Season Over

[theGav56]

It will be disappointing if we miss finals, but I disagree that we've meekly disappeared given the nightmarish run of injuries we've had THROUGHOUT the year. Every time we get someone back, someone else gets a long-term injury and there's only so much you can do with a bunch of guys lacking in cohesion, match fitness and form.

You look at what happened when West Coast were hit with injuries last year compared to their dream run this year. What's changed? They haven't gone out and completely changed their gameplan or gained any extra guns (although the contribution of Shuey, Darling at the start and Gaff recently has helped) but they've jumped an unprecedented 12 spots on the ladder.

I'm at the stage where I think we just don't have the cattle to beat some of the top sides. If we miss finals because we get beaten by the better team on the day (and that will happen with our run home) but the playing group shows they're applying themselves 100%, I can accept that. What else can you ask of them?
But if we miss finals and look like a bunch of pea hearts doing it, then that will be a black mark against the club.

Well, they have at the very least tweaked the game plan significantly. Whether that is due to players and player development is a moot point. We have also changed our game plan. In terms of their performance last year, the additions of Shuey, Darling and Gaff is a deliberate attempt to improve skills, which has happened. Their gameplan required improved skills, and they addressed it.

Nobody is saying that injuries don't impact, of course they do. But if we have any sense that a window may be even a little bit ajar for us, then we must leave nothing to chance, and there have been lots of things that have not been done.

Schammer is a good example; If he was never going to play again, why wasn't his contract paid out and Lower selected on the main list, and another rookie added? The Pitt/Darling question is also worth asking. Why did we draft Anthony? He doesn't seem to be cover for anybody, because we have needed a big forward, but apparently don't need him. The use of Palmer, Pavlich and MJ have been pretty interesting too. The way players have been brought in after injuries. The use of the Sub.

I think we can improve in many areas on what has happened this year, and we need to.

 

[blue shark]

Last season we played alot of new players to the club, this year we have put faith into the second tier group, and we have not grown, or seen any upside.
Anthony, Mellington, Bucovaz, Houghton, and Pitt to sub, and try to inject some energy into the playing group.
Schammer needs a few farewell games aswell, lets honour him properly, has been a great servant of the club.

 

[Aussiblood]

Article on our season needing a miracle from M.Duffield:
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/-/afl/9948562/mark-duffield-dockers-need-a-miracle/

Interesting to read=

Remarkably, the official statistics said Fremantle actually won possession, contested possession and clearances against the utterly dominant Hawks. Lies, damn lies and statistics.


But not all the stats lie. The Hawks dominated inside 50m 61-34 and when looking for reasons why, kick and handball clangers committed by the local team jumped off the page: Fremantle's 29 kick clangers compared to Hawthorn's 12, Fremantle's 36 ineffective handballs to Hawthorn's 24.

In a catch-and-kill-your-own-possessions game in the wet, the Dockers butchered theirs while the more highly skilled Hawks used their hard won ball to feed hungry teammates further afield.

We don't throw in the towel on a valiant season. We inspire, we gain experience and we learn to be more skillfull! We play one Finals game (thrashing or not) so much the better.

A pissed off Dockers team is capable of anything...

.

 

[dominguez]

Oh and.. What are the betting rates for the upcoming saints game? Maybe we can swing the outcome by way of Murphy's law if we put a big enough combined total on the Aints to win.

Saints $1.13, Fremantle $5.75.

$4 to make the 8.

 

[Nickos66]

Heh, hardly worth it isn't it.. Although we're that far gone you'd feel comfortable chucking a cool 1K on the sainters.

 

[mattus]

The measure of the club and the team, for mine, is how the players maintain their attack on the ball, the man, and the season.

I would hope that the 'fringe' 10 or so aren't waiting for the injured players to come back and take the available spots. THAT would be a disgrace. To the players, the club and the coaching staff.

 

[Admiral Byng]

Definitely push for finals, shouldn't even be up for discussion. It is character building for young players to exert themselves and acheive something above what everyone was expecting.

Talk of quitting and getting ready for next year is ridiculous. There is no guarantee that next year will get a good run with injuries just because we had a bad run this year, things don't work like that. What happens if we are in injury problems come Round 20 next year - do we pack up and go home and wait for 2013? We'll never get anywhere if we do that.

 

[samseenee]

We should write a grant application to Eddiewood for them to fund us the trip to Arizona. What do you reckon his response would be?

Oh and.. What are the betting rates for the upcoming saints game? Maybe we can swing the outcome by way of Murphy's law if we put a big enough combined total on the Aints to win.

I was thinking the girl guides biscuit drive might be a goer?

 

[Sigwald]

Definitely push for finals, shouldn't even be up for discussion. It is character building for young players to exert themselves and acheive something above what everyone was expecting.

I agree with the Admiral. We have never played in consecutive finals series in our history. If we want to become a better club, we need to change that (obviously). WE need to believe, and play like, we belong in the top 8.

 

[esquilax]

Aim for the finals and aim to knock one of the contenders off.

If the pretender is Worst Coast, even better.

I'm not enthausiastic about our chances however. Did anyone watch the way Essendon fought like rabbid dogs against Collingwood? Do we have that in us somewhere?

 

[Purple Jesus]

Aim for the finals and aim to knock one of the contenders off.

If the pretender is Worst Coast, even better.

I'm not enthausiastic about our chances however. Did anyone watch the way Essendon fought like rabbid dogs against Collingwood? Do we have that in us somewhere?

What you said.

PS. I really hope we have that hunger in us. Have seen it before, would love to see more

 

[Stronzo]

 

[Nickos66]

I liked your last avatar better..

Also, I've got that picture in black & white for my office cubicle wall.. It's been in my drawer waiting to be put up for over a year now, however I won't give up on it.

 

[Sman-21]

Please everyone write them off
All media tell us its season over

Maybe just maybe this will inspire the players to prove the doubters wrong an play every game at 100% intensity.

Coaches use all that crap to motivate the players.
No more excuses
No more waiting to hope other games fall in our favour.
Just fricken go out their an earn it

 

[Schauermann]

Just win a premiership from 8th...

 

[purpleblood29]

Definitely go for finals. I would hate to see us bomb out now, that isn't the right attitude. I really want to see the playing group reach consecutive finals campaigns, which I believe will be very beneficial for the playing group and club.

 

[Freo4life]

Theoretically, we should beat North, Carlton and the Dogs in the run home.

We probably can beat St Kilda as well.

The measure of the club is whether we do.

It will be a black mark against the club if we capitulate and miss finals. After all that has been done to turn the club around, to meekly disappear in the home and away season will only prove the club hasn't changed. If we fail, I will find it hard to believe Fremantle can win a premiership in the next decade.

Lol i started a thread with the same title over a month ago, i called it first!! But seriously **** that. As much a pain in the arse you are at times Clay i agree with you 110% here. Not necessarily on the teams we should beat, saints and carltank should account for us but i agree mostly with the bolded. To me if we don't make finals i can only echo Clay's sentiments about not achieving anything of significance in the near future as i believe it will only set us back if we miss the 8. With our backs to the wall now is the time to show what we really stand for. Sad thing is i am in all likelihood setting myself up for disappointment big time...

 

[Freo4life]

It will be disappointing if we miss finals, but I disagree that we've meekly disappeared given the nightmarish run of injuries we've had THROUGHOUT the year. Every time we get someone back, someone else gets a long-term injury and there's only so much you can do with a bunch of guys lacking in cohesion, match fitness and form.

You look at what happened when West Coast were hit with injuries last year compared to their dream run this year. What's changed? They haven't gone out and completely changed their gameplan or gained any extra guns (although the contribution of Shuey, Darling at the start and Gaff recently has helped) but they've jumped an unprecedented 12 spots on the ladder.

I'm at the stage where I think we just don't have the cattle to beat some of the top sides. If we miss finals because we get beaten by the better team on the day (and that will happen with our run home) but the playing group shows they're applying themselves 100%, I can accept that. What else can you ask of them?
But if we miss finals and look like a bunch of pea hearts doing it, then that will be a black mark against the club.

Exactly. If the team plays at 100% we probably should make the finals, therefore if we don't i would say that it is most definitely a big black ******* mark.

 

[Scham]

Now hear me out, can we realistically push for a flag this year with our depleted and then underdone stocks? I don't think so. An extended pre-season would do our list wonders. Do we concede it all now and make a stronger play for next year?

How do we make sure our cattle is fit and firing and doesn't get re-injured in preseason again? Do we ship them off to Arizona?

Can't see us winning any more games this year, especially not after watching Collingwood yesterday. As much as it pains me to say, they are scary good.

Thoughts?

We still desperately require cred in the comp, and this is no way to go about getting it.

2 x Friday night games coming up. The whole football world watching. We need to be competitive at the very least!

 

[Puddy]

Go hard guys but if you get any more than 2 games below North put your boys on ice for next year.

 

[sportsmaniac89]

As much as I want to believe we still have a shot of making finals, I'm struggling to see how we can.

Looking at the current circumstances and I am just absolutely baffled as to how much rotten luck one club actually can have

Our draw is absolute hell in the run home
We've had a constant stream of injuries since Round 14, 2010
We're even cursed by weather conditions

Getting over the delusional aspect of posting, let's look at one thing

In our history we've never made consecutive finals series
In our history we've faced similar situations in terms of injuries and folded like a deck of cards

Given what's happened, we're still in the hunt and while I'm struggling to maintain faith, I'll still be there showing passion and as far as I'm concerned, while there's life, there's hope.

 

[Admiral Byng]

Looking on the bright side if I may:

In spite of our injuries we are still ahead of Essendon, North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs - who are the other likely contenders for a top 8 spot. We have played one fewer game than these three yet we are still ahead of them.

Of the contenders for 6th - 8th spot we play 3 of them in the next 5 games. We don't need to rely on the results of other games, we just need to beat those other contenders below us and get the 4 points. It will be hard for them to overtake us given that they've still got a bye to come.

 

[Clay Davis]

Lol i started a thread with the same title over a month ago, i called it first!! But seriously **** that. As much a pain in the arse you are at times Clay i agree with you 110% here. Not necessarily on the teams we should beat, saints and carltank should account for us but i agree mostly with the bolded. To me if we don't make finals i can only echo Clay's sentiments about not achieving anything of significance in the near future as i believe it will only set us back if we miss the 8. With our backs to the wall now is the time to show what we really stand for. Sad thing is i am in all likelihood setting myself up for disappointment big time...

I know what you mean. And I remember that thread, I think I agreed.

Sad thing is, this all became apparent to me in round 1. I was relatively bullish before the season started, and completely on board all of 2010. As soon as I saw how we set up for the first game, I was appalled. Where was the chase? Where was the pressure? Why had Pavlich returned to doing what he did in 2009?

Basically, this whole season has been 'back to the future' that was 2009. The side is better, but that's because there are fewer crabs in the team, and the good young recruits are a bit older. But if anyone thinks we've progressed more than that, then they have another think coming.

 

[Freomaniac]

I cant believe how some of you so called "Fans" are willing to throw this season away for a chance to be prepared for 2012.


Still i know we lost a couple of close games (geelong by 10 points and eagles by 1) still were still standing in 8th spot.

theres a slim chance to make the 8. also a slim chance to beat the saints but its better than no chance at all.

Chin up ladies and gentlemen I reckon theres hope.

Since Sandilands and Mundy are not playing this week they will both play against carlton next week (this time last yearwe rested 10 players Ironically they all came back against carlton the next week and we grabbed 6th spot).

 

[Freomaniac]

Still as I said I will be as angry as hell if we get 9th or 10th again.

Yes Damn it I rather grab 8th get thumped by a 5th placed carlton or Hawthorn team in the MCG than get 9th anyday. Simply because you look at our club history 3 finals series since 1995. I want to make it 4 series since 1995 including 2 in a row. I dont care if we are 2 steps back in the pecking order in the National draft as our drafting has been very good since 2008.

Getting 9th or lower will be a step backwards imo. Any of you freo fans think that we should give up on this season simply because of injuries should take a good hard look at yourselves.

You guys are basically telling me that we should accept mediocrity. Is that what your trying to say? you wonder why we get verbal crap in our clubs history.

Freos season aint over until at least round 24 and I intend to see it extend to another week or 2.