days. He seems to let things roll on and see how it turns out. I thought that Campbell offered a lot more today than Jones but we substitute him. Surly in the last quarter Campbell in the square and Dickson/Crameri down back would have worked better than Jones down back. You have been down at the club for years now so you should know what Jones can offer. Don't give me "You wanted to try it out" rubbish.

Secondly we need a player like Selwood/Watson/Hodge, someone who will drag the club along and put the club first. It looked like today we wanted to play bruise free footy. The same side that was hard at it last year this year seems to not be instructed to play that way anymore.

[Mofra]

Secondly we need a player like Selwood/Watson/Hodge, someone who will drag the club along and put the club first. It looked like today we wanted to play bruise free footy. The same side that was hard at it last year this year seems to not be instructed to play that way anymore.
I don't know about bruise free football, but ball movement in thr 2nd & 3rd quarters was as timid as I've seen from a Bulldogs team. When we took risks in the 1st and 4th quarter we were beating the Crows convincingly.

[Mantis]

I don't know about bruise free football, but ball movement in thr 2nd & 3rd quarters was as timid as I've seen from a Bulldogs team. When we took risks in the 1st and 4th quarter we were beating the Crows convincingly.

This wasn't helped by the complete lack of movement & poor positioning of players up-field.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

It was an interesting match to witness yesterday. First match i have been able to attend this season and i was surprised at how lackluster we were in quarters 2 and 3. After finishing last season so well we seem to have gone backwards but it was the efforts out on the ground i was most concerned with. It almost looked like our fitness is just not up to it. So many weak/broken tackles that we just couldnt stick. The Adelaide players just looked a class above fitness wise - especially in body size. We werent chasing, constantly giving the adelaide player an extra metre to take mark upon mark. I saw Boyd - yes even Boyd - towards the end of the game barely able to move. His opponent was a few metres away and he could not will himself to move to tackle.

Not sure if fitness is a real issue but it sure looked like it yesterday. But that surely cant be an issue in the 2nd quarter! At this point in the season i honestly cant tell if its lack of game plan/structures or if the players are not following instructions. But we do not look up to AFL standard. Not fit enough, cant stick tackles, poor skills and decision making. Just a complete lack of confidence that really only consecutive wins can fix. For mine, its the senior players who need to stand up and show the way and unfortunately we arent getting that from them and unfortunately relying on 2nd and 3rd year players.

[Ghost Dog]

Ted Whitten speech through the loud speakers on a continuous loop. Shave heads.

[LostDoggy]

Ted Whitten speech through the loud speakers on a continuous loop. Shave heads.

I like this. Email to the club mate.

[Mofra]

This wasn't helped by the complete lack of movement & poor positioning of players up-field.
No doubt our forwardline as a whole didn't work hard enough to provide options, but multiple times I saw hard running leads by both Boyd and Macrae ignored.
We seemed more worried about making a mistake than we did about actually attacking when we had possession - when we took more risks in the first and last quarters we controlled the game.

[bulldogtragic]

Winning. Playing well. Winning again.

Repeat.

[LostDoggy]

No doubt our forwardline as a whole didn't work hard enough to provide options, but multiple times I saw hard running leads by both Boyd and Macrae ignored.
We seemed more worried about making a mistake than we did about actually attacking when we had possession - when we took more risks in the first and last quarters we controlled the game.
Yes! This! We were very risk averse in those periods. I would much rather see a bloke pinged for trying to take the game on, or creating a turnover trying to attack and create some spark, than the chip-around-until-it-fumbles turnover.

[LostDoggy]

No doubt our forwardline as a whole didn't work hard enough to provide options, but multiple times I saw hard running leads by both Boyd and Macrae ignored.
We seemed more worried about making a mistake than we did about actually attacking when we had possession - when we took more risks in the first and last quarters we controlled the game.

I think you've hit the nail on the head there. We really go into our shells at times, which allows the opposition plenty of time to set the ground up making it even worse when we do eventually try and move the ball forward. I also believe we are far too handball happy.

[LostDoggy]

This seemed to eventuate from the shutdown of Dangerfield. He was hot early and so were we. Then Dangerfield got shut down for an extended period, we went into our shells and Adelaide took the game apart for two quarters.

Was this mental fragility or gameplan change (on both sides)?

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

It could be two things, The coaching staff just don't have a plan "B" on game day. O still have my doubts on Macca at game days. He seems to let things roll on and see how it turns out. I thought that Campbell offered a lot more today than Jones but we substitute him. Surly in the last quarter Campbell in the square and Dickson/Crameri down back would have worked better than Jones down back. You have been down at the club for years now so you should know what Jones can offer. Don't give me "You wanted to try it out" rubbish.

Secondly we need a player like Selwood/Watson/Hodge, someone who will drag the club along and put the club first. It looked like today we wanted to play bruise free footy. The same side that was hard at it last year this year seems to not be instructed to play that way anymore.
A lot of what you say makes sense in particular with some of the decisions of the MC. I still think that we are playing too may that are not up to the required standard and that when the pressure comes on, too much is being left to too few. I thought the decision to play Stringer at CHB was wrong as was the expectation to have Jong match Dangerfield. We will be a far better team when Roughead, Morris Smith and Grant return plus Bontempelli, Hrovat and Honeychurch who are our future. I also believe we should be trying Roberts at CHB considering Roughead and Morris have been missing.

[LostDoggy]

Two players I think can make a massive difference if playing to their ability are Jarrad Grant and Clay Smith.

[Eastdog]

That's the last 2 weeks now we have faltered in close matches. So bloody frustrating. We could of easily been 5-2 if we had of win last week and beaten Carlton which was so crap losing to them as they are ordinary.