Rumour Future of the club (Bevo, board, assistant coaches, football department)

[Freshwater]

I’ve watched most finals game’s thinking the same.

Only 2-3 games all season that we were not in it at all. 2 of those Rd1 and 2.

Large parts of games against most finalists we’d put ourselves in positions to win (some comfortably), only to s**t the bed and drop right off.

GWS the one that is highlighted the most now. Looking like a real threat to win it all. We made them look 2nd rate for more than 2 quarters, this was during their huge run of form, and should’ve been up by 9 goals if not for our goal kicking yips.

Agree, we’re not that far off. Pretty excited for what next season brings with a coaching panel and list clean out.

Bevo’s pre game and post game interviews from the West Coast Eagles game shows he really wasn’t in the correct head space to lead the team then. If he stays hopefully he can sort himself out before he leads the young men under his tutelage. We could be I preliminary finals this week if …

 

[Dog 36]

For some optimism in here for next year,

We beat 3/4 Preliminary finalists and won 3/5 games against them including choking on a 4th with our 2 losses combining for 17 points.

We are not that far off

I know you are not saying this but no point looking at games in isolation and not putting them in perspective of the whole year or even 2 years.
IMO we are much further away to closer to a top 4 side.

Whilst confusion reigns at the Kennel we are wasting some really good years.

 

[Dogs Rule]

I know you are not saying this but no point looking at games in isolation and not putting them in perspective of the whole year or even 2 years.
IMO we are much further away to closer to a top 4 side.

Whilst confusion reigns at the Kennel we are wasting some really good years.

The worst part is you know that if we had a coach like McRae, a semi decent team of assistants and a semi competent footy manager fair chance we would be playing next weekend.

 

[CarnTheScray]

Looking at the quality of the games so far…I’ve seen us play far better at our best. *, I hope we fix our issues this off-season.

 

[fred cook]

Looking at the quality of the games so far…I’ve seen us play far better at our best. *, I hope we fix our issues this off-season.

I agree 100 per cent Also having the Western Oval back as our training facility will be a big boost to the team

On CPH2305 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Mofra]

He'd be a good get. Built his playing career the hard way. I liked what I heard of him during his post career media stint and he's clearly doing a great Job at Werribee.

Having at least one assistant coach who did is vital.
Speaks well at least from the snippets of interviews I've heard.

 

[Foxman98]

I know you are not saying this but no point looking at games in isolation and not putting them in perspective of the whole year or even 2 years.
IMO we are much further away to closer to a top 4 side.

Whilst confusion reigns at the Kennel we are wasting some really good years.

But we really aren't we lost 6 games by 2 goals or less and really outside of the Collingwood game should've won them all and even then had our chances that puts us at 17 wins for the year equal with Brisbane and Port

Our best is clearly good enough

 

[Dog 36]

But we really aren't we lost 6 games by 2 goals or less and really outside of the Collingwood game should've won them all and even then had our chances that puts us at 17 wins for the year equal with Brisbane and Port

Our best is clearly good enough

This team is confused, lacks integrity and cannot be trusted.

Hope in off season whatever the issues are they get addressed but I would not hold my breath.

 

[doggies ftw]

The only reason we won games or got close in games is because we have the best player in the comp and a couple of other AA stars dragging us along, I’m sorry but that is literally the only reason.

We’re a mile off the good teams when it counts because we’re the worst coaches team in the league, unfortunately

Surely this GWS run is making us reconsider Bevs position? We could be winning flags with this side, no one can tell me otherwise, our list is good enough

 

[Here we go dogs]

I’ve watched most finals game’s thinking the same.

Only 2-3 games all season that we were not in it at all. 2 of those Rd1 and 2.

Large parts of games against most finalists we’d put ourselves in positions to win (some comfortably), only to s**t the bed and drop right off.

GWS the one that is highlighted the most now. Looking like a real threat to win it all. We made them look 2nd rate for more than 2 quarters, this was during their huge run of form, and should’ve been up by 9 goals if not for our goal kicking yips.

Agree, we’re not that far off. Pretty excited for what next season brings with a coaching panel and list clean out.

GWS were missing Tom Green and Hogan that day. Agree we looked good the first half (aside from kicking the ball to Sam Taylor).

Probably would’ve won by 9 goals not for in game injuries aswell. Takes the steam out of a team when someone does an acl.

 

[dogwatch]

But we really aren't we lost 6 games by 2 goals or less and really outside of the Collingwood game should've won them all and even then had our chances that puts us at 17 wins for the year equal with Brisbane and Port

Our best is clearly good enough

But we didn’t win them and that’s on the club. It’s not bad luck or bad umpiring. It’s a recurrent theme.

We have been arguing for months about why this is so and what the club can do about it. We are hoping against some worrying signs we’ve been seeing that the club can do something meaningful and effective.

It certainly won’t automatically right itself and it might not even regress to the mean if the causes are not addressed.

I agree that in 2023 our very best was as good as at least 4-5 of the sides we’ve been watching in this finals series.

So our ceiling is quite good - although not great.

Unfortunately our floor is appallingly bad. It could well be the worst out of the top 12 sides.

We need to perform closer to our ceiling much more of the time. We need to do it throughout games not just for a couple of quarters. And we definitely need to raise our floor.

 

[Foxman98]

But we didn’t win them and that’s on the club. It’s not bad luck or bad umpiring. It’s a recurrent theme.

We have been arguing for months about why this is so and what the club can do about it. We are hoping against some worrying signs we’ve been seeing that the club can do something meaningful and effective.

It certainly won’t automatically right itself and it might not even regress to the mean if the causes are not addressed.

I agree that in 2023 our very best was as good as at least 4-5 of the sides we’ve been watching in this finals series.

So our ceiling is quite good - although not great.

Unfortunately our floor is appallingly bad. It could well be the worst out of the top 12 sides.

We need to perform closer to our ceiling much more of the time. We need to do it throughout games not just for a couple of quarters. And we definitely need to raise our floor.

Where did I say it was luck or umpiring or will right itself?

The whole point was we are doing what was needed last year finally have some optimism.

 

[dogwatch]

Another point … if our best is good enough to make top 4 then we can’t say it’s the list that’s mediocre, and use that to excuse the coaching.

 

[Foxman98]

Another point … if our best is good enough to make top 4 then we can’t say it’s the list that’s mediocre, and use that to excuse the coaching.

You do realise it can be a combination of the 2 right? parts of our list are very very mediocre parts of our team issues come from poor selection from the MC

 

[dogwatch]

Where did I say it was luck or umpiring or will right itself?

The whole point was we are doing what was needed last year finally have some optimism.

Straw man.
You didn’t. I was saying that to head off some likely counter arguments. Obviously that didn’t work.

I’m happy to look for causes for optimism so I hope you’re right. However until I see meaningful action from the administration I remain uncharacteristically pessimistic.

 

[dogwatch]

You do realise it can be a combination of the 2 right? parts of our list are very very mediocre parts of our team issues come from poor selection from the MC

Haha ok I think we’re done.

 

[doggies ftw]

But we didn’t win them and that’s on the club. It’s not bad luck or bad umpiring. It’s a recurrent theme.

We have been arguing for months about why this is so and what the club can do about it. We are hoping against some worrying signs we’ve been seeing that the club can do something meaningful and effective.

It certainly won’t automatically right itself and it might not even regress to the mean if the causes are not addressed.

I agree that in 2023 our very best was as good as at least 4-5 of the sides we’ve been watching in this finals series.

So our ceiling is quite good - although not great.

Unfortunately our floor is appallingly bad. It could well be the worst out of the top 12 sides.

We need to perform closer to our ceiling much more of the time. We need to do it throughout games not just for a couple of quarters. And we definitely need to raise our floor.

Mmm honestly our best is Bont, any team with Bont is gonna win 8-10 games in the current tightly spread league. Can’t be underestimated how far and away best in the league he is at his best, and we’re wasting him

 

[TiAn_]

Some argue that our depth players are garbage and that ties Bev’s hands but a bottom 6-8 of Owies, Cincotta, Cottrell, Kennedy, Fogarty, Pittonet, Hollands, etc just won two finals.

How many times recently have we seen depth players that were apparently terrible while their side was performing poorly become useful and effective when the side starts functioning well under a new coach? We saw it with Bev when he started.

The mark of a great coach is getting the whole to equal more than the sum of the parts. By that measure, Bev was unequivocally great for his first two years and has been poor the last two years.

It’s pretty clear given how many games we won this year playing a brand of outdated and frequently ordinary footy that the side has enough talent to compete with the top 4 sides. Is the Bev that came along in 2015 and maximised the list he had still somewhere in there, or will we be stuck with the angry and defensive Bev that has blamed the players when the method has been found wanting? That’s the question for 2024.

Personally, after watching the club recruit him an elite full back and a capable forward/ruck to cover the two most glaring issues with the side and still underperforming (and blaming the players), I’m not hopeful that anything that can be done with the list this off-season is going to correct our course. It all starts and ends with Bev.

 

[Thedogdays_r_over]

Some argue that our depth players are garbage and that ties Bev’s hands but a bottom 6-8 of Owies, Cincotta, Cottrell, Kennedy, Fogarty, Pittonet, Hollands, etc just won two finals.

How many times recently have we seen depth players that were apparently terrible while their side was performing poorly become useful and effective when the side starts functioning well under a new coach? We saw it with Bev when he started.

The mark of a great coach is getting the whole to equal more than the sum of the parts. By that measure, Bev was unequivocally great for his first two years and has been poor the last two years.

It’s pretty clear given how many games we won this year playing a brand of outdated and frequently ordinary footy that the side has enough talent to compete with the top 4 sides. Is the Bev that came along in 2015 and maximised the list he had still somewhere in there, or will we be stuck with the angry and defensive Bev that has blamed the players when the method has been found wanting? That’s the question for 2024.

Personally, after watching the club recruit him an elite full back and a capable forward/ruck to cover the two most glaring issues with the side and still underperforming (and blaming the players), I’m not hopeful that anything that can be done with the list this off-season is going to correct our course. It all starts and ends with Bev.

Tian agree wholeheartedly. We have the pieces. We just need the right direction and cohesiveness to make it work.

We still need to offload some list cloggers. And we need to be brave in delisting earlier than giving some far too many chances for little return therefore stifling our ability to turnover the bottom half of our list to refresh and regenerate.

Is Bevo the right coach? I’m going to put my hand up and say honestly I have no freaking idea. Game plan is outdated with currently no indications this is going to change (pre season may provide some clarity).

Flexibility mantra does not work. Has never worked. Is bevo willing to concede that what is effectively the cornerstone of his mantra does not work and no matter how many years may be devoted to it, it is not ever going to work. Doubtful.

I hope my doubts are proven wrong. I am willing next season we have a strong coaching support network and start to see a distinctive shift in both our playing style and developing and maintaining a game plan that highlights our players strengths and allows them to refine and enhance their skills.

Use our teams talents, harness that, let them develop expertise and manipulate a game style that doesn’t appear to be based on moving square pegs into round holes for no apparent reason.

This to also be reflected in our VFL team. Create SME in the firsts and seconds. Plug and play. We have the talent. Once the talents skills are used effectively and efficiently, then our bottom six is just that. The same as every other team. They work together to create a cohesive unit working together. Not running around as a forward one game, a defender the next and heck how about the wing for shits and giggles.

 

[Libbaaaa]

Echo all of the above and just want to add have some integrity in selection! If you are playing poorly you will get dropped and good form will be rewarded. Basically the opposite of Bevo's Bingo please.

 

[Norm De Guerre]

Another point … if our best is good enough to make top 4 then we can’t say it’s the list that’s mediocre, and use that to excuse the coaching.

Only a fool would suggest that our side as it stands is top 4 material.

No side that played two guys who were last minute additions to the list to fill the gaping holes of our wings can ever be considered a serious threat.

We're a side that is reliant on an elite core in the middle. A potent but dysfunctional forward line that leaks worse than a week old depends and a defence thats built on a 32 year olds foundation that for the most part is all icing and no cake. These issues are compounded by a coach who is inflexibly stuck to a mindset and game plan like a barnacle on a rock.

The overall list is mediocre and the coach proved in the second half of the season when the draw kept opening up to our advantage that he no longer has any idea how to get the best out of them.

This mess has us exactly were we should be. Outside looking in, stroking ourselves thinking that if for a bit of luck we could've made the top 4 or won the premiership.

Its going to take quite the turnaround in thinking from top to bottom at the club to stop us from careening off the looming cliff.

And the only signal we're getting from the top thus far is one of tinkering around the edges and a message of she'll be right.

 

[Dogs Rule]

Only a fool would suggest that our side as it stands is top 4 material.

No side that played two guys who were last minute additions to the list to fill the gaping holes of our wings can ever be considered a serious threat.

We're a side that is reliant on an elite core in the middle. A potent but dysfunctional forward line that leaks worse than a week old depends and a defence thats built on a 32 year olds foundation that for the most part is all icing and no cake. These issues are compounded by a coach who is inflexibly stuck to a mindset and game plan like a barnacle on a rock.

The overall list is mediocre and the coach proved in the second half of the season when the draw kept opening up to our advantage that he no longer has any idea how to get the best out of them.

This mess has us exactly were we should be. Outside looking in, stroking ourselves thinking that if for a bit of luck we could've made the top 4 or won the premiership.

Its going to take quite the turnaround in thinking from top to bottom at the club to stop us from careening off the looming cliff.

And the only signal we're getting from the top thus far is one of tinkering around the edges and a message of she'll be right.

Here is the problem. A coach that has no idea how to best use or get the best out of them.

 

[doggies ftw]

Only a fool would suggest that our side as it stands is top 4 material.

No side that played two guys who were last minute additions to the list to fill the gaping holes of our wings can ever be considered a serious threat.

We're a side that is reliant on an elite core in the middle. A potent but dysfunctional forward line that leaks worse than a week old depends and a defence thats built on a 32 year olds foundation that for the most part is all icing and no cake. These issues are compounded by a coach who is inflexibly stuck to a mindset and game plan like a barnacle on a rock.

The overall list is mediocre and the coach proved in the second half of the season when the draw kept opening up to our advantage that he no longer has any idea how to get the best out of them.

This mess has us exactly were we should be. Outside looking in, stroking ourselves thinking that if for a bit of luck we could've made the top 4 or won the premiership.

Its going to take quite the turnaround in thinking from top to bottom at the club to stop us from careening off the looming cliff.

And the only signal we're getting from the top thus far is one of tinkering around the edges and a message of she'll be right.

One team in the top 4 has Tom McDonald as their number one key forward. Another has Trent McKenzie as full back

 

[Northernsoul74]

Big yes to Barlow.

 

[MaxiBont]

Only a fool would suggest that our side as it stands is top 4 material.

No side that played two guys who were last minute additions to the list to fill the gaping holes of our wings can ever be considered a serious threat.

We're a side that is reliant on an elite core in the middle. A potent but dysfunctional forward line that leaks worse than a week old depends and a defence thats built on a 32 year olds foundation that for the most part is all icing and no cake. These issues are compounded by a coach who is inflexibly stuck to a mindset and game plan like a barnacle on a rock.

The overall list is mediocre and the coach proved in the second half of the season when the draw kept opening up to our advantage that he no longer has any idea how to get the best out of them.

This mess has us exactly were we should be. Outside looking in, stroking ourselves thinking that if for a bit of luck we could've made the top 4 or won the premiership.

Its going to take quite the turnaround in thinking from top to bottom at the club to stop us from careening off the looming cliff.

And the only signal we're getting from the top thus far is one of tinkering around the edges and a message of she'll be right.

Our list minus Dunkley was in a grand final 2 years ago.

In that time Naughton, English, JUH and Richards all have improved out of sight and we have a way better KPD in Liam Jones than we had in 2021.

Our team should be competing for top 4 at a bare minimum. Not even making top 8 is a disaster.

Every roster has its holes, a coaches job is to get the most out of it.