Autopsy Freo outclassed by the Crows

[Midnite65]

Oh my god, Bell says "Henry is working up and down the ground as well as any winger in the game now", is he actually watching what we are watching???

 

[purplearmy]

Oh my god, Bell says "Henry is working up and down the ground as well as any winger in the game now", is he actually watching what we are watching???

Wait, Bell actually said that?

 

[Alfonz]

Oh my god, Bell says "Henry is working up and down the ground as well as any winger in the game now", is he actually watching what we are watching???

If he is not dropped then I am convinced Bell is selecting the team. Goes with his fellow short people and refuses to believe too many small players is a liability.

 

[royale with cheese]

If he is not dropped then I am convinced Bell is selecting the team. Goes with his fellow short people and refuses to believe too many small players is a liability.

Maybe our game plan is to tie up all the other bigger teams like what the people of Lilliput do to Gulliver and then run away with it.

 

[blue shark]

Oh my god, Bell says "Henry is working up and down the ground as well as any winger in the game now", is he actually watching what we are watching???

230 odd metres gained, the best are
600m. Bell likes Henry because he makes him look like a long kick.
In what world in any code are wingers slow? A small slow winger, we are so
ahead of the curve.
Peter Pan Tinker Bell the cleverness of you.

 

[royale with cheese]

Pictured: Fremantle vs Melbourne, Max Gawn

11

Max Gawn

Age

32

Ht

209cm

Wt

110kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.1

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

6.7

4star

CL

2.8

4star

HO

35.3

5star

D

18.5

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

7.0

4star

CL

3.5

4star

HO

29.2

5star

D

8.4

3star

K

3.6

2star

HB

4.8

4star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

15.6

5star

tied up by Serong, Switkowski and Henry

 

[s_wd6]

Oh my god, Bell says "Henry is working up and down the ground as well as any winger in the game now", is he actually watching what we are watching???

He's not even playing to win he's playing because Bell wants his signature. Can't for the life of me understand why we're so desperate for it that we kicked out Acres.

 

[apuchar]

What interests me is all this commentary on 'building connection' between team mates, and 'guys going insular'.

Two years ago, going by the club's own accounts and media postings, I saw a team that was very tight together, where players were welcoming each other in board, training together, urging each other on, and whom had all bought in entirely.

That is NOT the team I saw before me in the last four games.

It's got me wondering ....

What the fcuk has changed internally in the interim? Where has that abundant cohesion and buy-in gone?

The biggest changes I personally can point to from an outside perspective, which might have affected team morale or self belief are:

• mundy leaving
• Jackson coming
• JOM coming
• Logue, acres, tucker, Lob and Meek leaving,
• drafting a massive bunch of second string forwards (no offence, but none of them have impressed me much yet)
• josh Carr leaving

Players are also seemingly "focussed on last year", and they need to stop...

What EXACTLY about last year, are they still focussed on?

Is that another way of saying they are missing the people who left?

Because on the face of it, we lost more quality than we got in. Jackson is good, but he's still one man, who can only play in one spot at a time.

What sparked all that personnel to leave? With lobb it was greed, with meek it was opportunity, with logue it was money and opportunity, with tucker it was opportunity, with acres it was security and opportunity.
Or at least that's the way it seemed

I note that out of all the players we lost, lobby was the only one who wanted to go.

The rest wanted to stay.

...but they weren't getting a shot. They were robbed of opportunity, and opportunity is what JL has been promising all the players since he arrived.

We traded the farm however to get Jackson, and he has been gifted a role in the starting lineup. Ditto with JOM.

Was it these trades that made a lie of the club's promise to it's players, to give everyone on its current list an opportunity if they were good enough? Or did that just expose a lie?

Or am I way off entirely?

Is disillusionment the problem? Is feeding spin to the players the problem?

Is selling out the problem?

I ask, because I honestly don't know, and I don't believe the stuff I'm being told by Jlo so far. It smells distressingly of bullshit at this point.

What the fcuk happened to undermine the magnificent cohesion, team spirit and self belief the whole playing group had in spades just nine months ago??

I honestly can't say for sure yet... But something quite tangible to the team's success and team's faith in itself seems to have changed.

We need to find it, and fix it. Or I suspect this team will not start performing like it should ....for quite some time to come.

Without cohesion, we won't succeed, or retain the talent we have attracted.

Without equal opportunity, all the clubs promises of reward for effort will ring hollow, and talent will start to scatter on the winds once again.

This team is nowhere as tight as it used to be. And is nowhere near as tight as the teams it is playing against.

So I say again...

...what the fcuk happened?

Maybe we just need a year of consolidation after so much change. Many people did wonder if we could absorb another year of losing best 22 players that did not have immediate replacements. Our smallish and weakish midfield has also been exposed. Teams are just now bullying us because they know we can't handle the physical pressure.

 

[apuchar]

Oh my god, Bell says "Henry is working up and down the ground as well as any winger in the game now", is he actually watching what we are watching???

He does run hard. It is what he does with the ball when he gets it that is the problem. Whether he should sort that out at the highest or lower level is the only question.

 

[summerthebat]

That Bell quote was direct to The West and specifically around Liam Henry. A casual glance at Freo's socials is essentially an avalanche of contempt for Henry's playing abilities, so it's probably likely that article was initiated by the club to take the pressure off of the kid... or self preservation to justify his selection.

 

[s_wd6]

That Bell quote was direct to The West and specifically around Liam Henry. A casual glance at Freo's socials is essentially an avalanche of contempt for Henry's playing abilities, so it's probably likely that article was initiated by the club to take the pressure off of the kid... or self preservation to justify his selection.

If they want to take pressure off the kid they should stop making him play AFL every week

 

[Footskill]

Depends what you take as working. Is he running from forward to defense. Probably. Doesn't necessary mean to say he is being effective.

 

[Midnite65]

We actually now have the worst wings in the league. I have to say it but even the Eagles with Gaff and Hunt are miles ahead of us in that area.

 

[Stars align]

Yes, it’s a poor look for our mids when our half forwards were the ones winning us possession on the half back line.

The only team I can remember winning consistently without having at least 1 dominant key forward was west coast when they had Phil matera coming out of the square
Now you have a very good midfield but Cox Judd Cousins Kerr they are not
These guys were so good at winning contests and delivering it lace out it didn’t matter how small your key forward was as he only needed a yard and it was put down his throat
With guys not demanding the ball and delivery been so slow it is hard for the forwards to impact the game
Like what I’ve seen of amiss
How long do you persist with Tabs

 

[Quazar]

What interests me is all this commentary on 'building connection' between team mates, and 'guys going insular'.

Two years ago, going by the club's own accounts and media postings, I saw a team that was very tight together, where players were welcoming each other in board, training together, urging each other on, and whom had all bought in entirely.

That is NOT the team I saw before me in the last four games.

It's got me wondering ....

What the fcuk has changed internally in the interim? Where has that abundant cohesion and buy-in gone?

The biggest changes I personally can point to from an outside perspective, which might have affected team morale or self belief are:

• mundy leaving
• Jackson coming
• JOM coming
• Logue, acres, tucker, Lob and Meek leaving,
• drafting a massive bunch of second string forwards (no offence, but none of them have impressed me much yet)
• josh Carr leaving

Players are also seemingly "focussed on last year", and they need to stop...

What EXACTLY about last year, are they still focussed on?

Is that another way of saying they are missing the people who left?

Because on the face of it, we lost more quality than we got in. Jackson is good, but he's still one man, who can only play in one spot at a time.

What sparked all that personnel to leave? With lobb it was greed, with meek it was opportunity, with logue it was money and opportunity, with tucker it was opportunity, with acres it was security and opportunity.
Or at least that's the way it seemed

I note that out of all the players we lost, lobby was the only one who wanted to go.

The rest wanted to stay.

...but they weren't getting a shot. They were robbed of opportunity, and opportunity is what JL has been promising all the players since he arrived.

We traded the farm however to get Jackson, and he has been gifted a role in the starting lineup. Ditto with JOM.

Was it these trades that made a lie of the club's promise to it's players, to give everyone on its current list an opportunity if they were good enough? Or did that just expose a lie?

Or am I way off entirely?

Is disillusionment the problem? Is feeding spin to the players the problem?

Is selling out the problem?

I ask, because I honestly don't know, and I don't believe the stuff I'm being told by Jlo so far. It smells distressingly of bullshit at this point.

What the fcuk happened to undermine the magnificent cohesion, team spirit and self belief the whole playing group had in spades just nine months ago??

I honestly can't say for sure yet... But something quite tangible to the team's success and team's faith in itself seems to have changed.

We need to find it, and fix it. Or I suspect this team will not start performing like it should ....for quite some time to come.

Without cohesion, we won't succeed, or retain the talent we have attracted.

Without equal opportunity, all the clubs promises of reward for effort will ring hollow, and talent will start to scatter on the winds once again.

This team is nowhere as tight as it used to be. And is nowhere near as tight as the teams it is playing against.

So I say again...

...what the fcuk happened?

this is an interesting post. I never looked at it this way before, and it feels a bit too emotive or even conspiratorial to suggest the players are for realz 'miffed' with the way the club is "doing things", and the coach. But it happens in sports, players stop playing for the coach if there's little to no trust there. It's wrong, because they're professional, well paid athletes - but it happened to United with Mourinho, and it happens in the US a lot too.

J-lo unnerves me. From the point of view that when he speaks, I actually feel uncomfortable. I know he was chosen afresh in 2020, or at the end of the 2019 season and therefore we all got a 'lift' from change, as invariably change provides that....but once the dust settles, once the shine of the new toy wears thin......well, again. Conjecture on my part....but there is a feeling there, and maybe others share it too that J-lo just doesn't have the "it" factor to push everything in the progressive, forward manner we're all expecting. Look at the list, there's talents everywhere. Where is it, why is it not providing..?!?! What is hactually the f*** going on?!

For me, it's not all on J-Lo but as senior coach after the capitulation of the Ross years, where are we going? Down the same pathway with the older version of what Ross was with a younger, less charismatic version now...?!?! Just ace.

Cos the new version of Lyon seems re-invigorated. Compare Ross joking about House of Wellness and drinking green tea in the coaches box before the Suns game (referring to how hardliner he once was..), quips and smart alec comments, but beneath that veneer is still a coach who can back it up. It actually made me laugh, then pine for the Fremantle Ross coach that once was before abhorrence kicked in and we lost the plot collectively as a club. We have instead a robot for a coach who selects the same jargon and words "contest" "playing our brand" etc time after time.

The saints, to their credit are now 4-0. Compare that to J-Lo who when asked before bouncedown in Round 1 how he was feeling and he said 'anxious really'. What sort of message does that send out, as honest as it is?

Say: "we've worked our butts off this pre-season to get ourselves primed for the season ahead and we're looking forward to kick-starting that today, we're excited and ready. We know that talk is cheap and it starts here, with our intentions and actions. We know we have a stiff challenge in the Saints ahead, but we think we can match it with them and rise to the occasion..". I don't know, some trumpet-blowing stirring shit like that, ya know....?!?! He's a pussy, sorry (not sorry). I don't want a chihuahua for a coach that can yap a bit but rolls on its tummy when push comes to tickle.

J-Lo even stated that he could have handled the Logue/Meek ones a lot better. Oh great pal, they're GONE now...bit farken late. Is he losing his players? I don't know, there's probably many factors into what's happened (Bell can do one too for mine..), but if it's true, his cards are marked and more pain is on its way.

 

[trentjac]

I just want an angry campaigner. No more nice guys
Rocket Rod?

 

[Wilksyy]

Oh my god, Bell says "Henry is working up and down the ground as well as any winger in the game now", is he actually watching what we are watching???

I'm sure he knows more than us. They do have a GPS tracker...

It’s what he does once he gets the ball that's damning. 14 possessions for 7 turnovers is crap.

Drop him or not it won't change much.

 

[King Huskii]

He's not even playing to win he's playing because Bell wants his signature. Can't for the life of me understand why we're so desperate for it that we kicked out Acres.

Because Acres is a spud acourding to some posters

 

[Freomaniac]

We’ve been no worse than Essendon and they got Brad Scott, doing ok this year.

St Kilda re-signed Ratten mid last year, then sacked him a couple months later. Everyone laughed at their incompetence at handling coaches. Now they’re flying with Lyon.

If there’s no one good available at the end of the year, we should keep Longmuir and bolster the football department. Better assistants, a director of coaching like Balme / Choco if we can get one. If we do neither then the board should consider a full clean out from Bell down in 2024 if we continue being mediocre.

I am gonna be bagged for saying this... If Ken Hinkley is booted out of Port at the end of this season, I would consider getting him in as a head coach or as an experienced assistant coach

 

[E Shed]

Wow it’s amazing how many posters there suddenly are around who always rated Acres & Lobb & never called them spuds.

And definitely no one ever called them spineless squibs who played a few good games every time there contracts were up.

I look forward to coming weeks hearing from posters that always believed in Darcy Tucker

13

Darcy Tucker

Age

27

Ht

184cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.9

4star

K

8.3

3star

HB

7.6

5star

M

3.3

3star

T

3.3

5star

MG

239.7

4star

D

14.0

3star

K

8.5

3star

HB

5.5

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.3

4star

MG

240.5

4star

D

14.4

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

6.4

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.8

5star

MG

234.8

4star

& knew it was only a matter of time before Logue was AA.

Oh and just on topic Adelaide won because they have forwards. Guys who turn half chances into goals. Who are creative & want to kick goals more than anything.

This whole business of creating forward pressure & scoring follows naturally reminds me of neoliberalism, the whole rising tide lifts all boats thing.

**** that. Give me forwards who live to kick goals & can kick them from anywhere.

 

[Freomaniac]

Thank god Serong already signed on

Serong and Hayden Young signed until 2027. Both are free agents that year

 

[King Huskii]

Wow it’s amazing how many posters there suddenly are around who always rated Acres & Lobb & never called them spuds.

And definitely no one ever called them spineless squibs who played a few good games every time there contracts were up.

I look forward to coming weeks hearing from posters that always believed in Darcy Tucker & knew it was only a matter of time before Logue was AA.

Oh and just on topic Adelaide won because they have forwards. Guys who turn half chances into goals. Who are creative & want to kick goals more than anything.

This whole business of creating forward pressure & scoring follows naturally reminds me of neoliberalism, the whole rising tide lifts all boats thing.

* that. Give me forwards who live to kick goals & can kick them from anywhere.

Posters did but it wasn't me

I went in to bat for them and was mocked

 

[Freomaniac]

I’ve also switched off from caring. Shame as I was really looking forward to seeing us play live for the first time in years vs the Hawks in a few weeks.

I can’t care anymore. It’s not fair to my wife, kids and dog for me to be shitty all weekend because some idiots halfway around the world can’t get their shot together.

I will say this though, JL has to go.

Yep.... This is getting as bad as our 2016 season when we are 0-10 and crippled with Injuries.

I am glad Freo at least won 1 game this season, even though it was vs an injury riddled eagles side.


Guess what?

Only positive was I put $20 on the crows at $1.65 LoL

 

[Ysaye]

I'm sure he knows more than us. They do have a GPS tracker...

It’s what he does once he gets the ball that's damning. 14 possessions for 7 turnovers is crap.

Drop him or not it won't change much.

This is what I keep saying but nobody listens - the wing positions are all about kms run, not about efficiency.

• Before Acres was playing well in 2022 he was getting low possession numbers (see 2021) and high clangers (see early 2022) but was still getting picked - this is because he was able to put up decent kms per game.
• Henry didn't get picked last year because he was playing Wing and couldn't run enough kms despite being at time in really good form in the WAFL and with very high efficiency and there being a gap at AFL. He is getting picked this year because he is putting decent kms, regardless of the decline in the efficiency (which is probably due to the number of kms he is running).
• Hughes who has never played Wing in his life and is slow with his ball movement is suddenly a first pick winger because he can put up really good kms.

Wow it’s amazing how many posters there suddenly are around who always rated Acres & Lobb & never called them spuds.

And definitely no one ever called them spineless squibs who played a few good games every time there contracts were up.

I look forward to coming weeks hearing from posters that always believed in Darcy Tucker & knew it was only a matter of time before Logue was AA.

Oh and just on topic Adelaide won because they have forwards. Guys who turn half chances into goals. Who are creative & want to kick goals more than anything.

This whole business of creating forward pressure & scoring follows naturally reminds me of neoliberalism, the whole rising tide lifts all boats thing.

* that. Give me forwards who live to kick goals & can kick them from anywhere.

I put this down to people not understanding how positions work. Everyone wants flamboyant wings ala Peter Matera in the highlights but they don't understand that it is a blue collar position that requires people to run so much that their efficiency. People have already forgotten that dude (was his name Ed Langdon?) and him having really poor efficiency with ball by foot. Also Adam Cerra playing on the wing and the number of clangers that he was putting up per game when he first started.

 

[Square Peg]

This is what I keep saying but nobody listens - the wing positions are all about kms run, not about efficiency.

• Before Acres was playing well in 2022 he was getting low possession numbers (see 2021) and high clangers (see early 2022) but was still getting picked - this is because he was able to put up decent kms per game.
• Henry didn't get picked last year because he was playing Wing and couldn't run enough kms despite being at time in really good form in the WAFL and with very high efficiency and there being a gap at AFL. He is getting picked this year because he is putting decent kms, regardless of the decline in the efficiency (which is probably due to the number of kms he is running).
• Hughes who has never played Wing in his life and is slow with his ball movement is suddenly a first pick winger because he can put up really good kms.

I put this down to people not understanding how positions work. Everyone wants flamboyant wings ala Peter Matera in the highlights but they don't understand that it is a blue collar position that requires people to run so much that their efficiency. People have already forgotten that dude (was his name Ed Langdon?) and him having really poor efficiency with ball by foot. Also Adam Cerra playing on the wing and the number of clangers that he was putting up per game when he first started.

The elite wingers of all time like Matera, Michael Long, even Stephen Hill were elite kicks.

Then in the second group there are a huge number of guys that weren't elite kicks but that were still very good wingers for one reason - they were long kicks. Isaac Smith for example. Even our own much maligned Danyle Pearce wasn't pinpoint kick but he could run and carry and then hoof it long.

Finally there was the third category of very good wingers that were neither of the above but were as tough as nails e.g. Dipper.

Acres? Maybe, possibly in group 2 if you're being generous. Hughes? Maybe group three. Henry? None of the above.