Opinion Matt De Boer - What to do?

[Purpletown]

I agree. This is how I see the MDB situation:

• We have a heap of players expected to leave this year and therefore have sufficient room for the couple of trades we will get and a bunch of new draftees
• Ross is already playing the kids ahead of MDB so he doesn't take one of their spots
• But, if he is needed for a hard body, tackling, inside mid type role due to injury or the opp, he can come in for a week or two and play that role knowing the team plan and structures and perform far better than any first year like he showed against the Bulldogs
  
• We have 22 or so spots that don't make the cut each game. I would rather have MDB in one of these than another rookie mid that we pick up each year and delist shortly after, or the long term injured that we have always been happy to keep around
• Will help Peel
• Won't cost that much
• He's a good club man and leader and can help develop the youngsters
  
• As the youngsters improve in the next year or two he can go then.

Yes to all of what you say there. Of all the suspects with their head on the BF chopping block he and Barlow should be the last to go this time unless the club can get something worthwhile for them. Next year is the time to move them out after year one of the rebuild.

 

[PapaJ]

I'm in the let go camp myself. He's a solid player but Neale is way past him, Blakely has shown more at AFL level already, and I can see Balic going past him in short order also. We get Fyfe, Bennell and Balic back from injury and add whoever we draft next season to our inside stocks. Mundy's still going to be around for a while. Hill, Walters, and Sheridan are all still options to play inside as well. And we may even still keep Barlow, who has so much more up side imo.

I think Barlow, if played as an inside mid, offers some great things combined that those other guys don't (eg leadership, defensive game, proactive tagging). If de Boer only offers depth or helps Peel I don't think those are good enough reasons to stay on the list. The main reason I am keen on keeping Barlow is because I think he'll help Blakely (and our other young mids) develop. Blakely definitely performed better when Micky was in the middle with him. And I wouldn't be surprised if Balic would benefit similarly. I think the combined knowledge of Fyfe, Mundy and Barlow is incredibly useful for any young inside mid. I think Barlow offers different insight to Fyfe and Mundy and by losing him, we are losing far more than just his playing abilities. Unlikely we'll keep him but that's my pitch.

Good post, but I think most who would be happy with MdB staying are working on the assumption that Barlow is already gone. I know I am. Otherwise, it's a no-brainer, you keep Barlow and see if MdB can earn you a bag of chips.

The other way to look at it is that if we're not willing to keep Barlow, why would you keep MdB? The answer AFAICT is that Barlow still has some reasonable currency, MdB would have much less.

 

[meima]

I will let both barlow and deboer go.

 

[Freomaniac]

I will let both barlow and deboer go.

I disagree. This isnt 2008 and I dont want to do a 2008-9 style rebuild where we rid 14 guys in 2008. 8 if them in the main squad, 6 on the rookie list. Then delist another 6 guys in the main squad in 2009.

We already have smith and morabito gone on the rookie list. as for the main squad, pav is retired and I think mzungu might too.

Again. Meima. I know you want to get rid of Hannath but he has to stay as depth if clarke leaves.

But back in the topic...

As for deboer... I say it depends is clancee pearce is cut. If clancee is cut, de boer has to stay as depth.

 

[meima]

I disagree. This isnt 2008 and I dont want to do a 2008-9 style rebuild where we rid 14 guys in 2008. 8 if them in the main squad, 6 on the rookie list. Then delist another 6 guys in the main squad in 2009.

We already have smith and morabito gone on the rookie list. as for the main squad, pav is retired and I think mzungu might too.

Again. Meima. I know you want to get rid of Hannath but he has to stay as depth if clarke leaves.

But back in the topic...

As for deboer... I say it depends is clancee pearce is cut. If clancee is cut, de boer has to stay as depth.

I believe once peel final series end , c.pearce , d boer and hannath will be gone. Ross is quite firm with his 4 year rebuild .

 

[Palmervich]

We can't be losing all these "good people" in one off season though, we have a lot of our core leadership
leaving this year, Pav, Muz, Mayne, Barlow, Clancee possibly Suban and Deboer. We need leadership in our WAFL
group. Deboer offers so much more to the group then A) we will get as a trade, B) as a late speculative pick
that his space opens up.
We have some question marks over a few of our players currently, and potentially with a couple coming in this
year via trade. We need Deboers character and leadership. Absolute keep in my books.

 

[Freomaniac]

I believe once peel final series end , c.pearce , d boer and hannath will be gone. Ross is quite firm with his 4 year rebuild .

We can't be losing all these "good people" in one off season though, we have a lot of our core leadership
leaving this year, Pav, Muz, Mayne, Barlow, Clancee possibly Suban and Deboer. We need leadership in our WAFL
group. Deboer offers so much more to the group then A) we will get as a trade, B) as a late speculative pick
that his space opens up.
We have some question marks over a few of our players currently, and potentially with a couple coming in this
year via trade. We need Deboers character and leadership. Absolute keep in my books.

Again... I am not keen of ridding 10 players in 1 year.

Hell if your going to get rid of 15 players, you do it over the span of 2-4 years

 

[meima]

Again... I am not keen of ridding 10 players in 1 year.

Hell if your going to get rid of 15 players, you do it over the span of 2-4 years

You cant just think for freo only, if you are deboer gold coast or other team gave you more opportunity playing inside mid compare to freo , blakely,neale ,mundy ,fyfe. If you are deboer would you rather sign one year extension or signed with other club. Compare to GWS , i prefet GC to turn good with omeara and prestia gone. The combo of barlow , deboer will be example to their kids, like fyfe and neale to freo younger generation.

 

[Silent Alarm]

What's changed? Still good depth isn't he?

Mate how long did it take you to comb through this thread? That was almost exactly two years ago! In two years we have gone from just losing a flag to just missing out on a spoon. How can you seriously use that as an argument? How incredibly unfair. The shape of the list, the competitiveness of the team, and the fact he's playing less and is getting no better means basically everything has changed.

I can't get over how dumb and unfair your post is man. You might as well have dug up a post from when he was drafted.

 

[freo_leo29]

Mate how long did it take you to comb through this thread? That was almost exactly two years ago! In two years we have gone from just losing a flag to just missing out on a spoon. How can you seriously use that as an argument? How incredibly unfair. The shape of the list, the competitiveness of the team, and the fact he's playing less and is getting no better means basically everything has changed.

I can't get over how dumb and unfair your post is man. You might as well have dug up a post from when he was drafted.

you didn't answer the question though, he is still good depth isn't he?
Won't cost much, will help develop and keep Peel challenging and is there to cover if we have loads of injuries like this season, It's a pretty reasonable argument to keep him.

 

[Righteo]

Mate how long did it take you to comb through this thread? That was almost exactly two years ago! In two years we have gone from just losing a flag to just missing out on a spoon. How can you seriously use that as an argument? How incredibly unfair. The shape of the list, the competitiveness of the team, and the fact he's playing less and is getting no better means basically everything has changed.

I can't get over how dumb and unfair your post is man. You might as well have dug up a post from when he was drafted.

Fair call a lot has actually changed since then. I don't think keeping De boer will necessarily result in youngsters missing out but I honesty think on the whole that won't be an issue. Other than my boy Danyle Pearce I can't think of any other "senior soldiers" (to be polite) that'll deprive others more deserving. Sandi, Johnson (if fit) and Mundy are still good enough, only others imo would possibly be Spurr and Zac Dawson but they'll probably get passes on account of poor depth in their positions. Griff and Silvagni are merely depth and always will be.

Basically I reckon we can afford to keep him on the list. Of course, everything I said is predicated on the guarantee that Mayne/Barlow/Balls/Suban et al are all leaving the club, so my position is definitely pretty shaky.

 

[aussieviking]

Yes to all of what you say there. Of all the suspects with their head on the BF chopping block he and Barlow should be the last to go this time unless the club can get something worthwhile for them. Next year is the time to move them out after year one of the rebuild.

I agree .I would keep Deboer and Barlow. Even if they play mostly at Peel they will give great advice and be great examples to young players.

 

[MadDocker]

DeBoer would add significant grunt to WCE midfield. His hands in close are very good, he goes in hard as nails and is fit enough to run out games well.

Ballas and DeBoer to the Slime. Not sure what that would net us but it would certainly improve their team.

 

[Clems Knee]

DeBoer would add significant grunt to WCE midfield. His hands in close are very good, he goes in hard as nails and is fit enough to run out games well.

Ballas and DeBoer to the Slime. Not sure what that would net us but it would certainly improve their team.

Why do we want to improve their team?

(Obviously I know what you mean, but still I want to see them go backwards).

 

[MadDocker]

That's the beauty of it. On paper it would improve their team. In reality, Ballas would fit right in slipping over at critical moments and DeBoer would not gel well with the ducking, cheating culture.

We should be able to get something out of it without boosting them too much.

 

[manpurple]

I believe once peel final series end , c.pearce , d boer and hannath will be gone. Ross is quite firm with his 4 year rebuild .

If you are on a 4yr plan you cut everyone who is not genuine quality. After all you want the biggest chance of finding a star or two and if you draft a few under performers or drop a couple of games through injury and lack of depth who cares. There is another 3 yrs to fix any missteps.

Personally I think we can contend next year with Fyfe, Bennell and Johnson to come back into the side who beat last nights victors. So I a not entirely happy about a 4 year rebuild. But by the same token I think we have enough quality in the mids to go without Suban, C Pearce, the Gu, MdB or Barlow.
Without them we still have Blakley, Balic, Bennell, Crozier, Fyfe, S Hill, Hughes, Mundy, Neale, D Pearce, Sherridan, Tucker, Weller. 2 or 3 of them will play on the half back/half forward lines and then you pick 5 for the middle. Still leaves us with 5-6 spare plus whomever we draft.

 

[tacopavlich]

it wouldn't be that dumb to get three extra draftees or try some recent delisted blokes from other clubs. Worse things could happen with that scattergun approach. I'd rather some random 18-year old kid than ******* Matt DeBoer clogging up the list and wasting time.

That's just emotive thinking and nothing intelligent about it. We had a shit year and instinct is to burn as much of our list as possible but that's not what successful teams do. You would rather fill our list with rejects from other clubs and teenagers just for the sake of change.

 

[mightymouse75]

The eagles should be all over de b. He has what they lack. Heart

 

[Kram]

Can we also give them Suban for free?

 

[Freomaniac]

Can we also give them Suban for free?

serious question. does that help the eagles midfield or hinder it?

 

[meima]

serious question. does that help the eagles midfield or hinder it?

50/50

 

[FreoRicci]

We give De Boer to Eagles, then might as well just give up. That's a stupid move for a future leader that will allow Gaff and Shuey to be better players. They lack a contested, tough nut ball winner and De Boer ticks all the boxes for them.

 

[The Joker]

Oh the vets, if you were fit and playing well for Peel and still couldnt get a regular spot at Freo this season then you arent worth keeping on the list.

MDB
Mzungu
CPearce

With Pav, Morrabito, Smith, Mayne, Clarke and Hurley, that could very well be enough for this year.

 

[PurpleReign95]

I would say we need to get rid of 2 of the 3 following players
Mzungo
C Pearce
De Boer

De Boer is clearly the best out of these 3 so he stays and the other two DCM

 

[Dump Truck]

I would say we need to get rid of 2 of the 3 following players
Mzungo
C Pearce
De Boer

De Boer is clearly the best out of these 3 so he stays and the other two DCM

Mzungo sounds like an evil villain. Whoever he is we should keep him.