List Mgmt. Off Season Changes

[LondonBulldog]

they showed some telling footage on footy classified.

wings go to stoppages as an extra where other teams have them guarding the corridor.

forward 50 stoppage, boundary throw in, we had 10 players boundary and goal side of the ruckmen. collingwood have 4, and the rest guarding a corridor exit. hence we kick alot of stoppage goals, but leak as well.

we are the epitomy of an offensively coached/ minded side. the better teams can break even with one less player at stoppage for significant periods of the game, and reap maximum damage in that period.

This, I'm a tragic and watched the replay yesterday, going back and forth through our diabolic defensive structure. Too many times, our defender when up the ground are on "our" goal side of the ball, with players like Ried saying thank you very much doing maximum damage with his possessions. We were killed the second quarter yet had large parts of that game where we were on top yet didn't get some simple defensive work and structure right. We need a leader down back big time.

 

[adogsfan5]

How do supporters and basic local footy coaches see it and our highly paid coaches don’t lol?

 

[Generation West]

they showed some telling footage on footy classified.

wings go to stoppages as an extra where other teams have them guarding the corridor.

forward 50 stoppage, boundary throw in, we had 10 players boundary and goal side of the ruckmen. collingwood have 4, and the rest guarding a corridor exit. hence we kick alot of stoppage goals, but leak as well.

we are the epitomy of an offensively coached/ minded side. the better teams can break even with one less player at stoppage for significant periods of the game, and reap maximum damage in that period.

I know right.

One thing I notice is English always takes the ruck in our fwd 50, even though we have Darcy and Naughton as more than capable ruckmen.

I get we want fwd structure and hope the talls are well positioned for a quick kick to the goal square, but when does this ever happen ?

Why don't we play English behind the ball in this scenario (pretty much patrolling the centre square in front of Lobb and his direct opponent) ?

Too conventional ?

 

[RWnBluey]

What if it was no bevo, no bont?

So be it. No matter who you are, the club always comes first - you can’t let the inmates run the asylum

 

[Sharpiesadog]

Everyone was happy with the club re signing Bevo mid season when we were winning. We've stumbled (again) late in the year, but blaming the administration is not the answer.

We are now a professional, strategic and profitable football club and Peter Gordon, Bains, Bevo, KWW, Sam Power etc need to take all of the credit for that.

Our list is in good shape, but we do need an adjustment to our game style and to add some hard nosed defenders to our list. Wilke would be first choice but would cost overs and highly unlikely to leave Saints. Vlaustin would be my next choice. Silvagni would be nice, but not going to worry too much if we miss him. I would be looking at the best state league FB in the 22 - 25 year old range who is 195 - 200cm and 95kg rather than go for May, Lever, Frost, Howard types.

JOD is a third tall, Lobb also plays the intercept role. Vlaustin, Cleary (like this guy) and state league FB as the lock down defenders. Maybe move Williams back to defense permanently and have Dale, Bramble, Jacques, JJ as the runners / distributors. Buss not ready. We defend way too high, so this needs to be adjusted.

Who was happy when we re-signed Bevo?

I was filthy about it. Totally unjustified then, and we’ve completed the same garbage end to a season 4 years running and not once made top 4 under him.

Not good enough.

 

[dogwatch]

Who was happy when we re-signed Bevo?

I was filthy about it. Totally unjustified then, and we’ve completed the same garbage end to a season 4 years running and not once made top 4 under him.

Not good enough.

I had talked myself around to it despite my ongoing Bevo reservations, for two reasons.

The main one being that Sam Power probably needed some coaching future certainty if he was hoping to land the likes of Butters. The other was the question about whether we had a ready made replacement for Bevo.

Jury is still out on the first. No big fish landed yet.

As for the second … who knows? There seem to be very competent new coaches bobbing up every year.

 

[Optimistic Dog]

I had talked myself around to it despite my ongoing Bevo reservations, for two reasons.

The main one being that Sam Power probably needed some coaching future certainty if he was hoping to land the likes of Butters. The other was the question about whether we had a ready made replacement for Bevo.

Jury is still out on the first. No big fish landed yet.

As for the second … who knows? There seem to be very competent new coaches bobbing up every year.

Really is strange that our most successful coach ever creates such devise opinions among dog supporters. I have been pro Bevo since he was appointed when it looked like the place was falling apart and within 2 years, we won the flag. However, i even waivered in 2023 after we lost to WCE. Not any more I am strongly in his corner to make 2026 a successful year and beyond. If he can coach us to a second flag he will up there with the greatest bulldogs.

 

[Dogs Rule]

Who was happy when we re-signed Bevo?

I was filthy about it. Totally unjustified then, and we’ve completed the same garbage end to a season 4 years running and not once made top 4 under him.

Not good enough.

But hey, at least the Prez says he has a good relationship with the players, right..?

 

[CDBulldog]

We can surely make changes to our list that will be worthwhile, but I fear that we will only be papering over the cracks that fatally flaw our game plan.

It's the system of play (the ridiculously high press with no hope of effectively defending a turnover) that needs to be changed to give the players a chance to defend against the better teams that can exploit our high press.

We have a system problem, not so much a personnel problem. We can't keep blaming losses on the players having a bad day.

100% this.

 

[CDBulldog]

Hamling will be 33 delisted after his first time since 2019 playing more then 4 games

Gards is also one of the best middle aged KPD in the state league hence he got a game this year

Gards will 100% get picked up by someone as depth if delisted

Deer Park?

 

[TMoney22]

I know right.

One thing I notice is English always takes the ruck in our fwd 50, even though we have Darcy and Naughton as more than capable ruckmen.

I get we want fwd structure and hope the talls are well positioned for a quick kick to the goal square, but when does this ever happen ?

Why don't we play English behind the ball in this scenario (pretty much patrolling the centre square in front of Lobb and his direct opponent) ?

Too conventional ?

This has made me angry for years. Absolutely not need to have 2 or 3 kpf plus a ruck in forward 50 stoppages.

 

[perro_loco]

Agree with pretty much all of this.

Sellwood should come into our defence. Ideally we recruit someone like Bond or Budarick as a small defender (not unrealistic, and not expensive).
Weightman and Dolan should easily replace VDM and McNeil, provided Dolan can figure out the defensive running required from our smalls. Arty probably comes into the frame assuming some moving around of roles, he's looked good in his very limited minutes in 2025.

I'd be moving Edge into the group of line coaches and have him own our defence. He's got the VFL side running like a well oiled machine, very strong on defence, and has a history in the GWS inception years as a defence coach.

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?

 

[Bald Headed Flog]

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?

A few setbacks having to miss games through injury while also learning the new system, then getting too close to finals for a debut to be practical (Croft had been around longer and his role was a bigger need). Realistically he’d be in the frame for Round 1.

Running defender who can actually defend but also has an offensive game. He’s a role player, not exactly Bailey Dale, but should improve our defence given what we currently have.

He’s probably the most ready-made mid season recruit we’ve had, even more so than Gardner (though he got immediate games because we were absolutely desperate for talls)

 

[ossie_21]

Who was happy when we re-signed Bevo?

I was filthy about it. Totally unjustified then, and we’ve completed the same garbage end to a season 4 years running and not once made top 4 under him.

Not good enough.

I was happy as he had seemed to have reinvented himself, had shuffled the magnets and looked like he was getting everything clicking.

Then he signed da ting and reverted back to his stubborn ways and unjustified team selections.

Now we are here

 

[Dogs Rule]

How do supporters and basic local footy coaches see it and our highly paid coaches don’t lol?

It's either a failure of coaching or the players on the field. In either case it's happened time and time again in big games since the 2021 GF - that's four years. It keeps happening and it hasn't been properly addressed.

The vision they showed on Footy Classified was damning. At best, disorganisation, at worst an unwillingness to defend. That has cost us games and that has cost us finals this year. Simple as that.

I reckon if I was making the same basic errors in my job for four years I wouldn't be in that job. Anyway, on we go.

 

[bresker]

• 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

 

[rip it up]

I am not against the re-signing of Bevo. Although I am frustrated as F**k with our performance, he's performance. I like stability within a club, a coach having the players, whilst isn't the be all end all is so important and removing that could implode, for what, hope that a new coach can make the difference?

What i want, is strong minded assistants challenging him. Who knows, it may well be happening. What I would love is the approach that Mitchell has made, trying to get Hinkley in to he's group who he knows will challenge everything he puts forward, it'll make him a better coach and dare i say, them a better team.

We are far too offensive, which sugar coats things when we are on, but when our system is off just slightly, we are absolutely horrible.

We need to fix our structure behind the footy, we need to adjust our game plan to accommodate our weakness behind the footy.

 

[maddog37]

The structure we played versus GWS was better and it was only a slight tweak. Got me absolutely flummoxed why we didn’t continue with it.

 

[grassman75]

Thanks for everything Marcus. But I’m not accepting my club being held over a barrell. That’s not leadership.

And you’d be the first to whinge when we are mired to to bottom of the ladder norf style for 10 years

 

[grassman75]

How do supporters and basic local footy coaches see it and our highly paid coaches don’t lol?

Maybe they do

 

[JTCWBFC]

The structure we played versus GWS was better and it was only a slight tweak. Got me absolutely flummoxed why we didn’t continue with it.

Can anyone explain this?

 

[adogsfan5]

And you’d be the first to whinge when we are mired to to bottom of the ladder norf style for 10 years

That’s not really the point. No player should have the power at an AFL footy club to give the board an ultimatum of re-sign the coach or I’m leaving.

I don’t think Bont would even do this anyway so it’s kinda irrelevant.

 

[adogsfan5]

Can anyone explain this?

Our defenders played more one on one rather than zoning off

 

[bresker]

Can anyone explain this?

The structure or why we dropped it?

I was at the game and listening on the radio. Adam Simpson was special comments and lauding our gameplan. He said we went more one-on-one when GWS had the ball in their half to constrict any run from defence . Then we dropped into the zone as the ball went forward . Something like that....

At the G against Melb & against Freo , we either dropped it or it fell apart. In fairness GWS let us do whatever we wanted, they bent over backwards.

 

[Bald]

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?