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  1. #1
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    Bulldogs upfront about emulating the Crows

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    FLYING in the face of the past two premiership formulas, the Western Bulldogs are open to playing three tall forwards in the same side this season.

    The Bulldogs in 2016 and Richmond last year lifted the cup on the back of small and unpredictable attacks, but with recruit Josh Schache joining Tom Boyd and Jack Redpath as key forwards at Whitten Oval, the Dogs are considering a similar set-up to 2017 runner-up Adelaide.

    Forwards Taylor Walker, Josh Jenkins and Tom Lynch all stand over 191cm and were key planks in the Crows finishing on top of the ladder after the home and away season.

    With all three Bulldogs also able to play in the ruck, forwards coach Ashley Hansen told AFL.com.au the Dogs are open-minded on the selection of Boyd, Redpath and Schache.

    "There's no reason why they all can't play in the same forward line," Hansen said.

    "It's a great headache to have if they're all marking the ball. If they're all converting on goal and providing defensive pressure, they'll all play.

    "Being opened minded is really important in our game because it depends on the opposition and who you've got available for selection.

    "You certainly reflect on who went well last year, and it's really important that we learn from who won the flag, but we took a lot away from what Adelaide did as well.

    "(Small forward lines) have been in vogue over the past two years, and it worked for us and Richmond, but we've seen the power of Adelaide's attack with their height, and that won them the most games last season, so clearly that works as well.

    "I think (our height) is a strength of ours going into the season."

    Another interesting subplot in the Bulldogs' 2018 campaign is how they go about fixing the inefficiency and accuracy problems that plagued them in attack last year.

    Hansen is hoping another pre-season of building chemistry between all areas of the ground will go a long way to improving the vitally important elements of the game.

    The Dogs finished 2017 last in goal kicking accuracy with a dismal 43.1 per cent.

    "We're making sure all our areas (of the ground) are covered but certainly focusing on refining (our ball use inside 50) to get maximum return for the good work we do in the midfield and backline," Hansen said.

    "It's knowing how each player likes the ball to be delivered, so hopefully our list can continue to get training hours into them."

    The Dogs are considering taking a similar approach to JLT Community Series as in previous years by using one game to field their best side and the other to give some exposure to younger players.

    The Dogs will host Hawthorn at Ballarat's Mars Stadium on March 3 before travelling to Moe to face Collingwood on March 10.

    "I'd like to think with one less game (this year), we'd pick our best side (for both games)," Hansen said.

    "But the then again, we have to meet as a match committee and might decide to invest and have a look at our youth in one of those games.

    "I think two games is a good preparation."
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  2. #2
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    Re: Bulldogs upfront about emulating the Crows

    I can't remember ever having to worry about an abundance of height..........

    In any case, it's unlikely selectors will go for all three with any regularity I don't think.
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    Re: Bulldogs upfront about emulating the Crows

    "It's a great headache to have if they're all marking the ball"

    - Left unsaid. It is going to be more than a problem if NONE of them are marking the ball.

    If we go in with 3x talls none of whom can really go back and they aren't catching it, it is the same as playing with 20 players....1 in the ruck and 2 on the bench.
    What should I tell her? She's going to ask.

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    Re: Bulldogs upfront about emulating the Crows

    Quote Originally Posted by mjp View Post
    "It's a great headache to have if they're all marking the ball"

    - Left unsaid. It is going to be more than a problem if NONE of them are marking the ball.

    If we go in with 3x talls none of whom can really go back and they aren't catching it, it is the same as playing with 20 players....1 in the ruck and 2 on the bench.
    Yep - 3 is extreme overkill when you factor in Roughead too (+ Adams - he can play both ends).

    None can apply defensive pressure - although Schache is the most mobile of the 3.

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    Re: Bulldogs upfront about emulating the Crows

    If we go back and look at some of the recent grand final sides:-

    Hawks 2015 - McEvoy, Hale, Roughead, Schoenmakers, Gunston.
    Eagles 2015 - Naitanui, Sinclair, Kennedy, Darling.
    Swans 2014 - Franklin, Pyke, Tippett, Reid, Goodes (at a pinch)
    Hawks 2014 - Hale, McEvoy, Roughead, Gunston, Spangher

    Quite a number of these sides played with multiple talls who either rucked or spent time forward - meaning if we're going to go with a number of talls we'll need them to be able to spend time in the ruck.

    I love Roughie, he's battled hard for a long time and put his body through it for the club, but I'm really struggling to see how we can fit him, Boyd and Schache in the same team, particularly if we're going to play Redpath, Adams, Trengove, Young etc. If Boyd and Schache can handle the ruck duties, perhaps with a chop out from Trengove too, the balance looks better.

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    Re: Bulldogs upfront about emulating the Crows

    It's all good and well playing 3 tall forwards, providing these forwards are capable of taking a contested mark.
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    Re: Bulldogs upfront about emulating the Crows

    Quote Originally Posted by craigsahibee View Post
    It's all good and well playing 3 tall forwards, providing these forwards are capable of taking a contested mark.
    Plus the delivery into the forward line has to also be spot on. We don't want to be bombing the ball in there expecting these guys to clunk a mark.
    FFC: Established 1883

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    Re: Bulldogs upfront about emulating the Crows

    Quote Originally Posted by mjp View Post
    If we go in with 3x talls none of whom can really go back and they aren't catching it, it is the same as playing with 20 players....1 in the ruck and 2 on the bench.
    Yep - 3 talls only works if one plays as a pseudo mid sized player (and Jenkins is overrated for mine - he's a Joe the Goose specialist and doesn't actually play that tall, just as 191cm Stringer plays much shorter than Taylor Walker).

    Boyd, Schache and Redpath won't provide finals-like defensive pressure between them. The only way I can see it working is if Roughy is out and Schache/Boyd share ruck duties so there's only one of them in the forward half at any one time.

    Shame Roughy is the best mark of all of them - he's the worst kick for goal in the side and perhaps the worst I've seen, although Honeychurch is a solid contender.
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    Re: Bulldogs upfront about emulating the Crows

    Agree with Mofra. All well and good comparing them to the Adelaide talls, but Lynch, Jenkins and Walker are all far more mobile than our 3.

    I reckon the preferred set up is two big forwards, with one of those spending considerable minutes in the ruck.

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    Re: Bulldogs upfront about emulating the Crows

    Another interesting subplot in the Bulldogs' 2018 campaign is how they go about fixing the inefficiency and accuracy problems that plagued them in attack last year
    Wasn't just in attack or our goalkicking. We missed targets all over all over the ground.
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    Re: Bulldogs upfront about emulating the Crows

    Quote Originally Posted by lemmon View Post
    Agree with Mofra. All well and good comparing them to the Adelaide talls, but Lynch, Jenkins and Walker are all far more mobile than our 3.

    I reckon the preferred set up is two big forwards, with one of those spending considerable minutes in the ruck.
    Adelaide also have (or had) the speed of Betts and Cameron to clean up around the packs and provide defensive pressure. We don’t have anything close on our list to that.
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    Re: Bulldogs upfront about emulating the Crows

    If it is to be 3 talls in our forward line then the 3rd tall has to be either Cordy, Adams, Bontempelli or Young
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    Re: Bulldogs upfront about emulating the Crows

    Quote Originally Posted by GVGjr View Post
    If it is to be 3 talls in our forward line then the 3rd tall has to be either Cordy, Adams, Bontempelli or Young
    Cordy was very good in this role in 2016. Adams looked competent when swung forward in 2017.

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    Re: Bulldogs upfront about emulating the Crows

    Quote Originally Posted by SonofScray View Post
    Cordy was very good in this role in 2016. Adams looked competent when swung forward in 2017.
    With our recruiting of Trengove and having Adams back from injury before we traded for Scache I had Cordy earmarked for a role in the forward line. Now hearing we might consider 3 talls then I think he is a good fit because he has excellent natural defensive skills.
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    Re: Bulldogs upfront about emulating the Crows

    Quote Originally Posted by GVGjr View Post
    With our recruiting of Trengove and having Adams back from injury before we traded for Scache I had Cordy earmarked for a role in the forward line. Now hearing we might consider 3 talls then I think he is a good fit because he has excellent natural defensive skills.
    Cordy's defencive skills and aggression makes him the perfect third foil to Boyd and Schasche in my opinion. They are the three forwards I would start with.
    Have you been reading those Roddy Doyle books again, Dougal!?


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