List Mgmt. Off Season Changes

[Libba39]

There has been mention on this board about the Dogs not reviewing the GF loss to Melbourne. Does anyone know if this is true and if it is why? It’s unbelievable. How could a professional club not seek answers on what went wrong to make sure the same tactics are not used again. I would be astounded if all the clubs in the AFL had not done this to see how to take down the second top team in the league. Maybe this is the reason we have not played in or won a final since.

No point in re-hashing this now. Its ancient history.

What does need to be looked at however are these three games at Marvel:

Loss to Hawks
Loss to Crows
Loss to Dockers

The similarities of these three games are very clear - outmuscled by a physically more imposing team, especially in the ruck and centre clearances, as well as general attitude and the ability to hunt and put tackle pressure on the opposition.

 

[Mr. Walker]

I am far from a Damo fan but to be fair to him isn’t what he is saying in line with our own thoughts???
We should have made the finals this year but we did not due to things within our control- tweaking the defensive set up, not selecting people who were not contributing in previous matches.

 

[BEaston]

Agree it’s unfortunate for the players but people have been proposing their list changes all year with barely anyone raising an eyebrow. Now that the time for the list clean out is imminent why is it suddenly sad?

I mean there's a pretty clear difference in proposing list changes, and taking pleasure in people effectively getting sacked.

 

[Bald]

I am far from a Damo fan but to be fair to him isn’t what he is saying in line with our own thoughts???
We should have made the finals this year but we did not due to things within our control- tweaking the defensive set up, not selecting people who were not contributing in previous matches.

Some people agree with Barrett, some people don't. I personally don't have an issue with us re-signing Bevo, others do - there's no right answer.

 

[huddo#9]

Some people agree with Barrett, some people don't. I personally don't have an issue with us re-signing Bevo, others do - there's no right answer.

Barrett's right on this one. Its a win-loss game, this time last year no one is re-signing Bevo if he doesn't make finals. There was absolutely no need to sign him too early.

 

[Bald]

Barrett's right on this one. Its a win-loss game, this time last year no one is re-signing Bevo if he doesn't make finals. There was absolutely no need to sign him too early.

It’s an opinion piece. It’s not right or wrong. I disagree and that’s my right.

 

[Snarls Barkley]

Some people agree with Barrett, some people don't. I personally don't have an issue with us re-signing Bevo, others do - there's no right answer.

The only right answer was waiting until the end of the season

They still might have decided now that Bevo was the right man for the job and given the extension. They might have moved him on

Either way I could live with the decision knowing it was made with all facts on hand. Rushing into an extension was just so dumb and unnecessary and it's the second time we've made it. If we were a serious club we would have waited

 

[Libbaaaa]

No point in re-hashing this now. Its ancient history.

What does need to be looked at however are these three games at Marvel:

Loss to Hawks
Loss to Crows
Loss to Dockers

The similarities of these three games are very clear - outmuscled by a physically more imposing team, especially in the ruck and centre clearances, as well as general attitude and the ability to hunt and put tackle pressure on the opposition.

Just needed one of these games and we make it. Or pinch one of the Pies/Cats/Lions x 2 games as well. But like many of us have said we were far from a complete product this season, 2026 such a massive year.

 

[lachy]

No point in re-hashing this now. Its ancient history.

What does need to be looked at however are these three games at Marvel:

Loss to Hawks
Loss to Crows
Loss to Dockers

The similarities of these three games are very clear - outmuscled by a physically more imposing team, especially in the ruck and centre clearances, as well as general attitude and the ability to hunt and put tackle pressure on the opposition.

There are multiple reasons, some structure, tactical and personnel.

However one barely addressed was 9 or 10 players with under 50 games v 2 or 3 in each of those occurances.

The games themselves mean less than the players in general have been in the system under 4 years so are not physically developed. So yes we were outmustled by physically more imposing teams as the majority of the oppositions have been developing physically in the system for longer.

It is why I was never confident this would be our year unless under physically developed players could defy the odds over a long season. It is also why I am more optimistic next year

 

[Snarls Barkley]

Just needed one of these games and we make it. Or pinch one of the Pies/Cats/Lions x 2 games as well. But like many of us have said we were far from a complete product this season, 2026 such a massive year.

Sure, if you overturn the close losses we make it. Overturn the close wins against Sydney and Melbourne and we aren't even close

It was the Cats/Hawks/Crows games that we let ourselves down. Games that were 50/50 or I think we should be favourites if, gave up 5 goal head starts and then couldn't rope it back in. Just didn't come in prepared at all for those games

 

[dogwatch]

I mean there's a pretty clear difference in proposing list changes, and taking pleasure in people effectively getting sacked.

I don’t agree. He’s not taking pleasure in people’s misery (not that I can detect). He’s taking pleasure from the list changes finally starting to happen. The changes so many others here (possibly everyone) wanted, to one degree or another.

It’s possible to simultaneously feel for the player whose AFL dream is over while being happy that we’re improving our list.

Most of us feel sorry that Marra is ruining what should have been a celebrated career and that we missed out on enjoying those skills at our club. We’re also sad that Doc is hanging up his boots after 100 games with the club. But almost to a person I’d say we are happy that those players aren’t going to take up a spot and TPP salary in 2026.

It’s certainly appropriate to wish all departing players well and to be genuinely grateful for whatever their contributions were to the club.

Either way it’s not worth a big argument. I suspect it’s more semantics than genuine difference of attitude. I’m just surprised at the push back.

 

[Chalky White]

I mean there's a pretty clear difference in proposing list changes, and taking pleasure in people effectively getting sacked.

There’s absolutely no difference. If you think we need list changes stand your ground.

 

[Dogs Rule]

I hate Barrett with every fibre, but we should've made finals. We didn't so that's that, but we dropped far too many games we should've won and in a year like this when the bottom 9 are horrendous, it made all the difference.

Anyway...

 

[Libbaaaa]

Sure, if you overturn the close losses we make it. Overturn the close wins against Sydney and Melbourne and we aren't even close

It was the Cats/Hawks/Crows games that we let ourselves down. Games that were 50/50 or I think we should be favourites if, gave up 5 goal head starts and then couldn't rope it back in. Just didn't come in prepared at all for those games

100%, was just making the point that we just needed one win against the final 8 and we managed NONE. I'm pretty sure every year since 2021 we have been bang on .500 or maybe one game above come our bye, meaning we always leave ourselves little to no margin of error, same for 2019 and 2020. Can we please start a season well and get to 9-4 by the time our bye rolls around?

 

[Zgope1]

I hate Barrett with every fibre, but we should've made finals. We didn't so that's that, but we dropped far too many games we should've won and in a year like this when the bottom 9 are horrendous, it made all the difference.

Anyway...

We beat the teams worse than us and we lost to the teams better than us. We played half the season with one of our best 3 players out.

The only teams in the top 8 we might be better than are GC who we played without Darce and in conditions that they thrive in, gws who we beat twice and Collingwood who we nearly beat without Bont despite them definitely being better than us at the time

 

[DognBones]

We had every chance to make the 8 this season irrespective of who was available and who wasn't. My memory recalls that we played some of the better teams when they had key outs but we just didn't take advantage. We let ourselves down and the players and coaches should face a lot of internal and external analysis of their performance. Change is needed if we are to rise above this mediocrity next year.

 

[The Slitherin' Snake]

Except we were missing both Bont and Darcy for a large portion of the year yet still got to 14 wins and 137% to be the first team to not make the 8 with 14 wins. I guess vdm must have done ok while these two were out

Lazy commentary from Purple again

Is it? regardless of our win loss record or %, we werent one of the best eight teams in the league. We should be given the talent on the list

 

[Oliver G]

A positive for us that I haven't seen mentioned is that we finished 1st for average home game Docklands attendances (excluding non-tenants).

 

[Foxman98]

A positive for us that I haven't seen mentioned is that we finished 1st for average home game Docklands attendances (excluding non-tenants).

View attachment 2411294

We are becoming a big club and need to start acting like it requesting more games at the G

 

[Freshwater]

A positive for us that I haven't seen mentioned is that we finished 1st for average home game Docklands attendances (excluding non-tenants).

View attachment 2411294

And we had a few Thursday nights and the horrible 4:40pm Sunday games, both time slots built for tv. And quite a few interstate opponents. Great turnouts this year.
That Adelaide game mid season on Saturday afternoon was a great crowd but it meant for Ballarat. I like the idea of Ballarat instead of Hobart, Launceston, Darwin or even Perth like North. But we had Thursday night games and a lot interstates near then, Ballarat is often a lockout. We can’t go 6 weeks or so without a genuine family time to go to the footy regularly.

 

[BEaston]

I don’t agree. He’s not taking pleasure in people’s misery (not that I can detect). He’s taking pleasure from the list changes finally starting to happen. The changes so many others here (possibly everyone) wanted, to one degree or another.

It’s possible to simultaneously feel for the player whose AFL dream is over while being happy that we’re improving our list.

Most of us feel sorry that Marra is ruining what should have been a celebrated career and that we missed out on enjoying those skills at our club. We’re also sad that Doc is hanging up his boots after 100 games with the club. But almost to a person I’d say we are happy that those players aren’t going to take up a spot and TPP salary in 2026.

It’s certainly appropriate to wish all departing players well and to be genuinely grateful for whatever their contributions were to the club.

Either way it’s not worth a big argument. I suspect it’s more semantics than genuine difference of attitude. I’m just surprised at the push back.

We'll agree to disagree LOL

 

[Freshwater]

View attachment 2411327


We'll agree to disagree LOL

You run BigFooty on that dark mode. I accidentally got onto that dark mode once and I just couldn’t do it, found a way to get it back to the light side.

 

[Bulldogs85]

You run BigFooty on that dark mode. I accidentally got onto that dark mode once and I just couldn’t do it, found a way to get it back to the light side.

I don’t mind the dark mode

 

[Optimistic Dog]

Missing the finals this season 14 wins and 137% should hurt the players as much. as losing a GF. This should provide the burning motivation to achieve something special in 26.

 

[Dogs Rule]

Missing the finals this season 14 wins and 137% should hurt the players as much. as losing a GF. This should provide the burning motivation to achieve something special in 26.

Just for once I want us to get the season off to a good start.

Be 10-3 or 9-4, just give ourselves a platform don't be 7-6 or 6-7. Stop making it harder than it already is.