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  1. #1
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    Our Back line ranked 10th

    Mick McGuane has ranked our back line 10th in the league. Has he made the right call?

    Richmond and Port are the highest rated defensive units then Collingwood and Fremantle

    In the brackets it's how many games did the players have in 2021 and their supercoach averages


    10. Western Bulldogs

    The top liners: Caleb Daniel (18, 104), Bailey Williams (18, 85), Alex Keath (18, 60), Jason Johannisen (17, 83), Hayden Crozier (15, 78), Zaine Cordy (14, 56), Easton Wood (13, 55)

    The top-ups: Louis Butler (2, 51), Taylor Duryea (3, 85), Ryan Gardner (10, 47)

    McGuane says: The Bulldogs defence can be dynamic and great to watch, but also frustrating as they can leak easy goals. Jason Johannisen and Caleb Daniel give the team run and carry and clever ball use when the Dogs win the ball back. Some would say with the personnel they have should be higher ranked. Alex Keath as a lockdown defender, had a great year. Zaine Cordy can play a tall role, Easton Wood is their interceptor and aggressive spoiler. Hayden Crozier plays with great courage and Bailey Williams is continually improving. But my biggest concern is, are they consistently good enough at drying up opposition scoring when the ball is in their D50? Does it mean enough to them? Also, if Caleb Daniel gets “sat on” are they a good enough ball using team to go from coast to coast and score? No doubt Luke Beveridge will be looking for the solutions.

  2. #2
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    Re: Our Back line ranked 10th

    10th spot could be a fair assessment as we look good when there is support from up the ground. If the Midfield is having a tough day then I think our defense is more under the pump.
    I think we are still missing a tallish monster that can stand body to body with the more stronger forwards of your Hawkins variety.
    With the AFL leaning down the zone path it will get harder for the backs as the AFL tries to increase scoring opportunities and it may get back to a more one on one defending and if it does we may need Astro to go back who I think is our best chance of one on one defending.
    I think Bevo will back in the centre to win it's position and let the opposition worry more about us than us about them.
    Don't piss off old people
    The older we get the less "LIFE IN PRISON" is a deterrent...

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  4. #3
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    Re: Our Back line ranked 10th

    As I've said elsewhere, there's no way Crozier, Wood, Cordy and Williams can play together in defence and it still function smoothly.
    Our 1954 premiership players are our heroes, and it has to be said that Charlie was their hero.

  5. #4
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    Re: Our Back line ranked 10th

    I think the way we choose to defend as a team and it’s effectiveness will have the biggest impact on our results for 2021. We have lost our defensive identity a little bit and I think some of it personnel. I would love to see the ball locked in our half more often and more scores from turnover but I’m not sure our current team has the personnel to pull that style off.

    I think another issue we have is that several players play best as an interceptor but none of them are in the competitions elite in that role. If we decide to free someone up behind the ball you really want them having enormous impact.

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  7. #5
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    Re: Our Back line ranked 10th

    Quote Originally Posted by dog town View Post

    I think another issue we have is that several players play best as an interceptor but none of them are in the competitions elite in that role. If we decide to free someone up behind the ball you really want them having enormous impact.
    I think Crozier should be earmarked for this role and be freed up as much as possible to intercept as third man in. It means one of Cordy or Wood can't play in the same set up though (neither are in my best 22 tbh).
    Our 1954 premiership players are our heroes, and it has to be said that Charlie was their hero.

  8. #6
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    Re: Our Back line ranked 10th

    Quote Originally Posted by comrade View Post
    I think Crozier should be earmarked for this role and be freed up as much as possible to intercept as third man in. It means one of Cordy or Wood can't play in the same set up though (neither are in my best 22 tbh).
    Agree with this.

    Cordy, for mine, is pretty lucky we have so few KPD options. He isn't a great athlete, he isn't strong, he isn't quick or skilled - he's done well to last this long as a defender IMO.

    We really need to recruit/draft some good defensive types. I liked Cordy as a forward, though opportunity in this area of the ground would be scarce given JUH/Naughton/Bruce.
    W00F!

  9. #7
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    Re: Our Back line ranked 10th

    Quote Originally Posted by comrade View Post
    I think Crozier should be earmarked for this role and be freed up as much as possible to intercept as third man in. It means one of Cordy or Wood can't play in the same set up though (neither are in my best 22 tbh).
    Think Wood plays as a lock down defender next year.

    He played some good games on dangerous small/mid forwards this year.

  10. #8
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    Re: Our Back line ranked 10th

    Quote Originally Posted by Ozza View Post
    Think Wood plays as a lock down defender next year.

    He played some good games on dangerous small/mid forwards this year.
    My preferred defensive group is:

    Crozier Keath Williams
    JJ Gardner Daniel

    with Duryea on the bench as another small/mid defender.
    Our 1954 premiership players are our heroes, and it has to be said that Charlie was their hero.

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  12. #9
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    Re: Our Back line ranked 10th

    Quote Originally Posted by The Bulldogs Bite View Post
    Agree with this.

    Cordy, for mine, is pretty lucky we have so few KPD options. He isn't a great athlete, he isn't strong, he isn't quick or skilled - he's done well to last this long as a defender IMO.

    We really need to recruit/draft some good defensive types. I liked Cordy as a forward, though opportunity in this area of the ground would be scarce given JUH/Naughton/Bruce.
    I hope we earmark Bedendo to develop and play the Easton Wood circa 2015/16 role. Definitely has the hops for it.
    Our 1954 premiership players are our heroes, and it has to be said that Charlie was their hero.

  13. #10
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    Re: Our Back line ranked 10th

    Quote Originally Posted by comrade View Post
    I think Crozier should be earmarked for this role and be freed up as much as possible to intercept as third man in. It means one of Cordy or Wood can't play in the same set up though (neither are in my best 22 tbh).
    It is a tough one, it’s clearly his best role but not 100% sold its best for the team. In comparison to some of the other great interceptors in the comp it leaves us a bit behind.

    We need to work it out, it kick starts our ball movement and allows us spread the field, takes pressure off the other defenders and allows us to control tempo but we don’t have an obvious choice. We can have multiple of course but it would be great to have someone elite.

  14. #11
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    Re: Our Back line ranked 10th

    I'm still annoyed that Hamling left. We'd be a lot better defensively and a much more balanced team with him in it. He is pretty much the missing link. He can play as a lockdown defender and outmark tall forwards and keep up with the more mobile midsized forwards.

    We should have fought tooth and nail to keep him at the club. I understand that his dad was sick but we could have found a way to work around that.
    Have you been reading those Roddy Doyle books again, Dougal!?


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  15. #12
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    Re: Our Back line ranked 10th

    Quote Originally Posted by Twodogs View Post
    I'm still annoyed that Hamling left. We'd be a lot better defensively and a much more balanced team with him in it. He is pretty much the missing link. He can play as a lockdown defender and outmark tall forwards and keep up with the more mobile midsized forwards.

    We should have fought tooth and nail to keep him at the club. I understand that his dad was sick but we could have found a way to work around that.
    Yep - still burns me too. Never thought we tried hard enough to keep him either.
    W00F!

  16. #13
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    Re: Our Back line ranked 10th

    Quote Originally Posted by comrade View Post
    My preferred defensive group is:

    Crozier Keath Williams
    JJ Gardner Daniel

    with Duryea on the bench as another small/mid defender.
    Sorry, but I cannot understand how everyone is selecting Gardner as our key backman.

    Young should be put on the backline and left there for at least a dozen games so the others can have time to work with him and develop his natural talent.

    For reference (afl’s stats for best 10 games):

    Young
    disposals 21-10 average 13.6
    kicks 12-7 average 9
    marks 10-3 av 5.6
    handball 11-2 average 5.4
    rebounds 8-1 average 3.7

    Gardner
    disposals 14-5 average 8.2
    kicks 9-2 average 4.3
    marks 6-1 av 2.9
    handball 6-2 average 3.9
    rebounds 3-0 average 0.9

    Gardner’s career best game followed his worst. And despite being almost double in every category, and being our only body on body backman, Young can’t get a game.

    It’s not rocket science, put the best players in their natural position and enjoy the success.

  17. #14
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    Re: Our Back line ranked 10th

    Quote Originally Posted by Danjul View Post
    Sorry, but I cannot understand how everyone is selecting Gardner as our key backman.

    Young should be put on the backline and left there for at least a dozen games so the others can have time to work with him and develop his natural talent.

    For reference (afl’s stats for best 10 games):

    Young
    disposals 21-10 average 13.6
    kicks 12-7 average 9
    marks 10-3 av 5.6
    handball 11-2 average 5.4
    rebounds 8-1 average 3.7

    Gardner
    disposals 14-5 average 8.2
    kicks 9-2 average 4.3
    marks 6-1 av 2.9
    handball 6-2 average 3.9
    rebounds 3-0 average 0.9

    Gardner’s career best game followed his worst. And despite being almost double in every category, and being our only body on body backman, Young can’t get a game.

    It’s not rocket science, put the best players in their natural position and enjoy the success.
    I agree. Gardner has proven nothing at this stage and is just hanging in there, let alone being the first picked for CHB.

    I re-watched some of the elimination final, and was surprised how close the game was, except the last 5 minutes of the third quarter when Saints got a jump. Gardner made a few vital errors costing us goals, and has alot to learn.

    I still think Young can make it.
    FFC: Established 1883

    Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.

  18. #15
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    Re: Our Back line ranked 10th

    Young and Gardner are interchangeable. Both are timid footballers who are miles off the elite key defenders in the league.

    Young might be marginally ahead but it’s negligible.
    Our 1954 premiership players are our heroes, and it has to be said that Charlie was their hero.

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