Fremantle & Ross Lyon

[Moist Biscuit]

Amazing what happens when you stop playing your hack 'foot soldiers' every week regardless of form or ability and actually back the talented youth you have at your club under the age of 25. Remarkable!
Who would have thunk it?

You were telling everyone on here that Weller is no good.......

 

[Plugger35]

What does this even mean? The same team that won the flag last year from 7th? Yeah, I'm sure they go to water at the mere thought of playing Freo - the team that finished bottom 4 last year.

The Bulldogs struggled to beat North Melbourne who haven't won a game yet so that gives you an idea of their form line.

Freo have played better the last 2 weeks than they did against Geelong and Port but it helps when you play worse opposition.

 

[Sweet Dees Mo]

What does this even mean? The same team that won the flag last year from 7th? Yeah, I'm sure they go to water at the mere thought of playing Freo - the team that finished bottom 4 last year.

And what does turning the corner even mean? For me and most freo fans, its dropping our average age by 2 years and playing an exciting brand of footy. We know that this year wont be a smooth ride-but whilst we stay competitive and blood the young talent and see more games like Weller had yesterday we will be pretty happy with the direction we are heading.

 

[StCicatriz]

i think the bigger talking point from the last two rounds has been Melbournes inability to deal with adversity. they still dont know how to deal with expectation and look extremely fragile. they literally have the opposite problem to my club. we seem to always have to do it the hard way and make things harder than they need to be. its like we need the adversity to perform.

the other talking point is the western bulldogs, limped over the line against north and got shown up away to the dockers who were 0-2 after a disastrous season last year. i think bevo nailed it in his presser where he said they cant afford to not play at their best. they still didnt finish the H&A season last year very good, but were absolutely flying come finals. i dont think they can repeat the H&A season from last year and expect to flick the switch again and it'll just happen

having said that, that's taking nothing away from freo. their season is now back on track at 2-2. this is the type of year where clubs with unexpectedly knock off other clubs that are favourite. its going to be extremely even and very competitive to make the 8. freo could very well do it if they keep playing the way they are

 

[00Stinger]

i think the bigger talking point from the last two rounds has been Melbournes inability to deal with adversity. they still dont know how to deal with expectation and look extremely fragile. they literally have the opposite problem to my club. we seem to always have to do it the hard way and make things harder than they need to be. its like we need the adversity to perform.

the other talking point is the western bulldogs, limped over the line against north and got shown up away to the dockers who were 0-2 after a disastrous season last year. i think bevo nailed it in his presser where he said they cant afford to not play at their best. they still didnt finish the H&A season last year very good, but were absolutely flying come finals. i dont think they can repeat the H&A season from last year and expect to flick the switch again and it'll just happen

having said that, that's taking nothing away from freo. their season is now back on track at 2-2. this is the type of year where clubs with unexpectedly knock off other clubs that are favourite. its going to be extremely even and very competitive to make the 8. freo could very well do it if they keep playing the way they are

To be fair any team in the league would struggle with 4 of their top 8-10 players out.

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[StCicatriz]

To be fair any team in the league would struggle with 4 of their top 8-10 players out.

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4? who were the 4?

its a fair comment though, hogan/lewis and gawn are massive outs. i felt spencer stepped up though negating the gawn loss. you have ample number of mids so lewis shouldnt be a concern.

hogan was the one i felt you dearly missed, just looked lost going forward

 

[estibador]

The Bulldogs struggled to beat North Melbourne who haven't won a game yet so that gives you an idea of their form line.

Freo have played better the last 2 weeks than they did against Geelong and Port but it helps when you play worse opposition.

North have been pretty competitive this year without getting over the line though. 50/50 game next week I reckon.

The Dogs would be sitting 4-0 if they'd got over us so they're not going too bad. We've had a reasonably tough draw to start to the year with all 4 of our opponents currently in the 8.

 

[rgauci]

To be fair any team in the league would struggle with 4 of their top 8-10 players out.

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All team's are missing quality. Fremantle were missing Harley Bennell, Hayden Ballantyne, Shane Yarran and Alex Pearce. Also possible best 22 players like Michael Apeness and Zac Clarke are also missing. The difference being no-one expects to see our players for a long time hence they don't register as outs. Yours will be back soon at least. One of ours will rot in a jail cell but was a huge talent. I'd love to have our whole list available, but teams rarely do.

 

[Forward Press]

North have been pretty competitive this year without getting over the line though. 50/50 game next week I reckon.

You will beat North. Yes they are better than 0-4 but I like this Freo of the past two weeks, something has clicked and I don't see any reason why that will change. The derby the week after is the real barometer imo.

 

[Yeti]

You will beat North. Yes they are better than 0-4 but I like this Freo of the past two weeks, something has clicked and I don't see any reason why that will change. The derby the week after is the real barometer imo.

With so many young players I can't see us being consistent week in week out. Fyfe, Mundy, Neale Etc. Will hopefully pull us over the line but I am hopeful of 8 wins.

We are a lot further back than Melbourne / Richmond / Carlton in terms of list rejuvenation but guys like Balic, Logue, Weller, Blakely and Langdon are looking like great value players who should be developed well.

Considering how few top end picks we have had over the last 5 years, it's not all doom and gloom.

 

[Plugger35]

All team's are missing quality. Fremantle were missing Harley Bennell, Hayden Ballantyne, Shane Yarran and Alex Pearce. Also possible best 22 players like Michael Apeness and Zac Clarke are also missing. The difference being no-one expects to see our players for a long time hence they don't register as outs. Yours will be back soon at least. One of ours will rot in a jail cell but was a huge talent. I'd love to have our whole list available, but teams rarely do.

The players you listed aren't of the quality of Gawn, Hogan and Lewis apart from Bennell but you can't really miss a guy that hasn't played for you yet.

Ballantyne has slipped from a B grader to a C grader in the last couple of years so isn't much of a loss, Pearce is still a rookie while Yarran has been delisted.

If you added in your missing players and Melbourne added in their missing players I think they would have won yesterday.

 

[rgauci]

The players you listed aren't of the quality of Gawn, Hogan and Lewis apart from Bennell but you can't really miss a guy that hasn't played for you yet.

Ballantyne has slipped from a B grader to a C grader in the last couple of years so isn't much of a loss, Pearce is still a rookie while Yarran has been delisted.

If you added in your missing players and Melbourne added in their missing players I think they would have won yesterday.

That's true. You missed my point, they are at least getting their quality back soon. We aren't getting our missing players anytime soon. Some we have lost forever (Yarran) and some Bennell / A.Pearce (not a rookie) looking like late 2016 maybe 2017.

 

[evo]

And what does turning the corner even mean? For me and most freo fans, its dropping our average age by 2 years and playing an exciting brand of footy. We know that this year wont be a smooth ride-but whilst we stay competitive and blood the young talent and see more games like Weller had yesterday we will be pretty happy with the direction we are heading.

Both Lyon and Hardwick have finally worked out that defensive gamestyle and relying on subpar journeymen aren't going to get the job done these days.

 

[exxcessivve]

efa

If he's one of the guys that always goes on about Ross Lyon like a heartbroken ex girlfriend then yeah shit talk him, but in terms of clubs, I reckon it's not right for us to start making dumb criticisms about Melbourne, Saints etc. just because Freo won a game

 

[demondavey]

Something's changed. You don't go from absolute garbage to winning two hard-fought come-from-behind wins overnight

Main thing for mine is we aren't giving away goals through turnovers (though there were a few v Melbourne). Amazing what a bit of clean up around disposal will do

Barometer will be the next 4 games North @ home (given they're without a win - so no massive indicator), West Coast (away derby), Essendon @ home & Richmond @ the G

You play you're best footy and you win all those.

 

[demondavey]

I thought freo played very well. They have a great midfield which is finally performing to its level. Weller is going to be an absolute star. Balic same.

Credit to Ross moving Mundy fwd is a master move

Mindy is very good as a forward. Very strong.

 

[Forward Press]

Mindy is very good as a forward. Very strong.

 

[StCicatriz]

Mindy is very good as a forward. Very strong.

you're not wrong there. just seems to be able to compete extremely well 1 on 1. if he doesnt mark it, he's very quick to collect the ground ball

 

[demondavey]

Not convinced Freo have turned the corner, they've only beaten an undermanned Demons outfit & we all know they have a clear mental edge over the Dogs in Perth.

They didn't just beat Melbourne. You've got to give then credit for a fantastic win. Coming to Melbourne is hard for them, and Melbourne SHOULD be more advanced developmentally. Melbourne had two players out only. Important players yes, but only two. It was a very good win for Fremantle.

Beating the Bulldogs is a f****** huge win. They won the flag last year and Fremantle were well out of contention.

 

[demondavey]

you're not wrong there. just seems to be able to compete extremely well 1 on 1. if he doesnt mark it, he's very quick to collect the ground ball

Hard body. Good hands and kick.

 

[Forward Press]

With so many young players I can't see us being consistent week in week out. Fyfe, Mundy, Neale Etc. Will hopefully pull us over the line but I am hopeful of 8 wins.

We are a lot further back than Melbourne / Richmond / Carlton in terms of list rejuvenation but guys like Balic, Logue, Weller, Blakely and Langdon are looking like great value players who should be developed well.

Considering how few top end picks we have had over the last 5 years, it's not all doom and gloom.

Fair, but I think your lot has every right to get a bit excited. You need to keep Crozier and the likes in the team and hope that Suban and Dawson and D Pearce are nowhere near the team sheet unless a huge injury crisis hits this year.

 

[Yeti]

Fair, but I think your lot has every right to get a bit excited. You need to keep Crozier and the likes in the team and hope that Suban and Dawson and D Pearce are nowhere near the team sheet unless a huge injury crisis hits this year.

Excited yes, but restrained. After the first 2 rounds we were not going to win a game, Ross Lyon was cooked as coach and should be going to the Gold Coast and we have no youth.

It's a balance. The reality is that the AFL is cyclical. It is designed that way. Teams like the Hawks struck gold (combination of taking advantage of draft picks and peaking during the compromised years) and have had prolonged success but they now have to suck up bottoming out.

Everyone bottoms out but the time you spend at the bottom is generally guided by the Coach. I can't see Hawthorn staying at the bottom for long due to Clarkson. The same as Fremantle, I can't see us stinking for longer than 2017-18

As shattering as it is not having a premiership yet I would rather Lyon being given the opportunity to rebuild us rather than end up like teams who spend 10-15 rebuilding due to trying new coaches all the time.

He may fail but I would put his chances of success much higher than a new untried coach.

He certainly seems to have buy in from the player group and that may be why he gave his senior players the first 2 rounds. A sense of loyalty. When they couldn't perform he has cut them loose.

Guys like Dawson, Pearce and Suban will more than likely play again this year, but it will be due to our younger players not coping and being given a spell. They need to be nurtured and supported, if that means the old guard play a few games, I won't drop my bundle over it.

Others will though

 

[DrEvil_]

All team's are missing quality. Fremantle were missing Harley Bennell, Hayden Ballantyne, Shane Yarran and Alex Pearce. Also possible best 22 players like Michael Apeness and Zac Clarke are also missing. The difference being no-one expects to see our players for a long time hence they don't register as outs. Yours will be back soon at least. One of ours will rot in a jail cell but was a huge talent. I'd love to have our whole list available, but teams rarely do.

You cannot be f***ing serious...

 

[Quokka]

If you don't count Bennell who hasn't played for us A.Pearce is our only guaranteed best 22 out imo. Really think we'll be up and down but that's still more positive than it looked like it was going to be after 2 rounds and either way it's a handy time to get 3 games at home (including away derby).

 

[exxcessivve]

Surely Blakely captains Freo in 2024 or something