Autopsy The Good (lol!) The Bad and the Beveridge.

[Frewy]

Forget the 4 headed monster are we too tall with the 3 headed monster of Naughton Jamarra & Lobb / English?

The correct answer is yes.

None of last years top 4 teams have more than two tall forwards with most using one as a backup ruck. Fremantle are the other team that could potentially have the Dogs problem in their manning, but ironically have just knocked of Brisbane with one key ruck and forward backup when Darcy hasn't played.

 

[Norm De Guerre]

Gags didn’t impress me that much but did a couple of nice things and does have some AFL level attributes.

Absolutely no idea why he’s being played in the guts this early though. He seems like a running small defender or winger and was drafted as one. Then guys like Sanders & Harmes barely got a look in whilst we rolled with the exact same top heavy midfield of last year.

Because our listless midfield was getting slaughtered on the burst as usual. I actually stood up from my couch and applauded Beveridge for actually trying to bring a burst of speed to the centre bounce when he swung Gallagher in there.

We are slow as a Galapagos Giant Tortoise and terrible defensively with a starting rotation of English, The Bont, Libba and Treloar. Its one of the herd of elephants milling about in the room that nobody wants to acknowledge. Smith going down with an ACL derailed our season before it started.

 

[VogonProsthetnic]

Yes I asked that question after Bevo's mid-week presser and when the team was announced.

Sorry, he may come across as sincere but it's just prevarication.

Especially considering Macrae and O’Donnell played apparently.

 

[Golden_6]

Anyone have any idea why McCrae and O’Donnell were deemed unfit but Dale apparently ok?

And English obviously underdone as well. Missed a lot of pre season.

Reasoning of Beveridge very confusing.

Bevo being an hypocrite and using fitness as an excuse not to bring in Macrae. He was very non-commital about him playing next week and I purely believe that Bevo doesn’t have him in the best 22 at the moment.

Time and time again, once you manage to sneak your way into Bevo’s bad books, you get black listed whilst others get free passes.

 

[Proffessor]

He's brave in the air, but If he doesn't mark it, he's out of the contest.

He was burnt by the coaching panel today, but I dont think he has the tools beyond his marking to make it.

If we bring in another tall and he reverts to a more natural 3rd tall then I suspect that his other shortcomings will come into even starker contrast.

My biggest concern with Buku at the moment is his decision making.

He started off really well and took a great mark, but after the bright start he made made a lot of poor choices throughout the rest of the match that cost the team.

It’s hard to tell if it’s a confidence issue, but he needs to do much better if he wants to secure a regular spot in the team.

 

[goodcop badcop]

Just thinking about how good we are at stuffing good players development

Buku moved all over the place and expected to play like a 200cm defender.

BSmith given a half forward role when he clearly is amid.

Dunkley - forward/ruck ??

Now Sanders - what is his position?.

Why not play in defence which Clarkson is doing with Sheezel and McKercher.

Doubt Sanders would get a game off half back. Unlike North we have a lot of good half back options.

Sanders is a gun centre bounce starting mid. Bevo needs to actually give him more of a go in there if he's going to play him.

 

[doggies ftw]

My biggest concern with Buku at the moment is his decision making.

He started off really well and took a great mark, but after the bright start he made made a lot of poor choices throughout the rest of the match that cost the team.

It’s hard to tell if it’s a confidence issue, but he needs to do much better if he wants to secure a regular spot in the team.

I really thought Buku was okay at the ground, he was soundly beaten a few times. Apparently some poor kicks late? Which I missed cos I was out of there

Again though he was on a hiding to nothing, he’s literally a mid sized player at around 190cm, I cannot believe we managed to go in undersized against ****ing Melbourne, that is way too cute. We blew it right there tbh, it’s obviously not the coaches fault JOD got concussed but if he played today we’re not down another defender next week… I’m loathe to judge Buku until he gets a chance how every ****ing sane person thinks he should play, 3rd tall with two KP players alongside him

 

[Norm De Guerre]

My biggest concern with Buku at the moment is his decision making.

He started off really well and took a great mark, but after the bright start he made made a lot of poor choices throughout the rest of the match that cost the team.

It’s hard to tell if it’s a confidence issue, but he needs to do much better if he wants to secure a regular spot in the team.

I mentioned earlier in this thread that you could see the early confidence just ebb out of him as the game progressed. Resulting in what could be a career defining kick out that came sailing back over his head for a goal. He was absolutely slaughtered by the coaching panel today but some of his mistakes were just fundamental and exposed some serious flaws in his game.

 

[MaxiBont]

Sad that is Williams and Dale haven’t been able to build on their 2021 form. I don’t know if that’s a coaching issue or if they just seriously played out of their skin for a season.

Is it time to give Dale another go in the forward line?

 

[dogwatch]

I know you've all had a sh*t of a day but I want to add just one more depressing fact.

We have no first rounder in 2024. We traded it to the Suns.

On what limited form we've seen so far we are every chance to finish bottom 6, but our first draft pick if we finished say 14th (and even that may be optimistic) would be pick 25.

Meanwhile Gold Cost would have pick 5. They must be having a great giggle over this and they look every chance to consolidate their good fortune by walloping us at Ballarat next week.

 

[Foxman98]

Sad that is Williams and Dale haven’t been able to build on their 2021 form. I don’t know if that’s a coaching issue or if they just seriously played out of their skin for a season.

Is it time to give Dale another go in the forward line?

Dale should be pushed to a wing where his turnovers aren't as bad

 

[VogonProsthetnic]

Before we got Lobb we played Bont as a marking forward, traumatising many defenders.

Now we don’t do that - which also deprives guys like Smith, Macrae and now Sanders mid time.

Naughton could play as second ruck, really don’t see what Lobb brings to the team.

 

[TiAn_]

Sanders, Harmes and Macrae are fighting for two positions imo. We can’t have the three of them occupying half our forward line for big chunks of the game.

 

[lachy]

Really thin on the positives today.

The pressure is really on all facets of the club next week.

The players, on so many levels too many players did not stand up today.

The coach and coaching group. We can argue about selections and can blame players but for the group as a whole to not show up round 1!!! What were doing pre season.

The club on 2 levels. Firstly the reviews will need to show something soon but a repeat of the last 2 seasons, seriously.

Our first home game in Ballarat. Can't blame this on the AFL. We as a club decide to try to grow a thousand or so new supporters and members to disenfranchise 80 to 90% of our support and member base

On SM-S926B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[MaxiBont]

Sanders, Harmes and Macrae are fighting for two positions imo. We can’t have the three of them occupying half our forward line for big chunks of the game.

Sanders should go more in the middle as the season goes on

 

[VogonProsthetnic]

I know you've all had a sh*t of a day but I want to add just one more depressing fact.

We have no first rounder in 2024. We traded it to the Suns.

On what limited form we've seen so far we are every chance to finish bottom 6, but our first draft pick if we finished say 14th (and even that may be optimistic) would be pick 25.

Meanwhile Gold Cost would have pick 5. They must be having a great giggle over this and they look every chance to consolidate their good fortune by walloping us at Ballarat next week.

Remember though we got Croft an extra first rounder, so it’s not that bad.

Talent is definitely not our problem. It’s the clown making decisions.

 

[perro_loco]

That was a brilliant display of shxxful coaching and preparation. This is reminiscent of the Peter Rhode era. If this guy doesn’t turn it around next week he should be out on his ar\se. No backline, dysfunctional forward structure and the skill level is woeful. McNeil plays again and I will spew up!!!

 

[doggies ftw]

Sanders should go more in the middle as the season goes on

Do it now, is Treloar actually any good in this day and age? That goal early in the 2nd I think it was when Richards bounced off Oliver, yeah would expect better from Richards but Treloar was pathetic just jogging around in that play.

He’s small, not great defensively and not great by foot. Sure he’s pretty good on the spread but this is not a guy that should be playing inside minutes in the modern game. He’s a flanker tbh time to move past him

 

[doggies ftw]

I know you've all had a sh*t of a day but I want to add just one more depressing fact.

We have no first rounder in 2024. We traded it to the Suns.

On what limited form we've seen so far we are every chance to finish bottom 6, but our first draft pick if we finished say 14th (and even that may be optimistic) would be pick 25.

Meanwhile Gold Cost would have pick 5. They must be having a great giggle over this and they look every chance to consolidate their good fortune by walloping us at Ballarat next week.

Bank one for English no dramas

 

[Golden_6]

Dale should be pushed to a wing where his turnovers aren't as bad

If what we saw out of Branble today is what we can expect, then Dale should be moved to the wing. Bring in another key tall for some height and the balance is a lot better.

We desperately need an attacking wing option with some speed. I’m sick of this defensive approach or sticking terrible players like McNeil & VDM there for short periods. Dale needs to get on the move in the forward half of the ground to create some overlap run. Were too slow through the middle.

 

[Frewy]

Before we got Lobb we played Bont as a marking forward, traumatising many defenders.

Now we don’t do that - which also deprives guys like Smith, Macrae and now Sanders mid time.

Naughton could play as second ruck, really don’t see what Lobb brings to the team.

I struggle to believe the 3rd forward using a non-mobile ruck strategy wasn't flagged in review which leads me to believe we are still rolling it out for ulterior reasons. After all the changes in the off-season there is no way it could be just Bevo on this one, so to my mind it has to be a whole of club strategy for either player harmony or contracts.

 

[MaxiBont]

Do it now, is Treloar actually any good in this day and age? That goal early in the 2nd I think it was when Richards bounced off Oliver, yeah would expect better from Richards but Treloar was pathetic just jogging around in that play.

He’s small, not great defensively and not great by foot. Sure he’s pretty good on the spread but this is not a guy that should be playing inside minutes in the modern game. He’s a flanker tbh time to move past him

Treloar would be way better at HF than Sanders atm. Treloar still has a burst of pace and can kick on the run from past 50 through the middle better than most on our team.

Sanders is not made for the HF role atm, I’d be chucking Sanders straight in the middle, he can move the ball sad quick as anyone in the team.

 

[Foxman98]

Treloar would be way better at HF than Sanders atm. Treloar still has a burst of pace and can kick on the run from past 50.

Sanders is not made for the HF role atm, I’d be chucking Sanders straight in the middle, he can move the ball sad quick as anyone in the team.

He didn't have it today,

Watched a fat Clayton Oliver outrun him all day

 

[Leon]

Thing that depresses me (amongst several things) is this.

When we had that disastrous end to 2023, most of us, although angry and disappointed, saw missing the finals as the recession we had to have, that the club would finally wake up and make some changes as clearly things weren’t working.

Fast forward to Round One 2024 and it’s almost a carbon copy of Round One 2023.

If we’d lost today but it was close, there was something tangible you could see that we were doing that was different, something, anything that could show that we’d improved, had changed things up, you could have accepted it and moved on.

2022-23 both started the same - beaten easily by Melbourne, lose the next week, Beveridge then gives the side the facts of life and changes things up, we have a backs to the wall win and look like we’ve turned things around, but the damage is already done.

We’re halfway there in 2024. Good thing we’re keeping up with tradition.

Few things more painful and more irritating than when someone, or something, promises to change and they smack you right in the face with the reality that they’re the same as they’ve ever been.

 

[dogwatch]

Remember though we got Croft an extra first rounder, so it’s not that bad.

Talent is definitely not our problem. It’s the clown making decisions.

That may well be, but it would have been on the premise that we were probably sacrificing a pick in the range of about 10-14.

Would we have done it if we knew it would be maybe pick 3-6?
What a year not to have our natural first rounder!

Let's hope Sanders and Croft are every bit as good as the hype.