The Hard Call

[LostDog]

When is enough, enough ?

I have been thinking for years Eade has been soft on making the right calls
I love the dogs I really do, but when I here where aiming at the top 4 or happy to make finals as Granty said on his retirement "near enough is good enough and this has to stop"

and you can see that with our patience of players like
Williams
Eagleton
Everitt
O'Shea
They are not up to the level hence "near enough is good enough"

The only positives I can say about our side is the drafting of rookie players
Picken
Boyd
Cross
Guys that have to work their ass off to play big league footy and have succesfully done that. These guys prove we are a blue collar side

Guy O'Keefe must be itching to end his contract with us as he has been consistant as has Skipper.
Players have been kept in our side for to long with substandard performance whilst the guys pushing for those positions get left out in the cold go to other clubs and prosper.
eg. Farren Ray sure he was substandard but did he get a real chance to play the way he is now.

Accountability is something our boys just dont have.
Why can't one of our boys stand up NOW and say (eg Geelong style) ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
instead of saying it when they retire.

Our problems seems to lie with indviduals at present so close to finals yet again contract negotioations begin and take away the concept of TEAM. How would our boys feel reading Lake wont sign cause he wants more money, sign Barry Hall cause our forward line is small or not up to it, I will only sign if he signs stuff.
The one guy i will commend is Aka as he had the balls to say I will sacrifice so that the team benefits, yet Eade slams him in the press.

I hate that we are the AFL's equivilant of the Chicago Cubs / Boston Redsox
Every year is another year of hpoing and getting my heart broken by this side and again I will say near enough is not good enough.

[Desipura]

If we had won on the weekend, would you have posted this? No
We as supporters are fickle

[Dry Rot]

If we had won on the weekend, would you have posted this? No
We as supporters are fickle

Interesting point. After playing poorly v Freo and say if we'd won by a point instead last weekend, I still don't think we'd be over the moon.

I think the OP makes some good points.

[Remi Moses]

I know where in this generation of ''NOW"' but gee supporters judge players far to quickly:eek:

[Remi Moses]

I'll reserve my judgement on Ray after that month he failed so miserably in last season September

[ledge]

How appropriate is the OPs nickname at this point in time?

[bulldogtragic]

I'm over the anger now. It was last week. Some postive energy in the world might be a good thing. Let the critical analysis come at season's end, whenever that is. I was upset as anyone, but it's happened, accept our circumstances and hope for the best.

[LostDog]

I was planning on writing this last week yes!!
Just couldnt get round to it, till today

I just can't help but feel that this year is very similar to 1999.
All started with a shock loss to West Coast

[mighty_west]

When is enough, enough ?

I have been thinking for years Eade has been soft on making the right calls
I love the dogs I really do, but when I here where aiming at the top 4 or happy to make finals as Granty said on his retirement "near enough is good enough and this has to stop"

and you can see that with our patience of players like
Williams
Eagleton
Everitt
O'Shea
They are not up to the level hence "near enough is good enough"

The only positives I can say about our side is the drafting of rookie players
Picken
Boyd
Cross
Guys that have to work their ass off to play big league footy and have succesfully done that. These guys prove we are a blue collar side

Guy O'Keefe must be itching to end his contract with us as he has been consistant as has Skipper.
Players have been kept in our side for to long with substandard performance whilst the guys pushing for those positions get left out in the cold go to other clubs and prosper.
eg. Farren Ray sure he was substandard but did he get a real chance to play the way he is now.

Accountability is something our boys just dont have.
Why can't one of our boys stand up NOW and say (eg Geelong style) ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
instead of saying it when they retire.

Our problems seems to lie with indviduals at present so close to finals yet again contract negotioations begin and take away the concept of TEAM. How would our boys feel reading Lake wont sign cause he wants more money, sign Barry Hall cause our forward line is small or not up to it, I will only sign if he signs stuff.
The one guy i will commend is Aka as he had the balls to say I will sacrifice so that the team benefits, yet Eade slams him in the press.

I hate that we are the AFL's equivilant of the Chicago Cubs / Boston Redsox
Every year is another year of hpoing and getting my heart broken by this side and again I will say near enough is not good enough.

You raise some interesting points here, yet with players developing, you need to give some players more time, Williams & Everitt will eventually "come on" imo, but you name O'Shea as well, who has also been injured quite a bit, but with some players, they just take longer to develop, look at Daniel Cross as a good example of that.

Then you say, we have got it right with mature aged rookies in Picken & Boyd, Morris is another, yet those players also took quite some time to develop as players themselves, they were simply not considered good enough at the age of 18/19, hense why they had to work their backsides off playing at the lower level to finally get a chance.

Sounds like your having a bit both ways.

You say Skipper isn't given the same chances, he has played well this season at Willy, no doubts about that, but he was given planty of time to develop, and alot of chances in the Bulldogs side, yet failed for consistancy & intensity, he hasn't played up forward for Willy, when he has, he hasn't fired a shot, but he has been doing well inthe ruck, so to did Streeta last season, yet again, when promoted, looked all at sea.

Minson & Hudson have both been playing well in the ruck this season, so Skipper isn't exactly going to be taking their spots anytime soon.

[mighty_west]

I am a fully paid up member for 20 Years there for I invest my hard earned money in this team,
Like any Investor I want return for my Investment.

I dont want to just be a member to keep this team alive, I wanna feel what the Hawthorn, Essendon supporters feel the not real rare premiership.

If your looking at buying memberships & supporting as an investment, then you have failed misrably at your business venture, for most of us, it's ALOT more than that.

[LostDog]

No was just a point I tried to make.

To be asked what right I had, probably not the best example.

Totally agree with you mighty west

[LostDog]

I guess its the frustration of recruitment

You look at other clubs who get all the luck with recruiting ready made players, its the luck of the draw

[bulldogtragic]

If your looking at buying memberships & supporting as an investment, then you have failed misrably at your business venture, for most of us, it's ALOT more than that.
Interesting point MW. I have never thought of my membership as an invetsment. Sure i wanted to be entertained and taste success, but as a athiest, this is my religion and my escape from the drudgery of life. It should never be an 'investment', as by the very nature of an investment you take your money out when things don't work for you anymore. I think that is the fundamental problem with the club and the 4,000 people who don't renew each and every year. Give to keep the club alive, give because you want to walk the walk of being a member, give because you bleed red, white and blue and couldn't give a stuff that we find a way to implode every now and then. Give becuase it's the right thing to do when you are emotionally hooked to the history and tradition of a great club. But never base your membership as an investment, its emotionless and creates a false sense that this proud club owes you something. This club owes nobody anything, it only owes itself and the 22 players and coaches that represent it game in, game out and season in, season out. Long live the dogs.

[LostDog]

Again I said it was a bad judgement call on the investment thing

[Remi Moses]

Fair enough lost dog you're entitled to your opinion. Following our club is way more emotive than an investment.

[mighty_west]

I guess its the frustration of recruitment

You look at other clubs who get all the luck with recruiting ready made players, its the luck of the draw

Well you mentioned yourself in the first post, that we have recruited well with mature ready made players - Picken, Morris & Boyd, and we'll most likely do the same later this year with another mature VFL player.

Unfortunatly drafting is not an exact science, but we have struck gold later down the drafts with players like Lake, Cross, Harbrow [rookie], Hill, Gilbee etc.

Unfortunatly, we just haven't got it right with the tall power forwards, but thats not from a lack of trying, we have drafted & rookied the likes of Wiggins, Skipper, Wells, West, Davidson, Walsh [who was rated a top 10'ner that season]...

Let's just hope the current crop can "come on" - Cordy, Jones, Boumann, Grant & Roughead.

Like i mentioned, i'm still quite confident with Everitt & williams.

[Remi Moses]

Interesting point MW. I have never thought of my membership as an invetsment. Sure i wanted to be entertained and taste success, but as a athiest, this is my religion and my escape from the drudgery of life. It should never be an 'investment', as by the very nature of an investment you take your money out when things don't work for you anymore. I think that is the fundamental problem with the club and the 4,000 people who don't renew each and every year. Give to keep the club alive, give because you want to walk the walk of being a member, give because you bleed red, white and blue and couldn't give a stuff that we find a way to implode every now and then. Give becuase it's the right thing to do when you are emotionally hooked to the history and tradition of a great club. But never base your membership as an investment, its emotionless and creates a false sense that this proud club owes you something. This club owes nobody anything, it only owes itself and the 22 players and coaches that represent it game in, game out and season in, season out. Long live the dogs.

Tthe only club [bar Freo] who haven't made a G/F in my 41 years of existence. I think the club owes it's long suffering fans a premiership

[bulldogtragic]

I disagree. My support financial and otherwise is not predicated on the winning of a premiership. Being my belief, i dont think that it flows that fans deserve a premiership just because we have suffered. I do however think the club owes it to itself to win a premiership. The club doesn't deserve the mantle of the longest drought and it deserves some success after an extended period of tough times and some very good players who have given loyal service. That said, we both believe a premisership is warranted, and soon :)

[LostDog]

As a mad sports lover

I have seen all the droughts been broken in the AFL, MLB nearly in the NFL in the last few years
Seeing these teams win finally and the fans reaction makes me hungrier for success

[anfo27]

Very harsh on O'Shea the kid hasn't played a game yet. At least this kid has some size about him, given an injury free run at things at this kid could be something. Tom is going to be a decent player too, he just isn't going to be the star we were hoping for. Everitt would be good trade bait because he has got something & clubs can see that, just not convinced he is going to make it.

Comparing us to the Red Sox? Boston are a power house, 2nd richest club in baseball.

[Stefcep]

You say Skipper isn't given the same chances, he has played well this season at Willy, no doubts about that, but he was given planty of time to develop, and alot of chances in the Bulldogs side, yet failed for consistancy & intensity, he hasn't played up forward for Willy, when he has, he hasn't fired a shot, but he has been doing well inthe ruck, so to did Streeta last season, yet again, when promoted, looked all at sea.

Minson & Hudson have both been playing well in the ruck this season, so Skipper isn't exactly going to be taking their spots anytime soon.

So where to for Skipper now?

[bulldogtragic]

So where to for Skipper now?
Sydney (if they wanted him for some reason) or Port Melbourne.

[Mofra]

Sydney (if they wanted him for some reason) or Port Melbourne.
Why on Earth would Sydney want him? They have arguably a better ruck division than us already.

[bornadog]

I guess its the frustration of recruitment

You look at other clubs who get all the luck with recruiting ready made players, its the luck of the draw

Can't agree, look at the players in the team last week all young and around 21 or under -
Ward, Hill, Harbrow, Stack, Everitt, Wood and under 22, Addison, and under 24, Griff, Minson, Cooney and Williams. Add to that Picken (22) and Higgins (21)

I think recruitment has been excellent. Yes we are still looking for some big KP forwards and hopefully that will happen with the drafting we have completed in the past two years.

[bornadog]

So where to for Skipper now?

Should be at his peak for a tall, but unfortunatelty is too short for a ruckman at 193cm and too slow for a KP forward, so its VFL or amatuers.

[strebla]

As a mad sports lover

I have seen all the droughts been broken in the AFL, MLB nearly in the NFL in the last few years
Seeing these teams win finally and the fans reaction makes me hungrier for success

I also folow the Indians and their drought is yet to be broken bur with my heart firmly attached to my sleeve I shall persevere!!!

[LostDoggy]

Tthe only club [bar Freo] who haven't made a G/F in my 41 years of existence. I think the club owes it's long suffering fans a premiership

Remi, can't argue with the stats....but would you rather be a tiger fan? sure they have had success in that timeframe, but geezus in the time since the early eighties it's been orrible!! Much rather be in our shoes than theirs...........