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

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Sen article

Young Western Bulldogs tall Sam Darcy looks set to go to a new level in 2024 if his performance in the practice match against Hawthorn last Friday was anything to go off.

The 20-year-old split his time between the ruck and forward line and kicked three goals.
Having started his career at either end of the ground so far, his work in the ruck was perhaps most impressive as he more than held his own against Ned Reeves and Lloyd Meek.

With Tim English playing in the second game of the day, Darcy looked like he could easily fill a second-ruck/forward role ahead of Rory Lobb in 2024 and SEN host Tim Watson expects his development to affect the club’s long-term thinking.

As English becomes a free agent at the end of the season and is likely to receive mammoth offers to leave the club, particularly from West Coast, Watson pondered whether having Darcy at the club would allow the Bulldogs to let their star ruckman walk.



While the Dogs would no doubt like to keep all of their A-grade players, Watson thinks the club will have to weigh up how much they want to spend on the Perth native knowing that Darcy could potentially fill his role at an elite level going forward.

Watson: “Did you see any of Sam Darcy playing last week?”

Lyon: “I did. I picked him for the Rising Star last year as my winner and then he just kept picking up these rare injuries.

“So I'm hoping he's got all his bad luck out of the way because I think he's absolutely special.”

Watson: “The interesting discussion about that is obviously Tim English and he becomes a free agent … that contract deal, it’s going to put enormous pressure (on the club) and a whole other level of conversation around the extension.

“How much do you pay him to keep him when you've got this other kid who, if he gets a good run at it, is going to be a super big man of the competition?”

Lyon: “I’m reading a lot into what you just said then, I’m reading into that you want them to get rid of English and not be held to ransom.

“But, I don't want to put words in your mouth.”

Darcy will hope to impress again when the Bulldogs face the Hawks in a Community Series clash at UTAS Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Dogs open their season officially against Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday, March 17.
 
Dogsman16 said:
Because what side of the bed Bevo wakes up on often dictates the performance of the team.

Also the bottom 6 players we select find ways of self destructing and costing us games.
Click to expand...
A bit harsh to blame the bottom 6, though it would help if they were better for sure. The losses at the end of last year were a not - so - great team effort
 
Article on the AFL Website

THERE'S a big selection call looming for the Western Bulldogs ahead of round one, with young gun Sam Darcy and fellow tall Rory Lobb locked in an intriguing battle for a spot in the Bulldogs' best 23.

That's the opinion of AFL.com.au reporter Josh Gabelich, who has been keeping a close eye on the Bulldogs over summer and attended their pre-season camp earlier this month.

After testing out a four-pronged tall attack at the start of last season, the Bulldogs look to have shelved that structure and will instead opt for three talls up forward in 2024.
That's seemingly left Darcy and Lobb fighting it out for just one spot in Luke Beveridge's side, with pair battling to be the back-up ruck to All-Australian Tim English and the third key forward alongside Aaron Naughton and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.

Speaking on the AFL Daily podcast on Tuesday, Gabelich said it's a watch and see ahead of the Bulldogs' round one clash against Melbourne.
"There's a selection narrative at the Western Bulldogs that's going under the radar a little bit at the moment. [Darcy's] up against Rory Lobb for the final spot in that forward line alongside Aaron Naughton and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and behind Tim English in the ruck," he said.

"They won't be going with four (talls), as far as I can tell at this point. So there's a big watch on that selection."
Darcy, taken with pick No.2 in the 2021 Draft, has managed only seven senior appearances due to a nightmare injury run that started with a stress fracture in his foot, and has since included a hole in his lung, a fractured jaw and a significant corked quad.

However, the 20-year-old has laid the foundations for a breakout year after completing the full pre-season program and starring in the Bulldogs' match sim against Hawthorn last week.
Darcy sent a timely selection statement against the Hawks, splitting his time between ruck and inside 50 to finish with three goals.

"He's banked the full pre-season (after) coming off a nightmare start to his AFL career," Gabelich said. "When you factor in he's only played the seven AFL games - he arrived with a stress fracture in his foot (in his debut season) and showed so much at the back end of 2022, but never really got going last year.

"He kicked three goals in the match sim against Hawthorn last Friday and he's got another audition against Hawthorn in Launceston on Saturday. This is going to be a big watch - does he take a spot off Rory Lobb?"
Lobb is entering his second season with the Bulldogs after being traded from Fremantle at the end of 2022.

After a career-best season in 2022 when he kicked 36 goals from 21 appearances, he kicked 24 goals and played 20 of a possible 23 games in his debut season as a Bulldog.

The Dogs have their final pre-season hitout in Saturday night's AAMI Community Series match against Hawthorn at University of Tasmania Stadium before starting their season against the Dees on March 17.
 

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Article on AFL Website

WESTERN Bulldogs midfielder Jack Macrae has returned to full training, just in time to push his case for a spot against Melbourne in round one after injuring his hamstring during the club's pre-season camp on the Sunshine Coast.

The three-time All-Australian sustained a low-grade hamstring injury at the start of the month and missed last Friday's match simulation against Hawthorn.
But after completing match simulation at the Whitten Oval on Wednesday, Macrae is on track to bank some minutes this weekend.

Luke Beveridge's side travels to Launceston to face Hawthorn at the University of Tasmania Stadium on Saturday in the final tune-up ahead of the Bulldogs' season-opener on March 17.
Footscray hosts Box Hill at the Whitten Oval on Saturday, although the Bulldogs' VFL side won't be stacked with Marcus Bontempelli, Tim English, Adam Treloar, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Bailey Dale, Ed Richards and Cody Weightman, like they were last Friday afternoon.

The club will make a decision later in the week on whether to play Macrae in the AFL or VFL side after missing most of the February block of pre-season.
The 29-year-old played 119 games in succession until that streak ended when he entered the AFL's concussion protocols late last August, missing the final game of the 2023 home and away season.

Scans have cleared Category B rookie James O'Donnell of structural damage after he injured his ankle at the start of last week's scratch match.

The 21-year-old has trained as a key defender all summer and has looked set for a spot in the Dogs' backline across the summer.
After training with the main group on Wednesday, the cricket convert is expected to play some minutes this weekend.

All-Australian ruckman English was assessed for a shoulder issue during last Friday's VFL game but played on after having his shoulder strapped and hasn't reported any issues since.
 
perro_loco said:
I left
And now she is also your wife? Just asking. I happen to live with a woman for over 35 years and it started by me seating next to her by chance. Just saying.
Click to expand...
No. It was a bridge too far. I have a Seinfeldian aversion to such things.
Ultimately I broke up with her because she couldn't enunciate the letter h correctly.
The important thing to remember though is that I dumped her.
 
Last edited:
Next Waiting said:
No. It was a bridge too far. I have a Seinfeldian aversion to such things.
Ultimately I broke up with her because she couldn't enunciate the letter h correctly.
The important thing to remember though is that I dumped her.
Click to expand...
Perhaps she was Eliza Doolittle. in 'artford, 'ereford and 'ampton, 'urricanes 'ardly ever 'appen.
 

IF ...​


you believe Bevo and Chris Grant get on well these days ...


THEN ...​


you're also a flat earth, tooth fairy, aliens built the pyramids and WWE isn't scripted believer.



written by the afl hack that needs teddy whitten to stick it right up him (but he would probably like it)

Disclaimer: If anyone is offended by my post pls remember that i live in a country and society that believes being oversensitive is the work of the devil . so grow a pair
 
brmi said:
Cornes is doing what Cornes does. Baiting. Just trying to bait Bevo knowing that he (Kane) can throw barbs at will without any real push back.

On a side note, my wife took our kids and a friend to the open training session/praccy match a few weeks ago and she said a number of players were fantastic. Bont, Libba and Cody in particular but Bevo unfortunately was a complete flog. Standing no more than 5 meters from the kids and fan base most of the time, he totally blanked all in sundry. Kids trying to say hello to Bev, at appropriate times, and he wouldn't even take a moment to acknowledge the kids and supporters that turned up.

He just seems like a man that has let total paranoia take over and disconnected from any form of criticism or reality.

I bloody hope he can sort his s**t out this year and get it all together for all our sake. Honestly feel like this year could be one for the ages and we go all the way, or it could be even more frustrating than last year (if possible!)
Click to expand...
Cornes is a flog. A little man who never won anything. As much of a crazy coach is Bevo gave us a flag and a grand final. So Cornes can gagf. He is a big mouth mediocrity
 

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Article in the HUN about the growing gap between AFL executive salaries and players / coaches.

I've written previous about how we're probably the only football code in the world where league executives earn more than players.

Truly a bunch of boys club crooks at head office.

If you've not done so yet, have a read of 'The Boys Club' by Michael Warner about the AFL rort.

208252973.jpg
 
Article in Herald Sun Sunday paper that Bev talks about 2024

Sanders plays round 1

Lobb plays ahead of Darcy as he is a more mature body and is more seasoned therefore will see games out better and play 120 min if required

The club targeted Coffield Bramble and Harmes for roles they needed.
Harmes has been crook couple times during preseason. Coffield great pre season

Won’t rule out playing all talls but basically ruled it out. If all play then one of West VDM or Weightman miss

Liber is a great story to be back in leadership group

Recruits from draft have provided energy for the group
 
Dog 36 said:
Won’t rule out playing all talls but basically ruled it out. If all play then one of West VDM or Weightman miss
Click to expand...

Play all the talls then
 
geoffjennings79 said:
With McComb and Hannan gone, and Gardner and Keath in decline, VDM really has the 'scapegoat' role all to himself this year.
Poor bugger, hope he stays away from BF.
Click to expand...
You could argue that one man's scapegoat is another man's underperforming player.
 

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

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