Calm Down

[hitemup007]

After just two performances for the season, I think everyone here needs to take a step back and calm down. Threads about something seriously wrong at our club, and culture issues etc... are going a bit too far at this stage. Sure, the performances have been sub-standard, but there is still plenty of time left this season. Besides, we have played the Bulldogs in round 1, and although Essendon aren't highly rated, it was at a ground we haven't won in years.

Frankly, the people who were expecting us to finish in the top 8 were with their heads in the clouds. There's always enthusiasm, but after the clean out last year you can't expect us to be top 8 material. If we can play more competitive football in the next few rounds, it will certainly get the morale up, and hopefully turn into some wins.

The same people who were talking up our chances, are now saying we should sack the coaches etc... Let's wait till about Round 10 shall we? Only then can we assess how good/bad we are going. That doesn't mean we must be in contention for a top8 spot. If we can be competitive and match it with the better teams, then I will be pretty satisfied.

Personally, I don't think we can avoid the bottom 4, but if we do better that is a bonus. Recent trends have shown that you need to have 2 really good drafts before you can start lifting up the ladder. Of course there are a few exceptions.

 

[Latro]

Well I didnt think we would finish above 12th at best. But the team, gameplan, effort that has been put out is horrific. I think we are about as bad Melbourne are. But they play a heap of kids instead of average WAFL players. I know a lot of the kids are not ready but some of them are. Why is Broughton who out performed a lot of the players currently in the team not getting a game? What is the point in playing Browne over Hinkley?

 

[bigkev bleeds purple]

Oh God. I am actually going to heartily agree with hitemup. This is a monumental occasion. It has never happened before and may never happen again. Call the stonemason! We're building a statue.

 

[The Night Shift]

With all due respect take the blinkers off H007.
This has nothing to to with where we finish this season or sacking the coach, or at least not in my book. Nothing was acceptable about the way the team performed against Essendon. We are reaping what we have sowed. We are a shite team. We may not win much this season and hopefully the young guys will develop the right way, but geez, show us someting out there.... even the Pav looks disinterested

 

[Chris25]

I would have to agree. We have been disappointing, but a change in our structure and getting some of the dead weight like Head and Browne out will help with that.

I hardly think it's time to start calling for new coaches and saying we have serious problems. It's been two games, relax and actually give the team a chance to turn things around.

 

[Cica]

I did not want to post anything yesterday as I was as frustrated as one can get and wanted to do exactly this 'Calm Down' before I do.

IMO yesterdays game was lost due to the stupidity of our players that killed our will to fight. I'll list 6 stupid things that very few other clubs would manage to do for the entire season and we somehow managed to do it all in one single game:

1. Thornton's obvious 'rest your body' on the back of another player directly in front of our goal - 1st 6pt gift to Essendon
2. Head's 50m penalty - jumping all over Essendon's player after he took a mark. What was he thinking??? - 2nd 6pt gift to Essendon
3. Sandiland's deliberate out of bounds. I am not quite clear if he wanted to punch it out for a behind and if he did whether he would be penalised? Regardless it was stupid - 3rd 6pt gift to Essendon.
4. Sandiland's tap towards our goal. No comment. 4th 6pt gift to Essendon
5. Browne's 50m penalty - 5th 6pt gift to Essendon.
6. Pavlich's reaction after he kicked the goal. The most disappointing aspect is that it was 19 year old kid and Pavlich is our captain. He must have some issues but we can only keep guessing what they are for now. I still think it was unprofessional - 6th 6pt gift to Essendon.

I am pretty sure there is one more. If someone remembers could you please post it?

Last time I checked 6x6=36 and we lost by 37. If we had not made these stupid errors the result could have been completely different. We can blame it all on Harvey but at least we went back to some sort of normal structure. I'll blame Harvey if either Head, Thornton or Browne play next week. Sandilands also needs to learn from his mistakes and I am pretty confident he will.

 

[rotto]

I wont calm down. Melbourne, Essendon and West Coast all have game plans but we dont one except just play and hope for the best.

I dont really care if we lose badly, if we are developing players and a gameplan.

Maybe, Broughton, Drum and Hinkley would has performed as badley Browne, Thornton and Head but at least they have years behind to gain experience. These guys are 25/26 and unskilled errors are just not acceptable for mature age guys.

When we are 0-5 and tell to calm down then.

 

[Witty Remark]

Calm down boys. Win number one could be on the way this weekend.

Hentschel out with knee injury.
Knights out with fractured eye socket / cheek.
Bock out for slapping his missus.

At least two very good outs for Adelaide there and a potential bag of goals out too.

_______________
VB for captain

 

[Clay Davis]

We're screwed as a club. Utterly screwed. Haven't looked like that much of a rabble since 2001.

 

[freodog]

1. Thornton's obvious 'rest your body' on the back of another player directly in front of our goal - 1st 6pt gift to Essendon
2. Head's 50m penalty - jumping all over Essendon's player after he took a mark. What was he thinking??? - 2nd 6pt gift to Essendon
3. Sandiland's deliberate out of bounds. I am not quite clear if he wanted to punch it out for a behind and if he did whether he would be penalised? Regardless it was stupid - 3rd 6pt gift to Essendon.
4. Sandiland's tap towards our goal. No comment. 4th 6pt gift to Essendon
5. Browne's 50m penalty - 5th 6pt gift to Essendon.
6. Pavlich's reaction after he kicked the goal. The most disappointing aspect is that it was 19 year old kid and Pavlich is our captain. He must have some issues but we can only keep guessing what they are for now. I still think it was unprofessional - 6th 6pt gift to Essendon.

I am dumbfounded how they can make mistakes like these. Players in under 14 would know not to do these things but week after week they keep producing these unexplainable brain explosions. It's like they've never played the game before!

I'd like to know if they watch any other games on the weekly basis. I know that most supporters know what lines not to cross but these footballers have no idea. Do they just train, play then get their pay cheques and go off & party?

 

[The Matt]

Last time I checked 6x6=36 and we lost by 37. If we had not made these stupid errors the result could have been completely different. We can blame it all on Harvey but at least we went back to some sort of normal structure. I'll blame Harvey if either Head, Thornton or Browne play next week. Sandilands also needs to learn from his mistakes and I am pretty confident he will.

Add some very gettable shots on goal that were sprayed and we win by about three goals

 

[phealey]

With all due respect take the blinkers off H007.
This has nothing to to with where we finish this season or sacking the coach, or at least not in my book. Nothing was acceptable about the way the team performed against Essendon. We are reaping what we have sowed. We are a shite team. We may not win much this season and hopefully the young guys will develop the right way, but geez, show us someting out there.... even the Pav looks disinterested

Can't sum it up much better than that

 

[Frigate]

I thought we would make the 8 this year. Not anymore.

That was some ugly footy to watch - lets face it the whole team would switch off for most of the quarter and they may aswell have stayed in the dressing room at three quarter time.

So I am calm now with the acceptance that unless something miraculous happens like Hayden, Headland, Mayne and Ballantyne (and we should not have any expectations on him either - but we do) all playing soon then this may be one of our most disappointing seasons ever - and there have been a few.

So maybe we should take a leaf out of chops-a-must book and accept mediocrity .

 

[Plugga]

After just two performances for the season, I think everyone here needs to take a step back and calm down. Threads about something seriously wrong at our club, and culture issues etc... are going a bit too far at this stage. Sure, the performances have been sub-standard, but there is still plenty of time left this season. Besides, we have played the Bulldogs in round 1, and although Essendon aren't highly rated, it was at a ground we haven't won in years.

Frankly, the people who were expecting us to finish in the top 8 were with their heads in the clouds. There's always enthusiasm, but after the clean out last year you can't expect us to be top 8 material. If we can play more competitive football in the next few rounds, it will certainly get the morale up, and hopefully turn into some wins.

The same people who were talking up our chances, are now saying we should sack the coaches etc... Let's wait till about Round 10 shall we? Only then can we assess how good/bad we are going. That doesn't mean we must be in contention for a top8 spot. If we can be competitive and match it with the better teams, then I will be pretty satisfied.

Personally, I don't think we can avoid the bottom 4, but if we do better that is a bonus. Recent trends have shown that you need to have 2 really good drafts before you can start lifting up the ladder. Of course there are a few exceptions.

This is scarily DE JAVU...see 2008/2007/2005/2004

 

[hitemup007]

With all due respect take the blinkers off H007.
This has nothing to to with where we finish this season or sacking the coach, or at least not in my book. Nothing was acceptable about the way the team performed against Essendon. We are reaping what we have sowed. We are a shite team. We may not win much this season and hopefully the young guys will develop the right way, but geez, show us someting out there.... even the Pav looks disinterested

I definitely agree that it was a pathetic performance. No doubt there will be a few changes this week, and I dare say some more youngsters will play. I was just trying to make the point that we shouldn't jump to conclusions so early about Harvey and the culture etc. Many people have got carried away with all of that. If we are in a similar position mid-season then the alarm bells should start ringing and rightly so.

A lot of people forget that football changes a hell of a lot from week to week.

 

[KaLL]

I know you wouldn't care too much about my opinion, but i still think you shouldn't hit the panic button just yet.

Yes the performance was rather horrible, but Give it a couple more games before you start the lynching!

 

[sabre_ac]

Over the 10 odd years of being on this site, the freo board moves in cycles...

First there is the panic and anger at the club, followed by someone posting a "calm down" thread...People eventually calm down and look forward to what is to come...Eventually anger boils to the top again, calm down thread is posted, but anger remains.

Until ultimately the board is split between those that are fed up and push for another change and those that plead "stay the course, things will get better".

Now I have sat on both sides and realise that neither is really the answer, our club is continually bottoming out with little to show on the upswing.

So what is the answer??
Not sure, however there have been some lessons learn't over the past 10 years which cannot be disputed.

1. Chasing big named recruits at all costs never works.

2. People who work on the "admin" side of things, without a football background (AKA those who aren't the coaches) should stay out of recruitment, game plan and game day .

3. You don't rise to the top by copying (With significant delay) the top teams

4. You don't rise to the top by only addressing the sides weakness (By this I mean loading up in one particular position).

5. There comes a time when you need to cut your losses with some players of potential

No doubt there is more...

 

[newlander77]

I have no problem with the club bottoming out and coming last this year. But if Freo are going to come last, I want to see the kids played and developed! Guys like Thornton being picked over Broughton I just cannot understand! And why Thornton and Murphy managed to get 2 year contract extensions? I have absolutely NO idea!

 

[Moo]

DON'T PUSH UNTIL ROUND 8

 

[Dr Ralph Dagg]

After just two performances for the season, I think everyone here needs to take a step back and calm down. Threads about something seriously wrong at our club, and culture issues etc... are going a bit too far at this stage. Sure, the performances have been sub-standard, but there is still plenty of time left this season. Besides, we have played the Bulldogs in round 1, and although Essendon aren't highly rated, it was at a ground we haven't won in years.

Frankly, the people who were expecting us to finish in the top 8 were with their heads in the clouds. There's always enthusiasm, but after the clean out last year you can't expect us to be top 8 material. If we can play more competitive football in the next few rounds, it will certainly get the morale up, and hopefully turn into some wins.

The same people who were talking up our chances, are now saying we should sack the coaches etc... Let's wait till about Round 10 shall we? Only then can we assess how good/bad we are going. That doesn't mean we must be in contention for a top8 spot. If we can be competitive and match it with the better teams, then I will be pretty satisfied.

Personally, I don't think we can avoid the bottom 4, but if we do better that is a bonus. Recent trends have shown that you need to have 2 really good drafts before you can start lifting up the ladder. Of course there are a few exceptions.

You can tell you're getting old when you're reading your 6th season of don't panic, its only round 2/3/4/5 posts. Then we go nowhere.

Sadly, I'd suggest that history tends to suggest its time to panic and throw the baby out with the bathwater. Bring in some more kids and lets see what they're made of.

Really, what I think would work is a mountain-size Malcolm Blight proportion dummy spit where the leadership get called in and read the riot act, and are made to sit through a detailed 15 minute resume of our last 5 seasons of which they have been a major part. personally, I'd like to see Pavlich dropped for not chasing in the forward line as I reckon that would be a line in the sand.

I don't reckon that will happen and you'd have to say history will repeat itself and we will get all the respect and media pasting that deserves.

 

[Clay Davis]

You can tell you're getting old when you're reading your 6th season of don't panic, its only round 2/3/4/5 posts. Then we go nowhere.

Sadly, I'd suggest that history tends to suggest its time to panic and throw the baby out with the bathwater. Bring in some more kids and lets see what they're made of.

Really, what I think would work is a mountain-size Malcolm Blight proportion dummy spit where the leadership get called in and read the riot act, and are made to sit through a detailed 15 minute resume of our last 5 seasons of which they have been a major part. personally, I'd like to see Pavlich dropped for not chasing in the forward line as I reckon that would be a line in the sand.

I don't reckon that will happen and you'd have to say history will repeat itself and we will get all the respect and media pasting that deserves.

Post of the millennium.

 

[Lach72]

Ralph, there's something in that for everyone I feel.

 

[aussieviking]

Perhaps as supporters we have been to soft on our players .Too many people making too many excuses for players and their lack of committment.

We saw that an Irish kid who has played footy for four months has developed his comittment ,skills and decision making better than guys that have been on our list for years.

Micheal Johnson is a classic example of a Freo player. He has not improved one bit as a player in fact I think he was a better player and just as skilful several seasons ago.What the f***** do all those coaches get paid for??/ The sad thing is if we trade him you know he will become a champion at another club.

Pisses me off no end!!!!

 

[The Night Shift]

You can tell you're getting old when you're reading your 6th season of don't panic, its only round 2/3/4/5 posts. Then we go nowhere.

Sadly, I'd suggest that history tends to suggest its time to panic and throw the baby out with the bathwater. Bring in some more kids and lets see what they're made of.

Really, what I think would work is a mountain-size Malcolm Blight proportion dummy spit where the leadership get called in and read the riot act, and are made to sit through a detailed 15 minute resume of our last 5 seasons of which they have been a major part. personally, I'd like to see Pavlich dropped for not chasing in the forward line as I reckon that would be a line in the sand.

I don't reckon that will happen and you'd have to say history will repeat itself and we will get all the respect and media pasting that deserves.

Thats is a great post Dr. I agree.

 

[Moo]

You can tell you're getting old when you're reading your 6th season of don't panic, its only round 2/3/4/5 posts. Then we go nowhere.

Sadly, I'd suggest that history tends to suggest its time to panic and throw the baby out with the bathwater. Bring in some more kids and lets see what they're made of.

Really, what I think would work is a mountain-size Malcolm Blight proportion dummy spit where the leadership get called in and read the riot act, and are made to sit through a detailed 15 minute resume of our last 5 seasons of which they have been a major part. personally, I'd like to see Pavlich dropped for not chasing in the forward line as I reckon that would be a line in the sand.

I don't reckon that will happen and you'd have to say history will repeat itself and we will get all the respect and media pasting that deserves.

A bit simplistic Ralph.

Unless posters expected this year to bring a flag or a top 4 or even top 8 performance - I don't actually get the over reactions to our shizen performances?

I am pissed off but I have basically been pissed off since we entered the competition.

My calls of don't panic comes from the fact that the damage to this club was done way before the end of CC's reign. Bring in the kids I can agree with to a degree but if this means playing Clarke, Hall etc - it can do greater harm than good.

Harvey is rebuilding the list.

I just want to repeat this Harvey is rebuilding the list, first you need to keep the picks and then you pick the kids and then you play the kids. Our disasterous recruiting at the end of CC/Scwhabby's are why we lack the young ones.

Rebuilding is what everyone has been calling for. However when it comes to taking the pain from that rebuilding - suddenly no one wants to take part in that process at all.

Compare Harvey's 2 drafts in control with every draft we have participated in - I would rate them 2nd and 3rd (with the potential to move up).

Our weakness has been midfield - forever it has been.

Palmer, Hinkley, Mayne, Hill, Suban, Walters, Hall & De Boer ...it is not a bad effort for 2 drafts. Compare that drafting for mids with the entire reign of CC and I give it on points to Harvey already.

I'm not happy but I just guess I had lower expectations going into this. We are going to ahve swings in form but we will not win the spoon and we will see improvement in our list.

Seriously if we end 2009 with Suban, Hill, Ballantyne, Hinkley and De Boer with double figures in games and add to this Palmer and Mayne - your asking a lot if you expect more than 7 regulars to come from a drafting period of 24 months.

I've watched the game ...Browne (sorry bud) and Head to me are the stand outs to go and to reward some WAFL form. The raffle one or two other cuts.

I want Harvey to hold his nerve and keep building - not do a panic draft to save his own arse.

Harvey is doing the job I wanted him to do - never thought the first few seasons were going to be pretty. However when our Halls and Walters develop - life will be (inshallah) much, much better.