Are bulldogs in for a lot of short term pain?

[Tbone McGraw]

It appears to nearly all and sundry that dogs biggest weakness is their key position forwards. Add to this, they have a lot of inconsistent senior players like higggins, gia, cooney, cross and lake amongst others.

The reason i say they may be in trouble for a while is key position players take a long time to develop. Free agency may help them in this respect. However, it seems they have a lot of players like lake and cooney on good money so how is their cap position.

As much as it hurts me to say they should chase cloke massively.

Their biggest problem will be that they a mid table team for a while and not get the great draft picks. Then we have the rise of gws and gc From the outside, they need results or optimism to get members and cashflow.

Please correct me if i am wrong dogs supporters as i believe most afl supporters have a soft spot for them. However, if things don't improve, i will nearly go as far to say they could be in more trouble long term than Melbourne.

 

[ManOfClay]

We have the young key forwards, they just need time to develop. Our mids are there- Wallis and Liberatore are as good as any 19 year old ruck rover pair around.

We will in no way ever be as bad as Melbourne for as long. We're a much tougher unit with a coach who seems to have us on the right track.

 

[Igloo]

Not concerned at all. Very excited about it, actually. We have a lot of good young players that don't get a lot of recognition because we aren't a "fashionable" team who are in the spotlight a lot.

 

[Turbocat]

Disagree , they should not chase Cloke. It would be a change to the values that Macca has brought to the team. They need to find talent no doubt but look at Ess , they found Crameri and they are not paying him a big M.

Geelong won two flags without a gun forward its midfield power they need and a string backline that will holdup under pressure.

They have relied on lightweights for too long. Guys that just didn't get it done when the heat was on. That will change with Macca there. In my eyes they have the makings of good group but are really missing the quality that Cooney once brang. The need another gun mid. With a couple of picks this year , put games into the guys they have got like Clay Smith and Walis and they should really be a much better side

 

[stefoid]

Jones 33 games. Roughy 25 games. Cordy 7 games

 

[cleveland]

Love and relish the pain of losses such as tonight

Its purely a development year.

Libba Wallis Dahlhaus- name me 3 better 19 year old plaers at the one club.

Cordy Roughhead Jones Tutt Horward Wood all have shown they will be deecent senior players.

Griffen is just hitting his prime a few senior players may hang around

I reckon rookies such as Tom Cambell and LinJong will be upgraded at the end of the year. Both impress me

 

[Hoffy95]

When Gia is your number 1 forward of course you are going to have some goal scoring issues but they've got some good young players coming through.

Need another gun mid and a key forward to develop or trade for asap though.

 

[CAS79]

, i will nearly go as far to say they could be in more trouble long term than Melbourne.

How do you see that. Melbourne's trouble goes a lot further than the bulldogs and heading for chronic pain status.

Where the dogs were written off by many as the worst of the established clubs but are just out of the eight.

They are at the wrong end of a cycle and there not going to play finals this year and may miss next but there seems to be a plan and game structure under McCartney. There is no need to doubt the short term pain will remain short term. As for key forwards neither Roughead or Jones had trouble getting the ball tonight, it was conversion.

Melbourne often show a lack of heart, it cant be accused that this bulldogs team are doing the same. McCarnteny's building the foundation with the culture of the castle and it looks to be setting in just fine.

 

[Superfist]

We have the young key forwards, they just need time to develop. Our mids are there- Wallis and Liberatore are as good as any 19 year old ruck rover pair around.

We will in no way ever be as bad as Melbourne for as long. We're a much tougher unit with a coach who seems to have us on the right track.

Come on! Swallow & Bennell? Coniglio and any number of GWS players. The reality is Liberatore is a plodder and Wallis hasn't shown anywhere near as much as bulldogs give him credit for. Give them time but if that's what you believe you're almost certainly to end up disappointed.

I thought we were boned for years and we turned it around quickly, so never say never, but the balance is the bulldogs is all wrong for a rebuild imo.

 

[Macca18]

The forward line is completely diabolical and will continue to hold them back against the top 8-10 sides.

Liam Jones? Give me a break. I'd be tearing my hair out if this guy played for us.

 

[quin_stick]

Their 2 young key forwards kicked 1.5 tonight, IIRC all of them were fairly easy bar one. Turn that into 4.2 and there is no issue, not to mention they probably would have won tonight.

 

[liam_13]

Love and relish the pain of losses such as tonight

Its purely a development year.

Libba Wallis Dahlhaus- name me 3 better 19 year old players at the one club.

Jack Darling & Andrew Gaff have it covered - throw in Lycett to make it 3.

edit: Luke Parker, Alex Johnson, Gary Rohan
David Swallow, Harley Bennell, Trent McKenzie

But yeah, won 4 out of their last 6 and only lost to Geelong and Collingwood by a total of about 8 goals. They aren't to going to be there in September, and like I've said in many threads discussing the Dogs, the loss of Boyd/Lake/Hargrave/Cross will hurt, but see no reason why the likes of Libba and Ward (just joking, Libba & Wallis) can't take them up the ladder in a couple of years.

Have changed my opinion on them from bottom 4 to probably not going to entirely bottom out, will finish that 10th to 12th area for a couple of years, grab a couple of top 10 picks, hope for some improvement from Jones/Grant if not replace with Panos/Roughead, get lucky with injuries and they will be a top 8 team again.

 

[ManOfClay]

The reality is Liberatore is a plodder and Wallis hasn't shown anywhere near as much as bulldogs give him credit for. Give them time but if that's what you believe you're almost certainly to end up disappointed.

Libba 24 disposals tonight (14 contested), 9 clearances, 4 tackles and a goal going at over 70% efficiency. With 75% time on the ground. Will get fitter as he gets more into his legs.

Combine that with Wallis' 24 dipsosals (10 contested) 5 clearances, 5 tackles and a goal at 96% efficiency from 72% time on ground.

They were playing against a midfield which still had Selwood, Bartel and Joel Corey in it.

 

[Prem87]

All the key forwards they've drafted over the past 5 years are bean poles. I doubt they'll ever become big enough to compete.

 

[cleveland]

The forward line is completely diabolical and will continue to hold them back against the top 8-10 sides.

Liam Jones? Give me a break. I'd be tearing my hair out if this guy played for us.

I do recall the essendon line up being full of kids that would have made any essendon supporter pull their hair out. You were friggin horrible for years but had a lot of young players that just needed time.

 

[Tbone McGraw]

How do you see that. Melbourne's trouble goes a lot further than the bulldogs and heading for chronic pain status.

Where the dogs were written off by many as the worst of the established clubs but are just out of the eight.

They are at the wrong end of a cycle and there not going to play finals this year and may miss next but there seems to be a plan and game structure under McCartney. There is no need to doubt the short term pain will remain short term. As for key forwards neither Roughead or Jones had trouble getting the ball tonight, it was conversion.

Melbourne often show a lack of heart, it cant be accusied that this bulldogs team are doing the same. McCarnteny's building the foundation with the culture of the castle and it looks to be setting in just fine.

The reasons i say this is that i believe Melbourne's problems are easy to fix. They will have great draft picks this year and get rid of their deadwood.

However, the biggest difference between dogs and Melbourne is fanfare. Melbourne have great potential for membership and crowd growth but i can't see it with dogs.

hopefully i am proved wrong.

 

[Ant_]

Libba 24 disposals tonight (14 contested), 9 clearances, 4 tackles and a goal going at over 70% efficiency. With 75% time on the ground. Will get fitter as he gets more into his legs.

Combine that with Wallis' 24 dipsosals (10 contested) 5 clearances, 5 tackles and a goal at 96% efficiency from 72% time on ground.

They were playing against a midfield which still had Selwood, Bartel and Joel Corey in it.

This, that guy has not watched a lot of football to have that opinion.

 

[cleveland]

Come on! Swallow & Bennell? Coniglio and any number of GWS players. The reality is Liberatore is a plodder and Wallis hasn't shown anywhere near as much as bulldogs give him credit for. Give them time but if that's what you believe you're almost certainly to end up disappointed.

I thought we were boned for years and we turned it around quickly, so never say never, but the balance is the bulldogs is all wrong for a rebuild imo.[/QUOTE]

WHAAAAAAATT?????


yeah our balance is wrong so we need to rebuild

 

[Dagless]

'Shame' they couldn't keep Ward, would have made things look pretty all right going forward.

That being said, youngsters in the middle aren't their problem.

 

[Ant_]

The reasons i say this is that i believe Melbourne's problems are easy to fix. T

You think another round of draft picks is the easy fix? So that losing culture that they're stuck in will just go away with a couple of 18 yr old players?

 

[cleveland]

Come on! Swallow & Bennell? Coniglio and any number of GWS players. The reality is Liberatore is a plodder and Wallis hasn't shown anywhere near as much as bulldogs give him credit for. Give them time but if that's what you believe you're almost certainly to end up disappointed.

I thought we were boned for years and we turned it around quickly, so never say never, but the balance is the bulldogs is all wrong for a rebuild imo.

Like Priddis

 

[Little Boris]

The reasons i say this is that i believe Melbourne's problems are easy to fix. They will have great draft picks this year and get rid of their deadwood.

A team built on tanking for high draft picks only breeds a culture of failure. I'd much rather support the Bulldogs, a team being built on hard work and contested footy. They'll also get 2 top 10 picks this year, but the players they draft will be entering a football club with a structured plan for future success and will have clear expectations of them.

Melbourne are boned.

 

[Hoffy95]

Old man Libba was a bit of a plodder too.

So was Greg Williams.

Both were OK players still.

 

[jeemak]

Come on! Swallow & Bennell? Coniglio and any number of GWS players. The reality is Liberatore is a plodder and Wallis hasn't shown anywhere near as much as bulldogs give him credit for. Give them time but if that's what you believe you're almost certainly to end up disappointed.

I thought we were boned for years and we turned it around quickly, so never say never, but the balance is the bulldogs is all wrong for a rebuild imo.

Liberatore a plodder? You need to watch a few more Bulldogs games mate. He has elite hands and elite decision making, just wait and see. He also has a deceptively effective kick on him.

We are happy with Wallis's progress this year, after 13 games he's playing a solid role in a very competitive contested ball unit and he's only going to gain more composure and decision making capability.

 

[Superfist]

Libba 24 disposals tonight (14 contested), 9 clearances, 4 tackles and a goal going at over 70% efficiency. With 75% time on the ground. Will get fitter as he gets more into his legs.

Combine that with Wallis' 24 dipsosals (10 contested) 5 clearances, 5 tackles and a goal at 96% efficiency from 72% time on ground.

They were playing against a midfield which still had Selwood, Bartel and Joel Corey in it.

And Mark McGough won an Anzac day medal when he was 17. I like the bulldogs and hope they do well (though this is my single favourite non-eagles moment in footy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqMQlvtmnBU), but the team needs a change of focus or it's going to be middling for the short and medium term (again, imo).