Preview Round 4, 2021: St.Kilda v West Coast - Marvel Stadium, Saturday 10th April, 4:35PM AEST

[kernelT]

I’d be more worried about having a player like Hanners instead of Treloar than I am about Josh Bruce

17

Josh Bruce

Age

31

Ht

198cm

Wt

97kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.2

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

4.6

3star

M

4.5

4star

T

2.1

4star

MG

90.4

1star

D

8.9

2star

K

3.5

1star

HB

5.4

3star

M

2.5

3star

T

1.3

2star

MG

90.4

2star

D

11.2

3star

K

5.6

3star

HB

5.6

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

0.8

3star

getting the arse.

 

[LiterallyNobody]

I’d give Melbourne a little more time before saying that.
Who have they beaten?
An undermanned injury hit Freo here, an undermanned injury hit us who didn’t turn up, and an undermanned injury hit GWS.
Sure, they have their outs too, but none with the same impact.
Bulldogs however, you’re probably on the money even at this early stage.

Beat Geelong this weekend and maybe I’ll take notice of Melbourne.

bulldogs should comfortably account for Brisbane meanwhile.

 

[CaptainRisky]

Anyone who is having a bad day and needs a laugh , go back to page 28 , some of the trash there will have you p1ssing yourself

 

[LiterallyNobody]

Anyone who is having a bad day and needs a laugh , go back to page 28 , some of the trash there will have you p1ssing yourself

Which part specifically?

 

[BrutThough]

I’d be more worried about having a player like Hanners instead of Treloar than I am about Josh Bruce getting the arse.

Treloar just wasnt available when we had the large amount of salary space that needed spent or have it disappear.

Though, with his soft tissue history, just as likely he's cooked and still getting paid 800 plus for the last few years of that contract too.

 

[gringo2011]

I’d give Melbourne a little more time before saying that.
Who have they beaten?
An undermanned injury hit Freo here, an undermanned injury hit us who didn’t turn up, and an undermanned injury hit GWS.
Sure, they have their outs too, but none with the same impact.
Bulldogs however, you’re probably on the money even at this early stage.

The Dees are winning playing poorly and have players coming back that will improve their list. I reckon they have scope to rapidly improve. They are converting at a below average rate and if they improve that and get back their two best key forwards they should be really pushing. I like WC as well, they look like they'll get their regular free hits at home which gives them 11 wins or something and then just need to get a few soft away wins to make finals.

You never write Richmond or Geelong off but both look not quite as good as expected and Brisbane might struggle a bit more away from home this year. Port I expect to be top 4 despite a shaky start and Collingwood have a good side still despite a shaky start. To me we probably don't make it unless we have an absolute revolution in game plan and effort so Dees, Dogs, Port, WCE, Geelong and Richmond pushing for top 4. Pies, Lions, Sydney and maybe even Carlton and Essendon pushing for the next 4 spots in the 8.

If I had to guess where we finish I'd think 9th to 15th with 9th needing a huge turn around in form and others to falter.

 

[gringo2011]

Which part specifically?

That was some of our best work.

 

[BigMonty]

He's kicked more goals than our three top goal kickers combined this year. He's already on 14 and with the supply they are giving their forwards he should kick the most goals he's ever kicked in a season easily. The sh*t think is Hickey was made redundant after we were using him well with the third man up rule. Bruce has become the prototype forward for the new rules.

We really do seem cursed, we gave him away pretty much. What's insane is that Membrey is not quite as good as a lead hard at the ball type forward but not far off it either. Instead we use him right up the ground and then he kicks goals if he gets back. We really have to adjust our planning. Even King is being used in a way that does nothing for him or the team. Our forwards coach must still be on holiday or not watching much footy.

Best player on a hard lead is Battle. He is probably our most competitive in the air and on the ground and we have all seem his courageous acts.
Play him deep with King and Membrey up the ground. Problem is King clearly does not have the tank to run all day. That's why Ryder and Marshall are soooo important for structure.
We as a team are just not hungry enough. Last year the belief grew as we caught teams on the hop with our game style and we maintained that hungry swarming the ball tackling style in the back half.
That is missing as too many are relying on too few to do the hard things.
Probably the easiest to fix as it is attitudinal issue not a skill problem. Essendon have showed that with incredible player desire from a written off team against the wall.

If we do not come out breathing fire for the whole game then it is going to be a long long long year.
Thus time last year WCE and Rich were not travelling well and Geelong looked certainties for the flag and wasn't GCS on top of the ladder.
Takes 6 weeks for the ladder to take shape. Jusy a shame we are playing 3 of the top six finalists next 3 weeks.
Never easy for the Saints

On SM-G977B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[stavro#4]

Absolutely rapt with Ratten , Rath & Roughead appointments..actually think Batchelor very good as well.

When I saw Sydney appointment of Don Pyke ..thought great appointment the guy knows football..
great student of the game likes coaching young blokes too.

Vibe around the club is great, but as said , my feeling is we didnt do the work , we did last year .
Understand few players had issues Marshall, Jones , King , Hannebery, even Steele as said
previously Ryder was in mint condition, Paton was in really good shape unfortunately didn’t see both
guys...due circumstances unfortunately.

My beef is tactically we were putting a lot of pressure on King .
& we are continually trying things playing players out of position during training drills.
Hill on Half Forward Flank ....Hill on Half Back Flank.
Battle on the Wing.
Ross at Half Back which has been abject failure in the past.
The only one that appeared to be working was Sinclair at half back..

As was identified and mentioned in the press when you hear coaches comment before a game
is played the “ game is different to last year “ ......” vastly different game “ think we haven’t
adjusted as well as other teams.

Training the other day, did you find it interesting that Rath spent more time “inspecting” then normal?

I find the fitness query you have puzzling as I’m pretty sure there is a quote floating around from the summer saying the boys put in the work.

There didn’t appear to be a fitness issue prior to the Melbourne game either.

The king king ball kick is frustrating. Granted.

But is that a by product from the smalls not doing enough?

Roughys 360 comments are frustrating. Mentions maybe we were better suited to smaller quarters with games more congested.

The one shining light, is that if true - the playing list is suited to what the game plan change should be. It’s the work ethic that needs to be challenged.

 

[LiterallyNobody]

That was some of our best work.

I’m just disappointed I didn’t post that entire page. Missed an opportunity there.

 

[phantom13]

Kicking 10 in a game is pretty random tbh.

Look at Tom Lynch (the other guy you refer to). Once he kicked 10. Once he kicked 6. Apart from that he's never kicked more than 4 (four times). And he's never kicked more than 42 in a season. He's not exactly Plugger.

Bruce is a more consistent goalkicker than Lynch but still has never kicked more than 50 in a season.

I agree we'd be better with him in the side, but also Maxie King wouldn't be getting games. Given this is a development year, I think we're better off without Bruce tbh.

Wasn’t a development year 3 weeks ago, we were meant to be challenging for top 4.

Josh Bruce has kicked 57% of his goals at the Bulldogs in 2 games, both against the Kangaroos.

Go through his record even with us and it's filled with the odd bag against very weak opposition.

So he would have kicked a few against Essendon? Could have used that. Melbourne would have helped to have another tall to actually occupy Lever, May and Gawn.

The guy beats up on rubbish opponents, tries when it suits him, gets paid a fortune and was a bad influence on younger players. He still wouldn’t be in our best 22 despite last weeks performance.

Nothing worse than a player who turns it on for 2-3 games per year and is a liability for the other 20 rounds.

Half of his 200 goals will have come from playing bottom 4 sides, the rest of the time he’s good for 1 goal.

Wouldn’t be in our best 22 at the moment.

Rubbish.

 

[BrutThough]

Care to paraphrase?

It was along the lines of our group is still fairly immature and would have heard all preseason about how the game was going to open up and be an attacking game. Think they've heard those things and have gone full out on attacking know we should be good at it and just forgotten everything about defence. Suggests we are anticipating that everything will go perfectly so we are already running to the best offensive position but no one is staying back actually defending. We are being good old fashion down hill skiers.

Thinks we can quickly turn it around though and compared us to Brisbane in 2019 who won their first few then lost to Essendon and Collingwood by 47 and 62 points but then fixed by some defensive flaws and finished the season well.

 

[BrutThough]

Wouldn’t be in our best 22 at the moment.

Rubbish.

If all our players were fit, I doubt we would pick him over any of Marshall, Membrey or King.

One of the reasons we shipped him off in the first place was because he would be behind all 3 in the pecking order and didnt want to pay as much as he was demanding for Sandy's full forward.

 

[bird_man]

So he would have kicked a few against Essendon? Could have used that. Melbourne would have helped to have another tall to actually occupy Lever, May and Gawn.

No, he woukd have struggled against Essendon because we got pumped in the midfield.

He kicked a bag in a 130 point win against North, Last year he kicked a bag in an 8 goal win against North.

He then kicked less 43% of his other goal in his other 18 games.

The stats don't lie, he's a front runner and a flat track bully.

We traded him because we wanted to play two rucks, that worked really well last year. Makes no sense to now miss him because he kicked a bag against the worst side in the comp.

 

[LennyHayes77]

My prediction is the boys will come out firing.

However, West Coast are a seasoned team and they'll be expecting it. They are stronger than us and while we'll look good for a while with some manic pressure I'm guessing they'll play keepy-off and we'll drop that intensity eventually. I can see us losing by 4-5 goals in a strong effort.

 

[gringo2011]

It was along the lines of our group is still fairly immature and would have heard all preseason about how the game was going to open up and be an attacking game. Think they've heard those things and have gone full out on attacking know we should be good at it and just forgotten everything about defence. Suggests we are anticipating that everything will go perfectly so we are already running to the best offensive position but no one is staying back actually defending. We are being good old fashion down hill skiers.

Thinks we can quickly turn it around though and compared us to Brisbane in 2019 who won their first few then lost to Essendon and Collingwood by 47 and 62 points but then fixed by some defensive flaws and finished the season well.

Looks more like all out asleep than all out attack.

 

[gringo2011]

If all our players were fit, I doubt we would pick him over any of Marshall, Membrey or King.

One of the reasons we shipped him off in the first place was because he would be behind all 3 in the pecking order and didnt want to pay as much as he was demanding for Sandy's full forward.

Membrey isn't playing full time forward. King is the lone forward structure and makes us look predictable. He would have been handy to help develop King. Should have held him to his contract.

 

[BrutThough]

Membrey isn't playing full time forward. King is the lone forward structure and makes us look predictable. He would have been handy to help develop King. Should have held him to his contract.

So who out of Membrey, Marshall or Ryder would you remove from the best 22 then?

 

[kernelT]

If all our players were fit, I doubt we would pick him over any of Marshall, Membrey or King.

One of the reasons we shipped him off in the first place was because he would be behind all 3 in the pecking order and didnt want to pay as much as he was demanding for Sandy's full forward.

The bloke played 17 games last year in a top 8 side, outside of kicking 6 goals against north he managed 8 goals from 16 games... and that’s playing as their biggest forward 50 target.

Putrid stuff.

If we are playing two rucks, the only way Bruce gets a game with us is if we’re playing King at Sandy. And considering King kicked more goals than Bruce last year in his first season that would be a strange move.

 

[BrutThough]

The bloke played 17 games last year in a top 8 side, outside of kicking 6 goals against he managed 8 goals from 16 games... and that’s playing as their biggest forward 50 target.

Putrid stuff.

If we are playing two rucks, the only way Bruce gets a game with us is if we’re playing King at Sandy. And considering King kicked more goals than Bruce last year in his first season that would be a strange move.

Spot on. If anyone is going to complain about us moving him on, then they need to say who we would move out of the best 22 for him. And not last weeks best 22, our full fitness one because you dont keep someone paid as well as Bruce on the list as a back-up option.

I think sometimes people forget that a player who was traded can play a good game for their new club without the decision to move him on being a bad one.

 

[kernelT]

I’ll go out on a limb and guess that Bruce is the f50 target about 10 times this week, takes 2-3 marks and kicks 1.2.

 

[bird_man]

Membrey isn't playing full time forward. King is the lone forward structure and makes us look predictable. He would have been handy to help develop King. Should have held him to his contract.

Membrey has been playing full time forward as a genuine CHF.

Can't keep all your forwards in the goal square.

He wouldn't have been our 22 last year with Ryder and Marshall fit.

Only reason Battle gets a game.is because we think he can play on the wing and go to defence when the s**t hits the fan.

If we had of kept him to his contract he'd have played scratch matches for most of the year then asked for a trade and we would have got a 4th rounder for him

 

[phantom13]

If all our players were fit, I doubt we would pick him over any of Marshall, Membrey or King.

One of the reasons we shipped him off in the first place was because he would be behind all 3 in the pecking order and didnt want to pay as much as he was demanding for Sandy's full forward.

We let him go cause we didnt want to give him a longer contract, i can absolutely live with that (its hard to fathom given our willingness to give Hill and Hanners long term big money contract but ultimately thats a pointless comparison) but theres no way hes not in our best 22 and as i said, hed be pretty bloody helpful in our 22 right now.

No, he woukd have struggled against Essendon because we got pumped in the midfield.

He kicked a bag in a 130 point win against North, Last year he kicked a bag in an 8 goal win against North.

He then kicked less 43% of his other goal in his other 18 games.

The stats don't lie, he's a front runner and a flat track bully.

We traded him because we wanted to play two rucks, that worked really well last year. Makes no sense to now miss him because he kicked a bag against the worst side in the comp.

I didnt like us getting rid of him last year. I just think its evident now how much its hurting us.

Ultimately this isnt helpful but lets not pretend hes some s**t kicker, hes a good forward that certainly has him limitations.

 

[bird_man]

I didnt like us getting rid of him last year. I just think its evident now how much its hurting us.

Ultimately this isnt helpful but lets not pretend hes some sh*t kicker, hes a good forward that certainly has him limitations.

Not having Josh Bruce is not hurting us one bit.

He's never shown he's a player that performs well when the chips are down.

As I said, we worked very well last year with King, Membrey and Marshall forward. He would not have got a game last year and would have asked for a trade.

 

[kernelT]

We let him go cause we didnt want to give him a longer contract, i can absolutely live with that (its hard to fathom given our willingness to give Hill and Hanners long term big money contract but ultimately thats a pointless comparison) but theres no way hes not in our best 22 and as i said, hed be pretty bloody helpful in our 22 right now.


I didnt like us getting rid of him last year. I just think its evident now how much its hurting us.

Ultimately this isnt helpful but lets not pretend hes some sh*t kicker, hes a good forward that certainly has him limitations.

8 goals in 16 games mate, that’s s**t kicker material on 500+ clams. Missing out on that is not hurting us one bit.