Western Bulldogs plan slow start

[Dry Rot]

Looks like Fev will be playing in the NAB Cup opener

Early test for a fit Williams?

[Dry Rot]

By all accounts, Minson's toe injury has not improved much at all since the end of last season, so there is a very good chance that our ruck depth will be tested in 2010.

I have been thinking this too - and it's almost 4 months since he's last played.

How is Roughead's shoulder coming along?

[Mantis]

By all accounts, Minson's toe injury has not improved much at all since the end of last season, so there is a very good chance that our ruck depth will be tested in 2010.

Not sure how far away Will is from joining in full training, but in the match practice held this morning Roughead and Hudson were battling it out in the ruck.

Also heard that Murphy looked very lively which is a big positive, but in general the skills were on the scrappy side (I guess the norm for this time of year). The commitment of the players was also on show with quite a few heavy clashes taking place.

[LostDoggy]

How'd Roughy look against the bearded one?

[LostDoggy]

It will be good to see some of the young guys get a run in the nab cup. Not having to many injury problems last year kept a lot of guys off debut.

[Swoop]

It does pose an interesting question, with a few ageing players in the side and the idea being thrown up last year without success - What are people's thoughts on resting players at different stages throughout the season in order to get them to peak in September? When push comes to shove how much confidence do we really have in our 'depth'?

Obviously there are a fair few factors to take into account such as both team & individual form, injuries, depth player availabilties as well as opposition & matchups to name a few. Geelong successfully were able to provide certain players an opportunity to rest during the season and it helped come September, one argument that you could mount and Eade has been on record in saying that as a side we rely on everyone performing, we don't have the ability to coast through games without an even contribution. No doubt the biggest danger is to tamper with players form and potentially see them out of touch but I certainly look at Aker last season and think he was someone that could have benefited with a break leading into September.

[AndrewP6]

It does pose an interesting question, with a few ageing players in the side and the idea being thrown up last year without success - What are people's thoughts on resting players at different stages throughout the season in order to get them to peak in September? When push comes to shove how much confidence do we really have in our 'depth'?

Obviously there are a fair few factors to take into account such as both team & individual form, injuries, depth player availabilties as well as opposition & matchups to name a few. Geelong successfully were able to provide certain players an opportunity to rest during the season and it helped come September, one argument that you could mount and Eade has been on record in saying that as a side we rely on everyone performing, we don't have the ability to coast through games without an even contribution. No doubt the biggest danger is to tamper with players form and potentially see them out of touch but I certainly look at Aker last season and think he was someone that could have benefited with a break leading into September.

I'm not sold on the depth at the moment, to be honest. If we had players banging on the proverbial door to be selected, it would be different, but in 2009, it didn't seem as though many at Willy were putting their names forward (from accounts, GO'K was doing O'K (geddit?), then they gave him the royal A!) Grant showed he clearly wasn't up to it (at that point) and some others struggled to even play Willy seniors. Maybe the drafting strategy this year (with several "experienced" players drafted/rookied) could change things. THe initial plan in '09 was to give rests to some of the older brigade, and poor form put an end to that.

[Mantis]

It does pose an interesting question, with a few ageing players in the side and the idea being thrown up last year without success - What are people's thoughts on resting players at different stages throughout the season in order to get them to peak in September? When push comes to shove how much confidence do we really have in our 'depth'?

Obviously there are a fair few factors to take into account such as both team & individual form, injuries, depth player availabilties as well as opposition & matchups to name a few. Geelong successfully were able to provide certain players an opportunity to rest during the season and it helped come September, one argument that you could mount and Eade has been on record in saying that as a side we rely on everyone performing, we don't have the ability to coast through games without an even contribution. No doubt the biggest danger is to tamper with players form and potentially see them out of touch but I certainly look at Aker last season and think he was someone that could have benefited with a break leading into September.

I think we will be in a better position to 'rest' players this year as opposed to last year. I agree with some of the points 'AndrewP6' has made in regard to the lack of competition for spots last season, but with another year of development into the likes of Everitt, Grant, Stack, Wood & Reid one would expect that these guys would be looking to play many more games than they did in '09.

We will hopefully be able to give our older brigade a break when required and also be able to rest guys who are not quite 100% which will allow bothg sets of players to be in good shape come the business end of the season.

I agree on your points on Aker, we traded for him to make a difference in the finals and so far this hasn't happened. Is this because he is a little flat come finals time or is it because he can't adjust to the lift in tempo in the big finals games?

I guess we will find out more as the seaosn progresses.