Analysis All is not lost - The positivity thread

[Libba39]

Last night was very disappointing but not totally unexpected given the up and down nature of our season. We were either very good or pretty bad and there wasn't much in between.

But...

There are quite a few positives to come out of the year:

1. The positional changes of Lobb and Richards. They are both still learning their roles and will be better for the experience.

2. We got games into Gallagher and Freijah and they look like they could both have 200 game careers

3. We have 2 top 10 picks in Sanders and Busslinger who should be ready to step up next year.

4. Our group got a taste of finals again. This would be particularly important for the likes of O'donnell and Jamarra, and Darcy who are still in the infancy of their careers

5. Speaking of which, we have a future top 10 player in Darcy who is only going to get better.

6. We're going to have a full pre-season in the new facilities and more time for our coaching and fitness group to develop and learn as a team. Lets not forget how much of a turbulent off-season it was for us.


The above wasn't posted to be debated. It was posted to give you a lift.

See you in 2025.

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[Hobdog]

Fresh day and while there’s still obvious disappointment, there’s a hell of a lot to proud about. We anchor so much of our happiness in the performance and results of our footy club. That passion is what makes the sport and our club great, but the downside of that is the emotional toll it can take. For those really struggling with the sadness and disappointment, please look after yourself and keep busy. Don’t go near footy media, it’ll just make you feel worse. They are only opinion providers that have no more idea than you and I about why we lost. Chins up guys and girls. We have a rest and go again.


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[ArNcHiSe]

No one has to watch the Bulldogs play for a while, so that’s a positive.

 

[SackofTaters]

I like that we actually formed a spine mid year that we can roll out Round 1 2025. We won't have such an up and down start with the pillars locked in. All we need to do is f@# Vanderschmear off, and we will be golden...

Only serious, I would trade him out for a half eaten packet of tim tams.

 

[Some Idiot]

Despite what everyone may think, it is never easy to outperform 10 other elite football programs and play finals football at all. There's a reason that Gold Cost has never been able to pull it off, Richmond played 1 final in 30 years before their 3 premierships and teams like Carlton and Essendon have spent long periods in limbo.

 

[weltschmerz]

Fresh day and while there’s still obvious disappointment, there’s a hell of a lot to proud about. We anchor so much of our happiness in the performance and results of our footy club. That passion is what makes the sport and our club great, but the downside of that is the emotional toll it can take. For those really struggling with the sadness and disappointment, please look after yourself and keep busy. Don’t go near footy media, it’ll just make you feel worse. They are only opinion providers that have no more idea than you and I about why we lost. Chins up guys and girls. We have a rest and go again.


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I’ve been mostly keeping away from footy media and discussion because I know that the more I read, the more upset I’ll be.

My pass mark for the year was to win a final. Didn’t get there. Oh well. Time for me to take my true form as an enormous draft nuff for the next few months.

 

[X_box_X]

It's never as bad as it seems.

It's also never as good as it seems, arrogant Hawker fans.

 

[bigdog54]

No one has to watch the Bulldogs play for a while, so that’s a positive.

And no bevo pressers for 6 months...

 

[Optimistic Dog]

Next year we celebrate 100 years in the AfL/VFL. Someone suggested we should change our name for the season back to Footscray love that suggestion. The club should also make it a celebration of supporters with plenty of 100 year functions Sam Darcy to rip it apart will be our next captain after The Bont oh nearly forgot a premiership would be nice.

 

[bresker]

No one has to watch the Bulldogs play for a while, so that’s a positive.

The only other sport I'm slightly interested in these days is English soccer, and soon it'll be on at 2am.

I lost interest in cricket after the ball tampering nonsense.

So I can devote myself to other interests for 6 months . Hurrah.

I'll be at a music festival on GF weekend.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

The only other sport I'm slightly interested in these days is English soccer, and soon it'll be on at 2am.

I lost interest in cricket after the ball tampering nonsense.

So I can devote myself to other interests for 6 months . Hurrah.

I'll be at a music festival on GF weekend.

Fyre Festival?

 

[_Mike_]

Not going to rant and rave, I will call the white elephant in the room.

I think Bev has done as much as he is capable with this list. Time for a clean out of coaching staff and some players who just aren’t at the level required

 

[lachy]

Not going to rant and rave, I will call the white elephant in the room.

I think Bev has done as much as he is capable with this list. Time for a clean out of coaching staff and some players who just aren’t at the level required

Don't we have enough threads to call that out, this is a positivity thread, much appreciated by some of us with some good thoughts

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[lachy]

There was a discernible change in game style that showed promise in the last half of the year.

Not sure why we reverted back to playing names at the tail end of the year when that slowed our ball movement and dropped our pressure.

Darcy and Freijah we real positives. Would like to see Freijah develop more as a mid in the pre season.

Ed coming along as a mid, Lobb down back it was a shame we didn't give Buss a run late in the season.

Our forwards are still developing as a group. Before injury Naughts was really coming along as a CHF. JUH just needs to keep working hard to get consistency.

A new forwards coach, bring Freijah into the mid mix with Richards, more games into Sanders and sign Smith (or another hard running mid), get Arty playing the VDM role and we can re set fairly quickly

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[seaweed]

Rory Lobb

7

Rory Lobb

Age

31

Ht

207cm

Wt

106kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.0

3star

K

6.7

3star

HB

4.4

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

0.9

4star

D

11.3

3star

K

8.0

3star

HB

3.3

2star

M

4.6

4star

T

1.4

2star

G

1.0

4star

D

7.0

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.6

3star

.

Had an absolute mare for the first half of the season and the move down back has reinvigorated him as a player. We were very much in the mindset of step up or piss off, and to his absolute credit he stepped up in a way you could only ever hope for. You could tell he took a good hard look at himself, pulled his finger out and put the work in. Give him the keys to the city because he’s been an absolute revelation down back and this is the example more would do very well to follow. This is the kind of player you want in your side - someone who actively works on their shortcomings and comes out fighting when they know they need to.

Joel Freijah. Excellent footy IQ and looking forward to seeing more of him in years to come.

 

[MaxiBont]

Freijah is a huge positive from this season.

What an absolute win from Pick 45. Kid looks to have the potential to be an AA calibre player.

 

[ossie_21]

Now just hoping for an uninterrupted pre-season for Darcy, Buss, Freijah, Gallagher and Sanders in particular.

More size and strength for English & JUH, in particular.

A lot of the boys are friends with Melbourne Storm players - any chance we can get their coaches down once a week to teach blokes how to stick a ****ing tackle?

Would have liked Smith out there last night considering we lack speed in midfield as it stands. I doubt he is staying and why would he when you compare the trajectories of the Bulldogs against the Cats? What we get for him is going to be pitiful, so not much positivity there.

So whilst this post doesn’t have much positivity in it, hopefully it will be better next season when we can move past VDM & McNeil being best 23. They weren’t the worst of our problems last night, but they only stood out as being half competent because such a large number of our senior players were in Cancun.

 

[geoffjennings79]

Positivity you say?

Well, I've definitely got some weekends free in September now to mend/install fences, mow paddocks, etc.

Seriously though, yeah Lobb (hopefully he stays), Darcy and Freijah, Richards post-move (largely unsighted last night though) and another great h&a season from the captain (pity about last night as well).

Think Pratt improved our defensive group (did Bramble benefit from his arrival, freeing up Richards?), and after the 3-5 start, our whole team defence kicked into gear (Beveridge/Lade).

Edit: arrival of the GWS guy saw us run out games better/stronger, seemed to be less runs of oppo goals (probably combination of both better fitness and better defensive strategy/application)

 

[Anja_Nees]

The big change was going from being one of the leakiest sides, which conceded some of the longest runs of opposition goals consistently, to being the best defensive side and the best at containing opposition runs.

Didn’t save us in the final but it’s something we can build on.

We have a few older players to manage but we have Richards, Darcy, JUH, Sanders, Gallagher, Freijah etc emerging. We can set ourselves up for a sustained crack.

 

[SonOfScray]

Not going to rant and rave, I will call the white elephant in the room.

I think Bev has done as much as he is capable with this list. Time for a clean out of coaching staff and some players who just aren’t at the level required

That’ll be the moment I start to feel positive about our club again.

 

[SSSSSS]

Commiserations to you Dogs supporters but think you have plenty to be positive about. It's the nature of an elimination final where the difference between being 100% switched on and 95% switched on can end the season. We were two of the form teams going into the final and if we were to replay that game 10 times I could see us splitting the chocolates.

You're still going into 2025 with the best player in the comp, the absolute riches of KPP talent (Croft still to come) and a handy group of flankers in Freijah, Dale, Williams and Bramble (stoked for Lachie to have turned it around). ]

My only concerns from an outsiders perspective is English being the most bipolar ruckman in recent memory, Jones is starting to look very long in the tooth and Bevo's knack of outsmarting himself in high pressure situations rather than deploying a gameplan that's clearly worked for a long period of time.

Talent wise I can't see to many teams having a better list and I'd expect to see you guys at the pointy end of 2025. Hopefully we'll be there with you too.

 

[SSSSSS]

I forgot to mention Lobb. I did not have him becoming an AA calibre player, let alone an AA calibre in a position he's never played on my 2024 bingo card.

What a turn around.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

The club needs to allocate a large amount of funds to bring in the best sports psychologists money can buy.

Something not right between the playing groups ears. Mentally weak.

I think Bevo’s loving parent approach to coaching has soften the players up a little too much.

Something needs to change.

 

[weltschmerz]

Commiserations to you Dogs supporters but think you have plenty to be positive about. It's the nature of an elimination final where the difference between being 100% switched on and 95% switched on can end the season. We were two of the form teams going into the final and if we were to replay that game 10 times I could see us splitting the chocolates.

You're still going into 2025 with the best player in the comp, the absolute riches of KPP talent (Croft still to come) and a handy group of flankers in Freijah, Dale, Williams and Bramble (stoked for Lachie to have turned it around). ]

My only concerns from an outsiders perspective is English being the most bipolar ruckman in recent memory, Jones is starting to look very long in the tooth and Bevo's knack of outsmarting himself in high pressure situations rather than deploying a gameplan that's clearly worked for a long period of time.

Talent wise I can't see to many teams having a better list and I'd expect to see you guys at the pointy end of 2025. Hopefully we'll be there with you too.

Bramble has been a huge surprise. I didn't expect much at all and he's become a best 22 staple who plays his role well and without fuss.

 

[Chicago1]

I really enjoyed most of the last ten games this year, especially being at Marvel when we beat Freo. Seeing Lobb reinvent himself was also a highlight. And I look forward to seeing more of Westy. He's a winner.

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