Three things you have learned-round 2 v St Kilda 2020

[Twodogs]

Tell us three things you've learned after all this time to reflect between rounds 1 and 2.

[GVGjr]

Bump

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

1. The club needs a review. Let me be clear, I don't want Bevo out. He has proven he's a coach. I suspect we need to seriously review roles and responsibilities. How our match committee can get things so wrong, that armchair warriors could see this result coming speaks volumes about how bad things are going.
2. Lloyd is a one trick pony and he's forgotten how to do his one trick.
3. English is bigger, stronger, aaaaaannnd still is not acquitting himself in the ruck.

[AndrewP6]

Our leaders don’t lead.
Our most exciting player is 19.
We haven’t learnt or improved a thing since our insipid 2019 finals exit.

[bornadog]

1. Bailey Smith is strong for his age, he is a bull. Still only 19 years old (20 in December)

2. The last three games, we have been smashed in the ruck and it is time to try something new.

3. 2020 sucks in more ways than one

[mjp]

Our leaders don’t lead.
Our most exciting player is 19.
We haven’t learnt or improved a thing since our insipid 2019 finals exit.

Harsh. I thought Bont tried pretty hard all night...what are you looking for?

[AndrewP6]

Harsh. I thought Bont tried pretty hard all night...what are you looking for?

Honest. I’m fed up with us getting kicked and kicked without giving a whimper. Someone to put their hand up, and to paraphrase John Kennedy, “do something”. Bont is a sublimely skilled mid, he needs to be much better than just a trier. He could be one of the best in the game.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Harsh. I thought Bont tried pretty hard all night...what are you looking for?

He did try hard, but he has had two non-influential games in a row...albeit some 9 weeks apart.

[SonofScray]

1 JJ's career is over. He is STILL battling to deal with the close checking, physical attention that started a few seasons ago and shut down his influence significantly. Just will not fight through it. I literally mean fight through it. Break someone's jaw, if you have to. Just make the point. They can try, but it comes with some risk. At the moment, its low hanging fruit. Juicy, match winning fruit.

2 Shache > Bruce for this squad. Covers more ground, gets his hands on the ball more and hits the scoreboard. Bruce is impotent.

3 2020 is over. I thought I didn't care, due to COVID, but I do. So disappointing. R1 was a kick in the guts, this was a kick in the balls.

[Grantysghost]

1. We don’t have a go slow mode, or plan B when things are turning bad. Or we can’t call it on field affectively.
2. We get sucked up the field too far or lose structure when the inevitable turn over comes. Then the slice and dice occurs.
3. Ruck still a big problem. Bruce in there was deflating.

[Danjul]

1. We don’t have a go slow mode, or plan B when things are turning bad. Or we can’t call it on field affectively.
2. We get sucked up the field too far or lose structure when the inevitable turn over comes. Then the slice and dice occurs.
3. Ruck still a big problem. Bruce in there was deflating.

But seeing Dunkley in the ruck again was heartwarming.

[Danjul]

He did try hard, but he has had two non-influential games in a row...albeit some 9 weeks apart.

Most of Bontempelli’s passages of play begin where a good player probably would not get the ball in the first place. I would love to see him in a team where he can get space occasionally.

[westbulldog]

1. Even this early in the season the axe must be wielded. Rd 1 & 2 performances are simply unacceptable.
2. The MC are in la la land. I wrongly predicted Saints by 35, it was 39..profuse apologies to the MC.
3. This round 2 team had many passengers, second class ones at that.

[EasternWest]

But seeing Dunkley in the ruck again was heartwarming.

Lol. Gold.

[GVGjr]

1 - Old habits die hard. I like the notion of showing faith in the playing group but we need to be rewarded with a spirited effort and we are not there yet
2 - Bevo once considered to be untouchable has now a number of doubters about his ability to get the most out of the playing group
3 - The pre-season focus on using the loss to GWS in the final last year as motivation for the group hasn't worked yet

Bonus lesson, Keath and Bruce fixed a need of bringing in KP players but they haven't yet showed their skills were exactly what we needed. Keath isn't a great 1 v 1 defender and needs to adjust. Bruce has to show he is an upgrade on Schache

[MrMahatma]

1. Maybe in a short season where you have less chance to catch up with early losses, you need to go with what you know? Maybe limit the number of new/inexperienced players running around? Each loss hurts that little more this season cause we can’t catch up.
2. Billy Gowers and Gardner must be remarkable trainers.
3. Even without a crowd our guys wilt under the pressure when kicking at goal.

[chef]

1. Vandameer showing the step up from Mooroopna Cats to Western Bulldogs isnt as great as it should be. I like him.

2. At least we only have 15 more games of that crap this season.

3. Two top 5 picks coming our way in the draft.

[Mofra]

1. Bailey Smith deserves a significant payrise

2. Crozier has been an outstanding pick up for us

3. Other teams have 'worked us out'. The last team to focus so heavily on scoring chains from the back half were the Crows in 2017 and they've fallen in an absolute heap since then.

[comrade]

I'm all for scoring off the half back line, but can we at least try to stop the opposition from doing it at the same time?

Some of the goals they scored starting from deep in their defense were so easy, it was an embarrassment.

[Mitcha]

1. 2020 season is done, have lost all interest as it appears have most of the players, Bailey Smith the obvious outlier who just kept going when others could not be bothered.
2. Obviously skills weren't a priority once training returned, should have had 5 or 6 on the board at quarter time which could have changed the mindset out on the ground.
3. Selection decisions are simply taking the piss and maybe someone needs to challenge the coach on his pig headedness with some of his perceived favourites. Billy Gowers adds nothing at all and is not an AFL standard player. Unless the ball is handed to him on a platter he cannot find it himself and has no impact with or without the footy with zero defensive effort and a propensity to try and play the tough man but only succeeds in giving away silly free kicks and fifty metre penalties. Ryan Gardner is slow of mind and foot and is quite possibly the worst reader of a high ball I have ever seen evidenced by his pitiful effort which led to his direct opponent scoring the first goal of the game. If he is a better option than Trengove, Lewis Young or even Fletcher Roberts who couldn't even crack a list spot with us this year then I have no idea. Losing games at Thursday night selection means a long 15 weeks remain.

[Ozza]

Harsh. I thought Bont tried pretty hard all night...what are you looking for?

I agree. Things weren't coming off for Bont, but I feel like he was trying to do everything he could and more, sometimes to his own detriment - too much left to him while he has someone hanging off him.

He's had ordinary matches before - like WCE last year he just seemed like he's head was somewhere else in stages - but last night he is almost trying too hard. Ran more km's than anyone on the ground and still had 24 and 7 clearances. The problem was execution.

I think Libba (or Wal at times) in the middle clearing some space for him will help get that quality back in his game.

[Danjul]

I agree. Things weren't coming off for Bont, but I feel like he was trying to do everything he could and more, sometimes to his own detriment - too much left to him while he has someone hanging off him.

He's had ordinary matches before - like WCE last year he just seemed like he's head was somewhere else in stages - but last night he is almost trying too hard. Ran more km's than anyone on the ground and still had 24 and 7 clearances. The problem was execution.

I think Libba (or Wal at times) in the middle clearing some space for him will help get that quality back in his game.

Bont plays as though he is carrying the team. He is always competing against multiple opponents without any support. Every time he goes near the ball we expect another miracle. Unfortunately that distracts from seeing what the rest of the team is not doing.