A Message From Brendan McCartney - 10 July

[bornadog]

Link (http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/member%20message%20from%20brendan%20mccartney/tabid/18836/default.aspx)

Dear Member,
We approached the interstate game against Fremantle much the same as we do most weeks, with a solid review of the previous game and a lot of education on how we can get better.

During the game, I remember thinking that it wasn’t a great game to watch but beneath that we were seeing some signs that we were pleased with.

As a group, we were able to deal with the way Fremantle set up early in the game and we haven’t been great at doing that.

I think both teams clicked into some reasonable defence after about eight or nine minutes and that carried throughout the majority of the day.

The game got away from us with three goals in six minutes in the third quarter and I think all of us were disappointed about that, as a couple of those goals were avoidable.

I think we made some progressive steps in some areas that have been quite poor for us in the past few weeks – the key thing is to build on that now.

Our boys are good people, and will learn from their experiences.

We’re providing some good opportunities for some future Western Bulldogs champions. The quicker we put games into them, the quicker we’ll be the Club we want to be.

We’re relishing what’s in front of us and we’re looking forward to more progressive steps from an emerging, developing team.



Sincerely,



Brendan

[FrediKanoute]

Well I think this pretty much sums up that the club is all about game time and experience for the younger guys this season, with winning a secondary priority.

[MrMahatma]

Well I think this pretty much sums up that the club is all about game time and experience for the younger guys this season, with winning a secondary priority.
I think as fans we just need to reset our expectations. A few grabs by a fwd, some run from a
Mid, a couple of perfect hit out from a young ruck... That's a good game from us this year.

[westdog54]

Well I think this pretty much sums up that the club is all about game time and experience for the younger guys this season, with winning a secondary priority.

Personally I don't mind that. I think its where the difference between developing a team and straight out tanking lies. When you're tanking the priority is to deliberately lose games, whereas we are taking the approach that we are developing a team with a view to taking the current core of players we have to a premiership.

Trying to lose and winning being a second priority are completely different things.

[Cyberdoggie]

Just let us know when we are focussing on kicking goals and i'll tune back in!

[Ghost Dog]

I liked reading it. I would like to see more mention of skills.
I think football players deserve less admiration for kicking well and maybe less derision when it doesn't come off once in a while. They are paid professionals and turn up to to play once a week.
they should be able to slot a straight pass and kick a goal more often than not.
That being said, modern teams heap the pressure on and who cares if there are a few clangers. But in general, our foot skills have not been up to AFL standards with the exception of a few. Hope to see a greater focus on this moving forward. A few players seem to cough it up with banana kicks to nobody time and time again, even when there is a bit more space.

[LostDoggy]

I think as fans we just need to reset our expectations. A few grabs by a fwd, some run from a
Mid, a couple of perfect hit out from a young ruck... That's a good game from us this year.

Great post and realistic view of the season. As hard and as frustrating as it is to watch, I'll try each week to remember that we are putting games into kids and developing them as a priority.

[The Adelaide Connection]

Great post and realistic view of the season. As hard and as frustrating as it is to watch, I'll try each week to remember that we are putting games into kids and developing them as a priority.

Seconded. As I mentioned to my mate the other week, I don't actually mind if we don't win another game for the year. I would prefer we did, but I won't lose sleep.

What I would like is to get back to playing like we did against Collingwood and Geelong. Games we play well in for the most part, games we can take more positives than negatives out of, and games that (to a group in rebuild with a lot of young players) are very encouraging to the group and feel that we can win next time round.

What I worry about is the damage of being smashed by teams regularly (ala Essendon, Sydney and Brisbane) and the psychological fallout and mental edge handed to the opposition for future fixtures.

Just in case we have forgotten just ask Richmond, Melbourne, Carlton, Port Adelaide etc how hard it is to turn around that losing culture no matter how awesome your draft picks are.

edit: Not to mention the pschological damage of big losses to our supporters and impact on membership numbers.

[Cyberdoggie]

Great post and realistic view of the season. As hard and as frustrating as it is to watch, I'll try each week to remember that we are putting games into kids and developing them as a priority.

Young up and comers like Lindsay Gilbee?

[Maddog37]

Gilbee was Murphy's replacement for his kicking and experience. Macca has stated the kids need old heads round them to keep them on task.

[Mantis]

Seconded. As I mentioned to my mate the other week, I don't actually mind if we don't win another game for the year. I would prefer we did, but I won't lose sleep.

What I would like is to get back to playing like we did against Collingwood and Geelong. Games we play well in for the most part, games we can take more positives than negatives out of, and games that (to a group in rebuild with a lot of young players) are very encouraging to the group and feel that we can win next time round.

What I worry about is the damage of being smashed by teams regularly (ala Essendon, Sydney and Brisbane) and the psychological fallout and mental edge handed to the opposition for future fixtures.

Just in case we have forgotten just ask Richmond, Melbourne, Carlton, Port Adelaide etc how hard it is to turn around that losing culture no matter how awesome your draft picks are.

edit: Not to mention the pschological damage of big losses to our supporters and impact on membership numbers.

While it's good to get games into the kids we also need them to start playing a game style that we can develop in years to come.... If we make mistakes learning it, well that's ok, but playing risk free & safe footy isn't what this year should be all about.

And while it was nice to see Mitch Wallis get his hands on the ball 25+ times it would have been great to see him use the ball to our advantage a little more often as his sideways kicks & handballs don't give me cause to get excited...

[jeemak]

While it's good to get games into the kids we also need them to start playing a game style that we can develop in years to come.... If we make mistakes learning it, well that's ok, but playing risk free & safe footy isn't what this year should be all about.

And while it was nice to see Mitch Wallis get his hands on the ball 25+ times it would have been great to see him use the ball to our advantage a little more often as his sideways kicks & handballs don't give me cause to get excited...

Agree that we've demonstrated we can win the contested ball, and I'd like to see some more attempts adventurous play in the second half of the year.

As for Wallis, I'm happy for him to get used to getting it a lot for the time being. As he becomes more comfortable he'll start using it a bit more creatively. He'll improve again when we have some players willing to run to dangerous spots to receive on a regular basis.

[stefoid]

Its starting to become obvious to me that this year is only about three things:

1) contested ball
2) defensive work
3) draft picks

Come on, really, isnt it? I think that really is the plan. And I cant say I disagree with it.

Judging the year by those criteria, its the beltings that have been our only 'defeats'.

Whereas a tight, low scoring scrap resulting in an honorable loss is a tick in all three boxes.

[BulldogBelle]

Personally I don't mind that. I think its where the difference between developing a team and straight out tanking lies. When you're tanking the priority is to deliberately lose games, whereas we are taking the approach that we are developing a team with a view to taking the current core of players we have to a premiership.

Trying to lose and winning being a second priority are completely different things.

Not completely.
More like a Poodle is different from a Bulldog, yet both are dogs.

[WBFC4FFC]

Has Macca's tactics/views changed as the season has progressed?

I thought at the press conference last year announcing him as coach he said that he doesn't need to do much to have the team being really competitive. Only in the last month has it become about teaching, in-line with a drop in performances.

I don't want to come across cynical on this, so I am happy to be proven wrong.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Has Macca's tactics/views changed as the season has progressed?

I thought at the press conference last year announcing him as coach he said that he doesn't need to do much to have the team being really competitive. Only in the last month has it become about teaching, in-line with a drop in performances.

I don't want to come across cynical on this, so I am happy to be proven wrong.

It really comes down to quality players which we do not have enough of at the moment. There is too much reliance on the likes of Boyd, Griffen, Cross, Dahlhaus, Lake and Picken to perform well each week.