Opinion JL and Bell... how long til they pack their bags?

[King Huskii]

I've checked out.. JL has done the exact opposite to how he has coached the lads this preseason.

No young guns ready to step up and playing D grade players to fill gaps.

Bar Amiss we haven't looked at recruiting a decent key forward since Pav 20 plus years ago. We move on Neale because he wanted a pay rise. Then wins a brownlow. Logue wanted to sign on. We refused at the time and left after for a much bigger pay check. Now we are stuck with no key position depth.

We have lost most of our wingers and both Hughes and Henry look lost.

We coughed up more than we needed to for Jackson who was uncontracted. We could really do with a top 4 pick as we will most likely end up bottom 4.

Thoughts on what we should do.

 

[s_wd6]

Bell first imo. His player management this past off-season is unforgiveable.

 

[Sweetback]

Just fold the club

 

[Mr Cheese]

Injuries force us to roll with Treacy, Amiss and Sturt frontline - 20 goal game later, flagmantle is back on!

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[Freomaniac]

Freo have 1 win and 3 losses. Some of us has checked out. I haven't yet.

I haven't officially thrown in the towel.

We are in a bad patch, no Doubt about it.

As painful as it is to say it, I want Justin Longmuir

Justin Longmuir

Age

43

Ht

196cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.4

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

4.5

3star

M

4.3

4star

T

1.4

3star

G

1.2

4star

No current season stats available

D

7.0

2star

K

3.6

2star

HB

3.4

3star

M

2.0

3star

T

0.6

3star

G

0.6

3star

to see out the season.... And possibly the end of 2024.

Unless Justin Longmuir

Justin Longmuir

Age

43

Ht

196cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.4

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

4.5

3star

M

4.3

4star

T

1.4

3star

G

1.2

4star

No current season stats available

D

7.0

2star

K

3.6

2star

HB

3.4

3star

M

2.0

3star

T

0.6

3star

G

0.6

3star

turns it around, he is gonna be another mark Harvey... Some one that was here for 4 or 5 years. Came In and didn't make finals for 2 seasons. Then had a leap and made finals and won a final. Then dropped off and was sacked.

 

[Sweetback]

Injuries force us to roll with Treacy, Amiss and Sturt frontline - 20 goal game later, flagmantle is back on! View attachment 1655791

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We are still only one game out of the 8

 

[apuchar]

I think Freo will be taking a slightly longer view of things then some on here. I would certainly hope they improve his support first before doing anything drastic.

 

[Mr Cheese]

We are still only one game out of the 8

For sure, and I'm still on board. We just have some chemistry issues right now.

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[freocuz]

Just fold the club

Foldmantle is the new flagmantle.


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[King Tenz]

If we don't make finals this year then both will be gone by years end.

 

[Hamann188]

Injuries force us to roll with Treacy, Amiss and Sturt frontline - 20 goal game later, flagmantle is back on! View attachment 1655791

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I came for the awesome, optimistic and positive post. But I stayed for the GIF.

 

[Square Peg]

Bell could go tomorrow and we wouldn't miss a trick.
The coach can't be changed now, it would be silly. There's still plenty to play for this year and no obvious immediate replacement. If I had to give % it would be something like 65% JLo is still there in 2024, 33% he's sacked this year anytime from when it's a mathematical impossibility to make finals up to end of season, 2% chance he's sacked before then.
The only thing that would genuinely make me question the future of the club is if Jlo were to be boned before our resident whiteant P Bell. That would prove Bell has the club in the palm of his hand if somehow JLo is sacked but he survives

 

[King Huskii]

We are still only one game out of the 8

So are Hawks

 

[freo1997]

The coach can't be changed now, it would be silly. There's still plenty to play for this year and no obvious immediate replacement. If I had to give % it would be something like 65% JLo is still there in 2024, 33% he's sacked this year anytime from when it's a mathematical impossibility to make finals up to end of season, 2% chance he's sacked before then.
The only thing that would genuinely make me question the future of the club is if Jlo were to be boned before our resident whiteant P Bell. That would prove Bell has the club in the palm of his hand if somehow JLo is sacked but he survives

Jlo if sacked this year will be after rd 23. We learnt it’s messy if it happens before that.

Only Sack him if we have a genuine SuperCoach ready to come in.

 

[Sweetback]

So are Hawks

They’d probably beat us

 

[Alfonz]

I think Freo will be taking a slightly longer view of things then some on here. I would certainly hope they improve his support first before doing anything drastic.

Not sure about that.

People getting upset (including myself) are actually people who do have the longer view in mind ... as in we were never going to be contenders for several more years and should be acting accordingly with our team selection (Erasmus, Johnson, Walker, Sturt versus Banfield, JOM, Hughes, Wilson and so forth) and recruiting (e.g. not giving the 2023 1st away for Jackson when the 2022 1st and F2 was already more than Geelong gave for Cameron, not recruiting JOM). I thought before the season started we were 3-4 years away.

In contrast, the public message (both words and actions) from the Freo brass has been very clear that we should be improved this year (e.g. top 4) and our list is essentially complete to launch a premiership challenge in the near future. So based on that I would think JL and Bell have to be in serious strife. Bell should be the first one to go.

 

[apuchar]

Not sure about that.

People getting upset (including myself) are actually people who do have the longer view in mind ... as in we were never going to be contenders for several more years and should be acting accordingly with our team selection (Erasmus, Johnson, Walker, Sturt versus Banfield, JOM, Hughes, Wilson and so forth) and recruiting (e.g. not giving the 2023 1st away for Jackson when the 2022 1st and F2 was already more than Geelong gave for Cameron, not recruiting JOM). I thought before the season started we were 3-4 years away.

In contrast, the public message (both words and actions) from the Freo brass has been very clear that we should be improved this year (e.g. top 4) and our list is essentially complete to launch a premiership challenge in the near future. So based on that I would think JL and Bell have to be in serious strife. Bell should be the first one to go.

Fair enough, but surely we should have looked at our most experienced list players to see how we were going to go before filling up full of debutants. Now we know what damage the player loses have done to our performance, surely now it is the time to experiment more. A bit of a drip feed of talent into the team.

As for the five years to a flag. I didn't like it at the time and I don't like it now. I think it should have been portrayed as it was, more aspirational. We don't have the benefits of other teams so the climb is a lot harder. Whether we like it or not.

As we don't know what their big picture is regarding drafting and trading in future years, we can't really comment on whether Jackson was a good idea. I wouldn't have done it personally, but I don't know what the plans are so I can't really comment. By all reports we potentially brought in a very good player and that fits in with our long -term success mantra.
At the end of the day, the loses this trade period has set us back a bit. Time to find out what we have now and get much needed experience into the best of them, but keep a solid structure around them. The best 22 for Longmuir should be written in pencil this year, not pen like it has been until now.

 

[wafti123]

Don't forget, Belly is the smartest guy in any room he walks into.

 

[Wilksyy]

Don't want to be a club that sacks coaches and co early in the season. Look like the biggest bunch of gimps if we do that.

 

[Mk LXIII]

I don't think Bell would go anywhere unless he was prised out with a crowbar. He has his eyes on the CEO's position.

Longmuir (the jury is deliberating) must really enjoy having Bell sit behind him in the coaches box every week and hovering around the player group at quarter and three quarter time. I think that is just reflective of Bell's nature and apparent lack of trust in the coaching group, control freaks are like that. Perhaps Bell is one too.

It's quite clear to me that there are issues within the playing group. have a look at the form of some of the young guns from last year. My understanding is, if it were solely up to the playing group, a different captain would have been appointed. Should have been Serong every day of the week. It's he and Brayshaw who have been driving the group along this past year or two. The club sucks at the moment.

 

[Silversurfer]

This season reminds me of 2006. Mid way through that year we were misfiring with a quality list. From memory, it was P Bell who allegedly white anted the coach due to an over complicated game style. Free up the players to run and gun and we will get on a roll. History is repeating and we should all be patient...i hope.

 

[greatgatsby]

I don't think Bell would go anywhere unless he was prised out with a crowbar. He has his eyes on the CEO's position.

Longmuir (the jury is deliberating) must really enjoy having Bell sit behind him in the coaches box every week and hovering around the player group at quarter and three quarter time. I think that is just reflective of Bell's nature and apparent lack of trust in the coaching group, control freaks are like that. Perhaps Bell is one too.

It's quite clear to me that there are issues within the playing group. have a look at the form of some of the young guns from last year. My understanding is, if it were solely up to the playing group, a different captain would have been appointed. Should have been Serong every day of the week. It's he and Brayshaw who have been driving the group along this past year or two. The club sucks at the moment.

I don’t think this playing group wants to play for these guys. I don’t think JLo, while he seems a lovely guy, is a successful AFL coach. All up, unless we make a change of direction next two months we have wasted a 6-year rebuild. We are currentably unwatchable.

 

[Mr Cheese]

I came for the awesome, optimistic and positive post. But I stayed for the GIF.

Showing your age!

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[Joao]

Mid 2024 minimum unless we actually win the spoon.

 

[Mk LXIII]

I don’t think this playing group wants to play for these guys. I don’t think JLo, while he seems a lovely guy, is a successful AFL coach. All up, unless we make a change of direction next two months we have wasted a 6-year rebuild. We are currentably unwatchable

Yes, it was clear during the finals that we needed to change direction (playing style wise) over the off season.

Let's face it, while it was a great comeback and a buzz to be there we shouldn't have beaten the Western Bulldogs. Once again it needed a run and stun style to get back into that game and Serong was again front and centre. We were found out against the Pies. I would assume that would have necessitated a rethink about a game style similar to Collingwood and Richmond etc. Mind you I don't think it's season over just yet and I would like to see J Lo succeed. How they go about the next few weeks will essentially decided his fate. As for 'the rebuild', I think we have a solid list but we really lack a midfield bull or two, size wise. Hopefully Johnson will step into that role while the likes of Serong, Brayshaw and Young after still around. Going to the game on Friday. May walk out a Suns Member.