A Message From Brendan McCartney - 3rd July, 2012

[bornadog]

Link (http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/Membership/MemberMessageFromBrendanMcCartney/tabid/18836/Default.aspx)

Dear member,



I should start by making clear we are disappointed with how we are going but we are keeping it all in perspective.

Football is a tough business, and resilient people find their way through.

We are teaching our players the right way to play the game. We’re teaching the contest, we’re teaching people to think about defending a bit earlier and how to make it hard for the opposition to do what they want and we’re also coaching people to be smarter with the ball.

At the moment you’d be watching thinking ‘that’s not what we’re seeing.’

We have to keep educating people, demanding standards, demanding effort and rewarding people who give us that.

We have a lot of people in our team that have so much to learn about the game based on the fact that they’ve only been playing a short period of time.

I was fortunate to be a part of another club in a similar position and have had the privilege to experience first-hand how challenging but how enjoyable it is to have a philosophy and see it through. That philosophy is to draft and develop your own and bring people into the organisation that fit what we’re about — people that put the team first and who take great pride in how their Club is seen. We will plan and prepare and see it through.

The difference between good clubs and great clubs is that they focus on how they can get a player better, not bash them over the head and throw them out the door.

We have a new way of doing things here. A new approach to education and learning — experience tells me, it just takes time.

We'll find the way through this.



Sincerely,

Brendan

[jeemak]

I'm actually a little shocked by the second section of this address. I know I posted earlier in the season that I thought McCartney danced on Eade's grave a little with some of his commentary, and while not meaning to bang on about it too much again I think he's been a little disrespectful towards the achievements of his predecessor, particularly with respect to how Eade managed to teach a group of non-believing players how to play his way extremely well (one might argue over whether we had the talent to achieve the ultimate success, irrespective of that I think Eade extracted a lot from his group of players over the years).

I really liked the first half though, a fair bit of it resonated with how I'm feeling now.

[Ghost Dog]

He didn't say it was better. He just said it was new! But yes, agree, the inference was there.
Remains to be seen if Rocket's tenure can be bettered.

[Maddog37]

What would be the point of hiring a new coach if he didn't bring a new way of doing things to the table?

[jeemak]

What would be the point of hiring a new coach if he didn't bring a new way of doing things to the table?

There wouldn't be any point in it, of course.

Personally I think certain parts of his message could be put to the members a little more tactfully (as he has managed to do in many cases this year), though I'm more than prepared for my point of view not to be shared by other posters and Bulldogs supporters. :)

[AndrewP6]

There wouldn't be any point in it, of course.

Personally I think certain parts of his message could be put to the members a little more tactfully (as he has managed to do in many cases this year), though I'm more than prepared for my point of view not to be shared by other posters and Bulldogs supporters. :)

I agree with you on this one.

[Hotdog60]

I would have been happy for Rocket to 'rebuild' this club to the next challenge. But that was out of my control so I'm now happy to see what Maccas 'refresh' goes like in a couple of years time.

[Cyberdoggie]

To be honest i didnt' really pick that up at all. (in reference to Eade post).

I think he's talking about himself more than anything.
Whenever you aren't travelling well people expect you to get angry and make changes etc, but we have clearly seen that this coach likes to stay very linear in his approach from game to game, he doesn't get overly excited when we win or become a rage monster when we lose. I think the second part of that article is perhaps how others may want him to react, get angry bash some heads together and make changes, i know i feel like that every week but i think we would all agree that doesn't usually work.
Sure we think the structure and some tactics aren't quite right but that's a different argument.

Yes Eade had a temper and gave players the infamous Rocket, but if we think back on it he also hardly ever made changes, how often were we screaming for 'x' players blood (x = Eagleton) but he almost never made massive changes after a bad loss.

Perhaps a good example of that would be Neeld from earlier this year. I think his emotions got the better of him and was making changes willy nilly to senior players etc and certainly some faith in him was lost as a result.


The one thing i don't like about these letters from the coach is consistent reference to previous clubs he's been at, ie how good Geelong are and how great Essendon are.
I've heard this far too many times and i want to hear how we do things at our club now from the coach. Copying other people doesn't make you the best, creating your own legacy from your experience can.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Perhaps a good example of that would be Neeld from earlier this year. I think his emotions got the better of him and was making changes willy nilly to senior players etc and certainly some faith in him was lost as a result.



An argument could be made that Melbourne are travelling better than we are.

[bornadog]

The one thing i don't like about these letters from the coach is consistent reference to previous clubs he's been at, ie how good Geelong are and how great Essendon are.
I've heard this far too many times and i want to hear how we do things at our club now from the coach. Copying other people doesn't make you the best, creating your own legacy from your experience can.

Yes, that is the one thing I don't like either, who cares about other clubs and how they do things. Keep that to yourself.

[Ghost Dog]

Yes me too. We can't play the way Geelong did. Can't copy their model verbatim. Name dropping.

[Cyberdoggie]

Yes me too. We can't play the way Geelong did. Can't copy their model verbatim. Name dropping.

He's also expressing far too much man love for Essendon and their 'people' lately.

If there is one thing a bulldogs person shouldn't do it's that.

I don't mind if he does, and he probably should given he worked there but keept that too yourself now. I want to see ruthlessness to all our competitors, not mutual respect or a love in, at least on camera.

[LostDoggy]

How do the players that don't get rotated through the first team get educated?

& what happened to easing a young first year player into AFL? has Smith missed a game?

[Greystache]

How do the players that don't get rotated through the first team get educated?

& what happened to easing a young first year player into AFL? has Smith missed a game?

He's played 8 out of 14, do you feel that is too many?

[LostDoggy]

He's played 8 out of 14, do you feel that is too many?

My point! he's got six to go!

[Greystache]

My point! he's got six to go!

I can't follow your point, is 8 games too many or too few after 14 rounds in your opinion?

[Go_Dogs]

An argument could be made that Melbourne are travelling better than we are.

It would be a poor argument.

I like the fact that he comes out with these week after week. They must not be easy to write, but overall I'm a fan of his approach and that he appears able to keep the emotion out of it somewhat. It's a long term approach, and I just hope the club can back him in and do the same.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

He's also expressing far too much man love for Essendon and their 'people' lately.

If there is one thing a bulldogs person shouldn't do it's that.

I don't mind if he does, and he probably should given he worked there but keept that too yourself now. I want to see ruthlessness to all our competitors, not mutual respect or a love in, at least on camera.

Cyberdoggie I liked your original thoughts on this subject. I personally do not have a problem with McCartney's quoting of successful clubs like Geelong and Essendon, who are to be admired as two power houses of the competition. Bringing winning thoughts to our club can only be a good thing. BMcC has his own unique style of coaching and was highly regarded at both his previous clubs.We are currently very inexperienced but there are already good signs from the likes of Cordy, Liberatore, Wallis and Smith and they can only improve.

[Ghost Dog]

It would be a poor argument.

I like the fact that he comes out with these week after week. They must not be easy to write, but overall I'm a fan of his approach and that he appears able to keep the emotion out of it somewhat. It's a long term approach, and I just hope the club can back him in and do the same.

It's going to get a bit repetitive though isn't it? :D

[AndrewP6]

It's going to get a bit repetitive though isn't it? :D

Already is.

[SlimPickens]

Already is.

Would you prefer not to have a correspondence from the coach?

[AndrewP6]

Would you prefer not to have a correspondence from the coach?

Wouldn't bother me in the least, not when you could just about write the script after each game ends.

[SlimPickens]

Wouldn't bother me in the least, not when you could just about write the script after each game ends.

Fair enough, been a breath of fresh air for me.

[azabob]

Wouldn't bother me in the least, not when you could just about write the script after each game ends.

I'm curious to know if you rate McCartney? It is obvious you are an Eade fan but I think your gripe should be with the club not McCartney.

[jeemak]

I'm curious to know if you rate McCartney? It is obvious you are an Eade fan but I think your gripe should be with the club not McCartney.

Not going to speak for AP6, though I think it's a bit early to either rate or not rate BMac.

I was a massive Eade fan, and even though it did seem a bit stale around the club after 2010 I had faith in his ability to turn the club around post 2011, though probably concede that his situation would have become very prickly if he engaged in a rebuild (or refresh :D) and it didn't bare fruit after a two year period.

Irrespective of my negativity towards some of Bmac's commentary, I do think it's great he's trying to engage fans in a formal manner. While he's definitely trying to perpetuate a certain brand or public image, he's doing it in a low key manner which in some ways starves the fans of the feedback they generally require. so these regular addresses temper that somewhat.

[Remi Moses]

He can't win! people would be moaning about transparency if he didn't say anything.
It's repetitive, but it's true what he says.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

He can't win! people would be moaning about transparency if he didn't say anything.
It's repetitive, but it's true what he says.

Agree, in the sense that if he believes that's the situation then it's only reasonable that he would keep repeating the message. He's hardly going to bang on about things he doesn't believe to be relevant.
Now whether or not the message is the correct one or not, that's open to debate.

[AndrewP6]

I'm curious to know if you rate McCartney? It is obvious you are an Eade fan but I think your gripe should be with the club not McCartney.

Don't have anything against him personally. I think it was a mistake to get a rookie coach, and I think he's got the balance of development priorities out of whack ( too much "see ball, get ball")
As others have said, a number of his decisions have been puzzling to say the least. That said, the Club gave him the nod...

To me, the weekly letters are largely meaningless, consisting either things he's said numerous times, or things he says in the pressers.

[Ghost Dog]

Facts


too early to give him a pass or fail.
Seems more than able to swallow criticism and take feedback.
His first season as an AFL coach
Is not a bad bloke and commands the respect of the players
Able to give a spray when required ( see last week's quarter time bashing )
Does not have a Bomber Thompson or a Rocket Eade beside him on game day.
Has made some errors on game day and has not gotten everything right by a long stretch.

These letters show an effort at least to connect with members and while the specifics may not always be to our cup of respective tea, the sentiment is to be commended.

[AndrewP6]

Facts


too early to give him a pass or fail.
Seems more than able to swallow criticism and take feedback.
His first season as an AFL coach
Is not a bad bloke and commands the respect of the players
Able to give a spray when required ( see last week's quarter time bashing )
Does not have a Bomber Thompson or a Rocket Eade beside him on game day.
Has made some errors on game day and has not gotten everything right by a long stretch.

These letters show an effort at least to connect with members and while the specifics may not always be to our cup of respective tea, the sentiment is to be commended.

Far enough, I could easily do without them, it's simply a PR exercise IMO.

[EasternWest]

Far enough, I could easily do without them, it's simply a PR exercise IMO.

I'm with you in this. I like McCartney, and I'm hopeful and optimistic that in the long run he proves to be the right guy for us, but these "we're disappointed etc" letters do little for me.

It's like when a player is asked a question about his teammate you know somewhere in the answer will be "the way he goes about it". It doesn't really tell you much, but there's an answer anyway.

Each to their own, but I can take or leave these correspondences.

[jazzadogs]

I'm actually a little shocked by the second section of this address. I know I posted earlier in the season that I thought McCartney danced on Eade's grave a little with some of his commentary, and while not meaning to bang on about it too much again I think he's been a little disrespectful towards the achievements of his predecessor, particularly with respect to how Eade managed to teach a group of non-believing players how to play his way extremely well (one might argue over whether we had the talent to achieve the ultimate success, irrespective of that I think Eade extracted a lot from his group of players over the years).

I really liked the first half though, a fair bit of it resonated with how I'm feeling now.

The team that Eade coached to the prelims is, at a guess, at least 50% different to the team that McCartney is now coaching. I don't think he is disrespecting Eade at all, just acknowledging that it is a new list and a new period for the club.


Far enough, I could easily do without them, it's simply a PR exercise IMO.

A PR exercise is exactly what it is, and as far as our club is concerned this season I think it's a great idea. Simple, doesn't offend anyone, but could get a few extra supporters onside.

[Bumper Bulldogs]

I also was a big Roctet fan and didn't want BMAc at the club. I must say that he has grown on me and not or the match day stuff as I feel he struggles here in game day situations.

He has swung my option by his demeanor and his communication, in these dark days of watch the stuff dished up on the field I for one would rather here something than him run and hide.

My only area for improvement is that we should not refer to your old clubs, how about sticking with the Dogs and bleed Red, White and Blue.

P.S would love to have Leon as the forward coach at the moment.

[LostDoggy]

Yes, that is the one thing I don't like either, who cares about other clubs and how they do things. Keep that to yourself.

Nothing wrong with referencing an approach that works. He was hired because of that experience. He's being paid to do exactly that.

To me, his letter seems to be pleading with members to stick by us and see it through to the end. It is repetitive, yes, but that's a good thing. Keep pushing the message.

I'd rather see a coach come from a successful background and methodology, and hold that successful methodology up as an example for us to adhere to, than to see a former Bulldogs player as coach, sans the ideas. He may not be a “favourite son”, but it's obvious he cares about winning a flag here. He's quite willing to put up with the pain and criticism of his coaching ability to get the players to that level.

[The Pie Man]

Did anyone listen to the interview he gave 6PR in Perth that was posted on the Bulldogs app late last week? It wasn't bad - Jakovich I felt got into him a bit, was fairly interesting.

The one question from Jakovich that pricked my ears was 'where have your senior players gone?' (referencing Dickson as the player with most tackles, then inferring our senior guys have gone MIA) and I thought I detected a little bit of annoyance in Macca's response, although he impressively stayed on message....which was 'our senior group are still learning to play the game a different way'

Didn't like the focus on the forward line in last night's presser did he?

Of course it's too early to tell what he's going to be like long term, though some of the signs from the Sydney game onwards have been really bad. One of his themes is to make sure time is 'well spent' and I honestly don't think he's doing that with some players (like Cordy)

[Dancin' Douggy]

An argument could be made that Melbourne are travelling better than we are.

Sure could.
We've already had our easy kills and 'percentage boosters'.

Melbourne have GWS (A), Gold Coast (H) Port Adelaide (H) before the end of the year.
They could easily end up in top of us by the end of the year. (here's hoping)