Autopsy Fremantle 62, Geelong 73

[BStaff17]

Switta is too selfless for his own good and the team.

Sometimes you just have to have a shot like seriously. He does more damage for the team being selfless instead of having a ping.

 

[neishaj]

everyone saying they want us in the finals, but then what? Can we really expect us to be in the Grand Final?? After last week and todays effort, we don't have a chance.

 

[Fat Nyfe]

Making finals or not there's no cracks to paper over. It's glaringly obvious what our deficiencies are regardless of how many more games we win this season. Making finals isn't going to change any of that.

That’s not how this club operates. If we finished 8th people would be celebrating. Did you see how much back-patting there was when we lost the semi-final in 2022?

 

[apuchar]

All been said. Lost this at selection. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I'm not sure what was going on with Brayshaw, looked cooked out there at times. There was one passage in the last where he took a mark in our D50, camera is behind him, we're a goal down with about 5 to play, Switta (I think) is absolutely clear about 40M ahead of him in a straight line down the guts, Brayshaw just ignores him and dilly dallies before going sideways. Just summed up everything about today.
To be clear I'm not saying Brayshaw was terrible or lost us the game but I'm still scratching my head about that decision and why he seemed to be walking around without any of his usual hustle today.

Fyfe - I just get sadder and sadder watching him make poor decisions, throw the ball on the boot, not even compete in the air anymore. Makes it worse seeing Danger still bursting from clearances and taking powerful marks. Fyfe did a few good things but he's a shadow.

Banfield was abominable. Just awful. Did not do one thing right all game.

Taberner was a waste of a jumper. Ditto Voss. Admittedly both did one good thing each in 4 quarters

Jackson hasn't played a good game for so long I've forgotten how good he can be. Can't take a contested mark to save his life.

Clark was BOG. Heart of a lion. Chappy scrapped well and made some great decisions. Draper was solid, Walker did some good things.

Young amazing in patches but was well held at times. Ditto Serong. Johnson was decent.

Didn't even realise O'Meara as out there till the 2nd quarter. Not good enough.

Amiss, Freddy, Sturt all did a few good things but not nearly enough of them.

I think that's our season. No way we beat GWS or Port on current form and Hawks will take our spot in the 8.

I'm checked out mentally for the year once Geelong were 4 up. Did not once think we would win today even when we hit the front. Exciting game but ultimately devastating.

Such a nearly year. We don't lose Pearce and most of Darcy and maybe things are different.

Brayshaw may not have trusted his kicking. He has been pretty ordinary in that department this year, so he would have very little to base his confidence on. As you would know.

 

[Heave Ho Bro]

You're all smarts and no balls JL.

Brodie - 44 Disposals and a goal.
But no we don't like his defensive game, so no thanks.

Reidy - 54 hitouts.
You don't have what it takes son.

It actually hits worse because he's the best tactical coach we've ever had, he clearly bleeds purple but he will not play certain players due to an intrinsic belief they don't have it, when said players may actually have it. He will not move the magnets, he will not implement a Plan B.

If we miss finals this year then for me it sits squarely with the coach.

I think he's done well developing the young guys but maybe it's time for a new voice. Someone with fresh eyes and ideas for this group. Someone who will come in and actually challenge the likes of Darcy, Ryan and Cox etc. to go to another level(More than just those 3 guys they were just the ones who came to mind). Feels a bit like everyone is too comfortable and it shows. Mentally we are very soft and fold far too easily.

I don't know who you bring in though. Who's available with experience and are they better than Justin? Or do you try your luck with a long time assistant and hope to strike gold finding the next great senior coach.

The talent is there. I truly believe that and we aren't far off.

 

[13then7]

I have enough self awareness to blame myself for what’s happening.

About 5 weeks ago I was talking to my wife, talking to myself because she doesn’t give two bits, about how the season was setting up nicely. We’d get our captain back, Treacy was fast becoming one of the best players in the league etc etc

What has happened since then makes me sick. Captain, Treacy, Fyfe suspension, Darcy and Walters?

I should know better, I’ve followed this team for 30 years. I was starting to dream and now I just have a pit in my stomach.

Playing Taberner is the dumbest thing I think I have ever witnessed from a selection committee.

I’m glad I don’t live in WA.




On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Heave Ho Bro]

The Taberner selection says more about Reidy than people want to admit. Coaches think he's so far off AFL level they preferred picking Tabs and using a young forward who hasn't played 10 games as backup ruck.

When I saw Tabs was the emergency on Thursday my first thought was that he was gonna play and Darcy wouldn't get up.

 

[SPEEDWAGON]

Always disappointing to lose but I thought we dug pretty deep in the 2nd and 3rd to get back into the game.

Tbh when I sat in my seat and got the memo about Darcy out, I was pretty much ready to turn around and go home then and there.

Bit sad that the season is all but over. Treacy’s injury last week was a sliding door moment.

from the moment tracey went down we have absolutely sucked.


i think the players walk taller with tracey, pearce and also darcy (when is is right)

we need another player like that in the midfield, very hard take no prisoners (johnson?)

 

[BStaff17]

everyone saying they want us in the finals, but then what? Can we really expect us to be in the Grand Final?? After last week and todays effort, we don't have a chance.

More Finals experience is better then none.

I think the last 2 weeks have ended the premiership push for this year especially being in WA you need to be top 2/4 to be any realistic chance.

Though it's a crazy season i reckon we could still make a prelim final from the back half of the 8 if we get 1 home final.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

from the moment tracey went down we have absolutely sucked.


i think the players walk taller with tracey, pearce and also darcy (when is is right)

we need another player like that in the midfield, very hard take no prisoners (johnson?)

It's incredibly disappointing however if you take the number ruck, key forward and key defender out of most sides their performance would drop significantly.

Imagine if you took Stanley and Cameron out of this game (they were already missing De Koning).

Or if you took Draper, Langford and McKay out of last week.

Unfortunately I'm getting 2017/8 vibes from this season - all our talls getting injured in the second half of the season and the club falling in a heap.

 

[stax on the mull]

Seems to have hardly played forward the last 4 or 5 weeks. Interestingly, he's still kicked more goals this season than forward Freddy. Fred could do his major thing from Row 3 - observing.

On Pixel 7 using BigFooty.com mobile app

Well Frederick could do more, but there are some games where we don't seem to have any forwards who can win the ground ball inside forward 50m after a marking contest.

In that Banfield vs Frederick comparison though,it's 20 goals vs 19 goals, but Frederick has played 3 less games as well as being subbed in a couple of others because of injury concerns. In one game he was concussed in the opening quarter. Banners for all the past perception of him being a specialist sub hasn't been sub or subbed off once this year.

 

[WilloTree]

Fully checked out now
pretty much hoping we miss finals at this point so as not to paper over any cracks
Not that anything would change because the narrative would be some spin about how developing and not ready yet

Or people pointing to how shite we have been historically, so we should be happy with 10th and 12.5 wins, losing 4 in a row to end the year, or hell maybe we can dream big and win a game then barrack for other teams to lose so we can finish 8th! Yeah get some sweet finals experience by getting smashed by the Bulldogs or Carlton in Melbourne, because that finals experience meant so much from 22 coming into ‘23.

This year is an embarrassing write off when we were good enough to be fighting for a flag. The team choked. Over and over and over again.

Then trading our only good picks and picking a key defender with what's left...

Not even Freo.

 

[MadEyeEmmy]

With Treacy and Darcy out this week we needed everyone to play out of their skins and unfortunately most didn’t.

I disagree with everyone saying Reidy should have played. Jackson should have been capable of taking care of Blicavs and Stanley who are not exactly formidable rucks. He was pretty disappointing.

Frederick, Banfield, Voss, Taberner - these guys needed to play well and they didn’t.

The midfield was flat aside from Serong and some moments from Young.

We are not yet a good enough side to cover injuries to best 22 players.

But **** me I feel really flat tonight. We needed this one. Unfortunately we are turning to shit at the wrong time of year. Hopefully we still at least make finals but doubtful.

 

[FreoRicci]

You're all smarts and no balls JL.

Brodie - 44 Disposals and a goal.
But no we don't like his defensive game, so no thanks.

Reidy - 54 hitouts.
You don't have what it takes son.

It actually hits worse because he's the best tactical coach we've ever had, he clearly bleeds purple but he will not play certain players due to an intrinsic belief they don't have it, when said players may actually have it. He will not move the magnets, he will not implement a Plan B.

If we miss finals this year then for me it sits squarely with the coach.

Plus has favourites. Can’t fathom coaches that refuse to drop favourites.
JOM, Switta, Aish have been poor or meh for awhile. Won’t drop them.

 

[FreoRicci]

It's incredibly disappointing however if you take the number ruck, key forward and key defender out of most sides their performance would drop significantly.

Imagine if you took Stanley and Cameron out of this game (they were already missing De Koning).

Or if you took Draper, Langford and McKay out of last week.

Unfortunately I'm getting 2017/8 vibes from this season - all our talls getting injured in the second half of the season and the club falling in a heap.

Not really.
It’s only Pearce and Treacy. There’s depth for a reason. Teams have won flags with key talls going down to injuries. It happens.

The team failed to play as a collective today.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

Not really.
It’s only Pearce and Treacy. There’s depth for a reason. Teams have won flags with key talls going down to injuries. It happens.

The team failed to play as a collective today.

Every player on our injury list except Walters is a key position player. That greatly concerns me and that's why I'm seeing shades of 2017/18.

I very much doubt any team have won a flag missing their best ruck, key forward and key defender.

Spot on about the loss though the team didn't deserve it. Not enough stood up in the last again.

 

[MadEyeEmmy]

Plus has favourites. Can’t fathom coaches that refuse to drop favourites.
JOM, Switta, Aish have been poor or meh for awhile. Won’t drop them.

Well Aish was dropped, played at Peel today.

 

[s_wd6]

Pull the first choice spine out of any team and they're likely to lose. Do it against 2nd, 3rd, and 4th on the ladder and you've got no chance. And yet we still had ourselves in the position to win. Even one of them plays and we win. It's so infuriating this season. Finally get our first choice team together and it lasts three quarters, and then we go on to lose a KPP every game since. If we get one extra game with one of them playing then we make finals. Now we're screwed.

 

[WilloTree]

Plus has favourites. Can’t fathom coaches that refuse to drop favourites.
JOM, Switta, Aish have been poor or meh for awhile. Won’t drop them.

I understand it's a pile on but Aish?

He was literally just dropped.

And, there's about 10 players I'd drop before JOM.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

Pull the first choice spine out of any team and they're likely to lose. Do it against 2nd, 3rd, and 4th on the ladder and you've got no chance. And yet we still had ourselves in the position to win. Even one of them plays and we win. It's so infuriating this season. Finally get our first choice team together and it lasts three quarters, and then we go on to lose a KPP every game since. If we get one extra game with one of them playing then we make finals. Now we're screwed.

Well when you put it that way it's even more tragic.

****.

 

[Deanismyhero]

i hate this team , we are a laughing stock

 

[MadMundy]

It's quite disheartening to see so many of our players, including some of our forwards be too scared to take a shot on goal and look to pass it at every opportunity, why are you a forward if you're not even going to bother taking your chances? Why not let some of our forwards in the WAFL have a shot if you're not going to bother taking yours?

 

[WilloTree]

It's quite disheartening to see so many of our forwards, including some of our forwards be too scared to take a shot on goal and look to pass it at every opportunity, why are you a forward if you're not even going to bother taking your chances? Why not let some of our forwards in the WAFL have a shot if you're not going to bother taking yours?

They should go and watch tapes of Stringer. Half a sniff and he's all over it. Nothing will get between him and the goals. It's why I reckon Sonny out is hurting us more than we like to admit (and losing Schultz). They WANT to take the responsibility.

 

[MadMundy]

They should go and watch tapes of Stringer. Half a sniff and he's all over it. Nothing will get between him and the goals. It's why I reckon Sonny out is hurting us more than we like to admit (and losing Schultz). They WANT to take the responsibility.

We can say what we will about Walters and his rapid decline over the last year or so, but one thing you can never take away from him is his ability to just go for it every time he has the chance, if he sees an opportunity his mindset is "**** it, let's have a crack."

We seriously miss his on-field leadership too.

 

[Outshined]

Whilst I know where your coming from (it kinda really only looks like this way now tho) its more in relation to the rest of the competition and just how up and down every team has been this year, inc the more experienced ones.

I mean we possibly only needed to win ONE of these games we’ve shat the bed in and the team was genuine chance at top 4 and from there , in a season like this anything is possible (again fwiw I still had major doubts we could actually win it too but the experience of playing in big finals /potentially a pre lim would have been invaluable for our team.
And sped the whole learning process up

Not to mention the awesome excitement us fans would have garnered from the ride aswell!!

As it is ,next year is apparently our window fully opening (according to everyone who thinks we’re too young anyway) and as it stands the majority of the team will have played in 1-2 finals THREE full years ago by that stage

Now That’s just not the profile of a team ready to contend.
So in which case our whole timeline for contention realistically gets pushed back one MORE year…again… despite five year plans and 2 top 4 by 25’ and the entire organisation from the top down saying our youth is no excuse….

Your not owed anything no matter how much you plan and prepare for something, you still have to take your opportunities when they arise(we ve had a good run with injury maybe we get decimated next year??)
And right now this freo team is squandering theirs

I think we're reaching the same point from a different angle. I'd argue we weren't contenders because we never grabbed our opportunities. As you say, we just had to win one of those close games and the narrative is different. 2 or 3 and we're looking at a home QF.

We had the opportunity to contend and were actually in a great position to as well (unlike for example, St Kilda or Adelaide). Bar a complete turnaround over the next 2 weeks (with no guarantee that 2 wins would even get us top 4 anyway), it's a season that we may come to rue not necessarily because it was some massive opportunity to win a flag but because we're likely going to again miss valuable finals experience.