Bulldogs pushing for top 4! Where do we stand?

[Dr. Mubutu 867]

The Dogs went for youth, a young coach a young squad that may relate to each other on a number of personal and professional levels..

Melbourne on the other hand went for an old coach and picked up the Dogs ex coach who was deemed unsuccessful to be nice\who could not relate to the young Dog squad..

The MFC have recruited old men and flakey not requireds passed overs by their own clubs who have not gelled, you add that to the appalling recruiting, the only thing they have in common are their large stipends.

Cross, Labumba, Vince, Dawes, Garlett, Michie, Tyson, Frost, Pedersen, Newton, Terlich, Riley

That's more than a quarter of the list, instead of developing players to play a style, they have recruited a hotch potch of makeshift patch ups who have brought a dozen different flaws accumulating in loss after loss, they do not play as a team or for each other, just enough to get paid and hang off the back of the worst list in the proud history off the AFL

If we didn't pick up Daniel Cross, we'd be pummeled by 10+ goals every week.

[P-man 13,367]

This is one Dogs fan's summation on BF:

"In the last few years our sole focus was winning the contested football. We'd look to create stoppage after stoppage to get a clearance forward then hope for the best. We had too many numbers at the contest and too many players entering the contest instead of being an option. This created a lot of rushed kicks forward and 1m handballs to stationary targets.

Our defence was basically 1on1 defenders vs forwards and we'd very rarely get the 3rd man up coming across to spoil.

This season we are playing a high zone setup to lock the ball in our forward 50 and our defenders are guarding space more so than guarding their direct opponents. It's backfired a few times with easy goals out the back but for the most part it's working well.

We are also looking to play on at any opportunity which we never did under Mcartney.

We've always been a tough hard at it side and that could be put down to Mcartneys philosophies but this year we function so much better in transition and that's where most of our improvements come from. Ironically we lost most of the players that would benefit most from the change of tactics in the off season.

Basically we play a zone defence and play on as soon as we create a turn over."

[Samael 560]

The DOgs were a basket case at the end of last year. They lost their CEo their coach and their Captain. They booted out Higgins and a bunch of others wanted out.

No one wanted to go there and coaches pulled out of interviews because they didn't want to kill their career, PLease don't tell me they were well ahead of us. Its simply not true.

What they have done is nothing short of miraculous. I take my hat off to them. It makes our stinking club even worse that for so long we can't drag ourselves off the bottom of the [censored] heap.

I have found myself watching their games since we beat them. Its a good brand of footy. I am amazed at what Beveridge has done with Grant. He was pick 5 and never lived up to that rating. He is going a hell of a lot better this year, still not top 5 level but very useful. Picken is another that has blossomed. It is also worth noting they have lost their top 2 in the B&F from last year. I agree its is fairly miraculous.

[Cheap Seats 3,310]

Macca was sacked, your kiding yourself if you think the bulldogs would be a chance for top 4 if they didn't make the change.

You may be right... How will we ever know?

Fact is though McCartney is considered one of the best Development Coaches in the AFL. he may not of hit it off with top gig at the Dogs, but if you listen to anyone worth their salt they all say Macca helped that list to get where it is. Beverage has added finishing touches

So i think my point re Macca is relevant that he is here as a development coach and has only been her 8 months??? Compared to the 2 odd years at the dogs

Development takes time

[Leoncelli_36 2,264]

If we didn't pick up Daniel Cross, we'd be pummeled by 10+ goals every week.

save for the fact that Cross is used as a link man and creative half backman but has the poorest foot skills of any player in the team and constantly turns the ball over with horrible passes in the back half. Love the man and his guts, but he is just another butcher, part of our greater problem.

[Dr. Mubutu 867]

save for the fact that Cross is used as a link man and creative half backman but has the poorest foot skills of any player in the team and constantly turns the ball over with horrible passes in the back half. Love the man and his guts, but he is just another butcher, part of our greater problem.

I agree somewhat, but he's not Robinson Crusoe in this team.

People are lauding Grimes for his game on the weekend, but his disposals have shown no signs of improving. I'd prefer Cross to have the ball any day of the week.

He puts in defensively as well, which is more than can be said of most of the 22.

[Leoncelli_36 2,264]

I agree somewhat, but he's not Robinson Crusoe in this team.

People are lauding Grimes for his game on the weekend, but his disposals have shown no signs of improving. I'd prefer Cross to have the ball any day of the week.

He puts in defensively as well, which is more than can be said of most of the 22.

I am not disagreeing for sake of the argument, but I least prefer the ball in Cross' hands over any of our players in the defensive half. He has no penetration. kicks up and unders and telegraphs every pass. he really stinks at ball use. Heart of a lion tho!

[RalphiusMaximus 6,110]

"In the last few years our sole focus was winning the contested football. We'd look to create stoppage after stoppage to get a clearance forward then hope for the best. We had too many numbers at the contest and too many players entering the contest instead of being an option. This created a lot of rushed kicks forward and 1m handballs to stationary targets.

That basically sums up where Melbourne is right now. Scary.

[Skuit 10,031]

This is one Dogs fan's summation on BF:

"In the last few years our sole focus was winning the contested football. We'd look to create stoppage after stoppage to get a clearance forward then hope for the best. We had too many numbers at the contest and too many players entering the contest instead of being an option. This created a lot of rushed kicks forward and 1m handballs to stationary targets.

Our defence was basically 1on1 defenders vs forwards and we'd very rarely get the 3rd man up coming across to spoil.

This season we are playing a high zone setup to lock the ball in our forward 50 and our defenders are guarding space more so than guarding their direct opponents. It's backfired a few times with easy goals out the back but for the most part it's working well.

We are also looking to play on at any opportunity which we never did under Mcartney.

We've always been a tough hard at it side and that could be put down to Mcartneys philosophies but this year we function so much better in transition and that's where most of our improvements come from. Ironically we lost most of the players that would benefit most from the change of tactics in the off season.

Basically we play a zone defence and play on as soon as we create a turn over."

Sounds like a similar trajectory. Is it the difference in coaching personnel or the current AFL team-building blueprint?