bornadog
05-06-2011, 12:10 AM
Jay Clark From: Sunday Herald Sun June 05, 2011 12:00am (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/western-bulldogs-go-back-to-the-drawing-board/story-e6frf9jf-1226069321867)
RODNEY Eade has likened Brian Lake's confidence in his body to that of a player coming back from a knee reconstruction.
The Western Bulldogs coach believes his desperately out-of-form backman was "at the crossroads" at the last change of their 61-point drubbing from Geelong.
But three goals from the defender in the last quarter could save him from the axe that Eade bluntly warned was certain to fall on some other senior players.
"We've got to do what's best for the team short term, but certainly long term as well," Eade said.
"Some players who have been here a while just aren't putting their hand up, so we've got to turf them out and find people who are."
While Eade said he hadn't given up on this year's lofty ambitions, at 3-7 he suggested the club's season was riding on the outcome of Friday night's clash against St Kilda.
"Next week is probably the crunch as much as anything," Eade said. "But we'll keep blooding kids, even if it's the crunch game or turning point or whatever you want to call it. We've had six debutantes now, we'll play some more."
Josh Hill, Jarryd Grant, who was subbed off with a rib injury, and Brisbane recruit Justin Sherman are all likely to be in the gun.
Adam Cooney and Tom Liberatore are set to return from injury to bolster the side, while Eade hopes a late spark from Lake yesterday was a turning point for the All-Australian.
Lake looked slow to move and was comprehensively outpointed by Geelong's big men early, before salvaging some respect with a few strong grabs late in attack.
The star backman has battled for fitness after shoulder, knee and hip procedures in the off-season.
But Eade said Lake's demons were between his ears.
"At three-quarter time, he was probably at the crossroads a bit, wasn't he?" Eade said.
"We moved him forward because he was poor down back. But I think it is as much a mental issue as it is anything else with Brian.
"I just don't think he's got confidence in his knee.
"It's like a player coming back from a knee reconstruction, they're apprehensive until they get that first big whack on it.
"You can see at times when he's going for marks and contests in the square where normally he'd just attack it and go for it.
"But he was so worried about his opponent and making sure he didn't get in front.
"That last quarter he did OK. "Whether that's a turning point for him?"
Eade believes skill errors and a lack of effort was what cost the Dogs in a poor 40-minute patch in the second and third terms against the Cats.
"I don't think we worked hard enough at times," he said.
"But we used the ball a lot better at the end and that's how that ball use as much as effort is going to hurt you.
"But we didn't get an even contribution and there were a lot of players that were down."
RODNEY Eade has likened Brian Lake's confidence in his body to that of a player coming back from a knee reconstruction.
The Western Bulldogs coach believes his desperately out-of-form backman was "at the crossroads" at the last change of their 61-point drubbing from Geelong.
But three goals from the defender in the last quarter could save him from the axe that Eade bluntly warned was certain to fall on some other senior players.
"We've got to do what's best for the team short term, but certainly long term as well," Eade said.
"Some players who have been here a while just aren't putting their hand up, so we've got to turf them out and find people who are."
While Eade said he hadn't given up on this year's lofty ambitions, at 3-7 he suggested the club's season was riding on the outcome of Friday night's clash against St Kilda.
"Next week is probably the crunch as much as anything," Eade said. "But we'll keep blooding kids, even if it's the crunch game or turning point or whatever you want to call it. We've had six debutantes now, we'll play some more."
Josh Hill, Jarryd Grant, who was subbed off with a rib injury, and Brisbane recruit Justin Sherman are all likely to be in the gun.
Adam Cooney and Tom Liberatore are set to return from injury to bolster the side, while Eade hopes a late spark from Lake yesterday was a turning point for the All-Australian.
Lake looked slow to move and was comprehensively outpointed by Geelong's big men early, before salvaging some respect with a few strong grabs late in attack.
The star backman has battled for fitness after shoulder, knee and hip procedures in the off-season.
But Eade said Lake's demons were between his ears.
"At three-quarter time, he was probably at the crossroads a bit, wasn't he?" Eade said.
"We moved him forward because he was poor down back. But I think it is as much a mental issue as it is anything else with Brian.
"I just don't think he's got confidence in his knee.
"It's like a player coming back from a knee reconstruction, they're apprehensive until they get that first big whack on it.
"You can see at times when he's going for marks and contests in the square where normally he'd just attack it and go for it.
"But he was so worried about his opponent and making sure he didn't get in front.
"That last quarter he did OK. "Whether that's a turning point for him?"
Eade believes skill errors and a lack of effort was what cost the Dogs in a poor 40-minute patch in the second and third terms against the Cats.
"I don't think we worked hard enough at times," he said.
"But we used the ball a lot better at the end and that's how that ball use as much as effort is going to hurt you.
"But we didn't get an even contribution and there were a lot of players that were down."