Luke Beveridge - Our Mastermind

[Mofra]

Have we ever thought that maybe the reason our assistants suck is because no one wants to work with him? Honestly why else would we be struggling to get off field talent who want to work with this list? We have the same amount of money as everyone else.

This is a stretch - since the soft cap was introduced (and the temporary Covid cap), there are more people wanting to work as assistants then there are positions at AFL level.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

I mentioned in another thread that I have semi regular contact with someone on the board. Again, no I do not get any inside info etc.

They are deadset Bevo Stans.

Maybe there is a split on the board?

I’m more interested in the players’ perspective. They are the ones directly affected, with their careers on the line.

 

[Hobdog]

I’m going to continue to show Bevo the respect he deserves in the way I comment on our current situation. In describing how I felt last year and certainly this year, I think the best analogy I can give to describe it is when you’ve heard a song far too many times and you just cannot do it anymore. It’s that staleness I have with the club at present. Sadly the coaching side of the club is included in that staleness. Football is just not enjoyable anymore.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Marvnation]

Bevo deserves to dive on his own sword when the time comes, I don't think we should force him out. He has done a lot for this club, getting us to 2 grand finals. He really needs to focus on the future, as it looks very dark if we don't sort out some of the strategies with our forwards and defence.

Watching the dogs live is extremely painful as a supporter. We have had the same strategy for years now, and other teams have adapted. What was once a game-breaking strategy is now outdated and obsolete. Bevo should have known this by "missing the 8 last year" - I honestly don't count us making the 8 last year. Carlton should have been there, not us and that freo game, being 41pts up and losing. Might as well not have rocked up.

We haven't learned anything.

 

[immortalmike]

I'm lead to believe that a meeting was held today between various board members (not all of them) and senior player group leadership, without anyone from the football department in attendance.

Contents of the meeting unknown (you can take a guess), but very unusual meeting nonetheless.

Surely this would have been part of our seemingly more and more farcical "review" last year?

 

[BulldogMuscle]

Surely this would have been part of our seemingly more and more farcical "review" last year?

I was told players and staff alike were interviewed last year for the “review”. Who knows what came of all that because God forbid they make anything public.

I have no idea what went down yesterday, but I would assume it has to do with the last few weeks and what is happening on and off field right now.

 

[immortalmike]

I was told players and staff alike were interviewed last year for the “review”. Who knows what came of all that because God forbid they make anything public.

I have no idea what went down yesterday, but I would assume it has to do with the last few weeks and what is happening on and off field right now.

My disbelief (not in your mail but in that this process has been undertaken) stems from how things could possibly change so much in so short a time.
The assumed outcome of the "review" was signing Beveridge for multiple years and signing a Lade (after losing Maple). We've gone through a whole preseason and now the senior players are being asked again. This is pointing towards the "review" being completed incompetently or being fudged to get the result the board wanted.

 

[BulldogMuscle]

My disbelief (not in your mail but in that this process has been undertaken) stems from how things could possibly change so much in so short a time.
The assumed outcome of the "review" was signing Beveridge for multiple years and signing a Lade (after losing Maple). We've gone through a whole preseason and now the senior players are being asked again. This is pointing towards the "review" being completed incompetently or being fudged to get the result the board wanted.

As dergert has said, he knows a boardmember who’s completely 100% in Bevos corner. I have a feeling this is not how all of them feel, and it might be slowly rearing its head. We could potentially be heading towards a situation where the board is split on what to do with the future of the club, that is just speculation from what I have been told from more than one person in the know.

Last years review was headed up internally, and I believe Bains was in charge, you are right with the outcome being Bevo re-signed for two years, and another coach brought on board. Who knows what the percentage of board members did not agree with this decision, we will never know, the club will always put forward a united front, even if that might not be the case, better that than looking like Essendon last year…

 

[bresker]

Boards change their minds , just like supporters . It’s all bout results .

We don’t have relegation like in soccer, but boards in the EPL crap their pants with even the best managers if they drop to the bottom.

If the club comes out and says ‘Bev has the full support of the board ‘ then you know he doesn’t .

Though our club never makes any such statements.

 

[immortalmike]

As dergert has said, he knows a boardmember who’s completely 100% in Bevos corner. I have a feeling this is not how all of them feel, and it might be slowly rearing its head. We could potentially be heading towards a situation where the board is split on what to do with the future of the club, that is just speculation from what I have been told from more than one person in the know.

Last years review was headed up internally, and I believe Bains was in charge, you are right with the outcome being Bevo re-signed for two years, and another coach brought on board. Who knows what the percentage of board members did not agree with this decision, we will never know, the club will always put forward a united front, even if that might not be the case, better that than looking like Essendon last year…

Whilst I agree with your sentiment. I'll happily look like Essendon last year if it means looking like Essendon this year.
Rejuvenated and playing exciting football is all I want to see. Even 2021 felt like a slog. 2015-16 were my best years as a supporter can we bring that back please?

 

[RedWhite&Blue]

I mentioned in another thread that I have semi regular contact with someone on the board. Again, no I do not get any inside info etc.

They are deadset Bevo Stans.

Maybe there is a split on the board?

does Stans mean Stays?

 

[BulldogMuscle]

does Stans mean Stays?

I believe “stans” is a “zoomer” word for diehard supporters/fans.

Kids and their modern lingo

 

[hoianbulldog]

Quite possibly the Saints are the fittest team in the comp. Basedon Dunkley's comments as well, we're possibly the least fit (in terms of running)

That's on Grant morethan Bevo, or should be anyway.

 

[Smiley Boy]

Who is even on our board? I mean we haven't seen our president since she's been elected compared to how active Peter Gordon was.. Radio silence for 3 years for our current president

 

[Maurice Mitchell]

A number of years ago Hardwick was toast. However, instead of sacking him the Tigers completely remade their footy department.

Is this model an option for the Doggies?

We, the fans, had great expectations for 2016 and it was a disaster. If it was up to us, he was gone but he never lost the players.

Put that into graphical form and it stands out like Bulldogs balls ...

View attachment 1641327

Not hard to understand why exiting D50 was difficult.

I don’t claim to have great AFL level tactical nous, and I don’t know whether Beveridge or Lyon was responsible but guys like Keath, Bruce, Jones and Crozier were racking up stats when surely the ball should have been in the hands of Dale, Richards and Daniel.

 

[bresker]

Luke Darcy is on the board. I guess he’ll have inside knowledge as to what the playing group thinks.

 

[Zim^zuM]

Let’s say hypothetically we win Thursday, we go shackles completely off and move the ball quickly at every opportunity and suddenly our mids cover big kms (as seen in the stats)..

Where would that leave you? Would you change the blame to the players for inconsistency of effort or would you still be off the coach?

That would need to be shown on a consistent basis over a period of time. Not just this week or two. Then back to crap for a few weeks. Then half a good game etc. I will never trust this group under Bevo. 41 points or whatever it was agaisnt freo and we lose. Will never be confident with any lead. Though I do remain hopefull considering we have stumbled into two GFs.

Simple fact is there has not been once consistent season. Even in 2021 which looked like it was going to be a consistent one we then gave up a top 4 birth. It shows me they can turn it around, just never lasts in any meaningful way

 

[grassman75]

There is a lot to be said for youthful exuberance.

It was us in 15-16 and it looks like Norf, Ess, St'k et al are all seeing that this year.

We are seriously lacking in young, skilfull midfielders and wingers and it's biting us on the arse. We have youth aplenty up forward.

I actually had the thought the other day that maybe the club knows this list isn't that good anymore and they signed Bevo long term to oversee the pending slashing of the dead wood - and there is plenty of it - and then i thought that maybe Bevo has lost the magic touch..maybe he inherited a team that was young, tough and hungry in 2015 and it just needed his magic dust and man management skills. It worked in 2016 and it worked again in 2021 while they were still hungry but as we saw with guys like Dahlhaus, going in hard accelerates father time and I'm starting to think some of our guys like Macrae have gone over the cliff...the magic dust doesnt cut it anymore. We look soft, slow and still get brushed aside easily, something that has always seemed to be the case bar 2016 and to a lesser extent in 2021.

As a supporter, i feel as flat as - so much promise this year feels like its going to be a long haul.

I'm trying to stsy positive about Bevo, but i'm really wondering what he thinks sometimes. The great West Coast sides of the 90s-00s had swing men like Hunter and i know its about structures etc and Naugthon was the only one kicking goals - but surely you consider flipping him and Bruce around on Saturday night just gone when it wasnt hapening for us - even if its for a quarter to confuse the s**t out of the oppo. They would not have planned at all for Naughton to go back and it could have given us a spark. Instead the big move was to throw Darcy in the ruck then sub him out. There seems to be very little flexibility in his thinking

We still get beaten out of the middle with no one covering the back of the square. Have we watched the 21 GF yet as a team, because maybe they don't actually realise what is going on.

I'll stand by him for now as i think we let him go, we will regret it - this start to the season, while ugly, pales in comparison to the 70s and 80s

 

[dergert]

Luke Darcy is on the board. I guess he’ll have inside knowledge as to what the playing group thinks.

He is also close mates with Bevo.

 

[doggies ftw]

There is a lot to be said for youthful exuberance.

It was us in 15-16 and it looks like Norf, Ess, St'k et al are all seeing that this year.

We are seriously lacking in young, skilfull midfielders and wingers and it's biting us on the arse. We have youth aplenty up forward.

I actually had the thought the other day that maybe the club knows this list isn't that good anymore and they signed Bevo long term to oversee the pending slashing of the dead wood - and there is plenty of it - and then i thought that maybe Bevo has lost the magic touch..maybe he inherited a team that was young, tough and hungry in 2015 and it just needed his magic dust and man management skills. It worked in 2016 and it worked again in 2021 while they were still hungry but as we saw with guys like Dahlhaus, going in hard accelerates father time and I'm starting to think some of our guys like Macrae have gone over the cliff...the magic dust doesnt cut it anymore. We look soft, slow and still get brushed aside easily, something that has always seemed to be the case bar 2016 and to a lesser extent in 2021.

As a supporter, i feel as flat as - so much promise this year feels like its going to be a long haul.

I'm trying to stsy positive about Bevo, but i'm really wondering what he thinks sometimes. The great West Coast sides of the 90s-00s had swing men like Hunter and i know its about structures etc and Naugthon was the only one kicking goals - but surely you consider flipping him and Bruce around on Saturday night just gone when it wasnt hapening for us - even if its for a quarter to confuse the s**t out of the oppo. They would not have planned at all for Naughton to go back and it could have given us a spark. Instead the big move was to throw Darcy in the ruck then sub him out. There seems to be very little flexibility in his thinking

We still get beaten out of the middle with no one covering the back of the square. Have we watched the 21 GF yet as a team, because maybe they don't actually realise what is going on.

I'll stand by him for now as i think we let him go, we will regret it - this start to the season, while ugly, pales in comparison to the 70s and 80s

The oldest team in the comp won last years flag, 3 games ago.

Plus we brought in Lobb & Jones so we definitely thought we were contending

 

[Pocket Terrace]

The best official statement that can be made by the club this week will be Thursday night at 7:20pm. Not really interested in anything else at this stage. I want to look out and enjoy what I'm seeing in our jumper for the first time this season.

 

[grassman75]

The oldest team in the comp won last years flag, 3 games ago.

Plus we brought in Lobb & Jones so we definitely thought we were contending

I know that - but the difference between them and us is the quality of the recruits they bought in as "old" players

Will be interesting to see how they go this year because they looked absolutely cooked last week - age and the retirement of Selwood might have caught them too. Selwood was the heart and soul and he demanded the players get better and work hard - i reckon we've lost that from our team. Bont and Macrae lead by action as does Libba, but i'm not sure they have what Selwood had - Bont maybe

 

[grassman75]

And Arty is in - we will see if i'm right...youthful exuberance

 

[Mofra]

And Arty is in - we will see if i'm right...youthful exuberance

He would have played round 1 if fit - a quick bloke who actually chases and tackles.

 

[geoffjennings79]

He would have played round 1 if fit - a quick bloke who actually chases and tackles.

Do we have anyone else on the list with the same set of attributes? Richards, Baz, JJ and VDM have speed, wouldn't rate any of them amongst our best tacklers though. Baz supposedly 6th for overall tackles in 2022, Richards right down the list for 22 games played, the other 2 missed too many games last year.