Mega Thread 2024 Media & Miscellaneous Thread

[Grape Bear]

I don’t think that it’s fair to pot supporters that have come to the game late and say the level of passion is less than people who were “born and bred Fremantle.”

In a day and age where growing the game against competing codes in a finite market is so important to the viability of the game moving forward, it would be stupid of the club to draw lines meant to exclude and not value fans just because they’re not born into the right postcode and were not OG.

I came to Australia in 2008 and fell into the Freo cult in 2012. In that time, I’ve ridden the ups and downs of being a Freo supporter with a fan base old and new.

Is my support any less true and valuable than someone who can name all the stalwarts that played for us before I became a supporter of the club? The way the old timers are talking, it sounds like you’re all holding your noses to barely tolerate the presence of new fans of my ilk. Frankly, if that’s your reason for the drop in your support for the club, that the supporter base is not the same, it actually says more about you than the club.

 

[DragoDelph]

I don’t think that it’s fair to pot supporters that have come to the game late and say the level of passion is less than people who were “born and bred Fremantle.”

In a day and age where growing the game against competing codes in a finite market, it would be stupid of the club to draw lines meant to exclude and value fans just because they’re not born into the right postcode and were not OG.

I came to Australia in 2008 and fell into the Freo cult in 2012. In that time, I’ve ridden the ups and downs of being a Freo supporter with a fan base old and new.

Is my support any less true and valuable than someone who can name all the stalwarts that played for us before I became a supporter of the club? The way the old timers are talking, it sounds like you’re all holding your noses to barely tolerate the presence of new fans of my ilk. Frankly, if that’s your reason for the drop in your support for the club, that the supporter base is not the same, it actually says more about you than the club.

It's the same argument used against the matildas, simply because no one is shooting flares or breaking chairs.

That noise and the volume will grow, once new fans become comfortable in the environment.

I've started taking a group of friends to a few games, who are as anti-sport as they come, but love the environment at a game. They'll be as loud as anyone in a few years once they can 'see' when things are about to happen.

 

[Bigger]

I went to the footy just this Saturday with my son. Well, one of my sons. He is 20 and had been on a wine tour all day so it wasn’t quite the wholesome content you may have been expecting.

He did comment, when there was a promotion announced at the ground around the 30th anniversary, that more fuss seemed to be made of the 25th. I said, "Well, yair. We probably had an argument in marketing about whether or not we were going to even acknowledge it. Thirty years of fuggorl is hard to get giddy about.”

Of course we’re a little reticent. The fun left with Ross.

When I was part of group of 20+ aged blokes on the piss we went to see Freo as bold adventurers. It was new, it was unconventional, there was a contrarian spirit of pisstakery and there was no more expectation than hopefully seeing Winnie take a hang or Chis do a complete 360 for no apparent reason. Clive was the living embodiment of what we were after. "Dockery" was in the DNA, not something we arrived at after noticing a bit of a pattern.

I genuinely did not give a **** about the result. I just wanted to get hammered and have a laugh.

Now I care about the result. I dont drink anymore and really genuinely am sick of coming last. I like all the school captains and decent citizens we have playing for us now. Slayshaw, Youngy and Sebba are going to win us a flag or die trying. Which is great. As the great man sang, “The war of the class clown is never won.”

Personally I would love it if we didn't have a cheer squad. If we didn't try and organise anything would suit me down to the ground. No offence to those who like that sort of thing, but it's all a bit shit.

Let the game do the entertaining. If it's good, the crowd will follow. And if it's rubbish, we'll make our own fun. Or not. Either way, don't confect. And don't emulate others. What was great about the early days was the idea we were making it up as we went along and the only guiding light we had was to be true to ourselves and not be like the other campaigners.

And trust me. They're campaigners.

 

[Dale147]

 

[DragoDelph]

This is the bit I liked most from Xav. It was boring. But that's what you need.

 

[BStaff17]

His bad coaching ? Have you seen their injury list ?
Adam Yze, is having the sort of start to his career as Nathan Buckley had, just diabolical injury events.
We have been only okay for 5 minutes. We need to show humility and graciousness.

Yze been given a shitshow.

Maybe because Tigers have just won 3 comps the fans might be a bit more patient.

But yeah its probably not the job you want to take over from.

Only way was down at the start.

And most coaches never see through the rebuild.

 

[Alfonz]

I'm shocked the AFL website reporters have us slipping to 5th and being replaced by Geelong and Brisbane in the top 4 by season end.

When I do the ladder predictor, I have us needing to win all our home games and 2 out of 3 away games versus Hawthorn, Essendon and GWS to stay in the top 4. Even with Sydney beating Brisbane at the Gabba and Freo beating Geelong (the only losses I have given them).

Collingwood games against Geelong and Brisbane might be critical. I have the Pies losing both in my predictor. But we might actually need the Pies to win at least one of those despite our death ride wishes.

 

[Grape Bear]

Not paying attention, but is the pre-finals bye still a thing? Our bye form is so shit, it feels like that we absolutely need a double chance to be any chance of going deep.

That Eagles game is going to fecking bite us in the ass.

 

[Pivot Piece]

Not paying attention, but is the pre-finals bye still a thing? Our bye form is so shit, it feels like that we absolutely need a double chance to be any chance of going deep.

That Eagles game is going to fecking bite us in the ass.

Yes it is. The difference as others have mentioned is obviously that we will playing another team off a bye and that unlike the mid season bye the players won’t be going away and will be staying at the club and training hard in that period. We did beat the Dogs in 22 off the bye but we all know how that game started. We need to grow up and not be scared of a week off

 

[DragoDelph]

Not paying attention, but is the pre-finals bye still a thing? Our bye form is so shit, it feels like that we absolutely need a double chance to be any chance of going deep.

That Eagles game is going to fecking bite us in the ass.

Yeah, still a thing, which is why resting players seems silly while we’re still fighting for a top four spot.

Re eagles, all teams have slipped up at some point this season. Just glad it wasn’t against another contender tbh.

 

[DeadEyeJye]

Yeah, still a thing, which is why resting players seems silly while we’re still fighting for a top four spot.

Re eagles, all teams have slipped up at some point this season. Just glad it wasn’t against another contender tbh.

You mean against someone like Carlton?

 

[DragoDelph]

You mean against someone like Carlton?

Shhh…

But also a Melbourne or Brisbane.

Wouldn’t trade those results.

 

[Grape Bear]

You mean against someone like Carlton?

I don’t count that because in my mind we won that. #mora#moralvictory

 

[doppo]

This is the bit I liked most from Xav. It was boring. But that's what you need.

View attachment 2043303

100%. Saturday was the first game for me that felt like 2014/ start of 2015, and not the roller coaster of a young developing team.
To have a relatively boring win, where we play pretty terribly for a quarter, and still win by close to 10 goals is what top 4 teams do.

 

[Daddoo]

Here's a great interview with Brayshaw on BackChat. Talks about strategy during the end of the swans game, what it's like being captain, and lots of other great topics. What a great guy he is!

 

[ubiquitous226]

When I do the ladder predictor, I have us needing to win all our home games and 2 out of 3 away games versus Hawthorn, Essendon and GWS to stay in the top 4. Even with Sydney beating Brisbane at the Gabba and Freo beating Geelong (the only losses I have given them).

Collingwood games against Geelong and Brisbane might be critical. I have the Pies losing both in my predictor. But we might actually need the Pies to win at least one of those despite our death ride wishes.

Personally I think that's pretty extreme, I covered my thoughts in the Run Home thread so I won't labour the point, but I think 5 more wins is likely enough for top 4.
There's always the chance it isn't, but it'd take multiple teams to smash it over the last phase of the season.

 

[Fred Ziffel]

Personally I think that's pretty extreme, I covered my thoughts in the Run Home thread so I won't labour the point, but I think 5 more wins is likely enough for top 4.
There's always the chance it isn't, but it'd take multiple teams to smash it over the last phase of the season.

Another important factor in the run home is the timing Phil Merriman is looking at.
It’s quite feasible that Sydney has already started their training load up.
Our Load up before a taper needs to be perfectly timed given our precarious ladder position.
Of course all finals contender teams will be doing the same thing. Obviously if we are in sync with the clubs
Posing a threat to our top 4 hopes, it will be highly desirable.

 

[errant bounce]

Wonder if it's worth the club doing what the Wildcats used to do with crowds.

Was it the uni kids that got tickets in groups in prominent positions with the sole intent to make as much noise as possible?

Get sections of level one blocked out with lunatics.

Any sort of planned 'activations' are incredibly lame.

It's not about the noise, it's about the sentiment.

It's the chat at the train station, the threats of leaving, the calls for sackings, the will and joy of an unheralded player doing the heralded.

It's not something you can fake and it's entirely gone.

Most of those passionate people I spoke about have a keen interest in the game and a respect for its history. how many Freo fans watch more than our games? how many of them have a care and respect for all that's assembled into the game? it's not the first bounce to the final siren – and it's not the shitty Camfield beforehand, either – it's the tradition, respect, and whole of this game.

I'm singing to the wrong choir, whistling to an ill wind, but far out it's just all gone.

 

[errant bounce]

Another important factor in the run home is the timing Phil Merriman is looking at.
It’s quite feasible that Sydney has already started their training load up.
Our Load up before a taper needs to be perfectly timed given our precarious ladder position.
Of course all finals contender teams will be doing the same thing. Obviously if we are in sync with the clubs
Posing a threat to our top 4 hopes, it will be highly desirable.

Heavy training loads at this stage of the season is nuts. anyone who has played at even a shit level of football knows that no matter how much pre-season you do, it's about game four where it all clicks and the fitness stays at the level it needs to. running the players silly just creates injuries.

The lads also look lithe and athletic, a good thin with strong muscles through the arms and not too much stupid bulk. they're the best looking group in the competition, athletically.

This is when good football wins. and desire, buying in, seizing what's potentially there.

 

[ignoramus]

the chat at the train station, the threats of leaving, the calls for sackings

I'll take "the top 3 most annoying traits in people" for $500, Alex.

 

[Raz]

I don’t think that it’s fair to pot supporters that have come to the game late and say the level of passion is less than people who were “born and bred Fremantle.”

In a day and age where growing the game against competing codes in a finite market is so important to the viability of the game moving forward, it would be stupid of the club to draw lines meant to exclude and not value fans just because they’re not born into the right postcode and were not OG.

I came to Australia in 2008 and fell into the Freo cult in 2012. In that time, I’ve ridden the ups and downs of being a Freo supporter with a fan base old and new.

Is my support any less true and valuable than someone who can name all the stalwarts that played for us before I became a supporter of the club? The way the old timers are talking, it sounds like you’re all holding your noses to barely tolerate the presence of new fans of my ilk. Frankly, if that’s your reason for the drop in your support for the club, that the supporter base is not the same, it actually says more about you than the club.

Yes cant generalise with Fans.

I been a South Fremantle fan since my first game i saw in 1978. Then progressed to Fremantle once they were formed in 1994. But i dont watch other AFL games. only the Grand final. and have little interest in it as Fremantle not there.

So being a long time fan does not mean i talk lot of AFL . nor do i discus other teams performances. I am solely focused on MY team. (two teams now both MENs and LADIES teams)

But yeah i yell when we kick goal. I cheer when they walk on the ground.

I dont call for players to be dropped. coaches sacked. I certainly never blame umpires.

I expect my Club to do its best. keep getting better.

MAybe I not hard nosed fan enough, not one eyed enough.

WE all different in how we react as fans

Some been around a long time . others only short time

But fans we all are

 

[Docker82]

This is the bit I liked most from Xav. It was boring. But that's what you need.

View attachment 2043303

Tbf when we've been a good team I don't look forward to playing sh**e teams for this reason.

There's usually no chance of it being a close game past quarter time and tbh if it is a close game it barely feels like a win to me anyway.

 

[ubiquitous226]

Any sort of planned 'activations' are incredibly lame.

It's not about the noise, it's about the sentiment.

It's the chat at the train station, the threats of leaving, the calls for sackings, the will and joy of an unheralded player doing the heralded.

It's not something you can fake and it's entirely gone.

Most of those passionate people I spoke about have a keen interest in the game and a respect for its history. how many Freo fans watch more than our games? how many of them have a care and respect for all that's assembled into the game? it's not the first bounce to the final siren – and it's not the shitty Camfield beforehand, either – it's the tradition, respect, and whole of this game.

I'm singing to the wrong choir, whistling to an ill wind, but far out it's just all gone.

This came up in another thread, but we have a fairly diverse supporter base these days which I think is good for the club and good for AFL.

To me history is important, but equally no one group of supporters "owns" the club, it's a shared and living thing.
There will be segments of our supporters who will make great memories going to the "shitty" Camfield and others who will hang out with their families.
Our society and world changes, and the footy club does too.

 

[Duz97]

I don’t like Adam Simpson much but he earnt my respect giving it to woodcock. Wonder if it ends up being a good thing for us and he just doubles down on giving it to the eagles and leaves us be

 

[Wray27]

I'm shocked the AFL website reporters have us slipping to 5th and being replaced by Geelong and Brisbane in the top 4 by season end.

I have us finishing 5th. We need to win 5/7 and have results go our way to stay top 4.