I reckon they will be vying with St Kilda for the spoon this year, but there list is a lot more promising than the Saints, who are destined to bounce along the bottom for a few years yet. Liberatore, McCrae, Botompelli, Stringer, Hunter, , Hrovat, Smith and Wallis are a good core of kids to work with. When you look at that group, you can understand why they would make a big play for Boyd. Of course he’s not worth a $1M/year, but to get someone like that, you’ve got to pay overs. With some senior players leaving they are going to have plenty of salary cap space, and they don’t have a key forward of note. I think there future is bright, but there are a couple of tough years ahead before they start seeing the rewards of some good recruiting.
What Bulldogs recruiting policy should be - aggressively trade for established Key Position players to compliment the smaller players they've had pretty good success in grabbing with later picks.
What their actual recruiting policy is - blow all their first rounders on "project" talls despite the club clearly not being able to develop them
Evidence:
Ayce Cordy
Jarrad Grant
Andrejs Everitt
Tom Williams
Tim Walsh
Admittedly they've been better the last few years
Admittedly they've been better the last few years
Only because they haven't even tried to pick up a tall (2013 they only took 3 picks for 3 smalls, 2012 was 2 mid-sized guys & 3 smalls, 2011 they 1 tall & 3 smalls) recently.
Even if they get Boyd, and even if he's any good, that's still only 2 spine players with any sort of future. Have to load up this draft.
Given their previous history, imo they're better off trying to load up on draft picks to trade for your James Frawley's, then put pennies in the bank for a Free Agent.
eg Griffen and Boyd deal, bundle say Cooney and 1-2 early picks for someone in the Paddy Ryder category. Then target another key defender via Free Agency
Given they've got a young midfield that looks pretty good for the future I think they can afford to roll the dice on paying overs for a gun 25 y/old key position player
DOWN DOWN
BULLDOGS ARE DOWN
Now, this is a story all about how
The Bulldogs flipped-turned upside down
And I'd like to take a minute
Just sit tight, bub
I'll tell you how they lost the captain and coach of the club
In the western suburbs Griffen played
Whitten oval was where he spent most of his days
Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool
And all kickin some footies outside V.U.
But the coach was a guy who was up to no good
Started making trouble in the player group
They got in one little fight and then Pete got scared
He said 'youre movin' to Giants way out over there'
They have the talent in their list. They need development. Tom Boyd is a massive get, the guy is a monster.
They have the talent in their list. They need development. Tom Boyd is a massive get, the guy is a monster.
They have lost their captain who is an elite level player and their first round draft pick which is number 6. Around that area of the draft they easily could have landed Peter Wright who is an absolute monster of a forward/ruck who is mammoth kick and very accurate by foot.
Plus lost a favourite son and leader in Cooney. They will be a shambles next season.
They can carry on about getting Boyd all they want and call him their saviour but the point is, there is no point in having a forward target if you cannot get them the ball.
They won't be near top 8 for atleast the 4 years.
Aside from their current political issues, they're very well placed for the future. I rate their midfield as the best young group outside of the expansion clubs, they've just landed Boyd who should be a 10 year player for them. They'll have more high draft picks in the next two years to fill the gaping holes in their list.
It's a project, for sure, and they absolutely have to nail the coaching selection.
Its a ton of pressure to be paying a kid sooo much money when he has done next to nothing so far. Could be the next Jack Watts.
Such a massive gamble. I hope it backfires
Surely other dog players will look at what Boyd is getting and want a bit more themselves when contract time comes around. It could breed an undercurrent of discontent.
If he is getting big money, the other players will expect him to do a fair share of the heavy lifting. For a 19 year old, that’s a lot of pressure.
I hope it comes back to bite them.
It's already happening. Bontempelli's manager was saying that WB have to re-considser his recent contract. What a ■■■■ precedent they've set.Surely other dog players will look at what Boyd is getting and want a bit more themselves when contract time comes around. It could breed an undercurrent of discontent.
If he is getting big money, the other players will expect him to do a fair share of the heavy lifting. For a 19 year old, that's a lot of pressure.
I hope it comes back to bite them.
Didn't know that.It's already happening. Bontempelli's manager was saying that WB have to re-considser his recent contract. What a **** precedent they've set.Surely other dog players will look at what Boyd is getting and want a bit more themselves when contract time comes around. It could breed an undercurrent of discontent.
If he is getting big money, the other players will expect him to do a fair share of the heavy lifting. For a 19 year old, that's a lot of pressure.
I hope it comes back to bite them.
Be interesting to see how it pans out. You reap what you sow.
Would love love love to get Bont or McRae (or Libba or Stringer) off them.
Perhaps less relevant than last year?
It would be good to inflict some pain on the Dogs after the way they have treated EFC and taken some cheap shots over the past two years.
However any action would not be for the sake of inflicting pain on them, but because it would benefit us on the field in a significant way.
It doesn't have to be done immediately, but it would be nice if it happened.
A dish served cold and all that.
Have only even seen them as making up numbers.
Miles away
Gap year.
Losing your captain and best player will hurt no matter what.
Down, then up.
Brisbane won the spoon in '98.
If the Bulldogs can tank next year, and I believe they will actually have to tank, then Boyd, Bontempelli, Dalhaus, Libba, Johannisen, Hrovat, Hunter, add one or two more guns...they're going to be formidable.
Their middle of the range players let them down, but in 2016 they'll be picking up free agents and role players with the best of them (in fact, with Biggs, they've already started).
Top four in 2017, if they have any sort of long term planning.
Edit: Back in the day, I said if Hawthorn didn't make finals that year I'd run a lap of Windy Hill nude. They didn't and no-one called me on it, so I'm calling statute of limitations, but...pretty sure they validated my opinion of them.
Bulldogs feel like Hawthorn back then.