Game Day Round 3 2017 - Fremantle V Western Bulldogs

[Eastdog]

Disapponting. We went from playing our best football to our worst football in the blink of an eye! Don't know how that happens - does anyone? Bevo looked shocked after the game. I believe he will have us ready to hit the ground running against North.

Yes I have a feeling this week will start of strongly in the game and set it up for ourselves from there.

[Eastdog]

Picken, Roughead, Dickson, Morris are all huge outs for us, can't underestimate their structural importance. That's key players out all over the ground.

Absolutely.

They are big name players for us who we need. I mentioned Roughy a few times and yeah we certain miss him in our side. Dale we know would have been huge in defence had he played but we know we can't make excuses when we have players out and really should have done more in the final quarter to go on and record our 3rd win of the year.

So bad watching in that final term is at one stage having only 4 inside 50s to 17 - very poor.

[ratsmac]

Bevo's brief was the most annoyed I reckon he's ever been .

Yeah you could tell he was quite frustrated couldn't you?

[GVGjr]

The Picken injury killed our rotations and we were smoked at 3/4 time.. If we were 4-5 goals in front, as we should've been then it wouldn't have mattered, but we didn't make the most of our opportunities all whilst gifting them a few and Freo capatilised in the last.

Time to re-gather, make the necessary changes to the line-up and move on.

I'm not sure I agree with this logic.

Are you referring to the balance of midfielders we had on the night more than rotation numbers which was then significantly impacted by the injury to Picken? If so, an injury to one midfielder that impacts the game to that extent based on rotations indicates to me we either didn't have the flexibility within the side or more likely we went into the game short of midfield numbers and paid a price for doing so.
Either way, Bevo's mantra has been about having flexibility within the side and versatile players now doesn't appear to be the case.

It doesn't sound like a good selection process if we have added a couple of half back flankers from last years successful approach at the expense of midfield depth.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

I'm not sure I agree with this logic.

Are you referring to the balance of midfielders we had on the night more than rotation numbers which was then significantly impacted by the injury to Picken? If so, an injury to one midfielder that impacts the game to that extent based on rotations indicates to me we either didn't have the flexibility within the side or more likely we went into the game short of midfield numbers and paid a price for doing so.
Either way, Bevo's mantra has been about having flexibility within the side and versatile players now doesn't appear to be the case.

It doesn't sound like a good selection process if we have added a couple of half back flankers from last years successful approach at the expense of midfield depth.

On the same page with you on this one GVG.

Personally, I find it staggering at how much we are chopping and changing a winning formula. Yes - every side needs to evolve, but to this extent? I find it bizarre.

If Boyd cannot play HB anymore, he doesn't play. I don't mind Murphy pinch hitting forward, but he's not as influential as we need him to be when he sits there for a full game.

Selection from this week forward will be interesting. I have a few concerns about us at the moment, both from a structural perspective and an attitude perspective.

[Mantis]

I'm not sure I agree this logic.

Are you referring to the balance of midfielders we had on the night more than rotation numbers which was then significantly impacted by the injury to Picken? If so, an injury to one midfielder that impacts the game to that extent based on rotations indicates to me we either didn't have the flexibility within the side or more likely we went into the game short of midfield numbers and paid a price for doing so.
Either way, Bevo's mantra has been about having flexibility within the side and versatile players now doesn't appear to be the case.

It doesn't sound like a good selection process if we have added a couple of half back flankers from last years successful approach at the expense of midfield depth.

Yeah I meant midfield rotations, we were short on mids and the injury to one our best gut running ones only excerbated this issue... The load was carried by too few.

I too haven't been happy with the over-supply of HBF'ers in our team.. and this time it bit us on the ass.

[Ozza]

On the same page with you on this one GVG.

Personally, I find it staggering at how much we are chopping and changing a winning formula. Yes - every side needs to evolve, but to this extent? I find it bizarre.

If Boyd cannot play HB anymore, he doesn't play. I don't mind Murphy pinch hitting forward, but he's not as influential as we need him to be when he sits there for a full game.

Selection from this week forward will be interesting. I have a few concerns about us at the moment, both from a structural perspective and an attitude perspective.

I think we are a better team when Matt Boyd plays permanently in defence. He is not one I'd be moving around. Fair enough get JJ and Biggs' run up the ground at times - but Boyd's sturdiness in defence is something we need during Morris' absence.

[comrade]

Not sure why there is so much hand wringing over selection, game plan, stoppage set up. Have we not learnt to trust Bevo?

I'm happy to give him some time to work out our best team & the best way to combat rule changes and how teams are setting up to take us down.

[Stefcep]

I don't blame Beveridge. I don't blame it on Picken's out.

The loss falls squarely at the feet of the players. It wasn't Beveridge's fault that they were all asleep in the first quarter from the first bounce. Second to the ball, lethargic in the chase, beaten in the contest. Amazing how all the 50-50 contests favoured them.

Had Hunter not kept us in the game early we would have been dead and buried at half time.

The game was lost because the hunger to compete was not there for 4 quarters. Even then had we kicked straight we would have won. So its not a coaching/ game plan issue.

[Mofra]

Had Hunter not kept us in the game early we would have been dead and buried at half time.

The game was lost because the hunger to compete was not there for 4 quarters. Even then had we kicked straight we would have won. So its not a coaching/ game plan issue.
Spot on with these two points.
Hunter has been immense for us - hard to see until you're live, but I dare say he and Macrae match Picken for ability to cover ground over the course of a game.

Turnovers really hurt us early, and a few players had a couple of howlers (Adams and Biggs in the backline really hurt).

We just didn't look switched on and that's really worrying as the Swans jumped us too.

[bornadog]

Spot on with these two points.
Hunter has been immense for us - hard to see until you're live, but I dare say he and Macrae match Picken for ability to cover ground over the course of a game.

Turnovers really hurt us early, and a few players had a couple of howlers (Adams and Biggs in the backline really hurt).

We just didn't look switched on and that's really worrying as the Swans jumped us too.

3 direct goals came from the mis-kicks of Adams, Campbell and Wood, and that is just off the top of my head.

[Go_Dogs]

I don't blame Beveridge. I don't blame it on Picken's out.

The loss falls squarely at the feet of the players. It wasn't Beveridge's fault that they were all asleep in the first quarter from the first bounce. Second to the ball, lethargic in the chase, beaten in the contest. Amazing how all the 50-50 contests favoured them.

Had Hunter not kept us in the game early we would have been dead and buried at half time.

The game was lost because the hunger to compete was not there for 4 quarters. Even then had we kicked straight we would have won. So its not a coaching/ game plan issue.

Doesn't having the players up and ready for the first bounce fall on the coaches?

[GVGjr]

Yeah I meant midfield rotations, we were short on mids and the injury to one our best gut running ones only excerbated this issue... The load was carried by too few.

I too haven't been happy with the over-supply of HBF'ers in our team.. and this time it bit us on the ass.

We don't have too many small forwards that can't take a stint in the midfield and if we are to play additional mid sized defenders then one or two of them need to be able to run through the middle and be productive.

When Bevo arrived he wanted versatile types and we now seem to be lacking in that area, he also wanted players to improve their kicking skills but I'm looking through the list and the guys that were picked and we aren't quite measuring up at the moment.

If we are going to select sides that hinge on no injuries then we need to get back to having more versatile players.

[GVGjr]

I don't blame Beveridge. I don't blame it on Picken's out.

The loss falls squarely at the feet of the players. It wasn't Beveridge's fault that they were all asleep in the first quarter from the first bounce. Second to the ball, lethargic in the chase, beaten in the contest. Amazing how all the 50-50 contests favoured them.

Had Hunter not kept us in the game early we would have been dead and buried at half time.

The game was lost because the hunger to compete was not there for 4 quarters. Even then had we kicked straight we would have won. So its not a coaching/ game plan issue.

While I agree in principle with what you're saying, surely a coach should be able to influence games during quarters not just at the breaks? Bevo is saying Fremantle were excellent but it doesn't appear we were switched on from the opening bounce and some of that needs to stop with the coach. If players are being complacent then Bevo needs to get out of being their mate and start demanding a higher lever of intensity from them. If he needs to make an example of one of them to get the message across to the group then so be it.

The selectors need to set a standard this week.

[jeemak]

Doesn't having the players up and ready for the first bounce fall on the coaches?

Players have to assume responsibility. You'd think after two weeks in a row the coaching staff will micro manage the motivation side of things.

[always right]

Whilst it doesn't absolve the players, there are many on this board who declare that Bevo is the messiah of coaches. It is not unreasonable to expect that someone who is rated so highly shouldn't carry some of the blame for not having players mentally prepared for a match.

[bornadog]

Whilst it doesn't absolve the players, there are many on this board who declare that Bevo is the messiah of coaches. It is not unreasonable to expect that someone who is rated so highly shouldn't carry some of the blame for not having players mentally prepared for a match.

Sorry, he is the messiah and can do no wrong. :)

[GVGjr]

Whilst it doesn't absolve the players, there are many on this board who declare that Bevo is the messiah of coaches. It is not unreasonable to expect that someone who is rated so highly shouldn't carry some of the blame for not having players mentally prepared for a match.

And not just Bevo, his assistant coaches as well. If the coaching team needs to get tough with a couple of the players who might not be switched on like they should then I hope they can administer the required spray or are willing to drop players and get the competitive beasts in.