Would we be better or worse off if Eade was still coach?

[LostDoggy]

Re: Would we be better or worse off if Eade was still coach?

What is B-Mac's game plan?

Good question. From what I've seen so far, I'd say it owes a lot to the Geelong style of play (surprise, surprise!) You could also watch Essendon now and see elements of it in their approach (again, not a big surprise). 'Bomber' is now a Bomber again and he and Bmac were there together after building the Cats up from nothing. Yes, Bmac was at Geelong from the start of the dynasty and was part of the development of their game plan. It wasn't based on free-running attacking football, not at the start anyway, but on a hard-nosed defensive effort all over the ground, forward as well as back. When everyone is a defender, it's easier for everyone to also be an attacker - Matthew Scarlett is the perfect example. I think you will find that Bmac's game plan will take shape in much the same way as Geelong's did - from a defensive mindset. He will demand that players go and get their own ball, or burrow in and help while their team mates get it. There will be plenty of red, white and blue around the contest. From there, you will see the focus move to delivery, but you have to get it before you can deliver it. Ask the Willi Watchers about the VFL side. They had 8 18 year olds up against Port on Saturday, and those kids had a real crack - didn't disgrace themselves at all. They are a bunch of hard nuts and the future of our club - playing footy McCartney-style and not taking any backward steps. The skills and outside pay will come. I believe the new game plan is just that, a plan, and it is being built from the inside out and from the back to the front. It will take a while, but if it's done properly, and the early signs are good, then it will be worth the short term pain. We're not playing finals this year, but we will be blooding some hard-arsed youngsters and laying the foundation for a dynasty. It's exciting. Looking back, misty-eyed, at the golden years of preliminary final glory is plain stupid. Let's consign the Rocket years to history where they belong and look forward to future flags instead.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Re: Would we be better or worse off if Eade was still coach?

What is B-Mac's game plan?

I think you will find Macca's game plan will evolve over time. There is little doubt that he is endeavoring to adopt a far more team orientated approach to our game and to make each player more competitive in man on man tussles. There is also a greater emphasis on defence. The performance against Collingwood in spite of the defeat was our best for the year with the pressure applied by the Bulldogs a feature.I sense that veterans like Lake, Murphy, Cross , Boyd, Cooney and Griffen are responding in a positive frame of mind and that early improvement from youngsters in Liberatore, Wallis, Roughead and Cordy is obvious. Wins may not come as frequent as we would like in the short term but could I suggest that by the end of the year we will witness the fruits of the coach's labour in a positive way.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Would we be better or worse off if Eade was still coach?

I think you will find Macca's game plan will evolve over time. There is little doubt that he is endeavoring to adopt a far more team orientated approach to our game and to make each player more competitive in man on man tussles. There is also a greater emphasis on defence. The performance against Collingwood in spite of the defeat was our best for the year with the pressure applied by the Bulldogs a feature.I sense that veterans like Lake, Murphy, Cross , Boyd, Cooney and Griffen are responding in a positive frame of mind and that early improvement from youngsters in Liberatore, Wallis, Roughead and Cordy is obvious. Wins may not come as frequent as we would like in the short term but could I suggest that by the end of the year we will witness the fruits of the coach's labour in a positive way.

One of the most obvious things I've noticed is our blokes don't seem afraid to step up and go the wrestle. Vezpa, Brian, Addison, Jones and others have all had a bit of a dance on the field with an opponent of annoying disposition. More so than last season I reckon. Take it as a healthy sign of a competitive nature.

[Sedat]

Re: Would we be better or worse off if Eade was still coach?

There is little doubt that he is endeavoring to adopt a far more team orientated approach to our game and to make each player more competitive in man on man tussles. There is also a greater emphasis on defence.

One of Rocket's greatest legacies was to teach our defenders to defend one-on-one. Everybody thought that he would adopt a flood game plan to protect the defenders but he did the opposite - it cost us some blowouts in 2005 but it meant we had a terrific back 6 who all improved significantly as actual defenders under Rocket's watch. Our recruiting from 2000-2002 was arguably the single biggest determinant in preventing us from winning a flag in 2008-2010. While Geelong and Hawthorn were loading up on serious quality during this period that ultimately formed the backbone of their premiership teams, we recruited bust after bust.

I'm all for giving McCartney credit for putting together a game plan that will (hopefully) bear fruit over time, but I'm annoyed by the re-writing of history when it comes to Rocket's coaching tenure at the kennel. He was a great teacher (witness how many of our list improved significantly the moment he came to the club), he was an astute tactician and he did radically overhaul our game plan from the wreckage of 2001-2004, where we really didn't have any discernible game plan or methodology. Fast ball movement through the corridor was introduced by Rocket and then improved upon by Geelong.

I said it before and I'll say it again....the overall quality of our playing personnel will ultimately determine the success of Macca's game plan, just as it ultimately did Rocket's. If Dalrymple drafts some duds in the next 2 years, Macca simply won't have the tools to bring his vision to life. It can't be emphasised enough how critical it is to nail the next 2 drafts - if we do, we are every chance to seriously contend again in 3 year's time.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Would we be better or worse off if Eade was still coach?

One of the most obvious things I've noticed is our blokes don't seem afraid to step up and go the wrestle. Vezpa, Brian, Addison, Jones and others have all had a bit of a dance on the field with an opponent of annoying disposition. More so than last season I reckon. Take it as a healthy sign of a competitive nature.

Funny you should mention this. Cooney has been much more assertive this year also.
And his upper body is BIG. I think B Mac has been excellent in helping him find new ways
to be effective despite his knee. He still can win a hard ball and has great hands / vision in traffic....He has got into a wrestle nearly every week so far sticking up for, or making room
for one of our youngsters. Great stuff. Good coaching.

[KT31]

Re: Would we be better or worse off if Eade was still coach?

Funny you should mention this. Cooney has been much more assertive this year also.
And his upper body is BIG. I think B Mac has been excellent in helping him find new ways
to be effective despite his knee. He still can win a hard ball and has great hands / vision in traffic....He has got into a wrestle nearly every week so far sticking up for, or making room
for one of our youngsters. Great stuff. Good coaching.

B Mac definitly has made us more agressive and accountable but not sure if this part has been instigated by the coach or by the senior players realising our side comprises of a lot of younger players that need a bit of protection and looking out for ?

[Maddog37]

Re: Would we be better or worse off if Eade was still coach?

They have done plenty of wrestling at training so it is probably second nature for them.