For your AFL team to win this year's premiership, it has to ..

[bornadog]

All teams here (https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/for-your-afl-team-to-win-this-year-s-premiership-it-has-to-20240214-p5f4ta.html)

Western Bulldogs

Beat the best

Bulldogs chief executive Ameet Bains believed his club had a top-four list, but this was a team not good enough to even make the eight, finishing just adrift of September action. This was largely because they had only three wins in 10 games against top-eight teams. The Dogs need more from Rory Lobb. The star recruit averaged 0.8 goals and had a scoreboard impact of 7.6 points per game against top-eight teams, compared to 1.5 goals and 13.3 scoreboard impact points against bottom-10 teams.


What else do we need to do better

[mighty_west]

I think the main issue for us against the better sides is that they are well structured all over the ground where's we can struggle defensively, and have for quite a few years even before the '21 GF debarkle, singling out players like Lobb is really glossing over the teams structure and set up, yeah sure some players drop off in form or struggle to find consistency, especially when the magnets are thrown around like we've seen time and time again, there is nothing wrong in my eyes with a predictable game style and players in their preferred set positions, the best sides always seem to do that, use a player like Harmes to tag at times if needed, if we tagged Kelly v West Coast in that shit show final round, we play finals, reckon the momentum they gained and players like Yeo, McGovern etc all of a sudden lifted big time and i wonder if that would have happened if we shut down the source early in the game and stop their momentum.

Our forward structure especially also needs to get right and players stop getting in each others way, the wayward goal kicking especially from Jamarra, Naughton and Bont, with Johnno coming in to help with goal kicking hopefully helps those players out, like to see Naughty playing higher up the ground running his opponents around as a true centre half forward with Jamarra leading out from closer to goal like a traditional full forward and one of the talls (Darcy, Lobb or English) also playing deep.

The greater depth, i guess time will tell but it seems our depth compared to last year is healthier, we now have 4 or 5 players who will fight out a spot on a wing and off half back, if players seem to slacken off with their defensive games drop them, put all players on notice.

But the main elements are pressure, defensive efforts and spread all over the ground for all 4 quarters, we get that right and we should be pushing top 2 not sure top 4.

[Danny Delre]

I reckon to win the flag we need Bevo and the coaches to come up with some tactics out of the box that takes the comp by storm.

Something like the hand ball club.

[Bulldog Joe]

I reckon to win the flag we need Bevo and the coaches to come up with some tactics out of the box that takes the comp by storm.

Something like the hand ball club.

Actually to win the flag I think we simply need Bevo to develop a game plan that maximises the strengths of the list.

[Sedat]

Stop opposition run-ons.

[SonofScray]

Score more than the opposition in the allocated time for play in a sufficient number of games to finish Top Four, then do the exact same thing in at least three further games.

[ReLoad]

Actually to win the flag I think we simply need Bevo to develop a game plan that maximises the strengths of the list.

I think Bevo needs a plan B. we seem at times to be "stubborn" to accept that things are not going our way and refuse/be incapable to adapt.

[DadBod]

1. Intellctually move the ball quicker to give our fwds 1v1s.
2. Have a steadier structure defensively. Just because you move the ball quick, doesn't mean you can't have a defensive structure.
3. Get more aggressive, if you watch us in 21 and 16 we were hungry for the ball, but Melbourne were hungry for the player in 21. If you watch those games, unless Melb were guaranteed to get the ball, they often took out the player first.
4. Some injury luck with our important players. Bont is a great player, as is Timmy etc. But I think Libba, Jones and JJ are more important structurally. Bont is a play-maker, but when we lost:
- Libba, we were weak in the centre,
- JJ, we lost a lot from run out of HB,
- Jones, we were a sieve in defence.

[Mofra]

Ok, I'll bite - I don't see Rory Lobb as the difference between us being a threat and being middle of the road.
We live and die on our ball movement and all 18 clubs are moving the ball quicker in pre-season training.

Melbourne put all their eggs in the backline basket when Geelong/Adelaide etc loaded up on forwards - the game changed and they were suddenly (tactically) in the right place at the right time.
The quick ball movement trend may well shift the game back to having multiple marking 1 on 1 forwards and Rory is one of 4 who can do that well (Naughts, Marra & Flea all very capable overhead). He's a cog and arguably the 4th most important cog (and Darcy might be a better option next year anyway).

Given that trend, we really need to nail down our wing options pronto as it's our ability to use outside run that will determine where we land this year. Poulter is a long kick which helps, Truck can run through traffic, Scott is a jack of all trades and as much as I like him he might get overtaken this year, and then there's Baker who best is great but his average might be a tiny bit behind the best two options.

On a side note: really pleased we addressed this future need with Freijah. Like the kid and can't wait to see his development.

[bornadog]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GHPjcJZaoAATZyt?format=jpg&name=900x900

[jeemak]

Ok, I'll bite - I don't see Rory Lobb as the difference between us being a threat and being middle of the road.
We live and die on our ball movement and all 18 clubs are moving the ball quicker in pre-season training.

Melbourne put all their eggs in the backline basket when Geelong/Adelaide etc loaded up on forwards - the game changed and they were suddenly (tactically) in the right place at the right time.
The quick ball movement trend may well shift the game back to having multiple marking 1 on 1 forwards and Rory is one of 4 who can do that well (Naughts, Marra & Flea all very capable overhead). He's a cog and arguably the 4th most important cog (and Darcy might be a better option next year anyway).

Given that trend, we really need to nail down our wing options pronto as it's our ability to use outside run that will determine where we land this year. Poulter is a long kick which helps, Truck can run through traffic, Scott is a jack of all trades and as much as I like him he might get overtaken this year, and then there's Baker who best is great but his average might be a tiny bit behind the best two options.

On a side note: really pleased we addressed this future need with Freijah. Like the kid and can't wait to see his development.

Really good post.

Don't really agree with the Lobb assessment, I view an increase in output from him on the scoreboard and chopping out in the ruck a genuine difference maker if it comes to fruition. He's a solid contested mark when he's being fed, we need to find a way to bring him into the game more, and he needs to work his arse off.