Autopsy What's the deal with the Western Bulldogs?

[demondavey]

Luke Beveridge is what is known as an enigma.

He was appointed at the end of 2014 when the Bulldogs were in very rough shape and against all expectations, helped turn them into a very good team.

The problem is, after winning the 2016 flag, the Bulldogs board gave him unlimited credit, and proceeded to give him complete control over all aspects of the football club, including recruitment. He has since been exposed as a fraud in multiple facets.

I keep hearing Bulldogs fans say he needs to be surrounded by good assistants, but I wouldn't be so sure he'd accept that. He's clearly extremely arrogant and wants things to be done his way and his way only.

Again. Major assumptions from you. Absolutely unmitigated rhetoric that is most likely fictional.

 

[Northernsoul74]

I am not playing it at all. I was open a while back about it. Who else is doing it tough? If you’re in a place where your mental health is suffering because you’re getting upset about some footy discussion and taking it personally, then you need to bail.

I’ve openly given my opinion about the WB and the behaviour expressed by certain players that blights the game, I’ve only ever discussed WB and football related issues. Don’t think I’ve ripped into anyone about their mental health. I am not vindictive at all towards individuals, I’ve stood by my statements about the WB and that isn’t changing.

This isn’t the thread for that and you very well know that. You’re obviously trolling, own it, get over your Bulldogs obsession or take it to one of the numerous threads already set up to sook about a game 6 years ago or royal commissions into umpires. Happy to discuss where the Bulldogs are at in good faith as most other posters of other teams are capable of doing in this thread.

 

[demondavey]

Keyword: enigma.
2021 was sandwiched between an extremely mediocre 2020, and an even worse 2022.

2021 in general was an enigma too. They went from looking unstoppable early in the first half of the season, to finishing the home & away season horribly where they got thumped by Essendon and Hawthorn, to going on an explosive finals run, to getting absolutely demolished in the Grand Final.

It even applies to the Grand Final: they went from getting thrashed in the first quarter, to coming back and overpowering Melbourne up to the middle of the 3rd quarter, to completely forgetting how to defend and getting steamrolled through the centre for the rest of the game.

This is the reality of letting an enigma have complete control of your club. They went from winning the flag against all odds, to falling down when expected to be good, to a complete rollercoaster of a year, to utter mediocrity again.

So you think because he is an ‘enigma’ that this has all played out? How does being enigmatic directly contribute to the fade away in the GF last year?

Your rationale is very odd.

 

[freddy mercury]

Has to be the coaching, surely? Their midfield is arguably the best in the comp. Their forward line has enough talent to kick a winning score. The only issue is they're missing a key back, but with their midfield and heavy scoring capabilities, you can get away with missing a key back.

You'd have to consider trading out one of their many midfielders for a key back.

 

[CarnTheScray]

There are quite a few people that agree with my statement re 16. Since then you’ve been very average. You appeared to be ‘successful’ last year after you got a pass in the EF and a very dodgy decision in a tough final against Brisbane in the semi at the centre bounce.

It’s pretty obvious that your players really do benefit from certain theatrical behaviour and accentuate that in very big games. That’s the reason you’re getting through in finals.

44

 

[adogsfan5]

Has to be the coaching, surely? Their midfield is arguably the best in the comp. Their forward line has enough talent to kick a winning score. The only issue is they're missing a key back, but with their midfield and heavy scoring capabilities, you can get away with missing a key back.

You'd have to consider trading out one of their many midfielders for a key back.

Our defensive structure is a joke. Teams go from one end to the other with ease and cut holes through our zone. It’s a mess and needs an overhaul.

 

[Northernsoul74]

Has to be the coaching, surely? Their midfield is arguably the best in the comp. Their forward line has enough talent to kick a winning score. The only issue is they're missing a key back, but with their midfield and heavy scoring capabilities, you can get away with missing a key back.

You'd have to consider trading out one of their many midfielders for a key back.

I suspect the midfield has been overrated a bit. It’s all a bit same same in there.
We know that Bevo had words with Webb the mids coach recently about how poor we were setting up.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Havn't said that about a Carlton side for a long time.

44

He just doesn’t quit does he. I hope he is still around when the Dees dive back to the status quo.

 

[freddy mercury]

Our defensive structure is a joke. Teams go from one end to the other with ease and cut holes through our zone. It’s a mess and needs an overhaul.

I sometimes do wonder if the mids run both ways?

 

[adogsfan5]

I sometimes do wonder if the mids run both ways?

Could be an element of that. But then on Saturday - we had 3 mids push back, covering space and Freo still managed to hit up Lobb on the lead. Is it a lack of talk? Not knowing where to zone? I dunno.
I feel like we push up too high and then once there’s a turnover we’re cooked on the spread the other way. Either too slow or not fit enough. I remember on Saturday there was a turnover at CHB, and I think it was Serong streaming through the middle to get on the end of a pass and Macrae just could not go with him. It was a concern.

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

I've got to say, the media give the Bulldogs a very, very easy run.

Daniel - superstar. Best kick in the comp.
Naughton - superstar. Best contested mark basically ever.
The Bont - a god among men.
Liberatore - They seem to have him ahead of Diesel.
Bailey Smith

6

Bailey Smith

Age

23

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

- David King had him earmarked as the best player in the comp FFS!
Dale - Best kick in AFL history.
Richards - superstar
Weightman - excitement machine that is better than Milne, Matera and Farmer combined
Dunkley - another superstar
Treloar - yet another superstar
JUH - best young talent the game has ever seen
English - Simon Madden reincarnate
Macrae - yep, another superstar
Bruce - Tony Lockett

Tony Lockett

Age

58

Ht

191cm

Wt

108kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.2

3star

K

8.4

3star

HB

1.8

2star

M

6.3

5star

T

0.5

3star

G

4.8

5star

No current season stats available

D

8.2

2star

K

5.6

3star

HB

2.6

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

0.0

1star

G

1.4

5star

esque

And there's Beveridge. My god do they idolise him! Fair dinkum, they fawn over his every breath. Can't do a thing wrong.


So if the media are correct and pretty much everyone down there is an AFL Hall of Famer - WTF is going wrong?

To be honest, I don't know the hell is going on there myself. Are they good? Are they average? Who knows!?

If they're not good, why not?


The 2016 flag was peculiar, to put it lightly. And aside from storming into the GF last year, they've been downright bog average. But then how do you dismiss a GF berth?


Strange stuff.

One thing is for sure....since 2016 they've had incredible PR. The media has left alone the staging and flopping thing completely, and largely ignored their chronic underachieving.

I'm not sure how they managed to find themselves on the AFL's good side. That's an oddity itself.

 

[adogsfan5]

It’s not that difficult to understand that great coaches sometimes run their course at a club or get burnt out. Bevo has said himself a coach probably shouldn’t stay too long at one club.

Careful mate- the guy sniffs out any bulldog negativity.

 

[Bald]

I've got to say, the media give the Bulldogs a very, very easy run.

Daniel - superstar. Best kick in the comp.
Naughton - superstar. Best contested mark basically ever.
The Bont - a god among men.
Liberatore - They seem to have him ahead of Diesel.
Bailey Smith - David King had him earmarked as the best player in the comp FFS!
Dale - Best kick in AFL history.
Richards - superstar
Weightman - excitement machine that is better than Milne, Matera and Farmer combined
Dunkley - another superstar
Treloar - yet another superstar
JUH - best young talent the game has ever seen
English - Simon Madden reincarnate
Macrae - yep, another superstar
Bruce - Tony Lockett esque

And there's Beveridge. My god do they idolise him! Fair dinkum, they fawn over his every breath. Can't do a thing wrong.


So if the media are correct and pretty much everyone down there is an AFL Hall of Famer - WTF is going wrong?

To be honest, I don't know the hell is going on there myself. Are they good? Are they average? Who knows!?

If they're not good, why not?


The 2016 flag was peculiar, to put it lightly. And aside from storming into the GF last year, they've been downright bog average. But then how do you dismiss a GF berth?


Strange stuff.

One thing is for sure....since 2016 they've had incredible PR. The media has left alone the staging and flopping thing completely, and largely ignored their chronic underachieving.

I'm not sure how they managed to find themselves on the AFL's good side. That's an oddity itself.

About all I can say about 99% of your contributions on this website, this post being absolutely no exception.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

About all I can say about 99% of your contributions on this website, this post being absolutely no exception.

It’s amazing, all of the usual suspects, when you consider the vast membership of BF, but no up they pop, angry little ants.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

The thread is a public one talking about why you’re struggling. My opinion is that you’re getting / have gotten a ride with umpires and it’s pissed people off. Your big issue is that you’re letting your players get away with staging. The reason this conversation is in the gutter is because football as a sport is in the gutter and it’s grubs like Weightman that perpetuate it with cheating.

It’s an absolute disgrace.

I’m a Swans fan and I reckon you’re more than a bit obsessed.

 

[Deadly Darcy]

Is that the best you’ve got? Watch a quarter where you won but lost 3 others and a GF by 74 points? Yeah, I’ll watch the 3rd quarter.

You are a truly strange 16 year old. You guys won the 3rd quarter, by a lot. I don’t think you even know what you are posting in here.

 

[Belnakor]

Has to be the coaching, surely? Their midfield is arguably the best in the comp. Their forward line has enough talent to kick a winning score. The only issue is they're missing a key back, but with their midfield and heavy scoring capabilities, you can get away with missing a key back.

You'd have to consider trading out one of their many midfielders for a key back.

Their midfield isn’t anywhere near the best in the comp. It’s too slow. None of them have any toe except when Bailey smith rotates in there.

If the mids can’t get back in time the backline is always going to look shabby.

 

[Lex22]

I think Bevo is far too rigid and stubborn. Messes around at selection, plays some very average favourites and doesn't understand the value of rucks. Not even going into his emotional problems because that's a whole other kettle of fish. He should either go or someone needs to pull him into line.

This is pretty well spot on.

I’ve never agreed with Bevo’s anti-ruck stance and as much blooding English one out has fast-tracked him, it’s cost us many games leading to this point and even now, he’s not a bona fide tap ruck/solo operator.

Really good footballer, but not a go it alone ruckman.

The strange thing is that the best the Bulldogs have looked under Bevo is with 2 rucks. Roughead/Boyd, Martin/English and then anytime they’ve played Sweet. So it’s not as if there’s a successful track record of picking some battling small (McComb, Hannan, Scott etc) instead of a 2nd ruck.

As already mentioned in this thread, we’ve got to invest in Bevo now with good assistants, or show him the door and go after someone new.

We can turn it around quickly with a pretty good list, but it’s still a little unbalanced. Add a key defender or 2 and another ruck option, then it looks a lot brighter.

 

[ferball]

Some pretty big reaches in this vid tbh

Yeah some obvious frees but plenty that weren't as well.

 

[ferball]

Even so. There would have been 10+ that weren’t 50/50.

Alot of those don't get paid or are paid inconsistently. We miss plenty of those frees every week. In the back especially.

 

[CarnTheScray]

I've got to say, the media give the Bulldogs a very, very easy run.

Agree. First criticism I’ve seen about us in a while was on the AFL app. Matthew Lloyd saying we can’t defend.

 

[Tulip]

Refusing to trade Dunkley when he asked to go was one thing, bringing in Treloar the following year another. Combine them and you don’t need to wonder why their defence is shot and their midfield over stacked

 

[Dazb86]

Refusing to trade Dunkley when he asked to go was one thing, bringing in Treloar the following year another. Combine them and you don’t need to wonder why their defence is shot and their midfield over stacked

Problem with kffloading Dunkley that year was the picks would have been swallowed by NGA and F.S picks

 

[tigs2010]

Is “What’s the deal with…” the gen z version of “where are they at?”

 

[Bald]

Refusing to trade Dunkley when he asked to go was one thing, bringing in Treloar the following year another. Combine them and you don’t need to wonder why their defence is shot and their midfield over stacked

They both happened in the same year.

And yeah, picks would’ve been useless.