Freo - what are people's thoughts

[legitimatic]

To be quite honest I never think of Freo...where is it again?

Who gives a shit what you think anyway?

Save it for Bay 13, if you are capable :S

 

[Selggad]

Great thread with only a couple of the usual Freo-obsessed trolls making an appearance.

I predicted twelfth for Freo a while ago and probably still sit with that, though as many people have pointed out we are only a couple of injuries away from a disaster.

What I have seen of the pre-season shows our skills are still below par to cope very well with the rolling zone, which looks like the fashion for 2009. Alot of our second tier players simply aren't good enough. Harvey has also been doing a lot of playing with the game plan which could yield interesting results. I'm expecting a much better year at the stoppages and hopefully more goals from the midfield.

We need another couple of years to get more of the dross out the squad and get the years into some of the youngsters but I feel we are moving in the right direction.

 

[Hackenschmidt Clark]

My personal thoughts on Freo is that its a ****hole, too old, buildings are old, its kind of a depressing little suburb really.

Had Hungry Jacks there once, found that ironic considering they sponsor the eagles, put my rubbish in the bin then left the stink hole.

 

[Crimson King]

Thanks for that, Hack.

 

[spitlizard]

My personal thoughts on Freo is that its a ****hole, too old, buildings are old, its kind of a depressing little suburb really.

Had Hungry Jacks there once, found that ironic considering they sponsor the eagles, put my rubbish in the bin then left the stink hole.

Ummm.......ok thanks for the input Hack

 

[lemmon]

IMO bottom four, i just dont rate there list, its depth or Mark Harvey. The midfield is fine but I just question where goals are going to from. Pav is a star and is a potential 80-100 goal a season player at FF, I just dont see a point to putting him in the midfield. With Pav in the midfield and the Wiz gone,where do the goals come from? I would play Pav at FF permanently and let Taz roam up onto the wings playing at CHF. There midfield is average, not great not terrible but average and Sandiland helps with that. There backline is young and Mcpharlin and Hayden are very good but they need some help down there. IMO Michael Johnson is the key, stacks of talent he's gotta start putting it together now

 

[Rob]

I am an Eagles fan and even I could figure this out, its not that hard. They lost the following players:

Bell (286 games);
Black (192)
Carr J (188)
Carr M (162)
Farmer (249)
Johnson (208)
McManus (228)
& 1 or 2 others .... the total of the above is 1513 games.

Now Freo fans will argue that they did ok without those guys but (from memory) they got about 160 games from that group last season. Thats 7.5 players full seasons. They will replace that with a returning Hasleby (who looks slower than me in the pre-season to date, Headland (who is unstable) and a whole lot of kids. They have 13 players - not including rookies - who have played 10 or less games!!

They have a good first dozen to 15 or so players and then adequate depth type players but their first choice 22 will likely have 1 or 2 first gamers - thats a thin list.

If they have no injuries they will be ok and could go mid-table. If they get 5 or 6 injuries - to anyone - they will be playing most weeks with 4 or 5 first year players, That generally ends badly.

I think the overlooking of the loss of all that experience is quite prevalent on this board and in the media (outside Perth) and while most of those players who have gone were past their best, they were still good enough for 160 games in 2008 and they need to cover that somewhere else. Does anyone really think they will find it easy to find kids who can cover for Bell, J Carr, Farmer etc - week in, week out? Even at 75% of their former selves they were hardened experienced AFL players.

I honestly reckon Freo are those 4 or 5 injuries (to anyone - not just stars) away from bottom 2.

Every side is 4 or 5 injuries topline injuries away from disaster. Freo have 26 players on their list with more than 10 games. Thats thin and exposes them more than most (any?) to injuries.

I think that's a fair assessment.

TBH, I think our fortunes rest a lot on the kids to which we don't know a lot about. Hill, Hinkley, Ballantyne, Broughton - players most of us wouldn't have expected a lot out of a few weeks ago. If 2 or 3 of them can step up and contribute regularly, then our depth looks a bit better, and might result in being able to cover a few (almost) inevitable injuries.
But if we lose Palmer, McPharlin and Sandilands we're probably ****ed.

 

[The Fireman]

Don't worry fella - neither the City of Fremantle, nor its residents, ever give any thought to you either...

Hmmm ok where are you guys again?

PS if you people have something to do with Fish & Chips then maybe we have something to work with, I'm rather partial grilled flake and scallops.

 

[petermc]

For the most part an interesting and intelligent discussion. The main problem IMO (and many others it seems) is depth. My hope is that they win most of their home games which will put them on the fringe of the eight.

 

[Reveler]

we don't appear to have much depth. I think we'll finish somewhere between 9th-12th.

 

[DOCKER MAN]

I think our depth is debatable, i would say that after the best 18 we would have around 10 players who are afl ready. Just off the top of my Head players on that list would probably be: Browne, Obrien, Campbell, Ballantyne, Suban, Hill, Head, Hinkley, Murphy, Foster, Duffield
All of these players could readily fill a spot in the side and give a decent performance. The only real worry with our depth IMO is Ruckmen

 

[dockers_bengals]

It's basically the same players who played the second half of last year as Bell,Black,MCarr,Headland etc..didn't play and we were in most games.As it's been said the wrong injuries and we could be well and truly gone.Anywhere from 8 to 15.Not 16th due to home ground advantage that Melb. doesn't have against most

 

[estibador]

Hmmm ok where are you guys again?

The fact you don't know says more about you than it does about Fremantle.

 

[Riggy1]

Now after going through the whole draw. Carlton 9th 9-13

ahead of Fremantle on %.

Too bad Carlton decided to get a decent run in the last third of the season.

 

[Lach72]

We have a dream run with injury as high as 8th, but I reckon 10-12 will be about the mark