Bulldogs coach defends defenders
By Rohan Connolly
April 08 2003
Bulldogs Ben Harrison, Steve Kretiuk and Ryan Hargrave take to the water during the team's recovery session at Port Melbourne yesterday.
Picture: Sebastian Costanzo
Western Bulldogs coach Peter Rohde yesterday defended the capacity of his undersized back line to do its job this season, placing the blame for Sunday's lacklustre 22-point loss to Richmond squarely with the team's midfield.
The Bulldogs, who lost centre half-back Chris Grant for the season in round one, were routinely outmarked by the Tigers in the defeat, Matthew Richardson taking eight marks, and Richmond kicking 10 of its 16 goals from marks.
Of the 16 back lines selected for last weekend, the Bulldogs came in second-last for average height, bigger only than Port Adelaide. Rohde was forced to double-team Richardson with the much shorter Scott Bassett and Steve Kretiuk, while rookie Brian Harris was playing only his second senior game.
But Rohde said yesterday the Dogs may continue with their pre-season plans of playing regular full-back Matthew Croft in attack, even in spite of Grant's loss, and confirmed his own disappointment in the lack of accountability shown by his running brigade.
"I just think for the amount of inside 50s we've conceded, our back line has actually been among the most frugal in the competition," Rohde said. "I see the problem more as how much the ball is coming in there, and how little pressure people are under kicking it in."
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The Bulldogs have conceded more inside 50s to their opposition than any other side in the competition, 67 in the first game against Geelong and 61 last Sunday.
"'I'm not naive enough to think we're going to correct that in one or two weeks or maybe even one season. But there's no doubt when we're under pressure, we lapse back into playing a bit similarly to the way we have in the past," Rohde said.
"There's no doubt we could have a back line as tall as anyone's if we wanted to play Croft, Harris, (Wayde) Skipper and those blokes down there, but it's a balancing act.
"The thing 'Granty' did give us wasn't only height, but his ability to run and use the ball as well; it's always a trade-off," he said.
Rohde said it was doubtful that Grant would have lined up on Richardson had he been available at the weekend.
"It would have been interesting where he would have played. With 'Richo' and their resting ruckman close to goal, we could have played him back, but we wouldn't have been getting the most value out of him.
"We probably would have played him on one of their mediums because they played three of them across the half-forward line."
But Rohde conceded that opponents would be trying to exploit the Bulldogs' lack of centimetres, emphasising the importance of giving newcomers game time.
"Ideally, we need to get a bit more footy into Croft, and he can take the best-quality opposition tall forwards, and to get a few more games into Harris," he said.
"The battle, especially with tall defenders, is to get the first dozen or 20 games into them, because there's no doubt the game experience is probably more important back there than anywhere else on ground."
By Rohan Connolly
April 08 2003
Bulldogs Ben Harrison, Steve Kretiuk and Ryan Hargrave take to the water during the team's recovery session at Port Melbourne yesterday.
Picture: Sebastian Costanzo
Western Bulldogs coach Peter Rohde yesterday defended the capacity of his undersized back line to do its job this season, placing the blame for Sunday's lacklustre 22-point loss to Richmond squarely with the team's midfield.
The Bulldogs, who lost centre half-back Chris Grant for the season in round one, were routinely outmarked by the Tigers in the defeat, Matthew Richardson taking eight marks, and Richmond kicking 10 of its 16 goals from marks.
Of the 16 back lines selected for last weekend, the Bulldogs came in second-last for average height, bigger only than Port Adelaide. Rohde was forced to double-team Richardson with the much shorter Scott Bassett and Steve Kretiuk, while rookie Brian Harris was playing only his second senior game.
But Rohde said yesterday the Dogs may continue with their pre-season plans of playing regular full-back Matthew Croft in attack, even in spite of Grant's loss, and confirmed his own disappointment in the lack of accountability shown by his running brigade.
"I just think for the amount of inside 50s we've conceded, our back line has actually been among the most frugal in the competition," Rohde said. "I see the problem more as how much the ball is coming in there, and how little pressure people are under kicking it in."
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The Bulldogs have conceded more inside 50s to their opposition than any other side in the competition, 67 in the first game against Geelong and 61 last Sunday.
"'I'm not naive enough to think we're going to correct that in one or two weeks or maybe even one season. But there's no doubt when we're under pressure, we lapse back into playing a bit similarly to the way we have in the past," Rohde said.
"There's no doubt we could have a back line as tall as anyone's if we wanted to play Croft, Harris, (Wayde) Skipper and those blokes down there, but it's a balancing act.
"The thing 'Granty' did give us wasn't only height, but his ability to run and use the ball as well; it's always a trade-off," he said.
Rohde said it was doubtful that Grant would have lined up on Richardson had he been available at the weekend.
"It would have been interesting where he would have played. With 'Richo' and their resting ruckman close to goal, we could have played him back, but we wouldn't have been getting the most value out of him.
"We probably would have played him on one of their mediums because they played three of them across the half-forward line."
But Rohde conceded that opponents would be trying to exploit the Bulldogs' lack of centimetres, emphasising the importance of giving newcomers game time.
"Ideally, we need to get a bit more footy into Croft, and he can take the best-quality opposition tall forwards, and to get a few more games into Harris," he said.
"The battle, especially with tall defenders, is to get the first dozen or 20 games into them, because there's no doubt the game experience is probably more important back there than anywhere else on ground."
