Is our future bright?

[paul scholes]

I know that some still don't get it and probably never will, but the core problem was the 'rebuild' direction and mentality that permeated throughout the club. It was compounded by poor day to day decision making and the belief that there is a 'right' way to do things that also happens to be the only way to be successful.

Our club wasn't 'reeling' from the losses of Ward or Harbrow (who had already gone a year earlier with minimal impact), and we should have taken their losses in our stride. We self-destructed because we gave up trying 'today' to focus on a distant 'tomorrow'.

Although we are now in a position list wise, where we are so young that we still have a 'not yet' flavour to our club, the message that 'you don't get very long before you need to achieve results' has been reinforced by recent events.

Seeing the club start to react to that message is why the future is already brighter.

So losing ward and Harbrow " we should take in our stride" is just utter crap and is just plain wrong.
Agree about McCartney Match day wasn't great, but to put forward that losing those two and s**t drafting previously, and add GWS and GC winning lotto in the draft, how could you even remotely think that wouldn't effect our club in its forward thinking? The clubs drafting and development of our young blokes has had more hits than misses since 2012.

 

[paul scholes]

Some people don't get that we get it and don't need to hear it anymore.

I've got no friggin idea what in blazes he's waffling on about .

 

[Proffessor]

I've got no friggin idea what in blazes he's waffling on about .

That doesn't surprise me.

 

[Proffessor]

So losing ward and Harbrow " we should take in our stride" is just utter crap and is just plain wrong.
Agree about McCartney Match day wasn't great, but to put forward that losing those two and s**t drafting previously, and add GWS and GC winning lotto in the draft, how could you even remotely think that wouldn't effect our club in its forward thinking? The clubs drafting and development of our young blokes has had more hits than misses since 2012.

We were compensated for both. The time for wallowing in self pity and excuses has passed.

 

[paul scholes]

It's time to move on now, but in saying that losing those two players and the compromised draft hasn't effected us is complete b/S.
Stop being argumentive for the sake of it . Yes we got compensated, but at the time it hurt our clubs prospects immensely

 

[paul scholes]

That doesn't surprise me.

you'd be the only person in the football community who doesn't think the Compromised drafts and losing two uncontracted Stars didn't hurt our club when McCartney took over.

 

[JJHunter]

you'd be the only person in the football community who doesn't think the Compromised drafts and losing two uncontracted Stars didn't hurt our club when McCartney took over.

That being said many would argue Griffen Cooney and Higgins and to a lesser extent the other two all walking out will have greater impact.
And you know what that ones no one elses fault bar our own clubs fault. So whether its the AFL or other reasons - we have done a good enough job at stuffing up without anyone elses help.

Like the Professor says - Time for wallowing especially on the introduction of the new clubs has well past time.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Please define your version of 'long term'.

I am almost 50.
Seen it before.
Heard it before.

Not even a gf appearance FFS.

Is there any chance we can stop complaining about the wait for our second premiership. I mean half the players on our list were in nappies in 1997 when we should have won the cup. If you want to point the finger of blame what happened during the 60s and 70s, we had success in the 50s including breaking the VFL membership record, and then seem to piss it away while other clubs got on a roll. Since 1997 I think we became a professional club but before that we were just also rans. Take away those two decades and you are left with a competitive team.

I can't honestly blame the club since then, it was a couple of coaching errors in 1997, we were the 3rd best team in 2008-2010 not having a full forward hurt us.

We compete in a very uneven playing field and still manage to be competitive. We get our players and coaching staff poached, but still manage to replace those players with elite talent. We have snatched one of the talls from GWS at the expense of our captain with a permanent back injury (believe me reading through other club boards they all wanted to, but it was the Bulldogs who pulled it off). We face not only an expanded competition of 17 other teams, we have had to contend with a rebuild during the expansion clubs. So cut the club a bit of slack.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Co

That being said many would argue Griffen Cooney and Higgins and to a lesser extent the other two all walking out will have greater impact.
And you know what that ones no one elses fault bar our own clubs fault. So whether its the AFL or other reasons - we have done a good enough job at stuffing up without anyone elses help.

Like the Professor says - Time for wallowing especially on the introduction of the new clubs has well past time.

Cooney didn't walk out he was pushed out the door, Higgens, Jones and Tutt have been peripheral whipping boys on this very forum why the gnashing of teeth now?

We got the 200cm full forward we have long craved at the expense of Griff with his bulging disc and surplus salary cap, it was a bummer about #6 but we have picked up a raft of your bread and butter players that every team needs.

I just hope that Macca was at the club long enough to instal a lifetime of tough footy into our young stars.

 

[Ozimandas]

We were compensated for both. The time for wallowing in self pity and excuses has passed.

We were poorly compensated for both. We must never forget the damage done to our club every time an afl assisted new club raids.

 

[Ozimandas]

Is there any chance we can stop complaining about the wait for our second premiership. I mean half the players on our list were in nappies in 1997 when we should have won the cup. If you want to point the finger of blame what happened during the 60s and 70s, we had success in the 50s including breaking the VFL membership record, and then seem to piss it away while other clubs got on a roll. Since 1997 I think we became a professional club but before that we were just also rans. Take away those two decades and you are left with a competitive team.

I can't honestly blame the club since then, it was a couple of coaching errors in 1997, we were the 3rd best team in 2008-2010 not having a full forward hurt us.

We compete in a very uneven playing field and still manage to be competitive. We get our players and coaching staff poached, but still manage to replace those players with elite talent. We have snatched one of the talls from GWS at the expense of our captain with a permanent back injury (believe me reading through other club boards they all wanted to, but it was the Bulldogs who pulled it off). We face not only an expanded competition of 17 other teams, we have had to contend with a rebuild during the expansion clubs. So cut the club a bit of slack.

'The club' is totally resposible for our captain walking out this year.

you can forget or try the past errors. Griffen walking out is the mother of all stuff ups...

 

[Butane]

I know that some still don't get it and probably never will, but the core problem was the 'rebuild' direction and mentality that permeated throughout the club. It was compounded by poor day to day decision making and the belief that there is a 'right' way to do things that also happens to be the only way to be successful.

Our club wasn't 'reeling' from the losses of Ward or Harbrow (who had already gone a year earlier with minimal impact), and we should have taken their losses in our stride. We self-destructed because we gave up trying 'today' to focus on a distant 'tomorrow'.

Although we are now in a position list wise, where we are so young that we still have a 'not yet' flavour to our club, the message that 'you don't get very long before you need to achieve results' has been reinforced by recent events.

Seeing the club start to react to that message is why the future is already brighter.

I completely agree with you Prof.

 

[fargy]

The same usual people who blamed everything on McCartney are surprisingly still negative about everything! Who woulda thunk it! (And not referencing MD in this)
Can't imagine what it would be like to be completely cynical about our club, why even follow if it makes you so bitter? If you can't find any enjoyment in our young stars I really don't know why you follow something that makes you so bitter and twisted.

 

[Butane]

The same usual people who blamed everything on McCartney are surprisingly still negative about everything! Who woulda thunk it! (And not referencing MD in this)
Can't imagine what it would be like to be completely cynical about our club, why even follow if it makes you so bitter? If you can't find any enjoyment in our young stars I really don't know why you follow something that makes you so bitter and twisted.

That's a bit unfair. Professor, while at times does get a bit too passionate as held his line on the rebuilding strategy for a long time. I don't agree with everything he says but he certainly adds to this forum a lot more than other people that add nothing to the discussion except personal insults.

*You won't find many, if any supporters who think we don't have a good crop of talented youngsters either. We've got picks 5,6,4,1,21 from the past couple of drafts in our team and we've used them very well.

 

[fargy]

That's a bit unfair. Professor, while at times does get a bit too passionate as held his line on the rebuilding strategy for a long time. I don't agree with everything he says but he certainly adds to this forum a lot more than other people that add nothing to the discussion except personal insults.

I have Professor on ignore so wasn't talking to him. Just doesn't make sense to me to follow something that makes you so cynical. Nice of you to insult the insultees.

 

[Butane]

I have Professor on ignore so wasn't talking to him. Just doesn't make sense to me to follow something that makes you so cynical. Nice of you to insult the insultees.

You should take him off ignore. He's been spot on a few things that went over most people heads for a long time. Adds a different angle to debate and rustles a few jimmies along the way. He doesn't overly post either unlike a few of the continuously negative posters I have on ignore.

 

[LondonBulldog]

'The club' is totally resposible for our captain walking out this year.

you can forget or try the past errors. Griffen walking out is the mother of all stuff ups...

You cannot be serious.... If a captain walks its a DOG act no matter what way you look at it and not the clubs fault!!!

If you take on captain you take on thick and thin and you stick by the club. Last bloke to walk was Colbert from Geelong to North and he broke his leg, karma some might say.

And I can tell your from inside knowledge there was no massive rift... no different than any club, no different than Geelong for instance.

Keep in mind Griffen got offered $1.5m a year. He wasn't going to get that at the Dogs. Couldn't handle the pressure of captain took that weak way out and walked for money with no responsibility. Don't read anymore into it.

Conseversely we got a kid who left for money as well, deal was too good to refuse.

 

[Butane]

Who would people rather? Ward or Macrae?

I understand it hurt in the short term regardless but we didn't do that badly out of that deal.

 

[JJHunter]

Who would people rather? Ward or Macrae?

I understand it hurt in the short term regardless but we didn't do that badly out of that deal.

Great question - Id still take ward at this stage. Not disappointed in Macrae mind you.
Just taking runs on the board at this stage

 

[ExRoyboy]

Did anyone hear Peter Gordon on SEN yesterday? He made a comment that Bontempelli had grown taller and filled out a bit already. While I know Presidents love to pump things up over the off season does anyone know if there is any truth to this comment or was he just crapping on to try and build up the supporter base?

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

Did anyone hear Peter Gordon on SEN yesterday? He made a comment that Bontempelli had grown taller and filled out a bit already. While I know Presidents love to pump things up over the off season does anyone know if there is any truth to this comment or was he just crapping on to try and build up the supporter base?

To quote Igloo, he looks like he's swallowed a fridge.

 

[Hobo Wizard]

To quote Igloo, he looks like he's swallowed a fridge.

I think that honour goes to Lukas Markovic.

 

[Doggies7]

I think that honour goes to Lukas Markovic.

No, Markovic has swallowed everything inside the fridge...

 

[paulveed]

Did anyone hear Peter Gordon on SEN yesterday? He made a comment that Bontempelli had grown taller and filled out a bit already. While I know Presidents love to pump things up over the off season does anyone know if there is any truth to this comment or was he just crapping on to try and build up the supporter base?

Just going on seeing him from outside the fence at Saturday's training, I thought he looked bigger, both in height and weight. Guess we just need to see some objective measurements to be certain though.

 

[immortalmike]

Who would people rather? Ward or Macrae?

I understand it hurt in the short term regardless but we didn't do that badly out of that deal.

Macrae. Without a doubt.