Foxsports: Healy's Bulldogs preview

[mjp]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/foxsportscomaus-2011-afl-premiership-season-preview-with-gerard-healy-western-bulldogs/story-e6frf3e3-1226026468375

No revelations but an interesting read.

Couple of highlights:

Gerard Healy says: I think the blokes coming in to Rodney Eade's side add some pace and freshen this group up a little bit. They look to me to have found a couple of talented tall young players in Liam Jones and Jordan Roughead. Then there are three or four players ready to become forces within the team in Easton Wood, Callan Ward and Shaun Higgins, who has enormous but is yet to really deliver. The Bulldogs have lots of pace, lots of flexibility and in Barry Hall a spearhead who has a real impact. The main issue when it comes to winning a premiership is not talent, they have that, it's how they gel together and whether they can maintain it against the top-end teams.

The Adjudicator says: I am onboard the Dogs this year. In fact, I am declaring them. Declaring them preliminary finalists. No, I can see the Dogs actually getting to the last Saturday in September this year. Their only problem might be the fact the decider is being played in October, so that only gets them the the penultimate weekend of action. If Brian 'Don't Call Me Harris' Lake was fit and firing now, they'd be my flag tip. But he looks less likely to start the season than Rocket is to comb his hair.

[The Doctor]

This is a key issue and I'm yet to be convinced we have addressed it

Stats amazing: The Dogs won 15 of 25 games in 2010 but there are still areas for improvement. One would be pressure inside the forward half of the paddock. They laid 27 tackles in that zone, the least in the competition. Also ranked 16th last season for groundball gets against opposition defenders. Need some bite back in attack.


The talk coming out of the club is that we are going to address forward line pressure. What with? Our first choice forward line looks likely to have Hall, Grant, Gia, Higgins, Jones and Vez. There doesn't look like a lot of tackling pressure in that lot. Nor is their a lot of ground level specialty.

We may send guys like Djekurra and Picken forward and that will no doubt help but will that just be a temporary measure? As for loose ball gets from opposition defenders. Previously we had Johnno and Aker who were brilliant ground level players. We don't have that now. Cooney is our best option but we need him in the middle.

Watching the Kangas praccy game it was predictable once the ball hit the deck in the forward line it would come out too easily. There was no one to swoop at the feet of the big guys, no one who could chase down a rebounding defender.

I think this is our biggest weakness.

[comrade]

Watching the Kangas praccy game it was predictable once the ball hit the deck in the forward line it would come out too easily. There was no one to swoop at the feet of the big guys, no one who could chase down a rebounding defender.

I think this is our biggest weakness.

Even at his prime Johnno could barely touch his toes, let alone pick up a ground ball. Last year he gave us nothing when the ball hit the turf, same as Aker. Losing those two will have no negative impact on our loose ball gets in the forward half. Harsh as it may sound, them not being there will actually have a positive impact.

For mine, Djerkurra and Addison need to spend some significant minutes up forward this year. We should have more midfield depth than we did during our finals campaign with Cooney and Ward ready to go, along with some contribution from Higgins. DJ and Dylan should be directed to tackle, harass and keep that damn ball inside our 50m zone at all costs.

[LostDoggy]

Even at his prime Johnno could barely touch his toes, let alone pick up a ground ball. Last year he gave us nothing when the ball hit the turf, same as Aker. Losing those two will have no negative impact on our loose ball gets in the forward half. Harsh as it may sound, them not being there will actually have a positive impact.

For mine, Djerkurra and Addison need to spend some significant minutes up forward this year. We should have more midfield depth than we did during our finals campaign with Cooney and Ward ready to go, along with some contribution from Higgins. DJ and Dylan should be directed to tackle, harass and keep that damn ball inside our 50m zone at all costs.

Picken, Ward and Wallis to help in this area too?

[LostDoggy]

Need some guys to show that they have grown a set. Pickers is one of the Guttsiest guys going around. We need the rest of the guys to put everything on the line for 4 qtrs every time we play. Relying on 1 &1/2 qtrs to get us there won't cut it against the top teams

[Mantis]

Need some guys to show that they have grown a set. Pickers is one of the Guttsiest guys going around. We need the rest of the guys to put everything on the line for 4 qtrs every time we play. Relying on 1 &1/2 qtrs to get us there won't cut it against the top teams

Which players in particular need to 'man up'?

[Murphy'sLore]

Let me guess -- Gia? :rolleyes:

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Even at his prime Johnno could barely touch his toes, let alone pick up a ground ball. Last year he gave us nothing when the ball hit the turf, same as Aker. Losing those two will have no negative impact on our loose ball gets in the forward half. Harsh as it may sound, them not being there will actually have a positive impact.

For mine, Djerkurra and Addison need to spend some significant minutes up forward this year. We should have more midfield depth than we did during our finals campaign with Cooney and Ward ready to go, along with some contribution from Higgins. DJ and Dylan should be directed to tackle, harass and keep that damn ball inside our 50m zone at all costs.

A distinct lack of marketing power is still a problem in attack where more support is desperately needed for Barry Hall. That is why it is important for the likes of Jones and Roughead to stand up. Higgins and Ward will be bonuses if they can remain fit. Sherman should also be a welcome addition. The big loss is Harbrow from the backline which will see the likes of Lake if he is fit enough and Morris and Murphy in particular working overtime to stem the flow. It might be time to move Picken to defence to cover the loss of Harbrow as we need his toughness to help withstand opposition attacks. I agree with your comments on Johnson and Aker and the same could be said of Mitch Hahn. The question remains however and that is are the replacements going to be good enough under pressure.

[Dazza]

We need a genuine crumber. I think Grant and Jones providing our best pressure in the forward 50 is a bit of a worry. Although Higgins should improve in this area.

We need these players to stand up in big games. Murphy, Gia, Gilbee, cooney and Higgins. If they all fire in the big games we are more than a good chance at the flag.

I watched the sydney/dogs semi again yesterday and you could really see Boyd, Picken, cross and Addison willing the team over the line towards the end of the game. None of these players have the natural talent to take a game apart and therein lies the problem with us IMO. Until the players I listed are as desperate as the ones above I can't see us getting anywhere.

[Maddog37]

We looked a spent force in that game IMO.

Cooney and Higgins did not play and lake was gawn. Griff was tagged heavily and ward and Picken had injury riddled seasons.

I thought the players you mentioned tried their hearts out. To me we lacked belief and confidence at that stage of the season.

[wimberga]

A distinct lack of marketing power is still a problem in attack where more support is desperately needed for Barry Hall. That is why it is important for the likes of Jones and Roughead to stand up. Higgins and Ward will be bonuses if they can remain fit. Sherman should also be a welcome addition. The big loss is Harbrow from the backline which will see the likes of Lake if he is fit enough and Morris and Murphy in particular working overtime to stem the flow. It might be time to move Picken to defence to cover the loss of Harbrow as we need his toughness to help withstand opposition attacks. I agree with your comments on Johnson and Aker and the same could be said of Mitch Hahn. The question remains however and that is are the replacements going to be good enough under pressure.


What specifically is wrong with his marketing strategy?

[LostDoggy]

Which players in particular need to 'man up'?

Hill Has to grow a set, and seems to over the off season after being thown to the wolves in the draft. but the whole team have to play at 100% for 4 qtrs, not the 1 & half qtrs we have done in the past and said that's enough to sneek in.

[LostDoggy]

Even at his prime Johnno could barely touch his toes, let alone pick up a ground ball. Last year he gave us nothing when the ball hit the turf, same as Aker. Losing those two will have no negative impact on our loose ball gets in the forward half. Harsh as it may sound, them not being there will actually have a positive impact.

For mine, Djerkurra and Addison need to spend some significant minutes up forward this year. We should have more midfield depth than we did during our finals campaign with Cooney and Ward ready to go, along with some contribution from Higgins. DJ and Dylan should be directed to tackle, harass and keep that damn ball inside our 50m zone at all costs.

Agree good post Comrade. As for other posters calling for Picken to be moved, my thoughts NO WAY he is our only run with player and a gun at it, if we move him forward or back we will be slaughtered. :) Crumbers will be overrated when Jarrad hits full flight!

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

What specifically is wrong with his marketing strategy?

My apologies, this should have read marking power.

[Ghost Dog]

Agree good post Comrade. As for other posters calling for Picken to be moved, my thoughts NO WAY he is our only run with player and a gun at it, if we move him forward or back we will be slaughtered. :) Crumbers will be overrated when Jarrad hits full flight!

Still, I remember a couple of unbelievable goals he kicked for us last year, snaps off the boot. Wouldn't mind him getting a run in the foward pocket now and then.