Gary Buckenara analyses Western Bulldogs’ needs and potential off-season targets
THE Bulldogs look well balanced, but there’s a couple of areas that need addressing. GARY BUCKENARA on Luke Beveridge’s list — and who the reigning premier should consider targeting.
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BUCKENARA: HAWTHORN OFF-SEASON TARGETS
BUCKENARA: CARLTON OFF-SEASON TARGETS
BUCKENARA: ST KILDA ANALYSIS
BUCKENARA: WHO THE PIES SHOULD CHASE
THERE has been a lot of talk around the Bulldogs and premiership hangovers this year but their struggles this season ultimately illustrate just how hard it is to stay at the top.
The Bulldogs have been the hunted this season — every club wants to beat the premiership team so each week you need to play at 100 per cent or you’ll get knocked off.
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BUCKENARA: ST KILDA ANALYSIS
BUCKENARA: MELBOURNE’S TRADE TARGETS
Luke Beveridge’s team is learning what teams like Hawthorn have been putting up with year after year after year. There is no easy game. Every club comes at you and you need to wear them down until you get on top.
All that puts extra pressure on players, not just physically but mentally as well.
Overall, I still think the list is pretty well balanced. They work for one another, are well coached and while not as star-studded as other sides, they play a passionate brand of footy and all players just play their roles.
What they need is back-up for their talls — defence, forward and ruck.
The Dogs actually have a few developing talls on the list already behind players in the first 22 like Kieran Collins, Tim English and Lewis Young so what they might actually need are experienced bodies.
Fletcher Roberts is still young and so is Zaine Cordy and both those guys have been in and out of the side this year because they’re still developing. But is there pressure for spots in that area? Same goes for the ruck with Tom Campbell? They’ve had to play English but he isn’t ready for AFL footy just yet.
The Bulldogs need a genuine ruckman as they have been the club most affected by the removal of the third-man up so they can get their stoppage game going again because that was their real strength.
BUCKENARA: ESSENDON ANALYSIS AND TRADE TARGETS
BUCKENARA: RICHMOND ANALYSIS AND TRADE TARGETS
BUCKENARA: NORTH MELBOURNE ANALYSIS AND TRADE TARGETS
BUCKENARA: ADELAIDE ANALYSIS AND TRADE TARGETS
Bringing in a recognised ruckman will give them their structure back by sending Jordan Roughead to centre halfback, Tom Boyd to full forward and Jack Redpath there as well with one of those being the relief ruckman.
The other area that needs bolstering is across halfback. Bob Murphy will retire at the end of the year and Matthew Boyd as well most likely — they are two players who have filled that rebound defender role for years and will leave a massive hole.
THE JAKE STRINGER QUESTION
What do the Dogs do with Jake Stringer? I would consider trading him.
He has been horribly out of form and was dropped last year. He hasn’t reached the heights and potential he showed earlier last year and the year before — he has stalled a bit. I like Jake, I reckon he’s a very good player but he has been a bit up and down.
There would be interest from rival clubs and you have to consider all options. But before you did anything the club would need to be confident it could a) cover him and b) add a player that will be important for the team whether it’s structure-wise or just add more top talent to the list.
WHO THE BULLDOGS SHOULD TARGET
The Dogs tried to get Matthew Lobbe from Port Adelaide a few years back and they should be in the market for him again this year to fill that ruck position. He isn’t getting a game at Port and he needs to be the No.1 ruckman, so Whitten Oval would be a great fit for him.
Lobbe’s teammate Jasper Pittard would be an ideal get to come in as a ready-made replacement for Murphy and Boyd. He is a class player — quick and uses it well, which fits in with the Bulldogs’ style. Even better he’s a free agent.
Across at West Lakes Adelaide’s Jake Lever is of interest if we believe the recent media reports. He would definitely add to that key position depth I wrote about earlier and be a walk-up start. His intercept marking is outstanding, he uses the ball well and if they can get a ruckman as well, having Lever, Roughead and Marcus Adams as the three talls down back would really shore it up.
GWS midfielder Lachie Whitfield would also help them a great deal with his outside game — pace and good ball use. He’d complement the likes of Tom Liberatore and Mitch Wallis and the guys that win the hard ball.
BUCKENARA: WEST COAST ANALYSIS
BUCKENARA: BRISBANE ANALYSIS AND TRADE TARGETS
BUCKENARA: GOLD COAST ANALYSIS AND TRADE TARGETS
BUCKENARA: PORT ADELAIDE ANALYSIS AND TRADE TARGETS
Tom Rockliff would be an interesting target. Liberatore has struggled this year and Wallis is just coming back from a serious injury, so having another big body in there, who is a clearance specialist, would make that midfield mix even more dangerous. He also suits their style.
The other player the Dogs would talk to is Eric Mackenzie from West Coast. He has played of late for the Eagles but before that was really out of favour and might jump at the chance to move to a club like that Dogs who can offer him regular senior games. If the Dogs miss out on Lever he’d be a good option.
BUCKY’S UNTOUCHABLES
Marcus Bontempelli, Mitch Wallis, Lachie Hunter, Jake Stringer*, Easton Wood, Jack Macrae, Tom Boyd, Jordan Roughead, Tory Dickson, Jason Johannisen, Jack Redpath, Liam Picken, Lin Jong, Tim English, Kieran Collins.
* The Dogs would want to keep him but if they received a good offer, you’d look at it.
Please note: AFL clubs have a list of a number of players they are targeting at the end of the season and this is the list Gary Buckenara would have in the hope of luring at least one to the club.
* Gary Buckenara was Hawthorn’s sole full-time recruiting staff member from 2004 before the Hawks brought in Chris Pelchen and then Graham Wright as recruiting and list manager and expanded the recruiting department.
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