What They're Saying - The Bulldogs Media Thread - Part 4

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JTCWBFC said:
Need Jong & Hannan to make the gifted too games 5 pack.
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Hannan was such a strange one and up there with Gardy for the most confusing contract extensions. I know they're on minimum chips but you can't tell me they wouldn't also agree to minimum chips for a shorter deal (no-one else was picking them up).

Hannan's extension for the 2024 season was announced on 21st June 2022, having been out of the team since Round 3 (31st March 2022). He wasn't even playing VFL due to (I believe) ongoing concussion symptoms, and upon return he was trialled in the backline. I understand the human element, but what was the rush to extend him having missed 3 months of football and with a plan to try him in a position he'd never played before?
 
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Sen Article

James Harmes could prove to be an inspired piece of recruiting by the Western Bulldogs.

That is according to Brenton Sanderson who is a big fan of the club’s decision to bring in the 28-year-old premiership player from Melbourne in the off-season.
Sanderson believes the former Demon could fill some of the gaping hole left by Josh Dunkley as a defensive minded on-baller for the talented Bulldogs.









“One player who I thought is a great recruit, really underrated, is James Harmes,” Sanderson said on SEN’s Whateley.

“Defence in the midfield is an aspect of the Dogs’ structure that has really let them down over the last few years.

“They’re very much a ‘see ball, get ball’ type of midfield. There are some great players in there and when the game is on their terms they look sensational, but since Josh Dunkley left that has left a bit of a hole.

“They lack that lock-away, defensive orientated mid. I think Harmes will provide that and I think he’ll be an important player for them in that midfield this year.”

After 152 games for the Dees, Harmes will debut for the Dogs against his old club this weekend.

He’ll run out alongside emerging star Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and key forward Aaron Naughton who are the pivotal players in attack for the Doggies.

With those two playing central roles, Sanderson sees the Bulldogs’ forward line as one that has potential to be the most damaging in the league.

“It could be anything,” Sanderson said, referring to the forward line.

“Ugle-Hagan and Naughton could be one of the most dynamic forward line combinations of this year.

“They’re a little bit different to Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow at Carlton. They’re a bit more springy and a bit more agile at ground level.

“They’re going to provide some serious headaches for the opposition and how to match up on those two if they both get in red-hot form at the right time.

“I look at Jamarra and he had nine games in 2023 where he kicked multiple goals, he was brilliant. But that was offset by seven games where he didn’t hit the scoreboard at all.

“So if he gets the balance between his best and worst games as small as possible, I think he’s set for a really big year.

“He’s going to become critical to the Dogs’ success in 2024.”

Ugle-Hagan (35 goals) and Naughton (44 goals) booted 79 majors between them as the Dogs missed finals in 2023.

They get their 2024 season underway against the Dees from 1pm AEDT at the MCG this Sunday.
 
Article on the AFL website

WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says it's too early to tell whether Jack Macrae will be called on to face Gold Coast after the experienced midfielder was left out of the Western Bulldogs' opening loss to Melbourne.

Three-time All-Australian Macrae was omitted from Sunday's 45-point defeat at the MCG after an interrupted pre-season, despite playing two VFL practice matches.

Fellow senior Bulldog Caleb Daniel was named substitute.
"With Jacko, he had a stress-related, through his femur, concern over the pre-season - he worked really hard over his off-season," Beveridge said.

"And then he had that hamstring that he went down with and he missed quite a bit of training and running and his capacity to cover the ground needs to be there.
"I felt like their (Melbourne's) midfield were able to do that better than us today.

"So we'll just wait until Jack's totally ready to perform at his absolute best with the ground cover. So he's not far away."
When asked if Macrae, who has dropped down the midfield pecking order in recent years, could feature in Ballarat against the Suns next Sunday, Beveridge said: "Too early - we'll work through that during the week."

Daniel was overlooked for a starting role behind recruits James Harmes, Nick Coffield and debutant Harvey Gallagher.

The 27-year-old replaced Ryley Sanders late in the third quarter and had 12 disposals - more than eight other Bulldogs.
Beveridge said Daniel typically played his "roles and reponsibilities ... pretty well", but he had been omitted in light of the strong pre-seasons of several teammates, although many of those will have been "frustrated" with their performances on Sunday.

When asked whether Daniel could start against the Suns, Beveridge said: "Too early. We'll process that during the week."
No.6 draft pick Sanders had been a revelation during the week and had collected 15 touches before being hooked.

"He's fine. At that point in time he was one of a handful that could have come off for experience and stability in the team," Beveridge said.

"Ryley's going really well. He's going to be a tremendous player for the club and he's still learning. But he was the one."

"We'll look after him and make sure he heads into next week with a positive mindset."

Sanders' substitution came after consecutive turnovers, but Beveridge insisted that was purely a coincidence.
 

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JTCWBFC said:
If it wasn't an injury there's no way he should have gone off before one of McNeil or VDM.

If he wasn't fit to run out the game, he shouldn't have played.
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Whilst both Sanders and Gallagher looked good, both goaled, I don't think it was wise to play them in the seniors without even a single game at VFL level and with Daniel as sub.
 
Bulldogs85 said:
"So we'll just wait until Jack's totally ready to perform at his absolute best with the ground cover. So he's not far away."
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If Bevo is waiting for Macrae to find some magic he's clearly trolling or desperate. Macrae is spent and his body is slowly breaking down from the years of punishment taken. He's arguably been the most consistent midfielder of the last decade an elite mid, but all good things must come to an end & it's starting to show. It's unreasonable, IMO, for us to think otherwise.

Macrae, unlike MBoyd, doesnt have the craft or body to play outside of the midfield so I dont know what the future holds for Jack.
 
_Mike_ said:
If Bevo is waiting for Macrae to find some magic he's clearly trolling or desperate. Macrae is spent and his body is slowly breaking down from the years of punishment taken. He's arguably been the most consistent midfielder of the last decade an elite mid, but all good things must come to an end & it's starting to show. It's unreasonable, IMO, for us to think otherwise.

Macrae, unlike MBoyd, doesnt have the craft or body to play outside of the midfield so I dont know what the future holds for Jack.
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Doesn't MBoyd have an all australian jacket playing off half back?
 
3rdgenbulldog said:
Someone wanna crack the paywall on this one

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he sign of a great leader is the ability to bring those under them along for the ride when they make decisions that buck the trend. Then to execute those challenging decisions with such precision and conviction that the critics quickly melt away.
On both of those scores Luke Beveridge failed the test on the weekend. He picked an unconventional team that ignored popular and decorated players who have achieved great things at the Whitten Oval.

Then those fringe players he backed-in let him down in the most convincing manner.

By the end of a game in which his team gave up the fight as the margin blew out in a “disconcerting” manner, Caleb Daniel’s instant impact as the sub made Beveridge’s selection even more questionable.

At least by the end of Beveridge’s post-match press conference on Sunday we received a fuller explanation for the first time of Jack Macrae’s management.

According to Beveridge, a stress-related femur concern over summer had added to Macrae’s recent hamstring strain and left him short of a gallop leaning into round 1.

But for the Western Bulldogs’ management team, who supposedly did so much to refresh the club over summer, to be presented with Groundhog Day – it must have been particularly concerning.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge finally provided an update on star midfielder Jack Macrae, who was missing from Saturday’s game. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge finally provided an update on star midfielder Jack Macrae, who was missing from Saturday’s game. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Those management types who hired external consultant Peter Jackson might have done well to wander down to the Plough Hotel to ask a few fans about their coach.

They love his enthusiasm; they believe this team is capable of greatness. But the overwhelming consensus is they don’t understand why Beveridge plays favourites with team selection without proper explanation.

Beveridge is on record as saying that his coaching was not the subject of the review.

Yet surely, as part of the summer examination, the point had to be forcefully made that the fans felt left behind too often on the weird and wonderful selections he makes.

So if Beveridge is to leave out a club favourite, the coach better not have those fans guessing about what the hell he is doing and why.

Fans don’t get to dictate selection.

They didn’t get the right to demand Bailey Smith played more midfield time last year.

But by year’s end, what should have been a simple explanation – he isn’t playing that well, we have better inside-mids – had the fans still in the dark and wondering why his talent wasn’t being maximised.

Beveridge had every right to back-in a new-look backline trio in Nick Coffield, Buku Khamis and Lachie Bramble on Sunday, even if it meant players felt he was overlooking established talent for his bright new toys.

But the coach had to know how beloved the helmeted Daniel is with his fans.

Caleb Daniel had an impact after coming onto the ground on Sunday. He was named as substitute, a decision which baffled many Bulldogs fans. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

Caleb Daniel had an impact after coming onto the ground on Sunday. He was named as substitute, a decision which baffled many Bulldogs fans. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.
He is a late draft pick who defied the odds – and his stature – to become a cult figure as a loyal Bulldog, who also ignored rival offers to pledge his commitment to the club.

Beveridge’s plan was to run the Demons off their feet, playing the likes of Laitham Vandermeer, James Harmes and Lachie McNeil ahead of Daniel.

But if you live by the sword at selection, you die by the sword.

McNeil played 13 games last year – often as the sub – for 2.3 and 80 total possessions.

On Sunday he gifted Ben Brown a goal with an intercepted kick to Christian Petracca; was run down as he dithered at half-forward; and then fumbled horribly on the centre wing in space when the Dogs were 18 points down and still in the game.

Vandermeer had little impact (10 disposals), Harmes had 11 possessions and four turnovers and Rory Lobb had no impact when chosen over Sam Darcy.

As Beveridge admitted post-match, his plans had backfired disastrously.

“With ‘CD’ (Daniel), in the roles and responsibilities, he plays all of them well,” he said.

“And with the pre-season, some of the guys weren’t at their best today, some of the guys who have been at the top of their games in recent times. Some of them will be frustrated with their performance today.

“I felt today going into the game we might really challenge Melbourne with our run and it was a little bit of a surprise we weren’t able to do that, so we will process that during the week.”

Meanwhile, Daniel got 37 minutes of game time in the midfield and picked up a dozen of his usual tidy, calm possessions releasing teammates into space by hand and foot.

Ryley Sanders of the Bulldogs was subbed out in his debut game by coach Luke Beveridge. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Ryley Sanders of the Bulldogs was subbed out in his debut game by coach Luke Beveridge. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.
He was exactly the kind of presence the Dogs needed as Beveridge admitted his team had given up six to eight goals through horrific turnovers.

Beveridge could point to a long list of selection risks he has taken that have paid off over the years. He turned Liam Picken from a dour defensive mid into an attacking weapon, threw Tom Boyd into the ruck and won a premiership as a result.

Last season, he threw former cricketer James O’Donnell into the back six out of nowhere and by year’s end he was a revelation.

This weekend, O’Donnell played in the VFL after a recent ankle injury and he was concussed, while Khamis was solid, but suffered a couple of horror late turnovers.

In every team there are players frustrated by selection.

Kevin Sheedy marked his stars hard and threw the magnets around.

The point is to get those decisions right, not placate every player.

One senior coach said last week he was every player’s best friend across summer until 20 players were dirty on him when he picked the round 1 side and left them out.

Melbourne’s Adam Tomlinson had every reason to be filthy he was left out after a strong opening round showing, but replacement Tom McDonald got the job done for Simon Goodwin. So did Ben Brown (two goals), even if eyebrows were raised on Friday when he was recalled against the Dogs.

So what does Beveridge do now? Double down with Lobb, McNeil and Vandermeer?

Harmes’ headbutt of former teammate Steven May will likely see him out against the Suns’ brilliant midfield.

Ryley Sanders will be retained and should, but against the rugged Gold Coast midfield, it is the perfect time to start Daniel and recall Macrae.

Beating the Suns in Ballarat will silence most of the critics in the short term.

But bringing the fans along with selection and strategy won’t give the game away to rivals who know their upcoming opponent so well.

It will take the focus off his selection policies and put it where it should be – on his players to perform when the pressure is on.
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I've seen a few articles mention that they expect the dogs will bounce back with a win, beat a few bottom teams across a softish start to the season and then there will be more tests later against better teams. I'm not sure they've watched this team's last four games of competitive footy - three last year and the one yesterday - because aside from managing to beat a Geelong team with a bunch of VFL players there is nothing to suggest we should be confident of beating anyone.

Gold Coast are $2.30 or thereabouts right now and that could look like an enormous price come mid-afternoon on Sunday.
 
hutchy31 said:
I've seen a few articles mention that they expect the dogs will bounce back with a win, beat a few bottom teams across a softish start to the season and then there will be more tests later against better teams. I'm not sure they've watched this team's last four games of competitive footy - three last year and the one yesterday - because aside from managing to beat a Geelong team with a bunch of VFL players there is nothing to suggest we should be confident of beating anyone.

Gold Coast are $2.30 or thereabouts right now and that could look like an enormous price come mid-afternoon on Sunday.
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Spot on
  • lost to Hawks
  • lost to WCE one of the worst teams ever at home with finals on the line
  • beat a 50% VFL team with nothing to play for and it took us to the last quarter to get in front
  • Flogged by the dees

If this was horse race with the above form card GC would a $1.08 and we would 5/1.
 
hutchy31 said:
I've seen a few articles mention that they expect the dogs will bounce back with a win, beat a few bottom teams across a softish start to the season and then there will be more tests later against better teams. I'm not sure they've watched this team's last four games of competitive footy - three last year and the one yesterday - because aside from managing to beat a Geelong team with a bunch of VFL players there is nothing to suggest we should be confident of beating anyone.

Gold Coast are $2.30 or thereabouts right now and that could look like an enormous price come mid-afternoon on Sunday.
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2.50 now. Tempting...
 
TiAn_ said:
Take GC to win between 1-39. They can’t hold leads but they’ll get far enough ahead of us that it won’t matter.
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I haven’t done a 1-39 bet since a few years back when I had (I think) the dees at 1-39 and they were up by 28 with a minute to go. Cue two goals in the final minute.

$2.50 is probably a good enough price for a decent GC side as an emotional hedge.
 
This today from Jack Makeham at SEN just catches it perfectly:


The Bulldogs looked completely uninterested in stopping the Demons from moving the ball by foot, and it clearly cost them.

They allowed Melbourne to take an astonishing 141 marks throughout the game, with 129 of those being uncontested, indicating a complete lack of effort on the defensive side of the ball.

The biggest beneficiary of this was Jack Billings, whose career-high 15 marks in the match amounted to more than Tim English, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Rory Lobb and Aaron Naughton had combined (14 total).

Billings’ display becomes even more concerning when looking at his history, collecting more marks in this one game against the Bulldogs than he did all of last season.

Any time you allow an anomalous performance like that, both on an individual front and as a team, it means you have to go back to the drawing board.

It’s a defensive approach that simply does not result in wins and must be adjusted if the Dogs are going to return to finals in 2024.



It was patently clear last year that we were a basket case at defending when we didn't have possession. It was top of the list to be worked on over summer. In capitals.

There was no sign that anything had been done about it on Sunday. Nothing. Defensively we are a disgrace and we need more media pointing it out ad nauseum.
 
I don’t understand the commentary around Daniel’s performance when coming on being justification for him being in the 22 at the first bounce.

He came on when the rest of the on field players had run out 2.5 quarters of footy already. Of course he was going to come on fresh and have immediate impact.

Footy journos aren’t too bright.
 
Charlie Bucket said:
I don’t understand the commentary around Daniel’s performance when coming on being justification for him being in the 22 at the first bounce.

He came on when the rest of the on field players had run out 2.5 quarters of footy already. Of course he was going to come on fresh and have immediate impact.

Footy journos aren’t too bright.
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But there's no particular evidence that substituted players on actually do significantly better on a per-minute basis than in games that they individually play that they aren't the substitute. We can actually run statistical analysis on this (like we have literally thousands of game data of players that get substituted on that we can use to compare) and whatever advantage there is in "freshness" is also outweighed by "having to get into the flow and pace of the game", so it appears.

So the footy journos are right here. While a smaller sample size (a bit over a quarter) doesn't necessarily indicate that he would have had 40 touches over the game or whatever (many times players get 10 touches in the first quarter but not 40 for the match), it's still correct to say that he played well enough to suggest that he never should have been sub in the first place.
 
Charlie Bucket said:
I don’t understand the commentary around Daniel’s performance when coming on being justification for him being in the 22 at the first bounce.

He came on when the rest of the on field players had run out 2.5 quarters of footy already. Of course he was going to come on fresh and have immediate impact.

Footy journos aren’t too bright.
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I also wasn’t confused by Macrae’s omission. He was injured for most of the preseason and he says as much in the article.

I think the media have sniffed blood in the water and will keep writing about him like this until we get on a winning streak, in which case he’ll be a genius again, or until he gets sacked.
 
Anja_Nees said:
I also wasn’t confused by Macrae’s omission. He was injured for most of the preseason and he says as much in the article.

I think the media have sniffed blood in the water and will keep writing about him like this until we get on a winning streak, in which case he’ll be a genius again, or until he gets sacked.
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He was injured for a month, and had two VFL games under his belt. Certainly not “most” of the preseason. He’s fit we left him out
 
Charlie Bucket said:
I don’t understand the commentary around Daniel’s performance when coming on being justification for him being in the 22 at the first bounce.

He came on when the rest of the on field players had run out 2.5 quarters of footy already. Of course he was going to come on fresh and have immediate impact.

Footy journos aren’t too bright.
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I agree wholeheartedly with your final sentence. But being at the game, it was certainly a relief whenever the ball was in his hands as soon as he came on. JJ and CD are our only right footers who I have any faith in to kick it and hit one of our own jumpers. Dale on his day too, but that wasn't yesterday.

It's more than just kicking though. Daniel has very clean hands when swooping on ground balls. Our smalls yesterday fumbled so often at times when we had better ground position than Melbourne and were one clean disposal away from breaking the lines and scoring. The result? Turnover and Melbourne goal.

I don't mind Daniel as sub. Having someone as clean and skillful coming into the game can be a good thing, as it was yesterday, so you could argue he performed the sub role well. But for more than a half we were missing exactly what he brings.
 
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