Round 1 teams - Freo vs Port [MEGATHREADS SUCK]

[purplefrog]

So what has so dramatically changed since Thursday's squad announcement.
Thursday we were looking good and now suddenly according to few on here we have no hope.
Surely Crozier and Blakely not getting a gig and Muz a non starter can''t make that much difference?

 

[Rion]

Long time lurker, first time poster and all that but can't help but be a little disappointed with the team. Seems like just a bit of sticking with the tried and tested whereas we are supposed to be trying to catch the Hawthorns and the Ports who even they themselves have added real proven quality. Anyway will still be stoked if Sheridan can impose himself over a full game and hopefully we can expose some of their underdone guys and get the job done.

 

[Unique Name]

Steering the conversation in a different direction if I might. What are peoples thoughts on Mundy so far? Flying well and truly under the radar at the moment.

Last year he struggled to impact over an entire game. Training watchers anything to add? Can he give us more than 1-2 quarters a game?

A fit and firing Mundy is a sight to behold and is nigh impossible to stop In the centre. I have faith that Fyfe and Neale will give 4 quarters of effort in the middle, if Mundy joins in the fun then look out Power and the rest of the comp.

 

[Taylor]

Mundy beat his PB in the preseason so hopefully he can push through more consistently.

 

[Alfonz]

Some people think the side picked is too boring and defensive. I tend to agree. However, if we want to liven things up and play attacking football with the tools we have, what is the likely outcome? That would be playing into Port's hands and they'd likely run all over us. Would you rather lose a shootout, or try and eke out a scrappy win? Seems Ross thinks the latter is a better option.

We beat this side late in the year, would have beaten them again easily in the finals if we weren't crippled. Part of me thinks we can beat them, but I am not confident looking at the sides on paper.

Mzungu is deemed not fit. So Crozier for DeBoer is the main bone of contention (and personally I'd go with Crozier) ... but really, the last player selected in the 22 is not going to make much difference. At the end of the day, it depends how well Fyfe/Hill/Mundy/Pav/Balla/Walters/etc. play, and how well we stop Wingard/Gray/etc.

 

[PurpleWizard]

We need to have a bit more faith in RTB, he knows what's up. In 2013 our strength was that we were the defensive team in the league, by a long way, not our list. In 2014 team's modelled their defence gameplan on us and everybody caught up to us pretty quickly. RTB was then able to make us more of a offensive unit and kept us up with the top teams. Point is RTB knows his shit.

This year if the grand final was anything to go by is that you need outside speed and skills to break lines. Hawthorn Killed Sydney with their outside game and we need to improve in that area. Clancee and Sheridan offer us some pace and kicking skills on the wing and behind the ball. Which will hopefully give us some extra value in 2015. If Tabs and hopefully a couple others step up I have high hopes for us.

I agree with most on here that Blakely looks good but he's not close to being ready yet. Chucking him in against Port wouldn't give him or us much value. On De boer please get rid of him already, the guy can't hit a 20 metre target and shouldn't be playing AFL, I don't care what he offers in effort.

I still think our best is up around the top 3-6 teams and hopefully we can say fit and healthy and have another crack. And In finals anything can happen.

 

[Lost_Deputy]

Free speech is toxic?
Mick Malthouse said he found it hard to see how Carlton would lose a game this year and they lost round 1. These guy are more knowlegable than us but they are not all knowing. Get over yourselves.

I was saying this thread is toxic as its riled everyone up and turned us against each other for issues that aren't relevant two days out.

Issues being listed are:
We havent improved like the other top sides because they have exciting new inclusions.
- Ok maybe we havent. Maybe we have. We don't actually know because we haven't played a game yet.

RTB is too conservative, to the detriment of long/short term success.
- We’re doing “doesn't play youf" to ourselves a couple days before kickoff? Really?

We have gone too defensive
- Our defense is based on gameplan not cattle. Many of you were lamenting how the media weren't catching on to how attacking we had become in our gamestyle in 2014. All training reports indicate that is going to go up another notch this year. It may not but we don't know because WE HAVENT PLAYED A GAME YET.

MDB, Subes, CP need to be upgraded
- Yeah they do. Hopefully the opportunity to do so happens from within or we can find good trades this year.

All these issues are concerns that have existed for months (in some cases, years). Raising them in this thread because of 1-2 player selections is pointless. It's too late to change anything.

There is really only one question we need to be asking ourselves. Can we beat the best? Recent evidence would say we can but we won't know with any certainty for a few weeks.


If you guys seriously want to get bummed out before the ball has even bounced, before we have seen what we have been working at, before we have seen the improvement our boys have made then go for it.

However, coming from where we have come from and knowing how hard the road was, I think this thread is just nervous excitement for a lot of you.

Just need to channel it and get behind our club for a potentially great 2015.

 

[yyou]

Mzungu a big loss IMO
However I believe that you should beat them & it will be your 16 to 22 ranked (on the day) players that will outshine theirs.

 

[aussieviking]

Why wait until then?

Some players are clearly not up to it, that's been evident over 2-3 years. What more needs to be learned? Take a risk while still aiming for a premiership. That's what the premiership coaches do.

What a load of bullshit! Two years ago we lost a grand final with nearly the same team. Last year we had injuries to wrong players at the wrong time. None of the young players are demanding selection with consistent performances in NAB or WAFL. When they do they will get opportunities. When they get their chance they must be like Sutcliffe and make the position their own.

Crosier is unlucky but NAB form was underwhelming
Tab only played one game
Hannah impressed me but will only play as a forward if we have injuries
Blakely has done well and will get opportunities soon
Pearce injured but will play this season

Hopefully Sheriden can make most of another opportunity. Players in WAFL need to bang the door down to take Deboer
Clancy Suban Duffield positions. It hasn't happened yet??????

 

[Mr Peabody]

It's not about debutants, it's about looking at what didn't work last year, and changing something that might help the side score when it is behind, or capitalise when it is on top.

'Something' might be the added fitness, the smarter decision making and the resolution of injury issues with the likes of McPharlin, Johnson, Mayne, deBoer & Clancee.

This might be a similar team to that of 2012 but on the half glass full side of things, an extra 50 odd games since then may well be a good thing for this group.

Let's see. This game is going to tell us lots.

 

[clogged]

What a load of bullshit! Two years ago we lost a grand final with nearly the same team.

That's fantastic. The Hawthorn premiership sides from 2013 to 2014 changed more than the losing 2013 grand final side for Freo and round 1 2015. Hawthorn are still changing their team. Which one do you think is more likely to win a premiership this year?

The one that addresses flaws in personnel and changes roles in the team or the one that sticks with what it's always done and just tries to do better?

Hawthorn aren't standing still. No other club has changed as little as Freo.

 

[Clems Knee]

I wonder how the new interpretation of holding the ball will affect our team. When Freo put the pressure on in the forward line, the decisions should increase for us.
On the other hand, Freo doesn't actually tackle as many times as its opponents, as shown by the free kick differential. Does that mean that free kicks against will increase by more? I think most tackles against us happen in close, so I don't think so.

We don't have the top umpires in play on Sunday. Perhaps they will get influenced by the crowd calling "BALL - yeh!". We saw last year in games against Geelong, St Kilda and Carlton how much influence a dodgy umpire can have.

 

[jedi mind tricks]

What a load of bullshit! Two years ago we lost a grand final with nearly the same team. Last year we had injuries to wrong players at the wrong time. None of the young players are demanding selection with consistent performances in NAB or WAFL. When they do they will get opportunities. When they get their chance they must be like Sutcliffe and make the position their own.

Crosier is unlucky but NAB form was underwhelming
Tab only played one game
Hannah impressed me but will only play as a forward if we have injuries
Blakely has done well and will get opportunities soon
Pearce injured but will play this season

Hopefully Sheriden can make most of another opportunity. Players in WAFL need to bang the door down to take Deboer
Clancy Suban Duffield positions. It hasn't happened yet??????

Agree with this 100%

I'd love to see Crozier play and he will this year. He was underwheling after his fist intra club match.

If posters can predict we are going to lose the game based on deBoer playing over Crozier well then they would have to be the next Notradahmus.
Without Muzungu who has done ome great run with roles not playing then natrually Ross needs a few players to help out in that area. deBoer is super fit.
If some of Ports stars get off the chain and start dominating we will need deBoer and a few others to shut them down. Crozier won't be the player to do that.

 

[jedi mind tricks]

That's fantastic. The Hawthorn premiership sides from 2013 to 2014 changed more than the losing 2013 grand final side for Freo and round 1 2015. Hawthorn are still changing their team. Which one do you think is more likely to win a premiership this year?

The one that addresses flaws in personnel and changes roles in the team or the one that sticks with what it's always done and just tries to do better?

Hawthorn aren't standing still. No other club has changed as little as Freo.

So just change up the team and Freo will more likely win a premiership this season?

 

[Lost_Deputy]

That's fantastic. The Hawthorn premiership sides from 2013 to 2014 changed more than the losing 2013 grand final side for Freo and round 1 2015. Hawthorn are still changing their team. Which one do you think is more likely to win a premiership this year?

The one that addresses flaws in personnel and changes roles in the team or the one that sticks with what it's always done and just tries to do better?

Hawthorn aren't standing still. No other club has changed as little as Freo.

If we can beat them does it matter how much personal we have changed?

 

[clogged]

So just change up the team and Freo will more likely win a premiership this season?

It's not going to win the premiership with three player changes from the team that couldn't win it in 2013. But Mzungu, Dawson and Taberner are unavailable, so maybe we can get that down to one player difference when they return.

Take a look at Hawthorn's lineup in round 1 and compare it to the team that won the premiership last year. That's a coach that won't rest on his laurels.

 

[Clems Knee]

It's not going to win the premiership with three player changes from the team that couldn't win it in 2013. But Mzungu, Dawson and Taberner are unavailable, so maybe we can get that down to one player difference when they return.

Take a look at Hawthorn's lineup in round 1 and compare it to the team that won the premiership last year. That's a coach that won't rest on his laurels.

Yeh Ross Lyon is such a lazy shit, resting on his laurels the way he does. Ffs.

 

[jedi mind tricks]

It's not going to win the premiership with three player changes from the team that couldn't win it in 2013. But Mzungu, Dawson and Taberner are unavailable, so maybe we can get that down to one player difference when they return.

Take a look at Hawthorn's lineup in round 1 and compare it to the team that won the premiership last year. That's a coach that won't rest on his laurels.

You have no idea.

 

[clogged]

Yeh Ross Lyon is such a lazy shit, resting on his laurels the way he does. Ffs.

Who said he's lazy? He's simply happy with the team structure he built in late 2012. The team has changed very little since then. The same players, playing the same roles, only changes being where better players in those roles are unavailable.

He's not going to win a premiership with such a conservative mindset. He'll win the necessary number of games to make finals by making sure his team beats those less structured and disciplined, but come finals time when dominance must be capitalised on, his sides will be found wanting as they always have.

 

[Lost_Deputy]

Wow, just wow

 

[Steinfreo]

Clogged think about it. Theyve tried to recruit to fix our weaknesses just like the other top teams it just hasnt worked out. Our early picks have been busts and our trading has been below par. Imagine if we had simpson, gumby, slyvia on our team sheet. No deboer, clancee or whoever. It isnt for a lack of trying man.

Orr of mora only had two bloody knee recons and that other kid didnt have a hole in his heart. our forward line read

Fyfe/mora Pav Mayne
Walters Gumby Ballas

That is, on potential, the best forward line in the league.

 

[MadDocker]

We havent been able to land the "big fish" and the players coming through are not good enough to overtake the ones in our best 22 yet. Simple as that.

If you think Lyon keeps better players at Peel because he's comfortable with what he has, you're an idiot.

First ball hasn't even been bounced yet. Will be interesting reading when we inevitably lose a few...

 

[Taylor]

The team selection answers my question as to whether they would prefer a 'full-game-fit' and hardened C-grade footballer or a '3/4-game-fit' A/B-grade footballer.

Conditioning is king this season, we are going to have a hard running team.

 

[clogged]

Clogged think about it. Theyve tried to recruit to fix our weaknesses just like the other top teams it just hasnt worked out. Our early picks have been busts and our trading has been below par. Imagine if we had simpson, gumby, slyvia on our team sheet. No deboer, clancee or whoever. It isnt for a lack of trying man.

Orr of mora only had two bloody knee recons and that other kid didnt have a hole in his heart. our forward line read

Fyfe/mora Pav Mayne
Walters Gumby Ballas

That is, on potential, the best forward line in the league.

It's not about recruits or if Morabito/Gumby were available. It's about making the decision between the players whose output we know (De Boer, Suban, Pearce) and those who may be able to deliver beyond that. Hawthorn last year picked fifth gamer Langford to tag Gary Ablett, and Langford was their choice to play on Fyfe later in the year. It was a calculated risk. The payoff was him being one of their best players in finals - certainly their best in the PF against Port. At the same time, they had to contend with the best forward of the past decade leaving them for their direct competitor. Fremantle can't even take the risk dropping someone like De Boer for Duffy/Crozier/Blakely. There lies the difference between the great sides that win premierships, and the good sides who are simply competitive.

 

[Grandstan]

There lies the difference between the great sides that win premierships, and the good sides who are simply competitive.

Wow, a magic rule on how to win premierships. Do what Clarkson would do.