“Soul destroying” footy dooming dogs says Derm

[bornadog]

Link (https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/03/26/soul-destroying-footy-dooming-dogs-says-derm/)

https://images.ctfassets.net/u8w3l566ay8a/3sZTWjrYRWQUQAyMa4wsWy/7a3227510ec7c956b012215dbfe50cea/GettyImages-937572210.jpg?w=980&h=520&fit=fill&f=faces

Five-time premiership player Dermott Brereton believes the demanding brand of football the Western Bulldogs played in 2016 is having a detrimental effect on the current crop of players.

The Dogs lost by 82-points to Greater Western Sydney on Sunday, and there is a reason Luke Beveridge’s men haven’t been able to recapture their premiership magic, according to the Hawthorn champion.

“They had a total physical commitment to buy in to that style of game,” Brereton told SEN’s KB and The Doc.
“They haven’t got that now. It was the most taxing style of football that we have ever seen.

“It is soul destroying.

“You run that hard, you physically punish yourself that hard, they were able to do it for four weeks in a row, and they had a week off at the start of the finals.

“They went to a new level in that finals series and they haven’t been able to achieve it again.”

Brereton, who has high hopes for the Bulldogs in 2018, is of the notion they still have a list to do damage this year, so they need to reverse the trend quickly.

“The Doggies are poised,” he said.
“If you’ve played 11 or more games, which is half a season or more, I count you as a regular senior player.

“The Doggies, when it’s all said and done and you count regular senior players, are the best-profiled list by far.
“They are poised to strike again, so they would want to get their backsides into gear.”

The Bulldogs will look to bounce back this Sunday against the West Coast Eagles at Etihad Stadium.

[GVGjr]

Dermott might be onto something with his thoughts on our playing style. The men of Mayhem backline and the handball club etc don't seem to be as evident now plus in 2016 we had a dozen players who could rotate through the middle effectively.

Does Bevo need to tweak the game plan a little?

[Happy Days]

The "handball club" couldn't have been further from our style of play on the weekend; we were totally incapable of stringing any possessions together and didn't really think through any contested situations.

[Rocket Science]

Do we even boast the skill level required to execute our game plan?

Or any game plan?

Injuries and inexperience are key contributors of course, but there's more afoot than that.

[Sedat]

Dermott might be onto something with his thoughts on our playing style. The men of Mayhem backline and the handball club etc don't seem to be as evident now plus in 2016 we had a dozen players who could rotate through the middle effectively.

Does Bevo need to tweak the game plan a little?
Richmond borrowed wholesale from our 2016 plan in 2017 with a game plan every bit as taxing - small sample size but I haven't seen anything from them that suggests a drop-off in intensity this year. They conceded 5 goals to Carlton and yet smashed them in I50's and all other key pressure indicators.

Will be interesting to see how their season progresses and if there is any discernible drop-off.

[FrediKanoute]

Intensity is 99% mental and 1% physical. You have to want it. You have to want to really hurt because the prize at the end is worth it. We have lacked that intensity. You could excuse it last year - we all needed a year off to recover, but by 2018 we need to be switched back on!

[MrMahatma]

Having no discernible game plan is soul destroying.

[bornadog]

Having no discernible game plan is soul destroying.

Do you believe we don't have a game plan?

[MrMahatma]

Do you believe we don't have a game plan?

Can you articulate it?

[bornadog]

Can you articulate it?

No I can't because I don't have the ability to.

[1eyedog]

To think that the nature of the game plan in 2016 has mentally and physically shot our players in 2018 is absolute drivel. I expected more from Derm.

[hujsh]

To think that the nature of the game plan in 2016 has mentally and physically shot our players in 2018 is absolute drivel. I expected more from Derm.
I don't think that's what he's saying. It's that the style of play that was successful might not be sustainable long term. We got it going well for brief periods including those 4 weeks in the final but it's not one we've been able to keep working consistently.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Could this 'incredibly taxing' style of footy be leading to all our injuries? I'm at a loss to just simply put this to bad luck. It's 3 years running we have been decimated by injuries

[Sedat]

Could this 'incredibly taxing' style of footy be leading to all our injuries? I'm at a loss to just simply put this to bad luck. It's 3 years running we have been decimated by injuries
That's worth a discussion topic on its own. If the injuries continue, a complete clean-out of our fitness and medical staff is surely on the cards. I'm not talking ACL's and broke legs with are freaks of nature, but there has been too many recurring soft tissue injuries the last few seasons for it to be swept under the carpet.

[bornadog]

That's worth a discussion topic on its own. If the injuries continue, a complete clean-out of our fitness and medical staff is surely on the cards. I'm not talking ACL's and broke legs with are freaks of nature, but there has been too many recurring soft tissue injuries the last few seasons for it to be swept under the carpet.

We need a discussion thread on injuries, and not the list Thread but about the fitness staff and injuries.

[Cyberdoggie]

The "handball club" couldn't have been further from our style of play on the weekend; we were totally incapable of stringing any possessions together and didn't really think through any contested situations.

True but our midfield couldn't get their hands on it, when they did they turned it over, and didn't work anywhere near hard enough to get it back.
Another point to our style of play was to look at our running defenders and how well they played. Biggs, Williams, Crozier.
Crozier was injured so he has an excuse. Williams was awful, especially some of his efforts where he gave up. Biggs was practically unsighted. I didn't see any of them try and run the ball at all.
Without that quick ball movement from the back half we can't play the sort of footy we want to.

Bevo probably has put a bit too much faith in these guys to step up too early when you take out Wood, Murphy, JJ and against a quality side.

[bornadog]

True but our midfield couldn't get their hands on it, when they did they turned it over, and didn't work anywhere near hard enough to get it back.
Another point to our style of play was to look at our running defenders and how well they played. Biggs, Williams, Crozier.
Crozier was injured so he has an excuse. Williams was awful, especially some of his efforts where he gave up. Biggs was practically unsighted. I didn't see any of them try and run the ball at all.
Without that quick ball movement from the back half we can't play the sort of footy we want to.

Bevo probably has put a bit too much faith in these guys to step up too early when you take out Wood, Murphy, JJ and against a quality side.

Couldn't agree more with this. Their mids were really damaging compared to ours. I made a comment during the game that their mids are far superior with their run and delivery. Kelly is the best mid in the competition and would love him in our side.

Yeah Macrae, Dahl rack up the disposals, but the delivery into the forward line is woeful, and as you say their mids also worked harder.

[1eyedog]

I don't think that's what he's saying. It's that the style of play that was successful might not be sustainable long term. We got it going well for brief periods including those 4 weeks in the final but it's not one we've been able to keep working consistently.

I read it wrong.

[The Pie Man]

Couldn't agree more with this. Their mids were really damaging compared to ours. I made a comment during the game that their mids are far superior with their run and delivery. Kelly is the best mid in the competition and would love him in our side.

Yeah Macrae, Dahl rack up the disposals, but the delivery into the forward line is woeful, and as you say their mids also worked harder.

It's cliched and simple but it's the stark truth. Jono Brown mentioned on the couch last night that Sydney (Hanneberry specifically) felt they couldn't match us for the the contest in the GF, that we just kept getting numbers to the next ball.

We have't done it for a full match since....which leaves a depleted backline exposed. Biggs had a good GF, with M Boyd, Wood and JJ nearby as the medium/small defenders. Looks a bit different now.

And I know I'm not alone in SMH at the endless/aimless highballs we launch into our F50....(which is something we did a bit of in the GF funnily enough...)

[bornadog]

And I know I'm not alone in SMH at the endless/aimless highballs we launch into our F50....(which is something we did a bit of in the GF funnily enough...)

I went to the AFLW GF and we did the same thing :mad:

The only reason why I think we bomb it in long is our forward line is always crowded and players can't find the space to lead out. This happens because we have lost the ability to quickly transition the ball from the backline to forward line. This allows the opposition to cover us. We did that alot last year.

[hujsh]

I went to the AFLW GF and we did the same thing :mad:

The only reason why I think we bomb it in long is our forward line is always crowded and players can't find the space to lead out. This happens because we have lost the ability to quickly transition the ball from the backline to forward line. This allows the opposition to cover us. We did that alot last year.

Macrae seems to be in the habbit of finding players in space when he gets the ball near the 50 so we know it's not impossible. I think we just don't try and/or the players lack the ability to do it.

[Twodogs]

Macrae seems to be in the habbit of finding players in space when he gets the ball near the 50 so we know it's not impossible. I think we just don't try and/or the players lack the ability to do it.

Bailey Dale can hit up a lead too. When he gets his hands on the ball.

[Eastdog]

Bailey Dale can hit up a lead too. When he gets his hands on the ball.

He kicked a good goal on Sunday. A highlight.

[Twodogs]

He kicked a good goal on Sunday. A highlight.

Great effort to take the game on in those circumstances. Usually when you are getting thumped you can't give the ball away quick enough.

[FrediKanoute]

Its intensity. We have lacked intensity since we one the GF. Whether that is a lack of hunger. Whether its niggling injuries meaning te guys who got us there can't go to that level again I don't know.

The most disappointing thing on Saturday was the number of cheap and easy possessions the GWS players got because our guys lacked the desire to chase, harass, man up etc. We did it for a brief 10 mins period to get back into the game at quarter time and then tat was it.

[Eastdog]

Its intensity. We have lacked intensity since we one the GF. Whether that is a lack of hunger. Whether its niggling injuries meaning te guys who got us there can't go to that level again I don't know.

The most disappointing thing on Saturday was the number of cheap and easy possessions the GWS players got because our guys lacked the desire to chase, harass, man up etc. We did it for a brief 10 mins period to get back into the game at quarter time and then tat was it.

Yes we have lost that intensity Fredi. At times last year that 2016 like form was back for a bit in games but no where near enough. The game against the Dons in Round 19 at Etihad was I think our best for the year and we were very attacking that day. We had a lot more heavy losses as well only 1 notable heavy loss in 2016 - hopefully we do not have another big loss like that for the rest of the season.

15 and 16 H&A seasons very similar they were good but nothing all conquering and made the finals finishing 6th and 7th respectively.

Difference of course we went all out in the 16 final series leading to the flag. Still one of the greatest premierships considering what position we were in.

[Eastdog]

Great effort to take the game on in those circumstances. Usually when you are getting thumped you can't give the ball away quick enough.

A up and comer last year Bailey Dale. He has good hands and an eye for the goals. Hoping he goes more further this year. One of the few positives also out of Sunday.