Opinion Dees V Dogs - Sunday MCG 1.00 PM

[Golden_6]

I’d rather Artie Jones run around for 2 touches or debut Clarke over VDM. At least there’s some future upside and possible development. Nothing will change my mind that he simply isn’t up to AFL level required.

It’s not about ‘giving them a go’ because he’s been well and truly given a go over the years. Not to mention his body hasn’t been up to it either.

 

[doggies ftw]

I’d rather Artie Jones run around for 2 touches or debut Clarke over VDM. At least there’s some future upside and possible development. Nothing will change my mind that he simply isn’t up to AFL level required.

It’s not about ‘giving them a go’ because he’s been well and truly given a go over the years. Not to mention his body hasn’t been up to it either.

Yeah if we want defensive pressure and aren’t fussed about offensive output at all then just play Artie

 

[Euku]

Vdm the new whipping boy nowhere near as bad as people make out

 

[mal68au]

I'm no VDM fan and I wouldn't have picked him if I was sole selector but everyone seems to be forgetting that we have had serious problems with the balance of the team. As someone said this week we shouldn't be trying to fit the best 22 players in. We should be trying to put the best team of 22 on the park. Macrae is undoubtedly the better player when fully fit but he is underdone (we're told) and unless he's in top form his inclusion creates a problem of balance.

The regular complaints last year were:
-That our much vaunted midfield was too slow.
-That our transition from defence was too slow and indirect.
-That the pace of the game had increased and left us behind - look at Richmond, Collingwood, Sydney, blah, blah, blah
-That we weren't applying enough pressure.

Now I know Vandermeer can't fix all these things on his own but it appears that for all his fumbling he remains in favour because he runs like the wind, goes hard in a straight line and he applies lots of pressure. That's the same pressure and busy-ness trait that got Arty a lot of games, even when he wasn't racking up (m)any disposals. I've also heard reports here that VDM wasn't too bad in the practice games.

I've refrained from joining the Vandermeer pile-on so far because I want to see how he's used (if he's not the sub) and whether it works or not. More broadly have the new coaches helped Bevo come up with a better way to put this team together? And how does VDM fit into that game plan?

I know it's a novel idea but I thought I'd give them one game to show us what they can do.

But if it's more of the same then of course I'll just join in with the usual post match VDM whipping.

Until then ... Go Vanders!!

My thinking is similar to this.

The game against Hawthorn gave the real impression that we were trying to pick a balanced 22 as opposed to the best 22 players. I am all for this.

It also makes me curious whether CD will be the sub over VDM

 

[CarnTheScray]

Vdm the new whipping boy nowhere near as bad as people make out

New?

 

[Libbaaaa]

Vdm the new whipping boy nowhere near as bad as people make out

Zero runs on the board to warrant selection without a solid block of VFL form.

 

[hatescaptcha]

Vdm the new whipping boy nowhere near as bad as people make out

I liked his intensity in the practise game before he disappeared with concussion.


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[Bulldogs85]

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[ScottyDogg]

Zero runs on the board to warrant selection without a solid block of VFL form.

If he can just play within himself and do the role, he’s a great addition. Pressure, harassment and speed, nothing else. We absolutely need this.

If he can learn from the likes of Dale Morris (be the best at what your good at and do nothing else) he absolutely is best 22.

The problem is that too often, he has ball in hand and just flogs it away. If he can’t learn to dispose quickly and safely to a better user than he loses that spot.

He’s had more chances than just about anyone else, so shouldn’t get a lot more.

 

[Bald]

Can we at least agree that VDM being the worst selection is a significant upgrade on those that have been selected in years gone by?

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

If the opposition has 2 decent talls, yes, but their best forward is Fritch. Both Buku and Coffield can defend him.

JOD is the only tall missing that has good skills to match height.

Playing talls.for the sake of it without skills killed our ball movement last year. We missed finals. Though new and will take a few weeks to gel, this is a significantly better backline defensively and astronomically better offensively.

One thing is our team is actually good this week. I think we forget the team we are playing has already played a game and did finish in the top 4 in the last 2 seasons with their smalls forward doing the damage

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I hear you, this is a fair point. I am still not yet entirely convinced on Khamis, but looking past that, perhaps a smaller setup is the better option for the Dees.

For me, our backline has sorely lacked chemistry for quite some time and part of that has been revolving door key position setups and personnel. I would have loved to see us pick a back seven that could handle a wide range of AFL forward lines and persist with it for as long as we are able. I don't see this as being a functioning setup against most decent teams other than Melbourne. Very happy to be wrong, but my suspicion is that this group might perform reasonably well against Melbourne if the mids come to the party, but will be soundly beaten by a bigger forward line (hello King/Casboult/Lukosius in round 2). I would rather build chemistry than play a back seven for one round, particularly when we have an extra tall as skilled and versatile as JOD.

 

[dogwatch]

Vdm the new whipping boy nowhere near as bad as people make out

New?

Mitch Hannan, Tim O'Brien, Robbie McComb and Roarke Smith are reading this thread with a big bucket of popcorn.

 

[Here we go dogs]

VDM should play every week if fit. His probs the second quickest on the list (behind O’driscoll), he plays with intensity and knows the system.

Could not give a **** about the odd mistake with amount of unrewarded running he puts in. No one on our list is capable of doing the repeat sprints he does. He is the best pressure player we have and I don’t think it’s close.

In addition, I wanted us to go in with a small backline all last year and move passed the likes of Bruce and Keath. I thought we were far too slow and top heavy to really compete with the best last year.

Speed of foot and ball use is the direction of modern footy. So wrapped that we have gone in this direction.

 

[Optimistic Dog]

I feel this is one of Bevo's biggest games in his coaching career. A big defeat and the knives are going to turn into machetes, Bigfooty, Cornes, Barrett will be baying for blood. A win and everything is rosy for the moment and a close defeat it will be wait and see.

 

[Bulldogs85]

 

[Libba39]

I feel this is one of Bevo's biggest games in his coaching career. A big defeat and the knives are going to turn into machetes, Bigfooty, Cornes, Barrett will be baying for blood. A win and everything is rosy for the moment and a close defeat it will be wait and see.

I am predicting a loss, but hopefully not a bad one. We have two debutants, two players who could not get a game for their previous clubs and another who hasn't played seniors in 900+ games, not to mention a bunch of new coaches.

Throw all that in with the fact that May usually gives Naughton a really hard time, and Pickett being back alongside Fritsch making their fwd line look all the more potent, and we're in for one tough game.

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[dogwatch]

I am predicting a loss, but hopefully not a bad one. We have two debutants, two players who could not get a game for their previous clubs and another who hasn't played seniors in 900+ games, not to mention a bunch of new coaches.

Throw all that in with the fact that May usually gives Naughton a really hard time, and Pickett being back alongside Fritsch making their fwd line look all the more potent, and we're in for one tough game.

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Pretty much how I feel. Also Melbourne would be stinging after a loss. That loss at the SCG doesn't look so bad now after what Sydney did to the Pies last night at the G.

A win in these circumstances would be awesome. A loss by anything over 30 would hurt though.

 

[Euku]

Mitch Hannan, Tim O'Brien, Robbie McComb and Roarke Smith are reading this thread with a big bucket of popcorn.

He is easily better than those listed

 

[Bulldogs85]

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[Doggy]

Pretty much how I feel. Also Melbourne would be stinging after a loss. That loss at the SCG doesn't look so bad now after what Sydney did to the Pies last night at the G.

A win in these circumstances would be awesome. A loss by anything over 30 would hurt though.

Collingwood was really smarting last night after round 1

 

[dogwatch]

He is easily better than those listed

That wasn't my point.

To spell it out, they would just be relishing not being the whipping boys any more.

 

[dogwatch]

Collingwood was really smarting last night after round 1

Well they didn't play like it. Or else they did ... and it made Melbourne's 22 point loss to Sydney look even better!

 

[Doggy]

Well they didn't play like it. Or else they did ... and it made Melbourne's 22 point loss to Sydney look even better!

The point is... just because they lost week doesn't mean jack

 

[PurpJuice]

We should win quite comfortably. Our midfield has always been better than theirs. Our fwd line is milessssss better and backlines are quite even.

Anything less than a 5 goal win would be disappointing tbh.


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[Mofra]

VDM should play every week if fit. His probs the second quickest on the list (behind O’driscoll), he plays with intensity and knows the system.

Could not give a * about the odd mistake with amount of unrewarded running he puts in. No one on our list is capable of doing the repeat sprints he does. He is the best pressure player we have and I don’t think it’s close.

In addition, I wanted us to go in with a small backline all last year and move passed the likes of Bruce and Keath. I thought we were far too slow and top heavy to really compete with the best last year.

Speed of foot and ball use is the direction of modern footy. So wrapped that we have gone in this direction.

He has led comp for this at times.
For all his faults, he plays a team game.

And your second point is bang on. Our round 1 side last year had 2-talls too many, and we were in the bottom 4 for speed of ball movement (Champion data) in 2023.
All pre-season we seem to be focusing on this so expect us to roll the dice with guys who can move the ball quickly, even if we do have to cop the odd turnover (e.g. Bramble).