Fremantle Under Longmuir

[BarbieITFC]

Do you think an elite piece like Warner (or potentially peak Bolton) is enough to push the team over the top? Talent wise I do. Mentally though, not sure this group has 'it'. (Not sure my Blues have it either mind you).

I think if you add Bolton to the team then we get over the line in at least half the close games this year and we're comfortably in the top 4.

Personally, I think Warner is the better player, but I think our need for Bolton is greater. We don't have a small forward capable of hitting the scoreboard regularly. Bolton is the perfect replacement for Walters (who we adore, but father time has now beaten him).

As for mental toughness, this is where I think the '2nd/3rd youngest team' this year plays a factor. 18/19 of our best 22 are 25 and under.

BUT - and this is the big question on the coach - when we're under pressure we resort to this slow chip mark game, despite our best football being fast through the corridor. I just think this has been trained too much into them because it is such a clear default mode.

I'm probably just in the give JL one more season camp - but even at the start of the year when there were a lot of questions being asked about him I was very much in the pro-JL camp. I'm starting to waver.

 

[BarbieITFC]

It has indeed been a strange season. You are 2 games behind Geelong who are 4th, and you are sitting 9th. Usually the top 4 are well out of reach from outside the 8 by this time of year. But this season has been so close that all the teams in the 8 and just outside the 8 are not far off each other.

In saying this I wouldn't call this season a fail even if you don't make it. I'd say its just an off season. I feel the same about Collingwood, disappointed but I don't think we had a bad season. It's just too close between 1 all the way down to about 14th.

Yes - but easy to say when you're (still for now) the reigning premiers.

 

[Freomaniac]

So much promise in 2022 when they made finals with such a young, talented midfield group.

If they fail to make finals a second year in a row though they'd surely be disappointed.

we will be.

Worst thing you can do in this league is finish outside the top 8.

Dockers 3 weeks ago looked like making the top 4. Then the 1 point loss to essendon took the wind out of our sails. then the 2 goal loss to cats hurt. Then the 9 point loss to GWS hurt.

So yeah 3 narrow losses late in the season is a bad thing. But I knew how tight the ladder was this season any way.

 

[Madas]

Do you think an elite piece like Warner (or potentially peak Bolton) is enough to push the team over the top? Talent wise I do. Mentally though, not sure this group has 'it'. (Not sure my Blues have it either mind you).

It simply comes down to those 1-2 goals that those guys can contribute that we aren’t getting from the likes of Emmet and sadly Walters that turn a loss into a win , building confidence and a winning culture .

Losing Schultz really hurt
He would have made a huge difference this year

Make no mistake , our boys have the belief , the hunger and the skills , just a couple of key role players short .

Plug those holes , get a decent injury run and watch out

 

[RonnieRaven]

Number 1 defence in the league missing CHB for half year fb and captain quarter of year
Number 1 clearance midfield in the league whole midfield under 26
You can vote for our three key forwards in the 22u22 team
Good things come to those who can wait

 

[Elixuh]

Number 1 defence in the league missing CHB for half year fb and captain quarter of year
Number 1 clearance midfield in the league whole midfield under 26
You can vote for our three key forwards in the 22u22 team
Good things come to those who can wait

We’ve been waiting since ‘93 though

 

[MadMundy]

We’ve been waiting since ‘93 though

Eh, the upside to that is there were clubs who waited longer in smaller sized competitions, Hawthorn took 36 years, North Melbourne took 50 years, St Kilda took 69 years to win their first flags.

 

[AstonSouffle]

Do you think an elite piece like Warner (or potentially peak Bolton) is enough to push the team over the top? Talent wise I do. Mentally though, not sure this group has 'it'. (Not sure my Blues have it either mind you).

Problem with Freo is their foot soldiers, i.e the Banfield, O'Meara, Sturt, Wagner, and then to a lesser extent Chapman and Sharp... don't have a tremendous amount of mongrel about them.

Baker, and Zurharr (who has since resigned for North), would have been great gets for reason alone but alas that isn't going to happen.

 

[MadMundy]

Problem with Freo is their foot soldiers, i.e the Banfield, O'Meara, Sturt, Wagner, and then to a lesser extent Chapman and Sharp... don't have a tremendous amount of mongrel about them.

Baker, and Zurharr (who has since resigned for North), would have been great gets for reason alone but alas that isn't going to happen.

Baker is still a small chance, but I reckon he goes to West Coast.

 

[Freomaniac]

Number 1 defence in the league missing CHB for half year fb and captain quarter of year
Number 1 clearance midfield in the league whole midfield under 26
You can vote for our three key forwards in the 22u22 team
Good things come to those who can wait

Good things come to those who wait. Sometimes good things don't come at all.

My SANFL side is south Adelaide Panthers. Last flag is won in 1964, last grand they made was in 1979.

They will finish bottom 2 this season.

My biggest fear is when we lose Brayshaw, Serong and young to free agency.... What then?

 

[Lach72]

Good things come to those who wait. Sometimes good things don't come at all.

My SANFL side is south Adelaide Panthers. Last flag is won in 1964, last grand they made was in 1979.

They will finish bottom 2 this season.

My biggest fear is when we lose Brayshaw, Serong and young to free agency.... What then?

What are you on about? Young an Serong are on long term deals now…

We will be fine

 

[Altum Volantes]

I still think they make finals this year - only need to win (and they’ll do that I think), and then 1 of Carlton (definitely possible), Bulldogs (again, very possible) or Hawthorn (pretty unlikely) drop their game.

Sneak in at 8 (maybe even 7?) and they have a legit chance of winning an elimination final as their high pressure game will translate well to finals footy.

 

[Cyber_punk]

I don't think I have seen a team go from 12-7 to missing finals.

Most other years they'd be top 6 comfortably but it's been a crazy season

 

[Gavin Excell]

They aren't ruthless enough
Will still with this bloke and wander around 10-14th

 

[Priddis Is Done]

Good things come to those who wait. Sometimes good things don't come at all.

My SANFL side is south Adelaide Panthers. Last flag is won in 1964, last grand they made was in 1979.

They will finish bottom 2 this season.

My biggest fear is when we lose Brayshaw, Serong and young to free agency.... What then?

Replenish them with players that aren't one paced pygmies?

 

[Freomaniac]

Number 1 defence in the league missing CHB for half year fb and captain quarter of year
Number 1 clearance midfield in the league whole midfield under 26
You can vote for our three key forwards in the 22u22 team
Good things come to those who can wait

Well the dockers are gonna wait to play finals again mate.

 

[bzparkes]

Good things come to those who can wait

 

[MadMundy]

Reckon it's time for Fyfe and Walters to call time, neither of them offer enough now.

 

[Altum Volantes]

I can’t believe they missed finals. That is a stunning drop in a matter of weeks.

If anyone outside of Perth cared about them they would be getting absolutely slated in the media.

 

[MadMundy]

I can’t believe they missed finals. That is a stunning drop in a matter of weeks.

If anyone outside of Perth cared about them they would be getting absolutely slated in the media.

Oh trust me, The West will slam us ten times over.

Or our own fanbase will do it.

 

[Altum Volantes]

Reckon it's time for Fyfe and Walters to call time, neither of them offer enough now.

You Nic-Natted them both 2 year contracts when it should have been 1. They’ll go around again unless given a very firm nudge.

 

[Altum Volantes]

Oh trust me, The West will slam us ten times over.

Or our own fanbase will do it.

Yes but you’ll just blame The West doing it on the Anti-Freo Agenda run by The Eagluminati.

This isn’t my first rodeo.

Bright side: You do tend to perform best when there is low expectations - the Vics will jump right off you again, even with Bolton and Baker, so there won’t be real pressure coming into 2025.

 

[MadMundy]

Yes but you’ll just blame The West doing it on the Anti-Freo Agenda run by The Eagluminati.

This isn’t my first rodeo.

Bright side: You do tend to perform best when there is low expectations - the Vics will jump right off you again, even with Bolton and Baker, so there won’t be real pressure coming into 2025.

Nah The West would be right to criticise us, we ****ed it this season, all criticism we get is warranted. Club has some serious work to do this off-season.

You Nic-Natted them both 2 year contracts when it should have been 1. They’ll go around again unless given a very firm nudge.

No doubt they'll be in the Best 23 next year when both of them should realistically be playing at Peel Thunder next year.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Someone in the Port gameday thread said they're mentally soft, and while I don't like that term, having seen them the last few weeks there's something to it. In their last 4 games, including 2 at home, they've definitely given themselves opportunities to win but have become fumbly messes under pressure or blown a large number of scoring chances. They pissed the game away today. So many times they were streaming through the midfield ready for a forward entry only for a player to drop the ball with no one around or overcook a handpass to no one. And then there was the goal kicking. Just seems like a very nervous side.

 

[Moonatic77]

Freo under Longmuir are as soft as butter as it stands right now. Either he goes or they back him in and he's supported by a new assistant coaching team. Dunno which one but one of them needs to happen IMO