Training 2024 Preseason reports and discussion

[hawk for 37]

Hawk Insiders pod said today that Phillips looks very raw and not to expect too much from early in the season.

 

[H00t]

Dogs' squads are interesting. Mixing senior players between the two matches.

Poor Box Hill players having to line up on the Bont lol

Pre-season Match Simulation squad locked in

Bulldogs fans will get their first glimpse of recruits Nick Coffield, James Harmes and Lachlan Bramble during the official match simulation tomorrow against the Hawks at Whitten Oval.

www.westernbulldogs.com.au

Bont to have 60 disposals and kick 15 goals if he takes it seriously

 

[HomerJayS]

Since this is only a match simulation, let’s up we only get simulated injuries.

 

[DogDaySonny]

Ok, I'm sick of writing this as people probably are of reading it. So one last time

- we have plenty of tall defending options despite a few injuries. This isnt really an issue as much as people seem to want it to be . We just need to get the mix of personal right , then apply decent downfield pressure .
Get that right and we are laughing as our defence looks so versatile and skilled in the air and ground
- Blanck is a good prospect , but he was never stopping the 'gorilla's' anyway without all around the ground help.
Not many clubs have the 6'5-6'7 monster hence why an average player like Ben Mckay got big bucks .

• injuries are annoying but DGB and Mcabe weren't best 22 . DGB has become Chris Langford since his injury . I really like DGB but seriously .
• very good AFL forwards exist at all clubs . If we fail in the pressure area all over the ground , they will kick goals on us . And any team for that matter .

The lack of 'tall' defenders just seems an easy default reaction . It may have been try a few years ago . Not now .

Booo

 

[hawkman]

Interesting that Channel 7 reporting that Bont, JUH and one other big name is playing in the 2nd game tomorrow

 

[Mississippi]

I think at this stage McKercher or Wardlaw would be clear favourites.

Reid has the hype but not the tank yet to fully show off what he is capable of.

I see Reid being more likely to have the better career though.

Seriously?
Reid has the body and strength of a 25 year old elite midfielder.
Preseason, he’s been embarrassing his West Coast teammates.
Despite the talent of the new boys at North, you’d be brave to bet against Reid.

 

[HedgeFund]

Seems like a pretty solid side.

It’s the entire list, minus injured players, Amon & Breust.

 

[phlogiston]

God

hawthorn defenders

You’d feel safer being the drummer for Spinal Tap.

 

[Millsie69]

Will ask Simmo at the press conference tomorrow post scratch match

Doing God’s work mate!

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

Seriously?
Reid has the body and strength of a 25 year old elite midfielder.
Preseason, he’s been embarrassing his West Coast teammates.
Despite the talent of the new boys at North, you’d be brave to bet against Reid.

Mckkerchers production will be seriously hard to ignore. Think he will average similar numbers to year 1 Daicos

 

[saaam]

Anyone else ever sit near Pat Cash back in the day at Waverley ?
We used to see him at 3-4 games , always behind the interchange .
Was always nice to us kids ......unless you interrupted him during play or if he was knocking back a 4'n'20

Yeah used to stand next to him and his dad at Princess Park, never saw him at Waverley. Pleasant enough dude so long as you didn’t annoy him.

 

[Siri]

I think that emphasising that DGB & McCabe aren't best 22 or even down playing the growing impact of our injury list is a little naive. They're both going to miss 3 months of training, development, exposure & match fitness, regardless of whether it's at VFL or AFL level. They'll suffer, there's less competition for spots & complacency can set in. Most likely, 4 of our best 22 players will miss the start of the season. A competitive team is built on the back of a healthy list & our goal is to improve in that area. The past few weeks have been so disappointing & now match sims are terrifying me. We might spruik that we have "no limits" but say that to our back line.

 

[tl92]

Hawk Insiders pod said today that Phillips looks very raw and not to expect too much from early in the season.

Haha one guy said that. They’re just fans too

 

[Mercy Seat]

Well all the talk on Phillips is that he is an elite interceptor/ball reader and loves to turn defence into attack.

Could he play the Sicily role and leave Sic to man the KD post, win one on ones and still do his thing?

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Sic had to play more of the KD role early in the season last year and he had a slow start because of it. It just doesn’t make best use or his key assets. His best footy happened when Blanck came back into the team and freed him up to play his natural role.

 

[Howe Amazing]

Is Amon injured or just being rested

 

[H00t]

Seriously?
Reid has the body and strength of a 25 year old elite midfielder.
Preseason, he’s been embarrassing his West Coast teammates.
Despite the talent of the new boys at North, you’d be brave to bet against Reid.

Don’t get me wrong Reid is one hell of a player and do some ridiculous things this year.

Just watching him last year and his testing he doesn’t have the greatest tank yet. Over the course of a full season and even within games it’s going to take him a bit to be able to run them out.

Unlike McKercher who does have an elite tank.

If he had the tank Reid would be locked into the medal.

 

[CaptainWorpedo]

Don’t get me wrong Reid is one hell of a player and do some ridiculous things this year.

Just watching him last year and his testing he doesn’t have the greatest tank yet. Over the course of a full season and even within games it’s going to take him a bit to be able to run them out.

Unlike McKercher who does have an elite tank.

If he had the tank Reid would be locked into the medal.

Neither play or train with us, so not sure why it is really here …

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Sic had to play more of the KD role early in the season last year and he had a slow start because of it. It just doesn’t make best use or his key assets. His best footy happened when Blanck came back into the team and freed him up to play his natural role.

When Sic plays well and has those massive 35+ possession, 12+ mark games we are a totally different team.

I don't want to see the Blonde Prince anywhere near the big power forwards this year.

 

[stemline]

Bont to have 60 disposals and kick 15 goals if he takes it seriously

Maybe that's why Box Hill have laid claim to Finn Maginness in their squad.

 

[H00t]

Maybe that's why Box Hill have laid claim to Finn Maginness in their squad.

Only guy that’s got a hope of stopping him in our game 2 line up. Even then they’ve got that many other players to just run riot.

 

[eldorado]

Is Amon injured or just being rested

Rested

 

[tommyk72]

Only guy that’s got a hope of stopping him in our game 2 line up. Even then they’ve got that many other players to just run riot.

Why do you think they picked him in the twos? Wanted to give him a real challenge by letting Finn play on him.

 

[H00t]

Why do you think they picked him in the twos? Wanted to give him a real challenge by letting Finn play on him.

I can only hope Finn whoops him so badly that Bont pulls out of our next game against them

 

[Brant]

I can only hope Finn whoops him so badly that Bont pulls out of our next game against them

Better still, he plays & Finn keeps him to 6-8 disposals, then his fu****ad coach cries about it in the presser - just like that embarrassment Drugwin from Melbourne did


*for the arm-chair lawyers out there... I typed 'Goodwin' - my phone auto-corrected it to 'Drugwin'

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I think that emphasising that DGB & McCabe aren't best 22 or even down playing the growing impact of our injury list is a little naive. They're both going to miss 3 months of training, development, exposure & match fitness, regardless of whether it's at VFL or AFL level. They'll suffer, there's less competition for spots & complacency can set in. Most likely, 4 of our best 22 players will miss the start of the season. A competitive team is built on the back of a healthy list & our goal is to improve in that area. The past few weeks have been so disappointing & now match sims are terrifying me. We might spruik that we have "no limits" but say that to our back line.

Blanck was our only long-term FB prospect and he will now be missing a year of crucial development. However the issue isn't so much the potential impact on our results, which is what some posters are seemingly suggesting doomsdayers are suggesting. I agree it's not the end of the world, as it's another year of development we aren't contending this season.

The real issue is that we will have the exact same question marks regarding our FB stocks this time next season - unless Phillips is able to step in and impress. As the FA/trade options are thin.

If Blanck was able to play well this season and demonstrate that he's a viable long-term option then that's one huge question mark on our side answered. But we're really going to have to wait two years now to know if he's the answer.

As for DGB, it's just rotten luck in a what is a make or break season for him. He really needed to hit the ground running, and will unfortunately be playing catchup once he's recovered from his injury.