WB Game Day V Brisbane Lions R11 2020

[GVGjr]

100% agree with the bolded section, but 2016 has to give impetus to a long term coach. Yet again, we were the younger side last night. From here we have to build into a three-peat team or at least a multiple premiership team. We have the foundations of that sort of team. It’s time to double down and invest in the long term.

In saying all of this, I agree with what you’re saying. Bevo has to increase the skill-set of the foundations.

The concern for me is we keep saying that we are a young team as a way to soften the impacts of a loss but in essence the real issues are more around that our skill level over the group isn't improving and we are lacking a bit of zip over the ground from our midfield and flankers

These are things that can be controlled and at the very least addressed but it seems we have accepted them and in this competitive environment if you aren't improving you are going backwards. That is the real challenge we need to stare into not our age profile

[Hotdog60]

Bevo's presser was interesting in that they actually have a plan A,B and C that they are suppose to implement in times of need and the players didn't adjust quickly enough.
Also I found it interesting that he said with the 8 day break they can train this week so what does that do for the skills. It may not hurt some teams that can cover non training due to their natural skill set we may be one of those teams that need to constantly work at it to be consistent.
Also Gardner wasn't supposed to be on Hipwood so Bevo backed up what YHF said in his post about 'Gardner, for all of his limitations was hung out to dry by the so called ' Men's Department'.

[comrade]

Also Gardner wasn't supposed to be on Hipwood so Bevo backed up what YHF said in his post about 'Gardner, for all of his limitations was hung out to dry by the so called ' Men's Department'.

That's a real concern.

This, combined with the tongue lashing he got in the St Kilda game, suggests his teammates aren't exactly supportive of him being in the side.

Do they read WOOF?

[Remi Moses]

What we are doing is catastrophically bad.

How will the proposed solution be worse? What will it cost to try it and see how it goes?

There’s not much defensive pressure now
There’d be none if that happened .

[Remi Moses]

He did do a good job containing a dangerous forward but he really isn't impacting games for us

As for the howlers, that's a similar story to the Port game.

Wouldn’t his role be to nullify Cameron ? Therefore played a pretty important role ?
Actually thought he did a decent game

[azabob]

Gee I’m worried if Ugle -Hagen doesn’t win the Coleman next year some here will want him delisted
Dunkley and Naughton are coming back from severe injuries
Get some perspective please

Are you happy with our on field performance since 2017?

What is changing that will make us a regular finals performer?

[GVGjr]

Wouldn’t his role be to nullify Cameron ? Therefore played a pretty important role ?
Actually thought he did a decent game

He was OK but we won't have any drive from the back half if that's all that every defender has to do
It's like saying that if one of our forwards kicks a couple of goals his job has been done, I still want him to apply some accountability to his opponent and get more involved

[bulldogsthru&thru]

The concern for me is we keep saying that we are a young team as a way to soften the impacts of a loss but in essence the real issues are more around that our skill level over the group isn't improving and we are lacking a bit of zip over the ground from our midfield and flankers

These are things that can be controlled and at the very least addressed but it seems we have accepted them and in this competitive environment if you aren't improving you are going backwards. That is the real challenge we need to stare into not our age profile

This is what concerns me the most. We do appear to be going backwards. We had such a young premiership team that we all thought the only way was up. But almost everyone on our list that year has either retired or gone backwards in development. And for all the weaknesses we had in that side, namely lack of pace and foot skills, we’ve failed to address those areas in any way over 4 subsequent seasons. And to compensate for those weaknesses, in 2016 we were an absolute contested ball power house. But now that area has completely vanished from our game. I mean, what is our strength right now? What can we count on each week?

[Hotdog60]

Another observation I had last night was at the centre bounce our players started a metre or two off their opponents so when the ball was hit in the Lions direction they already had a yard of space to work in. Did we over rate Tim's influence at the bounce or under rate McInerney.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Another observation I had last night was at the centre bounce our players started a metre or two off their opponents so when the ball was hit in the Lions direction they already had a yard of space to work in. Did we over rate Tim's influence at the bounce or under rate McInerney.

Surely couldn’t overrate Tim’s influence. I’ve seen nothing in his ruck game that suggests he is anywhere near capable of splitting a ruck contest. His strength is when the ball hits the ground and around the ground. But my god his ruck work is awful and I can’t understand why. He’s so tall and lanky that he should get first tap almost all the time. He just doesn’t seem to like physical contact in the ruck. It’s seriously like he doesn’t either bother trying sometimes to get the tap. And I also saw multiple times last night where he just didn’t break out of a fast walk. If he’s that buggered he should be given a spell.

[GVGjr]

This is what concerns me the most. We do appear to be going backwards. We had such a young premiership team that we all thought the only way was up. But almost everyone on our list that year has either retired or gone backwards in development. And for all the weaknesses we had in that side, namely lack of pace and foot skills, we’ve failed to address those areas in any way over 4 subsequent seasons. And to compensate for those weaknesses, in 2016 we were an absolute contested ball power house. But now that area has completely vanished from our game. I mean, what is our strength right now? What can we count on each week?

There could be some variables in this but it's why I think many of us find it somewhat confusing.
Are we rebuilding by stealth? Clubs hate saying that
Are the players not adapting to life away from Melbourne?
Whats happening with the likes of Lewis Young, Rhylee West, Fergus Greene, Will Hayes, Ben Cavarra and Bradley Lynch etc who all appear to be stalling in their development?

We've got some head stratching questions at the moment that we can't quite work out the answers for.

[Danjul]

Surely couldn’t overrate Tim’s influence. I’ve seen nothing in his ruck game that suggests he is anywhere near capable of splitting a ruck contest. His strength is when the ball hits the ground and around the ground. But my god his ruck work is awful and I can’t understand why. He’s so tall and lanky that he should get first tap almost all the time. He just doesn’t seem to like physical contact in the ruck. It’s seriously like he doesn’t either bother trying sometimes to get the tap. And I also saw multiple times last night where he just didn’t break out of a fast walk. If he’s that buggered he should be given a spell.

I’ve said it many times before and been ridiculed for it, but here we go again.

English is not a ‘first ‘ ruck. And that’s an extremely important role in a team that wants to be a genuine contender.

His benefit to the team so far has 90% been around the ground. And in the 1 on 1 contests in the ruck he has been a liability preventing very good players from having their natural contributions. Our centres have to work twice as hard as their opponents and our play starts on the half back line too often. Opposing coaches have done their homework and told their ruckmen to jump against his upper body to keep him from the ball. Last night we saw that continually.

Playing English as the sole ruckman for the last few seasons has cost us a lot of wins and last night was another. When we give him a rest we remove another player from what they do best. We have the worst second ruck performance.

We could have a reasonable ruckman who is simply serviceable, working with a dominant second ruck who is not getting bashed around for little benefit.

I don’t understand how so many believe the ruck is irrelevant and can be ignored to the extent that it has been. You can see the opposition love it, they set up believing they have an advantage.

As an aside, I had a look at Minson’s hitouts in 2013 (?). 860 is more than double what we get now. Imagine our mids in that situation.

Nothing here is a criticism of English. He is super talented and we should be confident of playing finals because of that talent. We just don’t let him have the influence he could bring to bear.

[DOG GOD]

We’re just miles off being competitive against the really good teams.

- Our mids all run the one way... the balance in that group isn’t working.

- We don’t use the ball well enough by foot, especially given the lack of leg speed many of these players have.

- Our defenders struggle to beat their man.

- Our F50 pressure is as bad as anyone in the competition with no pace at all.

- Our 2-5 year players, in general are treading water.

- We have an extremely loyal coach who has blind faith in players who every decent judge knows aren’t up to this level.

Agree 100%

[Eastdog]

https://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/n...aways-round-11


Key Takeaways: Round 11
The talking points from our Round 11 loss to the Brisbane Lions.


1. Patchy Dogs caught out

Over the past three weeks – against three of the competition’s top teams – the Bulldogs have won four of 12 quarters on the scoreboard.
They have lost three others by less than a kick.
But patches in games are letting the Dogs down, when they’re unable to halt opposition momentum.
Against the Tigers, it was a run of nine goals to two from halfway through the first term to half time. Against the Power, a four goal to none third quarter.
On Saturday night, it was five unanswered goals before half-time after Marcus Bontempelli had given the Bulldogs to lead midway through the second term.


2. Macrae’s magnetic form continues

Jack Macrae finds the football with such ease, it’s like a magnetic attraction.
The gun midfielder broke new ground in 2020 against the Lions, becoming the first player to record 40 disposals in a game this season.
Impressive numbers. But more than that, he had a big impact on the game.
Despite the Bulldogs being beaten at the source, Macrae was instrumental around the ground and had a strong offensive and defensive impact.
An equal team-high five intercepts and seven inside-50s – plus a team-high seven score involvements – continued the 26-year-old’s brilliant month of football.


3. Wallis at home

A permanent move forward has been a blessing for Mitch Wallis and the Bulldogs in 2020.
Not only is he the team’s leading goal-kicker, but he is also currently in the competition’s top 10 goal-kickers.
Wallis has made the most of his opportunities in front of the big sticks – having kicked 16.5 – and arguably could have had another two to his name, if not for the blood rule intervening in recent weeks.
The 27-year-old stepped up to the plate again against the Lions on Saturday night, kicking three goals for the third time in the past five weeks.

[jeemak]

There could be some variables in this but it's why I think many of us find it somewhat confusing.
Are we rebuilding by stealth? Clubs hate saying that
Are the players not adapting to life away from Melbourne?
Whats happening with the likes of Lewis Young, Rhylee West, Fergus Greene, Will Hayes, Ben Cavarra and Bradley Lynch etc who all appear to be stalling in their development?

We've got some head stratching questions at the moment that we can't quite work out the answers for.

We're not rebuilding by stealth. You're just not allowed to say you're rebuilding so close to winning a flag irrespective of how many players you've turned over and how difficult you've found it to replace those players in the most part with seasoned performers of their quality. It's why you hear Bevo say we're young but we don't want that to be a hindrance to progress and we want to learn quickly.

We've had some success in adding experience to the list with Crozier, and hopefully we'll have more with Keath and Bruce once the latter gets some support. With respect to player development this year it is difficult to gauge how players should be tracking as there's no competitive footy at the lower level each week, but of the players you mention only Lynch concerns me in lieu of his good finish to 2018 and falling off a cliff last year.