Top Dog Veterans have given next to nothing

[bornadog]

Robert Walls




HANDS up if you had the Western Bulldogs in your top two pre-season? I know I did. After round 11, they sat 13th on the ladder, having lost six of their last seven games. Tonight they play St Kilda, another team that has disappointed so far this season. If the Dogs lose, they can kiss goodbye any chance of making the finals and that would be amazing, because after three successive years of preliminary finals appearances, they appeared to be primed to take the next step.

So what has gone wrong? The bottom line is that some top-class veterans have delivered next to nothing. Promising youngsters haven't blossomed as expected, and the defection of dashing defender Jarrod Harbrow to the Gold Coast has hurt the team in more ways than one.

Last year, the Bulldogs' bookends had fantastic seasons. Brian Lake at full-back and Barry Hall at full-forward played so well both earned All-Australian selection. Neither has fired a shot in 2011. For a coach, pencilling in the full-back is generally the first thing done. Last year, the Dogs played 25 games and, on each occasion, Lake's name was gleefully written down by Rodney Eade, and the big full-back performed admirably. So good was his season that the hierarchy rushed to put a three-year $600,000-a-year contract in front of him. But since the signature went down, Lake's football has turned from brilliant to embarrassingly bad. Public knowledge of a business deal spat with former teammate Nathan Eagleton wouldn't have helped. Then there were operations over summer that led to a restricted pre-season. Some say he put off the surgery to enjoy a holiday. So Lake's professionalism was questioned.



So far, the All-Australian full-back has played just half of the Dogs' 10 games, and performed well in none. A lack of preparedness to attack the footy and non-existent second efforts damn him. He does not appear to talk to or encourage teammates during games or breaks. He looks completely lost. The coach has switched him forward in an attempt to find him some form. Last week against the Cats, Lake kicked three final-quarter goals, but the game was over by then and the goals meant little.

Last year, Lake took more marks than any other player in the AFL, averaging 10 per game. This season, he averages just four. The Bulldogs pay Lake big bucks to be one of the best backmen in the game, not to be a floating forward. So both club and player should bite the bullet and he should be put back into defence to tough it out.

Hall is different. His problem is to do with body, not brain. Bazza's body is simply not holding up. Operations at 34 are hard to get over. Hall has played just half the games and hasn't been fully fit in any of them. His goal average has halved, and significantly he has laid just one tackle in five games. He just can't chase, twist or turn, and opponents are running off him with ease.

Last year, Hall dominated the goalkicking, slotting 80 majors; next best was Daniel Giansiracusa with 35. In 2009, without Hall but with Jason Akermanis, Brad Johnson and Mitch Hahn, the Bulldogs were the highest-scoring team. Now, with just a battling Hall and no Johnson, Akermanis or Hahn, they have slipped to 11th.

Also well below par is Brownlow medallist and key midfielder Adam Cooney. Knee injuries have cost him games and restricted output. Playing more as a forward than a midfielder means the scintillating dash from the stoppages has ceased. And why isn't Ben Hudson getting a game? He rucks better than Will Minson, gets twice the disposals around the ground, and wins more clearances than most midfielders because he is desperate at ground level.

And Harbrow's value to the team should not be undersold. The bouncy left-footer was the spark of the back line. He loved to run and carry and, along with Lake, he dominated the defensive rebounds. Now he is gone and the Gold Coast is benefiting from his talents. No one has filled the void.

On a personal level, the Bulldogs' demise could not have come at a worse time for coach Eade, who is out of contract at season's end. He has done a fine job in his seven seasons out west, making finals in five of six completed seasons. But 2011 was to be the big one. Injuries have hurt, but where has the improvement come from in younger Dogs Shaun Higgins, Jarrad Grant, Liam Jones and Jordan Roughhead? Tom Williams has been in the system for five years and still looks lost out there.

Management has a tough call to make on Eade. Do they say thank you for a job well done and give someone else a crack with an ageing list that, with a bit of luck and freakish leadership, might just rally for a flag challenge in 2012? Or do they keep the coach on?

President David Smorgon has an interesting four months ahead of him. And for what it's worth, Smorgon and his board don't need past players stirring the pot while the club goes through a lean period. Paul Dimattina and co either need to put up or shut up.

[LostDoggy]

Well that was informative.

Interesting comment about Hudson, when a few paragraphs before he mentions that the youngsters haven't come along. Hudson is on his last legs Wallsy.

[LostDoggy]

Clearly I am a Brian Lake fan and not the most objective support but I feel something needs to be pointed out here..

[QUOTE=bornadog;220460][So good was his season that the hierarchy rushed to put a three-year $600,000-a-year contract in front of him. But since the signature went down, Lake's football has turned from brilliant to embarrassingly bad./QUOTE]

As I recall Lake signed a 4 year deal in 2009, making this statement at best ill informed and at worst deliberately misleading. If we reflect on the fact he signed in 2009 and backed up by winning All Australian selection, playing every game despite injury do we still feel he offered little value for the money offered?

The continued attempt to assasinate Lake's character in the media is starting to really get me irritated. He has been called lazy, selfish, disinterested and had his courage in playing through injury questioned. At least intially these attacks have not met with a strong response from the club. Finally this week Dale Morris has provided a strong response defending him.

I accept he is a hard player to support, he plays things his own way and clearly does not allways behave as a leader of the group would be expected to, but are we really so ready to turn on one of our own?? Given he had three surgerys to address four serious injuries is it so hard to accept that the truth may just be that he does not trust his body to do the things he would normally do? As anyone who has gone through the rehab of a serious injury will tell you it is not always as simple as just doing the work and everything will work out fine.

There are things about Brian that concern me greatly, what example does he set for the group? does he support the team plan or play for himself? how does he get on with Rocket? But if Dale Morris says he has worked hard and deserves the benefit of the doubt then I for one am prepapred to take that on face value.

[Bulldog Joe]

Well that was informative.

Interesting comment about Hudson, when a few paragraphs before he mentions that the youngsters haven't come along. Hudson is on his last legs Wallsy.

Note that Walls suggest Hudson gets twice as much ball as Will but in fact across their careers they are very similar with only 2010 showing a significantly better year for Hudson.

That was a year that was Hudson's best year and close to Minson's worst. Poor effort on his homework by Wallsy.

[LostDoggy]

Note that Walls suggest Hudson gets twice as much ball as Will but in fact across their careers they are very similar with only 2010 showing a significantly better year for Hudson.

That was a year that was Hudson's best year and close to Minson's worst. Poor effort on his homework by Wallsy.

Homework? Only real journalists do homework mate. Walls probably just got home from the pub and wrote down whatever shit he was dribbling with his mates.

[Desipura]

Note that Walls suggest Hudson gets twice as much ball as Will but in fact across their careers they are very similar with only 2010 showing a significantly better year for Hudson.

That was a year that was Hudson's best year and close to Minson's worst. Poor effort on his homework by Wallsy.

We know you have always been a fan BJ!

[Bulldog Joe]

Homework? Only real journalists do homework mate. Walls probably just got home from the pub and wrote down whatever shit he was dribbling with his mates.

Possibly....but that would require him to have mates.

We know you have always been a fan BJ!

That is really irrelevant to such factual inaccuracy.

[Remi Moses]

Pretty much par effort from Wallsy.Agree in regards to our kids, they're not coming on as much as we would like.The way this mare of a season is going I can envisage a farewell game for The Beard and Barry

[aker39]

Pretty much par effort from Wallsy.Agree in regards to our kids, they're not coming on as much as we would like.The way this mare of a season is going I can envisage a farewell game for The Beard and Barry

You can probably add Gilbee to that

[Bulldog Joe]

You can probably add Gilbee to that

I would agree that 2011 retirement looms pretty large for Gilbee, Hall and Hudson. Hargrave may not be far away either if his injury problems persist.

Almost seems we are looking at retirements alphabetically

Gilbee
Hahn
Hall
Hargrave
Hudson

could all be departing as retirees in 2011

[chef]

I would agree that 2011 retirement looms pretty large for Gilbee, Hall and Hudson. Hargrave may not be far away either if his injury problems persist.

Almost seems we are looking at retirements alphabetically

Gilbee
Hahn
Hall
Hargrave
Hudson

could all be departing as retirees in 2011

You could add Cross to that list as well.

[Desipura]

Possibly....but that would require him to have mates.



That is really irrelevant to such factual inaccuracy.

Well yes Sir (in my most posh voice) Any chance you get to defend Minson, you dont let me down.

[bornadog]

I would agree that 2011 retirement looms pretty large for Gilbee, Hall and Hudson. Hargrave may not be far away either if his injury problems persist.

Almost seems we are looking at retirements alphabetically

Gilbee
Hahn
Hall
Hargrave
Hudson

could all be departing as retirees in 2011

You could add Cross to that list as well.

I can't see Hargrave and Cross retiring.

[chef]

I can't see Hargrave and Cross retiring.

I guess that depends on where the MC see the team heading next year.

[LostDoggy]

I can't see Hargrave and Cross retiring.

I think they need to, more Cross anyway.