The Three Top KPPs In Three Drafts - All Bulldogs

[bulldogtragic]

All three players were ranked, by draft selection, as the three best KPP/KPFs in their draft:

Pick 1. Tom Boyd
Pick 2. Josh Schache
Pick 9. Aaron Naughton

I mean, FMD, the little old Bulldogs land three gun KPPs. But it seems the players further up the ground aren't overly skilled and we are watching Boyd be turned into a ruckman/forward. Schache a forward/ruckman. Naughton a swingman without mastering either first.

I'll defend all three players until I'm blue in the face. And have done especially with Boyd. But after the initial burst for Naughton, he's gone stone cold as a forward too. A fate that Schache & Boyd have felt with poor delivery.

At Boyd, you can say maybe it's just the player. But add in Schache & Naughton, then that's three of the best KPFs of their draft year who are struggling at the club and the forward coaching and skills of theirs and their team mates. At some point we have to nuance the debate about these players and ask if a Hawthorn or Geelong had three exciting KPFs would they be doing the same as us? Be it match committee philosophy, head coach, forward coach, skills coach etc.

I mean if Boyd, Schache & Naughton can't make a prolonged impact as a KPF, then maybe no one can. Seriously, maybe no one can. Dropping Boyd & Schache for lack of rucking ability, or low output, or after 7 quarters of low output swinging Naughton back, doesn't to me seem to address that we have highly talented players who all can't seem to make the circumstances work. Yo-yo'ing them later in the year won't help either. I for one don't think it's the players complete fault that KPF in this side is one of the worst jobs in the league, not to mention they were very good set shots before spending too much time at the club.

This is now a trend, with the sample size of three top end KPP/KPFs. So what do we do? How do we turn this around? We have a lot of salary cap and a lot of contracted years in these very talented young men, and we will piss that and their potential away if we can't work out a scenario by which the selected 22 benefit from them achieving their very, very high potential. There's a lot of very strong cases for 'priority one'. But this is my nomination.

[Rocket Science]

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[MrMahatma]

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The password is "inbevowetrust"

[MrMahatma]

I'd suggest we have "system" coaches who can't actually coach talent.

The players that will thrive in our system are the less creative and the battlers who will see, to improve quickly but actually be capped out at average ability.

Until our coaches (all of them!) swallow their pride and accept they shouldn't stop instinct, we're stuffed.

[comrade]

I'd suggest we have "system" coaches who can't actually coach talent.

The players that will thrive in our system are the less creative and the battlers who will see, to improve quickly but actually be capped out at average ability.

Until our coaches (all of them!) swallow their pride and accept they shouldn't stop instinct, we're stuffed.

The irony is that the massive improvement when Bevo took over was attributed to releasing our players and allowing them to play instinctual footy.

[GVGjr]

The irony is that the massive improvement when Bevo took over was attributed to releasing our players and allowing them to play instinctual footy.

Spot on, he got the defenders taking the game on and creating a lot of run and dash.

[GVGjr]

Good thread BT.

We should bring in Schache and play him regardless. Boyd should come back in when he has form and fitness.
I'm not against Naughton as a forward but we do miss him as a defender. He's a conundrum for the selectors

[Danjul]

Good thread BT.

We should bring in Schache and play him regardless. Boyd should come back in when he has form and fitness.
I'm not against Naughton as a forward but we do miss him as a defender. He's a conundrum for the selectors

prior to the GC and Collingwood games Schache averaged 12 disposals per game and 1.5 goals per game. Why the dramatic change.

I suggest it is the way that the ball is moved down the ground and into the forward line. Too slowly followed by too high.

that is why all the forwards are failing.

[bornadog]

prior to the GC and Collingwood games Schache averaged 12 disposals per game and 1.5 goals per game. Why the dramatic change.

I suggest it is the way that the ball is moved down the ground and into the forward line. Too slowly followed by too high.

that is why all the forwards are failing.

The forwards get plenty of opportunities because we pump the ball into the FWD 50 almost more than any other team. Schache's efforts need to improve. He needs to really attack the ball.

[GVGjr]

The forwards get plenty of opportunities because we pump the ball into the FWD 50 almost more than any other team. Schache's efforts need to improve. He needs to really attack the ball.

Yep, at times he just lacks the vigor required. Given he put on size and muscle in the off season it's a shame he doesn't appear to have the confidence to throw his weight around.

[hujsh]

The forwards get plenty of opportunities because we pump the ball into the FWD 50 almost more than any other team. Schache's efforts need to improve. He needs to really attack the ball.

How about hitting a target or kicking to advantage? Pump it in all you want, it will amount to jack shit as we have well and truly proven over nearly 2 full seasons now.

[bulldogtragic]

How about hitting a target or kicking to advantage? Pump it in all you want, it will amount to jack shit as we have well and truly proven over nearly 2 full seasons now.

This to me is the issue here. All three could be absolute guns, or absolute duds, but we will never know at this rate. To me rating any of them as forwards is akin to rating batsmen who have got run out cheaply 10 innings a row and then saying they aren't applying themselves, or skilled, or making enough runs. It's a team sport, like cricket, what your team mates do/don't do is important to output and perception. Bombing the ball in shallow, or hacked entries, or teammates not hitting you up, or honouring leads, or other forwards bringing company to where you are to allow easy spoils to me is the equivalent of being run out by a 'yes, no, yes, no, maybe, yes, no, sorry'. Then being blamed for not making runs. Then being dropped for not making runs.

Either Boyd, Schache & Naughton (ex. One game this year) are all sub par KPFs. Or, stick with me, the problem might not be with them alone but elsewhere. And that elsewhere is not improving its kicking and shows no signs of improving, meaning all this talent, all this salary cap, all these contracted years are for nothing. Until we fix the underlying issue of why they can't impact games, ie their team mates won't allow them to, then we can go mad trying to figure out why after being gifted with the three best KPFs in three drafts they couldn't consistently at our club. To me the answer is obvious.

[whythelongface]

Just give them time.

Boyd has had issues both mental health and back issues. He will take time to come good. Hopefully he does. He needs to spend some time in the magoos. Is he struggling? Probably but not necessary in regards to the game. More health and personal issues. We know what he is capable of. Let’s hope he gets back to this one day. I still don’t believe he is an out and out FF. For mine at his best he plays better up the ground.

Schache has potential and I would like to see him back in the seniors. Can understand why he was dropped as he needs to find consistency. Still only 22 so has time. For mine probably the one that is struggling the most in terms of consistency. Something he needs to work on as well as becoming more physical. I do have hope for him that he does become the player we want him to be.

Naughton is a non issue. Has talent and can play both ends.Won’t and shouldn’t be dropped as if he doesn’t fire in the forward can drop back into defence, like this evening. He did this well and looked comfortable. He is a long term defensive option who can play forward when required. He is only 19. I don’t believe at all that Naughton is struggling. He is learning his craft and is playing well for a 2nd year player. He will continue to learn and get better.

What is the main issue? Poor delivery or that all three are struggling at this level? Or a combination of both?

[bulldogtragic]

Just give them time.

Boyd has had issues both mental health and back issues. He will take time to come good. Hopefully he does. He needs to spend some time in the magoos. Is he struggling? Probably but not necessary in regards to the game. More health and personal issues. We know what he is capable of. Let’s hope he gets back to this one day. I still don’t believe he is an out and out FF. For mine at his best he plays better up the ground.

Schache has potential and I would like to see him back in the seniors. Can understand why he was dropped as he needs to find consistency. Still only 22 so has time. For mine probably the one that is struggling the most in terms of consistency. Something he needs to work on as well as becoming more physical. I do have hope for him that he does become the player we want him to be.

Naughton is a non issue. Has talent and can play both ends.Won’t and shouldn’t be dropped as if he doesn’t fire in the forward can drop back into defence, like this evening. He did this well and looked comfortable. He is a long term defensive option who can play forward when required. He is only 19. I don’t believe at all that Naughton is struggling. He is learning his craft and is playing well for a 2nd year player. He will continue to learn and get better.

What is the main issue? Poor delivery or that all three are struggling at this level? Or a combination of both?

I'm not sure I can say with complete certainty their struggle is about their own form in and of itself. What I can say is that all three boys are very highly talented and I believe in all three implicitly. Also that we've almost immediately made them adopt a second role. Then there's an obvious lack of forward craft, presumably stemming from their forward coach. Poor delivery is a killer to young KPFs playing on the best defenders.

There was some good footage and commentary last night by Richo highlighting that missed kicks ND handballs with surging forward either forced the forwards to led to the boundary or completely burned them despite space. Boyd, Schache, Nughton, Franklin, Lockett or GAS would've been rendered useless. Boyd, Schache & Naughton get the 'on paper' advantage of having 60 forward 50 entries each week. But they're garbage entries for the most part.

On selection, we seem for the most part to only want to play one KPF. That means these kids re trying to develop at the level on the best defender each week. Then when we bomb it on their heads, predictably it gets spoiled. What else can these kids do?

To avoid any doubt, I'm backing all these young men in. What I question is how to unleash their potential, develop them successfully and whether anyone can actually be our KPF with success. Yo-yo'ing players in and out of the role doesn't seem to me to address to broader issue. The way we use the ball going forward, the high shallow entries, the long bombs, the best defenders and spares to kill contests, I don't think the causes and conditions currently exist for them to succeed or judge them fairly. But I think we should be addressing the delivery in, the coaching and selections. Because arguably, there's no need for a KPF if we continue to play this way. And selfishly, I don't want to spend all my time passionately defending them all when their low impact has origins well before the game starts. The best outcome now is having a 'development year', so I just pray we develop them appropriately and not continue the status quo.

[AndrewP6]

Schache is only 21.