Training 17/12/07

[LostDoggy]

Got there a bit late.
Welsh was doing some light running and goal kicking.
Other that didn’t do the ball drills (on bikes or running) were Skipper, Hill, Stack(I think), Street, Boyd, Griffen Grant, Callan, Wood, Hughes and I think the smaller of the new rookies.

There was a bit of match simulation. Not sure if Minson is the answer at FF , looks more like Darcy of 2007 to me at the moment. Wight played a HF and worked hard. Tiller lead strongly but not as good as last time I saw.
Boumann rucked against Hudson and understandably was given a bath. I like the look of him but he is pretty skinny.

Williams left the track early clutching his hammy.

Noticalbly bugger in body shape are Skipper, Hargrave, Stack, Wight, Williams, and Hill.
I have no doubt Aker, Murphy and a few others will have a better season in 08.

Questions will refresh my memory

[Go_Dogs]

How was Cooney looking in the match simulation stuff?

Let's hope Williams hasn't done a hamstring, although if ever there was a time to do it, over the Christmas break might be best. We really need him to have a big pre-season.

Were the rookie listed rucks sighted? If so, how do they look?

As always, thanks for your report Ernie.

[LostDoggy]

How was Cooney looking in the match simulation stuff?

OK doing everything asked of him it seems. Not interuptted as of yet


Were the rookie listed rucks sighted? If so, how do they look?

I spotted 2 or 3 tall blokes I didn't recognise. One was O'shea and the other 2 must of been Mulligan and ???. The other new rookie did laps. Mulligan I suspect play FF at times, Marked wel but poor kicking for goal.

[bornadog]

Noticalbly bugger in body shape are Skipper, Hargrave, Stack, Wight, Williams, and Hill.
I have no doubt Aker, Murphy and a few others will have a better season in 08.

Questions will refresh my memory

:eek: hope not :D

Is Skipper over his foot injury and back training at full pace?

[LostDoggy]

:eek: hope not :D

Is Skipper over his foot injury and back training at full pace?

Whoops thats bigger not bugger.

Skipper only on bike at this stage. Huge (Minson size) muscular this season.
So is Street ( on the bike) so I think its who ever stands up will get a round 1 game.

[LostDoggy]

Thanks Ernie.

How is Higgins going? Is he back full training from his shoulder reco?
Who impressed during the match simulation?

Also Street had both knees operated on at the end of the season so he is probably rehabbing that.

[Templeton31]

Doogs? back or fwd in match simulation?

Based on what you say about Minson Ernie it doesnt sound like our fwd line is going to be markedly different/better in 08. Welsh will help I spose but as he said himself he's not 'THE' answer.

[LostDoggy]

No Minson isnt the answer. He isnt a good mark and cant kick for goal. Not someone to build a forward line around.

[hujsh]

Whoops thats bigger not bugger.

Skipper only on bike at this stage. Huge (Minson size) muscular this season.
So is Street ( on the bike) so I think its who ever stands up will get a round 1 game.

I hope he doesn't lose too much leap and slow down too much

[LostDoggy]

Higgins looks good. Played in the middle.
Doogs was at CHB. Stuffed up a few passes.
Minso against Harris. Harris won but Minson marked on a lead then rovered/snapped a goal. He is there to create a contest, if we deliever clean ball he will do alright there.
The players I noticed more were Murphy, Wight, Harbrow, & Addison.

The answer for our forward line is Jarrod Grant but its a few years off.

[Go_Dogs]

Did Addison look clean with his disposal and choice of option? Glad to hear he caught your eye.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Cheers Ernie

What about Harbrow, Addison and the new midfielders Ward, Reid and Okeefe?

[LostDoggy]

Did Addison look clean with his disposal and choice of option? Glad to hear he caught your eye.

Got a few possessions, did a number of nice things. A few marks, was brave. Clean disposal.

Callan Ward was on Johnson

Didn't notice Reid and O'keefe

[GVGjr]

Thanks for the update Ernie.

News about the training camp

Tuesday 18th December, 2007: 1.45pm

The LeasePlan Western Bulldogs will begin a three day training camp at Wilson’s Promontory National Park on Tuesday 18th December, 2007.

The first training session is open to the media and will be held at Darby River where the players will undergo a punishing sand dune and beach run session.

The playing group will arrive at the Darby River Car Park at approximately 1.50pm/2pm and will change into their training gear before running through the bush track to the beach and beginning the session.

[LostDoggy]

i went to training two weeks ago on a saturday and harris wasn't there, does anyone know if he was injured?

[LostDoggy]

i went to training two weeks ago on a saturday and harris wasn't there, does anyone know if he was injured?

I already mention that he trained today so if he was injured it wasn't serious.

[FrediKanoute]

No Minson isnt the answer. He isnt a good mark and cant kick for goal. Not someone to build a forward line around.

depends on how you look at it and what you expect from Minson in the role. Eade was quite happy to use Morgan as the tall forward to bring the ball to ground where our crumbers were waiting. I think you'll find that Minson's success wont be determined by the number of goals he kicks, but by the amount of contest he provides.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Nice to hear about Ward matching up on Johnson - always a great experience for a young player to stand a champion

Minson was never going to master the position in 2 months of pre-season training. I see it as very much a work in progress and will require a significant investment in terms of giving him game time and experience in the role.

[MrMahatma]

True, but it'd be nice to have a big guy up there that does more than just give a contest. Fair enough if it's only for a game or two in the season due to injury, but to have a permanent forward there basically to make contests seems a bit of a waste.

[Dogs 24/7]

True, but it'd be nice to have a big guy up there that does more than just give a contest. Fair enough if it's only for a game or two in the season due to injury, but to have a permanent forward there basically to make contests seems a bit of a waste.


I dont think just providing a contest is sufficient either. We should expect more than that.

[Mofra]

I dont think just providing a contest is sufficient either. We should expect more than that.

If he can take the ruckwork in the F50 & alow Hudson to play a kick behind the play (a la Glen Coleman & Scott Wyund's old set-up) the we will go some way to slowing the rebound that killed us on many occasions last year.

We are no longer in the era of forwards just attacking, defenders just defending and midfielders chasing the ball around. Set-ups are everywhere and the correlation of position to role within the gameplan is diminishing fast.

[LostDoggy]

We are into an era of forwards who cant mark or kick? Geelong didnt seem to be in that era 3 months

[Mantis]

I dont think just providing a contest is sufficient either. We should expect more than that.

Why?

As Mofra has pointed out a competitive big man in our forwardline will undoubtebly help us become a better team. We have one of, if not the best set of small/ medium sized forwards in the comp. They are our trumps. We just need a big man to do some of the donkey work and help take some of the physical pressure off our talented smalls.

[The Coon Dog]

Why?

As Mofra has pointed out a competitive big man in our forwardline will undoubtebly help us become a better team. We have one of, if not the best set of small/ medium sized forwards in the comp. They are our trumps. We just need a big man to do some of the donkey work and help take some of the physical pressure off our talented smalls.

Best I could come up with...

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/6045/minsonie6.jpg

[Mantis]

Best I could come up with...

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/6045/minsonie6.jpg

I would have preferred if you could have found a picture of the racehorse that share's Will's name as it runs like a donkey now...

[LostDoggy]

If he can take the ruckwork in the F50 & alow Hudson to play a kick behind the play (a la Glen Coleman & Scott Wyund's old set-up) the we will go some way to slowing the rebound that killed us on many occasions last year.

We are no longer in the era of forwards just attacking, defenders just defending and midfielders chasing the ball around. Set-ups are everywhere and the correlation of position to role within the gameplan is diminishing fast.

Excellent point although I wonder if Minson could play that Glenn Coleman centre half forward role ?
The more I think about it the more I believe we need to get a good season from Hudson because he will make a big impact to our midfield and hopefully allow Minson to be a key forward.

[Mofra]

Excellent point although I wonder if Minson could play that Glenn Coleman centre half forward role ?
To be fair to Minson, I don't think he can be as effective as Coleman, in Galaxy's days CHBs were defenders first, playmakers second. These days CHFs have to be either elite running machines (Riewoldt & a fit J. Brown come to mind, who both have midfield endurance) or play a little deeper to goal and have good marking ability (Mooney & the bleached Cloke).

Minson for me still needs to play in the FP, with his main roles to:
a. Be the "bomb" target when the opposition defensive zone is too tight (has to be better than bombing to Robbins like in 05-06)
b. Play the pack breaker role by leading to a large contest - hopefully his ruck skills allow him to direct the fall of the ball, giving us some set plays in a congested forward line that we really lacked in 07 (teams found us out & played to this)
c. Block the run of defenders at the contest to try and isolate Welsh & Johnson who are both good one on one forwards.
d. Ruck at F50 throw ins.

Personally I think it is a positive - he has real aggression and a desire to compete, added to a better aerobic capacity than Morgan so for mine will play the role better once settled.


The more I think about it the more I believe we need to get a good season from Hudson because he will make a big impact to our midfield and hopefully allow Minson to be a key forward.
Hudosn can genuinely play 60-70% of gametime in the ruck, and his impact on our midfield should be magnified by his excellent clearance rate which we were poor in this year.