Rodney Eade puts Western Bulldogs on notice after third-straight loss

[Mantis]

Well if we dont win this week after Eade has mentioned all this where does it lead next?

You tell us?

Eade has asked for a more committed effort in terms of work-rate across the board... if we get that this week we are taking a step in the right direction.

[MrMahatma]

Every time he gets it, I'm rapt — they need to stop the flow sometimes. There is absolutely no point running the ball as fast as we can into our forward 50 when there's nobody there to receive it.

This is how I see it played out time and again — correct me if I'm missing some deeper strategic goal, OK? — the ball's in the D50, we have 14 players in the D50 swamping the contest and 3 or 4 players on the HB line. We force the turnover, handball it out to a running defender who picks a player on the HB line or in the centre. They spin around and without looking, play on immediately, regardless of the situation around them, only to quickly realise there's nobody (or just one bloke against 4 or 5) in the F50 to kick it to, and no structure to run it forward.

Solution? They bomb it in and pray that the football gods will be kind.

If they had've stopped, taken the mark and waited for those 14 players to run back forward, we'd have far more options running to goal.

Cross is vital. He may be slow, he may be a better handball than a kick, but the man has 700% heart, effort, workrate, all the things we need, and is too harshly judged (IMHO) on this forum in general.

Would he get a game at the Pies or Cats?

Personally, I doubt it.

[Ghost Dog]

[QUOTE=MrMahatma;214122]Would he get a game at the Pies or Cats?

Personally, I doubt it.[/QUOTE]

Not sure about that. At first glance I would agree, but Luke Ball is really not that much more skilled. He is a bit faster, but not by much. Perhaps a player you could compare him to.

[Topdog]

Ball also kicks goals. So more skilled and a goal kicker. Ball is the better player.

[Ghost Dog]

Fair enough. So do you think he's past it top dog?

[Topdog]

I think the game has changed dramatically up to the point where poor / slow users of the ball will find it hard to get a game. Rhys Palmer is finding that out at the moment.

[Ghost Dog]

That's a fair comment
The dockers need some answers after their loss to Richmond.