WESTERN BULLDOGS 08 SEASON: HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY?
September 23rd 2008 03:23
At the end of the 2007 season Western Bulldogs’ Coach Rodney Eade and his football department were in turmoil. They entered the year with high expectations and many experts tipped them to be premiers. After winning only two games in the second half of the season and slumping into the bottom four, Bulldogs’ president David Smorgon called for a review of the football department, putting Eade and many others on notice.
2008 was a year the doggies needed to impress, and impress they did, winning 15 matches, finishing third on the ladder and producing the clubs best result in over a decade.
The change began back in the off season with Eade set on solving their struggling lack of height. They recruited Ben Hudson and Tim Callan as ruck stocks and Adelaide forward Scott Welsh. The trade was successful with Hudson freeing up Will Minson, allowing the young Adonis to play more of a role as a forward alongside Welsh (49 goals) for the year. This then allowed Brad Johnson to play a more natural game taking the weight of responsibility off the ageing star and sparking a new lease into the aging warrior.
Many forget that only two Bulldog’s sides have ever made the final day in September and this year Rodney Eade’s men were only 29 pts away from making it three. He achieved this with a team that was not fully fit and missing their best player of the past decade in Scott West.
Each year the bulldogs list seems to be improving. Daniel Cross, Ryan Griffin, Daniel Boyd, Dale Morris and Adam Cooney are the equivalent to a fine wine, getting better with each year, while first year players in Josh Hill and Callan Ward have been great finds. Ward has shown us signs he will be prominent in the Bulldogs future. Josh Hill on the other hand, despite his inconsistencies, is a future star. His poise and all round composure is an absolute pleasure to watch.
If anything, 2008 has shown us that Eade’s puppies have finally grown up. No longer does the club have to rely on West, Johnson, Akermanis or Lake to win games and be successful.
This however, raises another concerning point. Are the aging doggies still ale to have an impact in matches? In Scott West’s case, the toll of 16 years of elite football has finally caught up with him. After injuring his knee in round three, the veteran failed to work his way back into the side. He will be 34 before the end of the year and even with the best rehabilitation and recovery, questions must be asked weather the seven time club champion has become too old and too slow for the modern game.
Brad Johnson, Nathan Eagleton, Ben Hudson, Scott Welsh and Jason Akermanis could soon find themselves in the same boat. Despite a respectable return of 50 goals for the year, the cheeky Johnson seemed to have lost a bit of pace and spark he has so constantly shown throughout his career. By no means is he finished, but his next few years will not be what they were in the past, and the doggies have to find a way to replace that. For Akermanis, his best is exhilarating, but it occurs too rarely. Mid year he was a fair bet for the brownlow, by round 20 he was close to being dropped. These facts are concerning.
The glaring problem for doggies appears to be their lack of forward power. Once again they rely too much on the match winning ability of Brad Johnson. Despite recruiting Scott Welsh, they are still a key forward short of challenging for the flag. Maybe Barry Hall could decide in the off season he needs a change of scene and find his way into the dog kennel. Either way, more firepower upfront is needed.
All in all the Western Bulldogs went far beyond many expectations. Many tipsters predicted they would feature in the bottom four during the preseason. At one stage they were a 100 to 1 chance for the premiership; by round 22 they were as short as 5 to 1. In stark contrast to last year, they showed passion and commitment and realized that their talent was only going to get them so far.
However, despite all the positives it is clear they are a step behind grand finalists Geelong and Hawthorn. Improvements have to be made at Whitten Oval if they are to give the premiership a tilt next year. If nothing is done, they could once again find them selves being ‘oh so close’, yet again.
By John Michael Bric
2008 was a year the doggies needed to impress, and impress they did, winning 15 matches, finishing third on the ladder and producing the clubs best result in over a decade.
The change began back in the off season with Eade set on solving their struggling lack of height. They recruited Ben Hudson and Tim Callan as ruck stocks and Adelaide forward Scott Welsh. The trade was successful with Hudson freeing up Will Minson, allowing the young Adonis to play more of a role as a forward alongside Welsh (49 goals) for the year. This then allowed Brad Johnson to play a more natural game taking the weight of responsibility off the ageing star and sparking a new lease into the aging warrior.
Many forget that only two Bulldog’s sides have ever made the final day in September and this year Rodney Eade’s men were only 29 pts away from making it three. He achieved this with a team that was not fully fit and missing their best player of the past decade in Scott West.
Each year the bulldogs list seems to be improving. Daniel Cross, Ryan Griffin, Daniel Boyd, Dale Morris and Adam Cooney are the equivalent to a fine wine, getting better with each year, while first year players in Josh Hill and Callan Ward have been great finds. Ward has shown us signs he will be prominent in the Bulldogs future. Josh Hill on the other hand, despite his inconsistencies, is a future star. His poise and all round composure is an absolute pleasure to watch.
If anything, 2008 has shown us that Eade’s puppies have finally grown up. No longer does the club have to rely on West, Johnson, Akermanis or Lake to win games and be successful.
This however, raises another concerning point. Are the aging doggies still ale to have an impact in matches? In Scott West’s case, the toll of 16 years of elite football has finally caught up with him. After injuring his knee in round three, the veteran failed to work his way back into the side. He will be 34 before the end of the year and even with the best rehabilitation and recovery, questions must be asked weather the seven time club champion has become too old and too slow for the modern game.
Brad Johnson, Nathan Eagleton, Ben Hudson, Scott Welsh and Jason Akermanis could soon find themselves in the same boat. Despite a respectable return of 50 goals for the year, the cheeky Johnson seemed to have lost a bit of pace and spark he has so constantly shown throughout his career. By no means is he finished, but his next few years will not be what they were in the past, and the doggies have to find a way to replace that. For Akermanis, his best is exhilarating, but it occurs too rarely. Mid year he was a fair bet for the brownlow, by round 20 he was close to being dropped. These facts are concerning.
The glaring problem for doggies appears to be their lack of forward power. Once again they rely too much on the match winning ability of Brad Johnson. Despite recruiting Scott Welsh, they are still a key forward short of challenging for the flag. Maybe Barry Hall could decide in the off season he needs a change of scene and find his way into the dog kennel. Either way, more firepower upfront is needed.
All in all the Western Bulldogs went far beyond many expectations. Many tipsters predicted they would feature in the bottom four during the preseason. At one stage they were a 100 to 1 chance for the premiership; by round 22 they were as short as 5 to 1. In stark contrast to last year, they showed passion and commitment and realized that their talent was only going to get them so far.
However, despite all the positives it is clear they are a step behind grand finalists Geelong and Hawthorn. Improvements have to be made at Whitten Oval if they are to give the premiership a tilt next year. If nothing is done, they could once again find them selves being ‘oh so close’, yet again.
By John Michael Bric
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