Wallace needs to let go

[the ghost of alby smedts]

Its when you play teams like Essendon that it hits home how far the dogs have got to go. Its not your best players the show up so much,as your worst 6 or 8 players.Romero,Curley,Garlick,Bartlett,Ellis Hudson would never in their wildest dreams get a game at Essendon. I watched one centre bounce and saw Dooley,Libba ,Romero and Brown lining up. Brown aside that is 2nd rate centre bounce line up.
Terry its time to let go play the kids. These other guys havent taken us to success and are not likely to. Werribee have lost only one game for the season so logic says there must be some talent there.

[Top Dog]

I dont have a clue hwo Jose got in the side intead of Murphy or McMahon. Curley looked shocking out there so did the Battler(bartlett)

[Westy Boy]

I agree with you some of your thoughts, TGOAS.

The thing you have to remember though, is that Terry IS playing the kids. Giansiracusa, Penny, Gilbee (and Hahn would have had a run too, if not for injury) all played on Friday. But we can't go overboard - in relative terms, they are very underdeveloped - Gia is as thin as a rake, ditto Gilbee & Murphy. Then you have McMahon, Birss, Cross - who, given the punishment that their light frames (approx 60-65 kgs!) would get in the seniors, would get destroyed -- not what kids that are looking to build confidence need.

Give 'em time.... the development strategy looks to be working, with giving kids a taste in their first year, then 'letting 'em loose'. Penny and Hahn are perfect examples of this - they have played most games this season, holding their own - and the next couple of years look even brighter. Another important thing to note, The Ghost of Alby Smedts, is that only LAST WEEK, we had exactly the same setup you were asking for. Murphy in. Hahn in. -- No Bartlett. No Romero. No Dooley. No Cox (line there but I wont use it :D), yet we got hammered in that game too. 6 youngsters in that game not enough for ya?

In all honesty, I think our problems lie far deeper than just youth -- i.e. talent. Far too many serviceable players, and not enough 'second tier players'. It takes time to overcome this -- but I beg you to take out a video of any match in 96, just to see how far we have come. Also, although we need a couple more class key position players, I reckon the height argument doesn't hold as much merit as it used to, with the oppositions smalls smashing us over the past few bad losses -- worrying when that's our perceived strength. I posted a topic on balance a couple of weeks ago -- it went a little off topic (to a Voss trade lol), but the thing I wanted to see was whether people thought we were playing too many kids at the same time, too many older players etc. No one actually answered the question :mad: ;) ...... but in my opinion, despite me believing that we're playing some of the youngsters too early, I think we have it pretty much spot on from a future stability viewpoint. Some more talls amongst the curent crop would be nice though. :)

I agree with you on Bartlett and Romero. I am one of Nathan Eagleton's biggest fans (although he's close to the #1 hated player on our official forum, who use the 'play the kids' argument yet forget he's actually younger than some of them like Alvey and Contessa!), and can't see any rational reasoning behind giving Romero a game ahead of him. Skill, speed, height, age, footy smarts ..... he wins hands down. Disappointing decision, and will be even more questionable if he doesn't come straight back into the seniors after dominating the ressies. Now to Ellis... who do we replace him with? Is Hargraves up to it? Frankly, We just don't have ready made talls who we can 'replace' the likes of Ellis with. Leigh Brown from Freo would be almost perfect .... wouldn't pay $300,000 a season for him though.

On Dooley -- He should be left at FF instead of Bartlett. No disprespect to Bartlett, as his determination and heart is second to none, but frankly, he isn't performing. We cannot leave someone in the team just for the sake of providing a contest. Dooley, is more athletic, smarter, an accurate kick, and is a good three inches taller than Bartlett. On Friday, Dooley didn't do too badly in the ruck, and gave us the option of releasing Darcy to the forward line -- That kind of flexibilty adds a bit of height and class there, and gives leaves Darcy on the opposition's second best backman (after Grant).

Another player that demands a quality defender is Huddo - people are WAY to harsh on him, IMO. One word -- SCOREBOARD. Leading goalkicker, average of two a game over his whole career (statistically best small forward over the past decade).... scores one or two consistently, even when he has a quiet night (and is on the bench for half of it) ... and when he's on fire he can put a team away. At the moment, none of our current crop of youngsters would come even close to having that kind of consistency or influence..... or to having the best kick in the team.

Just on a side note -- Another wildcard for the forward line is Penny -- I know we desperately need him in defence, but I think he would do very, very well down the other end. Just a 'feeling' I have -- From what I saw of him down there last year, he looked far more at home than he does now, and yes, I know he's done fairly well down back, but it's just something to think about I guess.

[Captain Sensible]

I'm with old Alby on this one. I've said before play the kids and to hell with results. Let the kids develop.
There is no future in playing blokes like Romero and Bartlett(much as I love his contesting) is just not up to the standard required of a league footballer. Hudson has ordinary contesting skills-although this has improved this season-and would be not a great loss.
This is not the main problem thouigh. The main problem is in team structure. We need a bit of mongrel in our on-ball division.

[Top Dog]

None of our youngsters look to have the mongrel in them apart form Hahn.

[Waltzing Woof Biscuit]

Originally posted by Top Dog
None of our youngsters look to have the mongrel in them apart form Hahn.

And we're the ones with the physical roughnut reputation! Kinda makes you laugh dunnit. The media loves a cliche.

[Westy Boy]

Originally posted by localyokel
play the kids and to hell with results.

Great winning culture that instills into the team..... much like Freo's really.

[HahnPremium8]

There have been some great points made (ie ones i agree with :D ) lol

Anyway I could not beleive it on Thursday night last week when i heard the teams. Particularly the fact that Romero and Bartlett were in. Both didn't show nearly enough in the VFL to warrrent a spot ahead of Eagle, Hunter and Murph. I was having a cow after the game on the way home too! Like someone said above...when u compare Eagle and Romero...

I felt that Essendon exposed the weaknesses of a number of our players on Friday and our team looks so far away from being capable of winning a flag it's not funny. :mad:

Watching the vfl game on Saturday was great though. McMahon looks like he's going to be a STAR!! Eagle showed why he shouldn't have been droped as well.

There probably are enough kids in the side though i would like to see McMahon and Murph get another go before the end of the season. Also I woule like to see Bowden get a go.

[X_box_X]

I couldn't have explained it better myself Westy Boy.
Terry is playing the kids, and giving them a go. Giansiracusa played his first game against Adelaide and he played the following three weeks against Geelong, Carlton and Essendon.
There is no reason for Siras to go back to Werribee if he plays well.
I think this week against Fremanlte, Wallace should play some of the little kids like Cross and that Irish rookie in our list. However we can't take Fremantle too easy, but if I was Wallace thats what I would be doing. No games are easy but the only game left that isnt hard is the Fremantle game. So this is the chance for our young guns to come in and play some good Football.
This year we recruited some young kids and its probably the best we've done in the draft over the past 3 years. But its time to use these players. No wonder why we never get a Norish Rising star nomination, I think its time to get another bunch of good kids in the draft for the next 3 years because I'll tell ya 1 thing, the Bulldogs aint gonna win a premiership with the list of players they have now. So I reckon we just pick up some great tallants in the next 3 years and in 2005 if we still excist we can have a crack at the premiership.

If we can also get your help that would be great because together we win!
Carn Doggies!!!!

[Captain Sensible]

Originally posted by Westy Boy


Great winning culture that instills into the team..... much like Freo's really.

Premierships is what instills a winning culture in a football club. I've had enough of coming close. The late seventies and early eighties were hell. The reason is we were constantly implementing youth policies without either the core players or the discilpline around the place to do so. Now we have both. Our top six are as good as any, and are still young enough to help guide young teammates and enjoy the benefits of playing with them when they start to play good footy in a couple of years. Some of the kids the Werribee are VERY good. Bowden could one day be a hundred goal a season full-forward. Surely he is a better option than Bartlett. Robert Murphy can kick the ball sixty metres with both feet. Surely he is a better option than Romero, who hasn't made the distance from forty out three times this season.

When these kids learn how to play league footy-and most players learn by playing, making mistakes, learning from them and then becoming a better player they will be very good players. And there are half a dozen in Werribee's side who could be learning in the seniors.

It might cost us results in the short term but it might win us a flag in a few years time.

In the mean time I'll go to the games and training, but I am getting sick of coming close all the time.

[Waltzing Woof Biscuit]

Trust you to be going with the kids Local ;)

[Captain Sensible]

You are quite right WWB, I've gone kid crazy.:eek:

[Top Dog]

Wallace should play some of the little kids like Cross

I dont think cross is quite up to it just yet. I think he played his 1st game for Werribee ones against the dons, so i think we should give him more time.
But we should chuck in Bowden hes done his time and i would like to see Birss he looks like he can play :)

[Dogs_R_Us]

How come none of you ppl post on the official forum?

[Captain Sensible]

What official forum?

[Top Dog]

How come none of you ppl post on the official forum

I do ;)

[Dogs_R_Us]

Originally posted by localyokel
What official forum?

http://worldcrossing.com/WebX?13@90.teYwbioXjal%5E0@.eebded8

That one (don't be fooled by the odd address).

I know you do Top Dog ;)

[HahnPremium8]

Originally posted by Dogs_R_Us
How come none of you ppl post on the official forum?

I post on the official forum too!

[bulldogs1]

Me, too! Although as The Real Bulldogs1.

Originally posted by Dogs_R_Us
How come none of you ppl post on the official forum?