Macca's Remarkable Year 2012

[yebiga]

9 Debutantes
Smith, Tallia, Roberts, Pearce, Jong, JJ, Austin, Dickson, Campbell

3 Key position defenders! 1 Ruckman, 1 Tough Forward, 2 Hard nut on ballers
1 speedy defender and a dour tagger
Add to this the emergence of Cordy as a power forward option, the continued development of Wallis, Liberatore, Dalhaus and this is quite dramatic. Jones's stagnation/regression is the stand-out negative.

Personally, although I don't think the club has the stomach for it, but we could do with another year like 2012 and thereby ensure we have a real and sustainable tilt at the very top.

But with picks 5 and 6 in this years national draft our rebuild may well be complete by November this year! At 5 wins, 6 losses Macca had displayed that he could coach. But finishing 9 or 10th would only delay our progress. He was astute enough to know that while the knives may get some sharpening in 2012 they would never be used until 2013. So best to get the pain out of the way quickly

With or without Macca, we will look back at 2012 as a remarkable year which laid the foundations for on field success.

 

[Dazb86]

Picks 5 and 6 are no certainty to be great players. Let alone in their first year.

I think there will be pain for a few years at least. 3-4 years out of the finals with slow improvements would be my guess. In that time we must draft a player with superstar potential.

The upside of this year for me is... Finding out who's up to it on our list and weeding out the players who aren't. (provided we actually cull quite heavily)

 

[stefoid]

I dont believe we are as shit as our current ladder position implies, and that we are primed to rebound quicker than most non-dogs supporters realize.

 

[josh the gent]

I have been really, really, super pleased with Macca's performance this year.

How many games have we been quite good in for 2 to 2 & 1/2 quarters? Nearly every game right. Not a bad effort with a team that has very little middle-age players.

Just think, 2 more pre-seasons and those pretty decent performances should stretch-out across the whole 4 quarters, and the results will come. Expect another average year in 2013, then look-out after that.

Really hope we can avoid the temptation to draft speedy mids this year, whilst many may say we need speed, I believe we actually need better stamina, something that will come over the next couple of pre-seasons. In the meantime, we should continue to build an army of big bodied mids, who are harder at the ball than their opponents. Stringer and Wines would fit the bill here perfectly.

In terms of the forward line, I think it is just a patience game. Jones has definitely had an ordinary year, but we all know he has shown plenty in year's gone by - maybe he just needs another pre-season to work on both his stamina, as well as his kicking. Cordy with another pre-season, is another who should continue his upward trajectory.

Panos and Hill seem like they are being held back til next year, not really sure about this approach, would have thought now isn't a bad time to at least try them...

Think the off-season period is where we will find out a lot about Macca. We need to turn the list over a bit I reckon, certainly enough to fit in 9 players (4 rookies and 5 picks), very interested to find out how this will work, as I can't think of 9 candidates easily...

 

[nate drake]

I'd feel more confident if there was an inkling of our future match-day strategy in our play this year. I don't mind if we're playing man-on-man to "learn" at this stage (which we do), but reverting to loose men, flooding, no forward line, 2009-vintage forward press, etc. - what's the point?

Jury's still way out on some of our younger players, too.

4/10 for the year for Brendan.

 

[1961grandfinal]

I'd feel more confident if there was an inkling of our future match-day strategy in our play this year.

Match day, the coaching moves have been ordinary. Lake on Hurley and then Roo was a joke, they ran him ragged when any supporter would have said that Brain does not have a tank and cannot play that position.

Would like to see some flexibility, trying players in different roles aka the reinvention of libba by wallet.Why not give DJ a go at tagging, he is around the ball but doesnt get it so trial a run with role on a player who will take him to it. Cant do any worse than what has been happening in past weeks when he has been getting a game and it is same same.

 

[Zgope1]

yeh, it's likely that we'll have another hairy year next year, and just keep developing, but i think 2014 will be when a lot of people start feeling at home together. For all the people we've debuted this year i've been rapt with. I see what Macca sees in a lot of the people he's given chances to... We have the foundation our midfield settled, and we will deepen it with class and quality. We have about 4 kpds that will together uphold our backline and grow together for years. Finally because our the development of these Key backs, Macca is now more prepared to help the younger forwards structure up. I have no doubt the big Ayce has the character to make it, and i took great hope out of Macca saying "there have been players important to us going forward that are out of the team at the moment because they haven't worked hard enough, but they'll get it" who do you think that's about? my guess is Jones. Finally we have a spine, and we know that when we're down by less than a kick with 5 minutes to go in a PF versus st kilda, that we can throw it on the boot and we'll have the bodies up forward to bring the ball down close to the pack and keep it in there. The footy media is not an industry full of insight and predictions, all it does is describe what has happened, simplify it, and claim it as something they predicted. So naturally the media currently says the dogs have a lot of drafting to do, and that we have no talent. We have less drafting to do than they think (some nonetheless), and we do have a good young list.

With regards to gameday coaching/gameplan, there is also a huge positive out of this year for me. In terms of demographics and experience, we were a similar team to GC and GWS on paper this year. Putting some babies out there with some dinosaurs and 2 or 3 optimum aged guns. However, our gamestyle carried us through the first half of the year with the respect of the competition. Our disadvantaged list found a way to anhialate better equipped lists around the ball, and control games of football. A lack of experience and class shot us in the foot, but we were brilliant, we fought hard against WCE and nearly took the chocolates from Adelaide, Geelong and Collingwood. In the second half of the year we've been belted by injuries and this level of game control reduced with regards to the time in the game we owned the ball. We also had the worst or second worst draw in the comp. In this time we established more about our future, unearthing even more talented kids, who all showed in patches they can play to the plan.

When the AFL media have a lift out on our young stars in the coming years we can sit proud knowing that we knew it all along. We're a whipping boy of the comp, but it's the natural order, the next step of growth is one of the most enjoyable there is. Macca may just win the west. We just need to be on board.

 

[Dazb86]

The best thing about this year is that it's nearly over IMO. Most of the games have been horrible to watch.

I've liked seeing the kids get a run but probably would have liked to have seen it sooner.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Great posts, Zgope1,JtG and Yebiga. I am feeling really positive about a lot of the year. Usually we do the expected thing and draft rookies, never see them and next thing they are de-listed and we draft another bunch who we never see. This year, we have had either a really good batch of rookies, or the development of our players has advanced to the point where they can play.

If we can get our drafting right in the upcoming draft, I will be over the moon, and seriously think we can go all the way, as we are doing everything the right way - being thorough, and building from the bottom up. I feel that we are really on the right track for the first time that I can remember.

 

[fronkalicious]

I think he really struggled during the middle part of the season, but has actually handled the tank (for want of a better word) really well in the last month or so.

Lots of kids playing and throwing Dj, Sherman, skinner etc in to see if they're genuinely done and/or can generate any trade value at all (sadly the answer is they are done and have no trade value).

We were awful to watch for a good portion of the season so I'm not sold on his game day coaching either.

Love his list management ideas and his philosophies on how to build for a premiership, but feel he could use a fresh young mind (Leon cameron anyone?) for gameday assistance.

 

[Dry Rot]

9 Debutantes
Smith, Tallia, Roberts, Pearce, Jong, JJ, Austin, Dickson, Campbell

3 Key position defenders! 1 Ruckman, 1 Tough Forward, 2 Hard nut on ballers
1 speedy defender and a dour tagger

With or without Macca, we will look back at 2012 as a remarkable year which laid the foundations for on field success.

Wasn't this more due to necessity due to injury?

 

[cleveland]

I think he really struggled during the middle part of the season, but has actually handled the tank (for want of a better word) really well in the last month or so.

Lots of kids playing and throwing Dj, Sherman, skinner etc in to see if they're genuinely done and/or can generate any trade value at all (sadly the answer is they are done and have no trade value).

We were awful to watch for a good portion of the season so I'm not sold on his game day coaching either.

Love his list management ideas and his philosophies on how to build for a premiership, but feel he could use a fresh young mind (Leon cameron anyone?) for gameday assistance.

So u don't rate Shannon Grant, Steven King?

 

[fronkalicious]

Nope. I don't rate them. I think we need a top level assistant to help McCartney for 2013. Cameron would be ideal but not sure I can see him coming back for anything but the top job.

Otherwise a Scott burns, mark bickley type.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

I like some of his ideas, DFA in the forwardline last week was a great move, Roughy to the backline will pay off. He also knows his young kids really well.

 

[cleveland]

Nope. I don't rate them. I think we need a top level assistant to help McCartney for 2013. Cameron would be ideal but not sure I can see him coming back for anything but the top job.

Otherwise a Scott burns, mark bickley type.

Why don't you rate them??????

 

[BRG93]

Let's Be Honest Macca was left with a 'Sinking Ship' of a side with holes in it left, right & centre when he took over. The expectations of the general public/supporters at seasons beginning was WAY to high with the stock we have at our disposal.

And think about during our time challenging for a flag youth was not injected into the team as much as team right now in that window example:

In Years Of Premiership Challenging

Western Bulldogs
2007-2010

Debuts:
7

St Kilda
2007-2010

Debuts:
5

Geelong
2007-2010--> (Excluding 2011-2012 for arguments sake)

Debuts:
13

Take what you want from it but I found this interesting with Geelong blooding more youth it has enabled them to stay in the hunt for another flag where as both us and St Kilda have fallen off the place

 

[GOAUS!]

Let's Be Honest Macca was left with a 'Sinking Ship' of a side with holes in it left, right & centre when he took over. The expectations of the general public/supporters at seasons beginning was WAY to high with the stock we have at our disposal.

And think about during our time challenging for a flag youth was not injected into the team as much as team right now in that window example:

In Years Of Premiership Challenging

Western Bulldogs
2007-2010

Debuts:
7

St Kilda
2007-2010

Debuts:
5

Geelong
2007-2010--> (Excluding 2011-2012 for arguments sake)

Debuts:
13

Take what you want from it but I found this interesting with Geelong blooding more youth it has enabled them to stay in the hunt for another flag where as both us and St Kilda have fallen off the place

Geelong do have more top line players than us or St.Kilda and more depth too.

 

[yebiga]

Wasn't this more due to necessity due to injury?

Aside from JJ all those 9 debutantes were recruited only this year. All of them have looked up to AFL standard. Austin, Tallia and Roberts will set-up our key defensive posts for years to come. Smith and Jong add something to an increasingly gritty mid-field. Campbell adds depth to our Ruck stocks. Dickson has been strong and will only improve. I honestly can't recall when we last recruited so many likely types in a single year.

If we can do as well this year, there is every reason to be optimistic and expect a sudden climb towards the 8 next season.

 

[the dog's kennel]

Aside from JJ all those 9 debutantes were recruited only this year. All of them have looked up to AFL standard. Austin, Tallia and Roberts will set-up our key defensive posts for years to come. Smith and Jong add something to an increasingly gritty mid-field. Campbell adds depth to our Ruck stocks. Dickson has been strong and will only improve. I honestly can't recall when we last recruited so many likely types in a single year.

If we can do as well this year, there is every reason to be optimistic and expect a sudden climb towards the 8 next season.

I like your optimism, yebiga. And I hope you're right. But I think even with dream recruiting we aren't going to be close to the 8 next year. Our youngsters (while showing plenty of potential) aren't anywhere near it. We can't even run 3/4 of a game out at the moment. The kids are 2 pre-seasons away from being consistently competitive over 4 qtrs, I reckon.

Plus, we'll have 6-8 more new players to blood next year who will have exactly the same problem again. Plus we'll still have plenty of ageing players who (when not injured) will clog up team positions, as they gradually decline.

I have my fingers crossed for 2014. Most of those older players will be moved on by then. And the bulk of our new midfield will have 3-4 pre-seasons under its belt. Our KPPs should hopefully be a lot better by then too. If we do everything right, 2014 could be our coming out year.

If we don't do everything right, well then I'll get back to you!

 

[Rookie]

I think the recruitment of Wallis and Liberatore (and snagging Dahlhaus and JJ in the same draft) has supercharged our recovery. We're already a year into the rebuild plus we have some legacy players from the previous administration that may come good (Cordy, Jones, Roughead, Howard, Tutt). Finding three bonafide guns in one draft exceptionally cheap is incredible value, and Wallis and Libba are tough, inside players who will win their own ball and feed out to younger, skinnier guns we pick up starting this year. It's already a very strong base to build from, and honestly we drafted as good as if we had tanked in the Wallis/Libba draft. The current crop of first year players look like they could be 1999 all over again (at least in depth of talent... Not sure I see a Murphy in the group yet). So while things are grim, we're already technically two years into a rebuild and we're about to take a large number of new draftees including two high picks. If we can add another fun next year following another low ladder position we're in a pretty decent position to move back up quickly.
We've been fortunate, the last two years of drafting have been successful. If Howard and Tutt come good we're truly off and running.

 

[stefoid]

Agreed, we have a lot of players with less than 30 games and only one or two preseasons under their belts - I rate these players:

Jones, Cordy, Roughead, JJ, Fletch, Dal, Tutt, Pearce, Dickson, Wally, Libba, Smith, Talia

We shouldnt underestimate how much improvement can come simply from physical development - strength and fitness.

How many games have we been quite good in for 2 to 2 & 1/2 quarters? Nearly every game right. Not a bad effort with a team that has very little middle-age players.

 

[josh the gent]

In Years Of Premiership Challenging 2007-2010:
Western Bulldogs
Debuts: 7

St Kilda
Debuts: 5

Geelong
2007-2010
Debuts: 13

Take what you want from it but I found this interesting with Geelong blooding more youth it has enabled them to stay in the hunt for another flag where as both us and St Kilda have fallen off the place

Whilst Geelong's number of debutants is quite impressive from that period, I would argue that the reason they have stayed in the hunt for flags is purely down to the fact that they had a supremely talented group of individuals, all from roughly the same age bracket:

Bartel, Ling, Enright, Corey, Kelly, Ottens, Chapman, Johnson, Scarlett, Mooney, Rooke, Milburn.

Plus they got lucky that Selwood fell to pick 7, Hawkins was available as a third round father-son (was a top 5 player in that draft), and GAJ was available as a third round father-son (also a top 5 player in his draft year).

IMO, their senior group was simply the best going around at that time (and possibly ever)...

For that reason, I think we are building the right foundations with our team now, getting a group of talented individuals, all from roughly the same age bracket...

 

[Dogs Rule]

With spin like that from the OP, you should be in PR. I'm optimistic, but when you get pantsed by likes of Richmond, you know you're struggling. Either that, or we're doing a masterful tank.

 

[TimC]

With spin like that from the OP, you should be in PR. I'm optimistic, but when you get pantsed by likes of Richmond, you know you're struggling. Either that, or we're doing a masterful tank.

Richmond are actually a decent side now. Their problem was not winning 3 games in a row where they should/could of.
You don't own the Hawks for nothing.

 

[Doggies_13]

I think it is too early to judge Macca yet, we have having a worst year than i expected but it the perfect time to be dipping down when all the experts are saying it is a super draft and i think we will improve from here on mainly due to very good drafting over the last 2 drafts when it is the hardest with all the concessions gold coast and gws had. to get libba and wallis in 2010 along with dalhaus and jj in the rookie draft. we were unlucky with schofield that he gave up and our last 2 picks were the 3rd and 4th last picks in the draft and we got skinner and hill with the jury still out on both. 2011 we got smith yea he needs to work on his kicking but if that improves will be a pretty good player, Talia looks like being a good key back, pearce has showed good signs and dickson who is a good pick up. then in the rookie draft we got lin jong went alright in his debut, tom campbell is a good ruckman, Austin who played well when called upon and redpath looks alright from what i saw in the vfl and greenwood i don't know much about.Another good draft this year and the future looks even brighter