What happens now?

[bulldogsthru&thru]

We can’t just afford to pay him out — he’s here until the end of 2027 and that’s the reality. Why we jumped in and signed him so early (again) is beyond me. Look, the season itself wasn’t terrible, I’d almost give it a pass considering the rotten run of injuries we had early on. But the issue is, we keep falling short year after year and running into the same problems over and over. Maybe a fresh set of eyes and a different voice could have been the change we really need heading into 2026 and beyond.

This is how I see it. We never really have bad years under Bevo. But we also never really have great years.

We run into the same issues year after year. The coach just has to be accountable for a group that trips over in the same fashion for years on end.

Bevo is a smart guy. He'd obviously be aware of these issues all us amateurs are seeing. So it begs the question why he can't turn it around? Is he too stubborn? Are the players only coachable to a point? If so then why not turn the list over more ruthlessly rather than hanging on to guys who clearly aren't cut out for it?

It gets to a point where you wonder what a fresh face might be able to achieve with this group. I hate the thought but I believe a Chris Scott would have this team top 4 fairly often. Of course, that's not practical. Maybe there aren't many exciting candidates out there?

[bulldogsthru&thru]

I also wanted to wait until the end of the year to extend but that wasn't realistic. We'd won like 5 on the trot when the St Kilda poaching cacophony began in the background and so we blinked.

I get it.

I'd still probably be OK with 2 years even now. Last chance saloon.

Yeah I think Meblourne were also a problem. Sounds like they may have gone hard for him.

[Jeanette54]

Feels like it’s burn the place down for me. So hard to find the way forward at the moment.

I am not sure our outlook is as bad as all that. I guess it is a matter of who is available, that meet our existing (obvious) needs, and who we consider may develop to aid our future.

[Bornadog]

I am not sure our outlook is as bad as all that. I guess it is a matter of who is available, that meet our existing (obvious) needs, and who we consider may develop to aid our future.

Posted after the game

[Jeanette54]

Of course, nobody knows how the "St. Kilda effect" will alter the player payment requirements for the higher end of the established player market. The contract for Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera has certainly thrown the cat amongst the pigeons.

[FrediKanoute]

We didn’t trust Treloar in a make or break game today, I can’t see why we would sign him up again. Someone tell me how McNeil was not only selected in front of him but given an extended contract?

We didn't trust him because he has broken down all season coming back from injury. I would back him to do a full pre-season and if his body is right play a big part in 2026. A single year deal, but if someone wants to offer him a multiyear deal I would not stand in his way.

JJ I think also goes around again, but I would expect that he is not in the team come the end of 2026.

L Jones, Scott, Poulter, Dureya are definite no's for me and should be delisted. Coffield is a hard one, but I would lean on the side of delist. Add JUH and we have 6 off the list. I would be inclined to pay off Gardner as well.

[jeemak]

This is how I see it. We never really have bad years under Bevo. But we also never really have great years.

We run into the same issues year after year. The coach just has to be accountable for a group that trips over in the same fashion for years on end.

Bevo is a smart guy. He'd obviously be aware of these issues all us amateurs are seeing. So it begs the question why he can't turn it around? Is he too stubborn? Are the players only coachable to a point? If so then why not turn the list over more ruthlessly rather than hanging on to guys who clearly aren't cut out for it?

It gets to a point where you wonder what a fresh face might be able to achieve with this group. I hate the thought but I believe a Chris Scott would have this team top 4 fairly often. Of course, that's not practical. Maybe there aren't many exciting candidates out there?

He hasn't ever had a balanced list of quality across each line for consecutive years. He's always having to cobble together forward lines and backlines, all the while lacking outside specialists of the quality other clubs enjoy.

I'd love to see what Beveridge could have done with the lists Scott has had at his disposal over the last fifteen years, even without the ridiculous home ground advantage Scott enjoys. If any coach in the league has underachieved, it's Chris Scott. He's had AA quality across all the lines during his tenure.

[Bornadog]

We won the same number of games this year to last year. Last year we missed top 4 by a game and the second best %. This year we have the 3rd best % and miss altogether.

I think we improved over last year as we did not get belted by any team and had stars missing throughout the season and ended up playing on average 9 players with less than 50 games. These are facts and not excuses.

Next year we need to make not just the 8, but top 4.

[doggies ftw]

We won the same number of games this year to last year. Last year we missed top 4 by a game and the second best %. This year we have the 3rd best % and miss altogether.

I think we improved over last year as we did not get belted by any team and had stars missing throughout the season and ended up playing on average 9 players with less than 50 games. These are facts and not excuses.

Next year we need to make not just the 8, but top 4.

The team is definitely on the right track and the future looks bright but I have to wonder why we’re always in this situation? We’ve rebuilded 3 times in Bevos 11 years now. We were a super young premiership team in 2016 thought we were setup for a spell at the top and were rebuilding by 2018, again in 2021 and we’re rebuilding a year later.

Theres definitely been some things outside of our control like the retirements/loss of Boyd, Dunks, Baz now Marra but it does seem like we’re always in a stage of ‘refresh’ under Bevo, and I think a part of this is due to how he is as a coach. I think he’s a great galvaniser and the best in the league at picking a club off the canvas, personally I don’t think he’s very good with a top team and meeting those high expectations, he’s always tinkering and experimenting I just don’t think he really knows how to get the best out of a team who should be performing to be completely honest. Hence never finishing top 4.

For this stage of where we are as a club we need good support around him in the coaches box and he needs to be told he’s not 100% in charge anymore and if he’s not okay with that he needs to move on.

[Mantis]

For this stage of where we are as a club we need good support around him in the coaches box and he needs to be told he’s not 100% in charge anymore and if he’s not okay with that he needs to move on.

If Bevo isn't in charge who the **** is?

100% Bevo is the main man, if he can't get us to improve from a 7-10 team up to a 1-6 team over the next 1-2 years then he will fall on his sword.

[doggies ftw]

If Bevo isn't in charge who the **** is?

100% Bevo is the main man, if he can't get us to improve from a 7-10 team up to a 1-6 team over the next 1-2 years then he will fall on his sword.

It’s a team effort and he needs smart men around him who he will actually take seriously, because he is no tactician, he’s a man manager and a good one. But his tactics are shit and he needs support and he needs to swallow his pride and use that support - if he can’t he can leave. 2 years when Bonts career is in the twilight, Libba is gone etc is too long

[Mantis]

It’s a team effort and he needs smart men around him who he will actually take seriously, because he is no tactician, he’s a man manager and a good one. But his tactics are shit and he needs support and he needs to swallow his pride and use that support - if he can’t he can leave. 2 years when Bonts career is in the twilight, Libba is gone etc is too long

His tactics aren't shit... they're not amazing, but they aren't awful. We only need to make a 10-15% improvement in how we defend to go from where we are now, to a top 4-6 team... some of that will be natural improvement in players, and some of it will be system based on how we defend the ground.

Time to roll up the sleeves and get to work.

And I'm ok if Libba is gone... I love him and his want to compete, but his inability to defend and his sloppy hack kicks to know-one is a big part of our problem.

[doggies ftw]

His tactics aren't shit... they're not amazing, but they aren't awful. We only need to make a 10-15% improvement in how we defend to go from where we are now, to a top 4-6 team... some of that will be natural improvement in players, and some of it will be system based on how we defend the ground.

Time to roll up the sleeves and get to work.

And I'm ok if Libba is gone... I love him and his want to compete, but his inability to defend and his sloppy hack kicks to know-one is a big part of our problem.

Lol what, could be the worst call I’ve ever seen on a forum. Libba goes at nearly 50% contested possession rate, is elite for effective clearances & hard ball gets - all mids are going to hack a couple out of the stoppage at times but he has a remarkably low turnover count for the role he plays, his clearance work is the reason Bont & Richards do what they do offensively. And an inability to defend? He has a license to ball hunt yes, that’s his role… What am I reading - if you think Libba is the problem I don’t know what to tell you. Good luck replacing him and what he brings to this midfield, unless we can pull Butters out of our ass

[Flamethrower]

For anyone who hasn't I suggest you listen to the Dan Boyd Podcast where Danny McGinlay interviews Kylie Watson Wheeler after the shock loss to Fremantle on Sunday.

TLDR -we are in great hands and our future is as bright as it has ever been in our history.

And in breaking news, former president Peter Gordon is favourite to take over from Richard Goyter as chair of the AFL.

[Bornadog]

And in breaking news, former president Peter Gordon is favourite to take over from Richard Goyter as chair of the AFL.

Brilliant