Preview Round 19: Changes Vs Western Bulldogs + Pre-match Discussion

[Fat Nyfe]

Yeah totally agree with this. Feel like every year of the rebuild the club has gone in with the approach of playing the oldest side possible and only bringing in the youngsters when everything has fallen apart. It's just that this year we've been competitive for longer and/or other clubs have been worse so we're nominally still in the hunt.

Does leave you with feeling like we're a bit aimless. I mean a team like Richmond might win the premiership this year AND have developed their youngsters far better while we end up doing neither.

Exactly. The good teams play youth while competing for finals and aiming to win games. It’s like we only expose youth as a last resort. The mantra of ‘we’ll throw everything at the game this week, and once finals are gone THEN we’ll play kids’ just highlights our poor list management. It makes you think that under this current regime, if we do head back to finals - the youth we draft in will stay in the WAFL and we’ll make the same mistakes over again.

 

[Hazelsnuts]

But there’s still a chance, as unlikely as it may be. Ross is also coaching for his career. Structurally there is just enough to work with. So why should we quit now?

Not quitting, just being realistic.
FWIW I’m not one those who condone tanking, I can’t stand it.
I would rather go down swinging, win a couple more and finish 12th rather than 16th.
I want a great player in the draft but I wouldn’t tank to do get a set position in the draft, especially now when you can trade picks etc...
Far more to gain by building chemistry and player growth.
That’s why I can’t get over Ballas and to a lesser extent Sandi playing.
Sandi is required due to lack of ruck depth.
I really want to see the young group exposed - ready or semi-ready.

 

[Hazelsnuts]

Exactly. The good teams play youth while competing for finals and aiming to win games. It’s like we only expose youth as a last resort. The mantra of ‘we’ll throw everything at the game this week, and once finals are gone THEN we’ll play kids’ just highlights our poor list management. It makes you think that under this current regime, if we do head back to finals - the youth we draft in will stay in the WAFL and we’ll make the same mistakes over again.

And Peel are really entertaining at EAFL level. They are playing similar to the 1sts and that ain’t real good to watch.

 

[aussieviking]

Not quitting, just being realistic.
FWIW I’m not one those who condone tanking, I can’t stand it.
I would rather go down swinging, win a couple more and finish 12th rather than 16th.
I want a great player in the draft but I wouldn’t tank to do get a set position in the draft, especially now when you can trade picks etc...
Far more to gain by building chemistry and player growth.
That’s why I can’t get over Ballas and to a lesser extent Sandi playing.
Sandi is required due to lack of ruck depth.
I really want to see the young group exposed - ready or semi-ready.

You would also complain if we got smashed this week because we played our WAFL kids

 

[Scham]

Yeah totally agree with this. Feel like every year of the rebuild the club has gone in with the approach of playing the oldest side possible and only bringing in the youngsters when everything has fallen apart. It's just that this year we've been competitive for longer and/or other clubs have been worse so we're nominally still in the hunt.

Does leave you with feeling like we're a bit aimless. I mean a team like Richmond might win the premiership this year AND have developed their youngsters far better while we end up doing neither.

It’s textbook Ross.

 

[MadMundy]

We're clearly trying to do what we can with the minimal chance of playing finals, I have no problem with it.

 

[Vintage]

Surely we aren’t trying to create a winning culture by trying to win games of football?

Will people be ok if we still try to win as many games as possible even after we can’t make finals?

 

[tonygeeks]

Surely we aren’t trying to create a winning culture by trying to win games of football?

Will people be ok if we still try to win as many games as possible even after we can’t make finals?

If we lose 2mrw it's que in the rack and try out some kiddies time .... what's wrong with that ?

 

[salim malik]

Hawks and Crows losing makes winning this game a must.

 

[Hazelsnuts]

You would also complain if we got smashed this week because we played our WAFL kids

Na, we are meant to be developing- that’s what you do, play the kids.
By playing 2 or 3 young fellas ain’t going be the difference between being beaten and being smashed.
It will be better in the long run.

 

[Bastyy]

Crows look cooked, port look cooked, we look cooked, dogs look cooked, hawks look cooked

But there is still 1 spot up for grabs in the top 8. Battle of the least cooked these next weeks

 

[Cesoir]

Na, we are meant to be developing- that’s what you do, play the kids.
By playing 2 or 3 young fellas ain’t going be the difference between being beaten and being smashed.
It will be better in the long run.

You mean like Andy Brayshaw (19), Adam Cerra (19), Griffin Logue (21), Taylin Duman (21), Sean Darcy (21). There's only so many you can fit in the team at any given time.

 

[Deveraux]

The fact we're even a chance at this point in the season is cool.

If you had told me during preseason that we're a chance of finals at the pointy end without key structural players I would be seriously impressed, but instead there's talk of coach sacking it's rediculous imo.

Were people expecting a GF this year?

 

[Rion]

Crows look cooked, port look cooked, we look cooked, dogs look cooked, hawks look cooked

But there is still 1 spot up for grabs in the top 8. Battle of the least cooked these next weeks

The dogs just had a bad game last week against the new coach curse. They definitely aren't cooked.

 

[Rion]

You mean like Andy Brayshaw (19), Adam Cerra (19), Griffin Logue (21), Taylin Duman (21), Sean Darcy (21). There's only so many you can fit in the team at any given time.

Brayshaw has had a good year (even if he hasn't really improved his weaknesses) and Logue had a couple of good games. The rest have probably gone backwards. Don't get me wrong I'm happy we're playing em but if they aren't developing you can't exactly expect everyone to be happy about our youth.

I think we get a little Freo focused sometimes. Have a look at the youngsters at Port, WB, Richmond, Brisbane etc and compare em to ours. We don't just need youth we need better youth than the rest of the competition.

 

[Fat Nyfe]

Crows look cooked, port look cooked, we look cooked, dogs look cooked, hawks look cooked

But there is still 1 spot up for grabs in the top 8. Battle of the least cooked these next weeks

I also give Essendon a sneaky chance of collapsing, leaving 2 spots.

 

[Bastyy]

I also give Essendon a sneaky chance of collapsing, leaving 2 spots.

Essendon have Suns (Away), Port (Home), Bulldogs (Home), Us (Away) and Collingwood (Home)

Should go at least 3-2. but I can see it happening

 

[Cesoir]

Brayshaw has had a good year (even if he hasn't really improved his weaknesses) and Logue had a couple of good games. The rest have probably gone backwards. Don't get me wrong I'm happy we're playing em but if they aren't developing you can't exactly expect everyone to be happy about our youth.

I think we get a little Freo focused sometimes. Have a look at the youngsters at Port, WB, Richmond, Brisbane etc and compare em to ours. We don't just need youth we need better youth than the rest of the competition.

I was just rseponding to a poster who suggested we should pay two or three kids - we are doing that. Whether they are good enough will be evident in a year or two.

 

[Ysaye]

Brayshaw has had a good year (even if he hasn't really improved his weaknesses) and Logue had a couple of good games. The rest have probably gone backwards. Don't get me wrong I'm happy we're playing em but if they aren't developing you can't exactly expect everyone to be happy about our youth.

I think we get a little Freo focused sometimes. Have a look at the youngsters at Port, WB, Richmond, Brisbane etc and compare em to ours. We don't just need youth we need better youth than the rest of the competition.

Without going through the rookies.

Port:
2017
Sam Hayes - hasn't debuted (did his knee - contract extension)
Kane Farrell - been good in some of the games he has played (particularly against us).

2018
Rozee - Good as a small forward, not large possessions or time on ground.
Dursma - Good as a small forward.
Butters - probably the best of the lot, playing as a flanker / small forward.

Western Bulldogs:
2017
Aaron Naughton has been very promising with some outstanding games
Ed Richards has been okay but not kicking that many goals (comparable to Switkowski).

2018
Bailey Smith has been goodish in patches (Comparable to Cerra in his first year).
Rhylee West not played seniors yet.

Richmond:
2017
Jack Higgins - good as a small forward
Callum Coleman-Jones - Not played seniors yet
Noah Balta - played as a utility (Defender, Ruck, Forward) - limited time on ground
Patrick Naish - 1 game last year, 1 game this year.

2018
Riley Collier-Dawkins - hasn't played yet
Jack Ross - 5 games 2 outstanding ones as a midfielder, injured.

Brisbane
2017
Cameron Rayner - Been okay as a forward, playing all games, high of 3 goals in a game.
Zak Bailey - 9 games, in and out of the team, small stats (less than 20 possessions)
Brandon Starcevich - 1 game for the season, no impact
Toby Wooller - Hasn't played yet
Connor Ballenden - Hasn't played yet
Jack Payne - Hasn't played yet

2018
Ely Smith - Hasn't played yet
Tom Berry - Hasn't played yet
Tom Joyce - Hasn't played yet
Connor McFayden - Hasn't played yet
Noah Answerth - 13 games in defence.

Fremantle
2017
Andrew Brayshaw - playing as a part-time mid and forward flank, been relatively promising
Adam Cerra - playing as a utility, missed 3 games in two seasons
Mitch Crowden - played a couple of games this year after some games last year.
Hugh Dixon - not played yet (Contract extension)

2018
Sam Sturt - hasn't played yet (been injured)
Luke Valente - hasn't played yet (been injured)
Lachie Shultz - played as a forward for 3 games
Brett Bewley - Played six games for the year mainly as a forward

 

[doberman]

Carter flew with the team, or is in Melbourne at least. He wasn't named as an emergency was he?

 

[SiempreFreo]

Re Wilson, Michael Prior said on ABC 720's sports segment this morning that Willo had been battling with an injured foot for the past month.
Questioned about Ballaz v. Switta, he referred to Sammy as being 'banged up' at this point in the season and needing a breather.

 

[Funkster]

Re Wilson, Michael Prior said on ABC 720's sports segment this morning that Willo had been battling with an injured foot for the past month.
Questioned about Ballaz v. Switta, he referred to Sammy as being 'banged up' at this point in the season and needing a breather.

I'm just not a fan of playing injured players like that. I know all teams have to do it, but Wilson has been off for weeks now and if he's not up for it, why keep doing it?

Who would come in for him if he doesn't play?

 

[PapaJ]

Exactly. The good teams play youth while competing for finals and aiming to win games. It’s like we only expose youth as a last resort. The mantra of ‘we’ll throw everything at the game this week, and once finals are gone THEN we’ll play kids’ just highlights our poor list management. It makes you think that under this current regime, if we do head back to finals - the youth we draft in will stay in the WAFL and we’ll make the same mistakes over again.

Everybody can have an opinion on these things, no probs. But Freo have played a pretty young team all season. I'm not sure what the angst is in this regard. Yeah, a few more could have been slotted in here and there, but even with Balla and Sandi in this round, our oldest team for the year still only puts us 'middle of the pack' as an average age/games played for the round.

Another way to look at it, we've been the less experienced side in 12 of 17 games played this season (Syd, Saints, Melb, GC and Bulldogs have had less experienced sides).

And as for next year; finals or not, two of the oldest players and probably a couple of others wont even be here, we will be playing a side similar age/experience profiled to say Carlton or Brisbane this year. How many 1st year draftees will play AFL will depend on all sorts of factors, but statistically that's where we'll be at.

 

[Scham]

Without going through the rookies.

Port:
2017
Sam Hayes - hasn't debuted (did his knee - contract extension)
Kane Farrell - been good in some of the games he has played (particularly against us).

2018
Rozee - Good as a small forward, not large possessions or time on ground.
Dursma - Good as a small forward.
Butters - probably the best of the lot, playing as a flanker / small forward.

Western Bulldogs:
2017
Aaron Naughton has been very promising with some outstanding games
Ed Richards has been okay but not kicking that many goals (comparable to Switkowski).

2018
Bailey Smith has been goodish in patches (Comparable to Cerra in his first year).
Rhylee West not played seniors yet.

Richmond:
2017
Jack Higgins - good as a small forward
Callum Coleman-Jones - Not played seniors yet
Noah Balta - played as a utility (Defender, Ruck, Forward) - limited time on ground
Patrick Naish - 1 game last year, 1 game this year.

2018
Riley Collier-Dawkins - hasn't played yet
Jack Ross - 5 games 2 outstanding ones as a midfielder, injured.

Brisbane
2017
Cameron Rayner - Been okay as a forward, playing all games, high of 3 goals in a game.
Zak Bailey - 9 games, in and out of the team, small stats (less than 20 possessions)
Brandon Starcevich - 1 game for the season, no impact
Toby Wooller - Hasn't played yet
Connor Ballenden - Hasn't played yet
Jack Payne - Hasn't played yet

2018
Ely Smith - Hasn't played yet
Tom Berry - Hasn't played yet
Tom Joyce - Hasn't played yet
Connor McFayden - Hasn't played yet
Noah Answerth - 13 games in defence.

Fremantle
2017
Andrew Brayshaw - playing as a part-time mid and forward flank, been relatively promising
Adam Cerra - playing as a utility, missed 3 games in two seasons
Mitch Crowden - played a couple of games this year after some games last year.
Hugh Dixon - not played yet (Contract extension)

2018
Sam Sturt - hasn't played yet (been injured)
Luke Valente - hasn't played yet (been injured)
Lachie Shultz - played as a forward for 3 games
Brett Bewley - Played six games for the year mainly as a forward

Why no Derek or Sydney for Tigers?

Hunter Clark is going extremely well from the 2017 draft. Coffield ok too. Both better than Cerra with Hunter streets ahead of him.

 

[Schauermann]

Good results today. But need to win big tomorrow. Haven't got the best percentage.