Eade: the great mistake?

[just maybe]

Was impressed with the work he's done with the Bulldogs already - he's clearly learnt from his time out of the game, and although the Bulldogs' skill level still isn't fantastic he had them playing exciting football against Collingwood. It's a significant difference from how the Bulldogs were playing last year.

See, this kind of performance makes me doubt even further Craig's continued claims that he is changing the gameplan, and that when he gets caught out as not changing it at all (as over the pre-season), he then claims it will 'take time to implement'. Having it each way, Craigy?

If you look at how much Eade has changed the Bulldogs already - after only taking over at the end of the season - Craig's claims look pretty farcical. I think the real fact is he is not that innovative as a coach and is cribbing from the gameplans of the two coaches he has worked under - Blight and Ayres.

Craig arguably has a better list at his disposal than Eade, but I have been thoroughly unimpressed with Craig's attitude and coaching over the preseason and this first game. He is quick to resort to negative tactics, has no match-day ability at all, doesn't seem to have altered our gameplan all that much and while he talks a good game, it is mostly media spin that can quickly be exposed as puffery and misinformation. Where's this Craig who has 'a million variations on his gameplan' that we got hyped about last season?

I think our board made an astoundingly stupid decision and I think it was a 'boy's club' decision. Eade was ready and willing and we were stupid enough to let him slip, and we may see the ramifications over the coming season. I would love to be proven wrong, and the season awaits, but I seriously doubt Craig will prove to be a better coach than Eade. He's another Frawley...Schwab...Drum - mediocre coaches with mediocre lists. Let's just hope we don't follow the paths of those three clubs.

Well it's an inflammatory first post, I know, but I really think our club made a huge mistake with Craig.

 

[tribey]

First of all, welcome aboard JM.

Back during the so-called 'process' I wanted Plough first, Rocket second, Craig no third dividend. But we have Craig now. That's that.

I must say I've been very impressed with Eade's work at the Dogs so far - based on Wizard Cup form and yesterday's game he seems to be getting the most out of the talented gaggle of kids at his disposal (Cooney and Birss especially) while reinvigorating the careers of veterans who were in danger of getting stale if they weren't already, leaving him the tantalising challenge of working out where to fit someone like Jade Rawlings and when to fully blood Farren Ray and Ryan Griffen.

 

[noddy]

Only been one game.

 

[AdelaideFan]

Only been one game.

Exactly only one game lads

Un ender manned Collingwood is not the same as a fully fit West Coast. We put up a fight.

 

[*PAF]

The Bulldogs have no shortage of talent.
Shortage of KP forwards and shortage of experience yes. Shortage of talent no.
They will be up and down like a Yo-Yo this year. Good luck with the tipping.

 

[*PAF]

Exactly only one game lads

Un ender manned Collingwood is not the same as a fully fit West Coast. We put up a fight.

Got both Adelaide teams wrong in my tipping. I didn't think Port would win (just cannot tip against them), but I was really confident you would beat the WCE.
Last quarter fade outs are becoming a bit of a norm at Crowland so far this year.

 

[tribey]

The Bulldogs have no shortage of talent.
Shortage of KP forwards and shortage of experience yes. Shortage of talent no.
They will be up and down like a Yo-Yo this year. Good luck with the tipping.

Yep, very much like the West Coast of years gone by.

 

[AdelaideFan]

Got both Adelaide teams wrong in my tipping. I didn't think Port would win (just cannot tip against them), but I was really confident you would beat the WCE.
Last quarter fade outs are becoming a bit of a norm at Crowland so far this year.

Got them both right in mine. Didn't expect to beat them. Hate losing but felt West Coast would be to strong for us. I was right. Felt your lads were a bit under done.

The last quarter fade outs are an issue, would point the finger at fitness probably the same with power.....

 

[drakeyv2]

I wanted Eade as well but it is still only early days. He has also got the benefit of some earlier draft picks (that have been playing senior football not VFL/SANFL for the last 12 months).

One thing though. After sitting through one of the most appauling displays of negative football/flooding you could hope to see on Sunday, I would expect all the people who didn't want Eade because we would flood should be having 2nd thoughts.

We have got Craig though, & other than not delisting Smith, Begley & Stevens I don't think he has done too much wrong off season.

I do have a concern about our fitness however. We were run over again in the last quarter on Sunday after similar problems in the 4th quarters of our last 3 trial games. Coincidence; or the result of concentrating on skills instead of putting miles in their legs?

 

[The Toolman]

Got both Adelaide teams wrong in my tipping. I didn't think Port would win (just cannot tip against them), but I was really confident you would beat the WCE.
Last quarter fade outs are becoming a bit of a norm at Crowland so far this year.

And as we are only one game in, 40 point drubbings are becoming a bit of a norm at Wharfie Land too!

 

[Markthirtytwo]

Fair suck of the sav.
Just been one game so lets see how he goes against the dees this weekend.

And welcome to the board.

 

[The Toolman]

Let's give Craigy a go....the first half of the first quarter was exhilarating footy from the Crows. Long, direct and precise. If that is the Craig gameplan, then I like it. I don't think Craig would have gone to his troops at quarter time and said ' right, now let's start going wide and indirect.' West Coast are a very good side who made changes to combat our movement. Maybe Craig was out coached in that regard. But to compare what Eade has done with the Bulldogs after beating a definite contender for the wooden spoon, compared to our effort againts a contender for the trophy is a bit naiive.

 

[*PAF]

And as we are only one game in, 40 point drubbings are becoming a bit of a norm at Wharfie Land too!

 

[Mad Dog]

Was impressed with the work he's done with the Bulldogs already - he's clearly learnt from his time out of the game, and although the Bulldogs' skill level still isn't fantastic he had them playing exciting football against Collingwood. It's a significant difference from how the Bulldogs were playing last year.

See, this kind of performance makes me doubt even further Craig's continued claims that he is changing the gameplan, and that when he gets caught out as not changing it at all (as over the pre-season), he then claims it will 'take time to implement'. Having it each way, Craigy?

If you look at how much Eade has changed the Bulldogs already - after only taking over at the end of the season - Craig's claims look pretty farcical. I think the real fact is he is not that innovative as a coach and is cribbing from the gameplans of the two coaches he has worked under - Blight and Ayres.

Craig arguably has a better list at his disposal than Eade, but I have been thoroughly unimpressed with Craig's attitude and coaching over the preseason and this first game. He is quick to resort to negative tactics, has no match-day ability at all, doesn't seem to have altered our gameplan all that much and while he talks a good game, it is mostly media spin that can quickly be exposed as puffery and misinformation. Where's this Craig who has 'a million variations on his gameplan' that we got hyped about last season?

I think our board made an astoundingly stupid decision and I think it was a 'boy's club' decision. Eade was ready and willing and we were stupid enough to let him slip, and we may see the ramifications over the coming season. I would love to be proven wrong, and the season awaits, but I seriously doubt Craig will prove to be a better coach than Eade. He's another Frawley...Schwab...Drum - mediocre coaches with mediocre lists. Let's just hope we don't follow the paths of those three clubs.

Well it's an inflammatory first post, I know, but I really think our club made a huge mistake with Craig.

Welcome JM - a great first post.....

You make a lot of sense in what you say........it was the Craig appointment in fact that angered me so much as to begin posting here.....

I'm not a NC fan.......but I've made a pact with my therapist that I will wait until Round 11 before I make a judgement on his effectiveness....

Some outputs we witness as supporters are predominantly a function of talent in the squad.....ie skill errors and unforced turnovers.....whereas others like player selection + positioning, matchday tactics, and game plan are clearly a function of the coach.

If I were a Bulldog fan - I wouldn't be booking my finals tickets yet, and you need to wonder what you attribute their improvement thus far to....is it player talent, the diference between Rhode and Eade, or shizenhouzen Collingwood.?????

As for Craigy.......I think by mid-season we will have enough evidence to pass comment.

 

[Markthirtytwo]

Welcome JM - a great first post.....

You make a lot of sense in what you say........it was the Craig appointment in fact that angered me so much as to begin posting here.....

I'm not a NC fan.......but I've made a pact with my therapist that I will wait until Round 11 before I make a judgement on his effectiveness....

Some outputs we witness as supporters are predominantly a function of talent in the squad.....ie skill errors and unforced turnovers.....whereas others like player selection + positioning, matchday tactics, and game plan are clearly a function of the coach.

If I were a Bulldog fan - I wouldn't be booking my finals tickets yet, and you need to wonder what you attribute their improvement thus far to....is it player talent, the diference between Rhode and Eade, or shizenhouzen Collingwood.?????

As for Craigy.......I think by mid-season we will have enough evidence to pass comment.

Still only as good as the cattle you have at your disposal however MD.

 

[Crowked]

People forget we flogged Melbourne in Craigs first game in charge.

Eade has won one game against pretty ordinary opposition. Lets wait and see. If the Bullfrogs finish above us or even beat us when we play them, then there might be cause for this thread, but 1 game?, come on.

There are another 21 tests to come for both coaches, then we will see who was/is right and who isnt.

 

[just maybe]

That Melbourne flogging was based on SANFL-style tactics that worked as a surprise for one game, but was not used again because it is too easy to counteract.

The main thrust behind my post is that, yes, it may be 1 game in, but look how Eade has already made a considerable change to the Bulldogs' gameplan, yet Craig claims he has a new gameplan (which we have't seen, only various Ayres/Blight tactics) and when he gets challenged on that gameplan not existing claims it will take a long time to implement properly.

Now, Eade has had 9 less games to work with his team, yet still has made a real change to the team's gameplan, yet Craig keeps making excuses and changing his story. Suggests to me that he really doesn't have any original ideas and he's just cribbing off his predecessors.

 

[arrowman]

...The main thrust behind my post is that, yes, it may be 1 game in, but look how Eade has already made a considerable change to the Bulldogs' gameplan, yet Craig claims he has a new gameplan (which we have't seen, only various Ayres/Blight tactics) and when he gets challenged on that gameplan not existing claims it will take a long time to implement properly.

Now, Eade has had 9 less games to work with his team, yet still has made a real change to the team's gameplan, yet Craig keeps making excuses and changing his story. Suggests to me that he really doesn't have any original ideas and he's just cribbing off his predecessors.

How many game plans do you think there are in the football universe? You want radical innovation, hire Gerard Neesham.

I don't think a tactic should be condemned just because it was used under Blight or Ayres - certainly not Blight and Ayres got it right a few times too.

I saw a few things on Sunday that pleased me - the run out of half back, kicking forward to the space in front on running players, centre the ball more often than not - it was great to watch. It fell apart under defensive pressure, but that was as much due to the players as the coach, and end of the day, we only fell a couple of goals short. Not good enough. But not doom and gloom either.

Exactly how is Craig "making excuses" and "changing his story"?

 

[outback jack]

you can tell, NC is a huge Blight fan, but he was only the fitness guy under blight so i dont think he would know a lot of what blight does.

He should be himself and play how he thinks will win, if he tries to copy blight or ayres, it wont be very successful.

 

[arrowman]

you can tell, NC is a huge Blight fan, but he was only the fitness guy under blight so i dont think he would know a lot of what blight does.

That's right, he used to sit in the gym during games and it wouldn't have done him any good to watch anyway, not having any football background and all.

He should be himself and play how he thinks will win, if he tries to copy blight or ayres, it wont be very successful.

Trouble is, there's only so many variations to this essentially simple game of ours, and you could pick on 8 tactics out of 10 and say "Blight used that" or "Ayres used that".

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

Only been one game.

Unbelieveable isn't it. I reckon we should also sack Roo and Macca as they also had a bad game. Yeah - let's sack everyone. Pathetic.

 

[drakeyv2]

Unbelieveable isn't it. I reckon we should also sack Roo and Macca as they also had a bad game. Yeah - let's sack everyone. Pathetic.

Just 1 bad game from Macca?

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

Just 1 bad game from Macca?

Point taken. However, I am going to at least wait to mid season before i start writing off players/coaches - the exception being obviously Smith and S Stevens.

 

[Mad Dog]

Unbelieveable isn't it. I reckon we should also sack Roo and Macca as they also had a bad game. Yeah - let's sack everyone. Pathetic.

Springmeister.........welcome back..... ....recovered from the honeymoon obviously........

 

[Mad Dog]

Still only as good as the cattle you have at your disposal however MD.

absolutely.... - that's why we need to try and catagorize indicators of team performance into cattle or herder related....