Are you in Camp "IN", Camp "OUT" or Camp "PROVE IT"

[bulldogsthru&thru]

I'm out.

I actually think our Defence holds up OK. It seems I'm alone when I read these type of threads.

Anyways..........

My issue has been and still is the want and will to work which is mainly directed at our midfield and lesser extent forwards. The ball gets walked out of the middle unpressured time and time again, it moves out of the forward line way too easily also. When you watch the elite teams the work rate is incredible, the pressure is intense and their decision making in these pressure cookers are terrific. In my eyes these are 3 things we are absolutely terrible at. I just can't see our team flicking the switch and changing their attitude on the field. I honestly think our ladder position was very flattering last season, we were awful! There are quite a few teams below us who IMO are in much better positions than we are to improve just on natural progression alone and have been aggressive to try and get better. We had a review, moved some people around in the coaching box and offices and brought in some re-treads on the field. It really doesn't excite me or give me much confidence going into 2024. So yeah, I'm out quicker than Kramer was in the contest.

How quickly I forgot about the effort department. You're right this is our biggest drawback. I'm hoping Sanders can be a positive influence here. It's his mo. If some of the other guys can't get a kick up the bum in this area from seeing a rookie out work them then all hope is lost. Harmes could also be a positive in this sense.

I am curious to know how much fitness plays a part in the apparent laziness of our players. Here's hoping the new fitness team have worked some wonders.

[bornadog]

and brought in some re-treads on the field.

I am not sold on the re-treads as some are. I think Coffield who is still only 24 years old, and if injury free, may be the best of them as the season progresses, but haven't seen him yet. Bramble could barely get a game at Hawks and Harmes couldn't make the Dees team, playing less than half the games last year.

[Hot_Doggies]

I want to be all ?IN? , then I read posts about starting with McNeil , Poulter and co

[SonofScray]

A firm in.

/reserve the right to pile on immediately if things aren't exquisite.

[jeemak]

I'm in the prove it camp, but will take a reasonable level of optimism into the first half of the season and reassess.

With more continuity in defence and better conversion at the right times last year we're a better than average chance to finish fifth (one win, less than 5%). That's how tight or weak the battle for the second half of the eight was.

But that's the problem for mine. Who of JJ, Jones, JOD, Keath, Gardner and whoever else can be depended upon to help us build the continuity? A lot has to go right no matter how fit we might get, how well managed we might be.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Nice thread - no fence sitting, I like it.

This is the least I have been 'involved' in a footy pre-season during my 34 odd years of living. Work, two kids - things are a little different. That makes it hard to get a read on us, although I appreciate all the training reports.

I am in, because we have to be. There are no more excuses. We've made the changes. We recruited for the now (Jones, Lobb, Coffield, Harmes, Bramble) and have kept the core of the list together.

We need to demand more from the likes of Daniel and Dale. They are good players, they need to go to another level. We need to demand improvement from our second-fourth year players - it's time to contribute. We need to demand more from our coaching group, this is make or break.

We were embarrassing last year and still should have made finals.

Our backs have been put to the wall in the last 6 months, and you KNOW that's when this club responds. It always has.

[Topdog]

I'm genuinely surprised there are so many optimistic Bulldog supporters. Little bit jealous of you guys.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

I'm genuinely surprised there are so many optimistic Bulldog supporters. Little bit jealous of you guys.

It's pre season! Let's revisit this thread come the mid season bye!

[The Bulldogs Bite]

It's pre season! Let's revisit this thread come the mid season bye!

Not even.

Round 1

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Not even.

Round 1

The match day thread of round 1 will be a cold shower if it all goes south (well, if 2023 form persists).

[Grantysghost]

The match day thread of round 1 will be a cold shower if it all goes south (well, if 2023 form persists).

Demons at the G we'd have to be outsiders.

[lemmon]

I'm genuinely surprised there are so many optimistic Bulldog supporters. Little bit jealous of you guys.

Me too. I just feel like there was so much hype and excitement around our pre-season last year that I'm incredibly wary of what this group will actually do on the field.

This is a side that got battered by Hawthorn and didn't show up against the Eagles six months ago and a lot of us wanted the head coach gone.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Demons at the G we'd have to be outsiders.

it's not really so much about the result as much as it's how we perform. I can stomach a loss of we're competitive and give a good effort. Although naturally round 1 can be taken with a grain of salt. You don’t know what you'll get.

[jeemak]

it's not really so much about the result as much as it's how we perform. I can stomach a loss of we're competitive and give a good effort. Although naturally round 1 can be taken with a grain of salt. You don’t know what you'll get.

You should know you'll at least get effort at the professional level.

[Bigdog]

At the moment I?m out.

My big issues the last 2 seasons have been:

- Lack of speed
- Lack of depth, I don?t think our bottom 6 has bridged the gap it needs to. We really need the draftees from the last couple of years to demand selection (Galagher, Clarke and Bendendo are the ones)
- Lack of cohesion forward

I think we could address the last item as the boys have actually played together for a period given lobb and JUH have been relatively new to our system.

I don?t think we have improved on the other two.