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View Full Version : Eade backs winless Dogs to be an AFL 'powerhouse'



The Coon Dog
09-03-2009, 06:43 AM
Eade backs winless Dogs to be an AFL 'powerhouse' (http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/winless-dogs-an-afl-powerhouse/2009/03/08/1236447047806.html)

WESTERN Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade has shrugged aside a winless pre-season period by declaring his side can match it with any other in the competition.

Eade isn't worried that his is the only AFL club yet to notch a pre-season win, saying that once the premiership season begins, the club would be intent on building its status as an emerging "powerhouse" of the competition, with a top four finish the minimum target.

"We think we're as good as any team in the competition," he said yesterday. "If we have a bit of luck with injuries, which we're fairly confident of, we've got a lot of depth now, a lot of good young players, a lot of talent at the top end, the hunger's there.

"We've really got to cement our spot in the top echelon in the competition, we're looking again for a start to make top four..

"They've trained extremely well and we're certainly looking forward to a very successful season."

The Bulldogs, preliminary finalists last year, have not won a NAB Cup or practice game so far with Saturday's 27-point defeat to Sydney following losses to Essendon and St Kilda.

But Eade said the defeats were largely a side-effect of the Dogs training their players harder than ever before.

"The main reason that we have trained extremely hard and loaded up the players is that we've got a very solid first five weeks of the season," Eade said at the club's family day yesterday.

"We travel twice to Perth, probably playing in heat.

"The biggest thing coming back from Perth is the recovery, most times when we've come back from Perth we don't win the next week. So we've done all our hard work up to now.

"And also towards the end of the season we've had a fade-out the last two seasons, we think that we're going to address that by putting a lot of work into them before the season.

"Once the second half of the season comes in we can freshen them up and head into the finals full of run."

The club was also easing players back after injury-interrupted pre-seasons, Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney and star forward Robert Murphy playing limited minutes against the Swans. They were also missing Matthew Boyd, Daniel Cross, Daniel Giansiracusa, Dale Morris and Nathan Eagleton.

"Next week we'll have close to our best side when we play Melbourne (in another practice match)," Eade said.

azabob
10-03-2009, 12:26 PM
Hmmm Im starting to get the feeling that Eade over the summer found an old document on the topic of "Media Spin" and the author is none other than Terry Wallace...
What will be interesting is if we lose this week to Melbourne. Will he trot out the same line about training load? Currently I am giving him the benifit of the doubt, but I am struggling to "buy" what he is trying to "sell"
I guess all will be known by round 10.

GVGjr
10-03-2009, 05:27 PM
Hmmm Im starting to get the feeling that Eade over the summer found an old document on the topic of "Media Spin" and the author is none other than Terry Wallace...
What will be interesting is if we lose this week to Melbourne. Will he trot out the same line about training load? Currently I am giving him the benifit of the doubt, but I am struggling to "buy" what he is trying to "sell"
I guess all will be known by round 10.

When the current results aren't matching the expectations most would do the same thing and talk up their teams chances. I must admit when I first read it, it sounded a little like Greg Chappell saying "I'm hitting the ball well but I'm just not making runs".

Time will tell if we can get it all together in the next few weeks.

LostDoggy
10-03-2009, 05:38 PM
Why would pre-season form be any indicator of real season form? The team is barely the same, the players have specific instructions (especially not to get hurt), the results are completely and absolutely meaningless, the start of the season (while you don't want to get to far behind) is not the best time to peak, tactical surprises would be best kept for the season proper (especially this season) etc etc...

While I'm not as bullish as some about our prospects this year, by the same token I don't understand the pessimism that's been evident on this board over meaningless pre-season form, ESPECIALLY since we have two tough trips to Perth in the first four rounds that is the real focus.

Rocket, while adept enough at spin, in this case I see as just telling it as he sees it.

azabob
10-03-2009, 06:05 PM
Why would pre-season form be any indicator of real season form? The team is barely the same, the players have specific instructions (especially not to get hurt), the results are completely and absolutely meaningless, the start of the season (while you don't want to get to far behind) is not the best time to peak, tactical surprises would be best kept for the season proper (especially this season) etc etc...

While I'm not as bullish as some about our prospects this year, by the same token I don't understand the pessimism that's been evident on this board over meaningless pre-season form, ESPECIALLY since we have two tough trips to Perth in the first four rounds that is the real focus.

Rocket, while adept enough at spin, in this case I see as just telling it as he sees it.

Latern I just think Eade is trying to hard to sell the message, it has been the same message for 3 weeks now.

azabob
10-03-2009, 06:06 PM
Latern I just think Eade is trying to hard to sell the message, it has been the same message for 3 weeks now.

My apologise should read Lantern

GVGjr
10-03-2009, 06:09 PM
Why would pre-season form be any indicator of real season form? The team is barely the same, the players have specific instructions (especially not to get hurt), the results are completely and absolutely meaningless, the start of the season (while you don't want to get to far behind) is not the best time to peak, tactical surprises would be best kept for the season proper (especially this season) etc etc...



Granted that isn't a great indicator but it's all about certain players showing form and I don't think we have had enough of it.

LostDoggy
10-03-2009, 06:34 PM
Granted that isn't a great indicator but it's all about certain players showing form and I don't think we have had enough of it.

Fair enough Gary, but I was at all the pre-season games last year (except the first one against North in Darwin which I watched on TV), and boy we looked terrible, especially against Essendon where we got shellacked, and then again at Princes Park against Carlton, where we were abysmal.

Hill was the only player to show any kind of form and he was rewarded with a starting berth. I remember also thinking that Wight looked a reasonable prospect as CHF!

It was particularly scary because of the terrible season we were coming off, and I remember a LOT of whinging on this board, and mjp and I were the only two who predicted would finish in the top four, with most not even having us in the top 12, much less the top 8! (despite very clear indicators that we weren't as bad as we appeared)

Yet, come Round 1, Johnno kicks a couple of goals at the end to win the match against the Crows off his own boot, and suddenly the season was underway. We should know by now that Rocket just doesn't care about the results in these meaningless matches.

--

The facts are that we do have a few players underdone and have had to manage their pre-seasons, and Rocket is trying to get some game time into some of the second/third year players, but:

1. We will have one of the top 3 midfields going around,
2. Welsh and Minson will be better up forward than last year as Minnow learns the position better and they have another year to settle into the game style,
3. HOPEFULLY Everitt and Williams will be out on the park enough to solve CHB,
4. Addison and Callan are far better players this year than they were last, and
5. Harbrow, Hill and Ward will be pushing for regular selection, with Grant right behind them.

Also, we have a new fitness guy on board this year and are seriously addressing the drop off last year and not quite peaking for September - Rocket has pointed out that this is the toughest pre-season the players have ever been through. Sydney are the masters at this, and I just think that it would be good to remember that the last five matches of the year are far more important than the first five.

Sockeye Salmon
10-03-2009, 07:41 PM
When the current results aren't matching the expectations most would do the same thing and talk up their teams chances. I must admit when I first read it, it sounded a little like Greg Chappell saying "I'm hitting the ball well but I'm just not making runs".

Time will tell if we can get it all together in the next few weeks.

Greg Chappell came out and made 182. I guess he wasn't hitting the ball too bad.

KT31
10-03-2009, 10:54 PM
Granted that isn't a great indicator but it's all about certain players showing form and I don't think we have had enough of it.

How can a player show form when the season hasn't even started ?
When its for points and they don't perform then have a dig at them.

KT31
10-03-2009, 10:56 PM
Rocket doesn't have to spin anything , he is the best man for the job.