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Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney worries about poor performances, but he's more concerned with building a team that can go all the way.
The Western Bulldogs coach walked the foreshore outside Geelong Grammar in the hours after last week's demoralising loss to Essendon, re-living every bump and positional move.
"You feel disappointed. Your first feeling is, 'It's my fault'," McCartney said. "It's my responsibility to produce a product for the club."
When he finally did get to bed, in the grounds of the school where his wife Kirsty runs the boarding house, the final stages of the 84-point pounding continued to haunt him.
"You do have to be resilient. If you play any team sport, you just never concede. Ever," McCartney said. "We didn't like, and our leaders didn't like, the last 10 minutes. The day just spiralled and people had probably had enough."
The Bombers kicked the final four goals as if they were going through a bruise-free summer drill.
"You sleep OK, however you wake up pretty early," McCartney said of the latest loss in his first season at Whitten Oval.
Nothing, not even a 14-goal stinker, will distract him from the big picture.
"Losing like that at times can be traumatic for the supporters and the club, but it has got to be kept in perspective," McCartney said.
"There are learnings in every win and learnings in every loss. There is a lot of improvement in our players mentally and physically."
The Dogs have a 5-8 record, and McCartney thinks his team could have snared one more win in competitive jousts with Adelaide, Collingwood and Geelong. But 2012 is a "back to school" year at Whitten Oval.
McCartney and his revamped coaching staff are learning about the players - and the players are learning about them.
"I've got to say this the right way, but it's a bit of a playground at the moment," McCartney said.
"We've got so many players that we're trying to find out about and look at. We've been doing this all year. It's not just something we're doing now because we've lost a few games.
"All year, we've been playing people in different spots, our forward line has looked different, others have had to play in different spots ... we've rested players who haven't recovered."
There has been much shuffling at selection, with McCartney looking at a cluster of developing-talls up forward, protecting tiring young midfielders and quietly taking a high draft pick out of action.
Jarrad Grant, the No.5 pick choice in the 2007 draft, disappeared off the radar after the Round 8 victory against Gold Coast in Darwin, despite kicking a spectacular goal in the ridiculously greasy conditions.
He was not even sighted in the VFL before last weekend, instead being sent into the gym under McCartney's rigid long-term philosophy.
Grant has regularly struggled to produce the intensity and defensive work rate required to break through as an AFL star and has found it hard to build a body big enough to take a battering, so McCartney took the unusual step of removing him from the regular in-season program.
"We're only talking about a really minuscule period of a young person's career," McCartney said.
Grant was given a specialised weights program to add some steel, not only for the final two months of the season, but for the rest of his career.
"When you're trying to get someone fitter and stronger, playing the game actually breaks that down," McCartney said.
"With young players, you almost reset them sometimes ... take them out of the program ... fatten them up, skill them up, do whatever you need to do."
McCartney took a similar long-term approach a week ago, resting Rising Star contender Mitch Wallis (below), defender Mark Austin and emerging tall forward Ayce Cordy against the Bombers.
"There was a bit of conjecture about our team changes last week, but the three people we changed played dull the week before," McCartney said.
"When I say dull, the ball was near them and they just didn't go and get it. Younger players will do that when they're fatigued. When the ball left the area, they didn't move either."
In keeping with the revolving door theme, the Dogs also made a string of changes for tomorrow's clash with Fremantle, even if some were forced.
Liam Jones (below), the man who appeared most likely to take over Barry Hall's mantle as the main key forward this year, was dropped - not for the first time this year.
Brendan McCartney
McCartney continues to mix it up, scoffing at suggestions by some critics that he should start to lock in two key forwards and back them in.
"It's too early. Too many of them are in a time in their life where they've only eight or 25 to 30 games to their name," McCartney said.
"With some pain now, we may end up with three or four young blokes who can play in the ruck and play forward ... they are a valuable commodity."
That search for forwards who can play in the ruck also has a surprise new contender, Tom Williams (below).
Outsiders would expect the injury-plagued Williams to slot straight back into centre half-back to stiffen the Dogs' defence, but McCartney has other ideas.
Williams, who underwent another shoulder reconstruction after a NAB Cup mishap, returned in the VFL for Williamstown last weekend in the ruck.
Tom Williams
It raised the eyebrows of some, who assumed Williamstown had put Williams at undue risk by playing him out of position, but it was under instruction from the Dogs.
"It was my idea," McCartney said. "We've done a lot of work in Tom's 'return to play' program where he protects it (shoulder). Part of Tom's future is just to position his body in a way where he doesn't leave his joints hanging out to get hit.
"I think he's certainly got the physical capacity to play that high forward/second ruck role. He just needs a bit of fortune and good management. He's very close to playing again for us."
McCartney has always been uncomfortable talking about individuals, but does not shy away from the Dogs' most obvious problem - the basic art of kicking the ball and finding targets.
"The link between our attack and our defence is crucial in our emergence as a footy club. At the moment our ball use is putting enormous pressure on our ability to defend," McCartney said.
"We are not the only club that's going through it, but it comes down to sound technique and good decision making.
"Some of the best kicks in the competition actually don't kick the ball that far ... they just see the free player. Often the best kicks just take the easy option. They don't try and find the tough option.
"When you've got three or four young blokes in an area and there's fatigue and there's a bit of stress about what's happening around them, sometimes they don't take that easy option. Sometimes they take the difficult one and the ball is turned over."
When you've got three or four young blokes in an area and there's fatigue and there's a bit of stress about what's happening around them, sometimes they don't take that easy option. Sometimes they take the difficult one and the ball is turned over.
The turnovers have exposed the Dogs' backline, which has leaked heavy scores despite McCartney's penchant for building foundations based on team defence and winning the contested ball.
In the pre-season, the Dogs showed signs of playing more of a "keepings off" style, slowing down play and controlling the tempo.
McCartney saw worrying signs early against Essendon that the Dogs were being "caught in the crossfire", playing full throttle against an Essendon side that thrives in shootout mode.
Teams in transition can be exposed late in seasons - and the Dogs' tough run home suggests there could be more pain to come. McCartney concedes it will be a challenge.
"Young lists like us can have some tough days in the second half of the year," McCartney said.
"When faced with a strong club on a roll, you've got to compete and fight. But we've got good people, proud people. I think there's a lot more to give this year."
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