The one thing preventing young dog from “making it”

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Young Western Bulldogs forward Josh Schache must improve his competitive instincts if he is to make it at AFL level, according to Terry Wallace.

Schache, 21, booted four goals in the comeback win over Hawthorn in Round 2, but found himself out of the side after two quiet performances against Gold Coast and Collingwood.

“There’s one thing preventing him (Schache) from making it in my opinion,” Wallace told The Match Committee.

“I don’t think he is a natural beast competitor.

“I’ll go Jack Watts in that similar sort of vein, where everything is neat but when it gets really hard, where you’ve got to push back, where you’ve got to beeline the ball … I don’t think he does that part of his game well.”

Former Bulldogs coach Wallace also highlighted a positive aspect of the former No.2 draft pick’s game.

“The positive is with ball in hand you know what you’re going to get,” he added.

“If it’s outside 50 you’re going to get a beautiful delivery inside 50, if it’s inside 50 his going to nail the goal opportunity for you.”

Schache has booted 47 goals in 44 games for both the Dogs and Brisbane since debuting in 2016.

Easier to build a harder edge than develop razor skills. I'm patient.

Hmm, sort of stating the obvious there Terry.

Thanks Terry. Next you'll tell us the Brett Peak's problem was the the football travels better when kicked off the foot instead of the shin.

Aaron Naughton's performance will give him something to think about.
In the games I've seen he looks agro enough. Does anyone here disagree with Wallace?

Needs more mongrel. He'll get older, bigger and more confident.

Schache is meek, and he knows it. You see early in games he tries to impost himself, but as the game wears on he wants a no contact style of game.

Bob described him as a 'tall flanker' and I agree.

Wallace translation: Schache is soft.

It used to be the worst possible slur. The million dollar question? With all the additional resources in recruiting how do we still get a pick so wrong? #2 Pick. High profile. Surely they know that "hardness" is a key requirement for a key position forward. Obviously it is more difficult to judge this when you have a giant playing against kids, but surely there are some signs that make you drop further than #2.

He may well make it as a good player. But I can't see him ever living up that number #2 ranking on what he has shown so far (Players who were picked after Schache: C. Mills, C. Oliver, C. Curnow, E. Hipwood, D. Rioli, H. Himmelberg, J. Dunkley, B. Williams, T. Phillips)

It might be worth going down the Jack Watts/Darcy Moore path and throwing him down back. He might respond well to being lead to the ball and given a task of using his athleticism to keep the ball away from his opponent, rather than crashing packs.

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Originally Posted by comrade

It might be worth going down the Jack Watts/Darcy Moore path and throwing him down back. He might respond well to being lead to the ball and given a task of using his athleticism to keep the ball away from his opponent, rather than crashing packs.

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I think he played back in the VFL last week.

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Originally Posted by comrade

It might be worth going down the Jack Watts/Darcy Moore path and throwing him down back. He might respond well to being lead to the ball and given a task of using his athleticism to keep the ball away from his opponent, rather than crashing packs.

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Good idea. A bit of Barry Hall hardness wouldn't go astray either.

More than a goal a game already. To me, that sounds like a decent platform to his career which is still very early on. If he can get into a team where Naughton & Boyd are taking the main defenders, the 'mongrel' question is less important. For example, without Walker & Jenkins, the similarly hard running 193cm Tom Lynch, who also has neat disposal and good on the inside 50 and accurate when getting shots would not be useful as a first or second forward who is expected to ruck. But with the right mix around him, Adelaide get to focus on his strengthes and are a better side for his place in it. This kid has more than enough going for him to play a similar role, despite facing different sorts of challenges over his career.

Worth noting he's had to run around for some pretty shit teams while he develops in a tricky position.

Yes there are non-negotiables but he must be utilised to his strengths. A clever team and coach will find a way to do just that.

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Originally Posted by angelopetraglia

Wallace translation: Schache is soft.

It used to be the worst possible slur. The million dollar question? With all the additional resources in recruiting how do we still get a pick so wrong? #2 Pick. High profile. Surely they know that "hardness" is a key requirement for a key position forward. Obviously it is more difficult to judge this when you have a giant playing against kids, but surely there are some signs that make you drop further than #2.

He may well make it as a good player. But I can't see him ever living up that number #2 ranking on what he has shown so far (Players who were picked after Schache: C. Mills, C. Oliver, C. Curnow, E. Hipwood, D. Rioli, H. Himmelberg, J. Dunkley, B. Williams, T. Phillips)

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Um... we didn’t pick him at #2. He didn’t cost us anywhere near that much.

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Originally Posted by MrMahatma

Um... we didn’t pick him at #2. He didn’t cost us anywhere near that much.

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Clarification. Yes, I know the Bulldogs didn’t take him with pick #2. I was referring to the “footy industry” (re-reading it, I can see how it came across like that).

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Originally Posted by angelopetraglia

Clarification. Yes, I know the Bulldogs didn’t take him with pick #2. I was referring to the “footy industry” (re-reading it, I can see how it came across like that).

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Fair enough.

I think as long as the draft age is so young, recruiters will get a lot wrong.

Definitely a Jack Watts element to him which is why I was so excited when he collected Aliir Aliir in round 1

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Originally Posted by ledge

I think he played back in the VFL last week.

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He didn’t in the quarter I watched and I haven’t read anywhere that he did.

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Originally Posted by Axe Man

He didn’t in the quarter I watched and I haven’t read anywhere that he did.

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Thought I read the team sheet he was at CHB and someone mentioned for he was back in another forum.

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Originally Posted by bulldogtragic

More than a goal a game already. To me, that sounds like a decent platform to his career which is still very early on. If he can get into a team where Naughton & Boyd are taking the main defenders, the 'mongrel' question is less important. For example, without Walker & Jenkins, the similarly hard running 193cm Tom Lynch, who also has neat disposal and good on the inside 50 and accurate when getting shots would not be useful as a first or second forward who is expected to ruck. But with the right mix around him, Adelaide get to focus on his strengthes and are a better side for his place in it. This kid has more than enough going for him to play a similar role, despite facing different sorts of challenges over his career.

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Yep. He's tracking OK. He's not going to be Wayne Carey (or Aaron Naughton) but he will have a decent AFL career as a KPD who averages more than a goal a game over 100+ games. He will increase his influence on games the more he plays AFL because he will learn to play more effectively at that level.

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Originally Posted by boydogs

Definitely a Jack Watts element to him which is why I was so excited when he collected Aliir Aliir in round 1

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I punched the air when I saw him barrel Alir Alir over the boundary line. It is a great sign.