Welcome to the Senior Bulldogs - Will Hayes

[1eyedog]

He's really not AFL quality. He just crumbles under any sort of pressure. I haven't missed him tbh.

[GVGjr]

He's really not AFL quality. He just crumbles under any sort of pressure. I haven't missed him tbh.

The I guess the question to ask is why did the penny drop to the match committee now instead of last year?

[The Pie Man]

Maybe conditions aren't suiting him? Some of the games have turned into real slogs

(haven't really enjoyed the spectacle of a heap of dropped marks in greasy dew @ Metricon)

[Bulldog Joe]

He certainly contributed to our late season wins.

I would have thought he should have had some sort of look in by now.

Unfortunately with the lack of visibility and scarce reports on scratch matches we have no idea what is happening.

[comrade]

He's been sucked into the same black hole as Lewis Young, Fergus Greene, Josh Schache, Brad Lynch, Ben Cavarra and co.

[Sedat]

He's been sucked into the same black hole as Lewis Young, Fergus Greene, Josh Schache, Brad Lynch, Ben Cavarra and co.

Rightly or wrongly, I suspect there has been a line drawn through the bulk of these players with reduced lists expected this year, and the club doesn't see any value at all in giving these players any meaningful senior game time. I disagree with that sentiment for some of these players

[Bulldog Joe]

Rightly or wrongly, I suspect there has been a line drawn through the bulk of these players with reduced lists expected this year, and the club doesn't see any value at all in giving these players any meaningful senior game time. I disagree with that sentiment for some of these players

We only need to look at the emergence of Joel Hamling in 2016, to see evidence that players can turn it around if an opportunity is presented.

[Mofra]

We only need to look at the emergence of Joel Hamling in 2016, to see evidence that players can turn it around if an opportunity is presented.

True - but for every Joel Hamling, there are seven Jarrad Boumann's

[1eyedog]

The I guess the question to ask is why did the penny drop to the match committee now instead of last year?

I feel they gave him an extended run at it last year.

[GVGjr]

Rightly or wrongly, I suspect there has been a line drawn through the bulk of these players with reduced lists expected this year, and the club doesn't see any value at all in giving these players any meaningful senior game time. I disagree with that sentiment for some of these players

I think you're around the mark and it's been a bug bear of mine for years that we don't go hard enough with our list management cuts at the end of the year and then effectively rule lines through players early on in the next season.

Given we are right into the compressed component of the season we should have an open mind on selections and be prepared to play the right players. If they don't perform, move them aside.

It's frustrating to me that we played Hayes last year before he was ready for what 5 successive games and he of course performed below expectations and then brought him back later in the year when his form supported that selection and where he performed better than OK and now he appears to be on the outer again.

It's a bit of a lotto trying to work out our selections process.

[bornadog]

It's a bit of a lotto trying to work out our selections process.

It is when you don't know what is going on. At least when the VFL was playing we could see the form of players.

[GVGjr]

It is when you don't know what is going on. At least when the VFL was playing we could see the form of players.

I'm not sure that made any difference at all, plenty of players have been promoted into the seniors without VFL form to support it
Hayes in the first part of last year a clear example of that
I'm not convinced that form is a prime reason for inclusion into the side at the moment

[bornadog]

I'm not convinced that form is a prime reason for inclusion into the side at the moment

This is a professional sport and I am not sure what you mean by this statement. What other reason could there be?

All players have a role to play and if they don't follow the coaches instructions and don't fulfill the role, then they don't get selected.

[GVGjr]

This is a professional sport and I am not sure what you mean by this statement. What other reason could there be?

All players have a role to play and if they don't follow the coaches instructions and don't fulfill the role, then they don't get selected.

So if form is the be all, why is Bruce playing each week regardless?
I think we are overthinking selections, when we got our act together from a selections perspective last year we were a vastly better side

[Vred]

He certainly contributed to our late season wins.

I would have thought he should have had some sort of look in by now.

Unfortunately with the lack of visibility and scarce reports on scratch matches we have no idea what is happening.

I think people tend to forget just how good Hayes was during our run late last year. Go jump on Al's highlights channel and watch some of our games form the end of 2019, Hayes plays a great part in a lot of that. No idea why he hasn't been given a chance this year, but what do we have to lose at this point? I'd almost drop JJ for Hayes at this point, have Hayes play the same position off half-back, we know he has the tank for it.