What needs to be the main focus this pre-season

[LostDoggy]

Having survived the beltings of the 2nd half of the season, Im interested to get some thoughts on what we need to be focusing on during pre-season.

We won more than our share of stoppages and contested footy, so was our poor results due to;
Giving the ball away so easily with poor skills that we were caught out of position so regularly that we were easy to score against?
A lack of defensive pressure from the mid-field?
Purely a fitness issue & not being able to execute the game plan for long periods due to not being fit enough?
A lack of spread away from the contest to open the game up and then have to move the ball sideways,
Lack of forward movement to create space & opportunities
No overlap running so the end result was that we were slow to move the ball.

I guess its a bit of all of the above, but geez, Im getting depressed trying to work out where we need to start looking for answers.

Anyone have any thoughts?

[Maddog37]

Re: What needs to be the main focus this pre-season

Lots of repeat sprint work and skills drills when fatigued.

[Mofra]

Re: What needs to be the main focus this pre-season

Quick ball movement would be nice.
Awaiting the replacement mantra for "crack in" with interest

[chef]

Re: What needs to be the main focus this pre-season

Forward structure, fitness and skills.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: What needs to be the main focus this pre-season

What Chef said. If we are going to keep Tutt and Grant, they'll have to learn to 'crack in' a bit more or can't see them being a part of the plan.

[Eastdog]

Re: What needs to be the main focus this pre-season

Skill level, Fitness. These are two areas that stand out for me and need a lot of work over the summer. We have to become a more competitive side next season because this season was awful.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: What needs to be the main focus this pre-season

Kick ins. We definitely need to work on that.

[Eastdog]

Re: What needs to be the main focus this pre-season

Kick ins. We definitely need to work on that.

Definitely. Also some of the kicking skills of some players needs a lot of work as well.

[Bornadog]

Re: What needs to be the main focus this pre-season

Fitness to run out games. Skill levels, kicking and handballing, we have been atrocious, in fact the worst I have ever seen from a bulldogs team.

[Eastdog]

Re: What needs to be the main focus this pre-season

Fitness to run out games. Skill levels, kicking and handballing, we have been atrocious, in fact the worst I have ever seen from a bulldogs team.

We should use the bip test to see just how fit our players are.

[ledge]

Re: What needs to be the main focus this pre-season

Cracking in is fine but if everyones doing it who do you give it that's waiting to receive? Would like to see players separated as crack in ones and running receivers .

[Eastdog]

Re: What needs to be the main focus this pre-season

We need to have much more of a focus on scoring goals than possession footy. There needs to be a balance between the two.

[always right]

Re: What needs to be the main focus this pre-season

I recall when Wallace first came on board as coach there was an intensive focus on kicking skills in the pre-season. We very quickly became known for our efficient disposal that year.

It wouldn't hurt for McCartney to go down the same route with this group.....combined with an emphasis on fitness. No more second half capitulations next year please.

[always right]

Re: What needs to be the main focus this pre-season

We should use the bip test to see just how fit our players are.

Is this a shorter version of the beep test?

Running capacity is one thing but a beep test does not replicate the repeat efforts in a match environment where there is tackling and contests.

[Greystache]

Re: What needs to be the main focus this pre-season

We should use the bip test to see just how fit our players are.

Every club has used the beep test for the last 20 years.

We're using the evolution of the beep test, which is performed over 100m intervals rather than 20m. Ed Barlow destroyed everyone 2 years ago, he ran 3 more than Daniel Cross before they told him to stop.