2023 - A year of regression before the final ascent...

[anchor man]

This is a surprisingly good listen.Some great comments here from Worsfold and Daniels. Flashpoint WA on 7

 

[Tony_Clifton]

I kept seeing an for an Animal tshirt. Anyway I changed it a little and texted it to the Mrs for a laugh. What do you think?

 

[FDH16]

With the trade period done and dusted it's time to reflect on where the list sits, what we were seeking to achieve and how close we are to the ever elusive maiden premiership.

I am pleased Fremantle's hierarchy identified the need to bolster the inside mid brigade, Brodie was a pleasant surprise in 2022 and will continue to build in 2023. What became more and more glaring as the year rolled on was our over reliance on Mundy to win inside ball and drive field position. Acquiring JOM will alleviate the burden on Serong/Brodie and allow Fyfe the flexibility to roll forward. With Raz and Johnson still needing a few pre-seasons to be AFL ready, when it counts, this was a pleasing acquisition.

The greatest upside of this trade is we no longer need to run Andy Brayshaw from the centre square. He just isn't capable of being a force in there and held us back, on occassion, in the two finals this year. He is much better suited as an outside runner and will be an upgrade on Acres on the wing. This is Andy's best position and will allow him to blow up his opponent, hold his width and deliver the ball inside 50.

Jackson, will improve our dynamicism from the centre-square, he is capable of roving his own tap and pushing through traffic. Too often we exited laterally, slowly and allowed opposition defenses to roll with our ball movement. Hopefully Jaeger can burst from stoppage as well. The removal of Brayshaw from the starting CB team will show up the more JOM/FYFE, Serong, Brodie with Jackson and Darcy find their groove. Corbett might be a nice guy, but he's largely irrelevant and cover - whole lot of meh on his acquisition, hopefully he proves me wrong, though, I am never wrong.

One of the unfortunate realities of a high attrition rate is the requirement to re-train running patterns, stoppage set ups and internal chemistry. We have shipped out/retired 4 genuine starters, 2 consistent rotational players, and will now inject a two starters.

Amiss is the key to our progression, he along with the emergence of another key forward (my great hope for Jackson) will decide if we mount the summit, but it will not be in 23.

The type of synergy that is necessary intra team is not concocted over-night, one may pre-season will not be enough. This group will need to gel and bond, on field and off.

For me, whilst we may have lost our leading goal-kicker campaigner lord, a top 10 B&F player, an AA calibre winger and fuzzy haired swing man, I've never been more bullish on the state of our list, whilst cautiously aware that synergy takes time to create.

We are almost there.

**** I'm good.

 

[Paracleet]

* I'm good.

Huh? A lot of the stuff you say in the post is wrong?

Brayshaw hasn't left the centre square (before anyone argues with me click here), acquiring JOM hasn't allowed Fyfe to roll forward, Jackson doesn't ruck that much when Darcy is fit , Brodie can't even make the team. In fact apart from identifying Amiss as a key (really?) and that Erasmus and Johnson aren't there yet I'd say it's all wrong

This isn't patting yourself on the back, it's wrenching your arm out of its socket and bashing yourself on the head with it.

 

[Bigger]

I kept seeing an for an Animal tshirt. Anyway I changed it a little and texted it to the Mrs for a laugh. What do you think?View attachment 1795825

Would buy and wear.

 

[FDH16]

Huh? A lot of the stuff you say in the post is wrong?

Brayshaw hasn't left the centre square (before anyone argues with me click here), acquiring JOM hasn't allowed Fyfe to roll forward, Jackson doesn't ruck that much when Darcy is fit , Brodie can't even make the team. In fact apart from identifying Amiss as a key (really?) and that Erasmus and Johnson aren't there yet I'd say it's all wrong

This isn't patting yourself on the back, it's wrenching your arm out of its socket and bashing yourself on the head with it.

How about the regression part in 2023?

Did any of that land?

 

[DocT]

How about the regression part in 2023?

Did any of that land?

Clearly it's hats off to the backwards in 2023 to go forwards in 2024 prediction.
I'd love to know your reasoning behind that. Please.

 

[FDH16]

Huh? A lot of the stuff you say in the post is wrong?

Brayshaw hasn't left the centre square (before anyone argues with me click here), acquiring JOM hasn't allowed Fyfe to roll forward, Jackson doesn't ruck that much when Darcy is fit , Brodie can't even make the team. In fact apart from identifying Amiss as a key (really?) and that Erasmus and Johnson aren't there yet I'd say it's all wrong

This isn't patting yourself on the back, it's wrenching your arm out of its socket and bashing yourself on the head with it.

Has Brayshaw spent more, or less time through the middle this season than last?

Additionally, Fyfe did roll forward - shame we remembered he can't kick a set shot if his life depended on it.

Jackson has been roving his own taps, bursting from stoppage - the only thing I missed was the emergence of Hayden Young - pleasantly surprised by that.

 

[Deathly]

He is never wrong.

 

[King Huskii]

He is never wrong.

Don't remind us

 

[Freomaniac]

I don’t even think we’ll stagnate to be honest. Once you’re in top 4 territory anything can happen.

true....

But yeah make top 4 or top 6... either go to the top or close to it or drop.

Sadly we dropped to 14th in 2023, but it seems like 2023 was a bad year we had to have.

hoping 2024 we make finals

 

[james haish]

JOM hasn't delivered what we hoped and Fyfe is still a very important first possession and clearance player, essentially doing what Mundy did in 2022. I am impressed with how our season is going but I still feel the balance isn't right. Need some more midfield steel that isn't Fyfe, and some class in the small-medium forward role. Neither Johnson nor Erasmus look close to ready to take over in the middle. Young has his moments but still a while away from being consistent A grader.

We should make finals this year and be a lock for finals for the foreseeable future, but need a bit more for a premiership.