List Mgmt. Off Season Changes

[lachy]

• at least one small attacker who kicks goals rather than 'pressure acts'
• two backs , hopefully one from state leagues good to go
• plan B when teams get a run of goals
• acknowledgement of our limitations & plan accordingly
• off season focus on tackling, breaking tackles. Putting on size

Agree with point one and there is no reason they cannot do both
Need a quality AFL back for significant improvement. Sellwood looks an upgrade on what we have. We already have the best performed Key Back in the VFL
Or simply make sure plan A is more organized and not a shoot out where if we don't win the ball are not out of position. Poor turnovers and missing opportunities during those runs could also be significantly reduced
See the point above therefore yes
Unfortunately it does take 4 to 5 pre seasons to build the bulk and strength required however tackling technique can be improved

 

[TiAn_]

Overloading (a) the stoppage and (b) the forward half has been Bev’s philosophy since day dot. This year was just the most extreme we’ve pushed it.

With this playing group it annihilates poor sides and fails against good ones. One or the other has to change.

 

[Optimistic Dog]

We can talk about defensive game plan letting us down which has some merit. However the truth is JOD, Lobb, Busslinger. JJ, Cleary, Dale and Bramble are just not going to get the job done against the better teams. Dale at the moment is the only top liner and he is an attacking half back.

JOD shows promise, Cleary is improving but has a way to go. Lobb was better last season and could be on the way down. Bramble improved but not a lock down back. JJ is done and although I will get attacked by a lot of posters Busslinger will.not make it.

So if Bevo gave up some offensive plans for defence we would be no better off. Fact is we are weak in defensive personnel and I am sure this will be a target for Sam in the trade and draft.

If we do not get the player or players we are looking for Bevo will have to consider moving Croft down back as he has all the attributes and pedigree for a gun defender. Trouble is he could also be a top line forward

 

[JTCWBFC]

Our defenders played more one on one rather than zoning off

I meant why we dropped it after it clearly worked

 

[CDBulldog]

Our defenders played more one on one rather than zoning off

This is what has me stumped. It seems the approach to adopt if there is a run on of goals. Play man on man for 5-10 minutes across the ground to stem the flow and take the wind out of the opposition’s sails. Absorb the pressure and then reset. But we just don’t do it. We back out game style in irrespective, and it’s just not sensible.

 

[dogwatch]

I meant why we dropped it after it clearly worked

It’s a good question and we can only surmise.

My guess is it was intended only for certain opponents so it was abandoned the following week. But then why not reintroduce it against Freo?

I hope that game plan is going to be carefully reviewed over the summer. It’s the quickest fix available to us, even if it’s not the complete answer.

 

[dogwatch]

Another thought on why it was dropped…

Going mostly one on one, easing off the high press and having Bont play back of centre almost throughout the game might be seen as incompatible with our attacking strategy of locking it in the f50.

My take is that it might actually be beneficial for our attack because we are more likely to have an open forward line. That should favour the likes of Darcy and Naughton who are less likely to be blocked or double teamed. And if it spills it should favour West who is best in the AFL at f50 ground-ball-gets.

 

[Munnez]

Not seen Sellwood play at all and many on here say he is very good. What makes him such a good player, but Bevo has not played him yet?

Only a relatively small sample size after being taken mid season. Also interrupted with a concussion protocol as well. With a full preseason he should be able to make the step up and become a regular player.

 

[X_box_X]

The other thing we have gone away from is being the Kings of applying pressure. Why have we moved away from something that was so successful for us?

I'm not sure why we couldn't have maintained our immense pressure with a more aggressive game style.

 

[dogwatch]

I feel like this thread and the future of the club thread could probably be merged.

More or less same stuff being discussed in both. Reckon we could keep the coaching chatter in that thread and leave this one for actual changes?

There’s a place for both.

Future of the club thread should be more about longer term strategy and the executive management and governance of the club.

This thread should focus on what we can realistically do to improve on field results in 2026.

No point going on endlessly about Bevo’s tenure here because he is installed for the next two years unless he decides to walk. However we can talk about what might get him to change his ways ever so slightly, eg strong assistants proposing alternative tactics. As unlikely as that currently seems.

 

[adogsfan5]

This is what has me stumped. It seems the approach to adopt if there is a run on of goals. Play man on man for 5-10 minutes across the ground to stem the flow and take the wind out of the opposition’s sails. Absorb the pressure and then reset. But we just don’t do it. We back out game style in irrespective, and it’s just not sensible.

Played our best defensive footy against arguably the slickest and quickest side in the league that had Hogan, Cadman and Riccardi inside 50

Work that one out.

 

[BEaston]

Our defenders played more one on one rather than zoning off

It was more our forwards/mids.

 

[grassman75]

Another thought on why it was dropped…

Going mostly one on one, easing off the high press and having Bont play back of centre almost throughout the game might be seen as incompatible with our attacking strategy of locking it in the f50.

My take is that it might actually be beneficial for our attack because we are more likely to have an open forward line. That should favour the likes of Darcy and Naughton who are less likely to be blocked or double teamed. And if it spills it should favour West who is best in the AFL at f50 ground-ball-gets.

The thing is, we already had a massive %, so we just needed wins. Not sure why we didn’t just go with a plan the got us one more win. We were never going below anyone on %

 

[lachy]

The thing is, we already had a massive %, so we just needed wins. Not sure why we didn’t just go with a plan the got us one more win. We were never going below anyone on %

I have been one of Bev's strongest supporters on these pages but really seeing how well the change in defense worked against the Giants, after warnings in other games, then again against the Dees was really quite baffling.

Tie that in with VDM and Mc Neil failing badly yet consistently played for a role that clearly was not working and they were not only not adding elsewhere, they were subtracting, the coaching group also needs to be honest with what went wrong too. There were a few more items but some of the posts these days makes War and Peace look like a short read

 

[Freshwater]

I have been one of Bev's strongest supporters on these pages but really seeing how well the change in defense worked against the Giants, after warnings in other games, then again against the Dees was really quite baffling.

Tie that in with VDM and Mc Neil failing badly yet consistently played for a role that clearly was not working and they were not only not adding elsewhere, they were subtracting, the coaching group also needs to be honest with what went wrong too. There were a few more items but some of the posts these days makes War and Peace look like a short read

I’m much the same. I was a fair critic late 2023, he was not in the right head space for the game v West Coast. He also didn’t handle JUH too well last year by playing him in that final, among other baffling selections. Was coaching well earlier this year. But like you said to keep playing McNeill and VDM is stubbornness and to lose in ways we know is …also stubbornness!

 

[Ash1337]

My personal list of players out and in.

Out
JUH - Obviously isn't going to commit next year.
Coffield - not good enough with the ball
Jones - Doubt he'll recapture his 2024 form
Buku - Traded out
Scott* - just injury prone
JJ - though would keep if cant bring anyone else in.
Poulter - emergence of Croft means he's not needed

In
Silvagni if the medical info was false
Neil Erasmus - Midfield depth that can play wing. Probably ahead of Davidson in the position.
Hugh Bond - good defender
Tom Cole

28

Tom Cole

Age

28

Ht

188cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.9

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

5.0

4star

M

3.7

4star

T

2.7

4star

MG

110.3

2star

D

10.5

3star

K

6.3

3star

HB

4.3

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.5

3star

MG

110.3

2star

D

9.8

3star

K

5.6

3star

HB

4.2

4star

M

2.4

3star

T

1.8

4star

- was solid when he came back from injury and FA if cant get Bond
Jai Serong - if delisted for a rookie spot

That gives 5 out of the main list and 3 rookies removed with Duyrea
JOD upgrade means 2 drafted means there's 1 main list 2 list spots for rookies or main list spots Sellwood replaces Duyrea meaning Baker is probably going to have to be delisted and picked up again.

Treloar I think deserves another year if they think his body can hold

For coaches It's obvious there needs to be some help. I wonder if Chaplin will be willing to change clubs. Other obvious is getting Matty Boyd back.

 

[Foxman98]

My personal list of players out and in.

Out
JUH - Obviously isn't going to commit next year.
Coffield - not good enough with the ball
Jones - Doubt he'll recapture his 2024 form
Buku - Traded out
Scott* - just injury prone
JJ - though would keep if cant bring anyone else in.
Poulter - emergence of Croft means he's not needed

In
Silvagni if the medical info was false
Neil Erasmus - Midfield depth that can play wing. Probably ahead of Davidson in the position.
Hugh Bond - good defender
Tom Cole - was solid when he came back from injury and FA if cant get Bond
Jai Serong - if delisted for a rookie spot

That gives 5 out of the main list and 3 rookies removed with Duyrea
JOD upgrade means 2 drafted means there's 1 main list 2 list spots for rookies or main list spots Sellwood replaces Duyrea meaning Baker is probably going to have to be delisted and picked up again.

Treloar I think deserves another year if they think his body can hold

For coaches It's obvious there needs to be some help. I wonder if Chaplin will be willing to change clubs. Other obvious is getting Matty Boyd back.

There is no way you watched Tom Cole against us and thought he was "solid" unless you meant a solid pile of shite

 

[grassman75]

I’m much the same. I was a fair critic late 2023, he was not in the right head space for the game v West Coast. He also didn’t handle JUH too well last year by playing him in that final, among other baffling selections. Was coaching well earlier this year. But like you said to keep playing McNeill and VDM is stubbornness and to lose in ways we know is …also stubbornness!

I thought the story went that Bev didn’t want to play JUH and the leadership team wanted him to play, might be wrong

 

[Ash1337]

There is no way you watched Tom Cole against us and thought he was "solid" unless you meant a solid pile of shite

He was 1 of the bests the next week against the crows for the eagles team.

 

[Freshwater]

I thought the story went that Bev didn’t want to play JUH and the leadership team wanted him to play, might be wrong

Either way, the tail shouldn’t wag the dog.

 

[Proffessor]

The Bulldogs have 8 players on their list that are nominally capable of playing in one of the 3 standard tall defender spots in the team.
Lobb, O'Donnell, Jones, Busslinger, Coffield, Gardner, Walker, and Williams.

Out of those only 3 seem currently capable of handling one of the top 2 roles against the opposition's best forwards. Lobb, O'Donnell and Jones. The rest are either young and developing or clearly more suited to the 3rd tall defender role. It could also be argued that medium defenders like Sellwood and Jaques could potentially play on the 3rd best tall forward at some stage.

That is a fair chunk of the current list devoted to helping us solve our perennial problem, especially when you consider that it remains a big problem for us and that we have publicly stated that we need to bring in new players to help us fill such roles.

It will be interesting to see who arrives, who stays and who goes.
Some contracted players might be in danger of traded or getting paid out just to make list room.

 

[dogwatch]

I’m much the same. I was a fair critic late 2023, he was not in the right head space for the game v West Coast. He also didn’t handle JUH too well last year by playing him in that final, among other baffling selections.

That’s an intriguing angle. We usually think of the players as highly variable in form, mood and confidence but the coach - by contrast - as a rock of constancy and stability. Even if the coach has his personal ups and downs we expect him to be able to hide that from the players and always project a consistent front.

Bevo doesn’t quite fit that coach mould though. He is a man with strong and fluctuating emotions and it may be that those fluctuations affect his players more than we think. And more than they should.

It’s an angle that might give us an insight into our head-scratching lack of consistency over the years.

 

[Freshwater]

That’s an intriguing angle. We usually think of the players as highly variable in form, mood and confidence but the coach - by contrast - as a rock of constancy and stability. Even if the coach has his personal ups and downs we expect him to be able to hide that from the players and always project a consistent front.

Bevo doesn’t quite fit that coach mould though. He is a man with strong and fluctuating emotions and it may be that those fluctuations affect his players more than we think. And more than they should.

It’s an angle that might give us an insight into our head-scratching lack of consistency over the years.

Bevo’s interview before that infamous West Coast game was so bizarre and unconvincing, especially for a team heading into finals, at home against one of the worst teams in memory.
Then he has had run ins with journalists. A physical encounter with Damien Barrett, a bizarre press conference stoush with Tom Morris, a stand off with Cane Cornes. He and the ultimate gentleman of the FFC, Chris Grant had a massive falling out.
I remember when he first started he was seen as having this high emotional intelligence, from the outside looking in he has low emotional maturity. It looks like his feelings often govern his thoughts and actions, which doesn’t always translate well into wisdom.

 

[A dog in Qld]

I don't think we're too far off but that could just be me.

The board has a tendency to catastrophise.

So true ... if I was as pissed with the club as some are I'd be at the lawn bowls club for my sanity's sake.
Chill pill folks ... It's a proven fact, year after year only 1 club wins and all the others are disappointed.

 

[Chalky White]

Start dropping the axe please.