Always Right Match Committee R20 vs Essendon 2025

[Bumper Bulldogs]

You know that if we swapped out Poulter and McNiel for Weightman and JUH this would be a strong side. Add in Trelore and I’m not sure that any of us would be unhappy.

We are close to as good as we could be, after all we are playing the injectors so it doesn’t really matter. Give the a go and get ready for the weeks ahead.

[kruder]

Sammy Power has some work to do.

I know there is a lot of chat about our bench but the Back 6 isn't anywhere near top 8 materiel.

[jeemak]

Not sure this was foreseeable though or a fault of list management.

Going into this year, we would have expected to be playing:

a) an extra talented key forward (Jamarra)
b) an extra talented small forward (Weightman)
c) a dependable full back to support Lobb and co. (Jones)

If I told you right now, given all we know, that I could immediately add to this team a 40+ goal tall forward to compliment Naughton and Darcy, a 30+ goal small forward to compliment West and a reliable defender who can match up on opposition full forwards (which is what we expected Jones would be) then I reckon that would have helped quite a bit in these close losses.

And then all of a sudden, we'd be knocking on top 4 rather than top 8. Margins are thin in this league and we're just a few players short right now...

People seriously underrate our performances in lieu of our injury profile throughout the year.

We self harmed with our inability to shore up the defensive half. But outside of that our personnel issues have been horrendous.

[Vred]

We started Davidson out in his natural position, a winger, in the last few weeks we've started screwing him around and moving him everywhere from HHF to Defense, and we're starting to rarely use him on the wing, but we have now started putting Sanders there.
Both have suffered as a result, Sanders isn't a natural winger and Davidson is. We've been crying out to replace Hunter with a hard running winger for years and we finally have someone who shows promise and we go and drop him for a guy who isn't in our future plans (and could be delisted as soon as the end of this year).

We have Jones back for one game, where he actually played half decently considering what he was up against with the lack of defensive pressure coming from our midfield, and we drop him for not even close to a like to like replacement, feels like JOD is our only true 'lockdown' defender, we're trying to shoehorn Lobb into a role that doesn't fit him and now we have Buss as the third tall.

Buku? Don't even mention him.

Team selection this chaotic at this time of year is never a good thing, we haven't had a settled line up all season and this again is proving to me we don't have the personal to even remotely contend.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

We are what we are.

I just hope we move to eyeing the future. Buss over Jones is a good start and I called for this recently. But we have to know McNeil isn't making us a better side now or in the future. Ditto Poulter. I'd rather play a mix of Dolan, Hynes, Jacques and Sellwood even if they aren't totally ready.

Need to get something out of this season and getting handfuls of games into the above crop is important.

Not sure how you can get dropped, not play VFL, return to the senior side, not register a kick, and be picked to play again. It's rubbish by the MC.

[Go_Dogs]

It’s vomit inducing reading that line.

Is it any wonder why we sit where we do when our bench is considerably weaker than our competitors?

Best list in the comp mate.

[doggies ftw]

Everyone says oh Buku doesn’t do anything but hit the scoreboard that’s why Bevo won’t play him. Yet who’s replaced him? The likes of Poulter, Hynes, Davo been pushed up to a 3rd tall fwd role. We make it out like we’ve replaced him with prime Cyril Rioli, we haven’t. As far as I’m concerned a player who is otherwise invisible but goes at 2 goals a game, knows where to run to get in behind the defence and draws attention away from Naughty & Darcy, can go through the ruck so we please, please stop wasting Darcy there. Is much more useful than a player who is just invisible but in theory may get a little bit closer to the opposition for a pressure act once or twice a game.

Stop overcomplicating it ffs

[merantau]

Everyone says oh Buku doesn’t do anything but hit the scoreboard that’s why Bevo won’t play him. Yet who’s replaced him? The likes of Poulter, Hynes, Davo been pushed up to a 3rd tall fwd role. We make it out like we’ve replaced him with prime Cyril Rioli, we haven’t. As far as I’m concerned a player who is otherwise invisible but goes at 2 goals a game, knows where to run to get in behind the defence and draws attention away from Naughty & Darcy, can go through the ruck so we please, please stop wasting Darcy there. Is much more useful than a player who is just invisible but in theory may get a little bit closer to the opposition for a pressure act once or twice a game.

Stop overcomplicating it ffs

Good points. I don't know what Buku has done wrong. It seems the MC is enamoured with pressure acts by small forwards. Has anyone analysed how many of those pressure acts result in goals for us - either from free kicks or turnovers? My impression is that there aren't a lot, especially in games where we've been defeated.

[Mantis]

We started Davidson out in his natural position, a winger, in the last few weeks we've started screwing him around and moving him everywhere from HHF to Defense, and we're starting to rarely use him on the wing, but we have now started putting Sanders there.
Both have suffered as a result, Sanders isn't a natural winger and Davidson is. We've been crying out to replace Hunter with a hard running winger for years and we finally have someone who shows promise and we go and drop him for a guy who isn't in our future plans (and could be delisted as soon as the end of this year).

We have Jones back for one game, where he actually played half decently considering what he was up against with the lack of defensive pressure coming from our midfield, and we drop him for not even close to a like to like replacement, feels like JOD is our only true 'lockdown' defender, we're trying to shoehorn Lobb into a role that doesn't fit him and now we have Buss as the third tall.

Buku? Don't even mention him.

Team selection this chaotic at this time of year is never a good thing, we haven't had a settled line up all season and this again is proving to me we don't have the personal to even remotely contend.

Our treatment of Davidson has been poor... it's like we are always trying to outsmart ourselves with getting flexibility into the team, rather than just sticking what works.

Ryley's lack of defensive game is being found out when on the wing... he was caught out of position against the Ashcroft's on several occasions last week and it cost use goals. Maybe in the long run it pays off with some 'tough love' but he can be a hard watch at times... especially when he chooses not to take the ground in front of him.

I feel Buku's card was marked after he stunk it up against Hawthorn... maybe he/we needed Darcy to support but he I feel he blew his chance in that game.

Best list in the comp mate.

Best 6-8 in the comp on balance.

Another 6 or so who can contribute most weeks.

But the bottom 8-10 really struggle against the good teams and until we get a better balance it's going to continue to run this course.

[MrMahatma]

McNeil will kick 5 against the clowns.

[mjp]

Buku: Takes some catches, doesn't do much else.
It's hard. If his feedback has been all about contributing in other areas (i.e. Ground ball, contest) and he hasn't been doing it, well...he had to go. That's coaching and that's the way selection works. If he's just been dropped with no explanation, well...that's not fair (but I can't believe that would be true).

Davidson: 20-game rule, he's a kid!
He's been moved around a bit and I get that - but we don't even really know what he is/can be yet. I get criticising the MC for moving him away from his 'best position'...in fairness, we actually don't know what that is right now. Moving him forward or back to try and help round out his game in his first year is more than fine. He just needed a rest and probably should have played 6-8, had a break, 6-8, had a break etc.
It's easy to say now but I just think we've asked to much of him and whilst he's been up for the fight the coaches have tried to retain him in the team....last week he was not up for the fight though and it's hard to argue he was.

Sanders: 20-game rule, he's a kid!
If anyone needs to learn how to play and defend, this is the one. We've invested a heap of draft capital in him and need to try and get him playing 'a strong two way game...the wing is a good place to learn this. Saying he's not a natural winger? Well, I doubt Fletcher has played their much either- they're similar ages, similar experience...he needed to be a bit better....

None of this is ever gonna be perfect unless you're rolling out the 2007 Cats line-up (1983 Hawks??)...we're not there yet. I think we 100% over analyse players being moved around - we've battled on the wings so giving our high first round pick a crack there isn't a terrible idea....I don't know. We're all criticising the MC and coaches and I get that but it's not like they're dealing from a perfect deck...they aren't replacing peak Peter Matera on the wing with Sanders - they're replacing a mature age recruit in his first year out of the Richmond VFL side....it's actually OK to try things.

[westbulldog]

McNeil will kick 5 against the clowns.

If he actually gets 5 kicks then :-

he will kick 3 out of bounds and 2 that scrape in for behinds, all shots from directly in front 30m out

[GVGjr]

A lot of supporters are yet to take their seats
I wonder if the know it's an earlier start?