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  1. #1
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    Brad Johnson reveals game style concerns

    Just to give some context on a discussion about Brad Johnson on the Bailey Smith thread

    Brad Johnson reveals game style concerns for Western Bulldogs

    Western Bulldogs legend Brad Johnson believes coach Luke Beveridge’s game plan will struggle to stand up against most AFL sides this season, predicting his former club could endure a long build despite winning the premiership only three years ago.

    The Bulldogs have been one of the hardest teams to get a read on during the off-season, with the club failing to build on its fairytale 2016 success and overseeing a surprising decrease in average age since the flag.

    There were some danger signs during the recent JLT Community Series, losing both of their games to Gold Coast and St Kilda — two teams many think will finish below the Dogs in 2019.

    Asked on the Fox Footy Podcast whether he was worried about his former side’s 2019 prospects, Johnson — the Bulldogs’ games record-holder — said: “I am actually.

    “I’m a bit concerned about what I saw throughout the JLT and losing the games they did. St Kilda were a lot tougher than the Dogs around the ball, they physically took it to the Bulldogs — and that’s hopefully a big wake-up call for them as a club in terms of what they need to turn around themselves.

    For me, their game style just doesn’t seem to be able to stack up to where footy is going at the moment. I think Luke Beveridge needs to potentially make a lot of changes off the back of what we saw in the JLT.”

    One of Johnson’s biggest concerns is the Bulldogs overusing the ball by hand, highlighted by the fact they finished with more handballs than kicks in both JLT losses.

    Johnson was particularly troubled by the numbers of Toby McLean, who accumulated three kicks and 16 handballs against the Suns before racking up three kicks and 15 handballs against St Kilda.

    “You’ve got a lot of guys that win a lot of football: (Jack) Macrae, (Lachie) Hunter, (Mitch) Wallis, ‘Libba’ (Tom Liberatore), McLean — they’re all winning 30 to 40 disposals per game. But a lot of their ball is handball and a lot of it is back out of congestion and then they continue to go back — one, two three — before they even look at going forward,” Johnson said.

    “McLean’s the one for me … He’s not a handball player. He’s the type of player that we’ve known is forward of centre and is creative by foot, sets up goals and kicks goals. His game is something that needs to be adjusted significantly for him to have a real impact this year.

    “There’s a lot for the Dogs to work on, especially if they get corridor ball. They seem to push it really wide and not go forward when there is time and space to do that.

    “I’d stack my (SuperCoach) side with Dogs players because they’ll rack up points. But in terms of the way the game’s played, I think they need to have a huge adjustment, especially through the midfield.”

    The Bulldogs named the youngest 22-man team in the league across every home and away round last season. They enter 2019 with the sixth-youngest list in the competition.

    Johnson said the prospect of the Bulldogs finishing in the bottom six for the second straight year — just three seasons after their stunning premiership success — was a “concerning shift”.

    “Go back to 2016, they finished seventh and they win the flag from seventh. For me, it was the progression from seventh,” he said.

    “I didn’t expect them to win the flag over the last two years, but to go from seventh, maintain seventh, maybe become a top-four side last year and then you start to grow towards a flag over this year, next year or the following year — that’s how it evolves these days.

    “The reality is it’s going to be another long build for them. To win a flag in 2016 and not play finals for two years and potentially a third year now, they’ve got a lot of work to do.

    “It’s not good enough from where they were in 2016.”
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  3. #2
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    Re: Brad Johnson reveals game style concerns

    I don't have a problem with what Johnson said. It's based on the two JLT games which if we are honest we didn't quite measure up in.
    Bevo talked at the season launch and admitted things didn't quite go to plan but he was confident that with a few tweaks it could be sorted out.

    I'm confident Bevo can sort out the lack of continuity we displayed in those two games
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    Re: Brad Johnson reveals game style concerns

    His concerns are valid. We do use the ball by hand too frequently and often not to advantage.

    We were an exciting, attacking, running team in 2015 and 2016 - we took the game on, took risks and while we relied on quick hands we used the ball by foot and were daring when we had to be. It's a simple analysis, but in 2015 we averaged 202 kicks and 165 handballs a game. In 2018 207 kicks and 180 handballs - based on the pre-season that number is going to make a significant change again.

    West Coast last year averaged 227 kicks and 129 handballs...

    Hopefully as we adjust to having some big blokes to kick to when we move the ball quickly, we get back to basics - run hard, kick the ball, don't allow the opposition time to set up and launch their counter.

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    Re: Brad Johnson reveals game style concerns

    Pretty sure the book "Time and Space" talks about stats and their relationship to winning.

    The basic summary at the end was that there is only ONE stat that correlates to winning actual games - it isn't inside 50's, it isn't stoppages, it sure as hell isn't anything that needs you to make a 'judgement call' when recording it (hard ball gets).

    It is total kicks.

    I listened to the podcast with Johnno and as soon as he commented about the continual over-use, I immediately thought back to the book.

    The one thing I will say?

    It is way (way) better to be getting the ball and not quite have evolved your movement pattern than not getting it. And it is way (way) better to be honouring the first release by hand rather than burning team-mates working hard into space.

    The players just need to understand it is OK to kick the ball when they are out and facing the goals...that simple change would help us a lot...I think we see that today because there is a heap of vision of what happens when we go for one too many.
    What should I tell her? She's going to ask.

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    Re: Brad Johnson reveals game style concerns

    Quote Originally Posted by mjp View Post
    Pretty sure the book "Time and Space" talks about stats and their relationship to winning.

    The basic summary at the end was that there is only ONE stat that correlates to winning actual games - it isn't inside 50's, it isn't stoppages, it sure as hell isn't anything that needs you to make a 'judgement call' when recording it (hard ball gets).

    It is total kicks.

    I listened to the podcast with Johnno and as soon as he commented about the continual over-use, I immediately thought back to the book.

    The one thing I will say?

    It is way (way) better to be getting the ball and not quite have evolved your movement pattern than not getting it. And it is way (way) better to be honouring the first release by hand rather than burning team-mates working hard into space.

    The players just need to understand it is OK to kick the ball when they are out and facing the goals...that simple change would help us a lot...I think we see that today because there is a heap of vision of what happens when we go for one too many.
    I think some of our coaches have said as much. Just about knowing when to use our numbers and when to go forward. Saints were very aggressive in coming up to the ball carrier which seemed to throw us.

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    Re: Brad Johnson reveals game style concerns

    How is the game plan now Brad
    FFC: Established 1883

    Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.

  9. #7
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    Re: Brad Johnson reveals game style concerns

    Quote Originally Posted by bornadog View Post
    How is the game plan now Brad
    Somewhat different to JLT?
    Kicks 217
    Handball: 157

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    Re: Brad Johnson reveals game style concerns

    Quote Originally Posted by Yankee Hotel Foxtrot View Post
    Somewhat different to JLT?
    Kicks 217
    Handball: 157
    Its almost as though our senior coach saw the issue and rectified it.

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    Re: Brad Johnson reveals game style concerns

    Johno gets paid to say things about the club and people he loves, like Bob. Johno gets the chance to walk some back this week on Fox. I trust he will.

    Or, maybe there's an Instragram photo post from Bevo post season from a beach in Europe with a dig...
    Rocket Science: the epitaph for the Beveridge era - whenever it ends - reading 'Here lies a team that could beat anyone on its day, but seldom did when it mattered most'. 15/7/2023

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    Re: Brad Johnson reveals game style concerns

    Quote Originally Posted by bulldogtragic View Post
    Johno gets paid to say things about the club and people he loves, like Bob. Johno gets the chance to walk some back this week on Fox. I trust he will.

    Or, maybe there's an Instragram photo post from Bevo post season from a beach in Europe with a dig...
    Despite his comments.. post game, Johnno's face was the embodiment of the 'cat that got the cream'. Red face, beaming smile. He was a bloke who was never happier to be shown to be wrong.

  13. #11
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    Re: Brad Johnson reveals game style concerns

    Quote Originally Posted by Yankee Hotel Foxtrot View Post
    Despite his comments.. post game, Johnno's face was the embodiment of the 'cat that got the cream'. Red face, beaming smile. He was a bloke who was never happier to be shown to be wrong.
    My disgust at what he said was the fact it was based on 2 JLT games.
    FFC: Established 1883

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  14. #12
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    Re: Brad Johnson reveals game style concerns

    Quote Originally Posted by westdog54 View Post
    Its almost as though our senior coach saw the issue and rectified it.
    Glad he did...would've been awkward if he hadn't.

    BJ was right. We responded.

    As Bob would say on his podcast..."they tried, play on"

  15. #13
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    Re: Brad Johnson reveals game style concerns

    Quote Originally Posted by bornadog View Post
    My disgust at what he said was the fact it was based on 2 JLT games.
    Why shouldn't he do that? What he said was exactly the way we played
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  16. #14
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    Re: Brad Johnson reveals game style concerns

    Quote Originally Posted by bornadog View Post
    My disgust at what he said was the fact it was based on 2 JLT games.
    I give Johnno more of a pass, given how much he bleeds Red, White & Blue.
    I wasn't too far apart from his assessment, based on what I saw pre-season.
    What I loved with Johnno, was that when we won, he could barely conceal his joy. He was happy to be wrong.
    I really love that in a media person. They are paid for their viewpoints and insights. Johnno seemed, post game,. to be stoked that his assessment of our game plan was wrong.

  17. #15
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    Re: Brad Johnson reveals game style concerns

    Quote Originally Posted by Yankee Hotel Foxtrot View Post
    I give Johnno more of a pass, given how much he bleeds Red, White & Blue.
    I wasn't too far apart from his assessment, based on what I saw pre-season.
    What I loved with Johnno, was that when we won, he could barely conceal his joy. He was happy to be wrong.
    I really love that in a media person. They are paid for their viewpoints and insights. Johnno seemed, post game,. to be stoked that his assessment of our game plan was wrong.
    Wasn't having a go at him, love Johnno, just his idea the game plan is outdated.
    FFC: Established 1883

    Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.

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