Opinion Has the world ended

[clogged]

Interested to hear why.

IMO the club has a decision to make over the off-season. We can gear up for another proper tilt in 2015 with Pav, Sandi and McPharin. Or alternatively, we can cut our losses now and continue to mix youth with experience in the hope of producing a premiership outfit within 3-4 years. Obviously there are lots of factors to consider. GWS and Gold Coast will be at or nearing their peak in say, 2017. Alternatively, there's no guarantee we'll have our three legends for the majority of next year, as we've seen with McPharlin in particular.

IF they choose the former path, Waite fits the bill perfectly. Very low risk, for a potentially high reward. He wouldn't be on a more long-term contract which would hinder the development of Apeness and Taberner.

He is 32 next year and has had a career plagued by injuries. He's not getting any better and likely to spend more time on the sidelines than on the ground.

 

[gungho]

Honest question do you guys realise your premiership window is shut now?

Honest question do you realise your intelligence window has been closed forever?

 

[Outshined]

He is 32 next year and has had a career plagued by injuries. He's not getting any better and likely to spend more time on the sidelines than on the ground.

As I said, definite risk. But his potential output would make us a very dangerous team.

Obviously I'd rather we land someone like Carlisle or even Leuenberger, but trading/FA has given us next to **** all so I'm not holding my breath for anything spectacular.

 

[ImperialPurple]

Even Leuenberger spends just as much time on the sidelines as he does on the park. I reckon make an all out tilt for Ryder if he wants out of Essendon.

 

[clogged]

As I said, definite risk. But his potential output would make us a very dangerous team.

Obviously I'd rather we land someone like Carlisle or even Leuenberger, but trading/FA has given us next to **** all so I'm not holding my breath for anything spectacular.

I dunno, I feel that's putting a lot of eggs in one basket. The side's already one of the oldest, if he plays, Waite tips the best 22 to be extremely old. Don't win the premiership and the side slides into a fairly steep abyss post 2015. There will be a heap of retirees at the end of next year. Some kind of list planning and management of best 22 has to happen to make sure the side doesn't bottom out.

Or if it does they time it to nail a superdraft.

 

[skipjack]

you can read through the thread, we've been whinging about it all night.

but seriously, if you're not a favoured club in this competition, you're climbing an uphill battle, whether it's through umpiring, MRP, fixturing, etc. it doesn't help that there is this pre-conceived notion that "Ross Lyon is destroying footy" and are penalising us disproportionately for being so defensive-minded. i think it's part of why we are pinged so much, they are trying to discourage our pressure/strangle because the powers that be don't think it's a good look for the game. even if we are now playing a more attacking style of footy and are nowhere near as negative as we were last year, we're still getting crucified for being a good defensive team.

apart from that, a lot people make fun of Fremantle for never having earned a flag despite being in the competition for 20 years. what people gloss over is that we have gotten to where we are the hard way, making laughable drafting and trading mistakes, numerous faux pax, and the brunt of jokes for the rest of the competition. the club we have now was built from ground up with no significant leg-ups from the AFL, no gifted draft picks, and certainly never being afforded any advantage with the fixturing. despite having to battle through all that adversity, we got pretty damn close last year, and it will be part of the character and culture of our club to know that if we ever get a flag (which is what everyone thinks is the measure of success), we would have EARNED it.

I agree 100% that whatever success Freo have in the future, they can be proud that they have done it all off their own back.

ALL clubs should have their noses out of joint re the expansion clubs and Sydney. Traditional market clubs have certainly taken the back seat and as such our supposedly "equalised" competition is anything but equal.

As far as umpiring and any one team getting a good run vs one getting a bad - I'm not sure its possible to make a judgement without team allegiance having a huge impact. I swear Geelong get a great rub from the umps, but is that because I'm so biased that I see what I want to see? Is it because 50/50 calls that don't go the way I want stick in my memory? Do the Hawks get a bad run "because the AFL hates us because we didn't leave Tasmania"? In reality. No. But it doesn't stop supporters from thinking it.

As far as fixturing goes I'm not sure what could be changed? Again, I don't necessarily think the AFL is against you, it's just that there are one or two clubs that seem to get a leg up, and Freo isn't one of them. With your geographical position and ladder position (which decides which teams are played twice) the fixture pretty much decides itself.

Anyway, I guess all I'm trying to say is that I understand that last night you guys would have been devastated, but once the dust settles I reckon you will feel a bit better and be ready to go again. Remember, you are feeling the way you are because there is now expectation that Freo will be a contender. That's because you have a bloody good side. If as you said, you have been a supporter from the start, you've been through some devastating lows and I bet you'd rather take this year over many of those tough years you endured at the start.

Good luck and I'll leave you guys to it.

 

[Outshined]

Even Leuenberger spends just as much time on the sidelines as he does on the park. I reckon make an all out tilt for Ryder if he wants out of Essendon.

Definitely, but it sounds like if he goes he's got his heart set on Brisbane.

I dunno, I feel that's putting a lot of eggs in one basket. The side's already one of the oldest, if he plays, Waite tips the best 22 to be extremely old. Don't win the premiership and the side slides into a fairly steep abyss post 2015. There will be a heap of retirees at the end of next year. Some kind of list planning and management of best 22 has to happen to make sure the side doesn't bottom out.

Or if it does they time it to nail a superdraft.

I guess the fact of the matter remains that we're going to suffer when our champions retire in the next couple of years irrespective of Waite being at the club or not. It's good that our core group of midfielders are relatively young, and if guys like Alex Pearce and Apeness develop to their potential, we'll be in pretty good shape for the future, but we've got some pain coming no matter what.

My thinking is that he provides a short term increase to our premiership chances while Pav et al. are still on the park, for very little cost. It definitely isn't a Tarrant or Solomon scenario.

 

[Spoken4]

You would of beaten our best team with that 2nd half.

We needed to convert early, once you believed - it was game over.

Greatest respect Moo but this makes no sense. Are you saying that Port didn't believe they could win in the first half coming off thrashing Richmond and somehow that suddenly changed at half time when they were getting pumped by Freo? They would have believed less at half time than then did before the first ball was bounced. No, our players dropped off in the second half for whatever reason (fatigue, injury) and that is very un-Fremantle like under Ross Lyon.

 

[Spoken4]

Lol Richmond

Get off our board buddy if you want to troll other sides. Lol West Coast comes way, way before Lol Richmond. They actually made finals again this year whereas your team missed finals again this year.

 

[Punt_Road_Roar]

That second half was brutal .... chin up Freo. You still have one of the best midfields in the comp to build a team around.

 

[jedi mind tricks]

That second half was brutal .... chin up Freo. You still have one of the best midfields in the comp to build a team around.

That's true and with a stable core of players it helps target players through the draft and free agency to fill gaps and improve weaknesses.

 

[Spoken4]

Why would you expect that ? Tonight was a contest between a young side on the way up and a team that has peaked and needs to reassess/rebuild its list, including some coaches/fitness regime. This game said plenty about Fremantle and its lack of respect for its opposition.

Stupid comment. That was a game where one side kicked badly and kept the door open for the other side that had been thoroughly thrashed. If Freo had converted half of those points, they would have been 10 goals up at half time and game over. Would you suggest Port would have been looking to reassess/rebuild its list if that outcome had eventuated?

Perhaps watch Ross Lyon's press conference to see how much respect he had for your team before mouthing off?

BTW, teams are constantly reassessing and rebuilding their list - including your team. That's why all teams take the draft so seriously.

To give you some perspective, of the top 4 sides playing finals this, Freo had only 3 players over 30 years old compared to Sydney (6), Hawthorn (6) and Geelong (7). Freo has plenty of young talent in our best 22 and many developing players champing at the bit to get into the team.

 

[Spoken4]

Honest question do you guys realise your premiership window is shut now?

No, I think it is still very much wide open for some time.

We have an A grade midfield with a number of our quality midfielders (Fyfe, Hill, Barlow, Neale) 26 years old or under. We have two A grade small forwards (Ballas is 27 years old and Walters is 23). We still have the best ruckman in the competition who played all this year without injury and is playing on next year plus a good stock of ruckman. We have a bloody good full forward who also played injury free this year and is playing on next year. We have an AA defender in Johnson (29) and Ibbotson (26) has shown he is a high quality player. Silvagni (26) has also shown huge potential as a KPD.

And we have some very talented emerging players in Ibbotson (26), Sutcliffe (22), Crozier (20), Morabito (22), Duffy (21), Sheridan (20), Apeness (19), Taberner (21), Ballard (20), A Pearce (19) and Grey (19).

 

[eaglesfan99]

Are you trolling or just naive? We have an A grade midfield. We have two A grade small forwards. We still have the best ruckman in the competition who played all this year without injury and is playing on next year. We have a bloody good full forward who also played injury free this year and is playing on next year. And we have some very talented emerging players in Ibbotson, Sutcliffe, Crozier, Sheridan, Apeness, Taberner, Ballard, A Pearce and Grey.

Our premiership window is wide open. How do you intend to get your premiership window back when you have one of the weakest midfields in the competition?

Those guys are one year older and your young kpps are shit.

 

[Outshined]

Those guys are one year older and your young kpps are shit.

You're making judgements on Apeness, Pearce and Smith without ever having seen them play. Taberner came on in leaps and bounds this year.

You've had your fun, **** off back to your own board if you aren't going to contribute anything decent.

 

[Admiral Byng]

To give you some perspective, of the top 4 sides playing finals this, Freo had only 3 players over 30 years old compared to Sydney (6), Hawthorn (6) and Geelong (7). Freo has plenty of young talent in our best 22 and many developing players champing at the bit to get into the team.

That's very interesting. I didn't realise that.

 

[Moo]

Greatest respect Moo but this makes no sense. Are you saying that Port didn't believe they could win in the first half coming off thrashing Richmond and somehow that suddenly changed at half time when they were getting pumped by Freo? They would have believed less at half time than then did before the first ball was bounced. No, our players dropped off in the second half for whatever reason (fatigue, injury) and that is very un-Fremantle like under Ross Lyon.

I'm saying that Port come out cautious and when we had control of the game in that 1st half, we had no where near the necessary scoreboard pressure.

If we had been 50 points ahead, there belief would of been tested.

Listening to Hinkley's Presser, he actually revved them up to go out fighting the Port way - Those quick couple go goals in the 3rd and they were back in it. Our lack of scoreboard pressure and failure to take chances cost us.

Plus I think you underrate how good Port were in the 2nd half, we didn't drop off until late in the 4th...Port were simply harder at it, wanted it more and converted.

 

[Spoken4]

Those guys are one year older and your young kpps are shit.

Whereas you have plenty of KPPs and not one decent midfielder?

Perhaps do your research before speaking? We have two quality established KPDs in Ibbotson and Silvagni who are both 26 years old. We have two emerging KPFs in Taberner (21) and Apeness (19) who have shown plenty of growth this year.

 

[lmach]

Get off our board buddy if you want to troll other sides. Lol West Coast comes way, way before Lol Richmond. They actually made finals again this year whereas your team missed finals against this year.

lol

 

[Midnite65]

Anything is possible this trade period. Can't see Freo sticking with the status quo if they have the choice in the matter.

To be honest as much as I hate to say it McPharlin and Pav finally retiring might be the impetus for us to finally secure their replacements. While we have had them we have always been able to fall back on the draft and go for youth but if forced to get immediate replacements it might push us into action. I don't go by the theory of the "premi

Those guys are one year older and your young kpps are shit.

And your midfield are short people and slow

 

[Moo]

Those guys are one year older and your young kpps are shit.

Thanks Benny, now go ice it up somewhere else

 

[Spoken4]

lol

That's the best you've got? Your whole season amounted to nothing again and the only thing you have to celebrate from the sidelines is Freo not making it to week 3 of the finals? Pathetic would be an understatement.

 

[Grape Bear]

Those guys are one year older and your young kpps are shit.

your midfield is shit and your best player is a 32 year old plodder who is a ball magnet with crap disposal. your "best" young player is more hype than football nous who you are currently overpaying for his marketing potential more than his on-field contributions. your forward line is composed of downhill skiers and flat track bullies. look at your own team before throwing stones at ours, flog.

 

[eaglesfan99]

Whereas you have plenty of KPPs and not one decent midfielder?

Yeo, shuey gaff etc

 

[clogged]

Yeo, shuey gaff etc

I hope you're not seriously listing those blokes.