What COULD hold us back (2024 edition).

[Mantis]

It's our tall forwards who aren't productive enough. We've sacrificed small-mediums who kick accurately, create scoring opportunities out of nothing, chase, tackle, apply pressure and bring a bit of the unexpected to the fray, like Smith, Dickson, Dunkley, Stringer in favour of under performing talls like Lobb, Ugle-Hagan, even Naughton and the trend looks likely to continue with the Darcy and Croft recruitments, hopefully destined for defence but unlikely with O'Donnell around. West has been disappointing and Jones too fragile.

Like where do you even start with this?

Seems like you are willing to die on the hill with your views, and whilst I don't have time to pick it apart to the length it probably deserves, so I'll just tackle one point - if you think JUH was underperforming last year then you & I are poles apart in the expectations of a young KF... he is on target to be a 50 goal a season forward this year (and every other season for the next 10) which is a nice position to be in.

[D Mitchell]

Like where do you even start with this?

Seems like you are willing to die on the hill with your views, and whilst I don't have time to pick it apart to the length it probably deserves, so I'll just tackle one point - if you think JUH was underperforming last year then you & I are poles apart in the expectations of a young KF... he is on target to be a 50 goal a season forward this year (and every other season for the next 10) which is a nice position to be in.

Bolded bit. We've been hearing that for 3 years, now, still averaging a touch above a goal a game and he's only one of them. When the Club invests so much in 3 talls yet they average fewer than 5 goals a game (4.68 in 2023) and we finish just in or just out of the 8, that's underperforming. My view on the tall forwards is based upon what I observe at games and statistics.

[Grantysghost]

Bolded bit. We've been hearing that for 3 years, now, still averaging a touch above a goal a game and he's only one of them. When the Club invests so much in 3 talls yet they average fewer than 5 goals a game (4.68 in 2023) and we finish just in or just out of the 8, that's underperforming. My view on the tall forwards is based upon what I observe at games and statistics.

Marra ? That’s a tad unfair he’s only been on the list since 2021 (drafted 2020) and had a hugely interrupted junior program due to covid.

[EasternWest]

Yeah Marra's a jet. He's the least of our concerns.

[GVGjr]

Bolded bit. We've been hearing that for 3 years, now, still averaging a touch above a goal a game and he's only one of them. When the Club invests so much in 3 talls yet they average fewer than 5 goals a game (4.68 in 2023) and we finish just in or just out of the 8, that's underperforming. My view on the tall forwards is based upon what I observe at games and statistics.

Marra didn't have a normal lead up to his draft year and and played minimal football and Darcy had a similar challenge. Marra also got off to a slow start because he wasn't seen as fit enough. What's happened over the last 2 years though as he nears 50 senior games of experience has been very promising. Kicking 5 goals in a couple of games and 4 in another last year are real signs of his potential. He's also been impressive over this preseason so I'm very optimistic of his future. He's far from the finished product and nowhere near his best so his best football is clearly in front of him. The stats and even some of the vision might not be telling the real JUH story just yet.

[Sedat]

What could hold us back?

Inability to run out games / retain control / stop a run on.

It's simply not an option for this perpetual problem to continue rearing its ugly head for the 3rd consecutive season.

[hujsh]

Bolded bit. We've been hearing that for 3 years, now, still averaging a touch above a goal a game and he's only one of them. When the Club invests so much in 3 talls yet they average fewer than 5 goals a game (4.68 in 2023) and we finish just in or just out of the 8, that's underperforming. My view on the tall forwards is based upon what I observe at games and statistics.

I don't know where you were hearing that Marra, as a first year player, was set to have a 50 goal season but maybe that's more an issue with who you're hearing these things from.

Jarmarra has been steadily improving every year, clearly works hard, has tons of talent, has stood up in big moments of big games and his trajectory lines up with pretty much any key forward of the last couple of decades.

Let him cook

[D Mitchell]

Marra didn't have a normal lead up to his draft year and and played minimal football and Darcy had a similar challenge. Marra also got off to a slow start because he wasn't seen as fit enough. What's happened over the last 2 years though as he nears 50 senior games of experience has been very promising. Kicking 5 goals in a couple of games and 4 in another are real signs of his potential. He's also been impressive over this preseason so I'm very optimistic of his future. He's far from the finished product and nowhere near his best so his best football is clearly in front of him. The stats and even some of the vision might not be telling the real JUH story just yet.

The topic is what could hold us back. The 2023 forward set up and personnel held the team back in 2023. Unless there is change, it will continue to do that. Ugle-Hagan is but one of the constituents of the underperforming forward line. The 3 talls structure hasn't worked, Bont aside, the other half of the forward 6, a bit of a merry go round, don't or can't do enough to compensate. It's the team and wins that matter, not an individual's development.

[GVGjr]

The topic is what could hold us back. The 2023 forward set up and personnel held the team back in 2023. Unless there is change, it will continue to do that. Ugle-Hagan is but one of the constituents of the underperforming forward line. The 3 talls structure hasn't worked, Bont aside, the other half of the forward 6, a bit of a merry go round, don't or can't do enough to compensate. It's the team and wins that matter, not an individual's development.

I agree the forward line can be a challenge for us. Getting some players to start impacting games more is the key.

[lemmon]

I think external pressure is going to be huge. Bevo simply doesn't have the luxury of working his way into the season - I think he's the most under pressure coach in the league and if we aren't 3-3 at worst after six rounds, the media are going to be feral. It's really hard to shield a group from that and Beveridge looked worn down by the constant barrage at the back-end of 2023.

We feel like a group that needs a few good news stories to start shifting momentum.

[Grantysghost]

The topic is what could hold us back. The 2023 forward set up and personnel held the team back in 2023. Unless there is change, it will continue to do that. Ugle-Hagan is but one of the constituents of the underperforming forward line. The 3 talls structure hasn't worked, Bont aside, the other half of the forward 6, a bit of a merry go round, don't or can't do enough to compensate. It's the team and wins that matter, not an individual's development.

Interesting, I think it's been not too bad DM but respect your view.
Apart from shizen goal kicking! We've got a goal kicking coach right?

[bornadog]

Interesting, I think it's been not too bad DM but respect your view.
Apart from shizen goal kicking! We've got a goal kicking coach right?

He had 70 scoring shots in 2023 - a little bit of accuracy and he could get 50 goals. He isn't our problem overall, there are other areas to address.

[D Mitchell]

Interesting, I think it's been not too bad DM but respect your view.
Apart from shizen goal kicking! We've got a goal kicking coach right?

bolded Bit

It isn't necessarily goalkicking that's the problem. Surprised me, too but, unless I'm missing something or misreading, 2023 figures from AFL Tables show that 2 of the 3 talls kicked more goals than behinds (the 3rd equal) as did the team total

Lobb 24 goals 18 behinds
Naughton 44 goals 33 behinds
Ugle-Hagan 35 goals 35 behinds

Team 276 goals 215 behinds

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/teams/bullldogs/2023_gbg.html

[hujsh]

bolded Bit

It isn't necessarily goalkicking that's the problem. Surprised me, too but, unless I'm missing something or misreading, 2023 figures from AFL Tables show that 2 of the 3 talls kicked more goals than behinds (the 3rd equal) as did the team total

Lobb 24 goals 18 behinds
Naughton 44 goals 33 behinds
Ugle-Hagan 35 goals 35 behinds

Team 276 goals 215 behinds

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/teams/bullldogs/2023_gbg.html

More useful than that , in my opinion, is the Shots at Goal number from the AFL site

JUH	93 Shots	35 goals	37.6%
Naughton	88 shots	44 goals	50%
Lobb	48 shots	24 goals	50%

Weightman: is at 57.6% and Bont 50%
English one of our best with 16 goals at 76%

[Axe Man]

More useful than that , in my opinion, is the Shots at Goal number from the AFL site

JUH	93 Shots	35 goals	37.6%
Naughton	88 shots	44 goals	50%
Lobb	48 shots	24 goals	50%

Weightman: is at 57.6% and Bont 50%
English one of our best with 16 goals at 76%

I'm glad someone has listened to me, I've been banging on about looking at shots at goal rather than simply scoring shots for years!