Bevo on SEN this morning with Gerard

[bornadog]

Coming up after 11am

[bornadog]

* A few players have had slight setbacks, but we didn't report to public as they were minor.

* 19 Players locked in for weekend, so will make decision on others this week.

* Easton will play forward, may not necessarily get his hands on the ball, but will create opportunities for others in the forward line.

* Confident back 6 will do well

* Morris will come back mid year or so.

* Hasn't purposely avoided media, he has delegated a lot of that to others. Not alot to say in off season, al they do is to train

* Looking to evolve quickly, and opportunity to start that this week.

* Bevo was strongly opposed to limiting the runner on the ground and said so in meeting with AFL. AFL will not make any changes.

* Players feel strongly about rivalry with GWS.

[Mantis]

I'm concerned about 2 comments:

1/ Sounds like the expectation is that Easton as a permanent forward will be a 'role' player... when he is fit & healthy he is an 'elite' defender. In a team that is a little short in regard to star factor I'm not sure the switch makes sense.

2/ A back 6 of Cordy, Naughton, Crozier, Biggs, Williams & Suckling has me extremely concerned on how they will defend and then distribute the ball... Hoping the expected rain falls at the right time in Canberra.

[bornadog]

I'm concerned about 2 comments:

1/ Sounds like the expectation is that Easton as a permanent forward will be a 'role' player... when he is fit & healthy he is an 'elite' defender. In a team that is a little short in regard to star factor I'm not sure the switch makes sense.

2/ A back 6 of Cordy, Naughton, Crozier, Biggs, Williams & Suckling has me extremely concerned on how they will defend and then distribute the ball... Hoping the expected rain falls at the right time in Canberra.

Bevo on Easton Wood:


"He's a supreme athlete in this code, got great speed, endurance, courage. Everything points to him being a good forward as long we can teach him and give the right supply. We'll persist with that."


Bevo on the defence.


"It's a hiccup (Marcus Adams' injury). Our back line hasn't gelled yet. We've got some youth in there and some boys who haven't played much footy together. We want to evolve quickly."

[The Bulldogs Bite]

If we had a fully fit and in form Adams and Morris, I could see some logic in trialling Wood forward as somewhat of a "McGovern swingman" should match ups allow him to go forward.

Given neither are available, I'm amazed we will persist with Wood as a forward. Yes he's quick, strong and agile but marking the ball as a forward is entirely different to marking the ball as a defender. The former has to lead at the ball carrier and contend with impact from behind, whilst the latter is able to position themselves as a 'stationary' defender who can mark from behind.

As Mantis noted, we lack star power and yet we want to play an elite intercept marking defender as a forward? He has looked all at sea to say the least.

Why are we even wanting to play Wood forward? Is it to bring the ball to ground to stop us being outmarked? If so, why did we go and recruit Trengove and Schache on top of already having the land of the giants? Surely with Trengove, Boyd, Roughead and Redpath we have 2 ready made options to play forward and contest in the air.

The flexibility mantra is overkill. Play your star players in their best positions, period.

[Rocket Science]

Perhaps the method behind Wood forward is as simple as deploying someone who's an assertive marking player in an area of the ground we habitually struggle to pluck them.

Can it really make much difference though if we don't refine our mode of entry though, while depleting an already depleted back six?

If it doesn't pan out it'll be interesting to see if and when when Bevo's resolve breaks and Wood's sent back.

[jeemak]

I reckon we'll see Wood start in defence Sunday.

[ratsmac]

The only reason I can see Wood playing forward is to keep defenders honest. He's good in the air and quick on the ground to apply defensive pressure. Other than that I got nothing.

[Go_Dogs]

I reckon we'll see Wood start in defence Sunday.

Bevo the old fox, huh? Let's hope so.

[Eastdog]

I reckon we'll see Wood start in defence Sunday.

I'm a Wood in defence advocate.

[Twodogs]

I'm a Wood in defence advocate.

You sound like his attorney Easty!

[bornadog]

I think people are making too much ot of Wood going to te forward line. I think its great Bevo is looking at different ways to boost our forward half and kick some goals. Let's see how Wood goes before we start judging. He can always go back again.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Wood going back to the back would be backwood.

[bornadog]

Round 1 spots still up for grabs: Beveridge (http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/2018-03-19/round-1-spots-still-up-for-grabs-beveridge-) (Link also has the audio)


With a full pre-season to look over his list, there’s no surprise that Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has a reasonable idea what his team will look like when Round 1 of the 2018 premiership season gets underway this weekend.


The Dogs will travel to Canberra for the season opener on Sunday to take on Greater Western Sydney, and Beveridge has given SEN’s Gerard Whateley some insight into what to expect when the team is announced on Thursday night.


‘’There’s no doubt that some new recruits will play, there’ll be no doubt that there’ll be one or two boys who may have been a staple in the team who may miss out,” he said on Monday.


‘’But hand on heart, I reckon we’ve picked about 19 or 20 and there’s two or three who we need to finalise over the course of the week.”


The Dogs will be missing veteran defender Dale Morris and defender Marcus Adams will miss up to three months with an ankle injury, but though the players will be missed, Beveridge said it will provides a chance for someone else step up and establish himself in the team.


“Coaching is always about maximising your capacity and your capability within your ranks and all it [injury] does for me is divert your attention to others and what they may be able to deliver for the team,’’ he said.


‘’There’s no doubt the two boys promise a hell of a lot in a Western Bulldogs 22 but in a way there’s some optimism around the opportunities that creates for other players.’’


What the Dogs won’t be missing this weekend is motivation to get the season off to the right start, with the coach acknowledging that a rivalry has developed with the Giants over the past few seasons, at least among the playing group.


“I have heard one or two of our players mention that there’s a bit of a rivalry. I think a rivalry has developed over the last two or three years for various reasons, but both teams are very different.


“They’ve had one or two injuries like us, so the existing group against their group, there’ll be some uplift there in emotions I’d say.”