Lyon outlines how beveridge can turn the bulldogs around

[Bulldog4life]

Former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon believes Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge needs to win the hearts back of his players, after a tumultuous start to the 2018 season.

After losing to Greater Western Sydney by 82-points in Round 1, the Dogs failed to respond, falling to the West Coast Eagles by 51-points at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Beveridge acknowledged the Bulldogs’ 2016 premiership side, and the one playing now, are worlds apart, but Lyon thinks the coach needs to recapture the magic from the flag winning campaign.

“Win the hearts back,” he told SEN Breakfast.

“They’re not playing with any great heart.

“I’m not saying they’re scared, I’m saying that victory in 2016 was full of heart.

“They just went and played a way where we looked at them and said, look how much they love each other, look how much they brought into the coach, the coach has sold the plan and they’ve brought into it wholeheartedly.

“They sacrificed, they chased, they harassed, they were tough and they were ferocious.

“That’s heart. The last two weeks, they’ve had no heart.

“They’ve had no emotional investment in the way they played.

“They were witches hats in the first game and on the weekend, it was the same. There was no response.”

The Dogs are sitting last after the opening fortnight, and Lyon wants to see an aggressive bounce back this Sunday against Essendon.

“It isn’t even about them winning because I don’t think they’re that good and that’s ok because that’s the life cycle of football,” he said.

“In terms of having a crack, they gave no response. You can lose the ability to try hard. I put it more down to that than confidence.

“Their tackle and pressure numbers are down through the cellar.”

The Bulldogs laid just 42 tackles against the Eagles, and recorded a pressure rating of 166.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/04/02/lyon-outlines-how-beveridge-can-turn-the-bulldogs-around/

[Topdog]

It is very annoying when Lyon is right about us

[Rocket Science]

"Win the hearts back"

Some 'outline', thanks supercoach.

There'd be nobody enjoying our current malaise more than that sneering turd.

[hujsh]

Supercoach Garry Lyon with all his years of experience coaching is weighing in guys. Better listen up.
https://st.depositphotos.com/2931363/4112/i/950/depositphotos_41120235-stock-photo-cheerful-young-african-man-holding.jpg

[anfo27]

Not a huge Lyon fan either but you can't argue with what he said.

[chef]

"Win the hearts back"

Some 'outline', thanks supercoach.

There'd be nobody enjoying our current malaise more than that sneering turd.

He was pretty chuffed talking about us last night, couldn't keep the smirk off his face.

This us against them media thing we've created is going to really come home to roost with the season we are going yo have. Will be cut throat.

[ratsmac]

There you go, all better now! Thanks Garry!

So Luke, bring some flowers and chocolates to training and win back those hearts! Then the players will tackle and do lots of pressure acts.

[bornadog]

He was pretty chuffed talking about us last night, couldn't keep the smirk off his face.

This us against them media thing we've created is going to really come home to roost with the season we are going yo have. Will be cut throat.

Us versus them has always been there with the media. We can hire all the best in the world for communications manager, but they prefer to talk about Essendon, Collingwood, Carlton and Richmond.

[DragzLS1]

I like where this is going. Its creating a backs against the wall everyone is against us attitude and could possibly bring the team closer together then before. Hopefully it means we come out with 98 tackles this weekend and Stringer has 3 possessions for the game and we win by 56 points to show them we mean business.. Here's hoping :(

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Yep it was McCartney who got the boys fierce at the contest and Bevo inherited that. Remains to be seen if Bevo focuses on that specifically.

[Mantis]

I like where this is going. Its creating a backs against the wall everyone is against us attitude and could possibly bring the team closer together then before. Hopefully it means we come out with 98 tackles this weekend and Stringer has 3 possessions for the game and we win by 56 points to show them we mean business.. Here's hoping :(

We are averaging 60.5 pts per game across the first 2 rounds... are we keeping Essendon to 4 points?

I like your optimism, but it’s a hard sell at present.

[bornadog]

Yep it was McCartney who got the boys fierce at the contest and Bevo inherited that. Remains to be seen if Bevo focuses on that specifically.
I don't buy that.

Bevo's men of mayhem was different to B-Mac's philosophy

[Greystache]

Yep it was McCartney who got the boys fierce at the contest and Bevo inherited that. Remains to be seen if Bevo focuses on that specifically.

Agree, but I doubt you'll get much support on here. We built our game around dominating contested possession and repeat inside 50s. Bevo rounded out the game plan with better defensive set up and the quick handball method to work through congestion. The two pieces came together nicely. We now have a younger team that's not adept at winning the contested footy and it's making the rest of our system fall apart. Combined with appalling kicking skills and some of the worst goal kicking you'll ever see and we're averaging losses of greater than 10 goals so far this season.

[Rocket Science]

He was pretty chuffed talking about us last night, couldn't keep the smirk off his face.

This us against them media thing we've created is going to really come home to roost with the season we are going yo have. Will be cut throat.

Impossible to miss it really ... "We're gonna look at the Dogs too Roosy, don't worry about that, we're not lettin' them off the hook" he belches while mentally rubbing his hands together.

The loathsome knob dines out on soft targets with his harder-than-thou schtick that relies solely and purely on potting anyone deemed soft or struggling, as if calling out the bleeding obvious is some kind of fearless truth bomb, and does it all with the snarl of someone who postures like a coach but never had the plums for it.

And don't get me started on spelling Garry with two Rs either. Twat.

Can not COP the prick.

If the club's struggling to motivate the players they should make them watch a tape of his bile just prior to every game.

[Mantis]

Agree, but I doubt you'll get much support on here. We built our game around dominating contested possession and repeat inside 50s. Bevo rounded out the game plan with better defensive set up and the quick handball method to work through congestion. The two pieces came together nicely. We now have a younger team that's not adept at winning the contested footy and it's making the rest of our system fall apart. Combined with appalling kicking skills and some of the worst goal kicking you'll ever see and we're averaging losses of greater than 10 goals so far this season.

And now that our list profile has changed what core elements are we making a focus for the current game plan?

[Sedat]

Why are we shooting the messenger. Loinchop is bang on the money about our meek and mild intensity levels. It's ok for mjp to rightly compare our team to basketballers but not Lyon?

We've lost by 13 goals and 9 goals and have been beaten in the tackle count both weeks. That is lack of workrate and lack of defensive intensity writ large.

[hujsh]

And now that our list profile has changed what core elements are we making a focus for the current game plan?
Great question that I've been wondering myself these last two weeks.

[Greystache]

And now that our list profile has changed what core elements are we making a focus for the current game plan?

Nothing that I can see or know of. I don't see any particular focus we're trying to make our own. Which is why I'm very concerned about our football department, very concerned.

[Sedat]

Nothing that I can see or know of. I don't see any particular focus we're trying to make our own. Which is why I'm very concerned about our football department, very concerned.
Men of mayhem and handball club were very effective tools in developing a gameplan that was incredibly difficult to play against. Our time in forward half was off the charts and allowed our poorish forward line sufficient opportunities to kick a winning score most weeks. It required a midfield to work hard both ways and dominate stoppages, with first hands to the ball and subsequent clearances.

I have no dea what our game plan is right now. We walked away from what made us successful in 2015/16 but haven't replaced it with anything different (at least to my untrained eye). Why did we trade and draft so tall and yet still have the same structural problem that we had previously as a shorter team?

[Ozza]

Men of mayhem and handball club were very effective tools in developing a gameplan that was incredibly difficult to play against. Our time in forward half was off the charts and allowed our poorish forward line sufficient opportunities to kick a winning score most weeks. It required a midfield to work hard both ways and dominate stoppages, with first hands to the ball and subsequent clearances.

I have no dea what our game plan is right now. We walked away from what made us successful in 2015/16 but haven't replaced it with anything different (at least to my untrained eye). Why did we trade and draft so tall and yet still have the same structural problem that we had previously as a shorter team?

To me, it is indefensible and inexcusable - that we could go into a season, actually concerned that we have too many tall players - and then in round 2 - for a significant portion of the match - have a forwardline where Billy Gowers, Josh Dunkley and Lin Jong were our marking targets.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

To me, it is indefensible and inexcusable - that we could go into a season, actually concerned that we have too many tall players - and then in round 2 - for a significant portion of the match - have a forwardline where Billy Gowers, Josh Dunkley and Lin Jong were our marking targets.

Exactly. It doesn't make any sense. Either our recruiting and drafting needs was not in line with coaching needs (which is a huge problem) or the talls we have are really really hopeless. Personally i struggle to see how Boyd or even Schache could be any worse than what the medium tall forward line has provided in the first 2 weeks

[Sedat]

To me, it is indefensible and inexcusable - that we could go into a season, actually concerned that we have too many tall players - and then in round 2 - for a significant portion of the match - have a forwardline where Billy Gowers, Josh Dunkley and Lin Jong were our marking targets.
If we had Boyd deep and Schache roaming the arcs with his tank and maybe a Gowers/Dickson type as 3rd tall and a couple of defensive animals like Dahl and HC to provide the pressure, we would probsbly forgive the transition from our previous game plan and structure. But the first 2 weeks has just been a more pissweak version of what we already had, with long bombs to Snake but no Snake down there.

[Ozza]

Exactly. It doesn't make any sense. Either our recruiting and drafting needs was not in line with coaching needs (which is a huge problem) or the talls we have are really really hopeless. Personally i struggle to see how Boyd or even Schache could be any worse than what the medium tall forward line has provided in the first 2 weeks

And look, I don't think Tom Boyd is much of a player - but one thing he does do when playing as a forward, is that he at least draws a crowd and rarely does that result in the opposition defender marking the ball. Its a old adage - but he will 'straighten us up' and gives us the long target, and Redpath and others should give us the leading target. Hopefully down the track a bit, Schache pushes himself ahead of Red, but I won't be holding my breath just yet.

[Greystache]

To me, it is indefensible and inexcusable - that we could go into a season, actually concerned that we have too many tall players - and then in round 2 - for a significant portion of the match - have a forwardline where Billy Gowers, Josh Dunkley and Lin Jong were our marking targets.

Or that we don't rate ruckmen but then we're playing Roughead, English, Boyd, Schache, and Trengove substantial minutes in the ruck, while we have Gowers as our key forward and Caleb Daniel marking the resting opposition ruckman in defence. So many things make absolutely no sense at the moment.

[Rocket Science]

Why are we shooting the messenger. Loinchop is bang on the money about our meek and mild intensity levels. It's ok for mjp to rightly compare our team to basketballers but not Lyon?

We've lost by 13 goals and 9 goals and have been beaten in the tackle count both weeks. That is lack of workrate and lack of defensive intensity writ large.

Because the messenger's a vindictive knob in a captain obvious suit. I'm sure Bevo's taking notes whenever Garrrrrrry speaks.

---

Even if he's not hauling them in playing Boyd deep would at least force defenders to be honest and give us a better chance than none of profiting from our aimless high roosts.

Who knows, he might actually improve at this if allowed to settle, not to mention building some chemistry with our small-mid sized crumbers who can work with chaos ball but not long bombs placed on top of their heads while giving a foot away to an opponent. Christ, even if he treats the roosts like ball ups and palms them to the advantage of Dickson, Dahlhaus, McLean & Co.

[bornadog]

We've lost by 13 goals and 9 goals and have been beaten in the tackle count both weeks. That is lack of workrate and lack of defensive intensity writ large.

Who cares about tackles, I am worried about the contested possessions. We are getting smashed in this area.

In 2016, we were way down in tackles because we always had the ball. We must address the cont.poss quickly.

[bornadog]

Or that we don't rate ruckmen but then we're playing Roughead, English, Boyd, Schache, and Trengove substantial minutes in the ruck, while we have Gowers as our key forward and Caleb Daniel marking the resting opposition ruckman in defence. So many things make absolutely no sense at the moment.

When have Boyd and Scache played a game this year, and I am not talking JLT? Boyd has had an interrupted preseason so not playing and same with Scache. Trengove spent 3/4 at FB on Sunday, but then had to fill in for Roughy with concussion, with English getting smashed in the ruck.

[hujsh]

Who cares about tackles, I am worried about the contested possessions. We are getting smashed in this area.

In 2016, we were way down in tackles because we always had the ball. We must address the cont.poss quickly.
Even when we win the contested ball we're being tackled and harassed into giving it back. In contrast it looks all too easy for our opposition to waltz out of the area once they win the ball. I daresay evening up the tackle count will be a good step to addressing that

[bornadog]

Even when we win the contested ball we're being tackled and harassed into giving it back. In contrast it looks all too easy for our opposition to waltz out of the area once they win the ball. I daresay evening up the tackle count will be a good step to addressing that

The way all AFL games are currently being played, no one has a defensive bone in their body.

I just checked the weekend games and most of the teams that lost, also won the tackle count. We lost the tackle count by 7.

Richmond had 73 tackles to Adelaide 48 - that one I find incredible.

[Greystache]

When have Boyd and Scache played a game this year, and I am not talking JLT? Boyd has had an interrupted preseason so not playing and same with Scache. Trengove spent 3/4 at FB on Sunday, but then had to fill in for Roughy with concussion, with English getting smashed in the ruck.

Boyd's played the past two VFL practice matches and was the emergency for the two JLT matches for no particular reason. Schache played two JLT games and the first VFL practice match. Each time they both played substantial ruck minutes including interchanging off the bench to play ruck.

If you don't count JLT then how could we possibly have played Bont, Macrae, and Libba in round one given none of them had played a game this year, because I'm not counting JLT?

[bornadog]

Boyd's played the past two VFL practice matches and was the emergency for the two JLT matches for no particular reason. Schache played two JLT games and the first VFL practice match. Each time they both played substantial ruck minutes including interchanging off the bench to play ruck.

If you don't count JLT then how could we possibly have played Bont, Macrae, and Libba in round one given none of them had played a game this year, because I'm not counting JLT?

You said we are playing them substantial minutes in the ruck - but that is at VFL/JLT not in the AFL.

Anyway, no point in discussing. We just need to get these blokes on the park and pick our best players.

[Ghost Dog]

Impossible to miss it really ... "We're gonna look at the Dogs too Roosy, don't worry about that, we're not lettin' them off the hook" he belches while mentally rubbing his hands together.

The loathsome knob dines out on soft targets with his harder-than-thou schtick that relies solely and purely on potting anyone deemed soft or struggling, as if calling out the bleeding obvious is some kind of fearless truth bomb, and does it all with the snarl of someone who postures like a coach but never had the plums for it.

And don't get me started on spelling Garry with two Rs either. Twat.

Can not COP the prick.

If the club's struggling to motivate the players they should make them watch a tape of his bile just prior to every game.

I think most Bulldogs fans are secure enough in themselves to weather this storm. Barrett, Lyon, more to be pitied than despised, in the words of Paul Keating. Watch their careers peter out ( anyone remember Hutchy? ) with hardly a whimper. But back to us, I don't want these years to pass with Bont, JJ, Luke D, and other excellent players toiling along while we fester at the bottom. We have to get back to a basic brand of footy.

[MrMahatma]

And look, I don't think Tom Boyd is much of a player - but one thing he does do when playing as a forward, is that he at least draws a crowd and rarely does that result in the opposition defender marking the ball. Its a old adage - but he will 'straighten us up' and gives us the long target, and Redpath and others should give us the leading target. Hopefully down the track a bit, Schache pushes himself ahead of Red, but I won't be holding my breath just yet.

Boyd has a tonne of talent. We're ruining him. How many years have Patton, Lynch, Hawkins, Daniher been camped in their F50 and allowed to develop before they have become any good? Boyd is a bonifide victim of the versatility mantra.

[Rocket Science]

Boyd has a tonne of talent. We're ruining him. How many years have Patton, Lynch, Hawkins, Daniher been camped in their F50 and allowed to develop before they have become any good? Boyd is a bonifide victim of the versatility mantra.

This conversation makes me think, pretty enviously, of a bloke like Ben Brown and how useful someone playing that role might be to us, if only we'd give the kooky experiment a reasonable chance of succeeding.

Even if Boyd turns out to be shit at it then at least we'd know. But sure, keep smashing him in the ruck or playing him with plumbers in the twos, I'm sure we'll figure something else out *looks at league's worst scoring record* ...

[Ghost Dog]

This conversation makes me think, pretty enviously, of a bloke like Ben Brown and how useful someone playing that role might be to us, if only we'd give the kooky experiment a reasonable chance of succeeding.

Even if Boyd turns out to be shit at it then at least we'd know. But sure, keep smashing him in the ruck or playing him with plumbers in the twos, I'm sure we'll figure something else out *looks at league's worst scoring record* ...

Bit wary of creating scape goats at this current point. That's what people like Gary Lyon do.
Obviously Tom will cop it a bit, but that's tall poppy stuff and I think Mr Lyon should be careful about throwing stones in glass houses. He might wish to consider his own recent mental fragility.

[Sedat]

Who cares about tackles, I am worried about the contested possessions. We are getting smashed in this area.

In 2016, we were way down in tackles because we always had the ball. We must address the cont.poss quickly.
You should care about our low tackle count, because when you're getting flogged on the scoreboard it speaks wholly and solely to an unacceptable all-ground defensive workrate to try and win the ball back.

[Mantis]

You should care about our low tackle count, because when you're getting flogged on the scoreboard it speaks wholly and solely to an unacceptable all-ground defensive workrate to try and win the ball back.

But in a game like the WC one where we gifted the ball back to them with quite horrible turn-overs we were quite often caught out of position due to players taking up an attacking position and when the turnover occured they walked in a goal.

No doubt our intent to defend isn't where it needs to be, but if we can't look after the ball we are pushing shit up hill.

[Mofra]

Boyd has a tonne of talent. We're ruining him. How many years have Patton, Lynch, Hawkins, Daniher been camped in their F50 and allowed to develop before they have become any good? Boyd is a bonifide victim of the versatility mantra.
Watch Hipwood at Brisbane - getting his chance week in, week out. He will be a future star and is getting the gametime in now to develop.

[Sedat]

But in a game like the WC one where we gifted the ball back to them with quite horrible turn-overs we were quite often caught out of position due to players taking up an attacking position and when the turnover occured they walked in a goal.

No doubt our intent to defend isn't where it needs to be, but if we can't look after the ball we are pushing shit up hill.
Yep, turnovers are killing us. But our mids especially aren't working anywhere near hard enough defensively compared to their opposition counterparts - the workrate differential was stark in R1 against GWS and I only saw the 1st half on Sunday which was a similar level. Perhaps we worked harder in the 2nd half against West Coke but butchered the ball?

The missed tackle count would be very interesting, because it seems like the opposition have brushed us aside far too easily with ball in hand. That simply didn't happen in 2015/16.

[Axe Man]

Some of the stats are pretty damning.

Stats files: Dogs' sustainability well runs dry (http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-04-04/stats-files-dogs-sustainability-well-runs-dry#/)

"SUSTAINABILITY would be great."

That now fateful Luke Beveridge wish in the wake of the Western Bulldogs' flag fairytale two years ago has dissolved as fast as a Berocca.

Those Dogs were the first to storm from seventh place to the premiership, but that glorious September run – and the statistical spikes that came with it – hasn't proven sustainable at all.

Beveridge's squad morphed into an offensive juggernaut in that post-season, owing in part to sudden success from intercepts, and cranked its pressure to maximum.

They were middle of the road in both categories until then and have subsequently plummeted with a team even the coach says is unrecognisable to his flag heroes.

The strengths at the Kennel even before those finals – namely in contested possession, an ability to retain the ball in their forward half, and a stingy defence – have eroded at the same time.

https://s7.postimg.org/6hpliplp7/Capture.png (https://postimages.org/)

The sustainability, or lack thereof, theme extends to personnel.

Only half of the 2016 premiership-winning team turned out for Sunday's 51-point loss at Etihad Stadium to a West Coast side widely expected to go into freefall.

Jake Stringer (Essendon) and Joel Hamling (Fremantle) are elsewhere, Matthew Boyd is in the ABC commentary box, and four others, including 2013 No.1 draft pick Tom Boyd, are stuck in the VFL.

Almost every player had a turn in Beveridge's doghouse last season, a strategy that had served him well in the premiership year.

The rest of the crew are injured: Liam Picken (concussion) and knee victims Dale Morris, Tom Liberatore and Clay Smith. Only Smith will be back soon.

Bob Murphy, who famously missed out on playing in the Grand Final because of a serious knee injury, is also in retirement.

Beveridge oversaw the youngest team in the competition in both of the opening two rounds this season, and they copped successive hidings that planted them firmly in the AFL cellar.

The difference between the missing 11 and their replacements is a whopping 829 matches.

Among the newcomers are Tim English (four career games), Aaron Naughton and Billy Gowers (two each), and Ed Richards (one).

After blowing out 62 years' worth of cobwebs in their extraordinary title run, the Dogs could become the first club in VFL/AFL history to go from champs to chumps in two years.

That is a realistic proposition if some of the stars of yesteryear continue to fail to replicate their 2016 feats.

Champion Data's player ratings reveal that only six of the Bulldogs' top 15 contributors from that season played on Sunday, and just one more (Liberatore) was in the round one team.

Mitch Wallis is languishing in state league ranks, unable to force his way in as of yet.

Just as problematic is the dramatic individual decline, from even superstar Marcus Bontempelli down to Liberatore and Picken.

https://s7.postimg.org/sgw05zn4r/Capture1.png (https://postimages.org/)

Beveridge has time to arrest the slide and may be able to draw inspiration from his old club Hawthorn, the last side before the Dogs to miss finals the season after winning the flag.

The Hawks tumbled in 2009 then started the following season 1-6 before rallying to make the eight.

The issue for Beveridge is the numbers that matter are going in the wrong direction.

[bornadog]

Yep, turnovers are killing us. But our mids especially aren't working anywhere near hard enough defensively compared to their opposition counterparts - the workrate differential was stark in R1 against GWS and I only saw the 1st half on Sunday which was a similar level. Perhaps we worked harder in the 2nd half against West Coke but butchered the ball?

The missed tackle count would be very interesting, because it seems like the opposition have brushed us aside far too easily with ball in hand. That simply didn't happen in 2015/16.

In the second half, we lost by 12 points with 16 scoring shots to 13. Lot's of missed goals. We did work harder, and that was down to Macrae, Mclean and Hunter working their butts off. The turnovers in that 2nd quarter killed the game.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

In the second half, we lost by 12 points with 16 scoring shots to 13. Lot's of missed goals. We did work harder, and that was down to Macrae, Mclean and Hunter working their butts off. The turnovers in that 2nd quarter killed the game.

It certainly appeared that we were working harder. But perhaps the sting was out of the game and west coast eased off a bit.

[Mantis]

It certainly appeared that we were working harder. But perhaps the sting was out of the game and west coast eased off a bit.

Do they have that luxury? In all seriousness they are just a middle of the road team, even less so on the road and with no Kennedy.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Do they have that luxury? In all seriousness they are just a middle of the road team, even less so on the road and with no Kennedy.

I've no idea if they did or didn't but when you're 50+pts up i think naturally the team as a whole won't play as intense. It's not as though we made inroads on the deficit anyway