Training 2024 Pre-season training

[VitalDread]

I wouldn't be against using Macrae on the wing
Let his ball kicking skills become a weapon again

 

[Foxman98]

I wouldn't be against using Macrae on the wing
Let his ball kicking skills become a weapon again

I would he is far to slow and hasn't got the long penetrating kick in him

 

[Euku]

Mid group 1 Libba Bont smith
Mid group 2 Macrae Treloar Sanders

We should rotate our mids more than any team
FF:Marra O'Driscoll Naughton
HF:Flea lobb West
C:Williams smith Sanders
R:English Bont Libba
HBCoffield JOD JJ
FB:Red Jones Dale
Int: Treloar,daniel macrae, darcy

Sub freijah/harmes

 

[hujsh]

I would he is far to slow and hasn't got the long penetrating kick in him

Compared to Hunter do you think he's much slower or with less kicking penetration? If he doesn't crack the sads there's potential for him to be better than the hodgepodge options we have had the last few years.

 

[Libbaaaa]

Mm I dunno I think it’s a pretty valid discussion point as to how our #6 draft pick we sold the farm with coexists in our midfield, internally we absolutely will be factoring him into our considerations as early as this year it’s just how it goes with these kids coming through now.

Macrae was already pushed out of the midfield before we sold the farm for a young mid so it’s not exactly a stretch - especially considering most of the write ups on training which indicate he’s seeing a lot of midfield time and Macrae has slimmed down and playing more of an outside role, which would indicate a change of role for him possibly.

Of course if Jack finds his best again it’s his spot to lose that goes without saying but they’re at opposite ends of their careers and we’re due for a big transition shortly. Would not surprise me at all if we got the ball rolling on that early, we don’t have to but it’s well worth discussing at this time of the year IMO.

Yeah that group on paper is elite but in reality it’s been flakey at best for a couple of years and over half of those names are at the tail end of their career. If we’re expecting to trot out the same old thing once again and think things are going to improve we’re going to have a bad time to be honest - by stale I mean we’ve gone from the highest midfield rotations in the league to one of the fewest. We cannot cope losing Libba, to the point that we got beat up by some of the worst teams in the comp without him & god forbid we were to lose Bont. The group is super stale.

To put it bluntly if we don’t see some of the likes of Baz, Sanders, Harmes, West, Cody step up and offer a genuine midfield rotation to support Bont, Libba, Adzy & Macrae , well I’m pretty confident we’ll continue on our current trajectory - a steady decline

How did we sell the farm for Sanders?

 

[Bulldogs85]

 

[doggies ftw]

How did we sell the farm for Sanders?

3 first rounders is a lot, it made sense for us and I’m happy we did it but we paid a lot for him

 

[Golden_6]

3 first rounders is a lot, it made sense for us and I’m happy we did it but we paid a lot for him

Look at it as 2 first rounders. Our first this year and next year for him. Consider the Lions first the pick we used for Croft. Two mid teens picks for a potentially elite mid might end up being a masterstroke.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

**** sake, turfed to Tassie.

 

[Foxman98]

Compared to Hunter do you think he's much slower or with less kicking penetration? If he doesn't crack the sads there's potential for him to be better than the hodgepodge options we have had the last few years.

Yes he is much slower then a young Hunter (When he was good) and doesn't have the aerobic capacity for the wing,

We tried him there last year against Freo and O'Driscall tore him a new sphincter as he is an inside mid only

 

[TiAn_]

Less than 12 weeks until we see them run out again, giddyup

 

[dardog]

It’s a sad reality but potentially McRae might no longer be a best 22 option when we have a full slate of health. He has been on the decline since midway 2022, just feel like guys like Sanders, Smith, Garcia, West, Gags might provide a better blend to our current set up alongside Bont, Libba and Treloar. I love McRae but his pace is a huge concern and he seems to be unable to provide any real defensive presence in the guts anymore.

 

[Bulldogs85]

Less than 12 weeks until we see them run out again, giddyup

Hopefully we have a match simulation with other club before our Pre-Season match

 

[doggies ftw]

I wouldn't be against using Macrae on the wing
Let his ball kicking skills become a weapon again

I’d be open to trying it again, young Macrae was built for the wing. I know it’s a long time ago but he’d be capable IMO.

Either way I’d be looking for him to slim down this preseason, he needs to find a bit of that speed he had as an 18yo and just being a bit lighter on his feet will help him in the roles we want him playing going forward.

Can’t see him ever playing inside full time for us again the way the games moving so he doesn’t need the bulk he’s carrying - drop a few kilos and work on his outside game again & covering ground (which is what he was drafted on) for HFF/Wing with rotations in the middle.

 

[_Cerberus_]

Hopefully we have a match simulation with other club before our Pre-Season match

I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure I saw posted somewhere that we have the Hawks as well, at our home ground for a match sim. Before playing them down in TAS for the official preseason game. Interesting if true, spending the whole preseason vs the one opponent.

 

[Bulldogs85]

I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure I saw posted somewhere that we have the Hawks as well, at our home ground for a match sim. Before playing them down in TAS for the official preseason game. Interesting if true, spending the whole preseason vs the one opponent.

I Guess it’s better then playing against ourselves like last year

 

[Turtleman3]

Macrae, I believe, has a high football IQ and is still great leader on the ground

 

[blagodellago]

It’s a sad reality but potentially McRae might no longer be a best 22 option when we have a full slate of health. He has been on the decline since midway 2022, just feel like guys like Sanders, Smith, Garcia, West, Gags might provide a better blend to our current set up alongside Bont, Libba and Treloar. I love McRae but his pace is a huge concern and he seems to be unable to provide any real defensive presence in the guts anymore.

Yet you can’t get his name right? Ffs it shits me to no end that his own supporters spell his name wrong considering what he has done for our club

 

[DiamondDogs8]

With our midfield logjam I wouldn’t mind seeing Sanders rotate through that Sheezel/Daicos roaming HB role at times in games where we’re dominating the ball, letting him stuff the stat sheet. Can’t wait to see him dominating in the guts for the next decade, kid is a star.

 

[geoffjennings79]

We should just play 11 mids and 11 talls.

Let opposition sides and coaches worry about how to counter that!

 

[House_of_Dahl]

I've got 10k on him winning the rising star
Day 1 play

I have $10 on him lol

I also have $10 on Sanders RS, Bont Brownlow, Dogs flag. I'm rich if that happens haha

 

[House_of_Dahl]

Yet you can’t get his name right? Ffs

"FFS"

 

[synchrodogcal]

Lol

 

[dogwatch]

I'm not worried about an overstocked squad of midfielders.

For a start there will always be at least one of them injured. It's nice to know there'll be a genuine AFL quality replacement waiting in the wings.

Secondly the competition for a midfield spot will be great. It will foster excellence. Nobody should be allowed to coast and still get a game. My hope is we don't try to squeeze the extra midfielders into the forward line unless they can genuinely excel there.

Play in the twos son, and work your ring off to displace somebody who's getting a game ahead of you! I don't care if your name is Macrae or Bazlenka or Adz ... it's always up to you to earn your spot, even if you end up having to reinvent yourself in a different role. That's not always a bad thing. Not long ago we had an ex-captain who was forced to do that. He ended up with an AA and a premiership medallion.

 

[NthBondiDoggies]

Agree with a few of the posters here that our midfield will go back to being a strength.

Over the break we didn’t lose anyone - so hopefully we get to add:

Macrae back to his averages (extra 10 possessions +)

Smith back to his best

These two alone lift us considerably. Then add:

García with a full preseason

West building on his games in the midfield

Harmes as a hard nut that we lack (other than Libba) so great coverage

Sanders - the best pure midfielder in the draft.

With the star starting line up of Bont, Trelor and Libba - this has to be the best midfield list in the comp.