The Restump Podcast

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They’re writing their own script, directing, producing and starring in the show. Can we call it a Jackarce juggernaut yet? Time to Restump Podcast the strangling of the Swans.

It was supposed to be a daunting trip to the SCG. But when you think about it, three quarters of our team hadn’t played there so technically they hadn’t lost there! Consequently, they had no historic baggage to carry.

It was probably as polished a performance as we have put in all year, admittedly against an undermanned and undersized Swans outfit. But you can only beat who you’re up against and you still have to get the job done. Against more moderate or compromised opponents, it allows you to develop your system in real time and gain valuable confidence boosting victories.

The Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson combination, known as Jackarce, ridiculously dominated the entire game. They were both beyond exceptional and they will take a lot from the last two weeks into future games against top end teams.

Something that no doubt warmed the cockles of all our purple hearts were not only the individual performances of Jye Amiss and Josh Treacy, but the functionality of the forward line, the connectivity with the mids and the cohesion as a whole. Sure, its by no means a finished and settled product but what we saw Saturday had to elevate your heart rate!

Can we stop for a moment to give Lachie Schultz some love? How this guy gets out of bed the next morning after a bruising battering performance like that is one of the great mysteries! God help this fearless man with what will be chronic aches and pains post career! That was arguably Schultzy’s career best game.

It wasn’t all just the forwards and mids though because the Captain deserves great recognition. Has he simplified his game and gone back to doing what he does best? Running straight lines and old-fashioned minimal possession gathering defending.

Are we back? Have we turned our season around? Or while we’ve shown great improvement, did we salvage two wins against similar opponents? Whatever the case we’re just a win and percentage out of the eight.

We could go on and on…. and we will on the pod.

So, if enjoying the journey and over celebrating victories that we probably should have expected is your thing, you’re in luck because it’s ours as well. So, grab a beverage, put on your best purple togs, jump right in and join us in the conversational pool, the water is warm.



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Is the purple climate changing? Is he taking the AFL world by storm? Should we rain in the hype? Cyclone, Dick Treacy, The Big Cohuna… or now Birdman… whatever you call him, the impactful Josh Treacy joins us for a chat on the Restump Podcast.

After a few failed attempts at trying to entice Josh Treacy to come on for a chat, he finally weakened and gave us the green light. Whether it was simply because he wanted the pestering to stop or not is irreverent! The fact is he’s on and we couldn’t be happier.

We talk early footy and family life and his way to the draft and then consequent rookie draft. His feeling about getting an opportunity and having to leave the family and travel across the Nullabor.

He takes us through his time at Fremantle, his early suspensions clocking poor Brady Grey and dropping Jed Bews who he’ll meet again Saturday. We cover last week’s career best game and his future vision. Is he a Docker for life? Is he a WA boy now?

While this episode is largely focused on the cyclonic conditions, we also take a bit of a look at Saturday’s Walyalup game against Geelong in the Sir Doug Nichols round.

Like we did Sydney, are we getting the Cats at the right time? The Cats aren’t travelling all that flash and their form has at times been a little deceiving.

The midfield looks an area where we could assert some superiority. With the Cats losing Mitch Duncan and without Dangerfield, it could leave them a little light on and our inclusion of Nat Fyfe may only widen the gap.

Cameron and Hawkins are obviously the key but they also welcome back the super talented 2022 All Australian, Tyson Stengle, who kicked 3 on us down in Geelong last year. And let’s not forget Tom Stewart down the other end who intercepted galore on his way to forty touches in that game.

We’re in form, its indigenous round, we’ve got a good challenge against the Cats and we’ve got Birdman Treacy chatting away.

So, if you’re having a lazy Friday arvo, kick back further for an hour and listen to Josh Treacy cover up our nonsense.



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No word of a basketball background but the Captain in waiting turned in a triple double. Quite simply Andy is back to his brilliant best. Time to Restump Podcast our season levelling win over the Cats.

Going into the round four wins and five losses we desperately needed the win, simply because we cannot put a foot wrong if we’re to pinch a spot in the eight by season’s end. While the challenge wasn’t exactly as hot as it could have been, the important aspect is it was mission accomplished.

Andy Brayshaw is obviously over his knee niggles. He’s been building the last few weeks and on Saturday we saw his return to the top off the tree. His work rate is at such a level, workhorses are looking at him and thinking they need to lift their games!

His midfield mate Caleb Serong is on an equal footing, Jaegar is fast becoming the player we thought we were getting and if there is anyone doubting Nat Fyfe’s role anywhere in the team, then put a replay of the game on slow motion and just keep your eyes on him, with and without the ball.

Luke Jackson continues to make his knockers look like they’re wearing Ronald McDonald shoes, Josh Treacy’s influence was far above and beyond his numbers on the stat sheet, Bailey Banfield had a good game that could have been a career best game and… our equal leading goal kicker… where did he come from Cotton Eye Jye!

Despite having 3 goals kicked on him, our current Captain did a supreme job on the mountain of a man that is Tom Hawkins. Luke Ryan was super solid but admittedly helped by Jeremy Cameron’s inaccurate boot, Brandon Walker held the All-Australian small forward Tyson Stengle well and Jordan Clark gave his former team another showing of what they let go.

Quite simply it was a win for the collective ironically through the performing of individual roles. It was a win for coaching strategy rendering Tom Stewart’s game inconsequential, a win for Sonny Walter’s Sir Doug Nicholls round celebratory routine and it was a win for us fans keeping our season well and truly alive.

We got the four points and we made it three wins on the bounce but we have to remain realistic. We need to keep in mind that the Cats were without Paddy Dangerfield who has been flying, they were without Cat’s midfield stalwart Cam Guthrie, they were without the extremely vital Mitch Duncan and they were without recruit Ollie Henry, who has kicked 16 goals and proves a tricky match up.

However, if it’s not about unconditional enjoyment of the journey, then what is the point? We take note of external factors but we concentrate on ourselves, control what we can, don’t concern ourselves with what we can’t and we celebrate what is.

So, join us we add a teaspoon of balanced analysis, two cups of shameless celebratory commentary and more than a pinch of nonsense into a tin and bake this Cat culling summary cake.



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You know why Brandon Walker is shutting down dangerous small forwards? Kozzy can! Yes, I know,… let’s just move right along and get on with Restump Podcasting the big clash against the Dees at the Gees!

We’ve had a few very good weeks and we’re looking to continue on in that rich vein of form this Saturday. Melbourne have won seven of ten so far this season and four of their last five so it is difficult to fault them.

However, there is the possibility that their form is a little deceiving. They’ve predominantly lost to the seemingly more credentialed teams and beat up on those in the cellar dwelling range.

While they stumbled last week against Port Adelaide it was on Port’s home deck and to the tune of just 4 points. They might be without Clayton Oliver and wingman Lachie Hunter but they have replacement killers to call on.

All eyes will be on the big clash of the titans! The all-conquering Sean Darcy and the single bound, tall building jumping, Luke Jackson up against magnificent Max Gawn and the Collingwood paid, Melbourne employee, Brody Grundy. Quite simply its JackArce versus BroMax!

Will Jackson cop some heat from his former teammates? After the Dees were criticised for abandoning Max Gawn last Friday night, they may look to overcorrect, make amends and LJ might be in their sights. Rest assured we won’t abandon him!

Brandon Walker will be heading straight to the super dangerous Kozzy Pickett, hoping to repeat the recent run of jobs he’s done on similar types. However, the Dee’s share the scoring load so, as usual, our backs will defend as a collective and they’ll accept a bit of help from the mids.

Sonny Walters is out with some issues with a calf. Who knew he had a farm? His absence hurts us so Freddy, Schultzy and Switta will need to pick up the slack.

We’ll see a full game from Nat Fyfe, Matty Johsnon comes into the starting lineup and that probably means Sammy Sturt will don the sub vest. If Sturty is the sub and gets a run, let’s hope it is for tactical reasons and not through injury.

It has been revealed that Jojo McDonnell is currently fueling the private jet for a month-long holiday in Italy. Between his race horses and holidays, we’re starting to question his dedication to the Restump!

And like a dog with a bone, the Chief couldn’t let the current situation regarding the club up the road go by. So unfortunately, we’re all being subjected to another Neighbourhood Watch episode.

This will be a tough game on Saturday, we’re going up in grade on our last three wins. The Dees aren’t unbeatable but they’re a much bigger challenge for us. One way or the other we’ll find out where we really are. It’s our final game before the bye so no doubt we’ll leave nothing in the shed.

Enough of this rambling here, let’s get on with the podcast where there will be…. well more rambling! But who among us has ever overdosed on purple rambling? Join us if you need a fix.



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“Please don’t tell Mum, Andy!” The battle of the Brayshaw brothers ended in Andy’s favour and probably a month’s grounding for both. Time to Restump Podcast Saturday’s magnificent win.

It was probably one of the most entertaining, all-consuming, edge of the seat matches we’ve played this year. Four frantic quarters of frenetic pressure which both teams delivered and absorbed, played in amazing spirit.

We needed a true test to really find out where we actually were at and the Dees on their home deck was just what the Docker and/or Doctor ordered. It was a war of attrition that our purple boys impressively handled in a way far beyond the collective’s age and experience.

To be two years younger and nearly fifty games less experienced across the board, take everything the Dees handed out and return it with interest, was a monumental effort. It cemented the belief that Freo, somehow, are genuinely back among the finals contenders.

Surely anyone who wasn’t keen on the recruiting of Luke Jackson has had a change of heart? His game was something else even before Sean Darcy unfortunately went down. But to then combat Brody Grundy and Max Gawn (Bromax) solo for two and a half quarters… we don’t get the win without his performance.

If you can purchase Matt Johnson stock, buy up everything you can. His size, his smarts, his craft, his agility and his composure for a 20-year-old kid is rarer than an honourable politician!

And then there’s Jye. Another kid with ridiculous footy smarts, superb mobility and sublime skills. He’s the forward we’ve been looking for since the mighty Pav retired. Working cohesively in tandem with, and getting assistance from Josh Treacy, Jye’s team-oriented mindset and individual 3 goals kicked on a Steven May and Jake Lever combination, are a sign of things to come for the next decade and beyond. His thoroughly deserved round eleven rising star nomination was a long time coming!

Enough of this here! We’re bouncing off the walls, keen to get into this 60+ minutes of prattling on about the purple. Our season is back! We’re back! Who would have thunk it five weeks ago? Feel free to come along for the conversation with us as we verbally overdose on the non-toxic purple drug…. in a safe manner and environment!



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Through no fault of his own he’s the face of Fremantle’s most famous, or infamous deal. He’s a journeyman who battled injuries for nine AFL years, a Fremantle foundational player, now a valuable part of the Clontarf Academy and most of all an all-round ripping good guy. We sit down for a chat with the great Tony Delaney.

We thought we’d take a walk down memory lane during the bye round so we caught up with the great man to get his unusual career story.

Few other players, if any, could say they spent nine years in the AFL, were taken at pick twelve, traded for pick four, played at three clubs, delisted from the second one, had six coaches and played just 78 games. And they reckon Luke Jackson is a unicorn!

Join us for these 45 Restump Podcast minutes as we wind back the Docker clocker for a casual chat about everything Fremantle then to now with Tony Delaney.



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Two re-signings, two more years, two legends for life. We don’t want to jinx anything but it kind of feels that everything is coming up Millhouse! It was bye week but we’ll find some purple to Restump Podcast about.

What great few days! While it has been an effort from the collective, it’s no surprise the return of Nat Fyfe has coincided with Freo’s return to form. And the evergreen Sonny Walters is still the man you call when you need to get forward stuff done! Two more years of these experienced champions providing leadership and support to our young list… sounds a recipe for tasty success!

Our list is in pretty good shape from numerous perspectives. Health-wise, yes we’re minus the Prince of Perth but we’re in as good a nick as could be expected, and from an age profile… geez it really feels there is an exciting decade ahead of us.

Ethan Stanley becomes the newest member of the purple people having been picked up from Victoria in the pre-season draft. There might be a little bit more to this goal kicking wingman’s selection than a simple free throw at the stumps. As usual the club has ticked all the selection box criteria.

Our Peel guys are all in great shape. Liam Henry is putting together a noticeable body of work, Neil Erasmus’ knuckles are bleeding from banging on the door, Will Brodie continues to be ready if needed and with 17 goals in 8 games…. could Sebit Kuek get a taste before season’s end?

Given it was the bye weekend the Chief thought he was getting a day off, but Jojo made short work of that! So, if you’re looking for some game gap filling Freo folly and not much more, come along for this 45 minute conversational ride and get involved.



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In the interest of inclusivity of all car enthusiasts, let us hope we continue holden our form tomorrow against the Tigers. Time to Restump preview podcast the post bye game against a Hardwickless Richmond.

What sort of post bye round shape will we be in? Is there any chance we might be a bit sluggish, a bit slow into stride suffering a bye hangover? We’ve been involved in 16 byes or 14-day break games. Pre-bye games we have an impeccable record winning 14 of them. Post-bye games we win just 56% of the time, winning 9 of the 16. Is there anything to read into that? Probably not.

Liam Henry has put a body of work together at Peel and earned his way back into the side and the opportunity has arisen for Sammy Sturt which he must take advantage of for the benefit and continuation of his long-term football life.

A few weeks back we had a two-time brownlow medalist wearing the sub vest ready to unleash on the opposition at the opportune time. This week we’ve got a 200 game, 330 goal club legend ready to do the same. The luxury of having subs the calibre of a Fyfe and Sonny to strategically inject into the game is invaluable!

All eyes are on future midfield rockstar Matt Johnson this week as he no doubt takes on the extra midfield minutes and workload currently left by Jaegar O’Meara…. who understandably will probably never lay another tackle ever again!

The Tigers aren’t to be taken lightly despite their four and seven and a draw win loss record and their 13th placed ladder rung. The reality is five of their losses have been to top eight sides and three of them to top four sides. Add in that the 5 losses were all by just 18 points or less, two of them under a kick and the draw against Carlton and this is a tougher contest than the bookies are trying to have us believe.

But our numbers are through the roof, we’re a much better side in rounds 8 to 11 than we were from rounds 1 to 7 and if we seriously want to play finals, we should be putting this game away.

Bit of a rushed pod with Jojo sitting in a Rome café enjoying a breakfast vino with a brioche, distracted by dissent expressing Italians and noisy vespas…. but at times you do what you can do and somehow this 40 minutes has come together.



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Was it a simple case of our missed opportunities or did Richmond wind back the clock to their dynastical Richmondy times? A post bye win would’ve been handy for momentum but its not the end of the world. Time to Restump Podcast Saturday’s once bitten twice shy loss to the Tigers.

We can all debate the reasons for the loss and opinionize our preferred personnel, but we probably just got a reality check of where we’re really at. And other than the missed four points, its not a negative.

Yes, we didn’t take our opportunities but isn’t that a part of a current make-up at any given time? The lack of composure and skill execution, specifically in that final quarter, could be partly attributed to our age and inexperience.

We might have to pass the hat around to help the boys pay for the How To Handle The Ball In Wet Conditions lesson Tim Taranto and Shai Bolton gave us. They were exceptional all night and we simply had no genuine answers for them.

Having said that, our 19-year-old Busseltonian up forward had the Velcro hands and took all but one opportunity of his own. His rapid rise to the level he is at is astonishing and we’re pretty much at a point where it’s Nev’s forward line, everyone else give him a chop out and get out of the way.

Meanwhile another rapid rise to prominence, this time in the midfield the magnificent Matty Johnson made every post a winner and was arguably Freo’s best. Mature beyond his years and if Saturday night was indicative of the base which he’ll grow from…. holy Christmas…. sky is the limit.

And speaking about taking your opportunities… Jayden Short took three of them all from beyond the 50 metre arc! I haven’t seen goal kicking like that since…. believe it or not… Rory Lobb kicked 4 against the Dogs for us last year.

Did we experience any repercussions from the week off? We went into the bye with a solid victory which now makes it 15 pre-bye round wins, while the loss on Saturday has us at 8 post-by round wins. So, from 17 byes we have an 88% pre-bye round win record, but the post-bye round we win just 53% of the time.

Whatever the case, the reality is once upon a time in the not-so-distant past, we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near back in the game from being 6 goals down in dry conditions, let alone in treacherous rain.

We’re a team of kids, we were two and a half years younger and 50 games lighter against a rampaging Richmond team consisting of 16 premiership players and we just fell short through missed opportunities and a lack of composure. Safe to say we’re in super shape.

This is actually a really interesting game to dissect. So, lets put the cap on the pen and get into it on the pod. I can’t guarantee you’ll learn anything but other than 45 minutes of your precious time, what have you got to lose by coming along for the conversation and getting involved?



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Podcast | T H E Restump P O D

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He's a recession proof investment. He'll outperform all markets and return regular sizeable dividends. Apparently gold now says its worth its weight in Matt Johnson! Our take on the magnificent Matty Johnson on The Restump Podcast website.


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There's Something About MJ

In tough economic times we need to find a strong, safe and dividend paying investment. A Matt Johnson IPO would be ten fold oversubscribed.
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This two pronged Toby attack we’re facing is no Walker in the park. But with some defensive help from the mids, we’ve got it covered. Time to Restump Podcast preview the vital clash against the Big Big Sound Giants.

At the risk of suffering over confidence we’re calling it right off the top here. They’ve made a mistake not having us as favorites. We don’t advise or advocate gambling but the $2.10 is difficult not to raise a keen interest eyebrow at.

But we’re not here to ogle the odds, we’re here to pull apart the team numbers, assess the ins and outs and match ups and look for strengths and weaknesses to exploit.

If we want to play finals, this game against the Giants really is a must win. Its there for the taking and if we put up a similar performance against GWS to the one we delivered against Richmond last week, it is difficult to think we won’t be banking the four points.

GWS get by on their offensive game. They don’t have too many issues scoring but neither do their opponents. While both Freo and the Giants go at around 84 points a game on average for the season, we’ve upped that to 95 points over the last 5 games.

And from a defensive standpoint, we were leaking nearly 92 points a game on average for the first half of the season so far. Over the last four or five weeks we’ve improved it three goals to 74 points, which is bang on 3 goals less than the Giants let through.

Oh, but it is the Giants home ground you say? Well that is true but given they’ve played at the Showgrounds four times this year for a win and three losses… they hardly have home ground supremacy. Having said that, we've only played the ground twice for two losses and one of them a 113 point belting by this Giant's outfit.

Don’t get me wrong, the Giants definitely aren’t easy beats and as a Fremantle supporter we don’t have the right to use that term or even think that of an opponent. I mean they’ve got talent on every line. Toby Green obviously, Josh Kelly, Tom Green and Lachie Whitfield are as good as anyone going around.

With Jimmy Aish going down it makes it a really big job for our wingers Disco and Henry. But the return of O’Meara provides options as well as strength and versatility in the middle. Beyond that, our pressure applying oriented team system and structure and the above-mentioned numbers put enough tickets in the Bob barrel for mine.

Jojo McDonnell is still deck chairing it on the Amalfi coast so were still suffering unacceptable delays. However, his lack of control left the door open for the resurgence of the Neighbourhood Watch.

We’re about 24 hours out from bounce down so let’s get into it. Join us for these 40 minutes of try hard analysis and nonsensical commentary on the big Freo V Giants show. We’d call it amateur hour but ironically, we’re 20 minutes short.



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Apparently, that is what was heard when that fictitious photo was taken! Time to Restump Podcast whatever that performance was, a game the Giants torched us and scattered our ashes.

Was there a mole planted pre-game? I think its just a little too coincidental that a certain someone was a late out from the Giants! Oh… who are we kidding... it’s a far reach looking for buck-passing reasons!

Trying to find a positive out of Saturday is like trying to find a psychologist in WA with available appointments.

We thought those dark days were behind us. We thought we’d never revisit them for at least a decade or two, if ever. Maybe it was one last trip round the bend for old times sake. Maybe it was a strategic plan to give this new young group a taste of what we have not only been through over our journey, but could return to again if we don’t bring effort each and every week. Maybe Saturday was the wake-up call.

The Giants were good. We don’t want to take anything away from them because they destroyed us. They’re good, they’re not a 70 point demolition good. We own most of that defeat… we were that ordinary, the Giants would have beaten witches hats by just 60 points!

I’m a stats backed realist and a patient and tolerant person when it comes to Freo. I’ve been of the opinion we’re far from the finished product and that we’re 40 to 50 games away from the majority of our current crop being ready. However, age and inexperience have nothing to do with effort and intent and it wasn’t age and inexperience that was behind that thumping on Saturday.

The entire game was disturbing but the final quarter was damning. There wasn’t even any junk time efforts and when you even see Andy Brayshaw half-heartedly attempt to tackle and stop an opponent, that is unprecedented and you know as a whole and in relation to the last few seasons, we’re in rare territory.

It was by far our worst performance this year, not just because the scoreboard said so. We’ve been beaten by lesser opponents than the Giants, but not in that manner.

And there lies the ever so faint positive, the unsteady brittle rack on which we hang our tattered hat on. Saturday was so uncharacteristic it was initially more drop jaw shocking than it was disappointing. It wasn’t on or the beginning of a trend, it was an anomaly, a freak event…. or so we all desperately hope.

Let’s get into it in further detail on the pod as Jojo and his sharp footy brain will surely have some insight and reasons for such an odd performance.

Healing is based on talking so let’s start taking and hopefully healing. Join in and let us know your thoughts in a constructive manner… there are no right or wrong opinions after a game like that.



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"But what gives someone the right to be a "we-er"? It's hard to define an answer without sounding like John Williamson. Is it me and you? Is it mum and dad? Is it Chrises Bond and Groom? Is it sitting by your mate watching balls go through Tom Sheridan’s hands? Or just Sandilands?"

Our man in the UK, Sheahan "Biscuits" Arnott has written a great piece for The Restump Podcast website that will resonate with all Fremantle fans.



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To We Or Not To We

What gives someone the right to be a "we-er"? It's hard to define an answer without sounding like John Williamson.
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The self-professed Prince of Perth is back and with him comes the feeling that all is well again. Time to Restump preview podcast Freo’s good-natured battle against the team with the flying machine logo!

Essendon is travelling at around 90 points a match but they’ve just upped their offensive game. Sure, its in regards to their logo but apparently its offensive none the less!

Are we, as Freo fans, drinking at the last chance Saloon Saturday night? Our post-bye form has been horrid and if we’re going to turn it around it has to be now or never.

The reality is when you look at both teams, Essendon and Freo are almost identical as far as form lines go. Essendon have beaten just one top eight side and have beaten 3 of the four bottom teams. Freo have beaten just one top eight side, we’ve beaten three of the four bottom teams and been beaten by one of them. Are we really in the 2023 conversation?

Having said that, the form of pretty much the entire league, apart from Collingwood, and Port Adelaide, is topsy turvy and rarely predictable. So almost everyone can get a September hypothetical mention.

Our defences are comparable and we generate the same number of scoring shots per game, from the same number of inside 50s. The difference is Essendon has slotted 16 goals more than us. They take their chances and its something we have to start doing.

We’ll cop the Richmond loss, rule a line through the Giants debacle and restart our season right now… or rather tomorrow night… in the wet… and the cold. But a warm dry 4 points will fix all that.

Jojo, is recording from the Tuscany bird Avery for hopefully the final time so everything should return to normal programming next week.

But for now, there’s a tick over 40 minutes of discussion on the chances of the purple people against the red sash wearing inoffensive Essendon Hot Air Balloons tomorrow night. So, feel free to immerse yourself in our nonsense, providing you accept that we offer no guarantees or time refunds.


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If Saturday night was an indicative result of ‘cautionary tales’ and ‘liabilities’… then throw caution to the wind and buy up all the debt laden liabilities we can. Time to Restump Podcast Saturday’s Henry Jackson show.

Isn’t it amazing what a little patience, a little support and persistence can do.

A few weeks ago a certain King called Jackson a cautionary tale and Liam was cruelly being referred to by so-called Freo supporters as a liability. We reached out for comment but all we got were rolling tumbleweeds and the sounds of crickets!

Enough of that nose-rubbing-in-it rubbish, the reality is whether you were an emotional knocker or a supporter of Liam Henry and or Luke Jackson, let’s hope we all just enjoyed the show Saturday night. And to be honest, we probably didn’t get the win without their contribution.

But while we rightfully sing their praises, it was a commitment from the collective across the board, a commitment that was absent a week earlier against the Giants.

While best on ground honours went to Liam Henry or Luke Jackson, you could easily throw Caleb Serong into the equation. His game was off the scale and to a large extent Liam and Luke couldn’t do what they did if Caleb didn’t do what he did.

The win wasn’t necessarily our best but we did what we needed to do against a team in a similar boat, to keep our season alive and kicking. However, after the last two weeks, it certainly was a warm and welcomed performance and coinciding result.

Looking forward to talking about this one so let’s get into it on the pod. It may never be as good or as bad as it seems but its important to celebrate the joys along the journey. Plug in and join in this 50 minute recap.



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The build-up has been subdued this time around against the Dogs, almost an eerie silence. There's a lot on the line... do we need a plan B? Time to Restump Podcast the Dockers V Dogs clash.

The name Rory Lobb has barely been whispered this week. Is it a case of once bitten, twice shy? Have we all made the error of being overly cautious? If we subscribe to the ‘offense is the best defence’ theory, then shouldn’t we have doubled down?

The reality is there is so much on the line on Saturday. We probably need 13 wins at a minimum, probably 14 given our inferior percentage, to make the finals. So, if we need to win 6 or 7 of our remaining 9 games and then we see we have got Collingwood, Port Adelaide, Brisbane and Geelong at Kardinia Park to come…. we can’t afford to drop the ball Saturday.

James Aish makes his much-welcomed return to add his solid and calming influence. Might he get the tap on the shoulder at some point in the game with the “Mr Aish, please make your way to Mr Bontempelli” request? Let’s hope he’s not required in that manner, but its handy to know the option is there.

The Dogs lost a couple of tall backs which plays into our favour as Jackson, Jye and Josh will look to exploit the advantage.

But it starts and probably ends in the middle. We can’t allow the ease of possession and movement we presented the Dogs in that earlier clash this season. If we do, it could well be curtains for the year.

We’re going in with some nervousness an a little bit of trepidation but we’re looking forward to some retribution and loading the season up for the run home.

It’s a tough game to work out because it is difficult to really know where the Dogs are at. But that doesn’t stop us foolishly having a go at it! Just a tick over 30 minutes is a more manageable bite size of nonsense this week.



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Podcast | T H E Restump P O D

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Don’t hate us Skip, we still love you. We can’t all be great at everything. Time to Restump Podcast the seemingly season crushing loss to the Western Lobradors.

Well that one hurt. We’re still a mathematical chance of making the eight but the percentages are diminishing at a rapid rate. We probably can’t afford another loss, or maybe one at the most, but even that doesn’t guarantee us a spot, given the logjam.

For two and a half quarters the game looked ours as we matched and surpassed the dog’s pressure. But in the blink of an eye, they got a lucky decision, they took the ascendency and literally piled on 3 goals in a minute. We were left Memphis Raines like – Gone in sixty seconds.

Our subdued start to the game hurt us again and while we had switched on and closed the gap by the end of the first quarter, it was energy sapping damage that had been done.

Poor execution of skills, an inability to deal with frenetic pressure and at times horrendous decision making could account for the loss.

Does the Chief’s “Alex Pearce Kick Deterrent System” need to be implemented? $5,000 fine every time he kicks the ball. That’s a little too harsh but…. it’s difficult to have confidence when he has ball in hand and doesn’t take a handball option.

Did Bevo and his coaching crew out coach us at pivotal points in the game? Could Jackson have come into the ruck in that last quarter when things got dizzy quickly? Were there pivotal times in the game when we had Erasmus and Johnson in the middle?

Caleb Serong was again off the scale and while finals might not be coming his way in September, his fair share of Browlow votes will be.

He might not be amongst the votes but Sonny Walters is in goal galore territory. With 25 goals on the board and another eight games to go, at 32 years of age Evergreen Sonny is in career best form range.

Liam Henry made it two on the bounce. Sure, he butchered a couple but he wasn’t on his Pat Malone and his productive performance far outweighed his errors. His growth is a 2023 positive, especially as we know, or we should know, he’s just 21 years of age and far from the finished product.

And you can’t speak about 2023 positives without the great Jye Amiss. You have to continue to remind yourself…. he’s a teenager! He’s on track to kick 40+ goals and he’s a teenager!

We’re not going to dwell too much on wouldas, shouldas and couldas. We got provided another presentation explaining exactly where we are as a club and a list. The upside is that the window is only just starting to open.

So, join us for these 50 minutes as we pull apart the purple performance. There’s blame, there’re regret, there is sorrow, acceptance and then rejuvenation. Have the bright lights of season 2023 been turned off or have they just been dimmed?



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Podcast | T H E Restump P O D

www.therestump.com www.therestump.com



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When a footy gets picked up on airspace radar there is a fair chance The Sheriff is in town. Time to Restump Podcast Freo’s battle against the Blake Acres Blues.

The finals are suddenly a disappearing dot on the horizon but they’re still a mathematical glimmer of hope. However, all we can control is the effort we bring against the Blues.

The major focus obviously has to be on the Blue’s two big paths to goals, Curnow and McKay. With Carlton getting 41% of their goals through those two, quelling their scoreboard influence goes a long way to beating them.

And stopping them both isn’t just the job of the defensive unit, it starts with the midfield restricting ease of supply. Speaking of midfields… our former Freo man Adam Cerra is having a cracking season and will need some close treatment.

The captain plays his 100th, a game no doubt he and most fans thought at different stages over the last eight or nine years, may never eventuate. It’s been a battle and we take our hats off to the great Alex Pearce.

Albeit as the sub, Karl Worner pulls on the purple for a much-deserved debut. His body of work at Peel couldn’t be denied any further.

Off field we got the great news of Jye’s signature to 2029 as well as Matt Johnson and Birdman Treacy to 2026.

Back from his golfing trip and upon hearing the news of the AFL player’s data breach, Jojo has taken extra cyber security precautions to protect his nude photos. And this is despite there being no signs they were under threat.

Finally the Chief is asking the question about the unwritten code or where the imaginary line is, in regards to sledging and are their circumstances where it can be relaxed.

We’re a bit late with the preview and when it comes to the Restump Podcast, popular opinion suggests it’s better never than late! However, we’ve ignored that and done it anyway.

So, if you’re looking for something to bung in your ears on the way to Optus Stadium Sunday, surely you could find something more insightful and entertaining than our 40 minutes of nonsense?



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Podcast | T H E Restump P O D

www.therestump.com www.therestump.com



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If finals weren’t already out of reach, they are now. Carlton used the pressure application blueprint for beating Freo and shattered us all. Time to clean up the purple shards of broken glass and Restump Podcast yesterday’s demoralising display.

You want to believe and you want to have hope. But we’re one and a half wins and percentage out of the eight, we’ve got five teams between us and that position and we’ve got three teams in the top four and a further one in the top eight in our remaining seven games.

Again, we don’t want to be glass half empty folk but we were just taken to the cleaners by a team that was three rungs below us on the ladder. Even in our wildest, overly-optimistic dreams, we’re not Lazarus.

Where did it all go wrong yesterday? You could spin the wheel of reasons and you’d be on the money with whatever it landed on.

The Blues simply applied relentless overwhelming pressure on us from the very first bounce and it has seemingly become the blueprint for teams playing us. Carlton’s midfield was too big, too strong, too experienced and we were unable to deal with their pressure, or go with them, despite the ruck dominance. There was a problematic passive nature to our start and it has become a full blown trend.

Every possession was under pressure or perceive pressure and was rushed and while our skills aren’t exactly dynamite at the best of times, we struggle further under duress.

We got beaten up by two former teammates in Blake Acres and Adam Cerra. The latter was electric in all facets and he’s become the player we all knew we were losing. Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, we’re feeling the impacts of his departure.

Compare the two main forwards each team was kicking to. Curnow and McKay – average age 25.5, a total of 202 games and just under 400 goals. Amiss and Treacy – average age 19.5, a total of 48 games and 56 goals.

We’ve been suggesting it all year that we’re not the finished product and that we’re two years and 40 to 50 games per player away from seriously challenging. The individual contests yesterday only emboldened those beliefs.

That isn’t to say we didn’t expect a better performance than what we received and it isn’t to say we expected to be below 6th to 10th at this point of the season, but sometimes the reality is stark and isn’t determined by our impatience or expectations.

It’s more of a ‘how did this happen’ and a ‘where do we go from here’ review podcast than the usual therapeutic hour long post-traumatic loss pod, but we need to talk it out none the less.

So, if you can stomach revisiting or talking about yesterday’s dreadful display then by all means come along and hopefully rid some of the frustrations and begin to heal with us.




www.therestump.com

Podcast | T H E Restump P O D

www.therestump.com www.therestump.com





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It’s fraught with danger engaging mercenaries! But as they either had to sign with Russia, move to Belarus or retire, the suit up for Freo option was a no brainer! Time to Restump Podcast Saturday’s ominous task against the Pies.

It is a pretty scary assignment Saturday against the premiership favourites and all conquering Pies. We’ve had to make a host of changes but, result aside, it will be good experience for the young list, if not much else.

Corey Wagner had a mare in his debut earlier this year. Apparently, they were calling him Construction site Corey after that game. Every time he kicked the ball a clang sound was heard! Oh that’s too harsh! He did knock up a bit.. but he’ll make amends Saturday.

It’s good to see that the great premiership defender, the forgotten man, Joel Hamling, has gotten an opportunity. He’s had a really rough trot of it but he’ll no doubt give us all a reminder of his capabilities at this level.

Is this last chance saloon for Sturty? He’s been given numerous opportunities this year and, while it must be difficult trying to get some certainty, he hasn’t exactly grabbed them.

And poor old Bailey Banfield probably drew the short straw and was made the scapegoat last time he was dropped. C’mon Bailey give us one of those games that were earning you a regular first twenty two spot.

Speaking of poor efforts, the Chief has been omitted from the Restump Podcast line-up for the same reason… unacceptable performances in recent weeks. He’s been replaced by the former ABC Sport News reader, the great Clint “the Tank Engine” Thomas.

A big step down for Clint and a big professional step up for the Restump. Safe to say given the professionalism and profile, the Chief is in a bit of strife.

But its not about us, it is about the footy…. or whatever it is our Freo boys are trying to play at the moment! So, let’s get straight into this 45 minute Freo V Collingwood preview with Jojo and Clint.



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Podcast | T H E Restump P O D

www.therestump.com www.therestump.com



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Where did that quarter go? You can’t serve up three quarters of Pie and think you won’t go hungry. There are no leftovers! We’re on the Restump Podcasting case of the missing quarter.

At the risk of being accused of accepting mediocrity and borderline honorable losses, we probably got a pretty decent performance on Saturday against an incredibly well experienced, aged, drilled, and trained Collingwood outfit. The Pies are the full package. They have no weaknesses, they cover injury outs and they function as a well-oiled cohesive unit… and in an obviously very happy environment.

Pre-game and at half time it threatened to be a 80 – 100 point hiding. And given there almost three years difference in age on average across the two teams and nearly 60 games per player in experience difference out there, that sort of result probably was expected.

In both a pleasing and disappointing outcome, the result really on paper was one quarter of footy. However, it was one of the most dominant quarters against us we’ve seen for some time and we couldn’t stem the flow.

To put that second quarter on paper…. we went -39 possessions, -15 Inside 50 which meant Collingwood had a monstrous 19 for the quarter. We went -6 in clearances after being +10 in first quarter and -5 centre clearances after being +5 in first quarter. We went -12 in contested possession, -18 in uncontested possession, -16 marks and -7 marks inside 50. They took a whopping 10 marks inside 50 in that single second quarter! That’s a rare level of dominance!

It begs the question did Collingwood go up and down gears when they needed to? Did they simply manage us? Or were we as competitive as the scorecard suggests in the other three quarters.

The negatives are obviously the carnage we suffered in the way of injuries. The severity of Sean Darcy’s ankle is yet to be determined as is Brandon Walker’s knee. With the season over as far as finals are concerned, and while we feel for the individuals, Darcy and Walker’s absence won’t be quite as detrimental to the team as it may well have been.

The positive, Neil Erasmus. With just 12 games under his belt prior to Saturday he was still understandably adapting to the speed of the game. But he took a giant step forward and showed why he’s a big reason the future is bright.

As mentioned, the season is done and dusted in regards to September, but there is still plenty to get out of it. On top of that if we can’t find something purple to bang on about, are we even Freo fans?

Let’s get into Saturday’s chop up, dissect it, mull over it, theorise it and hopefully come to some concrete conclusions. So, if too much purple is never enough, bring those things on the side of your head and get involved.



www.therestump.com

Podcast | T H E Restump P O D

www.therestump.com www.therestump.com



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What a great story Ethan Stanley is. There's always something to get out of... I was going to say a fruitless season… but it’s a season that's gone pear shaped! Time to Restump Podcast Snipper’s debut v the Swans.

Our finals chances may resemble a flatlining Chaddy Fletcher on the Las Vegas strip but there is still life in the season when you get to see your recruits make their debuts. We’re putting these remaining games of 2023 to good use.

At this point of the year, its not now so much about wins and losses but rather, structure, game style disciplines and the Ronnie Corbetts and Snipper Stanleys. We brought these players into the club for a reason so let’s get them opportunity and see what unfolds.

That said, we’re not dismissing the importance of putting wins on the board as you don’t want to end the season spiralling downwards into a sea of losses. We need to get something solid and beneficial out of these games to build on for 2024.

The Swans are in a similar boat to us. Their drawn game against Geelong a few weeks back has provided them possibly with a fraction of a chance to make it the eight.

We beat them earlier in the year on their home Milo tin lid of a deck but they’re probably in better form now and they bring pretty much a full-strength list to Optus Saturday night. It will be a big ask for us Freo folk in what will surely be Buddy’s finale in WA.

When the Swans win the marks inside 50 battle, they genuinely win the game. Only once this year have they won the inside 50 mark count and lost the game. So, our undermanned defence is going to need a chop out from the mids.

Just six games left for us in 2023 so its time for us and the club to make the most of them.

While opinions on Buddy Franklin vary greatly, the reality is for football fans first, we’ve all been privileged to be part of his era. It’ll be a while, if ever, we get to see another player come close to what he was able to do. Post match, win lose or draw, Buddy Franklin deserves a respectful nod of appreciation and acknowledgement from us Freo folk.

Plenty more to cover so let’s leave the niceties there and start the pluck of the red and white ducks! So, if you’ve nothing better to do, and I find that very hard to believe, bung this 45 minutes in your ears and come along for the conversation.



www.therestump.com

Podcast | T H E Restump P O D

www.therestump.com www.therestump.com



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Hey it worked for Marnus Labuschagne! And it did look like Alex Pearce was getting reverse swing on the odd kick. Time to Restump Podcast Saturday’s 12 minute loss to the Swans.

We got off to a flyer but we stopped as fast as we started and it was the first quarter curse yet again that destroyed us… or rather it was what we did or didn’t do in it that destroyed us

What if we start internally applying our games in 5ths? Say five 16-minute periods. That way we would avoid first quarters. Has it really come to that type of preposterous thinking?

After getting 18 disposals, 2 inside 50’s and kicking one goal one before the Swans had a single possession, the game was pretty much over 16 minutes later, as mental as that sounds.

It was as if centre clearances and spreading from the contest were foreign terms. We largely levelled up the numbers by the end of the night but, like has been the case all year, the damage was done.

Luke Jackson and Josh Treacy combined admirably in the ruck but there is no substitute for Sean Darcy. That said, he was there for the first quarter last week.

Thank goodness for Luke Ryan. He was exceptional as he nearly always is and the margin would have blown out without his performance.

With his 23 touches, 9 contested and 8 ground ball get (second most on the ground behind Caleb Serong) Liam Henry continues to dismiss his critics. He’s made the wing his own and if anyone else wants it they’re going to have to fight to take it off him.

We raised the prospect last week that Alex Pearce may not be the captain that is required, or more so that he doesn’t play in a position to make an influential difference when needed. Is the captaincy question rearing it head again?

As disappointing as the post-bye season has been, we still believe we’re not far off the pack. It looks like a lack of cohesion and connection and an absence of a bit of grunt and agro in the middle, rather than talent. And if that is the case, it is rectifiable with offseason focus.

We’d all love to be chatting about a victory but win lose or draw we soldier on. The monotony is biting us all but we bind together, hunker down and weather the storm like only Freo fans know how.

So, friends. Romans, countrymen… lend us your ears, pack your mental strength and come along for our interpretation of the current deep purple situation.



www.therestump.com

Podcast | T H E Restump P O D

www.therestump.com www.therestump.com



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Some are prematurely saying the season is over for Freo. But that’s loser talk! If we win eight of our last five we can still make finals. Yeah… ok, its over… let’s celebrate Ethan Hughes raising the bat and Restump Podcast Saturday’s cat fight.

Skilled Stadium, Kardinia Park, Alphabet Oval… Whiskas Bowl…. Whatever they’re calling that ground down in Geelong now holds no fears for us… well not a lot of fears… ok some fears in our current form. Regardless though it does hold some great memories.

We’ve played there 19 times with just the 4 wins. We’ve got an average winning margin of 17 points but an average losing margin of 40 points. We’ve averaged 66 points a game over the 19 occasions. Our most recent two encounters at the venue were a win last year by 3 points and a suffered hiding by 133 points in 2018.

The Cats are looking to scrape into the eight to participate in September yet again and, while we probably don’t care whether they make it or not, it’d be nice to make it difficult for them, if only for our mental and morale betterment.

The valuable Jimmy Aish returns and, as it seems the club is looking to manage Matty Johnson, young Ethan Stanley appears set for his second outing, albeit again in the sub vest.

Ethan Hughes celebrates a well-earned 100-game milestone and you just must be happy for him. He’s been used sporadically since 2015 but you always know what you’re going to get from him. He is consistent, he rarely plays a poor game and the gap between his best and worst is very narrow. He may not be the most polished or the most gifted but he is courageous, he puts his head over the ball and you get 110% effort all day every day from him.

If you’re listening to the commentary from the club it sounds like Liam Henry may be on the move in 2024. He has thrived in the back half of the season and is becoming the winger we have been hoping for. He’s getting opportunity and he’s part of our best 22 now so we hope Liam isn’t lost to the purple.

With our game being Saturday morning this week we better get on with it because we’re only hours away from bouncedown. So, let’s get into the cat clash and bang on about all things purple. We can only advise that you don’t waste your precious Friday or Saturday on us but if you value your time that little then who are we to deter you!



www.therestump.com

Podcast | T H E Restump P O D

www.therestump.com www.therestump.com




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Tom Hawkins, Jeremy Cameron, form and captaincy questions. Hey Siri tell me four things Alex Pearce destroyed on Saturday. Time to Restump Podcast the morale boosting win over the Cats.

While it mirrored the team’s performances, it is no secret Alex Pearce’s form in recent weeks wasn’t his greatest. However, he not only gave everyone a refresher course on his capabilities, he found another level and arguably played his career best game on Saturday.

Does that highly influential performance put to bed the captaincy questions that were arising? Or is there still a lingering thought that Caleb Serong or Andy Brayshaw could take over the role in 2024?

All that aside, Saturday was a magnificent, yet frustrating and bitter sweet result. In isolation it was the injection of joy we needed but, in context of the season, it was the four-quarter effort we haven’t seen often enough.

We had understandable fears Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron would take us to the cleaners. We might have gotten a little fortunate with a wayward Jeremy Cameron kicking 1 goal 5, but Alex Pearce ensured that luck wouldn’t go to waste.

While Pearce is the talk of the town, Hayden Young’s performance and move into the middle is the take out for us. His shut down role on Dangerfield was astonishing and while he may go back to defense next week, the prospect of someone of his size and stature stepping into the midfield is an enticing dynamic.

Caleb Serong ensured he’ll win the Doig by the length of the Flemington straight, Luke Jackson’s contested and clearance work was enormous, Luke Ryan did typical magnificent Luke Ryan things and did Freddy just kick goal of the year?

Sam Switkowski, or Switskowski according to some commentators, and Lachie Schultz had big productive days and is Corey Wagner working his way into a regular team position?

After bringing down the vibe last week, we’ll check in with Jojo to see his mood levels. The Chief has been spending his time campaigning for Sam Sturt to be given another contract and unfortunately writing a new Neighbourhood Watch episode that no one asked for.

After Saturday’s victory at the ground only us and Geelong can win at, there’s a pep in every Freo fan’s step and a glide in their stride. So, lets make celebratory hay while the victory sun shines and keep the conversational ball rolling. By all means join us entering the penalty free protected zone, come along for the ride and get involved.



www.therestump.com

Podcast | T H E Restump P O D

www.therestump.com www.therestump.com



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