Sharp Axes

[Grantysghost]

Re: Sharp Axes

I didn't see the game yesterday but I'm happy to give the team a mulligan when there are 5 debutants and a completely new coaching panel. We are going to have teething problems and disjointed performances whilst we bed down the new game plan - see GWS/Kingsley in the first half of 2023. Surely Bevo knows he is finished in a matter of weeks if the game plan does not significantly change, or if personnel keep getting selected who do not adhere to the new game plan (or both).

Melbourne are a high quality team who have barely lost a game in H&A the last 3 seasons and have only underperformed at the pointy end in the last 2 seasons.

Wait... There was an option not to watch!?
Watch the replay and let us know if you change your mind!
I think its only fair you suffer too Sedat...

[Sedat]

Re: Sharp Axes

Wait... There was an option not to watch!?
Watch the replay and let us know if you change your mind!
I think its only fair you suffer too Sedat...

Sunday arvo at the beach was a much more attractive option. Weather is far too good for my Mediterranean blood to shift into footy mode.

We are virtually a completely new team with several new assistants and players. It's not going to all seamlessly click from round 1. If the patterns from yesterday, as articulated by everybody on woof, continue/repeat over the first 6-8 rounds, Bevo is finished. It's a close watch no doubt, but happy to give it a few weeks to see how we structure up and adapt our game plan to consistently compete with the top tier.

[Mantis]

Re: Sharp Axes

I didn't see the game yesterday but I'm happy to give the team a mulligan when there are 5 debutants and a completely new coaching panel. We are going to have teething problems and disjointed performances whilst we bed down the new game plan - see GWS/Kingsley in the first half of 2023. Surely Bevo knows he is finished in a matter of weeks if the game plan does not significantly change, or if personnel keep getting selected who do not adhere to the new game plan (or both).

Whilst there was a change in personnel there was nothing new on offer yesterday... our forwards & mids refuse to defend, our ''fringe'' players continue to make basic errors which directly cost us goals & momentum and we either miss goals we should kick or butcher opportunities when we have the advantage in general play.

It's just rinse & repeat on the previous 2 years.

Melbourne are a high quality team who have barely lost a game in H&A the last 3 seasons and have only underperformed at the pointy end in the last 2 seasons.

They're a very good team, but they too had 5 different/ new players in their team to the one that lost to Carlton in last seasons SF... Why can they adjust to these changes, but we need to make excuses/ allowances?

[Sedat]

Re: Sharp Axes

Whilst there was a change in personnel there was nothing new on offer yesterday... our forwards & mids refuse to defend, our ''fringe'' players continue to make basic errors which directly cost us goals & momentum and we either miss goals we should kick or butcher opportunities when we have the advantage in general play.

It's just rinse & repeat on the previous 2 years.

Don't get me wrong, it's a watch for sure. It was very disappointing to read that we lost essentially the same way yesterday as we have the last 2 years. In light of all the off-season changes in almost all areas of our footy ops, I would expect the match committee to be ruthless in our evaluation of players who refuse to adhere to the new game plan expectations. Even if it back-fired yesterday, I don't mind the Daniel and Macrae non-selections based on form/fitness to keep the entire playing group on edge and sharp - there has to be the threat of consequences if players do not meet the expectations of match committee either in fitness/conditioning or in adherence to game plan.

They're a very good team, but they too had 5 different/ new players in their team to the one that lost to Carlton in last seasons SF... Why can they adjust to these changes, but we need to make excuses/ allowances?

They have an identifiable brand and correct me if I'm wrong but they played to the same system/structure yesterday that has served them well the last few years? Did they do anything especially different yesterday that they don't normally do?

[Mantis]

Re: Sharp Axes

They have an identifiable brand and correct me if I'm wrong but they played to the same system/structure yesterday that has served them well the last few years? Did they do anything especially different yesterday that they don't normally do?

They played they do, we played like we do... we looked good in patches but couldn't sustain it and coughed up easy goals throughout.

I see you have mentioned ''new'' game plan a number of times... there was little sign of anything noticeably different yesterday and based off that result we're going to be a middling team again unless there is rapid change/ improvement.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Sharp Axes

They played they do, we played like we do... we looked good in patches but couldn't sustain it and coughed up easy goals throughout.

I see you have mentioned ''new'' game plan a number of times... there was little sign of anything noticeably different yesterday and based off that result we're going to be a middling team again unless there is rapid change/ improvement.

I think we were standing off the mark again. So what's old is new again? There was nothing obvious; in fact we seem to have thrown a lot of the new things we were developing during the off-season out the window. Naughton was deep, McNeil was high/wing, Harmes was outside.

We threw Gaggs inside when the horse had bolted in a significant nod to the fact we were being destroyed in that area. Considering it was happening all game, I'm not sure why we waited until the last quarter when the game was almost over.

In terms of ball movement. Same old, and I believe we still rolled one up to the contest. That's just how Bevo does things.

I'm really starting the lean towards a change at the top. I'll cool my jets until the half way mark however you really don't need to be Einstein to see that not much has changed.

Credit to the recruitment of Bramble. He looks like a good player.

[Sedat]

Re: Sharp Axes

I see you have mentioned ''new'' game plan a number of times... there was little sign of anything noticeably different yesterday and based off that result we're going to be a middling team again unless there is rapid change/ improvement.

We've completely changed assistant coaching personnel, fitness & conditioning and have also changed footy dept structure all off the back of a Peter Jackson led external review - with many fresh eyes from different club environments. The club has also stated we are a top 4 talent list and in the premiership window (and have been for a few seasons now) - their words.

If we are going with the same game plan/structure in 2024 that has been regularly and easily picked apart by the better teams since the 2021 GF, Bevo will be gone in 2 months, we will be a non-factor again this year, and the club will have once again significantly under-achieved against their own set metrics.

I can't actually believe the club would have done all this work off-season with a view to a little minor tinkering in terms of game plan. It appears that yesterday was a poor first-up performance in this new era, and things would want to improve especially in the area of defending without the ball and taking away the opposition ball movement weapons.

[angelopetraglia]

Re: Sharp Axes

I think we were standing off the mark again.

Melbourne in contrast were super agreessive on the mark. Even being risky in pushing us back and slowing us down. That was a big reason for why our ball movement was so slow. There were a few times when we had a spare out the back, but they forced us hard back on our mark, which resulted in that spare being covered or the pressure they applied on the mark forcing a rushed kick and we turned it over.

[angelopetraglia]

Re: Sharp Axes

If we lose to the GC in Ballarat in a similar way we lost on the weekend, the media are going to have a field day. They will all queue up to hit Bevo with baseball bats. The jungle drums will be beating. That will then bring incredible scrutiny to the round #3 game against the Eagles, especially after what happened last year.

[hujsh]

Re: Sharp Axes

We've completely changed assistant coaching personnel, fitness & conditioning and have also changed footy dept structure all off the back of a Peter Jackson led external review - with many fresh eyes from different club environments. The club has also stated we are a top 4 talent list and in the premiership window (and have been for a few seasons now) - their words.

If we are going with the same game plan/structure in 2024 that has been regularly and easily picked apart by the better teams since the 2021 GF, Bevo will be gone in 2 months, we will be a non-factor again this year, and the club will have once again significantly under-achieved against their own set metrics.

I can't actually believe the club would have done all this work off-season with a view to a little minor tinkering in terms of game plan. It appears that yesterday was a poor first-up performance in this new era, and things would want to improve especially in the area of defending without the ball and taking away the opposition ball movement weapons.

It's been mentioned we looked different pre-season and Bevo mentioned we failed to do things he thinks we're good at normally. My hope is that with the fatigue and pressure of the first actual game of the year against proper opposition, players just reverted to what they know best, what they've done for the last 3-4 years, and it's not reflective of how we want to play or how we will play this season. Muscle memory in a sense.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Sharp Axes

We've completely changed assistant coaching personnel, fitness & conditioning and have also changed footy dept structure all off the back of a Peter Jackson led external review - with many fresh eyes from different club environments. The club has also stated we are a top 4 talent list and in the premiership window (and have been for a few seasons now) - their words.

If we are going with the same game plan/structure in 2024 that has been regularly and easily picked apart by the better teams since the 2021 GF, Bevo will be gone in 2 months, we will be a non-factor again this year, and the club will have once again significantly under-achieved against their own set metrics.

I can't actually believe the club would have done all this work off-season with a view to a little minor tinkering in terms of game plan. It appears that yesterday was a poor first-up performance in this new era, and things would want to improve especially in the area of defending without the ball and taking away the opposition ball movement weapons.

You make fair and valid points. A new set of assistants and their ideas need time to instruct, review and then execute. If players aren't, or can't follow direction then they'll need to be weeded out over the next few weeks.

These players are bags of ice. Apply heat and they melt every single time. There was no fight. When it got hard in that last quarter, instead of grinding it out and losing by 25, we threw the towel in and lose by 45. After 6 months of talk, THAT was unacceptable. Sadly it's not the first time.

[Bornadog]

Re: Sharp Axes

We've completely changed assistant coaching personnel, fitness & conditioning and have also changed footy dept structure all off the back of a Peter Jackson led external review - with many fresh eyes from different club environments. The club has also stated we are a top 4 talent list and in the premiership window (and have been for a few seasons now) - their words.

If we are going with the same game plan/structure in 2024 that has been regularly and easily picked apart by the better teams since the 2021 GF, Bevo will be gone in 2 months, we will be a non-factor again this year, and the club will have once again significantly under-achieved against their own set metrics.

I can't actually believe the club would have done all this work off-season with a view to a little minor tinkering in terms of game plan. It appears that yesterday was a poor first-up performance in this new era, and things would want to improve especially in the area of defending without the ball and taking away the opposition ball movement weapons.

Agree with your post except, the bolded bit. All those changes were made before Peter Jackson came in. The only change he recommended was who Bevo reports to - so some responsibility changes between Bevo and Grant.

[G-Mo77]

Re: Sharp Axes

Whilst there was a change in personnel there was nothing new on offer yesterday... our forwards & mids refuse to defend, our ''fringe'' players continue to make basic errors which directly cost us goals & momentum and we either miss goals we should kick or butcher opportunities when we have the advantage in general play.

It's just rinse & repeat on the previous 2 years.

I've managed to watch up until the 4th, I won't worry about that but what is noticeable is the poor defence across the ground. You used the word refusal to defend and that is how it seems. They do not seem to want to put in the hard work. It's exactly the same problem as 2023. The costly skill errors mentioned are exactly the same as 2023. The poor goal kicking is exactly the same as 2023. Yeah it's one game, they've got 1 up on us as well. I've heard all these excuses. Where have we improved or should I say where are we likely to improve? I don't see anything different at all. 1 round in and it's looking pretty dire.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Sharp Axes

I've managed to watch up until the 4th. I won't worry about that but what is noticeable is the poor defence across the ground. You used the word refusal to defend and that is how it seems. They do not seem to want to put in the hard work. It's exactly the same problem as 2023. The costly skill errors mentioned are exactly the same as 2023. The poor goal kicking is exactly the same as 2023. Yeah it's one game, they've got 1 up on us as well. I've heard all these excuses. Where have we improved or should I say where are we likely to improve? I don't see anything different at all. 1 round in and it's looking pretty dire.

I suppose the question is how will they deal with the refusal?

Treloar's efforts were putrid. How much rope does he get?

Williams is such a non factor and a huge culprit in their easy transition. He's not a winger. He's a HB or he's VFL.

There should be some damning footage to come out of yesterday, but if we don't hold them to account, it matters little.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Re: Sharp Axes

It's been mentioned we looked different pre-season and Bevo mentioned we failed to do things he thinks we're good at normally. My hope is that with the fatigue and pressure of the first actual game of the year against proper opposition, players just reverted to what they know best, what they've done for the last 3-4 years, and it's not reflective of how we want to play or how we will play this season. Muscle memory in a sense.

This is our only hope.