Opinion Hanging on too long

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King Huskii

Norm Smith Medallist
Apr 19, 2022
8,382
12,679
AFL Club
Fremantle
My thoughts are this.
Athletes be it football players who want to win a premiership for Freo hold on too long and don't know when to quit and clubs aren't always assertive enough to make the decision for them as the board develops a personal relationship with them. It's feel good.

I absolutely respect some of our senior players and Fyfe has been an absolute champion of the game.

The aim is to win the premiership this year or there's no point in finding a team. I've asked myself will Freo win it on gf day or even make it to the gf with Fyfe, Omera, Banfield and to a lesser extent Walters regularly playing? In my opinion, no. They will turn the ball over and not make enough contests.

So why do they get picked and why are they still on the list. Yes we msy not have the best depth but they are treated as best 22. Short term they msy be able to produce but as the year goes on some of those listed names I believe will block development and cost us games.

I rate our list and think Walls is doing a solid job. It's more retention of older players whose skills and pace have fallen away. Some with injury concerns.

If I do a best 22 with those players listed in the side then replace them with the players who missed, I believe the other best 22 is just as good with scope to be better once the season finishes and finals begins.

Thoughts
 
Fyfe to the others is what Nick Suban was to him, pure blocker, big body and sometimes even tags. Fyfe's role has changed and that's a good thing.

Walters should be the sub.

Banfield should have been traded.
I agree with this.

I do think Banfield will be chosen over others who have far better disposal.
 

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I think you are wrong. They could easily be good enough with a decent team around them. Just take a look at some of the worst premiership players recently and tell me that they are better than Walters or Fyfe at their current role? Billy Frampton or even Hipwood were crap in their GF's.

We didn't win a game when Fyfe and Walters were both out of the side last year. On field leadership counts for more than potential and I trust the coaching staff to do the right thing and pick the team required to win each week. We definitely have to rotate them out when required and go off results but I would have been giving them both a contract at the end of last year had they been up.

Just as they shouldn't be definitely picked anymore, they shouldn't be definitely out of the team permanently.
 
O’Meara is the one who gets me. Bloke plays one good game every 6 weeks or so and the rest of the time he’s practically invisible. His best isn’t damaging enough to carry him just being average.

Banners ditto except with worse skills

We are at the point of transition where we need to move on.
 
Banfield decision making and skills hurt the team, needs to be just depth.

Fyfe still has some good football in him, just needs to be load managed.

Walters has lost a step of pace and isn't quick anymore. Like for him to the sub. Smarts and skills are still there.

JOM needs to be depth.
 
Need to manage him to play finals.
This falls into the area of our club that worries me. It includes selection and also development planning. In the end it was a major factor in us losing the last 4 games of the year away.

A good lesson? Perhaps. I need to see what was learnt.
 

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This falls into the area of our club that worries me. It includes selection and also development planning. In the end it was a major factor in us losing the last 4 games of the year away.

A good lesson? Perhaps. I need to see what was learnt.
Fyfe was spent in the Port game was a witches hat.
 
My thoughts are this.
Athletes be it football players who want to win a premiership for Freo hold on too long and don't know when to quit and clubs aren't always assertive enough to make the decision for them as the board develops a personal relationship with them. It's feel good.

I absolutely respect some of our senior players and Fyfe has been an absolute champion of the game.

The aim is to win the premiership this year or there's no point in finding a team. I've asked myself will Freo win it on gf day or even make it to the gf with Fyfe, Omera, Banfield and to a lesser extent Walters regularly playing? In my opinion, no. They will turn the ball over and not make enough contests.

So why do they get picked and why are they still on the list. Yes we msy not have the best depth but they are treated as best 22. Short term they msy be able to produce but as the year goes on some of those listed names I believe will block development and cost us games.

I rate our list and think Walls is doing a solid job. It's more retention of older players whose skills and pace have fallen away. Some with injury concerns.

If I do a best 22 with those players listed in the side then replace them with the players who missed, I believe the other best 22 is just as good with scope to be better once the season finishes and finals begins.

Thoughts


Walters - great skills, but too slow. Good if the opposition don't respect him, but if he gets any attention then he can't get the ball any more. Should not be best 22, unless he is dominating WAFL.

Fyfe - I think he is fighting Johnson and Erasmus for the inside mid role. I think if he is managed well, he still has 10 to 15 good games in him.

O'Meara - solid depth player. Plays his role quiet well, happy to do the things the team needs. I don't mind him being on the fringes of the 22. Should be in his last year in the 22.

Banfield - very similar to O'Meara, but has different limitations. Tends to be a bit slow in his decision making, which can interrupt forward movement, and cost us goals. Once again, ok if he is a fringe best 22 player (more than likely depth) but should be getting pushed out by players like Reid.


If we line up something like this, with 5 experienced players ready to come in if we have any injuries I will be very happy. In reality, we probably need 2 of them playing this year, to provide on field coaching.


My best 22/23 - pinched it from best 22 thread

Ryan Pearce Walker
Clark Cox Chapman
Sharp Young NOD
Switta Treacy Bolton
Sturt Amiss Jackson

Rucks Darcy Brayshaw Serong

Int Wagner Fredrick Johnson Draper Erasmus


Emg Fyfe Aish Walters Banfield O'Meara
 
Walters - great skills, but too slow. Good if the opposition don't respect him, but if he gets any attention then he can't get the ball any more. Should not be best 22, unless he is dominating WAFL.

Fyfe - I think he is fighting Johnson and Erasmus for the inside mid role. I think if he is managed well, he still has 10 to 15 good games in him.

O'Meara - solid depth player. Plays his role quiet well, happy to do the things the team needs. I don't mind him being on the fringes of the 22. Should be in his last year in the 22.

Banfield - very similar to O'Meara, but has different limitations. Tends to be a bit slow in his decision making, which can interrupt forward movement, and cost us goals. Once again, ok if he is a fringe best 22 player (more than likely depth) but should be getting pushed out by players like Reid.


If we line up something like this, with 5 experienced players ready to come in if we have any injuries I will be very happy. In reality, we probably need 2 of them playing this year, to provide on field coaching.


My best 22/23 - pinched it from best 22 thread

Ryan Pearce Walker
Clark Cox Chapman
Sharp Young NOD
Switta Treacy Bolton
Sturt Amiss Jackson

Rucks Darcy Brayshaw Serong

Int Wagner Fredrick Johnson Draper Erasmus


Emg Fyfe Aish Walters Banfield O'Meara

Agree with most of this except the bench. We’re not playing two defenders on the bench nor a specialist defender as sub. So either Wagner is sub and playing more flexible in his position or Wagner starts on the bench and Draper is dropped completely.

At that point we need a sub and I think BB/JOM would be first in line for that. The reason I think that is what happens if a defender is injured at any point prior to the last quarter. Someone will need to fill a hole down back whilst one of the actual defenders rests. For me id want BB doing that as opposed to sending Young back or one of our wingers who I see as the next most likely candidates.
 
Agree with most of this except the bench. We’re not playing two defenders on the bench nor a specialist defender as sub. So either Wagner is sub and playing more flexible in his position or Wagner starts on the bench and Draper is dropped completely.

At that point we need a sub and I think BB/JOM would be first in line for that. The reason I think that is what happens if a defender is injured at any point prior to the last quarter. Someone will need to fill a hole down back whilst one of the actual defenders rests. For me id want BB doing that as opposed to sending Young back or one of our wingers who I see as the next most likely candidates.
Feels like the next priority on the Trade/Draft front should be some sort of Aish replacement. A utility player who can cover most positions on the field for just such an occasion.

A kind of jack of all trades but master of none.
 
Feels like the next priority on the Trade/Draft front should be some sort of Aish replacement. A utility player who can cover most positions on the field for just such an occasion.

A kind of jack of all trades but master of none.
Reid could fill that kind of role. Could play half back, wing or half forward pretty well I think.

Banfield, O'Meara etc can play that role to some extent.

Chapman is great, and Young is very flexible.

Strongly feel we need a couple more small forwards on our list, but don't mind the idea of a few utilities types. More Chapman clone's than Aish, as the height lets them play a few more roles.
 
Reid could fill that kind of role. Could play half back, wing or half forward pretty well I think.

Banfield, O'Meara etc can play that role to some extent.

Chapman is great, and Young is very flexible.

Strongly feel we need a couple more small forwards on our list, but don't mind the idea of a few utilities types. More Chapman clone's than Aish, as the height lets them play a few more roles.
Yeah I get that mate.

But you said it yourself that Reid and/or Simpson could probably fill that role of small forward. I kind of get the feeling that's the reason they were drafted (primarily, most players in the future will be required to play multiple positions).

Plus, you never know Delean may come good (doubtful, but wonders never cease) and if we pick up Kozzie, we may find ourselves with surplus small forwards we can't all fit into the B22.
 
Walters - great skills, but too slow. Good if the opposition don't respect him, but if he gets any attention then he can't get the ball any more. Should not be best 22, unless he is dominating WAFL.

Fyfe - I think he is fighting Johnson and Erasmus for the inside mid role. I think if he is managed well, he still has 10 to 15 good games in him.

O'Meara - solid depth player. Plays his role quiet well, happy to do the things the team needs. I don't mind him being on the fringes of the 22. Should be in his last year in the 22.

Banfield - very similar to O'Meara, but has different limitations. Tends to be a bit slow in his decision making, which can interrupt forward movement, and cost us goals. Once again, ok if he is a fringe best 22 player (more than likely depth) but should be getting pushed out by players like Reid.


If we line up something like this, with 5 experienced players ready to come in if we have any injuries I will be very happy. In reality, we probably need 2 of them playing this year, to provide on field coaching.


My best 22/23 - pinched it from best 22 thread

Ryan Pearce Walker
Clark Cox Chapman
Sharp Young NOD
Switta Treacy Bolton
Sturt Amiss Jackson

Rucks Darcy Brayshaw Serong

Int Wagner Fredrick Johnson Draper Erasmus


Emg Fyfe Aish Walters Banfield O'Meara
Seriously, do we need on field coaching?

Our defence is mature and balanced with depth as well as emerging talent.

We have 3 young midfielders who could raffle a vacanct captain position between them and thrive while doing it. They are oozing leadership credentials.

Despite adding a mature 2 X premiership player, it's in the forward line we are probably at our youngest which potentially justifies Walters. But Treacy is the raging bull who will lead them into battle.

I don't want leadership/on field coach to be a justification for any player getting an easy ride to the best 22 this year.
 
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