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

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doggie dog said:
I live in qld, almost no AFL news makes it up here, its why I'm on big footy.
Genuine question... What is your recommendation for accurate AFL news that's not behind a pay wall?
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Northern Dogs said:
Yeah, I know what you mean. Up here it's all about both rugby codes and the little snippets of AFL are always Brisbane Lions. That's why I rely on bigfooty quality posters like Smiley Boy, Kelvin13, Dale4Captain, VitalDread, etc. ( Apologies to some others I've missed),
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I've only just moved back to Vic after spending the last 30 years as a cockroach.

as Northern dogs says - if there is anything newsworthy behind paywalls then a bigfooty poster will usually post it.

I'm not a twitter or X user but following some of the Journo's might help if you are into that
 
TempletonTheRat said:
I've only just moved back to Vic after spending the last 30 years as a cockroach.

as Northern dogs says - if there is anything newsworthy behind paywalls then a bigfooty poster will usually post it.

I'm not a twitter or X user but following some of the Journo's might help if you are into that
Click to expand...
Cheers mate for the info,
I'm just trying to stay connected to the club.
 

Mark Robinson analyses Bailey Smith and Western Bulldogs’ off-season of change​

Are they coming or going? As MARK ROBINSON writes, Western Bulldogs are the AFL’s greatest enigma and facing a crucial summer of reflection.
Mark RobinsonChief Football Writer

October 27, 2023 - 4:16PM

Who was the better prospect two years ago – Josh Daicos or Bailey Smith?

Since then, one of them is an All-Australian wingman and a best-and-fairest winner in a premiership year.

The other is a wannabe-rock star wingman who wants to play midfield and who is probably, at the moment, more renowned for his rig, his hair and his bulging Instagram account.

Daicos is 24 and Smith is 22, but this isn’t about age.

Just as it wasn’t about age in 2021. Smith was 20 then and compiled an outstanding 617 disposals and 17 goals from 26 games, which included a slashing three finals.

In the same season, Daicos, then 22, collected 322 disposals and nine goals from 17 matches, with injuries at the start of the season (hip) and at the back (finger) an interruption.

Smith was clearly the better prospect, yet Daicos is comfortably the better player now.

Josh and Nick Daicos revel in Collingwood’s Grand Final win. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Josh and Nick Daicos revel in Collingwood’s Grand Final win. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Smith’s career, like his team at the Western Bulldogs, is a peculiar fascination this off-season.

Off contract at the end of next season – and popular opinion suggests it will be his last at The Kennel – Smith has decisions to make. Not only about his future, but about what he wants to be as a footballer.

In late August, four-time Hawthorn premiership player Jordan Lewis had advice for Smith.

“There comes a time in a player’s career when they need to assess all parts of their life,’’ Lewis said on Fox Footy’s AFL360.

“It’s tough for Bailey Smith to do that because his stuff off the field is so lucrative.

“So what do you want to be remembered as?

“Do you want to put your football first or do you want to put your outside life and commitments first?”

​

Clubs are quick to defend their players both publicly and privately, but Lewis didn’t get a phone call from anyone at the Bulldogs.

This week, Lewis, who spent time with Smith when he was coach at Xavier College, maintained Smith had to “find the balance’’ between off-field and on-field.

“(In August) I made the reference about Christian Petracca,’’ Lewis said. “Petracca’s footy was just going, he was on social media, he was doing some stuff, and he said he was really struggling with all the feedback he was getting online.

“So, I said get off it. He got off it and his footy went through the roof. And once that happened, the confidence within his playing ability grew and then he was able to produce the off-field stuff.

“And because he was more mature the balance was right.

“What’s Bailey? 22 or 23? He’s young. He just needs to find the right balance.

“The other one is the acceptance of role.’’

Can [PLAYERCARD]Bailey Smith[/PLAYERCARD] reach the superstar heights of [PLAYERCARD]Christian Petracca[/PLAYERCARD]?

Can Bailey Smith reach the superstar heights of Christian Petracca?

In recent interviews, Smith has maintained he wants to play midfield. In a team game, which requires players to play roles, it’s a demand that has raised eyebrows.

“The penny drops when players say, ‘I’m giving myself over to the team’ and doing whatever the team needs,’’ Lewis said.

“Petracca is a rock star and we watch from the outside and say he’s just doing his own thing. But he’s not. He plays in a system and he’s rewarded because he plays in that system.

“With Bailey, this next season we watch with interest. I hope he goes really well.’’

Smith is the headliner at an organisation that is adopting change.

The lacklustre end to the 2023 season, which saw the Bulldogs drop five of their last eight games and miss the finals, prompted a review of all footy operations.

[PLAYERCARD]Bailey Smith[/PLAYERCARD] wants more midfield time. Picture: Michael Klein.

Bailey Smith wants more midfield time. Picture: Michael Klein.

In a momentary power struggle, football boss Chris Grant and chief executive Ameet Bains put on the hard hats.

Tensions have certainly cooled since long-time Luke Beveridge assistant coach Rohan Smith was sacked in a major overhaul of the coaching staff.

Beveridge, who is as loyal as they come, wasn’t thrilled with the Smith decision enforced by Grant and which was supported by Bains.

“Rohan and I’ve been together from the start. We love him to death,” an emotional Beveridge said at the time.

While the review continues, already gone are Smith who was the defensive coach, Mark Webb (midfield and stoppages coach), Travis Varcoe (development coach who worked mainly with the VFL team) and long-time high performance manager Mathew Inness, who was poached by West Coast.

[PLAYERCARD]Rohan Smith[/PLAYERCARD] (left) has moved on. Picture: Michael Klein

Rohan Smith (left) has moved on. Picture: Michael Klein

Matt Spangher remains as forwards coach and Brendon Lade expands his role as midfield coach

The highly-respected Matthew Egan was secured from Geelong as coaching and performance manager, a role similar to the one Alan Richardson has at Melbourne.

Also new are Daniel Pratt (defensive coach) and this week former St Kilda captain Jarryn Geary joined the Dogs as development and player leadership coach.

The Dogs also tried to leverage Justin Leppitsch out of Collingwood but “Leppa” stayed put.

A high-performance manager will be named shortly, as will a part-time goal kicking coach.

The Dogs missed out on finals despite another brilliant season from [PLAYERCARD]Marcus Bontempelli[/PLAYERCARD]. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The Dogs missed out on finals despite another brilliant season from Marcus Bontempelli. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

SO CLOSE TO FINALS​

The margins are small in football. The Bulldogs missed the finals by half a game. They lost five matches by fewer than 10 points each and, in comparison, premier Collingwood won eight games by fewer than 10 points.

Defensively, the Dogs continued to cough up multiple runs of goals, while all the major components in scoring and ball movement had them ranked about mid-table or worse.

The Bulldogs fully backed Beveridge, who has two years to run on his contract, but at the same time, such a performance profile demanded change.

The recalibration of the coaching department, the club hopes, will bring energy and ideas to a playing list which many observers believe underperformed in 2023.

“Genuinely, I don’t know where their list sits,’’ Lewis said.

“You can look at a side, their age demographic, the talent on their list, they’re stacked in every part of the ground, they are challenging for a premiership.

“Hawthorn for example, is young, they have some high draft picks, they will need players to fill certain positions to become that premiership contender.

Mark Robinson has questioned whether Tim English is worth $1m a year. Picture: Michael Klein

Mark Robinson has questioned whether Tim English is worth $1m a year. Picture: Michael Klein

“And then there’s always teams that are in the middle, neither here nor there. That’s the Dogs, Essendon, Richmond now, I think the Suns are progressing up, Adelaide is progressing.

“The Dogs may play finals, they may win a final, but when you talk about the genuine top four sides, they are not in that calibre. I think they lack depth.’’

Smith aside, the Bulldogs have major contract pieces to navigate.

Ruckman Tim English is out of contract at the end of next season, as is emerging young gun Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.

Both players will be nicely rewarded, but suggestions that English is a million-dollar player seem ridiculous. Ugle-Hagan’s signature is the one.

The Dogs are confident he will re-sign, but it will cost them, because it’s already been suggested he’ll be one of the highest-paid players in the competition within five years.

Despite it still being October, the 2024 season looms large at the Whitten Oval.

While the review continues, Lewis says he likes what the Bulldogs have undertaken. “Change can bring tension but that’s good,’’ he said. “You’re uncomfortable, it’s a good space, but sometimes not a nice space, but, hey, it gets you off your backside.’’
 

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The Inbetweener said:
Think it’s a pretty reasonable article.

The one thing that has never been made clear is why exactly does Baz supposedly want to leave? Yep he didn’t get a heap of midfield time but reality is 2023 was the first year that’s occurred, and those competing for the same position were in better form.
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Being out of contract plus the team under performing has out a massive microscope on our players and the media smells blood in the water.

The article was reasonable except for us getting mentioned in the same tier as Richmond (who are cooked) and the Bombers (who are the Bombers). Also Daicos and Smith is a ridiculous comparison considering he has two years on Baz.
 
Libbaaaa said:
Being out of contract plus the team under performing has out a massive microscope on our players and the media smells blood in the water.

The article was reasonable except for us getting mentioned in the same tier as Richmond (who are cooked) and the Bombers (who are the Bombers). Also Daicos and Smith is a ridiculous comparison considering he has two years on Baz.
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Especially when Sam Walsh and Zac butters were in the same draft and at one point Smith would have been considered the best of the 3
 
The Inbetweener said:
Think it’s a pretty reasonable article.

The one thing that has never been made clear is why exactly does Baz supposedly want to leave? Yep he didn’t get a heap of midfield time but reality is 2023 was the first year that’s occurred, and those competing for the same position were in better form.
Click to expand...

My suspicion is that the unspoken reality of the situation is that Bailey and his management think that playing for a big club in marquee games on the MCG will be beneficial to his brand and profile.
All the other stuff about midfield time and the like is just a smokescreen.
 
Pep_x said:
My suspicion is that the unspoken reality of the situation is that Bailey and his management think that playing for a big club in marquee games on the MCG will be beneficial to his brand and profile.
All the other stuff about midfield time and the like is just a smokescreen.
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Sure he could play for Essendon, that’s a big club, but he won’t be playing in another GF anytime soon, Geelong are rebuilding, Collingwood yes, but if he put in a bad year, the fans will let him know about it.

I don’t think he plans to leave, he wants to put in a big year before his next contract.
 
Jordan Lewis on the Dogs:

“they’re stacked in every part of the ground”

A paragraph later…

“I think they lack depth’’
 

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Dogs_r_barking said:
Sure he could play for Essendon, that’s a big club, but he won’t be playing in another GF anytime soon, Geelong are rebuilding, Collingwood yes, but if he put in a bad year, the fans will let him know about it.

I don’t think he plans to leave, he wants to put in a big year before his next contract.
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Baz himself has never indicated he wanted to leave. The only half negative he has ever said about the club is that he didn't play as many midfield minutes as he'd hoped to this year.

IMO all the chatter is just media speculation to sell papers.
 
Dazb86 said:
Baz himself has never indicated he wanted to leave. The only half negative he has ever said about the club is that he didn't play as many midfield minutes as he'd hoped to this year.

IMO all the chatter is just media speculation to sell papers.
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Totally and opposition fans getting ahead of themselves and dissing the Western Bulldogs Football club while they are at it.
 
Pep_x said:
My suspicion is that the unspoken reality of the situation is that Bailey and his management think that playing for a big club in marquee games on the MCG will be beneficial to his brand and profile.
All the other stuff about midfield time and the like is just a smokescreen.
Click to expand...
My suspicion is he’s actually in a secret relationship with Pendles and they have a baby together and he wants to play with his baby daddy.

Idk either suspicion could be true
 
Charlie Bucket said:
Jordan Lewis on the Dogs:

“they’re stacked in every part of the ground”

A paragraph later…

“I think they lack depth’’
Click to expand...
Im not sure if Robbos article is clipped from more recent conversations that they've had on Fox footy.

But Im pretty sure that the Smith part of the article stems from one that he published a month or so ago.

The entire thing reads like multiple conversations over various timelines patched together and passed off as an in-depth analysis of the dogs post season. Combined with a re-telling of widely circulated news in the guise of incredible insight. Other wise known as the usual half arsed Hererererald Sun post season football content.

This is not my go to guy when it comes to deep analysis of the game.



And yes. I will never not use this clip whenever Jordan Lewis is cited as a football analyst..
 
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Plus Smith has stagnated as a player after his first two years where rapid improvement was expected.

It's entirely fine for Smith to want a change of scenery to see if he can get the most of his career, and for us to move on on having to worry about his stagnating play, especially if his salary demands exceed his on-field performance.

Social media and branding aside, he's built a lot of his reputation for being a good first and second year player that often, but not always, is projects him to being into the game's elite. He's got this weird reputation of the player that he was expected to be in three years time that he had in 2019, not the actual output of his 2023 given that those three years have passed. It's bizarre, and despite all the professionalism and resources dedicated to list management at other clubs, it's easy to see how another one could overpay for him in relation to the on-field contribution to winning he may provide for the new club.

The whispers I've heard about him being likely to leave are largely due to that - we'd get a good draft pick and another club will sink decent salary cap space into him, for a player that was ranked about 250th in the league according to AFL Player Ratings Points, 150th in the league for SC points, and got 22 coaches votes in 22 games (99th). Cash in on the reputation of a player.
 
threenewpadlocks said:
Plus Smith has stagnated as a player after his first two years where rapid improvement was expected.

It's entirely fine for Smith to want a change of scenery to see if he can get the most of his career, and for us to move on on having to worry about his stagnating play, especially if his salary demands exceed his on-field performance.

Social media and branding aside, he's built a lot of his reputation for being a good first and second year player that often, but not always, is projects him to being into the game's elite. He's got this weird reputation of the player that he was expected to be in three years time that he had in 2019, not the actual output of his 2023 given that those three years have passed. It's bizarre, and despite all the professionalism and resources dedicated to list management at other clubs, it's easy to see how another one could overpay for him in relation to the on-field contribution to winning he may provide for the new club.

The whispers I've heard about him being likely to leave are largely due to that - we'd get a good draft pick and another club will sink decent salary cap space into him, for a player that was ranked about 250th in the league according to AFL Player Ratings Points, 150th in the league for SC points, and got 22 coaches votes in 22 games (99th). Cash in on the reputation of a player.
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Cashing in on an uncontracted player is a terribly flawed idea, cash in for Pies pick 16+ after we spent pick 6 & 5 years development - sounds good

If you ‘cashed in’ on every highly talented 22yo after a down year you wouldn’t have much of a list
 
doggies ftw said:
after we spent pick 6 & 5 years development - sounds good
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This is literally the sunk cost logical fallacy.

doggies ftw said:
If you ‘cashed in’ on every highly talented 22yo after a down year you wouldn’t have much of a list
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It's a gradual decline after his first two years - in relation to consistent performance over several games (not a flash in finals) - being his best, and people still thinking that that can carry the reputaiton.

We'd get more than just a late first rounder for him, btw.
 
Marcus Bontempelli has revealed he underwent ankle surgery this week but expects to be fit for the beginning of a crucial pre-season for the Western Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs captain said he pulled up poorly from off-season running sessions and decided with the club to have an ankle “clean-up” procedure before the season.

He underwent surgery on Monday after returning from a trip to Canada and the US and hopes to be fit by the time pre-season training begins on November 27.


“I’ll move to ease everyone’s tensions or concerns, it’s just a little ankle clean-up,” he told SEN Breakfast after appearing on crutches on Wednesday.

Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli is on crutches after an ankle clean-out procedure on Monday but hopes to be ready for pre-season training. Picture: Michael Willson / Getty Images
Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli is on crutches after an ankle clean-out procedure on Monday but hopes to be ready for pre-season training. Picture: Michael Willson / Getty Images
“Had my break, started training and noticed a few little signs, a little bit of swelling and it was staying a little bit angry post-session since coming back from my off-season trip.

“So we just decided it was better to act now rather than pushing into the pre-season and then season, going for a little tidy up. No big concern here … should be walking properly by the end of the week.”

Bontempelli said being able to spend the entire pre-season at a revamped Whitten Oval would make a huge difference to the Dogs’ preparation after they trained in a makeshift gym and at Braybrook’s Skinner Reserve during 2023.

“There’s no doubt the improvement and enhancement of the facilities will definitely bring a new sort of feeling and energy to it,” he told NCA NewsWire.

Football has returned to Whitten Oval during the AFLW season, with construction almost complete on the Western Bulldogs’ new state-of-the-art facilities. Picture: Dylan Burns / Getty Images
Football has returned to Whitten Oval during the AFLW season, with construction almost complete on the Western Bulldogs’ new state-of-the-art facilities. Picture: Dylan Burns / Getty Images
“To be able to access top-end equipment and top-end facilities … it can be as valuable as you give it, it’s not going to be the difference maker between winning games and losing games but can definitely enhance your ability to train day in and day out.


“There’s no doubt it has an effect with maybe in future bringing guys in from other clubs and keeping people at the club.

“It’s the biggest enhancement since I’ve been at the football club, and at the ripe old age of 28 it’s nice to have a new sense of things somewhere that I’ve been for a fair while.”

The reigning AFLPA MVP and best captain said he had no issue with the expectation on players to continue to focus on developing their games over the short off-season period.

More than 15 Essendon players have flown to the US on a self-funded training camp over their breaks, while Bontempelli’s teammate Bailey Smith is about to head to New York for a week-long training trip with Collingwood star Nick Daicos.

Western Bulldogs midfielder Bailey Smith (centre) is headed to New York for a training camp with Collingwood star Nick Daicos (right) during their off-season break.
Western Bulldogs midfielder Bailey Smith (centre) is headed to New York for a training camp with Collingwood star Nick Daicos (right) during their off-season break.
“I think there are a few trailblazers who use their off-seasons not really just for rest and replenishment, understanding that you need that for a couple of weeks, but there’s a really good opportunity to go overseas and learn a few things, adapt some of your training and freshen up in different ways … listening to different voices and training under some new coaches and philosophies,” he said.

“I’ve certainly done that in the past, and probably more or less learnt that off a bloke from another club called Travis Boak.

“There’s more of that coming in … the younger guys are coming in already with the appetite to explore and learn … I definitely think the game has gone to another level in terms of its professionalism.”

Bontempelli was speaking to promote the launch of his new illustrated children’s book, Little Bont’s Brave Play, which is the sequel to his popular debut released in 2021.
 
Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli is hopeful that three of his big-name teammates will re-sign with the club despite the ends of their contracts looming.

Midfield star Bailey Smith, athletic forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and ruckman Tim English are three blue-chip Bulldogs off contract next season as a squeeze on the Bulldogs’ salary cap looms.
Bontempelli, determined to ensure the Bulldogs rebound after missing the finals this year, said he was “very hopeful” the trio would re-sign.

“It’s part of the process, whether it gets close to free agency, all those things, you have to go through the process to work out what your future looks like, the long term and the short term,” he said.
“I know that they all really love the football club. They all have deep roots to making it a successful club. That’s all you can really go on. You are here for anything they want to talk about, or to be there for them. But it’s really part of their own journey, part of your journey to help support them through it, but I am pretty confident they all really love playing for the football club. Hopefully, they do want to stay around for a long time.”

After an indifferent 2023 campaign, where he admitted to struggling to deal with coach Luke Beveridge’s decision to have him spend more time forward, Smith has already begun an intense off-season training program.

Bontempelli said Smith, who was in good spirits when he stepped out with partner Gemma Dawkins in the Birdcage on Derby Day, was aiming to be a consistent midfield force.

“I do think so. He has all the traits to play in that part of the ground more consistently. He, like any athlete, would have felt like he didn’t quite get exactly what he feels like he knows he is capable of,” Bontempelli said.

“That’s what you always want, players around you who feel like they can be contributing more, and helping you in different ways.“You can’t really ask more of a teammate in that sense and, it looks like, from what I can tell, he is working his butt off to make sure he is raring to go come pre-season time.”
Smith’s future had been a public discussion point heading into last month’s trade period, before his manager quashed suggestions he could have been on the move.

Smith told Seven through the season that he had “fallen into the trap of over-training and being too obsessed”, and had struggled to accept a role more forward of the ball. He averaged 23.52 touches this season, compared to 29.11 in 2022.

“It was a different change this year ... I hope I play more midfield next year,” he said.
Having already locked away Aaron Naughton on an eight-year deal, the longest tenure of any current player, Ugle-Hagan is another player who could command a monster deal.

Former St Kilda star Leigh Montagna believes Ugle-Hagan, 21, could secure a deal of close to $1.5 million under the increase in the new collective bargaining agreement.

Ugle-Hagan, the former No.1 overall draft pick, has said he wants to remain at the club that has embraced him since the age of 15.

“With young, athletic forwards like Jamarra, they don’t grow on trees. He is an exceptional talent, but he has already spoken to the fact from the NGA Academy all the way up, he has felt a deep connection to the Bulldogs,” Bontempelli said.

“That’s probably enough for right now to feel really confident he, once again, wants to push this club forward off his own boot but also a more leadership capacity.”
Rival clubs, including Sydney, could offer him a life-changing contract, with the Swans seeking a long-term marquee name to replace the retired Lance Franklin.

Bontempelli’s comments came while he was promoting the latest instalment of his Little Bont book series, Little Bont’s Brave Play, written with Fiona Harris.
The midfielder has had surgery on a sore right ankle, but does not expect his summer program to be derailed when official pre-season training begins on November 27.

Bontempelli said he felt soreness while training in the US and Canada during his break, with scans recommending a cleanout was the best option.
“I had a little scope, a little cleanout about two days ago. So, I am still on crutches for another couple of days until it all settles down. It was just one of those things. I started to ramp up my training while I was away overseas, and just noticed it swelling up a little bit more than it should have,” Bontempelli told this masthead on Wednesday.

“I was still able to get through the majority of my program but, after coming back, and having an X-ray, it just felt like in the end it was better to take action now, just get through, clean it out, and have me set back a couple of weeks, but hopefully up and going by the time we are back at training.

“I will still have a couple of good weeks of training through that early return period.”
 
NBates said:
Bont was interviewed by Neil Mitchell this morning about his 2nd novel.
Click to expand...
I haven’t read either novel but I am sure they must be great. Two years between publications. That’s an awful lot of time for research. The second novel must be a sweeping historical drama or some such. The Bont can do everything.
 
Mr. Walker said:
I haven’t read either novel but I am sure they must be great. Two years between publications. That’s an awful lot of time for research. The second novel must be a sweeping historical drama or some such. The Bont can do everything.
Click to expand...

My granddaughters got me the first one, I haven’t read it yet. I’m waiting for the movie version to come out. Probably need to go to Gold Class and be comfortable if it’s an epic in length.
 
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