It's time to step up

[GVGjr]

We lost a lot of experience and a couple of excellent players so obviously we need a few of our boys to step up in 2015.

2 Players spring to mind for me.

Koby Stevens - A low cost recruit for the Bulldogs after 2 seasons at West Coast. With the departures of Griffen and Cooney and now with 50 senior games under his belt, Stevens needs to become a genuine senior player and leader around the club.
Despite some deficiencies with his skills I think Stevens is well placed to have a good season in 2015. His pace

Jason Johannisen - His journey to the club is an interesting one and his promotion from the rookie list speaks volumes for how much he has improved since his arrival. Johannisen is an efficient user of the ball but his main strength is the pace he provides us out of back line. I think JJ is going to be one of the real improvers in 2015 and we need him to be one of the guys that reaches another level.

Who do you think might step up for us next season?

[F'scary]

Hrovat - Played like he belonged in the AFL when he got back into the team in 2014. A classic in-everything rover, agile, nippy great vision, top shelf disposal skills. The gutting of our senior midfield means the opportunities are there for him in 2015, he just needs to take them.

[Remi Moses]

Michael Talia - to put it bluntly, last season was a big disappointment .
The MC and the coach clearly saw defiencies that needed to be ironed out, and it is vital he steps up
Fletcher Roberts - Unlucky with injury and looked composed when he came into the side , and as with Talia he should be playing more often next season.

[Throughandthrough]

Tom Boyd

[bulldogtragic]

Stew Crameri & Jarrad Grant - Boyd, Roughie & Stringer will all take good defenders, you have licence to smash bottom rung defenders.

[azabob]

BT with all due respect Grant first has to get in the team. Surely Crameri will get the first if not second best defender?

[bulldogtragic]

BT with all due respect Grant first has to get in the team. Surely Crameri will get the first if not second best defender?

No need for respect. It's a contract year, so Grant will be playing good footy. Bank on it. He's still a favourite of mine though. If Roughie & Boyd are in, I think they get the two bigger defenders. I think Stringer and Crameri raffle the 3rd defender, I think Stringer gets them if he stays closer if Stew plays lead up type roles. You can substitute the nomination to be Jake & Grant. Playing on 4th and 5th defenders they have the talent to be a nightmare for oppositions. It's no criticism on anyone, it's about stepping up and having lesser defenders as opponents is a reason why we need them to step up.

[boydogs]

3/4 of the team, but some notables:

Lin Jong - we need him to take his midfield explosiveness from the VFL finals series and show it at AFL level. Griffen & Cooney are gone and we are in danger of being a midfield of slow plodders that struggle to clear the ball from the contest

Tom Liberatore - needs to learn to deal with a tag

Mitch Wallis - needs to become a staple of the midfield and not a fringe player or tagger

Jordan Roughead - needs to shut down the best forward each week

[Sedat]

Michael Talia - to put it bluntly, last season was a big disappointment .
The MC and the coach clearly saw defiencies that needed to be ironed out, and it is vital he steps up
Fletcher Roberts - Unlucky with injury and looked composed when he came into the side , and as with Talia he should be playing more often next season.
If you're right with these two, we will improve immeasurably next year.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Great thread GVGjr

Ive been watching a few replays of the season and we have so many who you'd expect growth and progression from

Easton Wood is one who I view as being very close to playing consistently good football

So many of the younger players we'd be hoping for a jump from also

Mitch Wallis is one who we will need to, but there will also be nowhere to hide, he's got to get the balance between offence and defence rich, must win more of his own ball and use it more constructively

[GVGjr]

Ive been watching a few replays of the season and we have so many who you'd expect growth and progression from

Easton Wood is one who I view as being very close to playing consistently good football

So many of the younger players we'd be hoping for a jump from also

Mitch Wallis is one who we will need to, but there will also be nowhere to hide, he's got to get the balance between offence and defence rich, must win more of his own ball and use it more constructively

I nearly nominated Easton Wood myself. I never really thought he was going to have a good AFL career but after his performances in 2014 I think he can achieve further improvement next season. Like Stevens, he now has to step us as a leader.

[ledge]

Great thread GVGjr

Ive been watching a few replays of the season and we have so many who you'd expect growth and progression from

Easton Wood is one who I view as being very close to playing consistently good football

So many of the younger players we'd be hoping for a jump from also

Mitch Wallis is one who we will need to, but there will also be nowhere to hide, he's got to get the balance between offence and defence rich, must win more of his own ball and use it more constructively

I thought Mitch had come of age and was doing everything right until the foot injury destroyed the rest of his season

[GVGjr]

I thought Mitch had come of age and was doing everything right until the foot injury destroyed the rest of his season

He got dropped for 5 games after the Carlton game so I don't think it was just the injury that wrecked his season.

[Bulldog Revolution]

I nearly nominated Easton Wood myself. I never really thought he was going to have a good AFL career but after his performances in 2014 I think he can achieve further improvement next season. Like Stevens, he now has to step us as a leader.

He had such an interrupted run that it was hard to know with Easton - but he had some really terrific games in 2014 where he figured out how to use his athleticism and strength to real advantage - was very good when I look back.

Im less bullish on Stevens - I love his effort, and preparedness to work but his decision making, ability to get hands free when tackled, and mistakes like kicking into the man on the mark let him down. Maybe Gia will be the perfect coach for him.

[Bulldog Revolution]

He got dropped for 5 games after the Carlton game so I don't think it was just the injury that wrecked his season.

He was ultra defensive early and not doing enough constructive with the ball. Theres little room for a pure defensive centre square player in modern footy. They have to be able to win it and create a little.

[soupman]

Im less bullish on Stevens - I love his effort, and preparedness to work but his decision making, ability to get hands free when tackled, and mistakes like kicking into the man on the mark let him down. Maybe Gia will be the perfect coach for him.

I think Stevens is harshly rated on here with an emphasis on his faults in his first one and a half seasons.

I thought the second half of this season he showed that he was and could work on his deficiencies, and I think we saw a considerable drop in hospital handballs, either through execution or just to the wrong option, better awareness and more care taken with his skills. I think if he can continue to improve he will really establish himself as a key linkman up and down the wings. He works his arse off, is a good mark and runs to the right spots.

The one we need to stand up is Roughead. He is already an established member of our side, a recognised leader and a bit of a fan favourite, but last season was poor. He is still however by far our most advanced key defender aside from an ageing Morris, and is the man that should and will get the big jobs on the big forwards. Too many games last year key forwards had a huge impact against us, and Roughead needs to be able to lift and hold that backline together by not only negating their influence but by setting up the backline as its future leader and someone who can take marks back there and dictate the play.

Our midfield is going to have a tough season this year, as guys like Liberatore and Macrae become the best 2 mids and cop the taggers, but our backline was our weakness last year, and is one area we have not bolstered yet. We need Roughead to perform.

[SonofScray]

Talia & Roberts.

These guys are the two most important players on our list, with regards to structure, game day match ups and on going recruitment. With Morris still our best defender and Roughie's capacity to still have a horror day, our back line stocks need reinforcement.

Talia seems to have a capacity to play off his man and spoil as a 2nd man up, or drop into space and take a grab. Untested at AFL yet with any real responsibility but having him develop in that way would be beneficial. Is a comparison with how Gibson at Hawthorn plays out of line? That'd be an ideal scenario, we'd have a good tall, a Glove and Talia able to work as a team back there and handle any mis matches.

Fletch is the guy I really want to succeed though. Assuming Talia can play his role, Roberts coming on gives us flexibility to stretch the opposition. He can be a swing man like that guy Hunter was for WCE. Hopefully better. Potentially frees up Roughie to play in the ruck, or forward if he is getting torched or there i no match up for him.

If both these guys come on, I'd say we have more quality options down the spine than perhaps we've ever had in my lifetime. Guys with the right build and skill set to do the job, unlike previous squads where we compromised because the guys with the skills weren't quite big enough, or our bigs weren't quite good enough. Less likely to have a Kretiuk battling manfully undersized, or a Crofty playing at FB because we needed a tall down there etc. Those guys had immense careers for us, but imagine if they were able to play the role we'd originally had them slated for instead having to use them as gap fillers.

So, those two need to step up. If they do, look out.

[Maddog37]

Dale Morris. I am sick of his half hearted approach.

[bornadog]

The players that need to step up are those recruited 2010 and before ie Libba, Wallis, Roughead and Dahl Cordy and Grant. These guys are now heading towards 100 games and they need to start to take control of their position.

[Dry Rot]

Grant and Cordy.

Grant for obvious reasons.

If Cordy could play to his alleged abilities (highly mobile forward/ruck) he would be a good foil for Boyd playing out of the square.

Boyd needs another tall down there, and we won't have Crameri for part or all of next season.

[Bulldog Joe]

There is certainly an opportunity waiting on those who are prepared to step up.

If we could get Grant back to what he showed late season 2013 it would help a lot.

One of Roberts or Talia being able to hold down a key defensive post would improve us defensively. It would also help if Darley stepped up to merit a best 22 spot with the efficiency ofhis disposal.

One of Campbell/Cordy to really nail down the second ruck spot or alternatively both to jump ahead of Minson and relegate him to Footscray.

Biggs may also be a more important recruit than Boyd for 2015, as he should be cherry ripe to establish his credentials as an AFL player, while Boyd will be more of a developing presence only.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Agree with most on here. There's about 20 players on the list you could rightfully name.

Talia would be my numero uno, whilst I can't split Stevens/Roughead/Roberts/JJ. If any 5 of these don't make big improvements, it's a genuine worry.

[Webby]

This is an interesting discussion because we have so many players who are right at the age where they are poised to either sink or swim.

For me, Talia and Roberts need to have the pre-season of their lives. Those two having break out years could really kick the club along. Meanwhile Darley looks like he has something, to me. JJ is another, as is Mitch Wallis. He lacks a yard of pace and his kicking isn't damaging, but neither was Scott West's IMO... He is at the age where inside midfielders tend to really step up (ie Jobe Watson and Dane Swan). I'm also looking for Jong to make the step to AFL level this year. Hunter is also one who might really put it together from this year.

On another level, I'm interested to see if Stringer can step up into genuine competition star class. He could be anything. Ditto Bonti, but I'm more interested in him over the next two years. Then, of course, there's Boyd. Macrae will continue to improve, I'm sure, but I'm interested to see if Libba can really step up to top-drawer performer as our standout number one midfielder. There's a lot of interest there, for me.

Although I only expect a bottom 5 position for us, there's a lot to look forward to.

[hujsh]

I'm going to say Minson. Letdown of a year after making all-Australian, he' surrounded by young talent and needs to be a real leader in the midfield without Cooney, Griffin etc.

[F'scary]

Grant and Cordy.

Grant for obvious reasons.

If Cordy could play to his alleged abilities (highly mobile forward/ruck) he would be a good foil for Boyd playing out of the square.

Boyd needs another tall down there, and we won't have Crameri for part or all of next season.

The last time I read the word "alleged" on WOOF, it was in relation to a leg canon.

[Bulldog Revolution]

I think Stevens is harshly rated on here with an emphasis on his faults in his first one and a half seasons.

The one we need to stand up is Roughead.

Stevens should get every chance over the next two years - he does a lot right, and I hope you're right

Roughie was a shell of himself this year - I just presumed he played injured most of the year and if he is fit will certainly play better footy

[Ghost Dog]

This is an interesting discussion because we have so many players who are right at the age where they are poised to either sink or swim.

For me, Talia and Roberts need to have the pre-season of their lives. Those two having break out years could really kick the club along. Meanwhile Darley looks like he has something, to me. JJ is another, as is Mitch Wallis. He lacks a yard of pace and his kicking isn't damaging, but neither was Scott West's IMO... He is at the age where inside midfielders tend to really step up (ie Jobe Watson and Dane Swan). I'm also looking for Jong to make the step to AFL level this year. Hunter is also one who might really put it together from this year.

On another level, I'm interested to see if Stringer can step up into genuine competition star class. He could be anything. Ditto Bonti, but I'm more interested in him over the next two years. Then, of course, there's Boyd. Macrae will continue to improve, I'm sure, but I'm interested to see if Libba can really step up to top-drawer performer as our standout number one midfielder. There's a lot of interest there, for me.

Although I only expect a bottom 5 position for us, there's a lot to look forward to.

With the drafting of Boyd, at his price，the pressure is on to do a lot better than bottom 5. And I think we can.
In terms of stepping up, it's time for Bob Murphy to fly the flag and be our captain.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Roughie was a shell of himself this year - I just presumed he played injured most of the year and if he is fit will certainly play better footy

This is a bit of a concern. Roughy's body is banged up and he's still young. Pretty dodgy shoulders.

[Remi Moses]

With the drafting of Boyd, at his price，the pressure is on to do a lot better than bottom 5. And I think we can.
In terms of stepping up, it's time for Bob Murphy to fly the flag and be our captain.

Just remember Boyd's played 9 senior games .
It's going to be difficult to expect our young players to maintain a high level all season long .
It's a reality losing that much experience

[BulldogBelle]

Just remember Boyd's played 9 senior games .
It's going to be difficult to expect our young players to maintain a high level all season long .
It's a reality losing that much experience

l highly doubt the average Bulldog supporter will see it this way.
l am sure a fair few supporters will have Boyd penciled in for 100 Goals and us to make the 8;).

[LostDoggy]

l highly doubt the average Bulldog supporter will see it this way.
l am sure a fair few supporters will have Boyd penciled in for 100 Goals and us to make the 8;).

Agree wholeheartedly, but as a professional organisation I do not expect the Bulldogs to pay much credence to the Facebook Fan.

[BulldogBelle]

Agree wholeheartedly, but as a professional organisation I do not expect the Bulldogs to pay much credence to the Facebook Fan.

The club just has to get it out there not to expect miracles and let Boyd find his feet.

[Jeanette54]

We really need Big Will to stand up and have another year like 2013. It all starts with Will in the centre, and builds from there. However it would be nice if someone else could become a genuine second ruckman, whilst still maintaining a contribution in an alternative role.

[LostDoggy]

We really need Big Will to stand up and have another year like 2013. It all starts with Will in the centre, and builds from there. However it would be nice if someone else could become a genuine second ruckman, whilst still maintaining a contribution in an alternative role.

Do people not see Campbell in this role? I guess he is one with a huge opportunity in front of him to step up also.

[1eyedog]

Talia needs to learn how to swim by being pushed off the end of the pier.

[Murphy'sLore]

It's a delicate balance for the club selling the Boyd story, remembering that he's only 19 and played less than 10 games and that we have to be patient and give him time to develop, and at the same time needing to build that excitement and optimism (particularly given that after the events of the last few weeks, the arrival of Boyd is about the only thing we have to be positive about).

[Mofra]

Do people not see Campbell in this role? I guess he is one with a huge opportunity in front of him to step up also.
I only see Campbell in the no 1 ruck role, not the no 2 role. He isn't a good enough forward to play the no 2 role, especially as we now have 200cm of development already camped in the goalsquare.

If we are looking for a 2nd ruck/forward, my preference would be to try Roughy there and find a key back from somewhere.

[Twodogs]

If we are looking for a 2nd ruck/forward, my preference would be to try Roughy there and find a key back from somewhere.

That is why so much depends on Talia and Roberts developing as the two main key defenders. Roughie resting forward and chopping Wil out in the ruck occasionally looks very good.

[LostDoggy]

Time to step up to the plate Mr.AYCE CORDY PLEASE SIR IF YOU WILL?!?!

[Bulldog4life]

I would like to see Ayce & Big Tom Campbell to finally overtake Big Will eventually to tag team in the seniors. Whether it is next season or the one other time will tell. But Talia & Roberts for me are the immediate important ones to step up.

[KT31]

I would like to see Ayce & Big Tom Campbell to finally overtake Big Will eventually to tag team in the seniors. Whether it is next season or the one other time will tell. But Talia & Roberts for me are the immediate important ones to step up.

If Will displays the same type of form he did this season it will be soon rather than later.

[Eastdog]

Bump.

[LostDoggy]

Hoping Hrovat, Wallis and Hunter will still step up. Hunter to be the biggest improver, and is perhaps coming from further back than the other two.

Wood, Dahl and Grant all in contract years. All at risk. Would think at least one won't be with us next year (Grant the obvious).

As per previous, Roberts and Talia are key. At least one has to step up if we are to be competitive. Not confident that they will though. In addition, Rough and Morris need to stay fit.

Boyd happy enough if he plays most games and just looks competitive.

[Jeanette54]

There have been a couple of references to our younger players learning to deal with taggers, but I see this as a whole team responsibility.

Every week poor Liam Picken gets hit from pillar to past by any opposition player who can get close enough to get a shot in. That must take its toll after a time, and allow his opponent some extra latitude as the game goes on.

If Libba or Mitch Wallis are being effected by a tag, then its up to everybody to pitch in and make sure the tagger's game is as difficult as possible.

I seem to remember Ben Hudson handing out some grief in this area, his second and third efforts at bounces were not always strictly confined to the ball. There were times when his big body was more about creating space for the ball winners than actually winning the ball himself.

This is one area where we should definitely step up.

Of course the other method is to make every opposition player so damn accountable that nobody has the time or excess energy to assist the tagger.

[GVGjr]

There have been a couple of references to our younger players learning to deal with taggers, but I see this as a whole team responsibility.

Every week poor Liam Picken gets hit from pillar to past by any opposition player who can get close enough to get a shot in. That must take its toll after a time, and allow his opponent some extra latitude as the game goes on.

If Libba or Mitch Wallis are being effected by a tag, then its up to everybody to pitch in and make sure the tagger's game is as difficult as possible.



Fully agree, look at the way Carlton dealt with Wallis when he was trying to tag Murphy. Wallis was out of the seniors for about 4 weeks from memory. Your point is well made, the whole team needs to be helping their team mates either cope with the tag or making sure our guys doing the tagging are looked after.

[bulldogtragic]

There have been a couple of references to our younger players learning to deal with taggers, but I see this as a whole team responsibility.

Every week poor Liam Picken gets hit from pillar to past by any opposition player who can get close enough to get a shot in. That must take its toll after a time, and allow his opponent some extra latitude as the game goes on.

If Libba or Mitch Wallis are being effected by a tag, then its up to everybody to pitch in and make sure the tagger's game is as difficult as possible.

I seem to remember Ben Hudson handing out some grief in this area, his second and third efforts at bounces were not always strictly confined to the ball. There were times when his big body was more about creating space for the ball winners than actually winning the ball himself.

This is one area where we should definitely step up.

Of course the other method is to make every opposition player so damn accountable that nobody has the time or excess energy to assist the tagger.

Great points, well made. I look back to when West Coast protected a young Chris Judd around the packs & stoppages and they were as good as any team I can remember. Perhaps there's a role for Stevens yet.