Recruiting post Bmac.

[Maddog37]

What is everyone's opinion of our recruiting strategy post Macca? Will we continue to use his process and if so, might this be his legacy for our clubs future?

[ledge]

I hope so

[F'scary]

What is everyone's opinion of our recruiting strategy post Macca? Will we continue to use his process and if so, might this be his legacy for our clubs future?

His "no dickheads" policy should be persevered with.

[GVGjr]

There won't be a lot of difference especially given we have the same recruiting team in place.
We might have a slightly different approach to the "cracking in" theme that was McCartney mantra but it will still be along the lines of best available and identifying youngsters that really want to play football.

[Webby]

The big strength of McCartney's tenure was the recruiting policy and what it delivered. We've gone from a list that had a huge chasm of 20-26 year olds. A lot of very good players hitting retirement age and not a hell of a lot coming through. His remit was always going to be a poisoned chalice.

His role was to milk the poor bastards (Morris, Murphy, Cooney, Lake, Cross, Gilbee, Picken, Hargrave, Matt Boyd and maybe Minson) who were simply the wrong age for a WBFC premiership window, for as much as they could provide over a five year rebuilding period during which the club introduced a new core generation via the draft. That's a bloody tough gig to pull off!

The inevitable happened: the older group eventually realised that this was a "rebuild" and not a "refresh". McCartney was, in truth, not primarily interested in them, but rather the bigger picture end-game of the newer generation. They got niggly and the rest is history. Understandable from all involved, but, as I say, inevitable!

I think the club bottled it by sacking McCartney. He wasn't the right man to take us to a flag, but he was the right man to complete the final two years of the rebuild. However, that aside, the rebuild still needs to continue. The older generation is now largely moved on. (Bar the two best clubmen in Australia - Morris & Murphy - God bless them!... Selfless. Legends!)

The brighter kids from McCartney's early days (Wallis, Libba, Dahlhaus, Stringer, Macrae) plus JJ, Wood, Roughead etc. are ready to graduate in their development path into leadership roles. Natural progression.

The draft and development path must continue. It obviously hasn't been as smooth sailing as it could've been, but we're still afloat and still on course. It would be ridiculous to change direction now. We will move half a step backwards next season, but we'll take big strides from 2016-2017. By 2018, we'll be cooking with gas.

We just need to stay the course. The hard unpleasant, reforming grunt work has been done by McCartney. That's his legacy - a bit like Peter Schwab's years at Hawthorn. Schwab was looked upon as a bit of a dud 7 or 8 years ago, but in the fullness of time, I think people now look upon him as an astute "big picture" list builder - who's doing a bloody good job back in the game at Brisbane.

History will see McCartney as an important contributor to a dynasty build - IF we stick to the plan. Don't bottle it, WBFC!

[GVGjr]

We just need to stay the course. The hard unpleasant, reforming grunt work has been done by McCartney. That's his legacy - a bit like Peter Schwab's years at Hawthorn. Schwab was looked upon as a bit of a dud 7 or 8 years ago, but in the fullness of time, I think people now look upon him as an astute "big picture" list builder - who's doing a bloody good job back in the game at Brisbane.

History will see McCartney as an important contributor to a dynasty build - IF we stick to the plan. Don't bottle it, WBFC!

Fantastic contribution to discussion Webby, appreciated

He certainly added a lot to our recruitment process

[boydogs]

There's been a definite player type preference in the Clayton/Eade and Dalrymple/McCartney eras. First the skinny athletic types like Sam Power, Jordan McMahon, Farren Ray, Tom Williams, Andrejs Everitt. Now the contested ball winners Mitch Wallis, Tom Liberatore, Koby Stevens, Clay Smith, Mitch Honeychurch. If the new coach is to bring a new influence, I hope it is a preference for tall and solid players. We have a plethora of small midfielder-forwards under 180cm but are lacking quality and depth with our talls

[Remi Moses]

Great work Webby.We're going to either plateau or go slightly backwards, and it's imperative the club realises when you lose that many games regardless of the players input, you will cop some pain.

[Dancin' Douggy]

There's no doubt our recruiting under Bmac was very good.
Hope the rest of the recruiting/list management staff keep up the standard.

[Murphy'sLore]

Excellent post, Webby.

I know people laughed at Macca's 'good person' mantra (along with 'cracking in') but I really hope we stick with the policy of assessing strength of character as being almost as important as footballing ability. It will pay off as this young team develops, and has already begun to do so.

[hujsh]

Di people laugh at the no dickheads policy. It'd be pretty commonplace now I'd have thought. We were meant to have one under Eade anyway

[The Doctor]

The high risk speculative recruiting which was rife before BMac arrived ended very quickly once he stepped inside the front gate. We stopped rolling the dice with players like Howard, Grant, Skinner, Stack etc, all picked out of the blue and went for real deal players. I just hope Dalrymple doesn't think he's off the leash and goes back to this style.

This is arguably his most important draft in his tenure at the Bulldogs.

[bornadog]

The high risk speculative recruiting which was rife before BMac arrived ended very quickly once he stepped inside the front gate. We stopped rolling the dice with players like Howard, Grant, Skinner, Stack etc, all picked out of the blue and went for real deal players. I just hope Dalrymple doesn't think he's off the leash and goes back to this style.

This is arguably his most important draft in his tenure at the Bulldogs.

Don't forget under BMac we started looking at some fringe players hoping they would come good like, Fuller, Dickson, Darley, Goodes, Lower, Stevens, Campbell.

Jury still out on some of these, so its not perfect under BMAC.

BMAC also had the opportunity to look at 1st rounders in the top 5 or 6 due to where we finished, which was not a luxury from 2006 to 2010. Of course Howard was the biggest mistake in that period.

[josie]

Must have good disposal and reasonable speed (as well as "good bloke" strategy).

[mighty_west]

The high risk speculative recruiting which was rife before BMac arrived ended very quickly once he stepped inside the front gate. We stopped rolling the white for players like Howard, Grant, Skinner, Stack etc, all picked out of the blue and went for real deal players. I just hope Dalrymple doesn't think he's off the leash and goes back to this style.

This is arguably his most important draft in his tenure at the Bulldogs.

I just hope we select best player available for each of our picks regardless, go the mature aged in the rookie draft (less risk) and ultimately trade for needs, you know exactly what you're bringing in to fill needs rather than taking a punt with an untried state league player or speculative athletic type with a valuable 1st, 2nd or 3rd round pick.

[GVGjr]

Don't forget under BMac we started looking at some fringe players hoping they would come good like, Fuller, Dickson, Darley, Goodes, Lower, Stevens, Campbell.

Jury still out on some of these, so its not perfect under BMAC.


I don't think anyone has said recruiting has been perfect under the Brendan McCartney but I think most here would say we have had a lot of commonsense and science applied during his time which was clearly lacking prior to his appointment.

Lower and Goodes didn't hurt us in the slightest as we had so many youngsters coming through it was seen as a positive to have quality people around them. Once Wallis and Smith proved that they could handle the midfield tagging duties then Lower was let go after one just season. Goodes started off in a sensational manner before his form tapered off. He was gone after just two seasons.

Darley and Stevens cost us next to nothing and both have played their best football for us. I'm genuinely confident that Stevens can be a better player than he already has been in the coming years. Campbell and Dickson have been positive and solid selections rather than trying to pluck something from nothing.

When compared to the short term appointments of the likes of Akermanis, Welsh and Hall (albeit we were trying to top up a finals campaign) and the mystifying promotions of the likes of Mulligan and Hooper to the senior list, I think the approach we had taken during McCartney's time was planned, prescribed and provided our youngsters a solid pathway to becoming better footballers.




BMAC also had the opportunity to look at 1st rounders in the top 5 or 6 due to where we finished, which was not a luxury from 2006 to 2010. Of course Howard was the biggest mistake in that period.


Howard was certainly not the only, or even the biggest, mistake during this period.

[chef]

Don't forget under BMac we started looking at some fringe players hoping they would come good like, Fuller, Dickson, Darley, Goodes, Lower, Stevens, Campbell.

Jury still out on some of these, so its not perfect under BMAC.

BMAC also had the opportunity to look at 1st rounders in the top 5 or 6 due to where we finished, which was not a luxury from 2006 to 2010. Of course Howard was the biggest mistake in that period.

It's never going to be an exact science, but the drafting under Bmac, Jmac and Dalrymple has been very good and I think better than the last regime.

[mighty_west]

I don't think anyone has said recruiting has been perfect under the Brendan McCartney but I think most here would say we have had a lot of commonsense and science applied during his time which was clearly lacking prior to his appointment.

Lower and Goodes didn't hurt us in the slightest as we had so many youngsters coming through it was seen as a positive to have quality people around them. Once Wallis and Smith proved that they could handle the midfield tagging duties then Lower was let go after one just season. Goodes started off in a sensational manner before his form tapered off. He was gone after just two seasons.

Darley and Stevens cost us next to nothing and both have played their best football for us. I'm genuinely confident that Stevens can be a better player than he already has been in the coming years. Campbell and Dickson have been positive and solid selections rather than trying to pluck something from nothing.

When compared to the short term appointments of the likes of Akermanis, Welsh and Hall (albeit we were trying to top up a finals campaign) and the mystifying promotions of the likes of Mulligan and Hooper to the senior list, I think the approach we had taken during McCartney's time was planned, prescribed and provided our youngsters a solid pathway to becoming better footballers.



Howard was certainly not the only, or even the biggest, mistake during this period.

I don't see mature aged players as high risk as long as they're taken as rookies, Goodes and Lower, Moles before them as failures, they are low risk selections.

As you said Darley and Stevens cost us bugger all, Biggs the same this year, again low risk selections although I do see futures with Darley (great kick), Stevens (hard nut) and Campbell who most believe is next in line to take over ruck duties and pretty much ready to go.

The Fuller selection on the other hand and hopefully Dalrymple doesn't now go back to unrated non proven juniors with such high picks.

[Twodogs]

Di people laugh at the no dickheads policy. It'd be pretty commonplace now I'd have thought. We were meant to have one under Eade anyway

Rocket's rule was no Tasmanian dickheads.

[azabob]

Rocket's rule was no Tasmanian dickheads.

Ah, how did Sherman get through?

[soupman]

I think the biggest change underneath BMac and possibly Dalrymple was that for our later picks we preferred to pick footballers that slid due to athletic deficiencies than athletes that slid because of football deficiencies.

I think the club backed itself in that it would be able to get more out of someone with a good attitude and that can already play the game but needed to improve physically. The only player that was more athlete than footballer that we recruited under BMac was Jong, and that was on the rookie list.

I hope we continue on this path.

[Twodogs]

Ah, how did Sherman get through?

Good question. There are so many reasons to ask that question too.

[bornadog]

Ah, how did Sherman get through?

He turned into a dickhead

[BulldogBelle]

Ah, how did Sherman get through?

And what a waste of a draft pick.
l am sure he had a reputation as a dickhead before we picked him up.

[Greystache]

He turned into a dickhead

He was a renowned dickhead well before we recruited him.

It was a horrible recruiting period where virtually every selection made no sense. He was just one on the list.

[Bulldog Revolution]

He was a renowned dickhead well before we recruited him.

It was a horrible recruiting period where virtually every selection made no sense. He was just one on the list.

The Mulligan/Hooper/Sherman years will not look good on Fantasias resume

[bornadog]

The Mulligan/Hooper/Sherman years will not look good on Fantasias resume

Sherman was the biggest waste considering the pick we used.

[GVGjr]

The Mulligan/Hooper/Sherman years will not look good on Fantasias resume

I'm not sure Sherman had Fantasia's mark on him but whatever way you look at it, I can't believe the coach didn't have the say of who got promoted off a rookie list and the length of the contracts given.
Coaches need to be involved

[The Bulldogs Bite]

I'm not sure Sherman had Fantasia's mark on him but whatever way you look at it, I can't believe the coach didn't have the say of who got promoted off a rookie list and the length of the contracts given.
Coaches need to be involved

At least Hooper could play at lower levels - he was good at U18 level and from memory OK at VFL. It was certainly not worthy of a promotion, but the Mulligan blunder was absolutely atrocious and one of the worst pieces of list management I've ever seen.

[azabob]

As a result that is why Fantasia is no longer at club land.

[BulldogBelle]

As a result that is why Fantasia is no longer at club land.

Thank god!

[Greystache]

The Mulligan/Hooper/Sherman years will not look good on Fantasias resume

Our recruiting under Eade's leadership was even worse, not one player from the 2005 or 2006 period still remain at the club. Plus the mature aged shockers like McDougal and Pask.

[LostDoggy]

I remember a mate saying to me at the time we got Sherman that he had absolutely no tank, and that they'd tried everything to fix it, but couldn't find the key.

Why was it that a mate could tell me this was likely to happen with us, yet our recruiters be so blindsided?

I suppose we all hope we can change a footballer just because he comes to us!

[Bulldog4life]

I remember a mate saying to me at the time we got Sherman that he had absolutely no tank, and that they'd tried everything to fix it, but couldn't find the key.

Why was it that a mate could tell me this was likely to happen with us, yet our recruiters be so blindsided?

I suppose we all hope we can change a footballer just because he comes to us!

We were not the only ones.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/sydney-swans-make-16-million-move-for-brisbane-lions-justin-sherman/story-e6frf3e3-1225932812388?nk=b726f4d63d15a309559a240f6b586e0b


The future of contracted Brisbane Lions midfielder Justin Sherman hangs in the balance following a four-year $1.6 million offer from Sydney Swans.

[bornadog]

We were not the only ones.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/sydney-swans-make-16-million-move-for-brisbane-lions-justin-sherman/story-e6frf3e3-1225932812388?nk=b726f4d63d15a309559a240f6b586e0b


The future of contracted Brisbane Lions midfielder Justin Sherman hangs in the balance following a four-year $1.6 million offer from Sydney Swans.

Shows how highly touted he was back then.

[chef]

Ah, how did Sherman get through?

Speaking of Sherman I see he's been announced Captain/Coach of Kyabram FNC in the GVFL