Western Bulldogs accused of wasting golden era

[GVGjr]

But you call media commentators flogs or idiots etc who say we are not a top four team? I’m genuinely puzzled.

And when the members of the site ask the question if we have made enough list changes at the end of the season by retaining marginally talented players for a season or two too long that gets shot down as well.
The quality of the list is only a problem and regarded as overrated when we are coming up short on expectations.

[chef]

We won a flag, im not sure we can ever say we wasted this Bevo era.

[GVGjr]

We won a flag, im not sure we can ever say we wasted this Bevo era.

I'm not sure the article is talking about the Bevo era, I don't think anyone can challenge that making 2 GF is anything other than impressive but they're asking a few questions about how we are performing at the moment.

[chef]

I'm not sure the article is talking about the Bevo era, I don't think anyone can challenge that making 2 GF is anything other than impressive but they're asking a few questions about how we are performing at the moment.

I guess we may not be as talented as some would like to believe. I think we have a longer 'tail' than most as our squad isn't as deep as it should be(and this is probs down to the guy replacing Dalrymple not being as good)

Look at our backline on Thursday night. 2 players who look cooked(Keath, Duryea), 2 who just aren't much chop(Gardner, VDM) and some project player who looks a mile away atm(JOD). We aren't top 4 quality.

[DOG GOD]

We lack depth, have no wings, lack specialist small to mid-sized forwards and can't get our best defence on the park yet we apparently should be a top four lock.

Each year I hear the same thing, and then at the same time see the list of deficiencies across the list trotted out. And at the end of it all we blame the coach.

Our issues may include the coach but the constant overlooking of our clear deficiencies in personnel drives me nuts.

Great post. Agree 100%

[DOG GOD]

I guess we may not be as talented as some would like to believe. I think we have a longer 'tail' than most as our squad isn't as deep as it should be(and this is probs down to the guy replacing Dalrymple not being as good)

Look at our backline on Thursday night. 2 players who look cooked(Keath, Duryea), 2 who just aren't much chop(Gardner, VDM) and some project player who looks a mile away atm(JOD). We aren't top 4 quality.

Agree. For mine we are certainly not a top 4 team. Our backline is in most part, deplorable. Slow, can’t intercept, slow decision making and other than a few, lack fundamental skills.

Our mids are one paced…slow, with most average to poor kicking skills. Macrae, Treloar and smith can’t defend to save themselves, and pretty much refuse to bust a gut doing it.

Our #1 ruck should be the best #2 ruck in the AFL, but whether that’s thru his ego or the MC’s rose coloured glasses, he continually frustrates in the most important matches against the best opposition.

Our fwd line is dysfunctional. We only have 2 GENUINE fwds in Jamarra and Weightman, a backman turned fwd and slow mids who can’t get into the midfield.

Our bottom 6 of the 22 don’t do anywhere near enough, leaving players like Naughton, Libba, and bont to have to bust their nuts week in week out.

Yes, we lost to the pies by 12 points. Jamarra played a great game, but Moore and Howe played off him and gave him room to run and jump. Against swans, his opponent was on his shoulder and he barely touched it up to half time.

For mine, Darcy looks a long way off.

We hit the desperation stick with Lobb.

We probably deserve to be right where we are. And I’ll be surprised if it improves anytime soon.

[bulldogtragic]

These all seem like valid arguments. So then surely we rebuild this year and stop tinkering on a list with apparently more holes than Swiss cheese?

[DOG GOD]

These all seem like valid arguments. So then surely we rebuild this year and stop tinkering on a list with apparently more holes than Swiss cheese?

Agree. I just don’t think we have the balls to make hard decisions regarding the list.

We are in serious need of 2 ready made highly skilled mids. Walsh, Serong, types.

[Sedat]

These all seem like valid arguments. So then surely we rebuild this year and stop tinkering on a list with apparently more holes than Swiss cheese?

If that is the case (big if), then the entire footy dept (including recruiting and fitness & conditioning) and senior management need to be removed because they have been on record as saying we are well and truly in the window and have been since 2020. You live the words, you need to live the consequences.

Things are never as good as they seem and they are never as bad as they seem. Thursday night was a very poor performance against an ordinary (in 2023) team, but a strong win this week and going on a run will put our current situation into perspective. There are no excuses whatsoever for us not running the table between now and R24. None of the teams we will be playing in the next 5 weeks are infallible, nor are they complete. All teams have holes on their list and issues with their game plan (even the filth). The time to review is at the completion of the season - if we fall in a heap, big changes will rightly be considered then.

[chef]

These all seem like valid arguments. So then surely we rebuild this year and stop tinkering on a list with apparently more holes than Swiss cheese?

How big of a rebuild are thinking and how long will it take for to challenge again?

For me the worry with a rebuild is our greatest player is now in his prime and who knows how long that'll last.

[bulldogtragic]

If that is the case (big if), then the entire footy dept (including recruiting and fitness & conditioning) and senior management need to be removed because they have been on record as saying we are well and truly in the window and have been since 2020. You live the words, you need to live the consequences.

Things are never as good as they seem and they are never as bad as they seem. Thursday night was a very poor performance against an ordinary (in 2023) team, but a strong win this week and going on a run will put our current situation into perspective. There are no excuses whatsoever for us not running the table between now and R24. None of the teams we will be playing in the next 5 weeks are infallible, nor are they complete. All teams have holes on their list and issues with their game plan (even the filth). The time to review is at the completion of the season - if we fall in a heap, big changes will rightly be considered then.

We did this review already and then kept it secret didn’t we? Time for another secret review? Then refuse to publicly comment because there’s a review underway and we don’t want to prejudice it. Then we just need to find an outside patsy to put everything on… We should run any state government.

[bulldogtragic]

How big of a rebuild are thinking and how long will it take for to challenge again?

For me the worry with a rebuild is our greatest player is now in his prime and who knows how long that'll last.

I think if we fully 100% hit it this year, we could rebound quickly. We are looking at three first rounders with matching a bid on Croft. That’s a good start to start stockpiling top end talent on top of our recent high end picks. I’m also open to the right FA if they’re good enough and fill a need. Plus who knows what trade requests might come and what we can get for them. I don’t think we have to be down all that much or all that long if we can commit to it properly this year.

My counter to not rebuilding while Bont is around, is do we expect him to make up for the bottom six players being sub standard? He’s super man, but he can’t be expected to cover a handful of average players who shouldn’t be playing. Say Smith requests a trade and we have four first rounders this year plus a good free agent and we actually get some kids late in the ND & RD. If we can nail those picks, develop them quickly and develop a game plan with them as JUH, Buss & Darcy start to impose themselves, then perhaps it’s a lean year or two (10-12th) - where we get some top 10 picks and aim to slingshot back up the order as these kids start to hit 30-40 games. And… Bont is still playing and mentoring them into being the best footballers they can be.

I honestly don’t think this rebuild has to hurt that much. But it needs to be all in or not at all. Either rebuild the platform for a crack in the big to distant future or trade ourselves into the top 4. I don’t think trying to both will help either strategy. Right now would we want Lobb or picks 30 & 30? I supported the trade thinking the club was right sprouting that we are in the window. But I don’t think we are. So I think hit a very strong draft with the view to get in top talent and rebuild quick. Something like we did in 1999 ND but with more talent as a base to hopefully slingshot I’d up faster with the aim of contending while Bont is still here.

1999: Bob, Gia, Gilbee, Shaggy, Hahn, Bowden, Wiggins,

[GVGjr]

I guess we may not be as talented as some would like to believe. I think we have a longer 'tail' than most as our squad isn't as deep as it should be(and this is probs down to the guy replacing Dalrymple not being as good)

Look at our backline on Thursday night. 2 players who look cooked(Keath, Duryea), 2 who just aren't much chop(Gardner, VDM) and some project player who looks a mile away atm(JOD). We aren't top 4 quality.

That's by design though. We didn't need to play JOD and we appear to have rushed in Darcy.

[Sedat]

We did this review already and then kept it secret didn’t we? Time for another secret review? Then refuse to publicly comment because there’s a review underway and we don’t want to prejudice it. Then we just need to find an outside patsy to put everything on… We should run any state government.

No secret reviews and no internal reviews by the people that should be under review themselves.

[Sedat]

That's by design though. We didn't need to play JOD and we appear to have rushed in Darcy.

I understand the discussion on JOD but in the modern game there is an absolute premium on tall intercept defenders, and we have clearly identified JOD as someone who can fill this critical void. Geelong did the same fast-tracking of Blicavs and I'm personally ok with it, even if the whole selection integrity discussion can of worms is potentially opened up.

Agree 100% on Darcy. Get his body get right for the next 10-12 years.