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  1. #1
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    What can the Western Bulldogs do to fix their flaws?

    What can the Western Bulldogs do to fix their flaws?



    GOLD COAST — The day after the Western Bulldogs clinched a drought-breaking premiership in 2016, defender Dale Morris delivered a bold statement.

    “This is just the start for this young group,” Morris told reporters at Whitten Oval.

    “Anything is possible. We’ve got some really good young talented players and some not so bad older guys too, so anything is possible.”

    He was right. The finals run in 2016 was the definition of ‘anything is possible.’

    The remarkable run to a second Dogs premiership was meant to be a launching pad: A springboard to more success. Marcus Bontempelli, Lachie Hunter, Jack Macrae, Caleb Daniel, Tom Liberatore and Jason Johannisen finished in the top 10 of the club’s Charles Sutton Medal in 2016. You could argue all six are the same - if not better - players than they were then.

    But in the four years since the Dogs shocked the football world – and Sydney – at the MCG, something has been amiss.

    The following year they finished 10th and in 2018 came 13th.

    The last two seasons have been better, but almost more frustrating at the same time for Dogs fans. On the surface, finishing seventh in consecutive years is a positive, but losing elimination finals suggests they remain off the pace.

    he incredible flag four years ago has given Luke Beveridge and co some cushioning, but how long can the club position itself as ‘up and coming’ for?

    On the weekend the Dogs were the youngest and the least experienced team. Across the season, they were the fifth youngest and 12th most experienced.

    Clearly, there is merit to the ‘we are young’ messaging. And winning premierships is hard. But the Dogs’ journey since 2016 has been curious at best.

    Should we expect more from them after 2016? Or should we appreciate that something magical took place that has no rhyme, reason or chance of being replicated?

    KICKING GOALS

    Without naming names, Luke Beveridge was relatively critical of his forwards after Saturday night’s defeat to St Kilda.

    “We had a handful of guys who were not at their best and we can’t afford that with the vulnerabilities we have in our side,” the coach said.

    He added shortly after: “I also think that our forwards didn’t get ourselves into the right spot and didn’t compete well enough in the air. It hurt us.”

    According to Champion Data, the Dogs had 26 multiple goalkickers in 2020, better than just Sydney (25) and Adelaide (21).

    Josh Bruce booted six majors against North Melbourne, but from his 16 other games, the key forward and big name recruit managed just eight goals.

    That’s 0.5 goals per game for most of the season for a player signed to a four-year deal. Speaking on Fox Footy’s The First Crack, Leigh Montagna – a former teammate of Bruce – conceded 2020 has been “a fail” for the left-footer. But he also suggested the Dogs recreate him as a defender, which is the position he played in his early days at St Kilda.

    The Dogs scored from just 28 per cent of their inside 50s directed towards Bruce this year, the worst of the AFL’s top 15 targets.

    But to blame Bruce for all the Dogs’ problems would be far too simplistic. Beveridge said the delivery on Saturday night was poor, while Aaron Naughton and Mitch Wallis managed just two majors between them.

    n the stands was Josh Schache, who managed two senior games in 2020. Last November, he was handed a two-year extension that will see him remain at the Dogs until the end of 2022.

    With Bruce tied in for another three years and Schache locked in for a further two, Beveridge and list manager Sam Power have some critical decisions to make on the look of their forward line in 2021.

    They will secure a potential star in Jamarra Ugle-Hagan via the club’s next generation academy in December’s draft, but he is unlikely to offer an immediate solution.

    “Some of the areas that we got touched up in tonight were because we didn’t have the role players to really see it through at different times throughout the course of the night,” a frustrated Beveridge said.

    “Our boys will learn a lesson or two, but we’ll still be looking at what the possibilities are and whether there’s an acquisition in trade that would really help us and give us some depth as well as put some pressure on for spots and performance.

    “We won’t be idle.”

    TIM TIME

    Beveridge lamented his team’s tall players compared to St Kilda’s. He rattled off the names of Rowan Marshall, Paddy Ryder, Max King and co, before agreeing Tim English is still a few years away from his best football.

    He also made a half-serious plea for the AFL to reintroduce the third man up rule to help ease the burden on English, and explained how list cuts will further complicate key decisions around big men.

    “They are at their full capacity as far as our height goes, our boys,” he said with a wry smile.

    “I think it is (too simplistic to say we just need more tall players). Tim is progressing but a few years off his absolute best. You bide your time and you put the time into your players, support them and hope you can win games like this and continue on. Sometimes reality sets in which it did tonight.”

    On Sunday morning, Essendon great Matthew Lloyd urged the Dogs to chase wantaway Melbourne ruckman Braydon Preuss.

    “They have to hunt a ruckman. He has no idea how to defend,” Lloyd said on Channel 9’s Sunday Footy Show.

    “He’s young but he is being exposed. They were never going to go deep with Tim English as their ruckman. I know Braydon Preuss is on the market for a team like the Giants.

    “They have to be just as aggressive targeting a ruck in the trade period as well.”

    The problem is, ready-made rucks don’t grow on trees. And more and more it appears clubs are waiting on other organisations to develop big men and then trying to poach them when they are ripe for the picking.

    THE DEFENCE


    They successfully wooed Alex Keath in last year’s trade period, but most pundits believe they need to attract another big bodied defensive player to assist the ex-Crow Easton Wood and Bailey Williams.

    Max King clunked four contested marks in the first half alone on Saturday. In a tight game, his two goals proved critical.

    It’s not as if there are many players who can outmark King at full stretch, but the Dogs look to have a problem dealing with height.

    Williams was the AFL’s most improved player – according to Champion Data – during the home and away season, while Caleb Daniel was named in the All-Australian team.

    The Dogs allowed the most points of any of the finalists in the 2020 season, finishing 10th in the AFL.

    THE MIDFIELD

    This is where the Dogs usually excel. With names such as Bontempelli, Liberatore, Hunter, Smith and prolific left-footer Macrae, it’s not hard to see why.

    They flick the ball around like Barcelona did with Xavi, Messi and Iniesta. It’s handball happy, but generally worked from Rounds 3-18.

    From a game plan perspective, it will be interesting to see how Beveridge tinkers in the summer. He’s free-thinking, free-spirited and not afraid to be different.

    This is perhaps his greatest challenge. Reinventing a list and developing a strategy that will finish in the top four.

    SO, WHERE TO NEXT FOR THE DOGS?


    Some clubs publish strategic plans and sing their values from the rooftop. That’s not the Dogs style. They have a private document that spans 2019-2022. It covers community, facilities, AFLW and the men’s program.

    It states a broad ambition to bring fans along for the journey, which they’ve done well since Beveridge arrived, adding almost 15,000 paid up fans since 2014.

    Pay close attention to the Dogs this trade period. Beveridge was as pointed as he could be on Saturday night without revealing the club’s plans. Reading between the lines, they’d like another forward (Maybe Luke Bruest?) and some ruck help for Tim English.

    “Improvement and development isn’t linear,” Beveridge said.

    “Off the back of last year we would have liked to have had a much better start… There has been significant growth in our year… I’m encouraged by it. We are enthusiastic about our future with our group.”
    Western Bulldogs Football Club "Where it's cool to drool"

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  3. #2
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    Re: What can the Western Bulldogs do to fix their flaws?

    It asks some reasonable questions

    We’ve been, and we were a bit disappointing

    We should be giving ourselves a better shot at it - our bigs have under delivered

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    Re: What can the Western Bulldogs do to fix their flaws?

    Tall Defender:
    How well would a Carlisle or Hurley fit into our team ? Is there much more they can offer ?

    Midifelder: Fiorini is on the market it seems, another big body mid.
    We need Jong to get his body right and put some resiliency into it so he does not get injured. Maybe a bit of luck as well to stay injury free.

    Fwd: I can see us chase Breust to fill in the Dickson role. Not sure how much that affects the development of Cavarra or Weightman.

    I hate to say this, but After yesterday's game, you can see Bruce's limitations as a footballer


    Honestly, what has Preuss shown that he is AFL standard ?

    Please get a kicking coach, and teach them to kick under scenario and fatigue.

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    Re: What can the Western Bulldogs do to fix their flaws?

    What we need to do is an analysis of how we get to the next level. No more Mr nice guy Bevo with loyalty to players, have some balls and delist the players that are just not going to make it, then trade, recruit in players to fill the roles we need.
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    Re: What can the Western Bulldogs do to fix their flaws?

    I really think of all the flaws only the ruck is fatal at the moment. Goldstein doesn't want to leave North, but maybe we can make North want to part with Goldstein.

    Bevo has got to change his slant on what it would mean for English not to be the only ruck in the side. I was zoom watching the game with a buddy and he said that English is a really unique case in that he's clearly a gun footballer being forced to do the absolute only thing he isn't able to do on field over and over again. Someone joked about making Fev a defender in another thread but that's almost what we're doing with Tim.

    He's proven that he can dominate ruck work against lesser ruckmen, and he can do just about anything else that the game will ask of him. Why are we so resistant to put him in the position where that would be his whole game?
    - I'm a visionary - Only here to confirm my biases -

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    Re: What can the Western Bulldogs do to fix their flaws?

    I don't think Bevo is the type of guy to bring in a Goldy or Pruess now and admit to getting it wrong between 2017-2020.
    But then again, I'm an Internet poster and Bevo is a premiership coach so draw your own conclusions.

  9. #7
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    Re: What can the Western Bulldogs do to fix their flaws?

    Quote Originally Posted by 1eyedog View Post
    I don't think Bevo is the type of guy to bring in a Goldy or Pruess now and admit to getting it wrong between 2017-2020.
    Our 1954 premiership players are our heroes, and it has to be said that Charlie was their hero.

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  11. #8
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    Re: What can the Western Bulldogs do to fix their flaws?

    Quote Originally Posted by Happy Days View Post
    I really think of all the flaws only the ruck is fatal at the moment. Goldstein doesn't want to leave North, but maybe we can make North want to part with Goldstein.

    Bevo has got to change his slant on what it would mean for English not to be the only ruck in the side. I was zoom watching the game with a buddy and he said that English is a really unique case in that he's clearly a gun footballer being forced to do the absolute only thing he isn't able to do on field over and over again. Someone joked about making Fev a defender in another thread but that's almost what we're doing with Tim.

    He's proven that he can dominate ruck work against lesser ruckmen, and he can do just about anything else that the game will ask of him. Why are we so resistant to put him in the position where that would be his whole game?
    I still don't think the ruck is our major issue - second ruck yes.

    We need another Key backman who can compete with the 200cm forwards, and we need a small forward who can apply pressure and kick 30 goals.

    I would love a pacy mid to add to the current mids, but this is not easy either.
    FFC: Established 1883

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    Re: What can the Western Bulldogs do to fix their flaws?

    Quote Originally Posted by bornadog View Post
    What we need to do is an analysis of how we get to the next level. No more Mr nice guy Bevo with loyalty to players, have some balls and delist the players that are just not going to make it, then trade, recruit in players to fill the roles we need.
    Yeah I think it's well overdue to cut hard. Even guys like Lipinski who have AFL quality abilities but lack a hard edge. I'm sick of players like that. I'd prefer to take a punt on someone with a bit of mongrel to get a better mix. Unfortunately for us, guys with mongrel typically lack skill and we need all the skill we can get.

    How many mids/wings do we have that could slot a goal running from 45m out? I mean Dunks, Macrae and Hunter would barely make the distance. These guys can't kick the footy yet at the same time lack a hardened edge. Don't get me wrong, these players don't avoid physical contact like say Lipinski. They put their head over the ball as well as anyone. But they're also not the intense, physically dominating players that would make the opposition think twice. And it's this that we need. Guys like Picken, Clay Smith, Libba etc

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    Re: What can the Western Bulldogs do to fix their flaws?

    Just on the biff. Did anyone see the only bit of footage where we got stuck into the saints. I only saw it happen once and it was none other than Libba. He needs support desperately.

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    Re: What can the Western Bulldogs do to fix their flaws?

    Quote Originally Posted by bornadog View Post
    I still don't think the ruck is our major issue - second ruck yes.

    We need another Key backman who can compete with the 200cm forwards, and we need a small forward who can apply pressure and kick 30 goals.

    I would love a pacy mid to add to the current mids, but this is not easy either.
    I do - we've got a potentially great 2nd ruck forward on our list. Tim English.

    Either we fast-track Sweet , trade one in, or we'll continue to be frustrated and not reach the group's potential.
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  17. #12
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    Re: What can the Western Bulldogs do to fix their flaws?

    Quote Originally Posted by bornadog View Post
    I still don't think the ruck is our major issue - second ruck yes.

    We need another Key backman who can compete with the 200cm forwards, and we need a small forward who can apply pressure and kick 30 goals.

    I would love a pacy mid to add to the current mids, but this is not easy either.
    So we have Trengrove that could Ruck. Tim to FF. Then Bruce or Naughton go back to sure up the defence. The biggest issue I see is inside F50. We get entries but lack hardness and forward craft. I Toby Green type is the answer. The ruck could work with the three above or if English puts on 20kg. With the weight he will loose his impact around the ground
    BB.

    Looking forward - Naughton, Darcy and JUH. It will be the envy of everyone.

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    Re: What can the Western Bulldogs do to fix their flaws?

    Quote Originally Posted by The Pie Man View Post
    I do - we've got a potentially great 2nd ruck forward on our list. Tim English.

    Either we fast-track Sweet , trade one in, or we'll continue to be frustrated and not reach the group's potential.
    I do too. Bevo has been too tech noir with our ruck and i feel we need to take a more traditional approach.
    But then again, I'm an Internet poster and Bevo is a premiership coach so draw your own conclusions.

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  20. #14
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    Re: What can the Western Bulldogs do to fix their flaws?

    Adjust the ruck situation by bringing in a guy ready to go as a bullocking, Hudson/Minson type. Trengove could have been this for us, I believe. Why not remains a mystery.


    Play Schache. Stop worrying about he is not and look at what he is.

    Get some dynamic runners into the forward line.

    Play a defensive mid, more often.

    Allow more space within the planning for match day to go after the opposition and mess with their stuff more often. Not purely just put ours up against theirs all the time.

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  22. #15
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    Re: What can the Western Bulldogs do to fix their flaws?

    Quote Originally Posted by SonofScray View Post
    Adjust the ruck situation by bringing in a guy ready to go as a bullocking, Hudson/Minson type. Trengove could have been this for us, I believe. Why not remains a mystery.


    Play Schache. Stop worrying about he is not and look at what he is.

    Get some dynamic runners into the forward line.

    Play a defensive mid, more often.

    Allow more space within the planning for match day to go after the opposition and mess with their stuff more often. Not purely just put ours up against theirs all the time.
    Good post/ questions.

    Trengove - It's not a mystery, the coach/ MC don't think he can run and on exposed form this year - albeit minor - he can't.

    Schache - Agreed. I get the principle of keeping him out until he hardens but some players only harden through top level experience, and agreeing with you again, he can actually do good things a lot of the time. I think he needs to get a lot bigger/ stronger, he's not Hipwood so there's no excuse for him being so slight. It's time for Josh to put the hours in and build his body up to ensure he has confidence in contests, and can influence them. He's too light on for someone who has been in the system for as long as he has and only he can change that.

    Dynamic runners - Vander was a revelation this year, but aside from him the pantry is filled with hearty and chunky casserole and soup combinations, we need some two minute noodles

    Defencive mids - given our ruck situation many of our mids would say they've been defencive all year. But your point is well taken. Toby in the role was someone a few of us called out as capable early on and before his injury he proved he could play it. Jong if retained can, and we'll be better for it because he can also mark and hit the scoreboard. Aside from those two I don't see where it's coming from unless West can take a step up in fitness and at over 180cm can offer material assistance.

    Planning - tough call. Without having gone to games two years in a row (last year in Hanoi) I just don't have any idea what we look like holistically anymore. I've been relying on game day commentary and here, and could very well do without having to worry about the former if truth be told. My view is we're pretty cooked personnel wise in key areas and as a result it seems we're able to be exposed in more ways than one and throughout games it's fingers in the dyke stuff. I reckon if we improve our personnel our game day flexibility improves and the moves will flow
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