2018 pre season

Remove this Banner Ad

When are the boys back in action
Today

26223259_1784327945202923_7306256707896737792_n.jpg
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Pre-season so far: After getting back into the swing of things on November 9 after missing the finals, the Dogs spent the week leading into their Christmas break together in Torquay on a three-day training camp for a bit of pre-festive season bonding for the second year running. They'll again head north a few weeks after they reconvene on Monday, January 8 for another Sunshine Coast camp in Mooloolaba. Rhylee West, son of 324-game midfielder Scott West, has also been training with the club ahead of his draft year where he'll be eligible for father-son selection.

Time trial champ: The Dogs have refrained from official measured time trials but have put in plenty of endurance based sessions, where the likes of Bailey Dale, Toby McLean, Mitch Wallis, Lachie Hunter and Clay Smith have been performing.

Training return: January 8

Community camp: The Dogs are off to the central Victorian town of Ballarat, where they'll host two home and away matches in 2018, and will also send a contingent to the south-western town of Hamilton. The Ballarat visits will take place on March 1-2, and the Hamilton ones on March 2-3.

AFLX fixture: Saturday, February 17, Allianz Stadium: Sydney, Greater Western Sydney, the Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast, Richmond

JLT fixture: v Hawthorn, Mars Stadium, Ballarat, Saturday, March 3, 2.05pm AEDT; v Collingwood, Ted Summerton Reserve, Moe, Saturday, March 10, 1.05pm AEDT

Round one: v Greater Western Sydney, UNSW Canberra Oval, Sunday, March 25, 1.10pm AEDT
 
Why not start him onball alongside Libba and Bont next year without any tagging. All are great ball hunters and accumulators plus can go forward and have impact on the scoreboard.
The problem is that all three are slow and outside of Bont don't spread particularly well. Libba and Wallis don't break away from congestion to any real degree, instead opting most frequently to operate in tight and feed the ball by hand outside the contest or to a better position within it. With that setup there just aren't enough free receivers and it's the problem we faced all last year. In 2016 we maintained spacing by staying mobile and having good setups but teams sat on these free onballers in 2017 - without the nous, strength or athleticism to find space, we couldn't get the ball out. Quick kicking out of danger is not an option for us given our poor aerial contest work.

Bont, Libba and Wallis may well feature in the same team at times but I doubt they will all start on the ball together. I would be surprised if McLean isn't in that starting on ball unit.
 
Looking at the pictures i have seen of our pre season so far, especially the pic today of the leadership group - What is with the condition of VUWO? Did they run out of water in Footscray? Looks to be super dry and patchy... surely they can keep the surface perfect for an AFL side.
They did exactly the same treatment at Mars Stadium. The photo below is from the 30th November. It will bounce back in time for the JLT game.

24255099_1944967772436568_5993714508540485293_o.jpg


On the 26th November 17:

24059773_10210268855293095_5601040520906236437_o.jpg


And in February 17:

18058220_1514009741966865_3003534366496767383_n.jpg
 
Last edited:
The problem is that all three are slow and outside of Bont don't spread particularly well. Libba and Wallis don't break away from congestion to any real degree, instead opting most frequently to operate in tight and feed the ball by hand outside the contest or to a better position within it. With that setup there just aren't enough free receivers and it's the problem we faced all last year. In 2016 we maintained spacing by staying mobile and having good setups but teams sat on these free onballers in 2017 - without the nous, strength or athleticism to find space, we couldn't get the ball out. Quick kicking out of danger is not an option for us given our poor aerial contest work.

Bont, Libba and Wallis may well feature in the same team at times but I doubt they will all start on the ball together. I would be surprised if McLean isn't in that starting on ball unit.
This expresses my concerns about our mid-field as well. I was hoping that we may have been able to address our lack of speed in the trade/draft period but most of the classy mids were gone in the first handful of picks and we did pretty well with other types. We certainly lack mids who can break away from congestion and get the ball into the forward line quickly but most of the incumbents don't have that ability. McLean is certainly a big improver in the role but perhaps we need to try Dale or Lipinski and, hopefully, Richards as he develops, to add some speed and delivery skills.
 
This expresses my concerns about our mid-field as well. I was hoping that we may have been able to address our lack of speed in the trade/draft period but most of the classy mids were gone in the first handful of picks and we did pretty well with other types. We certainly lack mids who can break away from congestion and get the ball into the forward line quickly but most of the incumbents don't have that ability. McLean is certainly a big improver in the role but perhaps we need to try Dale or Lipinski and, hopefully, Richards as he develops, to add some speed and delivery skills.
I would love to see Lipinski developed in the midfield at AFL level, as well as Bailey Williams. Both have shown ability there at u18 and VFL level. Jong returning should give us some more power at stoppages.
 
AFLW Western Bulldogs and Carlton are playing a pre-season practice game at Mars Stadium next Saturday (week) the 20th January two weeks before the official AFLW season commences. Game starts at 7pm, gates open at 6pm.

26233015_2040392279311718_5959899953417719723_o.jpg
 
Last edited:
They’ve changed up the gym work this pre season and are now just using a Bowflex. So we can expect the team to all have pumped arms, ripped abs and legs of steel by the end of the pre season.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
At least they're not using those stupid vibrating things that you stand on and apparently lose up to 5 "Kay Gees" in seven weeks ... BTW I have shares in the tolls on the Westgate Bridge, anybody interested in investing ;)
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Did they end up doing the camp in the Sunshine Coast and just keep the whole thing a secret? Bit odd there’s been no mention or photos of any training last week. Unless of course they started back later?
 
I will never get tired of looking at Easton's quads. Good lawd!

Pretty sure that camp is at the end of the month.
I see now, I skimmed through the info and only read the bolded part in my head and missed the first part of the sentence.

"They'll again head north a few weeks after they reconvene on Monday, January 8 for another Sunshine Coast camp in Mooloolaba."
 

Remove this Banner Ad

2018 pre season

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top