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View Full Version : A MESSAGE FROM BRENDAN MCCARTNEY - Round 20



bornadog
13-08-2013, 11:07 PM
13 August 2013

We are pleased with the progression we’re seeing among our group, particularly the way they have been dealing with their respective positions. By that I mean they are handling their opponents better, and consistently displaying some of those craft skills we’ve been working on for a while now.

What we have also seen, even over a six day period, is an ability to learn from what hurt us against Sydney and be a lot more proficient and better at it against Carlton. Although we had some small moments where we let Carlton back in the game, we are now seeing a group of players comprehend why things are happening out on the ground and move quickly to rectify it.

To the players credit, and they’re the ones on the ground in footy boots making it happen, they stuck to the fundamentals a lot better this week. There was a firm challenge put to the group after the Sydney game, that if you bring the same intensity that you displayed for three quarters against Sydney to the Carlton game, at some stage in the last quarter you will have a chance to win the match — and the game did open up for a number of reasons.

It’s always a good indication of a genuine team effort when you hand out votes and there are a lot of players you want to give them to. We had a high number of players contribute significantly to the team and that’s a good sign. We are still a work in progress, and like we’ve done consistently throughout the year, we will look at some of the things we didn’t do well, and go to work on them throughout the week.

Even the best teams in this competition, week to week, have to go back as a group and look at what they’re doing that may not have worked for them in any given match — and like a lot of teams, we have a blueprint of what we want our game to look like and there are things we want to do better each week. Looking at the game against Carlton, we want to maximise our scoring opportunities and there were some moments where we didn’t set up correctly that we will learn from and take into this week.

The education process goes on every day here and we are fortunate at the moment through some good planning and some maturing of our list that we can still train at a high intensity and take progressive steps with each session — which we are now seeing come out in each game.

If you look at the past five weeks, we are very similar to Adelaide, where we’ve had some good wins against strong clubs, but we’ve also been beaten in tight games against some premiership contenders. We have a very similar form line of late, so it presents a terrific challenge for us but also a great opportunity to take another step forward.

I know the players are looking forward to it because they just want to keep developing as a group and become a better team.

See you at the game,

Brendan

Go_Dogs
13-08-2013, 11:14 PM
My admiration for BMac continues to grow - another good message this week. He's very consistent with his approach and has a very clear vision of the outcome but also the processes involved to get to that point.

Bring on the Crows!

LostDoggy
14-08-2013, 09:21 AM
What excites me, is not so much that they are playing for the coach — though they are, of course — but it's obvious that they're playing more for each other. Compare it to a few seasons ago when the general perception was a fractured team, and it bodes well for the future.

azabob
14-08-2013, 10:02 AM
13 August 2013

To the players credit, and they’re the ones on the ground in footy boots making it happen, they stuck to the fundamentals a lot better this week. There was a firm challenge put to the group after the Sydney game, that if you bring the same intensity that you displayed for three quarters against Sydney to the Carlton game, at some stage in the last quarter you will have a chance to win the match — and the game did open up for a number of reasons.



Nothing rams home a message like a positive result. As BMAC has indicated close enough isn't good enough and I am so glad the players are also of the same belief, that close enough is not good enough.

Bulldog4life
14-08-2013, 11:35 AM
Great message again. The more wins we can finish the season off with the more confident and enthused the guys will be for next season to start....along with us supporters.:)

Ozza
14-08-2013, 05:34 PM
We are a good chance of winning in all 3 matches. Adelaide being in the finals race, and circumstances at the Lions and Dees make it interesting - but if we play to the standard we have over the last 5 weeks, we could definitely make it 4 in a row all up to finish the season.

Here's hoping.

Remi Moses
14-08-2013, 06:48 PM
Good thing is the teams above us have all got that 9th spot in mind.
Everyone's playing the season out almost a "wildcard" feel about it.

Ghost Dog
14-08-2013, 07:22 PM
In my view, only the Swans have a hungrier midfield than us at the moment. Coaches of the last three teams we play will be very very cautious.

LostDoggy
14-08-2013, 08:48 PM
Is anyone else getting the feeling that nobody wants a bar of the Western Bulldogs at the moment? We seem to now be a team where 90% won't get you over the line, which is hard for a top 8 team to swallow playing a 15th placed side. And even when you do put in the 98% that is required and get over the Dogs your team is banged up beyond belief.
I heard something like: in the Swans room after the game they pretty much ran out of ice as the payers were mummified. Very sore boys.

F'scary
14-08-2013, 09:04 PM
No probs with a coach that talks about aiming to win games.

LostDoggy
14-08-2013, 09:26 PM
We are a good chance of winning in all 3 matches. Adelaide being in the finals race, and circumstances at the Lions and Dees make it interesting - but if we play to the standard we have over the last 5 weeks, we could definitely make it 4 in a row all up to finish the season.

Here's hoping.

If we do that it might translate to another 10k members signing up next year.
The bandwagon could be packed

F'scary
15-08-2013, 08:37 PM
If we do that it might translate to another 10k members signing up next year.
The bandwagon could be packed

If we win 9 games this year, then next year we only have to improve 33% to 12 wins to get into the finals. Go Doggies, go out to win every match you play!