You want a top 4 finish or even a flag in 2020? Then what do we need to do to improve?

[Dry Rot]

Came across this article about Wood from The Age:

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/...28-p53vbv.html

Mostly pre season fluff but had some interesting stuff. This caught my eye:

The Bulldogs conceded 86 goals to opposition key forwards last season - the third most of any side.

That's dreadful, and one area we really need to improve on to make top 4 and have a shot at the flag.

Have also read that we had some dreadful ruck stats too.

What else do we need to do?

[Mofra]

Ruck stats aren't the biggest concern given we were basically pumping games into a very raw Tim English to fast track his development. He was a far superior player at the end of the year than he was at the start, not sure I've seen many players improve that much over the course of one season.

The conceding goals might be a few factors - personnel (helped by adding Keath), structure, gameplan, team selection etc. We played Cordy and Wood as our two KPDs for the first month last year, that was never sustainable.

Given we seem to favour interceptors over lock down defenders it might be something that continues, and our aim would be to mitigate it a litte rather than solve it outright.

[ledge]

Would be interesting to break those stats down into start , middle and late season to see if we improved in those areas during the year, if so we are on an upside track anyway.
Adding our recruits will only improve it more , I see top 4 if we aren’t injury struck and the players all buy into the game plan/style.

[bornadog]

The Bulldogs conceded 86 goals to opposition key forwards last season - the third most of any side.

This stat was particularly bad in the first half of the season, but you will find in the second half we tightened this up and we had one of the better defenses overall.

[comrade]

Cordy is one of the worst one on on defenders in the league, so our key forward GA numbers aren't a surprise. Here's hoping the addition of Keath has a flow on effect, allowing Cordy to take more suitable types.

[AshMac]

We need to learn how to step up in physical, close checking games. Not talking about the ridiculous behaviour that was let go in the GWS game - but games where the team comes with a strategy to negate us.

[Twodogs]

We need to learn how to step up in physical, close checking games. Not talking about the ridiculous behaviour that was let go in the GWS game - but games where the team comes with a strategy to negate us.

And that is going to be the go to tactic every team is going to hit us (excuse the pun) with this season. It will be "hit them hard and hit them often." "The ball is seventy metres away, knock your nearest opponent on his arse just so he knows you are thinking about him and what will happen if he gets the ball in his hands"

[AshMac]

And that is going to be the go to tactic every team is going to hit us (excuse the pun) with this season. It will be "hit them hard and hit them often." "The ball is seventy metres away, knock your nearest opponent on his arse just so he knows you are thinking about him and what will happen if he gets the ball in his hands"

Yep - it will happen a lot. We need to respond, early and in kind. Stamp our authority all over those situations and teach the league it isn’t worth it.

I wish SO BADLY we played GWS in Melbourne the first time.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

We need to improve goal kicking accuracy and should do that with Bruce and Weightman. I still think accuracy is a mental thing requiring belief, dismissing anxiety and is improved by practice. Just like golf putting, both involve time to doubt yet doubt can be replaced by a positive image, visualisation. This should be taught and practised.

[GVGjr]

Cordy is one of the worst one on on defenders in the league, so our key forward GA numbers aren't a surprise. Here's hoping the addition of Keath has a flow on effect, allowing Cordy to take more suitable types.

Is Keath a one on one defender? I would have thought he has made more of a name for himself as a zoning defender type

[GVGjr]

This stat was particularly bad in the first half of the season, but you will find in the second half we tightened this up and we had one of the better defenses overall.

I think it started to improve when Trengove was brought back into the seniors

[GVGjr]

We need to improve goal kicking accuracy and should do that with Bruce and Weightman. I still think accuracy is a mental thing requiring belief, dismissing anxiety and is improved by practice. Just like golf putting, both involve time to doubt yet doubt can be replaced by a positive image, visualisation. This should be taught and practised.

Dropping the ball onto the foot incorrectly is an issue with technique and concentration
A player missing 3 set shots to the same side of the goal (in a dome) is something that can be fixed

I agree, it's often just about education and practice. A 20% improvement is very achievable

[comrade]

Is Keath a one on one defender? I would have thought he has made more of a name for himself as a zoning defender type

He's an interceptor for sure, but I'm hopeful that by slotting him into the defensive group it should assist with the overall structure and protect Cordy from competing in as many 1 on 1 contests.

[Twodogs]

Dropping the ball onto the foot incorrectly is an issue with technique and concentration
A player missing 3 set shots to the same side of the goal (in a dome) is something that can be fixed

I agree, it's often just about education and practice. A 20% improvement is very achievable

I think that it depends on what foot the player kicks with. A football will fade and draw the same as a golf ball depending on whether its a left handed or a right handed player. In fact goalkicking technique marrys up nicely with driving a golfball off the tee.

[chef]

I don't think we need to improve a heap, we just need to play consistently at our best. We are as good as any when we do.