Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

[Danjul]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Darcy - > Lobb is a no brainer
JOD hmmmm Dons don't have many talls I'd go for a smaller player maybe upgrade Garcia from sub.
McNeil well he can't be replaced but Baker comes in, also Khamis needs to be rewarded.

Maybe Khamis as the sub that can impact either end late.

So in : Garcia, Lobb, Baker, Khamis (sub).

Selecting kids is what has put us in this situation.

Darcy was rushed in to save the team, the season, someone?s reputation. Choose one or more. He has had serious injuries and hasn?t had time to prepare adequately. He should be developed more carefully than what we have seen so far.

JOD was rushed in after starring in a backyard game at a BBQ? Admittedly he is now a seasoned performer and his 5 possessions a game are helpful.

At least McNeil was a veteran of 40 great games and a vital cog in the well oiled machine. We will all miss his leadership and daring.

Despite these irreplaceable outs I can?t see Essendon getting close. This should be at least a five goal win. If it isn?t someone isn?t doing their job.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking?

Are you saying we played well vs Collingwood or poorly? And what specific 'emphasis to play that way' do you mean?

I thought what we did vs Collingwood was not that dis-similar to what we have done most weeks...we're a good team and don't really get beaten badly...we just need to tidy up some of the errors to turn close losses (Syd, Pies, GC, PAx 2, Geelong) into wins. We haven't lost by > 22 points since R#2 and in fact our losses have been -14, -7, -22, -22, -12, -2...this is why we are all frustrated because we are literally INCHES away.

MJP I don't agree with the Pies game. I think when they whips were cracking they went up another gear and we had ZERO answers.

It was at Marvel too where they have a poorish record.

From half way through the second (when Johnson marked on the line and English didn't get any body on him) until the 7 min mark of the last it was 11 goals to 1. This was without their leading goal kicker. We had zero answers to a medium forward (Fritsch, Cameron anyone!).

I'm proud of the fightback, it was all she wrote by then though.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Why not consider Khamis as Darcy replacement. Let English ruck 90% of game time.
Khamis is too one dimensional to be the sub.

Makes sense.

[Rocco Jones]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

I agree with the general premise of this thread, however a few selection choices perhaps involve inexperienced players being the best choice. Issue as I see it is the balance:
- KPD3 role. We have Gardy and Keath. Who is best alongside them? Buss seems a fair bit more mobile than Bruce. It's a tricky spot, perhaps we go smaller
- Doc's spot. I think I rate his value more than most but he looks cooked. Cleary just seems like a better choice for mine.
- McNeil might be out anyway and Scott not doing much. Gallagher to me seems like a natural wider player. Is whoever he is replacing doing much?
- Buku vs Lobb. Lobb out was a combo of it being a circuit breaker for Lobb and selection integrity I guess. Lobb seemed to do okay at VFL level however Khamis apparently had a better showing. Both versions of R2/fwd.

So I'd see Khamis, Gallagher, Buss and Cleary as the best choices in each individual case. Perhaps as a collective, that's too mcuh inexperience. Lobb comes in instead of Khamis and we wait for another time to debut Gallagher and/or Buss.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

I'm not sure we are, we're a team that can compete with anyone in the competition and can take it right up to them and even dominant for periods, but good teams perform more consistently throughout a game than we do so we're just a competitive team.

Tend to agree.

Outside of WCE and North, most teams can actually compete with the better teams for a half/maybe three quarters, as we did v Collingwood. It doesn't make them 'good', just 'competitive' for a period of time.

I keep reading we are a good side who need to find a way to put it together, but about 14 other sides could/are saying that. I see no evidence to suggest we are capable of consistently beating top 4 sides and that's been true for almost 2 seasons now.

I agree with MJP's post, but I think this week is the last chance I'd be giving this list before making wholesale changes. Even then, it's pretty clear some should be dropped on form alone (Duryea).

[Mofra]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Don?t disagree. However, would it really be that bad a call to play Buss over Keath?

Buss over Keath? Absolutely a bad call IMO.
Buss as a replacement for JOD? I'd be more comfortable with that.

[Mofra]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

I agree with the general premise of this thread, however a few selection choices perhaps involve inexperienced players being the best choice. Issue as I see it is the balance:
- KPD3 role. We have Gardy and Keath. Who is best alongside them? Buss seems a fair bit more mobile than Bruce. It's a tricky spot, perhaps we go smaller
- Doc's spot. I think I rate his value more than most but he looks cooked. Cleary just seems like a better choice for mine.
- McNeil might be out anyway and Scott not doing much. Gallagher to me seems like a natural wider player. Is whoever he is replacing doing much?
- Buku vs Lobb. Lobb out was a combo of it being a circuit breaker for Lobb and selection integrity I guess. Lobb seemed to do okay at VFL level however Khamis apparently had a better showing. Both versions of R2/fwd.

So I'd see Khamis, Gallagher, Buss and Cleary as the best choices in each individual case. Perhaps as a collective, that's too mcuh inexperience. Lobb comes in instead of Khamis and we wait for another time to debut Gallagher and/or Buss.

Darcy's inability to run out the first half well was pretty noticeable, Lobb has a huge tank for a big guy. I'm not convinced Buks can run anywhere near as well as Lobb.

Darcy is out with a hammy, Lobb has had his public whack by getting dropped, seems a pretty easy decision to bring him back in with the acid right on him.

Buss for JOD for me works, I like Buss for Duryea in theory but there is a critical mass of experience that all teams hit at times and we might have hit it last weekend (as per a conversation elsewhere). Is it time for Crozier to get a run again? Who plays on Stringer?

[Bornadog]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Darcy's inability to run out the first half well was pretty noticeable, Lobb has a huge tank for a big guy. I'm not convinced Buks can run anywhere near as well as Lobb.

Darcy is out with a hammy, Lobb has had his public whack by getting dropped, seems a pretty easy decision to bring him back in with the acid right on him.

Buss for JOD for me works, I like Buss for Duryea in theory but there is a critical mass of experience that all teams hit at times and we might have hit it last weekend (as per a conversation elsewhere). Is it time for Crozier to get a run again? Who plays on Stringer?

Crozier out for at least another 5 weeks

[Grantysghost]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Crozier out for at least another 5 weeks

He mentioned last round was his goal.

[Boots]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

I agree with OP. We're still in top eight, and things are starting to click. We are most likely going out first round of finals at best. "The Kids" have become a way for us to vent frustration at the MC's weird selecitons or the Hannans, McCombs, and McNeils of the world in the Always Right thread - but don't forget how hard it was for Marra and how slowly Darcy is coming along.

I am pretty disillusioned with this side this year, but the problems seem to be mostly system. There have already been improvements, especially in the forward line over the last two games. Don't undersell how much of a change we had to make to accommodate the sudden glut of talls. Some things will click in the last few games, more things won't - and they'll tweak in the offseason and we'll come back harder next year. Playing the kids will just disrupt things.

[azabob]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

I agree with OP. We're still in top eight, and things are starting to click. We are most likely going out first round of finals at best. "The Kids" have become a way for us to vent frustration at the MC's weird selecitons or the Hannans, McCombs, and McNeils of the world in the Always Right thread - but don't forget how hard it was for Marra and how slowly Darcy is coming along.

I am pretty disillusioned with this side this year, but the problems seem to be mostly system. There have already been improvements, especially in the forward line over the last two games. Don't undersell how much of a change we had to make to accommodate the sudden glut of talls. Some things will click in the last few games, more things won't - and they'll tweak in the offseason and we'll come back harder next year. Playing the kids will just disrupt things.

I had to pick myself up off the floor when I read your opening sentence or two - I thought for sure you were now 100% great rid of Bevo especially after the Sydney game.

I guess like us all you have have a day or two reflect and not be so emotive.

[Boots]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

I had to pick myself up off the floor when I read your opening sentence or two - I thought for sure you were now 100% great rid of Bevo especially after the Sydney game.

I guess like us all you have have a day or two reflect and not be so emotive.

Yep for sure. I get emotive in the game day threads, and the Sydney loss was galling. I have doubts about the team's mentality (always have).

But I think the only time I've been on the 'sack Bevo' train was after the first two weeks. I'm generally sold on the counterargument that his coaching and finals record is excellent, especially compared to other Bulldogs coaches.

I did post a few anti-Bevo videos from Cornes and King and Fox Sports in the 'sharp axes' thread but they were for general interest, not because i agreed with them 100%

[Mantis]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Yep for sure. I get emotive in the game day threads, and the Sydney loss was galling. I have doubts about the team's mentality (always have).

But I think the only time I've been on the 'sack Bevo' train was after the first two weeks. I'm generally sold on the counterargument that his coaching and finals record is excellent, especially compared to other Bulldogs coaches.

I did post a few anti-Bevo videos from Cornes and King and Fox Sports in the 'sharp axes' thread but they were for general interest, not because i agreed with them 100%

Is it though? Sure we've gone on some runs when we've managed to win our first final, but we are 2-4 in EF's under Bevo which isn't amazing.

[JanLorMill]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Is it though? Sure we've gone on some runs when we've managed to win our first final, but we are 2-4 in EF's under Bevo which isn't amazing.

Charlie Sutton has a better finals record 4-3
Ted Whitten 2-1

[Axe Man]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Charlie Sutton has a better finals record 4-3
Ted Whitten 2-1

Out of interest by what measure do you rate Charlie's finals record better than Bevo's?