Sharp Axes

[GVGjr]

I'm happy to blame anyone and everyone...but you can't coach effort.

The continued capitulations are exhausting...I was happy to go with the 'Dunks and Hunter have been/are a distraction and an unhappy playing group cannot/will not fight the fight when the chips are down' storyline...

But now what?

I agree in theory that you can't coach effort but equally if continually accept less commitment during a game than you really want and that you don't address it your silence is setting a lower level of acceptance and some players pick up on that.

All I have heard/read all pre-season is how 'together' we are. Yet last night we run around like no-one has met one another - let alone trusts them to help with ANYTHING - either attack or defend...the think about a team is you have to be predictable to one another - with ball in hand and when defending. Who watches us play and thinks: "There is a group with a unified purpose"....

Honestly - I just don't think the playing group cares about being 'great' - or even good. They - and I've said this before - care about their numbers and being selected and wearing their polo shirts around like every good AFL footballer does. But the whole thing where they need to bleed for it and commit to 'DO' something together, something of 'note' - well, that is way down the priority list.

I think you have hit the nail here, we want to be good but perhaps we aren't as prepared to make the sacrifices along the way to be great.

Following the team is exhausting because it really feels like we have heard the same song EVERY YEAR since the premiership...I guess you could exclude 2021 in a lot of ways but - from a supporters perspective (and as I said in the 'other' thread), 2021 'SUCKED' - and if Dry Rot is out there yes I did just quote myself and yes that should be a $2 fine.

Do I think we have the wrong coach? Maybe. Do I think we have (overall) the wrong 'team' leading the side - Coaches, AC's, Captain, Leadership group? Yeah - I 100% do. Something is wrong and has been for a long time. It's been wrong for so long that I'm not exactly sure anyone on the inside is in a great position to identify exactly WHAT it is...

That's worth staring into. Let me give it some more thought.

[macca]

I've often wondered who our 'scrappers' are. They guys who are barely talented enough to play football but do everything in their power to make it. The guys who were overlooked for years before getting their chance. The guy who puts his teammate on notice if they cut any corners.
The Matthew Boyd playing Frankston 2nds as a 19 year old. The Liam Picken freezing his arse off in the middle of winter at Williamstown.
The 22 year old Tory Dickson running around Noble Park. Tim Callan in the same boat for mine - delisted by Geelong, never made a rep squad as a junior, etc

Harvey G was overlooked in his draft year and I like that selection, but who else by their mere presence sharpens up the guys who came through the regular pathway?

I would like to add Lin Jong , Wallis before his leg broken, Big Red, Will Minson , Adcock, Prudden and Honeychurch

All players that bleed for us

Jong was highly respected for his attack on the ball
Suckling and Jong very unlucky not to be able to be in the GT

Does our current depth have the ferocity and hardness to get us there?

[Dogs 24/7]

I doubt we have the stones to make a hard call on Beveridge even if it was required. Im all for backing him but there are some worrying signs but that comes with the territory of a team with expectations on them. Measure up to them and everything is fine but fall short of them and speculation will grow.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

The heat will come quickly if things don't turn around on field. The media don't exactly need an excuse to line Bevo up given his relationship with them over the last few years.

[MrMahatma]

The heat will come quickly if things don't turn around on field. The media don't exactly need an excuse to line Bevo up given his relationship with them over the last few years.

My gut says we'll be out-coached this weekend and lose. And then... well, it'll be on.

[GVGjr]

The heat will come quickly if things don't turn around on field. The media don't exactly need an excuse to line Bevo up given his relationship with them over the last few years.

It's too early for me to get worried about a potential coaching change and I'm invested in Bevo but come later in the season we need to be right in the finals mix not loitering around trying or hoping to make up the numbers.
It's a brutal competition with regard to meeting and delivering on expectations and we have rightly been favored to be a significant player come finals. If we fall short we will need for an honest assessment to be made but at the moment last weeks result is just a blip on the radar from my perspective.

[Rocket Science]

It's too early for me to get worried about a potential coaching change and I'm invested in Bevo but come later in the season we need to be right in the finals mix not loitering around trying or hoping to make up the numbers.
It's a brutal competition with regard to meeting and delivering on expectations and we have rightly been favored to be a significant player come finals. If we fall short we will need for an honest assessment to be made but at the moment last weeks result is just a blip on the radar from my perspective.

Can't help but feel the word "rightly" is doing some unfeasibly heavy lifting there G ...

[GVGjr]

Can't help but feel the word "rightly" is doing some unfeasibly heavy lifting there G ...

Fair call and observation there RS.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

It's too early for me to get worried about a potential coaching change and I'm invested in Bevo but come later in the season we need to be right in the finals mix not loitering around trying or hoping to make up the numbers.
It's a brutal competition with regard to meeting and delivering on expectations and we have rightly been favored to be a significant player come finals. If we fall short we will need for an honest assessment to be made but at the moment last weeks result is just a blip on the radar from my perspective.

I don't think the club will react, but I would expect the media to beat the drums - particularly if Port/Hinkley continue their form.

We'll be an easy target, but ultimately, it'll be our own doing.

[GVGjr]

I don't think the club will react, but I would expect the media to beat the drums - particularly if Port/Hinkley continue their form.

We'll be an easy target, but ultimately, it'll be our own doing.

I think last weeks result is more a less a blip but..if things don't go our way this will challenge the club and it's management.

Working out the reason why what is a talented list didn't measure up requires a level of honesty and professionalism that some clubs might shy away from and that on that point it could be a challenge for us.

We can't really use the excuse that the list wasn't strong enough without explaining why we weren't more aggressive with our list changes over the last couple of years and given we topped up with experienced types at the end of the season the indication is that in the clubs opinion we thought we were right in the window.

[jazzadogs]

I think last weeks result is more a less a blip but..if things don't go our way this will challenge the club and it's management.

Working out the reason why what is a talented list didn't measure up requires a level of honesty and professionalism that some clubs might shy away from and that on that point it could be a challenge for us.

We can't really use the excuse that the list wasn't strong enough without explaining why we weren't more aggressive with our list changes over the last couple of years and given we topped up with experienced types at the end of the season the indication is that in the clubs opinion we thought we were right in the window.

Can't agree it's a blip when it's consistent with how we perform against the top sides.

Our win against Melbourne last year was the blip. These performances are the norm.

[jazzadogs]

My gut says we'll be out-coached this weekend and lose. And then... well, it'll be on.

I can't see the club making any coaching change before round 5, and probably not before the bye. We did front up against a good team, with a new structure and some key new members - I think we need a few weeks at least (and we play some more good teams during the first five) to determine whether the pre season coaching has actually lead to any real change.

BUT I also think if Bevo feels he has lost trust of the board/football management, then he would walk.

[bornadog]

I can't see the club making any coaching change this year.

more accurate

[GVGjr]

Can't agree it's a blip when it's consistent with how we perform against the top sides.

Our win against Melbourne last year was the blip. These performances are the norm.

The season has just started but we do have some challenges matching up with the Dees. In the scheme of the season I need to see a few more games to gauge our response.

[The bulldog tragician]

It is too early to make these calls. After all we blitzed Geelong in round 1 2007. They won the flag. We missed finals.

I feel some of my disillusionment is linked to a feeling of a lack of transparency & communication on where club leadership sees ourselves and where are we going. Two horrible finals capitulations in a row but we’re never really told what the club has learnt & how it’s being addressed. Is it fitness, tactics, whatever - the so called review either didn’t happen or we weren’t privileged to know the answers but from the outside very little - bar one new coach coming in - appears to have changed. Yet the club in going for two 30+ year olds is signalling we are in the window and only minimal change needed. I think that’s why Saturday night was hard to take. If we lose on Saturday it will be hard not to feel an implosion is coming.