AFL Toast RND 21: We Gave Freo The Old Heave Ho!

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Deserved a goal
 

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As good as that win was, the reality is we must win the last 3 games to lock us away into the 8.
A single loss over the next 3 weeks and we essentially rely on teams around us falling over, including an in-form Hawthorn, an out of form Carlton, a schizophrenic Port Adelaide, et al.

Can we exact revenge on the GC this week?
Can we beat Sydney at home who are in a slump?
Can we beat arguably the in-form team of the comp Brisbane in Brisbane?

Massive 3 weeks
 
As good as that win was, the reality is we must win the last 3 games to lock us away into the 8.
A single loss over the next 3 weeks and we essentially rely on teams around us falling over, including an in-form Hawthorn, an out of form Carlton, a schizophrenic Port Adelaide, et al.

Can we exact revenge on the GC this week?
Can we beat Sydney at home who are in a slump?
Can we beat arguably the in-form team of the comp Brisbane in Brisbane?

Massive 3 weeks

View attachment 41eef594-b4ec-4ed7-b1f5-8a34c75f1536.mp4
 
Davey ain’t gonna make it. This was a diabolical “effort” from stoppage that gave Freo their last shot on goal. If he can’t 1. Be set up correctly 2. Actually have a crack at this stage of the game (or any other stage) he’s just not up to it. That should be played in slow motion on the big screen in front of the team same time as he’s told he’s done in league footy for the year. Essington accepts this shit and it’s why we’re shit View attachment 2069217


You could pinpoint stoppages like this for every game and break down where it went wrong. Far to critical on Davey here.
 
Well we played with effort unlike the past few weeks, we actually played a bit of pace so that's something.

I guess it's good we won and people can get all excited about still being alive to make finals. Archie and Bryan get a win at senior level.

But nothing really changed-
  • Stringer plays his out of the box game,
  • Redman was poor until Martin was told to play more forward but we won so more reward for playing a player out of position and then throwing the late swing master move,
  • We again got up for a top level opponent as we normally do when the expectation is we lose,
  • Once the pressure of expectation was off they relaxed and were rewarded with a win,
  • The overall game pressure wasn't great even our own pressure wasn't that high,
  • Individual efforts from leaders were poor,
  • Skill level still abysmal,

So we get the nice sugar hit, proud of our boys, finals are still achievable rush as fans.
Whilst also harming us long term as no lessons were learned, in fact conditional effort was rewarded, we hurt our draft position and players that have let us down and should be having their inability to perform play out in plain view for the last month of the season get to hide in the shadows of a 'miraculous' win.
 

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Well we played with effort unlike the past few weeks, we actually played a bit of pace so that's something.

I guess it's good we won and people can get all excited about still being alive to make finals. Archie and Bryan get a win at senior level.

But nothing really changed-
  • Stringer plays his out of the box game,
  • Redman was poor until Martin was told to play more forward but we won so more reward for playing a player out of position and then throwing the late swing master move,
  • We again got up for a top level opponent as we normally do when the expectation is we lose,
  • Once the pressure of expectation was off they relaxed and were rewarded with a win,
  • The overall game pressure wasn't great even our own pressure wasn't that high,
  • Individual efforts from leaders were poor,
  • Skill level still abysmal,

So we get the nice sugar hit, proud of our boys, finals are still achievable rush as fans.
Whilst also harming us long term as no lessons were learned, in fact conditional effort was rewarded, we hurt our draft position and players that have let us down and should be having their inability to perform play out in plain view for the last month of the season get to hide in the shadows of a 'miraculous' win.
Bang on!
 
Well we played with effort unlike the past few weeks, we actually played a bit of pace so that's something.

I guess it's good we won and people can get all excited about still being alive to make finals. Archie and Bryan get a win at senior level.

But nothing really changed-
  • Stringer plays his out of the box game,
  • Redman was poor until Martin was told to play more forward but we won so more reward for playing a player out of position and then throwing the late swing master move,
  • We again got up for a top level opponent as we normally do when the expectation is we lose,
  • Once the pressure of expectation was off they relaxed and were rewarded with a win,
  • The overall game pressure wasn't great even our own pressure wasn't that high,
  • Individual efforts from leaders were poor,
  • Skill level still abysmal,

So we get the nice sugar hit, proud of our boys, finals are still achievable rush as fans.
Whilst also harming us long term as no lessons were learned, in fact conditional effort was rewarded, we hurt our draft position and players that have let us down and should be having their inability to perform play out in plain view for the last month of the season get to hide in the shadows of a 'miraculous' win.
I think it's a fairly shallow analysis to think the clubs going "ah well all's good coz we won."

Nobody's denying the first 3.5 quarters happened.

Edit: And it's the difference between pick 8 and 10 in a even draft. I just don't believe that's more valuable than having Roberts, Caddy etc know how to win close ones.
 
I think it's a fairly shallow analysis to think the clubs going "ah well all's good coz we won."

Nobody's denying the first 3.5 quarters happened

I don't think the club is that shallow, or should I say, some at the club aren't.
I do think players who slacked off and lost, maintained their spot and who then applied themselves and got a win is not a good thing when we need to stamp out conditional efforts.

It's not lost on me that this is the same mechanism that seems to occur with this team, backs against the wall wins when in reality it's pressure off low expectations scenarios. Wins or "strong" performances against good teams, wins when the season is cooked because you dropped the ball when you should have won weeks ago.

Not to mention long term view of access to high end talent being wasted by crawling our way to mid table finishes.
 
  • The overall game pressure wasn't great even our own pressure wasn't that high,

This was the big thing I took away.

I thought our effort was better, but unlike the Adelaide game, or the St Kilda game, Freo never really ramped up the pressure level and took the game away from us.

These are the kinds of games we always look fine in.

I'd almost have preferred a small loss to maintain a higher draft pick than continue the hope of falling in to 8th place once again.

Positives were a good debut from Roberts, ADJ hopefully gets a full game next week as I thought his leg speed was noticeable when he came on, Parish looked significant improved, Caldwell and Durham both played well, Redman showed some of his usual run and aggression, Draper played probably his best game for EFC doing actual ruckman things, Shiel looked nice.

Laverde and Menzie had a bit of a 'mare. I'd think Hayes needs to be in the frame for a block of games to end the season.
 
Well we played with effort unlike the past few weeks, we actually played a bit of pace so that's something.

I guess it's good we won and people can get all excited about still being alive to make finals. Archie and Bryan get a win at senior level.

But nothing really changed-
  • Stringer plays his out of the box game,
  • Redman was poor until Martin was told to play more forward but we won so more reward for playing a player out of position and then throwing the late swing master move,
  • We again got up for a top level opponent as we normally do when the expectation is we lose,
  • Once the pressure of expectation was off they relaxed and were rewarded with a win,
  • The overall game pressure wasn't great even our own pressure wasn't that high,
  • Individual efforts from leaders were poor,
  • Skill level still abysmal,

So we get the nice sugar hit, proud of our boys, finals are still achievable rush as fans.
Whilst also harming us long term as no lessons were learned, in fact conditional effort was rewarded, we hurt our draft position and players that have let us down and should be having their inability to perform play out in plain view for the last month of the season get to hide in the shadows of a 'miraculous' win.
Yep unfortunately that's the reality. I had look at the teams sitting 3-5 at the moment and that's who we'll be playing should we scrape into finals.

We'll get thrashed in yet another EF and nothing will change. There's no way we break the drought or even play a competitive final against the likes of Geelong, Fremantle away, GWS away and Bulldogs. They will be our likely opponents.

Unless we can earn a home final, it'll be nothing more than a sugar hit for a couple weeks before the EF is over by HT.
 
I don't think the club is that shallow, or should I say, some at the club aren't.
I do think players who slacked off and lost, maintained their spot and who then applied themselves and got a win is not a good thing when we need to stamp out conditional efforts.

It's not lost on me that this is the same mechanism that seems to occur with this team, backs against the wall wins when in reality it's pressure off low expectations scenarios. Wins or "strong" performances against good teams, wins when the season is cooked because you dropped the ball when you should have won weeks ago.

Not to mention long term view of access to high end talent being wasted by crawling our way to mid table finishes.
This is where you lose me a bit. You've been fairly vocal (me with you) that we're playing above our position. But if we'd won those games you say we should've won (Adelaide and St Kilda at a minimum?) then we'd be 3rd.

So I'm a little lost where you think we're at and what the club should do.
 
This is where you lose me a bit. You've been fairly vocal (me with you) that we're playing above our position. But if we'd won those games you say we should've won (Adelaide and St Kilda at a minimum?) then we'd be 3rd.

So I'm a little lost where you think we're at and what the club should do.

I'll rephrase.
You played like shit when you had everything to play for.
If we had of lost those games due to not being good enough, so like our skill level cost us, our disposal, poor decisions. Like the GC and Carlton games, we lost because our skills and execution weren't enough. We lost the saints and crows games due to mental application. Adelaide because we got ahead of ourselves and went away from structure, saints due to fear and pressure getting to them.

I don't mind losing but showing something, but we didn't. I also hate winning when you play vey poorly because so often the result is all anyone remembers, exhibit A of that would be the start to our year.
 

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AFL Toast RND 21: We Gave Freo The Old Heave Ho!

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