Honest reflection and the path forward

[Sedat]

We have to play him in the areas he has strengths not weaknesses.

He has demanded playing as the big dog in ruck and the club has acquiesced. I've seen enough for 4 years, and we've lost enough clutch games in that time to know English is never going to be that stoppage ruck animal that we need when we are challenged. The opposite is the actual reality, his inability to compete at ruck stoppages when we are challenged has hurt us terribly in big games.

You don't get to beat up on over the hill Mumford or Clydesdale Andrew Phillips types in September. English as no 1 ruck is a sunk cost and IMO we need to seriously consider cashing out while his value is at its highest.

[bornadog]

He has demanded playing as the big dog in ruck and the club has acquiesced. I've seen enough for 4 years, and we've lost enough clutch games in that time to know English is never going to be that stoppage ruck animal that we need when we are challenged. The opposite is the actual reality, his inability to compete at ruck stoppages when we are challenged has hurt us terribly in big games.

You don't get to beat up on over the hill Mumford or Clydesdale Andrew Phillips types in September. English as no 1 ruck is a sunk cost and IMO we need to seriously consider cashing out while his value is at its highest.

I don't agree with cashing out. How many times in the history of the Bulldogs have we had a 205cm player who is mobile around the ground? Yeah maybe he is not good at ruck stoppage work, but that is not our issue. We won stoppage clearances and contested possessions last night and throughout the year. Our issue is more what we do with the ball in the next bit of play, especially kicking onto fwd 50. Disposal efficiency was poor last night, except Bont who ran at 83%.

[Mofra]

He has demanded playing as the big dog in ruck and the club has acquiesced. I've seen enough for 4 years, and we've lost enough clutch games in that time to know English is never going to be that stoppage ruck animal that we need when we are challenged. The opposite is the actual reality, his inability to compete at ruck stoppages when we are challenged has hurt us terribly in big games.

You don't get to beat up on over the hill Mumford or Clydesdale Andrew Phillips types in September. English as no 1 ruck is a sunk cost and IMO we need to seriously consider cashing out while his value is at its highest.

I'm starting to agree.
He's the best no 2 ruck in the competition, or a hit or miss no 1 ruck. He just doesn't want to be that no 2 guy.
It's not about total numbers, it's about who can do what when teams score quickly against us. Even in our wins this year we've had patches of conceding 4-5 goals in a row.
Is a hulking ruck the answer? I don't know but it's worth considering.

[DOG GOD]

I'm starting to agree.
He's the best no 2 ruck in the competition, or a hit or miss no 1 ruck. He just doesn't want to be that no 2 guy.

It seems like we have a few that cracks the shits if they don’t get their way…English #1 rucks or sooks…macrae, centre square or poor body language. We need a TEAM, and we won’t win another premiership until we do.

[azabob]

Club Review

An independent review of the entire club onfield and offield needs to be undertaken. Initially I thought maybe Peter Gordon or Graham Lowe could undertake the review, but it needs to be done by an external party who ideally has no links to the club; but has been in AFL club land and understand what success looks like. It is still staggering as a club we did not sit down during the pre season and review what happened on grand final day. It is pure insanity.

General Manager of Football

Go out and get Jimmy Bartel. He has said publicly he wants to and is ready to work in football administration full time.
Charge him with leading the review and empower him to make the necessary changes off field and on field.

Beveridge, Power all report to Bartel.

List Management

Power and co have done a brilliant job in signing key players; albeit at long contract lengths which doesn’t give a great deal of flexibility when it comes to improving our list. As it stands our best player is currently OOC and we have no idea if he will be with us in 2023 and beyond. OOC players that should be moved on are JJ, Keath (pay him out), Schache, Buttler, Martin and Parker.
Under no circumstances should Crozier, VDM, O’Brien, McComb, Raak, Sweet, McNeil and Bruce get another contract at our footy club. None of these players would get on another AFL list.
We should actively trade Williams, Hunter and listen to any offers for anyone other than Bontempelli, Macrae, Naughton, Ugle-Hagan and Darcy.
We are in desperate need of a key defender, genuine ruck and a small forward or two. As a side note who was at Fremantle when they identified Pearce, Cox, Parker and Tom Stewart as draft targets? Seriously great eye for talent ID of key defenders.

Josh Dunkley

Pay the man; even if it means moving on a recently contracted player.

Onfield

The biggest issue is our ability to turn up each match in every quarter. Clearly the match committee, coaching group and players let standards slip throughout the year and there was no selection integrity.
We don’t concentrate for long enough and make poor decisions with and without the ball across all parts of the ground. Simply we are easy to play against.
To me this suggest the players either don’t understand the game plan or buy into it.
Liam Jones is a hard pass for me; I’d prefer the club to either play Aaron Naughton or Sam Darcy as the 2nd or 3rd defender.

No idea what we do with Tim English. His form in the second part of the year was ordinary at best. He doesn’t influence the stoppages around the ground and if he isn’t involved in general play he is a liability. I’d still trade him for Sean Darcy.


Our forward line needs some balance and point of difference. We are too top heavy. Naughton, Darcy, Ugle-Hagan, Weightman and Bruce are first and foremost mark and goal players. We need a Zac Bailey type or a cheap option like Mitch Honey from Carlton who is happy to play at the feet of packs and has forward crumbing craft. Picket (vomit) for example is this player.

Coaches

Beveridge is our man, but we need to help him even if he doesn’t want it. We need to lessen the load on him. He is seriously our only media voice other than a bit part cameo from Baines and Grant.
I hope the club has been aggressive behind the scenes getting two experienced assistants. I have no idea who we should get but we should look at names such as Dean Cox, Don Pyke, Troy Chaplin, Brenton Sanderson, Matt Boyd, Joel Cory

Trade or hit the Draft

Million $ question? We have to hit the draft pure and simple. My approach is trade players for players and not trade draft picks unless it improves our draft hand.

High Performance
This year we seem to get a lot of soft tissue injuries and repeat ones. JJ (again last night) Keath, English, Parker and VDM.
From the outside looking in it seems Innes and the strategy team didn’t see the shift to high pace footy this year.

Other topics up for debate are Player Development (ability and leadership) and Club Identity on field and off field.

A lot of work to do and I truly hope the club does what is required to get us there.

#BeMoreBulldog

[Sedat]

I don't agree with cashing out. How many times in the history of the Bulldogs have we had a 205cm player who is mobile around the ground? Yeah maybe he is not good at ruck stoppage work, but that is not our issue. We won stoppage clearances and contested possessions last night and throughout the year. Our issue is more what we do with the ball in the next bit of play, especially kicking onto fwd 50. Disposal efficiency was poor last night, except Bont who ran at 83%.

What was the breakdown in the last 2.5 qtrs last night and the last 37 mins in the GF last year?

I understand the prodigious athletic gifts that English possesses. How are those gifts being utilised in big games? What more evidence do we need to see that English doesn't work at the pointy end as no 1 ruck? How will getting a 2nd string forward/ruck in Lobb help?

What are we going to do with English and our no 1 ruck problems in big games?

[azabob]

Since last year I've been in the camp of trading English. I honestly breathed a sigh of relief when he only signed a two year deal.

Finals football is contested football.

English is not a contested beast.

[DOG GOD]

What was the breakdown in the last 2.5 qtrs last night and the last 37 mins in the GF last year?

I understand the prodigious athletic gifts that English possesses. How are those gifts being utilised in big games? What more evidence do we need to see that English doesn't work at the pointy end as no 1 ruck? How will getting a 2nd string forward/ruck in Lobb help?

What are we going to do with English and our no 1 ruck problems in big games?

Is English fit enough…he was like puffing billy 4 mins into the 3rd…and if that’s because of our refusal to play a 2nd ruck, then that comes on the MC

[bornadog]

Since last year I've been in the camp of trading English. I honestly breathed a sigh of relief when he only signed a two year deal.

Finals football is contested football.

English is not a contested beast.

Is Sean Darcy a contested beast?

[GVGjr]

So there are a few options to consider

1) Get Jones, Lobb and one or two others and really have a crack at it again next season
2) Clear the decks (Hunter, West JJ, Williams, Crozier and maybe Dunkley) and do a quick rebuild via the draft.
3) Keep faith in the list and back an improved coaching panel to strengthen our performance.

Are there any others we should consider?

[DOG GOD]

So there are a few options to consider

1) Get Jones, Lobb and one or two others and really have a crack at it again next season
2) Clear the decks (Hunter, West JJ, Williams, Crozier and maybe Dunkley) and do a quick rebuild via the draft.
3) Keep faith in the list and back an improved coaching panel to strengthen our performance.

Are there any others we should consider?

In all honesty, I think it needs to be a mixture of all 3
We need a 2nd ruck (or first ruck and English plays 2nd)
We need a FB to play on the gorillas PLUS an intercepting quality defender.
We need a winger who can run all day with exquisite skills
We need 2 GENUINE fwds who have superb leading patterns and can make room for the KPF

Dunkley we need to keep at all costs
West we need to develop further. I like the strides I saw this year
Hunter, JJ, VDM, Cordy, Williams can go
Butler, Martin and Schache to go.

A complete overhaul of asst coaches INCLUDING an ASST to Bevo in the Mark Williams mould

[Vred]

I hate to blow my own trumpet but, I think I was onto something with last nights post about us not addressing the collective trauma from the grand final pantings, because Bevo has now come out and said the same thing.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/834606/g...JaIJ0r032DWFjg

''WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge admits he's not sure if his side ever got over the trauma from last year's Grand Final defeat''

Squarely on him for not addressing it, and instead sweeping it under the rug.

[Bulldog4life]

He is the worst boundary line ruckman I’ve ever seen… The guy is 205cm tall and never, ever takes front position.

Which was important last night especially as the boundary umpires continually threw short. One particular one landed low in Lobb's arms which he whacked and resulted in an easy goal to Serong.

[Bulldog4life]

So there are a few options to consider

1) Get Jones, Lobb and one or two others and really have a crack at it again next season
2) Clear the decks (Hunter, West JJ, Williams, Crozier and maybe Dunkley) and do a quick rebuild via the draft.
3) Keep faith in the list and back an improved coaching panel to strengthen our performance.

Are there any others we should consider?

Can we get all the chistians on WOOF to pray?

[Sedat]

I hate to blow my own trumpet but, I think I was onto something with last nights post about us not addressing the collective trauma from the grand final pantings, because Bevo has now come out and said the same thing.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/834606/g...JaIJ0r032DWFjg

''WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge admits he's not sure if his side ever got over the trauma from last year's Grand Final defeat''

Squarely on him for not addressing it, and instead sweeping it under the rug.

Better to acknowledge it 12 months late than not at all. Now that it has been acknowledged, hopefully there is a deep dive into what has happened in our last 2 finals (good and bad) and enact real, sustainable and meaningful change to eradicate the bad and accentuate the good.