Trade Dunkley

[GVGjr]

Here's something completely wild.

If Dunkley is in the leadership group and is worried about the culture of some players, what type of leader is he if his first reaction as a formalised leader is to cut and run?

Money and gifted list spots for family members aside, shouldn't it be up to him and the other playing leaders at the club to enforce standards? Isn't that what good leaders do? You know, bring players on the journey with them?

It's been really clear we lack solid on ground leadership, perhaps if Dunkley can't be bothered doing all he can to turn it around then he can bugger off and we can find a real leader who will.

It's a combination of three things
1) Lack of midfield minutes
2) The Essendon offer is substantial
3) The lack of professionalism by some of his team mates (culture) that he has raised with Bevo over the last 2 or 3 years

Now if we assume that points one and two are plausible and perhaps that point three might have surfaced further during the hub then the onus should be on the club to address the challenges that have been raised

I don't think we should be questioning Dunks in this. Plenty of footballers have considered leaving a club for the chances of increased minutes in their favourite playing position, plenty of footballers have considered leaving their club for vastly more money and finally if he has been raising culture issues with the coach and club it's more than plausible to assume that with point one and two in place point three might be the tipping point

He hasn't actually requested a trade so given the media, not Dunks, have now questioned the culture publically I suspect the club needs to come out and address the questions about culture that have been raised.

We are either being set-up but Morris and Ralph in an irresponsible manner or there is a chance some of the points raised are a contributing to the speculation

We now need to come out and confirm that Dunkley isn't going anywhere and there are no questions on culture and professionalism at the club despite the position stated by at least two of the journos.

[jeemak]

I don't doubt that some/ all of the points can/ should be considered plausible. I'm just saying that as a leader at the club he is actually responsible in some part for how the playing group carries itself and the standard it sets.

It's no secret that I believe a lot our on field malaise, particularly on game day, is due to the leadership within the playing group not being strong enough or quick enough to react and take control within games. There's only so much coaches can do to influence how things unfold in the heat of the moment.

So if I was a player (and this is easy for me to say from the cheap seats given I'm not) I'd be looking at myself and wondering what I could do to influence the actual things I can control. What I wouldn't do is accept the vice captaincy at the age of 23 and then give up on trying to turn "a few bad apples" or "ratbags" into something better.

Agreed on your additional commentary G. It's just that point three stands out to me, if true, as someone either searching for excuses to justify point two with point one being the cherry on top.

I mean really, what does it actually say about a player who wants to leave because of being asked to play a role by a coach he loves and can't stick it out to influence the playing group and mould it into the type of machine that top teams are made from? Neither of these things make sense and I think that while it may not be complete bullshit I don't think anything reported is enough to jar him loose.

If he's going, it's for the money.

[ledge]

I don't doubt that some/ all of the points can/ should be considered plausible. I'm just saying that as a leader at the club he is actually responsible in some part for how the playing group carries itself and the standard it sets.

It's no secret that I believe a lot our on field malaise, particularly on game day, is due to the leadership within the playing group not being strong enough or quick enough to react and take control within games. There's only so much coaches can do to influence how things unfold in the heat of the moment.

So if I was a player (and this is easy for me to say from the cheap seats given I'm not) I'd be looking at myself and wondering what I could do to influence the actual things I can control. What I wouldn't do is accept the vice captaincy at the age of 23 and then give up on trying to turn "a few bad apples" or "ratbags" into something better.

Agreed on your additional commentary G. It's just that point three stands out to me, if true, as someone either searching for excuses to justify point two with point one being the cherry on top.

I mean really, what does it actually say about a player who wants to leave because of being asked to play a role by a coach he loves and can't stick it out to influence the playing group and mould it into the type of machine that top teams are made from? Neither of these things make sense and I think that while it may not be complete bullshit I don't think anything reported is enough to jar him loose.

If he's going, it's for the money.

And let’s remember if there is any culture problem wouldnt the bombers be the worst club to go to?
So why haven’t the journos questioned that point Oh that’s right they are all bombers supporters , they will by pass that because it makes that part of the story false.

[The Underdog]

I don't doubt that some/ all of the points can/ should be considered plausible. I'm just saying that as a leader at the club he is actually responsible in some part for how the playing group carries itself and the standard it sets.

It's no secret that I believe a lot our on field malaise, particularly on game day, is due to the leadership within the playing group not being strong enough or quick enough to react and take control within games. There's only so much coaches can do to influence how things unfold in the heat of the moment.

So if I was a player (and this is easy for me to say from the cheap seats given I'm not) I'd be looking at myself and wondering what I could do to influence the actual things I can control. What I wouldn't do is accept the vice captaincy at the age of 23 and then give up on trying to turn "a few bad apples" or "ratbags" into something better.

Agreed on your additional commentary G. It's just that point three stands out to me, if true, as someone either searching for excuses to justify point two with point one being the cherry on top.

I mean really, what does it actually say about a player who wants to leave because of being asked to play a role by a coach he loves and can't stick it out to influence the playing group and mould it into the type of machine that top teams are made from? Neither of these things make sense and I think that while it may not be complete bullshit I don't think anything reported is enough to jar him loose.

If he's going, it's for the money.

Good points. I think the issue is that if you come through underneath more senior players then it can potentially be difficult to break that culture. If as supposed that Hunter and Libba (although I’m not convinced it’s these 2), are part of that ratbag group then there can be a schism there. You may end up with the players who want to follow you and others who get attracted to the easier/more fun option. That might be poor for their careers and the team but you don’t always see that in real time. While I agree that Dunkley may be partially using point 3 to justify points 1 & 2, a lot of this rings true to me, given what we’ve seen on and off the field the last few years.
I hope we can hold onto him and hope we can sort out the problems internally, whatever they are, because it feel like we might be about to waste a pretty talented generation of Bulldogs.

[jeemak]

What if he's a cocky AF person who can't relate to people and thinks he's hot shit because he won a flag at the age of 19, and has no idea what it's like, at the age of 23, to actually live in a world beyond footy and a lack of instant flags?

[GVGjr]

What if he's a cocky AF person who can't relate to people and thinks he's hot shit because he won a flag at the age of 19, and has no idea what it's like, at the age of 23, to actually live in a world beyond footy and a lack of instant flags?

He's not that way

[Grantysghost]

He's not that way

He seems like a decent guy from the outside, and I can't help drawing parallels (if point 3 is to be considered) with Roughead. Theres one statement Jordan made that always bothered me.
"I still had the belief. I still believed in myself and my ability. I knew that with players and coaches around me that believed in me then I would be able to get out there and play some good footy."

Players that believed in me? What's he saying with that.....?

I believe the money is the motivator for Dunks' head being turned, however I draw some parallels here considering I think they are similar good quality people.

[1eyedog]

He's not that way

Agreed. It's simply an offer too good to refuse. I'd also think his Dad would be backing a move if it meant Josh gets a bigger payday.

[Bulldog4life]

I call this as garbage designed to unsettle the club.

These so called journalists can say anything and if the club comes out with a denial they just give it more air.

I agree. When a Tom Morris story is involved I always have my BS alarm going off. He is a shocking reporter.

[Topdog]

If professionalism is a problem at the club then it's something the captain and vice captain should be addressing. So if true he has called himself and Bont out as poor leaders.

If he is worried about professionalism he isn't choosing Essendon as his club of choice.

You can make an argument about points 1&2 that GVG called out earlier but point 3 doesn't pass the pub test

[GVGjr]

He seems like a decent guy from the outside, and I can't help drawing parallels (if point 3 is to be considered) with Roughead. Theres one statement Jordan made that always bothered me.
"I still had the belief. I still believed in myself and my ability. I knew that with players and coaches around me that believed in me then I would be able to get out there and play some good footy."

Players that believed in me? What's he saying with that.....?

I believe the money is the motivator for Dunks' head being turned, however I draw some parallels here considering I think they are similar good quality people.

Thanks for that GG, just based on the season you would have to think there is some questions if the coaching team has lost some faith in him as a preferred midfielder because there was a significant reduction in his midfield time.

On top of that Essendon have weighed in with a substantial offer.

Although he hasn't actually requested a trade I can see why he his head might have been turned

[bornadog]

Agreed. It's simply an offer too good to refuse. I'd also think his Dad would be backing a move if it meant Josh gets a bigger payday.

This is exactly what is happening, and most likely his Dad is in his ear saying, these opportunities don't come too many times in your career. All the other stuff is most likely based on some stupid little incident, then blown up by weak reporters who think they can get the big scoop.

[The Pie Man]

This is exactly what is happening, and most likely his Dad is in his ear saying, these opportunities don't come too many times in your career. All the other stuff is most likely based on some stupid little incident, then blown up by weak reporters who think they can get the big scoop.

I’d rather not stick my head in the sand on these issues, but Dunks briefing reporters is also very poor.

Starting to think we cut our losses here, and some of his concerns around role (specifically midfield minutes) are founded.

Surprised we haven’t heard AMT’s name thrown around in the media given our interest 12 months ago - he’d be ideal!

[GVGjr]

This is exactly what is happening, and most likely his Dad is in his ear saying, these opportunities don't come too many times in your career. All the other stuff is most likely based on some stupid little incident, then blown up by weak reporters who think they can get the big scoop.

I'm not sure you can speculate on what his father might be saying and then in the same breath keep running with the 'fake news' on everything in the negative said about our players or the club.
We've had a opportunity to come out and address the speculation and I think we now need to do that.
If Ralph and Morris are bending the facts to create a story it won't be hard for the club to set the record straight.

We just need to do the Michelle from Allo Allo and say "Listen very carefully, I shall say zis only once" "We will not entertain any offers for Josh Dunkley and we absolutely refute the acquisitions made Tom Morris and Jon Ralph about the culture of our club"

One emphatic statement stops all this in it's tracks.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

I'm not sure you can speculate on what his father might be saying and then in the same breath keep running with the 'fake news' on everything in the negative said about our players or the club.
We've had a opportunity to come out and address the speculation and I think we now need to do that.
If Ralph and Morris are bending the facts to create a story it won't be hard for the club to set the record straight.

We just need to do the Michelle from Allo Allo and say "Listen very carefully, I shall say zis only once" "We will not entertain any offers for Josh Dunkley and we absolutely refute the acquisitions made Tom Morris and Jon Ralph about the culture of our club"

One emphatic statement stops all this in it's tracks.

And that is precisely what the club MUST do today, if there isn't any truth to this.
It's all fine to keep cards close to the chest, but something like this has the potential to impact membership and support.
I want my club to get out on the front foot and address this publicly TODAY.