Rumour Future of the club (Bevo, board, assistant coaches, football department)

[theAthenian]

Baku and sweet gone not good
we keep losing depth players
bit worried we will keep bevo and bleed players
surely this has to stop surely there is someone at the club who can make the right decision and ask for a resignation.

 

[_Cerberus_]

All quiet on the western front when it comes to things going on at the club.

VFL exit interviews happened this week, not much to report other than Cody Raaks old-man attended his exit interview and I'm told, lost his s**t at club officials.

Other VFL listed players also highlighted lack of development, lack of opportunity, and overall unhappiness with how things are being run.

Internal review is still going, Grant and Bevo have been cleared as far as I'm told, doubt we'll see any changes short of coaches and fitness staff.

To be honest, I know some may disagree. But I feel like our player development has not been that good. We have seen to much regression in a few players the past two years. A few young players have been allowed to keep committing their bad habits, whether kicking action, positioning, etc. So they still make them a few years later, as opposed to weeding it out of their system early on.

We have players been thrown all over the field position wise. Do we have too many half back flankers? Maybe stop drafting them? We've had some kids in the VFL playing positions they didn't spend their whole careers at, the position that got them drafted in the first place. Our "young guns" for example, Weightman, Naughton, Smith are wildly inconsistent week to week. Weightman not being coached to play like a proper small forward, and being allowed to bash into every contest Naughton style messing a contest up time to time.

We have seen some players getting more chances than others. Someone could get 5 or 6 senior games in a row, play s**t and not get dropped, where someone else comes in and doesn't play a bad game, gets dropped after just a week or two, and not afforded the same continuity to settle in like someone else did. It sends mixed messages.

Not confident we are getting the best out of individuals.

 

[Dogs54]

Are you kidding? They should be running the joint.

Unfortunately I think they are!

 

[ScragCity]

I'm not particularly worried about any of the individuals at the club. Bevo, Bains, Grant... I'm sure they all have their strengths and weaknesses. What I am worried about is the way in which wokeism has infiltrated our once great club. We've lost our IDENTITY. We used to be a good working class club with a working class identity. Now we are run by private schoolboys who espouse big city ideas like carbon footprints, communism, the voice, veganism, gender fluidity and LGBTQ+. The players shouldn't be thinking about all that stuff. No wonder we can never stick a tackle because we are worried about whether it will be interpreted as a micro-aggression.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

I'm not particularly worried about any of the individuals at the club. Bevo, Bains, Grant... I'm sure they all have their strengths and weaknesses. What I am worried about is the way in which wokeism has infiltrated our once great club. We've lost our IDENTITY. We used to be a good working class club with a working class identity. Now we are run by private schoolboys who espouse big city ideas like carbon footprints, communism, the voice, veganism, gender fluidity and LGBTQ+. The players shouldn't be thinking about all that stuff. No wonder we can never stick a tackle because we are worried about whether it will be interpreted as a micro-aggression.

Changing back to Footscray should fix that.

 

[Dogs Rule]

To be honest, I know some may disagree. But I feel like our player development has not been that good. We have seen to much regression in a few players the past two years. A few young players have been allowed to keep committing their bad habits, whether kicking action, positioning, etc. So they still make them a few years later, as opposed to weeding it out of their system early on.

We have players been thrown all over the field position wise. Do we have too many half back flankers? Maybe stop drafting them? We've had some kids in the VFL playing positions they didn't spend their whole careers at, the position that got them drafted in the first place. Our "young guns" for example, Weightman, Naughton, Smith are wildly inconsistent week to week. Weightman not being coached to play like a proper small forward, and being allowed to bash into every contest Naughton style messing a contest up time to time.

We have seen some players getting more chances than others. Someone could get 5 or 6 senior games in a row, play s**t and not get dropped, where someone else comes in and doesn't play a bad game, gets dropped after just a week or two, and not afforded the same continuity to settle in like someone else did. It sends mixed messages.

Not confident we are getting the best out of individuals.

If only we had someone to manage these sort of things. Put the right people into the right jobs where they can actually address these issues. Oh right, we do. Their position was reviewed and they've kept their job, you say? Right...

 

[lachy]

Where have the ITK posters gone? I know he’s a man of few words but I’d love to hear an update from Fronk on where we stand with Bevvo?

Is there any chance still that the “review” leads to Bevvo being paid out?

Probably stopped posting with some of the responses

On SM-G996B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[fred cook]

If only we had someone to manage these sort of things. Put the right people into the right jobs where they can actually address these issues. Oh right, we do. Their position was reviewed and they've kept their job, you say? Right...

how funny is that the head of football completing his own review

On CPH2305 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[lachy]

Have said for the last 5 years now we needed a proper external review of the football operations. All clubs that turned it around completed one and significant changes made.

Quite a few times the coach under pressure was retained and success followed.

I know Proffessor does not believe in external reviews but our club has become an insular boys club that does need a bit of a shake up.

Alot of the stuff off the ground has actually been really good. We have never been in a better financial position with a first class facility being built. Not sure about the full vision of that and definitely not the Ballarat experiment, but the board have ensured hard work overtime has secured our future in the short to medium term.

However at the end of the day our primary business is football. It is what we supporters follow, and we have dropped the ball a bit, and need to turn that around to ensure we do not drop back to a consistent poor to mediocre team particularly when our list just needs a few quality additions and better development right now.

On SM-G996B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Dogs Rule]

Have said for the last 5 years now we needed a proper external review of the football operations. All clubs that turned it around completed one and significant changes made.

Quite a few times the coach under pressure was retained and success followed.

I know Proffessor does not believe in external reviews but our club has become an insular boys club that does need a bit of a shake up.

Alot of the stuff off the ground has actually been really good. We have never been in a better financial position with a first class facility being built. Not sure about the full vision of that and definitely not the Ballarat experiment, but the board have ensured hard work overtime has secured our future in the short to medium term.

However at the end of the day our primary business is football. It is what we supporters follow, and we have dropped the ball a bit, and need to turn that around to ensure we do not drop back to a consistent poor to mediocre team particularly when our list just needs a few quality additions and better development right now.

On SM-G996B using BigFooty.com mobile app

The problem is a full external review requires people to swallow their pride, admit mistakes have been made and go about trying to fix them despite their own bruised egos.

 

[hutchy31]

To be honest, I know some may disagree. But I feel like our player development has not been that good. We have seen to much regression in a few players the past two years. A few young players have been allowed to keep committing their bad habits, whether kicking action, positioning, etc. So they still make them a few years later, as opposed to weeding it out of their system early on.

We have players been thrown all over the field position wise. Do we have too many half back flankers? Maybe stop drafting them? We've had some kids in the VFL playing positions they didn't spend their whole careers at, the position that got them drafted in the first place. Our "young guns" for example, Weightman, Naughton, Smith are wildly inconsistent week to week. Weightman not being coached to play like a proper small forward, and being allowed to bash into every contest Naughton style messing a contest up time to time.

We have seen some players getting more chances than others. Someone could get 5 or 6 senior games in a row, play s**t and not get dropped, where someone else comes in and doesn't play a bad game, gets dropped after just a week or two, and not afforded the same continuity to settle in like someone else did. It sends mixed messages.

Not confident we are getting the best out of individuals.

This is the main problem in team selection, and has been for a while. There are real issues with selection integrity.

I understand and accept that players who are more established and have runs on the board at AFL level are given a long time to correct form dips, as they probably should. But I agree with the above that some players who are only borderline best 22 (if that) are given long stretches in the team to find their feet in their preferred position, and others are given nothing like that opportunity.

I also think our young players who were high picks - particularly Smith and Weightman - are allowed to have borderline terrible stretches of games to finish the year, with basic skills like tackling being way off AFL level, and still be picked every week.

I saw that last night Port dropped Finlayson for the game this weekend - a guy who has some variability in his form and isn't in the best of form, but did everything asked of him when they had no rucks and played first ruck for long stretches of last season. He's going through some family trauma but has barely missed a game. But the MC there think Dixon in and sticking with Lord and Marshall is the best set up against GWS so have made the call. I can't imagine anything like that being done here.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

Probably stopped posting with some of the responses

On SM-G996B using BigFooty.com mobile app

They get plenty of appreciation too.

 

[NBates]

Yeah Ceaser in big trouble, rumour is we will go left field and appoint a Poodle.

Will fit in quite well then.....

 

[NBates]

Unfortunately I think they are!

Rubbish! Canine variety wouldn't accept mediocrity. Bulldogs particularly are bred to go straight for the throat, shake & kill.

 

[DognBones]

Excuse my naivety but do internal or external reviews actually end up in readable form? I would think that something as important as this should be made available for scrutiny by we the shareholders and not just dribbled out in vague generalities. Transparency is vital.

 

[NBates]

They hide the AGM away at weird times , like just before Christmas at 4pm on a Tuesday . But they will advertise it .

AGM | Western Bulldogs

www.westernbulldogs.com.au

Last years was on Monday the 19th December . Clearly they don’t want people attending .

Annoyingly they want us to submit questions online beforehand . Previously someone passed the microphone around the crowd . Back when Peter Gordon was the ringmaster . I guess if they don’t like the online question they can ignore it.

You'd think in this day of AI they could get an instant prepared answer instead of having weeks to prepare one earlier from submitted questions.

Honestly, people don't need to go OTT with questions - all they need to ask is "What aren't supporters being informed about how the club is addressing the unacceptable performance of our AFL team?"

Wait for the response & then get stuck into details.

 

[Mojorisin]

You'd think in this day of AI they could get an instant prepared answer instead of having weeks to prepare one earlier from submitted questions.

Honestly, people don't need to go OTT with questions - all they need to ask is "What aren't supporters being informed about how the club is addressing the unacceptable performance of our AFL team?"

Wait for the response & then get stuck into details.

The issue is the club pick the questions they answer so it's all premeditated. It isn't a question without notice that could catch them off guard, they will have boiler plate responses lined up ready to go.

 

[Dogs54]

The issue is the club pick the questions they answer so it's all premeditated. It isn't a question without notice that could catch them off guard, they will have boiler plate responses lined up ready to go.

Local Councils have the same format. If the Council accepts your question they provide an answer at a Council open forum but you cannot ask another question in response to their answer.

So how do we make the FCC Board accountable?

 

[Mofra]

This is the main problem in team selection, and has been for a while. There are real issues with selection integrity.

I understand and accept that players who are more established and have runs on the board at AFL level are given a long time to correct form dips, as they probably should. But I agree with the above that some players who are only borderline best 22 (if that) are given long stretches in the team to find their feet in their preferred position, and others are given nothing like that opportunity.

I also think our young players who were high picks - particularly Smith and Weightman - are allowed to have borderline terrible stretches of games to finish the year, with basic skills like tackling being way off AFL level, and still be picked every week.

I saw that last night Port dropped Finlayson for the game this weekend - a guy who has some variability in his form and isn't in the best of form, but did everything asked of him when they had no rucks and played first ruck for long stretches of last season. He's going through some family trauma but has barely missed a game. But the MC there think Dixon in and sticking with Lord and Marshall is the best set up against GWS so have made the call. I can't imagine anything like that being done here.

Lobb was dropped.
I'm not sure the selection integrity is the real issue here. I'm not sure the mix has always been right - but in the case of JOD it seemed to have worked eventually.
We do tend to reward 'training track form' quite a bit which is hard for us to judge without attending training.

 

[hutchy31]

Lobb was dropped.
I'm not sure the selection integrity is the real issue here. I'm not sure the mix has always been right - but in the case of JOD it seemed to have worked eventually.
We do tend to reward 'training track form' quite a bit which is hard for us to judge without attending training.

And afterwards played possibly his best stretch of footy with us. Would be worth doing it with a few others, particularly when it's arguable that Lobb played his role across the season (admittedly without setting the world on fire) better than a number of others who didn't get dropped.

I don't disagree that we seem to reward training track form more than actual AFL form, which if true is an interesting way to approach elite sports. For instance, it shouldn't really matter how good VDM looks on the track, given his exposed AFL form he shouldn't be played at half back at AFL level yet was picked for important games in the last few weeks and was horrible. In the WC game you could argue that one or two of his mistakes at critical times led to goals that contributed significantly to the loss, and therefore whether we played finals or not. Fine margins.

 

[Mofra]

And afterwards played possibly his best stretch of footy with us. Would be worth doing it with a few others, particularly when it's arguable that Lobb played his role across the season (admittedly without setting the world on fire) better than a number of others who didn't get dropped.

I don't disagree that we seem to reward training track form more than actual AFL form, which if true is an interesting way to approach elite sports. For instance, it shouldn't really matter how good VDM looks on the track, given his exposed AFL form he shouldn't be played at half back at AFL level yet was picked for important games in the last few weeks and was horrible. In the WC game you could argue that one or two of his mistakes at critical times led to goals that contributed significantly to the loss, and therefore whether we played finals or not. Fine margins.

I think the bigger issue in selection was playing 3 tall defenders come hell or high water.
Our transition from defence was woeful this year so we had to roll the dice at times with a shorter defence if it meant more rebound. I never wanted to see Gardner & Bruce on the same team, and next year I'll feel the same way about Gardner & Keith.

 

[hutchy31]

I think the bigger issue in selection was playing 3 tall defenders come hell or high water.
Our transition from defence was woeful this year so we had to roll the dice at times with a shorter defence if it meant more rebound. I never wanted to see Gardner & Bruce on the same team, and next year I'll feel the same way about Gardner & Keith.

Hopefully playing one or both of JOD and Buss in the backline next year will improve transition from defense as they are hopefully (and admittedly with a small sample size) better distributors by foot. Having all of Richards, Dale and JJ fit would be great too, although that's probably a long shot.

 

[El Rancho]

Any reason why afl clubs don’t employ a rugby coach to address this?

Clubs definitely work on tackling (I know this for a fact) and do tackling sessions, but given the reduction in soft cap since covid, and that fact that most if not all clubs reduced coaching numbers, I doubt employing rugby coaches would be the priority. In the future this may change but probably not now

 

[Lee]

Cody Raaks old-man attended his exit interview and I'm told, lost his s**t at club officials.

I'm not surprised by that

 

[geoffjennings79]

Can we hire a tackling coach over the pre-season? Fundamental which we are pathetic at.

Any reason why afl clubs don’t employ a rugby coach to address this?

Clubs definitely work on tackling (I know this for a fact) and do tackling sessions, but given the reduction in soft cap since covid, and that fact that most if not all clubs reduced coaching numbers, I doubt employing rugby coaches would be the priority. In the future this may change but probably not now

Many years ago - I think under either Eade or McCartney - we utilised an NRL figure from the Storm to assist with tackling. With tackling techniques and umpire interpretation having changed (in the back virtually never paid these days), I wonder if someone teaching rugby tackling methods is ideal. Although I'm not sure what the alternative is.