List Mgmt. Fix our defence

[BulldogMuscle]

How do we do it? We are clearly attempting to contend, so drafting a kid who who won’t have major impact is probably off the cards, considering we don’t even play Buss, so what are our options? Is it game plan? Lack of defensive pressure from our mids? Structure?

I feel like we need to put Fridge back in the defence , and Hope Liam Jones

19

Liam Jones

Age

34

Ht

199cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.4

2star

K

6.5

3star

HB

2.9

3star

M

4.3

4star

T

2.0

4star

MG

134.5

2star

D

7.6

2star

K

6.1

3star

HB

1.4

1star

M

4.1

4star

T

1.4

2star

MG

116.3

2star

D

9.4

3star

K

7.4

3star

HB

2.0

2star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.2

4star

comes good.

I feel we’re desperately in need of a number one KPD considering Jones drop off, we need one so JOD can play second string and Lobb can play interceptor.

Lobb is starting to get out worked by these younger strong KPDs, don’t think it’s a role good for him.

 

[Boyd oh Boyd]

Maybe look at what every other top 8 team does and play a spare behind the ball

 

[Unorth]

Coffield is physically cooked and offers nothing over a just about physically cooked Jones.

Look at how our backline in 2016 worked hard to support each other despite not having a “gorilla” KPD. Don’t press so high leaving Lobb and JoD in 1:1 wrestles against Larkey and then Thilthorpe. Actually crazy how we didn’t make any adjustments between games.

 

[TheSportingEyes]

There is no fixing it this year. We just don't have the cattle. I think MC will ride out the two key backs and just try to out gun the opposition in a first to score 100 way. Last 20 premiers have been top 6 in points against so we will have to buck that trend. Ride until we die in 2025 and hope we get internal improvement next year/ trade in a key back and some small defenders.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

Buku or Buss is all we have to support JOD

We needed to fix it years ago, not look at it now.

 

[_Mike_]

Look at how our backline in 2016 worked

In fairness the argument is comparing a solid mix of experience capability in
Morris, Moyd, Wood, JJ (then) complimented by Hamling, Fletch, & Roughy dropping back

to now -

Coffee, JOD, JJ (2025 version), Lobb, Dale, and Williams

I get the point however the players are not at that level of experience and skills. 2016 was a rare time for the dogs where everything finally clicked

 

[MaxiBont]

Play Sellwood

 

[Norm De Guerre]

Its not hard to see why we've invested in Jaques, Walker and Selwood in recent drafts.

Are any of these guys the answer. Who knows?

But the club pretty clearly have been asking themselves the same question as the OP.

 

[VitalDread]

Problem with our defence is our midfield not defending

Slowing down and marking player makes it ten times easier for our Defenders

 

[dogsuperfan]

Problem with our defence is our midfield not defending

Slowing down and marking player makes it ten times easier for our Defenders

Yeah the game turned a lot in our favour when Bont started hunting everyone down.

 

[Pocket Terrace]

The system is more broken than the lack of pillars. We concede far too many goals from opposition kick-ins and boundary throw ins.

But it was so obvious today that we’ve also neglected this area of our list for too long. I like Lobb and JOD as players, but they both debuted with us as forwards. Recruiting Jones was more opportunistic than good strategy, so it’s just a bit random overall.

Our defensive system up the ground is negligent and our investment/recruiting into the back half is also negligent.

 

[MaxiBont]

It’s been a problem since 2016.

Our goals usually rely on a great mark or a great piece of play.

The opposition goals are usually one kick out the back or under no pressure.

Not sure how it’s solved. Seems so engrained

 

[BigFloppa]

Maybe we could recruit Bailey Fritsch and turn him into the next Jake Lever

8

Jake Lever

Age

29

Ht

194cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.6

4star

K

9.7

4star

HB

4.9

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

1.3

3star

MG

242.0

4star

D

9.6

2star

K

6.5

3star

HB

3.1

2star

M

3.9

4star

T

1.3

2star

MG

145.4

3star

D

16.0

4star

K

11.0

4star

HB

5.0

4star

M

6.6

5star

T

1.6

4star

MG

189.8

4star

 

[BulldogMuscle]

Maybe we could recruit Bailey Fritsch and turn him into the next Jake Lever

Again my worry, targeting wrong players in the off season. Sick of us having to make forwards into defenders.

Just god damn get genuine defenders.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

If Darcy bulked up a bit we could move him to defense

Then we can have a sequel megathread to Naughton key forward or key defender?

 

[Mojorisin]

If Darcy bulked up a bit we could move him to defense

Then we can have a sequel megathread to Naughton key forward or key defender?

It'd be awhile until Will Bulks up.

 

[TMoney22]

Williams on the wing helps. I like his ability to defend at that position with Davidson providing an offensive option.
I still think Lobb and Jones is a great KPD combo with JOD or Buku as the 3rd.
Having some sort of tagger in the midfield to at least limit or pressure the oppositions most offensive mid who would set up so many scoring chains. Other than that it seems more systemic rather than individuals

 

[dogwatch]

There are insights into the problem (and perhaps how we address it) in some of these posts:

Maybe look at what every other top 8 team does and play a spare behind the ball

There is no fixing it this year. We just don't have the cattle.

Problem with our defence is our midfield not defending

Slowing down and marking player makes it ten times easier for our Defenders

The system is more broken than the lack of pillars. We concede far too many goals from opposition kick-ins and boundary throw ins.

But it was so obvious today that we’ve also neglected this area of our list for too long. I like Lobb and JOD as players, but they both debuted with us as forwards. Recruiting Jones was more opportunistic than good strategy, so it’s just a bit random overall.

Our defensive system up the ground is negligent and our investment/recruiting into the back half is also negligent.

It’s been a problem since 2016.

It's both a system problem and a personnel problem.
We also have to think about how to fix it short term - 2025 (difficult) and how we address it longer term (2026 and beyond).

SYSTEM
The club is never going to fix the system until they accept it's broken. That itself is an intractable problem because as MaxiBont say it has been like this - give or take a smidge - since 2016. The one constant in that period has been our current coach who has just been extended for two years. From memory his prime responsibility at Hawthorn before joining us was for defensive systems, so it looks to me like it has Bevo's fingerprints all over it. I don't readily accept that it's largely Pratt's fault as someone suggested. He's only been here about two years.

So our best hope of addressing the system failings before 2028 is that Bevo can somehow be persuaded by his assistants that the way we play (midfield + defence) is either outright broken or it's only going to work when it really counts (ie against the top sides) if you have a list full of Dale Morrises and Brian Lakes. And that rarely happens. Ergo the system itself needs changing.

How should the system change? The tempting answer and the one I've suggested before is that we don't press up so high. But it's a bit more complicated than that. The high press delivers us advantages at the other end of the field in helping us build a wall to get repeat entries inside 50. And besides, even a shallower press can still be exploited on a quick rebound. It can be broken down further in defining the roles of each defender and midfielder in that press but it would way too long to address here.

I'll summarise it like this: we can still maintain a press but depending on how the opposition responds positionally and on their main playmakers, we keep at least one player back as sweeper or libero. It may need to be more than one sometimes. The main sweeper needs to read the play well, be a good decision make, be fast over the first 20m, have a good leap and a solid build. Not as a one-on-one defender or to "mark" a particular player. He does not have a single opponent. Dale Morris was the archetype a decade ago. The nearest we have now is perhaps Lobb but he's not quite the right build and anyway he is needed elsewhere with his strength and height. That's why I was suggesting Ryan Gardner in the Game Day thread. I wasn't being flippant. Gardy is a spoiler and interceptor. He is particularly quick off the mark and has the build and leap required. We just need to minimise the times he is isolated against the Chols, Fogartys or Thilthorpes. But that's not his problem. That's for the whole defensive unit to do.

All the sweeper has to do is spoil the ball, preferably across the boundary line, until the reinforcements manage to get back. That's Gardy's strength. Then we're a decent chance to clear it or at least shut down the open play. Of course intercept marks are even better but only if they are safe (ie uncontested). Otherwise just thump it out.

And before some smartarse says "I stopped reading at Gardner" feel free to substitute somebody else you like who you think could do the job. We're talking about a system solution here. Discussion of personnel comes later. I'm not locked in on Gardy but looking down the list I'm struggling to find anyone who could better fill the role next week.

One of the other possible flow-on benefits of a shallower press might be a less crowded forward line. Has anyone noticed how week after week our forward line is much more clogged than our opponents when there's a rebound? When we press high we pull the opposition up with us. The first quick entry is critical but if that doesn't bring a goal we're always going inside 50 with our repeat entries to a very crowded space where the chances of isolating a defender or leading into space are much reduced. We need to question the benefits of our current repeat entries if they are going to have a lower percentage chance of a goal than our opponent's entries.

 

[dergert]

Too late to make in season changes.
We will rue not stumping up the cash for Barrass.

 

[VitalDread]

Too late to make in season changes.
We will rue not stumping up the cash for Barrass.

From memory
Barrass was only using us to get more coin from Hawks
Never wanted to come to dogs

 

[Morris Major]

It doesn't matter who we have when our system is susceptible to leaving them expose on the counter.

This fan attitude of thinking individual players are some sort of silver bullet is infuriating, and immature.

 

[geoffjennings79]

Step 1. Replace the person ultimately responsible for the system/structure/press...

Hint: it's not Daniel Pratt

Daniel Pratt

Age

42

Ht

185cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.6

4star

K

10.3

4star

HB

5.3

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.8

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.6

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

2.2

2star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.8

4star

.

 

[FoochPackage]

Sack the coach. That's how we fix it.

 

[JTCWBFC]

Just put this on ice until 2028. Literally nothing is changing until then now.

 

[Frewy]

Haven't seen how he is going in the VFL, but Sam Frost

8

Sam Frost

Age

32

Ht

194cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.4

3star

K

7.1

3star

HB

5.2

4star

M

3.7

4star

T

1.9

4star

MG

191.6

3star

D

10.5

3star

K

6.3

3star

HB

4.3

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.5

2star

MG

191.6

3star

D

11.2

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

5.2

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.4

4star

looks like the only genuine KPD on the market out of contract. He will be 32 next year, but anything else other than looking at second tier is going to require some more significant capital.