Versus
HOW IT WAS:
Shiver me timbers—Freo, back when the ships were made o’ wood and the men o’ steel
Back in days of yore when I were a sailor man, oh arrr, creatin ‘avoc in sea ports around the world I ‘appened to sail in and out o’ Port Adelaide and Fremantle ‘arbour on many an occasion. Back in them days it were different, mark me. There were many more ships on the seaboard and the crews were bigger before them container thingies came to be. There were more longshoremen by far as well, see. Dockies and Jack Tars—merchant in the main with a sprinkling of Navy-- roamed the streets of places like Port Adelaide and Fremantle, many of ‘em three sheets to the wind and full to the gunwales. The dockies were made o’ teak, big, tough blokes with their cargo hooks attached to their belts. The pubs and the brothels did brisk trade. There were spivs and people of questionable gender at large in these places. Many and many were the brawls and the one-on-one knuckles in the backyards of the pubs—some of them still spoken of with reverential awe by people old enough to remember.
A boy in Freo. Not old enough to swallow the anchor
The waterside workers and sailors in these places were what gave them their distinctive culture. Longshoremen were supporters of the local footy teams, and some were players. There was a tough, working-class culture in both PA and Freo and the teams responded to that culture.
The present-day Fremantle Football club traces its origins back to 1882 with the establishment of the Fremantle and Union clubs, but they don’t put the date on their jumpers or in publicity.
HOW IT IS:
Where once ships tied up at Freo
Fast forward to the 21st century and it’s a different landscape. Gone are the throngs of sailors and dockies. The pubs are tame or closed and the brothels and the good-time girls mostly long gone. Museum precincts now dot the landscape. Coffee shops and boutiques have replaced the deli and the men’s and womenswear shops. You’re more likely to find a pair of Adidas or Nike running shoes than a pair of steel-toed work boots—and on it goes.
The heart got ripped outa these places when the culture changed and change it did with a vengeance. These days if you were able to get past security and visit the players’ rooms you’d be more likely to hear talk of negative gearing, prices of stocks and shares, how much the holiday house by the sea cost, the price of hair stylists and what sort of man-makeup the players now use.
Some would say this is progress.
This is what makes THE CREED so amusing. Different times, different world, different culture.
On to this game and stop the nostalgic, bs reminisces, Bear.
WHERE THEY’RE AT:
Freo is in a spot of bother. They seem to be all at sea and can’t run a game out right now. They are competitive early in their games and then fall away. They took it right up to the Kangas and to Wet Toast for three-quarters of each of those games and they strung some useful-looking plays together in both games. They do seem easier to score against this year and their team defence has looked off.
This is not a side we should disrespect by thinking we only have to turn up to win it. There are some mighty handy footballers in this Freo side and we need to be on our mettle. We are fortunate that they are without the Sandman (he puts you nigh nighs. Ask Davis) and Fyfe. Pav has played on one year too long and can’t seem to find half-steam ahead let alone full ahead. To compound Freo’s woes, Michael Johnson tore his hammy and him out makes an already shaky defence look shakier still. Hurley and Bennell in the sickbay hurts them as well. They have a few that might return this week, either that or Ross Lyon may give a couple of kids a go. We can expect returnees to be a tad underdone. However, all that said, they do seem to be between the Devil and the deep blue sea.
THE SMALLS:
It is the small forwards that may give us a bit of curry, as they have so far this year. Walters and Ballantyne need to be watched with care; it is the fast break from the midfield or backline that is catching us out with our fast transition and instant press forward. Sides are exploiting us with long kicks from the backs to the wing and on from there for many metres gained. If the ball continues to come into our backline quickly, then the small forward running into space or getting to the fall of the ball at the feet of the big blokes is a problem to be solved by us. That and a propensity by us to turn the ball over at half forward. When that takes place we have difficulty defending the resultant fast break.
Geelong’s answer
THE SOLUTION IS AT HAND:
I’m certain Messrs Pyke and co are awake to our shortcomings. Solve the problems above and we are a five or six goals better side. With a bit more experience and our best 22 on the park, we are capable of beating any team in the competition.
And here’s the thing, although we need effort and intensity to win this match, the way we are presently travelling as opposed to the way they are, I expect us to defeat the Fremantle Doctors with ease.
Batten down the hatches and Anchors aweigh, we don’t like the cut o’ their jib and we’ll give these purple haze chaps more than one shot across their bows before all’s done.
The only way I can see Freo upsetting us is if they enlist a few of those dockies of days gone by with their cargo hooks a’swingin’ and run em off halfback
Crows X Plenty.
Just learned Ballantyne may also be out. Season from hell for Fremantle?
Last edited:
