2020: Round 1 Team

[bornadog]

So this brings up a couple of questions
Who do you suggest plays as the 3rd tall defender?
Did you voice concerns with our interest in the 192cm Hurley as KPP?

Cordy should be our third tall. Yes Hurley would have been good, but he can't play gorilla forwards.

[Danjul]

Cordy should be our third tall. Yes Hurley would have been good, but he can't play gorilla forwards.

The gorillas are usually not mobile. They stand their ground close to the goal square , reach up and grab the ball above their opponent’s hands . And finish with 4 goals.

Our best option has been Trengove. And he has also been our best 2nd ruck. If he is out of favour - train Sweet.

[hujsh]

Over the years I have seen at the Bulldogs undersized players up against talls, and they struggle. A good example is Dale Morris in the 2008 qualifying final where Buddy kicked 8. Has happened too often over the years.

Lachie is going to be a good player, but lets match him up with the right players.

Buddy's not exactly what I'd consider a '3rd tall forward'.

You're right our key defenders shouldn't be undersized but 189 and athletic is oftend going to be fine against third tall options. Some execptions will exist but they'll be just that, exceptions, if the defender is good at their job.

[bornadog]

Buddy's not exactly what I'd consider a '3rd tall forward'.

You're right our key defenders shouldn't be undersized but 189 and athletic is oftend going to be fine against third tall options. Some execptions will exist but they'll be just that, exceptions, if the defender is good at their job.

It was an example, of course Buddy isn't a 3rd tall option.

Last years game v Collingwood at the G, we played some great footy and were up at 3/4 time. Collingwood over ran us a bit and we lost by 14 points. A couple of telling things for me was trying to play Cordy on Cox who conceded almost 20cm and probably alot more when Cox's hands reach up high. Cox ended up putting through the sealer with a few minutes to go.

These are the consequences of putting short arses on big players.

[bornadog]

double

[hujsh]

It was an example, of course Buddy isn't a 3rd tall option.

Last years game v Collingwood at the G, we played some great footy and were up at 3/4 time. Collingwood over ran us a bit and we lost by 14 points. A couple of telling things for me was trying to play Cordy on Cox who conceded almost 20cm and probably alot more when Cox's hands reach up high. Cox ended up putting through the sealer with a few minutes to go.

These are the consequences of putting short arses on big players.

Okay but both your examples against playing a 190cm (approx) third tall are based on first talls palying on undersized defenders. So I don't personally see the relevance of the examples to the question of whether La Young can play that 3rd tall role. Not to say you're wrong necessarily but it's essentially the same as arguing he'd be beated by Tom Lynch. The problem is he wouldn't play on Tom Lynch or Jack Reiwoldt. He'd play on whoever the next in line is. Their resting ruck?

Or using the Collingwood example he'd be playing on DeGoey or someone. Not Cox.

[bornadog]

Okay but both your examples against playing a 190cm (approx) third tall are based on first talls playing on undersized defenders. So I don't personally see the relevance of the examples to the question of whether La Young can play that 3rd tall role. Not to say you're wrong necessarily but it's essentially the same as arguing he'd be beated by Tom Lynch. The problem is he wouldn't play on Tom Lynch or Jack Reiwoldt. He'd play on whoever the next in line is. Their resting ruck?

Or using the Collingwood example he'd be playing on DeGoey or someone. Not Cox.

ok, if we are talking La Young, I still feel he should not be called a tall, whether 3rd tall or KP. At the Bulldogs we tend to play these guys, ie undersized on tall players. Probably because we have never had enough talls in the team.

Agree, DeGoey is the ideal size, same for Wood, however, DeGoey is not a tall forward either.

[Bulldog4life]

Cordy seemed to be on Robbie Gray a fair bit. Not sure if it was due to the injuries Port got.

[Mantis]

Cordy seemed to be on Robbie Gray a fair bit. Not sure if it was due to the injuries Port got.

That was only late in the game after Dixon & Lycett went off.. He struggled on talls & smalls alike.

[bornadog]

That was only late in the game after Dixon & Lycett went off.. He struggled on talls & smalls alike.

I think Cordy is a worry down back, and I am not sure what his role should be.

[Mofra]

Cordy seemed to be on Robbie Gray a fair bit. Not sure if it was due to the injuries Port got.

We tend not to roll with definitive one on one match ups anyway and hold our zone as much as possible.

[Happy Days]

We tend not to roll with definitive one on one match ups anyway and hold our zone as much as possible.

This is why I’m pretty bullish on Keath. It might make for a few terrible looking moments across the year, but does it honestly matter that he’s not elite one on one?

There’s not going to be many games like the one on the weekend with little heat on a ball carrier kicking with a 6 goal breeze in the season proper.

[1eyedog]

This is why I’m pretty bullish on Keath. It might make for a few terrible looking moments across the year, but does it honestly matter that he’s not elite one on one?

There’s not going to be many games like the one on the weekend with little heat on a ball carrier kicking with a 6 goal breeze in the season proper.

Agreed. He's an excellent reader of play and elite at reading the ball through the air and getting to contests. He's big enough to make high ball impact and would be a far better player with Trengove in the team if we need a one on one player. He also just needs a little time to completely master our processes.

[bulldogtragic]

This is why I’m pretty bullish on Keath. It might make for a few terrible looking moments across the year, but does it honestly matter that he’s not elite one on one?

There’s not going to be many games like the one on the weekend with little heat on a ball carrier kicking with a 6 goal breeze in the season proper.

A good point. I just had a look back at 2016 and Marcus Adams (similar type to Keath) looked like a dead set gun intercept defender and we won 8/11 games he played in when we backed him into our zone. When Adams played one-on-one against Buddy in mid 2016 he looked very, very second rate. That's not his strength. Adams also had (admittedly a very scratchy and form variable) key defender in 2016 pairing with Hamling or Roberts - With Morris able to exceed with the one-on-ones. Then we hardly lost a game after Adams suffered his (annual) season ending injury with Morris, Hamling, Cordy & Roberts. So the theory has worked in practice before, but we need someone to do a solid one-on-one job like Morris and a lock down KPD defensive role like Hamling, Cordy &/or Roberts.

In the key finals we played four tall defenders: Morris, Hamling, Roberts & Cordy (rotated forward) with Adams still injured. We beat aggressive high scoring teams under immense pressure with four tall defenders. It's interesting (to me at lest) the evolution of our system, to the game on the weekend, is to play one intercepting defender (who is elite) as a lock down defender and Cordy who much to my dissatisfaction isn't progressing as I had always hoped for him. I'd love to hear thoughts from y'all about why we are going short on defenders and ruck. Is Bevo trying to revolutionise the game into almost all (17 or 18) small and medium players? Also, it took Bevo 6 weeks or so to snap out of 'play Dunkley & Libba as forwards' last year, which was a key to changing our win/loss ratio later in the season. If Bevo tries something new and it doesn't work, when should he change things up? How long does he get to persist?

[Axe Man]

The pre-season: What we learned ... and what's still a mystery

Three key takeaways from your club following the Marsh Community Series

WESTERN BULLDOGS

TWO THINGS WE LEARNED
1. Tim English is primed for a breakout year
The Bulldogs couldn't be more pleased with what they've seen from emerging ruckman Tim English over the pre-season. The West Australian is attacking contests with complete confidence in his body and now looks like a genuine contested marking threat. English has put plenty of work into his goalkicking and that paid off with two majors against Port Adelaide on Saturday.

2. Bailey Williams must play in round one
It's not easy to crack into the half-back rotations for the Bulldogs, but Bailey Williams has forced coach Luke Beveridge's hand a little bit with 40 disposals over the two Marsh Community Series games. With a hole on the wing, Beveridge may have to move Matt Suckling up the ground in order to get Williams into the side across half-back.

STILL A MYSTERY
Is Toby McLean in the best 22?
After being a walk-up starter as an inside midfielder in 2017 and 2018, McLean has had to adapt to a different role as a half-forward over the past year or so. Despite having all the tools to succeed in that area, McLean's form hasn't been eye-popping across the pre-season. At this stage it looks like Mitch Wallis, Sam Lloyd, Bailey Smith and Bailey Dale are well ahead in the selection rankings, so the 24-year-old might have to earn his spot through the VFL to start the season. - Jourdan Canil