Why are we so awful this season?

[Dry Rot]

From memory, we lost roughly our first 5 games in 2002, mostly from poor goal shooting. We would end up being reasonably competitive.

Now this season we are terrible, and it's a lot more than losing Grant.

Sure, Darcy & Bandy aren't playing well, but many of our supposed young guns seem to have gone backwards. We used to be a skilful side, now we are awful.

Why?

I don't think we can blame all this on Rohde, either.

 

[Chops]

Think the answers are in B1954 "Our Problems" thread

 

[Dry Rot]

Thanks Chops - I went back and had a look but I don't think it quite nails why there's such a nosedive this season - most of those factors apply to players in both seasons.

 

[Chops]

In terms of our young guns, talent and confidence can be a dangerous thing.
Gia wasn't disciplined last year when playing bad and that form has continued over. A lot of young players like him think they are special before actually achieved anything of note yet.

Not sure what its like in Sydney with RL but in Melbourne AFL is huge and there is a lot of media attention.

Pre-season Brown was touted as the next Leigh Matthews, going to kick 80+ goals, win the Coleman and Brownlow, 2 page articles in Herald Sun , etc, etc.
That’s a lot of pressure put on him, but himself, the media, the club and his fans.

Murphy seems to have temperament to handle it. He can hold his head up on his performances this last.

History also tells us that it’s not the most talented players that have always prospered. Hard work and good lifestyle are often the key. I sometimes question that with young players.

 

[stefoid]

I reckon that changing a game plan as radically as we need to do just takes time. Its like turning the titanic.

We do have injuries and form problems with some players, but we have the depth to cover players that are out of form, except in the tall forwards department.

Hope the coach decides to just bite the bullet and run the tall forwards we do have into some form. Its worked with Bowdo.

 

[Chops]

Originally posted by stefoid
I reckon that changing a game plan as radically as we need to do just takes time. Its like turning the titanic.

I agree with that

 

[Knackers]

I believe one of our main problems is lack of discipline, I don't buy the line that our change in game plan is to blame.

Not picking up you man, not applying pressure, not hitting your teamate on the chest, not running to space, not giving options upfield, panicking in traffic......none of this is directly related to game plans.

Many Bulldog supporters (including those on this board) accept mediocrity far too easily, the rot has got to stop. Other supporters are straight on to their team's back if they don't perform, we must be the same. I don't have any specific allegiance to individuals at the club. Sure, pat them on the back and support them if they give their all, but when they don't let them know about it !

I'm desperate for a flag, anything less is defeatism. All involved at the club, including all supporters, should demand the ultimate success. If you consistently don't perform then you get dropped, if you play well and apply yourself, you get rewarded.

Sick of excuses.

 

[Scroater]

Spot on the money KNACKERS. Further to your putting pressure on the opposition, who came up with the player management system where you don't go to the player with the ball but depend on the forward to chase his backman up the ground. That way they run the ball all the way up the ground while our backmen and midfield backpedal all the way to the D50. They still get the goal so why not run out towards the player coming at you. Also can anyone give the percentages of how many times we have scored directly after we have scored a point compared to the opposition scoring directly after we score a point. Simon Garlic might want to lift his game as well.

 

[Gridlock'd]

Its quite simple really, we just simply suck!!!

 

[Dry Rot]

Originally posted by Knackers
the rot has got to stop.

Eh?

Don't blame me.

 

[Dogs r Roos]

We are simply not good enough, we have talent but not THE talent needed to keep up with the competition. We will never be able to keep up with the Brisbanes, Adelaides, Port Adelaides of the comp. We rarely play well as a team, only individually. Collingwood are struggling this year because they have dropped that team game play, they have been exposed, their mediocre players are starting to show and that is our problem each week, we have very mediocre players who need all our few talented players to perform every week so that their game can be made to look good on the day. Garlick, Bandy (he is a waste of space), just to name two, I could go on but I think we all know of them and most of us agree on who has never really stood out for the team. I am afraid to say I am resigned to the fact that I will never see a premiership. One last thing I cannot believe we lost to Richmond, Melbourne, Stkilda - I mean are they really better teams than the bulldogs ?????

 

[39 Memories]

I think the problem is that we are not playing for each other. Brown shoulod not be left in the forward line all day, he is much better kicking a running goal from the 50m line, plus he dropped an awful lot of marks last Sunday. I'm getting sick and tired of travelling for six hours plus to see pathetic football as I saw for a lot of the game last week. Apart from some shining lights such as, Paddy Bowden and Lindsay Gilbee and much better marking and great ruck play from Daniel Bandy, the rest were pretty woeful. Why do they always kick backwards? The team plan seems to be to play like Freo did a couple of years ago.

 

[stefoid]

Originally posted by Knackers
I believe one of our main problems is lack of discipline, I don't buy the line that our change in game plan is to blame.

Not picking up you man, not applying pressure, not hitting your teamate on the chest, not running to space, not giving options upfield, panicking in traffic......none of this is directly related to game plans.

Many Bulldog supporters (including those on this board) accept mediocrity far too easily, the rot has got to stop. Other supporters are straight on to their team's back if they don't perform, we must be the same. I don't have any specific allegiance to individuals at the club. Sure, pat them on the back and support them if they give their all, but when they don't let them know about it !

I'm desperate for a flag, anything less is defeatism. All involved at the club, including all supporters, should demand the ultimate success. If you consistently don't perform then you get dropped, if you play well and apply yourself, you get rewarded.

Sick of excuses.

Our accountability has improved and will continue to improve.

You cant berate players for not picking up their man AND not running into space AND not hitting their targets. If you are picking up your man then by definition you cant also be running into space at the same time, and if you are picking up your man you can expect to be winning and disposing of the ball under more pressure than if you receive it in space.

We just arent hurting the opposition on the scoreboard enough, and the number of turnovers we have comapred to other teams is directly related to carrying the ball too much looking for free players or short options when a long, direct kick to a contest would be more appropriate, especially under pressure through the midfield.

 

[Larry6]

Originally posted by Chops
History also tells us that it’s not the most talented players that have always prospered. Hard work and good lifestyle are often the key. I sometimes question that with young players.

Couldn't agree more but hopefully a bit more maturity (soon) will help.

 

[SCRAY72]

Reliant on too few.

Young guys,apart from Murph, are not consistently performing. When you look at the best each week, I don't see enough of these guys.

Lapses of concentration during games.

Not enough match winners and of the 3 we have. One it out for the season,one has kicked 17-22 and one is getting plenty of the ball and not hurting the opposition.

Change of game plan not sinking in to players thick skulls. Still playing Wallace style football.

Chris Grant

ET CETERA
ET CETERA
ET CETERA

 

[Knackers]

You cant berate players for not picking up their man AND not running into space AND not hitting their targets. If you are picking up your man then by definition you cant also be running into space at the same time, and if you are picking up your man you can expect to be winning and disposing of the ball under more pressure than if you receive it in space.

I wasn't referring to the same player doing all three tasks.

Backmen must get to contests and pick up their man, at kick outs we must ensure the opposition is covered (either by zone or man on man)

Forwards must run into space and provide a target not just stand by their man and look predicatable.

ALL players must hit their targets.............no excuses, unless under intense pressure from opponents.

Our skills at the moment are deplorable, our ability to create play is non-existent, we are simply too predicatable and rely on the same avenue to goal. We aren't running through the lines and not stretching the opposition.

I disagree that we are more accountable, our tacking is still below par and our intensity is down. We don't apply enough pressure to the opposition.

Losing five games in a row to some fairly mediocre opposition (apart from Bris, Ess) illustrates our overall improvement.

 

[Westy_Boy]

Originally posted by Dry Rot
Now this season we are terrible, and it's a lot more than losing Grant.

Not disagreeing, but the effect of his loss (and our injuries in general) is being understated, IMO. In such an even seaon like this, injuries we're always gonna play a major role in who was successful and who wasn't. Given that roughly half our list has been injured at one stage or another over the past couple of months (forcing us to continually go in with about a dozen undersized players with less than 40 games to their names in our top 22), I'm not overly surprised we're struggling.

This is purely subjective, but I reckon Grant (at his best) makes us a 4-5 goal better side - not only in terms of the goals he cuts off or creates, but also in terms of leadership, experience and the structural options that a KPP player of that calibre provides. Take out any team's #1 key position player and it'll have a significant impact on their performance - when it's a list as poorly structured as ours and that player also happens to be the captain, best reader of the play, contested mark and field kick in the team, not having him there is gonna cost you games.