The 2016 Premiership thread

[1eyedog]

Firstly, I apologise profusely for lifting the lid on our 2016 campaign.

IF we beat Hawthorn on Sunday we will narrow to odds on with Sydney to win the flag with only West Coast and the Hawks at shorter odds. Daydreaming like this gives me a thrill because it's the closest I've ever come to Grand Final week. I've never seen a list like this at the Bulldogs and I've never seen such a well-rounded game plan. We've always had run and gun teams (1997) or highly skilled teams with good defenders but no forwards (2007-).Our list seems balanced and our game style works well both ways.

FWIW I think we'll beat the Hawks so, in anticipation of the massive pro-Bulldogs media bandwagon, I am making a massive jump forward and posing the following questions.

1/ Do we have the list to play in a Grand Final this season? Have we learnt our lessons from last year's EF loss and is the hunger there to go a few steps further?

2/ In what position(s) on the ground are we lacking?

3/ If we are lacking a particular type of player what player would fill the role (out of contract / free agent i.e. who should we target)?

4/ Do you still think our window is the 2017 / 2018 seasons?

5/ Is our current game plan sophisticated and developed enough to translate to the wider MCG?

I'm interested to hear from all those WOOFERs that believe (as well as the ones that don't...yet).

[Twodogs]

Re: The 2016 Premiership thread

This s a great thread!

[SonofScray]

Re: The 2016 Premiership thread

We are good enough now and were good enough last year assuming things fell our way. There is no ceiling on what can be achieved by this group.

1. Yes. Goal kicking efficiency and a capacity to clamp down when we are wrestling momentum back our way will be the key differences in another failed finals campaign and a flag that wags.

2. Our ruck stocks are still shaky, despite the good form of Roughie and the presence of a former AA back up in Will. I feel we haven't quite got the option to bring any of them in without disrupting other systems. It is swinging in favour though which is the promising sign.

3. Not sure. Feel like we've done well so far on that front, if we can nail a few more while the high draft picks dry up it'd be ideal.

4. I don't believe in the window / clock metaphor. But if I did, I'd say it is wide open right now and will be difficult to close for a a few years.

5. We just don't get enough time on the G for me to be confident that it is.

[Twodogs]

Re: The 2016 Premiership thread

One thing this list has on its side that other lists-I'm going to start calling it this year's list-one thing this year's list has going for it is things seem to keep falling into place. Sandilands out for the first round, Hodge out ths round. I said to someone on the weekend as St Kilda mucked up a 3 on 0 in the goalsquare then stood and watched as Caleb Daniel kicked a goal down the other end ten seconds later that it was exactly the sort of thing that usually happens to us. A couple of teams seemed to have fallen away, I can't have west coast as a premiership threat when they can't play well away from home, hawthorn surely can't go four times in a row? The Swans look good but can they go all year? Little things just keep mounting up.

This year's list just seems to have a destiny.

[1eyedog]

Re: The 2016 Premiership thread

One thing this list has on its side that other lists-I'm going to start calling it this year's list-one thing this year's list has going for it is things seem to keep falling into place. Sandilands out for the first round, Hodge out ths round. I said to someone on the weekend as St Kilda mucked up a 3 on 0 in the goalsquare then stood and watched as Caleb Daniel kicked a goal down the other end ten seconds later that it was exactly the sort of thing that usually happens to us. A couple of teams seemed to have fallen away, I can't have west coast as a premiership threat when they can't play well away from home, hawthorn surely can't go four times in a row? The Swans look good but can they go all year? Little things just keep mounting up.

This year's list just seems to have a destiny.

We've had the rub of the green ever since Griffon walked (even though we didn't know it at the time). Only thing against is the Crameri ban. Gee he would be handy this year.

[Bornadog]

Re: The 2016 Premiership thread

We have gone early with this, but hey it is fun discussing.

1. We need our rucks to stand up and not get injured. Roughy has done well the first two weeks without dominating hit outs, but hasn't come up against a top ruckman yet. His body has to stand up as does Campbell. Roughy is also good around the ground.

2. I still feel we are one tall short in the backline, but then again what we are doing is working. Will the current setup work when we play Swans with Franklin and Tippett, or WCoast with their tall line up.

3. MCG is a concern based on our game plan. Did anyone look around the ground last week when the siren went. The players had hands on knees, they were stuffed. There were very few stoppages and they ran and ran till they were exhausted. MCG is harder to do this and we may have to look at how the Hawks play the ground. Hawks use longer, accurate kicks to move the ball quickly from one end to the other. Suckling will certainly help here.

4. Premiership teams have very few injuries and they also have depth to cover those injuries. A few players are vital for us.

5. Before predicting the rest of the season, let's see how we play Sunday.

[1eyedog]

Re: The 2016 Premiership thread

It's a thread that will undoubtedly gather momentum as the season progresses

[Ghost Dog]

Re: The 2016 Premiership thread

1eyeD just threw the lid in the Maribyrnong river. Oh, well. no more lid.

1/ Do we have the list to play in a Grand Final this season? Have we learnt our lessons from last year's EF loss and is the hunger there to go a few steps further?

Yes but we don't yet have the experience with all the teams we will face in the top 4. As the season goes on we will lose some quarters and even games that teach us more

2/ In what position(s) on the ground are we lacking?

Without Crameri and Dickson, we lack mobility in our forward line. At some stage a we will mix it up and throw a linking forward up there, once Tom is becoming double teamed and Stringer is not getting the feed, which will happen when we play better midfields that restrict us.

3/ If we are lacking a particular type of player what player would fill the role (out of contract / free agent i.e. who should we target)?
Goez will come along I hope and we don't have to go looking for a new ruckman. Roughy does some great things but it's a terribly hard position on the body, and needs an understudy.

4/ Do you still think our window is the 2017 / 2018 seasons?
We are going to smash the window

5/ Is our current game plan sophisticated and developed enough to translate to the wider MCG?
They always talk about this. If our backline is being touted as the endurance machine of the comp, I don't think we will have a problem.

Might get shell-shocked, like the Eagles, but we offloaded our downhill skiers ( Tutt, Higgins ) already. The bus is moving fast.
The time is gone when we had to tolerate players like that ( Everitt, Jones ) because we had holes in our list and could not attract others to make up for it.

[Ozza]

Re: The 2016 Premiership thread

I like this thread - as I'm of the view that 'why can't we win it this year?'. If our expectation is that this year is too soon for us to win it, then we are definitely out of the race. If you buy into there being specific windows when you can win premierships - then you are limiting yourself.

Does anyone think Hawthorn ever go into a season thinking they can't win the premiership?

In 2007 - they scraped over the line in a final, and then were bounced out the following week.
The following year, despite having a young list (which probably actually reached maturity in the years where it won 3 more) they won the flag. And that was against a great Geelong side. This season is way more open than 2008 looked to be.

To answer the questions in the OP;

1/ Do we have the list to play in a Grand Final this season? Have we learnt our lessons from last year's EF loss and is the hunger there to go a few steps further? Yes, of course we have the list. We are good on every line, and have emerging superstars in Libba, Stringer & Bontempelli. We have a team that hasn't played a heap of footy together, so this will strengthen during the season and make us more formidable.

2/ In what position(s) on the ground are we lacking? At the moment, we are looking well rounded as a team. Time will tell in the ruck, and with tall defenders.

3/ If we are lacking a particular type of player what player would fill the role (out of contract / free agent i.e. who should we target)? I'm happy with the current list, and the depth we have.

4/ Do you still think our window is the 2017 / 2018 seasons? No, I don't really believe in windows, but if I was to say when the window is open - it is right now and for plenty of years ahead, at least 5.

5/ Is our current game plan sophisticated and developed enough to translate to the wider MCG? It will only take for us to win well there in our two games this season for the mindset around this to change. I think we will play the G better this year as our team defence has improved....and because of Libba.

[Twodogs]

Re: The 2016 Premiership thread

We've had the rub of the green ever since Griffon walked (even though we didn't know it at the time). Only thing against is the Crameri ban. Gee he would be handy this year.

Yeah, so true. Ever since old whatsisname walked out the door our luck changed.

Crammers would have been handy but it's not like we can't build another forward line with the tools at our disposal. He could have done his knee getting off the couch (or in a game most likely) and we would have been in the same position.

[The Doctor]

Re: The 2016 Premiership thread

1/ Do we have the list to play in a Grand Final this season? Have we learnt our lessons from last year's EF loss and is the hunger there to go a few steps further?

I don't see why not. We have strong contributors on all lines with no shortage of ability. The hunger is evident for all to see at this early stage of the season

My query on our team at the moment is whether we have enough experience overall in the big games to know what to do at the big moments. We still are prone to giving up commanding leads at times and you don't really see that from the battle hardened teams that have been at the top for a while like Hawks and Swans.

2/ In what position(s) on the ground are we lacking?

I think positionally we are in good shape. I would like to see a genuine mobile CHF in our line up and wonder whether Hamling may be an option here. I don't see Redpath or one of the ruckmen being that player.

In addition to the experience factor mentioned above do we have enough hard nuts? Often we see a statement in big games made by a hard nut. Roughead from Hawks in the 14 GF when he smashed that Swans defender. Carr on Akermanis in 04. The kind of physical presence that intimidates and stands up when being intimidated. So when the bullies from other teams come to pick on Bont, Macrae, Hunter, JJ etc who is going to stand up? Libba and Stevens I suspect will but is that enough? Or when it gets tough in the clinches and the big boys start throwing their weight around are we physically capable at this stage of matching such teams in big games with so many younger players in ours. Many of our emerging stars are still yet to reach their physical peak in terms of body development.

3/ If we are lacking a particular type of player what player would fill the role (out of contract / free agent i.e. who should we target)?

I like that the club is determined to keep our list together and develop from within. There is not much from elsewhere that I would be really interested in. I like we have been using the draft and have picked up some hungry players on the fringes at other clubs and this has been shrewd recruiting and is working. Don't think we need big name recruits as we have filled our positional voids quite well in recent times. So unless something dramatic happens and we lose a good player unexpectedly I'm not too concerned with it. Possible exception we could consider a ruckman if Minson decides to leave.

4/ Do you still think our window is the 2017 / 2018 seasons?

I think the window is open for a very long time

5/ Is our current game plan sophisticated and developed enough to translate to the wider MCG?

Yes it is, quite easily.

We have the players to execute long kicking skills and game plans to manouvre players across the turf as needed. We are capable of transitioning quickly to all parts of the ground very efficiently.

Most important, i believe we have a coach with as high an IQ for football as I have ever seen out our club. I am very confident he will find a way to meet the challenges and will learn a lot when we come up short. I also think he will only get better with more experience.

[1eyedog]

Re: The 2016 Premiership thread

It's been many, many years with many finals appearances still not bearing premiership fruit, but surely, now, the arguments against us being genuine title contenders are weakening.

Out thumping win of the minor premier in round 1 where we displayed a beautiful style of football contrasted sharply with our Thor like hammering of St. Kilda a week later. The test comes this week though, but if we beat the Hawks, IMO, we will be closer to a premiership this year than we have been in any of Prelim matches in the past! Why? This year is just different in every way.

There was a season-long assumption last year that we would eventually fall away, but we didn't, not until the last 5 minutes of the Elimination Final, and in reality we had them by the short and curlies and it was us who lost that match, not them that won it. "This week, the Bulldogs will lose," was repeated throughout the season. And yet, with the youngest side in the competition we win 14 matches and look for all intents and purposes to be marching to a top 4 finish. This year we sit on top of the ladder and go head to head against the Hawks at similar odds. The progress from October 2014 to April 2016 is astounding really. We go from irrelevant to sexy.

Since the start of last year, under Bevo, we are 16 wins and 8 losses with an average well over 140%, we sit inside the top 4 in terms of total number of defeats since the start of the 2015 season. This is no longer a 'good start' or an 'impressive run of form'. This is the consistency of champions, a champion team, we've clinically despatched opponent after opponent and as I said IMO this includes Adelaide in last years EF.

We have nothing to fear from our remaining fixtures, Bevo said as much. Confidence is sky-high and we're going in against the reigning Premiers with no fear. Out of the potential finalists last year (and perhaps this year), we have now beaten Fremantle, the Swans in Sydney, Richmond, North Melbourne, West Coast and Adelaide. That's all of them with our one big test, our biggest test this Sunday. Knock the Hawks over and we have beat everyone and anyone we may face in the finals this year and we've beaten them convincingly over the past 25 games.

They say we won't beat the big teams on the big stage, fair enough, but there has been big wins, Sydney in Sydney and Collingwood and North last year were big games. There will be bigger games this year, no doubt.

As Dermie predicted 3 years ago we now have a midfield good enough to beat every team, and it seems that being coached by Bevo means we are going to be set up well defensively. And we have the troops to roll out the game plan. Across all lines! If Stringer can spearhead the attack successfully with support from Boyd, the forward line piece of the puzzle is finally in place, and that elusive flag is very much within reach.

I believe!

[boydogs]

Re: The 2016 Premiership thread

I picked us for 2nd behind West Coast this year before the season. The list is premiership material with the exception of our talls. In the first two rounds we've been able to get it done whilst only playing 3 of them, with Adams and Roughead stepping up beyond what I expected. Later in the year, against different opposition and on different grounds, I suspect our weakness will be exposed

Give it another year or two and Boyd, Hamling, Cordy, Collins & Campbell will be making more of a contribution

[1eyedog]

Re: The 2016 Premiership thread

i picked us for 2nd behind west coast this year before the season. The list is premiership material with the exception of our talls. In the first two rounds we've been able to get it done whilst only playing 3 of them, with adams and roughead stepping up beyond what i expected. later in the year, against different opposition and on different grounds, i suspect our weakness will be exposed

give it another year or two and boyd, hamling, cordy, collins & campbell will be making more of a contribution

infidel!

[ledge]

Re: The 2016 Premiership thread

I think this year is one of those open years and someone could pinch a flag .. Like us