Coach Justin Longmuir Pt 2

[blue shark]

You can’t back a coach in & then start shopping around this far out.
I'm sure Justin knows that 2025 is do or die and therefore it would be accepted by all that to some degree there is at minimum some window shopping happening even now.

Yet Port Adelaide have a contingency plan for a guy who coached them to top 2.
Sydney have stated the same with Cox, but we will see how that plays out.
It’s pretty obvious that JLo isn’t a master coach, about average and not awful.
We either surround him with talented assistants or realistically he is gone at the
end of 2025 anyway.
Sure a Bolton, Etc, will help but won’t fix a team that has a soft underbelly.

 

[arsesmart]

Yet Port Adelaide have a contingency plan for a guy who coached them to top 2.
Sydney have stated the same with Cox, but we will see how that plays out.
It’s pretty obvious that JLo isn’t a master coach, about average and not awful.
We either surround him with talented assistants or realistically he is gone at the
end of 2025 anyway.
Sure a Bolton, Etc, will help but won’t fix a team that has a soft underbelly.

Isn't "master coach" mostly just a media invention? Or at the very least the kind of "need for a hero" you were decrying before?

 

[WilloTree]

There's always options for someone running in deficit the way Banfield was. We're not a bottom 4 side.

Nah, for the most part Banfield was fine. Kicked 20 in 22 games. Actually thought some were very good eg v WC. He tailed off and was dropped, which was due to form and Walters' return. Had a shocker v Giants. No one at Peel to come in meant he stayed in 1 or 2 games longer than ideal. If you look at the context, it all pretty reasonable.

 

[arsesmart]

Nah, for the most part Banfield was fine. Kicked 20 in 22 games. Actually thought some were very good eg v WC. He tailed off and was dropped, which was due to form and Walters' return. Had a shocker v Giants. No one at Peel to come in meant he stayed in 1 or 2 games longer than ideal. If you look at the context, it all pretty reasonable.

Ok sure, he wasn't a liability

 

[WilloTree]

Ok sure, he wasn't a liability

Good grief man, did you even read the post?

 

[go_the_dockers]

I wonder if someone like Mark William would make a difference.

He was involved in two premierships, 1 at Melbourne, 1 at Port. I feel we need someone like him to add a bit more of a hard edge.

 

[arsesmart]

Good grief man, did you even read the post?

What makes you think I didn't?

You're contending it was only a few games (or possibly only one) he was convincingly sub par. I'm saying the majority of his contribution was either brain explosions or outlandish execution fails (with the basic level stuff about the only thing he got right) for about 6 weeks prior to being dropped.

We could go through a list, but at this stage I'm fine just leaving it there. ATD

 

[WilloTree]

What makes you think I didn't?

You're contending it was only a few games (or possibly only one) he was convincingly sub par. I'm saying the majority of his contribution was either brain explosions or outlandish execution fails (with the basic level stuff about the only thing he got right) for about 6 weeks prior to being dropped.

We could go through a list, but at this stage I'm fine just leaving it there. ATD

Oh OK. Yeah, we'll never reach even remote common ground. You also don't address the issue of player availability. Let's just move on.

 

[james haish]

Yes, I agree. If Pearce, Darcy and Treacy played the whole season we would have made the 8.

They weren’t all needed to beat shit teams like Essendon and West Coast

 

[JammoMonty]

I wonder if someone like Mark William would make a difference.

He was involved in two premierships, 1 at Melbourne, 1 at Port. I feel we need someone like him to add a bit more of a hard edge.

No better time to ask the question given Melbourne is a sinking ship. He’s exactly who Freo requires, not only for the playing group but to oversee JL.

 

[arsesmart]

No better time to ask the question given Melbourne is a sinking ship. He’s exactly who Freo requires, not only for the playing group but to oversee JL.

Be a great appointment for our development department I reckon. Not sure he'd be all that open at his stage of life to moving here.

 

[MadMundy]

I just want the boys to show some toughness, not afraid to go out there and get their shit mixed for the good of the club if it comes down to it.

 

[Duz97]

Look at everyone that’s not a freo fans pre season predictions had us as low as 16th and as high as 11th. Do we just over rate our list. Did JL over achieve this year? Why are we right as fans that our list is made for finals and they are wrong?

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

The question at this moment isn’t which club would prefer him, but who out there is better to replace him. The only one who has been around clubs that have had the unlimited success is Leppitsch & I would have no issue in him coming in.

But JL is going to be given a shot at it next year, nothing surer for a number of reasons. They were close this year, but many on here far overrate our team.

Our forward half are very young, we’re relying on 3 blokes under the age of 22 playing against very accomplished systems & we lack a quality small forward to feed off them. Frederick, Banfield & Sturt are very inconsistent, Walters is past it & Switta tries hard but does not have class.

Our midfield does not bat deep & once one of the big 3 go out, we lose momentum. Fyfes past it, Johnson still working it all out & the rest can compete but nothing special at this stage. We need speed in there.

Sharp plays a role & works hard, but at this stage is a very average footballer & we have no solution on the other wing. Nod could be it, but looks more value in the middle to me. Our backline is our strength but our depth KPD are very young & the one who looked promising as a replacement did his knee in the first round. But on the whole, the backline was our most consistent line.

We don’t have a decent back up ruck who can compete at the top level, we saw that yesterday when Reidy was completely pantsed by a recycled ruckman. We had injuries to 3 or our KPD’s which we were able to manage for the most, but when Pearce went down, no McDonald & Cox struggling off a long rehab we got exposed.

Losing Treacy & Darcy, probably our 2 most important big men with Pearce was pretty hard to replace against teams like Geelong, Port & GWS. Without those 3 this year, we are not a top 8 team & it showed. Hopefully over the summer with another preseason, them missing isn’t such a big issue next year.

Do people agree that if those 3 play the final 3 games at close to full fitness we win? I’m not sure you can disagree & we’re sitting around 4th probably. But we don’t have the depth yet to cover them, particularly Treacy & Darcy.

The club on the back of this years performances are not going to sack Longmuir now, they are not going to piss around $600k+up against the wall & be able to put together a decent coaching group with that much out of the soft cap. Plus they can’t afford it.

Under no circumstances should JL be extended until towards the end of next year, but no one is doing any due diligence on potential coaches until the bye next year. You can’t back a coach in & then start shopping around this far out.

I agree with everything but Pearce, with McDonald out and Cox at half speed is our most important player. He makes everything work in the backline

 

[Joao]

Look at everyone that’s not a freo fans pre season predictions had us as low as 16th and as high as 11th. Do we just over rate our list. Did JL over achieve this year? Why are we right as fans that our list is made for finals and they are wrong?

I said our expectations were too high given the age and experience levels. Especially when a lot of the experience we have isn't that good.

Feel like I was completely justified with how the results panned out. It's not that we don't have the ability. It's we don't have the experience when it comes down to more than just ability.

 

[GingerDocker]

I said our expectations were too high given the age and experience levels. Especially when a lot of the experience we have isn't that good.

Feel like I was completely justified with how the results panned out. It's not that we don't have the ability. It's we don't have the experience when it comes down to more than just ability.

I smell an age comparison chart coming on...

 

[Duz97]

I said our expectations were too high given the age and experience levels. Especially when a lot of the experience we have isn't that good.

Feel like I was completely justified with how the results panned out. It's not that we don't have the ability. It's we don't have the experience when it comes down to more than just ability.

100% agree this year could end up being a blessing in disguise aswell. Easier draw next year and if we learn from our mistakes and win 5 close games out of 8 instead of 1 we will finish top 4

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

100% agree this year could end up being a blessing in disguise aswell. Easier draw next year and if we learn from our mistakes and win 5 close games out of 8 instead of 1 we will finish top 4

Too far, it is not a blessing in disguise, we should have played finals

 

[Joao]

I smell an age comparison chart coming on...

Tempting, but no. The one from the start of the season said it all. This year was too soon. We shouldn't have any excuses in 2025.*


* Unless we lose multiple experienced players again

 

[Duz97]

Too far, it is not a blessing in disguise, we should have played finals

Shoulda coulda woulda we aren’t and we won’t know how it affects the group till next year. If they are as angry as the fans are it could be the best thing for the group

 

[Yeti]

100% agree this year could end up being a blessing in disguise aswell. Easier draw next year and if we learn from our mistakes and win 5 close games out of 8 instead of 1 we will finish top 4

Didn't we finish in a lower position last year?

Don't think the AFL has a draw. It's called the FIXture for a reason.

 

[Docker82]

Didn't we finish in a lower position last year?

Don't think the AFL has a draw. It's called the FIXture for a reason.

Hawthorn played every bottom four team twice. Three of them were bottom six last year.

 

[Joao]

Hawthorn played every bottom four team twice. Three of them were bottom six last year.

Only played the Eagles once, but yeah. 7/8 possible against the bottom 4 and won them all.

 

[Madas]

Didn't we finish in a lower position last year?

Don't think the AFL has a draw. It's called the FIXture for a reason.

I’ll put a carton on us getting Carlton after the bye next year

 

[Johnny Dalmas]

Have these high standards of yours been in hiding the past 30 years? Because you're still here and we're still underachieving. Almost like it's all a bunch of hot air from a fan wanting someone to blame.

We were all too happy to pat ourselves on the backs and talk up sustained success a month ago when top 2 was possible. We aren't suddenly going nowhere because of one month of football.

Of course I am still here; I am a fan of the Freo football tradition.

It doesn't mean that the decisions the club makes aren't annoying.

And I don't think I was talking up sustained success a month ago either.

Our footy department (note: the overall program, not just the head coach) is pretty damn average. Maybe drafting is the exception. But on stuff like the coaching panel, the fitness program (is there a less fit pro footballer than Sean Darcy?), contract management, player retention and the like we are just plain old average.

Your original post that I commented on was talking about that somehow JL doesn't deserve the criticism of "hurt fans" (patronising much?) because "elite footballers" such as Young, Serong, and Brayshaw had signed long deals.

Well "elite footballers" sign long deals at many clubs ... its called job security. It has SFA to do with the coaching panel. Shit how many players signed long deals at Gold Coast when they had ol' Stewie Dew as a coach?

You want to know where your club is at ... don't read fan comments on Big Footy or look at contract terms. Look at the bloody ladder. It will tell you everything you need to know.