What's the fix?

[The Bulldogs Bite]

OK, so last night was a disaster and a representation of everything we have done wrong for multiple years. Goals out the back, skill errors, inability to pressure the opposition, poor I50 entries, capitulation of spirit etc.

So what's the fix? CAN it be fixed?

As much as I think the coaching group need to be held accountable, and they should be, I'm really questioning some of our players.

Is Dale up to the pressure of big games? Is Daniel the player he was? Is Keath done? Is Macrae one of the biggest problems we have? Is our depth THAT bad?

We could go on.

We know the issues both collectively and individually. We've known about them for some time. It's one game but clearly all of these issues remain in the spotlight.

My fear is it cannot be fixed with THIS personnel and highlights we haven't hit the draft hard enough in recent years. Part of that is forced through what we had to give up for Marra and Darcy, part of it is that we haven't made it a priority. The list looks a little stale - to not have a debutant last night is unusual (Baker/Lobb don't count).

We can build around our young core, but my feeling is we really need to hit the draft. For now, and I'm not saying we throw the baby out with the bath water, but I'd like to see us invest games into younger talent where possible (Garcia, Arty, Bedendo, Cleary etc).

Thoughts?

[soupman]

The list is really good imo. We are however less than the sum of all our parts. That's a system issue.

There are complicating factors within that, regarding the standards we accept, whether certain players work hard enough or "want it enough ". But ultimately we have had a very talented list underperform for the last say 5 years.

The system needs to change. Maybe it is, it seems they were focusing on the right things pre season and it still is very early days. I fail to see what blowing it all up again with the list achieves.

[DOG GOD]

The simple fact for mine is that our prima Donna midfield do not have 1 defensive pressure act bone in their combined bodies. Until we get 2-3 mids who do, we aren’t going anywhere.

Jones, Bruce and Keath as our defensive posts. 3 players almost done and dusted.

Our best defender playing as a fwd.

Only 3-4 guys who can hit a leading target.

The skill level of half the team is VFL standard.

[G-Mo77]

We can build around our young core, but my feeling is we really need to hit the draft. For now, and I'm not saying we throw the baby out with the bath water, but I'd like to see us invest games into younger talent where possible (Garcia, Arty, Bedendo, Cleary etc).

Thoughts?

I'm writing us off now. Blood some young kids, don't play these plodders (Hannan, McComb, Baker) see what we have at lower level and get a higher pick next season. We're not ad bad as it seems but we're nowhere near good enough to compete in the final 8. Some youth and enthusiasm through the senior team would be welcoming.

[bornadog]

I'm writing us off now. Blood some young kids, don't play these plodders (Hannan, McComb, Baker) see what we have at lower level and get a higher pick next season. We're not ad bad as it seems but we're nowhere near good enough to compete in the final 8. Some youth and enthusiasm through the senior team would be welcoming.

Which young kids would you like to see in?

[G-Mo77]

Which young kids would you like to see in?

Any of them. I don't think we have much to work with to be honest. Bedendo and Cleary are the ones who I rate mostly. Not sure who Scotty West has to bone to get his son in there. Jones' probably just unlucky as he was rumoured to be a Rd1 inclusion and got injured. Buku, Garcia just play them extended minutes over long periods and see if there is something. Grabbing all these retreads and trying to build a high quality team does not work. Why we chose Baker and kept another list spot open for some other bum is ludicrous.

And yeah I want to get games into Sweet but with our height the way it is how donwe fit him in.

[bornadog]

The OP has given us a very hard question to answer. Forget about what shoulda, coulda had been done in the past with drafting etc. We are one game in and we shit our pants, but can turn it around. Melbourne is a good side and they always start like this (last 3 seasons).

We need to look at either solutions for this year or beyond if it doesn't work.

Before this game, we all thought finally we have a balanced team, but due to a few injuries, we are lacking small forwards who can apply pressure, but overall, we thought we have a top 4 team ready to go.

What is the FIX

1. I would round up the mids including wings in a room and put the pressure back on them. When they are kicking into the forward line, they need to lower their eyes and hit a chest, and stop bombing it in. Failing to do so, they will be replaced by Garcia, West and even McComb.

2. Forwards - Goal kicking practise every day.

3. Backline - Dale, Daniel, Ed, Doc - practise practise practise hitting a target. We have some of the best kicks in the AFL and they were atrocious last night.

4. Ball ups - Rucks and mids must work harder and ensure the clearances are clean and delivered smoothly to the next player.

In other words back to basics.

Sorry if this sounds stupid and simple, but if we don't get the basics right, the game plan falls to bits.

[G-Mo77]

In other words back to basics.

Sorry if this sounds stupid and simple, but if we don't get the basics right, the game plan falls to bits.

Doesn't sound stupid at all mate. I don't think Brendan McCartney does get much credit for some of the things he did here. He was not a Senior Coach but he did instil a very strong work ethic into our players and our basics were very good once a better coach was put at the helm. Those suffering years, IMO, were a key component to that premiership side in 2016.

[DOG GOD]

The OP has given us a very hard question to answer. Forget about what shoulda, coulda had been done in the past with drafting etc. We are one game in and we shit our pants, but can turn it around. Melbourne is a good side and they always start like this (last 3 seasons).

We need to look at either solutions for this year or beyond if it doesn't work.

Before this game, we all thought finally we have a balanced team, but due to a few injuries, we are lacking small forwards who can apply pressure, but overall, we thought we have a top 4 team ready to go.

What is the FIX

1. I would round up the mids including wings in a room and put the pressure back on them. When they are kicking into the forward line, they need to lower their eyes and hit a chest, and stop bombing it in. Failing to do so, they will be replaced by Garcia, West and even McComb.

2. Forwards - Goal kicking practise every day.

3. Backline - Dale, Daniel, Ed, Doc - practise practise practise hitting a target. We have some of the best kicks in the AFL and they were atrocious last night.

4. Ball ups - Rucks and mids must work harder and ensure the clearances are clean and delivered smoothly to the next player.

In other words back to basics.

Sorry if this sounds stupid and simple, but if we don't get the basics right, the game plan falls to bits.

I didn’t.
I didn’t pick us to make the 8.

[bornadog]

I didn’t.
I didn’t pick us to make the 8.

I didn't think you would

[D Mitchell]

McCartney's insistence that every player had to be able to win his own ball, still there in 2015-2016, has since disappeared as a qualification for selection. Naughton aside, there was no urgency by any of the forwards. There's not much point having 4 talls if only one them performs.

[GVGjr]

We know the issues both collectively and individually. We've known about them for some time. It's one game but clearly all of these issues remain in the spotlight.

My fear is it cannot be fixed with THIS personnel and highlights we haven't hit the draft hard enough in recent years. Part of that is forced through what we had to give up for Marra and Darcy, part of it is that we haven't made it a priority. The list looks a little stale - to not have a debutant last night is unusual (Baker/Lobb don't count).

We can build around our young core, but my feeling is we really need to hit the draft. For now, and I'm not saying we throw the baby out with the bath water, but I'd like to see us invest games into younger talent where possible (Garcia, Arty, Bedendo, Cleary etc).

Thoughts?

This is such a complicated discussion but one I hope the clubs is constantly challenging themselves with.
The fact that we chased experienced players in Jones and Lobb and really didn't cut into the list at the end of last season means that from the clubs perspective the window is open and it's our time to deliver and I'm not sure we've been great at backing up on expectations. How we perform this years will either justify that position or challenge it.
What I don't know is if we ready for is the possibility that we don't measure up to the level of expectation.

What are our options if we fall short this year?

One of them could be to break up the list North or Hawks style and try and build through the draft and via FA acquisitions or trades with a more emerging players lens on it?
It's an option that is fraught with danger though given we wouldn't be regarded as a destination club for players.
In that scenario 2 year rebuilds can quite easily become 4 or 5 years outside of the 8 and for a club so reliant on membership and sponsorship that option could be a slippery slope with more downside than upside for us.

Whatever decision we make needs to be done with brave intent not a bit each way and that's where I don't think we have the leadership to make those brave and harsh calls.

It will be interesting to see if we are genuinely committed to our current approach later in the season.

[anfo27]

The list is good enough. Was the list good enough when Bevo took over Macca? everyone would have said no but Bevo got the best out of them. If we can fix Bevo's anti-defence tactics & be sound as a defensive unit, we have a chance to do something special. Yeah we could do with some crumbing forwards so the list isn't perfectly balanced.

I honestly can't see Bevo fixing this problem though.

[Grantysghost]

The simple fact for mine is that our prima Donna midfield do not have 1 defensive pressure act bone in their combined bodies. Until we get 2-3 mids who do, we aren’t going anywhere.

Jones, Bruce and Keath as our defensive posts. 3 players almost done and dusted.

Our best defender playing as a fwd.

Only 3-4 guys who can hit a leading target.

The skill level of half the team is VFL standard.

Did you say pressure acts?

[macca]

Any of them. I don't think we have much to work with to be honest. Bedendo and Cleary are the ones who I rate mostly. Not sure who Scotty West has to bone to get his son in there. Jones' probably just unlucky as he was rumoured to be a Rd1 inclusion and got injured. Buku, Garcia just play them extended minutes over long periods and see if there is something. Grabbing all these retreads and trying to build a high quality team does not work. Why we chose Baker and kept another list spot open for some other bum is ludicrous.

And yeah I want to get games into Sweet but with our height the way it is how donwe fit him in.

Melbourne had 2 debut yesterday : Laurie and McVee and Rookie from 2020 Kade Chandler ( kicked 1 goal, 7 tackles)