What can the Western Bulldogs do to fix their flaws?

[Sedat]

Footscray.

I've loved Woody over the years for the most part and he was spectacular in 15-16, but he offers next to nothing now. As you mentioned, he doesn't intercept anymore, he doesn't rebound and he can't play above his weight on the KPPs.

Simply needs to get back to intercepting to find a spot IMO.

Wood's future lies as a hard lockdown defender on the opposition's most dangerous small forward, which he showed on Charlie Cameron earlier this year he can perform well in that role for the next 12-18 months. His days as a rebound marking defender are over.

[Hotdog60]

The club has just announced a new development office and starts at the beginning of the pre season.

[SonofScray]

I don't think Schache is nearly as soft as most would have us believe. He is certainly not an aggressive, bustling player. But I'm not convinced he has to be, to be a very good footballer. He copped the soft tag early and it just won't go away.

At his best he is an efficient forward who can work up and down the field into space and bring others into the game by foot. He is capable player on the lead and has enough size to make it difficult for opposition to ignore him. Look at his 24 goals from 2019 and he is demonstrating an ability to find space, keep his feet, win the footy and finish.

Just play him and let him get some continuity into his game. We did it with Bruce for SFA return, but haven't been keen to do for a proven goal kicker. RidIculous.

[jazzadogs]

I don't think Schache is nearly as soft as most would have us believe. He is certainly not an aggressive, bustling player. But I'm not convinced he has to be, to be a very good footballer. He copped the soft tag early and it just won't go away.

At his best he is an efficient forward who can work up and down the field into space and bring others into the game by foot. He is capable player on the lead and has enough size to make it difficult for opposition to ignore him. Look at his 24 goals from 2019 and he is demonstrating an ability to find space, keep his feet, win the footy and finish.

Just play him and let him get some continuity into his game. We did it with Bruce for SFA return, but haven't been keen to do for a proven goal kicker. RidIculous.

A definite reason why Bruce got consistent games ahead of Schache was that he attacks marking contests with intent, and is willing to crash packs to create spillage. This didn't always happen, and he still needed to do more on top of that to justify his spot, but I'm sure the knowledge that Schache would not have been crashing packs played in to the MC mind.

[comrade]

A definite reason why Bruce got consistent games ahead of Schache was that he attacks marking contests with intent, and is willing to crash packs to create spillage. This didn't always happen, and he still needed to do more on top of that to justify his spot, but I'm sure the knowledge that Schache would not have been crashing packs played in to the MC mind.

I think Bruce took the 'crash packs' mantra way too far in the EF. He was literally crashing EVERY pack, even if Naughton had a good fly at it (except for the one where he inexplicably let Membrey mark uncontested late but lets not go there).

I'm not sure we're getting our money's worth, paying a bloke good money for 4 years just to make a contest.

[jazzadogs]

I think Bruce took the 'crash packs' mantra way too far in the EF. He was literally crashing EVERY pack, even if Naughton had a good fly at it (except for the one where he inexplicably let Membrey mark uncontested late but lets not go there).

I'm not sure we're getting our money's worth, paying a bloke good money for 4 years just to make a contest.

I have (probably too much) confidence that he will come out and have a great year next year, and kick 30+ goals. His four completed seasons as a forward before this year he kicked 50, 38, 36, 36.

It is entirely dependent on his fitness IMO. We know he has talent.

[Happy Days]

I think Bruce took the 'crash packs' mantra way too far in the EF. He was literally crashing EVERY pack, even if Naughton had a good fly at it (except for the one where he inexplicably let Membrey mark uncontested late but lets not go there).

I'm not sure we're getting our money's worth, paying a bloke good money for 4 years just to make a contest.

He was crashing every pack he could get to, but I actually found his inability to get to the majority of contests embarrasing. I hold his as accountable as English or anyone else for allowing those 21 contested marks to be taken.

[comrade]

He was crashing every pack he could get to, but I actually found his inability to get to the majority of contests embarrasing. I hold his as accountable as English or anyone else for allowing those 21 contested marks to be taken.

Yeah, I should have added a disclaimer *

[Danjul]

A definite reason why Bruce got consistent games ahead of Schache was that he attacks marking contests with intent, and is willing to crash packs to create spillage. This didn't always happen, and he still needed to do more on top of that to justify his spot, but I'm sure the knowledge that Schache would not have been crashing packs played in to the MC mind.

It was obvious that Bruce was following instructions to crash packs. He did it so well that Naughton could only get 2 possessions to 3/4 time. He was still doing it late in the last quarter. Naughton had to outmark him to get his only goal.

We saw Gowers do it earlier in the year, no attempt at grabbing the ball, just make sure nobody else can.

We can see it as part of Gardner’s development. He had 1 contested mark in his first 9 games.

The MC wants this to be part of the team’s DNA. And it’s working, we are a pretty reasonable middle order side.

[Happy Days]

It was obvious that Bruce was following instructions to crash packs. He did it so well that Naughton could only get 2 possessions to 3/4 time. He was still doing it late in the last quarter. Naughton had to outmark him to get his only goal.

We saw Gowers do it earlier in the year, no attempt at grabbing the ball, just make sure nobody else can.

We can see it as part of Gardner’s development. He had 1 contested mark in his first 9 games.

The MC wants this to be part of the team’s DNA. And it’s working, we are a pretty reasonable middle order side.

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense considering our noted weakness at small forward. My concern is that if we bring in someone we believe to be a high level crumber that this will only cause Bevo to double down, instead of fixing the problem in a way that will actually work.

[Danjul]

I have (probably too much) confidence that he will come out and have a great year next year, and kick 30+ goals. His four completed seasons as a forward before this year he kicked 50, 38, 36, 36.

It is entirely dependent on his fitness IMO. We know he has talent.

Didn’t he make leads, take marks and kick goals in the practice match (and at the Saints). All things he doesn’t attempt now. This crash the pack disease is something he caught at the Dogs.

[Mofra]

A definite reason why Bruce got consistent games ahead of Schache was that he attacks marking contests with intent, and is willing to crash packs to create spillage. This didn't always happen, and he still needed to do more on top of that to justify his spot, but I'm sure the knowledge that Schache would not have been crashing packs played in to the MC mind.

Well Bruce plays like a KPF and Schache like a leading flanker.

Height aside, they are not comparable players. They play completely different styles of football.

[Danjul]

A definite reason why Bruce got consistent games ahead of Schache was that he attacks marking contests with intent, and is willing to crash packs to create spillage. This didn't always happen, and he still needed to do more on top of that to justify his spot, but I'm sure the knowledge that Schache would not have been crashing packs played in to the MC mind.

The definition of spillage is “the Dogs don’t have the ball and therefore can’t dictate what happens to it”.

I would much rather see a game style where the players keep control by using foot skills to put the ball in a teammate’s hands.

That is what the teams that comfortably beat us do.

And it’s what the premiership group did. Spoiling was limited to inside defensive 50, and it was directed towards Boyd and Biggs who set up to receive. It was purposeful, now nobody knows where the ball is going.

PS. Despite attacking marking contests with intent he took only 1 mark in the final. 2 might have won it.

[1eyedog]

I don't think Schache is nearly as soft as most would have us believe. He is certainly not an aggressive, bustling player. But I'm not convinced he has to be, to be a very good footballer. He copped the soft tag early and it just won't go away.

At his best he is an efficient forward who can work up and down the field into space and bring others into the game by foot. He is capable player on the lead and has enough size to make it difficult for opposition to ignore him. Look at his 24 goals from 2019 and he is demonstrating an ability to find space, keep his feet, win the footy and finish.

Just play him and let him get some continuity into his game. We did it with Bruce for SFA return, but haven't been keen to do for a proven goal kicker. RidIculous.

I'm biased because i love Schache but I'd prefer a less aggressive key forward who kicks goals, or at least kicks straight, rather than an aggressive one who...crashes packs.

[SonofScray]

A definite reason why Bruce got consistent games ahead of Schache was that he attacks marking contests with intent, and is willing to crash packs to create spillage. This didn't always happen, and he still needed to do more on top of that to justify his spot, but I'm sure the knowledge that Schache would not have been crashing packs played in to the MC mind.

Definitely.

Here's the issue I have with that though. It doesn't work. Not for us, probably not for anyone. As a strategy it exists in this weird footy space where it sounds good, makes sense but means SFA. Another one is kick it to the top of the square. Crashing packs is a euphemism for blokes who can't mark or get the footy. Kick it to the top of the square leads to a turn over more often than not, yet is deemed playing the percentages.

My coach used to ask me to crash the packs. It's because I was shit at footy.