Three things I have learned-round 11 v West Coast Eagles 2019

[Twodogs]

Alright fire away. Tell un three things that you know now that you didn't know a couple of hours ago...

[GVGjr]

Bump

[The Bulldogs Bite]

1. We are a bottom 4 side

2. Gardner looked OK - maybe something to work with

3. We are miles and miles away from being a good side

[bulldogtragic]

1. Gardner is not a ruckman. Not even close. I'm unsure he's a bona fide prospect, but he's not a ruckman. Sorry Bevo.
2. We must hate Josh Schache. How else do you explain rookie listing a VFL player, playing immediately despite a massive talent gap and with less effect. At least Schache would've kicked the goal from 4 metres out. Gardner gave no more, maybe even less, than Schache could.
3. That's it. I already knew most of our horrible aspects.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

1. If our club doesn't instigate a thorough review at the end of the year, if not now, we're kidding ourselves. Let me be clear - I don't want Bevo sacked, but we've got massive issues that need to be solved, if we're not to waste the next 5 years
2. We used to have a midfield core that you could trust with your life at a contest. Not anymore. Is it game plan or are players not positioning themselves at stoppages right, because that's where we are getting sliced up. Macrae has been awful, Libba is only just going.. and I'm not sure Lipinski has the nouse right now to be at the coalface.
3. Gosh I can't wait for Morris to come back.... if he has a decent back half of the year. Give him another year, because we smell in defense.

[chef]

1. Zaine has lost me. Battles hard but is not AFL quality, at least not top 8 quality.

2. Losing doesnt hurt anymore again, premiership what premiership.

3. Bottom 4, nah we are bottom 3.

[Danjul]

1. Zaine has lost me. Battles hard but is not AFL quality, at least not top 8 quality.

2. Losing doesnt hurt anymore again, premiership what premiership.

3. Bottom 4, nah we are bottom 3.

l think you are a bit hard on Cordy. He did some good things but he is playing out of position. He just bounces off big key position players, no way he should be on Darling. He is set up to fail. The selection committee does not pay any respect to the opposition talent.

[jeemak]

l think you are a bit hard on Cordy. He did some good things but he is playing out of position. He just bounces off big key position players, no way he should be on Darling. He is set up to fail. The selection committee does not pay any respect to the opposition talent.

With the loss of Crozier we didn't have an opportunity to put Wood on Darling. We genuinely don't have anyone else who could have played on him.

[Danjul]

With the loss of Crozier we didn't have an opportunity to put Wood on Darling. We genuinely don't have anyone else who could have played on him.

I would have tried Lewis Young on Kennedy and Trengove on Darling. With Cordy on the flank. Couldn’t have gone any worse.

[MrMahatma]

1. Losing the centre clearances means you have Gowers in there and Libba on HFF...
2. Bont gets away with murder. Missed sitters... again.
3. As much as I hope and want us to be good, we actually are pretty rubbish.

[AutoFill]

1. The gap between what Bevo thinks Gowers is and what he actually is, is enormous
2. We have to many 6’2 medium sized, medium skilled, medium paced HBFers, and not enough guys with a particular niche talent
3. The coaching staff are so unwilling to utilise good sense over perceived innovativeness, they probably think their stubbornness is actually resilience.

[jeemak]

I would have tried Lewis Young on Kennedy and Trengove on Darling. With Cordy on the flank. Couldn’t have gone any worse.

Cordy, irrespective of size, is a much stronger all round competitor than Lewis Young. Kennedy would have then become the focal point rather than Darling being the focal point, and would have had at least two or three more possessions and goals than the nine and three he had today.

[ratsmac]

1. The Naughton forward experiment was fun when it worked. Now it's time to play him BACK where he belongs or is good at.

2. Bevo has obviously given this year up as another learning year (or that was always his plan). He must be playing the long game or whatever you want to call it because there have been some very strange positional and selection choices all year.

3. I'm not really sure what our game plan is but whatever it is it's not a very good one. The players don't look like they know it, understand it, can deliver it, or even like it or believe in it.

[westbulldog]

We need a specialist goalkicking coach, we should have led at half time. The Club is a disgrace for ignoring this most blatant need.
The assistant coaching staff need a shakeup, bigtime.
The Club seems content to finish bottom 4.

[Danjul]

Cordy, irrespective of size, is a much stronger all round competitor than Lewis Young. Kennedy would have then become the focal point rather than Darling being the focal point, and would have had at least two or three more possessions and goals than the nine and three he had today.

Cordy has been killed in the 1 on 1 battles for weeks now. Every time he tried to body Darling he simply bounced off and fell, with Darling having an easy mark. similar last week. He got caught out away from his man quite often today. I watched the first part of the Brisbane game again and his opponent took 3 easy chest marks early.

He is good when the ball is on the ground and in the open. He should be used that way.

[Bullies]

1. The gap between what Bevo thinks Gowers is and what he actually is, is enormous
2. We have to many 6’2 medium sized, medium skilled, medium paced HBFers, and not enough guys with a particular niche talent
3. The coaching staff are so unwilling to utilise good sense over perceived innovativeness, they probably think their stubbornness is actually resilience. To even have Gowers in the team let alone in the middle shows where we are at. That experiment has failed Bevo and you were wrong. All is forgiven Simon Dalrymple.

[Mofra]

1. Our good players are down and our young players just aren't in the stage of their development to fill the breach

2. Lachie Young will be a player, I hope we're not destroying him

3. We desperately need genuine forwards, not resting mids, ahead of the ball. Absolutely has to be our focus in the upcoming trade period and draft.

[bulldogtragic]

1. Our good players are down and our young players just aren't in the stage of their development to fill the breach

2. Lachie Young will be a player, I hope we're not destroying him

3. We desperately need genuine forwards, not resting mids, ahead of the ball. Absolutely has to be our focus in the upcoming trade period and draft.

What do you think of Sam Day? :D

[Twodogs]

1. Our good players are down and our young players just aren't in the stage of their development to fill the breach

2. Lachie Young will be a player, I hope we're not destroying him

3. We desperately need genuine forwards, not resting mids, ahead of the ball. Absolutely has to be our focus in the upcoming trade period and draft.


We seem to ignore the fact that forwards need forward craft. The ability to work the angles and sneak away from their defender and kick straight to make the most of their opportunities work and kick the ball straight. Playing as a forward is a skill in itself, not a handy place to rest mids for most of the game.


Just a thought. Bevo was very vocal about the fact the AFL limited the use of runners this year. Could his reluctance to change player positions despite them being beaten be a season long temper tantrum bought about by the fact that the use of runners have been limited?

[bulldogtragic]

I just learned looking at the ladder that GCS & Carlton have only won 4 games between them in half a season of footy. Then that 2 of the 4 wins (50%) were against us on our home deck. On the flip side, we are responsible for half of the wins of Carlton & GCS this year. So we've given fans a lot of joy.

[Remi Moses]

1. The gap between what Bevo thinks Gowers is and what he actually is, is enormous
2. We have to many 6’2 medium sized, medium skilled, medium paced HBFers, and not enough guys with a particular niche talent
3. The coaching staff are so unwilling to utilise good sense over perceived innovativeness, they probably think their stubbornness is actually resilience.

Couldn’t agree more on point 3

[Remi Moses]

1. Gowers just ain’t good enough
2. Quit the innovative smartest coach in the room Bevo
3. The kicking for goal is a complete embarrassment as was the second half

[Twodogs]

1. Gowers just ain’t good enough
2. Quit the innovative smartest coach in the room Bevo
3. The kicking for goal is a complete embarrassment as was the second half

What's that mean Rem? Do you mean quit being the smartest coach in the room?

[chef]

What's that mean Rem? Do you mean quit being the smartest coach in the room?

I guess stop trying to reinvent the wheel and just play to our strengths. Maybe he's gotten a bit in front of himself and his coaching abilities.

[Danjul]

To even have Gowers in the team let alone in the middle shows where we are at. That experiment has failed Bevo and you were wrong. All is forgiven Simon Dalrymple.

Against the Eagles, Gowers had more possessions and kicked more goals than Naughton.

Take away Naughton’s 5 goal game and the fact that Gowers had to sacrifice his game to make opportunities for Naughton and there’s not much between their contributions.

Yet one can do no wrong and the other is the worst player in the competition! Give me a break. What does he have to do to be accepted?

we had the same nonsense with Roberts. Lucky he was dropped, otherwise we might have been thrashed in the last two weeks.

Oh, we were. (and at one stage against the Eagles we were 12 goals behind).

[The bulldog tragician]

Against the Eagles, Gowers had more possessions and kicked more goals than Naughton.

Take away Naughton’s 5 goal game and the fact that Gowers had to sacrifice his game to make opportunities for Naughton and there’s not much between their contributions.

Yet one can do no wrong and the other is the worst player in the competition! Give me a break. What does he have to do to be accepted?

we had the same nonsense with Roberts. Lucky he was dropped, otherwise we might have been thrashed in the last two weeks.

Oh, we were. (and at one stage against the Eagles we were 12 goals behind).

I’m not one of those that endlessly bags Gowers, I can see the reasons he is selected, even though I share the frustration at his erratic form...but honestly, using stats to differentiate between him and Naughton tells us nothing. We can all see from the evidence of WATCHING the game that Naughton has unique talents. We have all seen enough journeymen, and the rarer superstar in the making, to form those opinions by what we see, not mere stats. Ok, Naughton is not yet consistent but he won’t turn 20 until the end of this year and gets some horrible delivery. We sometimes have to trust the evident of our own eyes surely Danjul.

[Danjul]

I’m not one of those that endlessly bags Gowers, I can see the reasons he is selected, even though I share the frustration at his erratic form...but honestly, using stats to differentiate between him and Naughton tells us nothing. We can all see from the evidence of WATCHING the game that Naughton has unique talents. We have all seen enough journeymen, and the rarer superstar in the making, to form those opinions by what we see, not mere stats. Ok, Naughton is not yet consistent but he won’t turn 20 until the end of this year and gets some horrible delivery. We sometimes have to trust the evident of our own eyes surely Danjul.

Naughton will be a superstar over the next 10 years (hopefully). ... the future!

One thing that will help that come to pass is playing in a successful team instead of being expected to carry an unsuccessful one. ...the present!

At the moment the present performance is not getting enough constructive attention. Favourite players are developing. Favourite coaches are innovating.

What my eyes want to see is a balanced team, with the best available players in their natural positions long enough to work well with those around them. Add in a better kick to handball ratio and improving foot skills and I will be happier than I have been in the last 2 years.

[Doc26]

Naughton will be a superstar over the next 10 years (hopefully). ... the future!

One thing that will help that come to pass is playing in a successful team instead of being expected to carry an unsuccessful one. ...the present!

At the moment the present performance is not getting enough constructive attention. Favourite players are developing. Favourite coaches are innovating.

What my eyes want to see is a balanced team, with the best available players in their natural positions long enough to work well with those around them. Add in a better kick to handball ratio and improving foot skills and I will be happier than I have been in the last 2 years.

Given that you’re keen on using possession comparisons do you realise that Aaron is second to no one in the league for contested marks this season with 26. This number even where the oppositions best defenders are going to him. Gowers as a reference has 9 contested marks and nowhere near the attention that Aaron is having to deal with in his 2nd season.

[Danjul]

Given that you’re keen on using possession comparisons do you realise that Aaron is second to no one in the league for contested marks this season with 26. This number even where the oppositions best defenders are going to him. Gowers as a reference has 9 contested marks and nowhere near the attention that Aaron is having to deal with in his 2nd season.

I am not criticising Naughton, just using him as an example of how the endless criticism of some other players is totally out of control.

last year Gowers was our top goal scorer. He cannot be the worst player in the history of the game.

What people should be focusing on is suggestions that will make results better, not endlessly looking for scapegoats.
especially when easily obtained figures clearly show they’re not as bad as some are claiming.

[Danjul]

Just to clarify... The statements I was referring to was

Just to have Gowers in the team shows where we are at.

or we could use...

the gap between......

or......

Gowers is just not good enough.

and that is without going back beyond this page.

In my opinion Gowers carries less than 1% of the responsibility for where the team is.

[Ozza]

To even have Gowers in the team let alone in the middle shows where we are at. That experiment has failed Bevo and you were wrong. All is forgiven Simon Dalrymple.

This is a very presumptious post, when you don't know who Dalrymple wanted to use the pick on.

Gowers has played 30 games and kicked 40 goals - which is a miles better return than anyone from that rookie draft with maybe the exception of Brody Mihocek - who was not in our sights.

[Rocket Science]

In my opinion Gowers carries less than 1% of the responsibility for where the team is.

That's arguable, but agree the broader point persists, our issues go much much deeper.

Gowers' foibles are amplified because he's often on the end of everyone else's hard work undone by brain fades and crap efforts and we know what too often transpires when the ball trampolines out of our forward fifty. If he was a fraction smarter without the ball and more clinical with his opportunities he'd avoid much of the heat he cops.

He's not though, and lest he improves we'll be a better team when he's ousted by those more deserving.

[Danjul]

That's arguable, but agree the broader point persists, our issues go much much deeper.

Gowers' foibles are amplified because he's often on the end of everyone else's hard work undone by brain fades and crap efforts and we know what too often transpires when the ball trampolines out of our forward fifty. If he was a fraction smarter without the ball and more clinical with his opportunities he'd avoid much of the heat he cops.

He's not though, and lest he improves we'll a better team when he's ousted by those more deserving.

I agree with you. Keep him as the number 3 forward and teach him how to improve, and he could be an asset.