The Restump Podcast

Remove this Banner Ad

When will the flat feeling end? Blame whoever you like but Saturday’s shenanigans have Jack Newnes’ conspiratorial finger prints all over it. Time to therapeutically Restump Podcast the blatant broad daylight heist!

Yes, we know, if Josh Treacy takes that mark, we probably win the game but I’m not ready to hear that! Yes, you can tell us the plenty of ifs, buts, maybes and woulda, shoulda couldas…. but what’s your point! Let us grieve in peace and, for now, focus all our blame energy on anything other than purple!

The reality is, remove the last minute and a half of the game and we’re staring down the barrel of an overwhelming shedload of positives. That was arguably one of the tougher tests we’ll have this year and, apart from the result, we passed with flying colours…. it was the flying fluoro green colours that were the problem.

We strangled Carlton all day making their task incredibly difficult. It was a rare occurrence when they didn’t have to kick to contest and they simply struggled to get their game going. Unfortunately, though as far as our scoreboard damage goes, we still leave the door open for opponents which, on this occasion, came back to bite us.

He’s been building in recent weeks and on Saturday Jeremy Sharp had a monster. His continual run to space to provide an option and his subsequent ball use is a sight for sore purple eyes, not seen since the Ed Langdon / Brad Hill days!

Tommy Emmett has been reading the Josh Carr playbook. He’s surely having team meetings with Josh, Crowley and Hayden Ballantyne and we’re just loving it.

Jordan Clark is in super-duper hot form and it looks like continuing. His communicative manner and on field observations are absolutely on point.

Is the Fyfe aerial work returning? While Jojo wasn’t enthused by it, I’m of the opinion he had a phenomenal game and looks to be building. His presence out there is a luxury we can’t afford to lose so let’s hope he stays fit and healthy.

We could go on and on but let’s wrap it up here and continue it on the pod. Jojo has plenty of explaining to do regarding his preview pod comments and we had our first winner in the Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition. Congrats to Vince Costantino.

We’re already a day late and there is at least two shedloads to get through so we better get on with it. If you’re looking for that non-pharmaceutical purple therapeutic pick me up, you’ve come to the right place as we’ve got the good gear at bargain basement prices.





AishTattoo.png
 
Something we didn’t know about Tommy Emmett…. apparently, he’s an avid reader! Time to Restump Podcast the Purple versus Port parade Saturday.

After last week’s shenanigans, which still isn’t sitting well with us, we need to focus and pull the four points against Port to get out of the two-week South Australia stint with something to show.

Unfortunately, Sean Darcy didn’t get up for the game as his return would have seen him reunite with Luke Jackson to deliver a history book worthy ruck dominance! However, while Ivan Soldo has been good for the Power, did we take a bit of a gander into Port Adelaide’s ruck stocks, realise they don’t really have a second ruck and say…. “Hey Darce, give yourself an extra week.”

Michael Frederick is a big loss, especially with half an injury cloud hanging over Sam Switkowski. His replacement, Neil Erasmus makes his way into the side to probably don the sub vest.

Over at Port Jeremy Finlayson is unbelievably out for 3 weeks for saying mean words and potentially hurting someone’s feelings because the sticks and stones policy has somehow become irrelevant! Injured stalwart Travis Boak also takes a spell on the sidelines which we’re not too disappointed about.

They’re two big outs that will make the job a touch easier but with Ollie Wines and hard nut Sam Powell-Pepper coming in, they’re comparable replacements.

Charlie Dixon, Todd Marshall and the returned Mitch Georgiades up front are a pretty big challenge but we’ll back our defensive unit in all day.

The midfield will be a big watch in itself. Connor Rozee, Zac Buttters, Ollie, Jason Horne Francis up against Nat Fyfe, Andy Brayshaw, Caleb Serong and Hayden young. Whoever gets the better of it in the middle might decide the contest.

Let’s also keep a close check on Dan Houston and Kane Farrell and not let them into space with the ball anywhere within about 60 metres of goal!

Can’t wait for this one. Just quietly as good as Port Adelaide is, when you look deeper into it, I can’t help but think their form is a little false, or rather distorted. Consequently, I’m slightly leaning towards the thinking that we’re a better chance than the tipsters and bookies are suggesting.

Don’t forget to throw an entry in the Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition. Go to the Restump facebook, twitter or Instagram page and enter under the competition post. Its free to enter and a $50 2Bros. Foods voucher is up for grabs, possibly supersized to $100.

Count down to bounce down is on so let’s get into the pod, into the numbers and try to assess the game in more depth. If you’ve nothing better to do on a Friday night than listen to us, you need to have a good look at what you’re doing with your life!






TommyCarr.png
 
Any longer in South Australia and we’d end up putting our own bodies in the barrels! Time to Restump Podcast the end of the horrendous two weeks in bandit riddled Adelaide.

We should be strutting out of South Australia with two big wins and eight fat points, sitting pretty near the top of the ladder with all but a finals campaign berth in the bag!

But no, we’ve spent two weeks getting done over by bandits and now we’re hitch-hiking home back to WA with nothing to show for it…. except Bailey Banfield who has a Zak Butters imprinted lump on his head!

We still weren’t over the Carlton debacle from the previous week and we end up with another case of the Blues a week later against Port Adelaide! We have to look where we put our feet and stop standing on rugs that can be pulled out from under us!

To be real, we were robbed against the Blues but we’ve only really got ourselves to blame for the snatching of Saturday night defeat from the jaws of victory. A combination of mistakes, lack of composure and a serious inability to score brought us undone. We did what we always do, and that is leaving the door open for the opposition to roll us. Port Adelaide cased the joint, got their foot in the door and then lifted the four points from right under our noses.

Yes, Bailey Banfield made a couple of blunders kicking a couple out of bounds on the full, as did Matty Johnson. But if we’re singling out people then Sammy Switkowski should’ve nailed his shot just prior to ¾ time and Caleb Serong should have done better on his gettable goal. No one is getting a pass but there are many moments that should have had us in a much better position leading up to the last two minutes of the game.

It’s becoming apparent we need to find more avenues to score. Prominent teams are getting goals from their midfield and it is something we rarely achieve. Consequently, with our forward line often malfunctioning, our fortunes are unfairly far too dependent on our magnificent defensive unit.

All Australian Alex Pearce is possessed, Luke Ryan can read opponent’s minds and Josh Treacy could catch a slippery eel in an oil slick with his bare hands! We just need a few others to climb on board.

However, if we can console ourselves by taking a momentary bigger picture view, we’ve just run two, probably top four to top six, teams to the wire and all but beaten them.

Sean Darcy is due to return, Freddy is not far away and a little increase in forward craft and cohesion and a goal or two from the mids and we’re off to the serious races.

The Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition is getting traction and it’ll be back for the Derby this week with a big 2 Brothers Foods voucher on offer so, study up.

It’s been a long painful two weeks in South Australia so let’s wrap up what was our final game there for the year. If, like us, you’re keen to extract the positives, bury the SA saga and move on, then by all means grab a shovel, join us and dig in.






AdeGetKnotted.png
 

Log in to remove this ad.

The pent-up anger of the last two weeks, a hunger for points lost and the reuniting of Jackarce! God help the West Coast Eagles. Time to Restump preview Podcast this Saturday’s bird cull!

After erring on the side of caution last week, Sean Darcy is tip top and ready to rock and roll right through anything in blue and gold Saturday evening. We’ll send a wreath to the funeral of those who stumble into his path.

Surprisingly, after just a few touches in the WAFL, Sammy Sturt has been thrown a lifeline. Without Freddy and with Switta suffering concussion, this career saving opportunity has opened up and Sturty needs to grab on and not let go.

We obviously are arrogantly jesting but the reality is, it is extremely difficult to not go into this game ultra confident. Last week’s win by West Coast was an improvement, but it is false form in the greater scheme of things. You can imagine the result had Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper, Dion Prestia, Noah Balta, Dylan Grimes and Tom Lynch actually been out there for the Tiges.

With two outs and two ins it means Neil Erasmus holds his spot. The question is will he be in the starting 22 or will he don the sub vest yet again?

Bailey Banfield judged to be the 3rd best winger in the league with Champion Data. Banfield has been good this year, albeit with a couple of pivotal moment blemishes, but apparently the same crew rate Massimo D’Ambrosio in first spot ahead of Errol Gulden!

We were all on Gaff watch but sadly the treadmill runner gets to remain in the safety of the WAFL. With his contract ending at the close of 2024, we may have just one more opportunity to return serve on the indiscretion that has gone unpunished, before he saunters off into the obscurity.

Anyway, whichever way you look at the form of this game, Saturday night the numbers just don’t stack up for the Eagles. The bookies seem to think so as well given they have us priced at $1.14.

In other news it was heartening, but not surprising, to hear the green cap wearing Jordan Clark sign on for a further three years.

Apparently, you can now belt someone on the field, head to the tribunal, get someone to say you’re a good bloke and that it was uncharacteristic behaviour and, hey presto, get your charge downgraded.

The Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition is back for the Derby and Jojo is again putting up the prize from his 2 Brothers Foods company, so make sure you get involved.

If, like us, you’re pacing the halls and constantly looking at your watch impatiently waiting for bounce down, then feel free to join us twiddling our thumbs as we preview the Freo V the Feather Weights Saturday night.




JackarceReunited.png
 
Accusations we tempted the Footy Gods with our overconfidence are unfounded. They tipped Freo by fence panels. Sadly, it’s time to somehow Restump Podcast whatever Saturday night was.

If anyone said they saw Saturday night’s performance and result coming, they’re lying. Biff Tannen armed with his Grays Sports Almanac handbook wouldn’t have bet on West Coast in that game.

We thought we weren’t that club any more. The team that unexpectedly puts in the most bizarre and inexplicable performance. After Saturday night, it is difficult to suggest we aren’t.

Admittedly without Freddy, without Switta, without Coxy and without Amiss we were somewhat undermanned against, really, as full strength an outfit West Coast are likely to have for some time. But it wasn’t who was and wasn’t out there, it was how we did or rather didn’t go about it.

We should have gone into this game five and zero, or at least four and one. Where was the resulting fire? Where was the anger of the two weeks in South Australia that we should have unleashed on West Coast? To the Eagle’s credit they brought and delivered what we didn’t. They monstered us, they intimidated us, they verballed and niggled us and we allowed them to do so.

Harley Reid is a jet. He’s a generational talent and freakish for his age and experience. But while that is the case, he’s a 19 year old kid in his 6th AFL game and we allowed him to physically and verbally bully us!

We weren’t clean with the ball, individually we rapidly descended into self-preservation mode and seemingly, or consequentially, our footy intelligence decreased. We repeatedly made terrible decisions; we were more often than not, standoffish and we were simply destroyed by a team with a substantially greater appetite.

Maybe the extended Gather Round trip had a far greater detrimental impact than we all know? Maybe the compound effect of the Gather Round trip and the loss of Freddy, Switta and Amiss exposed our depth? In all reality we’ve been winning games off the back of our defence. We did raise the point that if they had a rare down day we’d be picked off. Still, no one thought that would be enough to see what the Eagles did to us.

We’ve now destroyed the early work we did setting up our season and at three and three we’ve lost our advantage. We’re back to the pack, run of the mill and fighting for survival! Are we fighting though? That remains to be seen this week against the Dogs.

Some drown their sorrows with alcohol, others choose to comfort eat. For the latter, it would have been a great week to win the Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition and tuck into the $50 of 2Bros foods. Deb Albrecht did just that and we hope she remembers that sharing is caring!

I feel like we’ve got so many more questions than answers. So, let’s see if Jojo can even up the ledger and give us a few answers and provide us some direction in life. This was a really tough one to take as the result and performance was all on us, not umpires and not freak circumstances.

Apparently, a problem shared is a problem halved so join us on the pod as we all need to band together and do a shedload of sharing.





SelectAllSquares.png
 
It was a case of the old dog reminding other dogs he still has the tricks! Time to Restump Podcast the much-needed win over the Footscray hounds.

It was the type of win we needed. Proving victorious in a hard fought, tight tussle put to bed any monkey on the back narrative development, surrounding close games. It was a win the players had to have for their own wellbeing, for the betterment of their season and for us fans after last week’s debacle.

Even the staunchest Nat Fyfe supporter would have had doubts that we’d see that type of performance from the champ again. It was a doubting Thomas crushing, never-write-me-off, nostalgic wave causing, vintage Fyfe display, proving a treat for us fans, a nightmare for the Dogs and an incredible and deserved reward for himself.

Let’s not forget his running mate Caleb Serong with his equalling 37 possessions and ridiculous record of 17 clearances. Throw in Andy Brayshaw with his 30 touches and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Dogs players complained we were hogging the ball.

We know our defensive unit is the best in the business but how it overcame the Dog’s forward line with its tall timber…. you just shake your head in disbelief! Sam Darcy, Aaron Naughton, Rory Lobb… apart from Alex Pearce we were walking in the land of the Giants!

Luke Ryan always finds a way, James Aish returned to doing James Aishy stuff, Jordan Clark could be leading the best and fairest and geez…. it was nice to have Chappy back. The balance providing Brandon Walker often unfairly gets heat from fans, but what he brings far outweighs his blues.

There was a lot of razzle dazzle about Fyfey and Serong’s exploits and rightly so, but Clunker Treacy is as big a talking point as there is. 5 contested possessions and 4 contested marks in the final quarter were vital, 3 goals neat for the game…. in the absence of Jye Amiss, he made a statement.

Bailey Banfield made amends for his recent hiccups. Being used in a variety of positions to fix and fill holes he performed admirably and it is probably a week when even his biggest cynics should give him a break and a pat on the back.

Have we found one in Paddy Voss? Have we found another in Cooper Simpson? Both moved well and looked extremely comfortable given they were on debut. Very small sample size but no doubt we all liked what we saw.

Bailey Banfield blew out the dogs and the Mi Casa Property Boutique Metres Gained competition this week! His 171 metres final quarter effort got no love from participants. So, Jojo is doing a jackpot special next week putting up a possible $200 spend at 2brothers foods.

Plenty more to discuss so let’s get into it. You’d like to think there’d be a lot less ranting and a lot more constructive analysis this week, but nobody is going all in on that bet. Let’s dial into the pod and find out if Jojo will even bother to turn up!





FyfeDogs.png
 
I mean, we’re already over there… it’d be negligent to not test the water, wouldn’t it? Let’s get to the nuts and Boltons of it, contracts are transferable, they're renegotiable! Time to Restump Podcast the upcoming Tigger tussle!

Let’s not call a spade a pointy diggy thing… space in the Tigers’ recovery centre is tighter than the housing market! Tom Lynch, Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper, Dion Prestia, Noah Balta, Jack Graham and Jack Ross are all jostling for rehab real estate, so it is safe to say anyone who plays Richmond at the moment is getting them at the right time.

However, we shouldn’t poke the Tiger with a short stick. As wounded and depleted as they may be, they found a way to devour the Swans in round four without a Jacob Hopper, a Dustin Martin, a Dion Prestia and a Dylan Grimes.

But season 2024 we’re taking down animals like we’re on a game hunting tour. Yes, the eagles escaped our clutches this time around, but we’ve feasted on Crows, Lions, Kangaroos and Dogs. It’s our AFL animal slaughter safari strategy and the Tigers have entered the kill zone.

We’ve made just the one change with the very unlucky Paddy Voss going out and being replaced by Jye Amiss. Paddy didn’t put a foot wrong but he has suffered the consequential desire for team balance.

Richmond have lost Jacob Hopper as mentioned, and they’ve suffered a further hit with Jack Graham succumbing to injury. There are almost 1,000 games of experience from numerous players in the Tiger’s best 23 that they’re missing.

We inexplicably dropped a game against the Eagles that we couldn’t afford and we need to make that back at the Tiger’s expense. They may have some on-field holes to fill but they’ll run out with 11 players possessing a combined 19 premierships. So, it is safe to suggest they have enough quality and experience out there to potentially cause us some concerns.

The Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition has jackpotted. There is a $100 voucher from 2Bros up for grabs and if you opt to chance it in our Bailey Banfield special it could be upped to $200. Get involved on the social media posts.

We’ve played at the MCG just 6 times in the last 3 years for 2 wins and 4 losses. Sunday is the first of just two home and away games at the venue the AFL generously blessed us with so we need to start a winning trend there.

Does Jojo need to apologise? Two weeks ago, he said exactly what Sammy Draper has ridiculously been hauled over the coals for. The question will be asked of him.

If you’ve had enough of this nonsense here then don’t tune into the pod because there are probably shedloads more of it in there. But as we always say at the Restump, lack of ability isn’t an excuse to not attempt a better quality of nonsense.






Bolts.png
 
What was the conversation? “Wait a minute, if you’re here and I am here… then who is….?” No worries fellas, JT had it covered! Time to Restump Podcast the trouncing of the Tigers!

Even if it was a wounded, former beast, it was extremely satisfying putting away a side by near on ten goals. It is something we rarely, if ever do so, to bank 9% and the four points… we’ll gladly take that.

The Tigers might be from Tigerland but they aren’t the Tigers of old and in the first half they weren’t very strong or very bold. To be brutally honest, we should have put the game to bed in the first half and all got on the deadly treadlies and wound down.

They got their act together in the third quarter after they had lulled us into a sleepy stupor and they threatened to make a game of it. (Maybe we were on the treadlies, metaphorically speaking) However, we’re a team that can now seem to right the ship on the run and we clicked into gear and put them to the sword. We are though still leaving the door open and who knows what a better opponent may have done.

How good is our predominant left foot, but right foot goal kicking, inside mid going? Hayden Young is out of control inn a good way! And when you’ve got a Caleb Serong going about his top-drawer business, a future captain in Andy Brayshaw and a Matt Johnson who can step inside and belong, the middle is taken care of and it enables us the absurd luxury of having a sub by the name of Fyfe!

Luke Ryan is a speed reader. He’s finished reading a book while others are still looking at the cover. It is as if he can precisely predict the play and put himself in the exact position he needs to be. He along with Jordan Clark would have to be All Australian favourites! They didn’t give the Tiges a look in yesterday.

Up the other end of the ground, there’s a guy who is, in his own words, kicking snags and taking clunks. Josh Treacy has 18 snags to his name he’s now in the top ten in the Coleman. Four goals neat on the weekend… that’s absurd! We don’t kick with that level of accuracy at Fremantle…. who does he think he is!

All in all, we got the result most of us probably thought we would but the game against West Coast a couple of weeks back just sowed a little bit of doubt in our minds. But while we kicked a big score, won by a space and seemed to do it on the bit, the Tigers are genuinely wounded. So, we’ll run with an appropriate Ross Lyon classic, it’s never as good or as bad as it seems.

Caleb Serong was surprisingly friendless in the Mi Casa property Boutique metres gained competition this week and therefore it has jackpotted again. That means there’ll be $150 spend at 2 Bros Foods up for grabs this Friday night when we take on the likely Joel Hamling included, Swans.

Enough waffling on here! So, join us for more waffle as we look at the game in a bit more depth and chat about everything purple.







Cycle.png
 
Seems inaccuracy is contagious! We wanted to prove a point against the Swannies but did we need to prove up 15 of them? Time to Restump Podcast the frustratingly wayward walloping we were handed by the Swans.

I can’t remember being in a game we were in up to our eyeballs, yet simultaneously couldn’t have been further out of. We matched or bettered the classy Swans in nearly every aspect of the game except where it most counts, the scoreboard.

Obviously, it was evident the tragic passing of Cam McCarthy had a severe impact on the group, but it didn’t seem to materially effect on-field performance. Had there been a lethargy or a lack of intensity you’d understandably attribute it to the sad situation. But incredibly the players showed little to no signs of such and only stumbled going forward and around the big sticks.

The Swannies excelled in decision making and composure, areas where we were drastically deficient in. They brought a superbly crafted plan to the table that involved shutting down Jordan Clark and curtailing Luke Ryan’s influence and they executed it to perfection.

While many of our scoring opportunities were under pressure and from low percentage positions on the ground, you can’t offer up excuses for simple set shot misses from the likes of Jye Amiss, Sam Switkowski, Freddy and Paddy Voss to name a few.

Caleb Serong couldn’t make the distance of about 45 metres. Fyfe, Amiss, O’Meara and Sharp all had shots on goal that went scoreless.

It was a mental contagion. The rot snowballed into such a state that players began shirking the responsibility. Bailey Banfield had a mark 35 metres out and kicked it 50 metres to Jeremy Sharp in a worse position. Fyfey, who was having a nightmare of a kicking game, was so unwilling to take the kick 25 metres out directly in front, he handballed to a teammate under pressure.

The Swans rightfully should be flag favourites and we did more than enough in almost every measurable category on the ground to beat them. We simply broke down forward of centre, as we so often do against highly competent teams. Missed gettable goals, overuse of the ball forward of centre, poor decision making and that severe lack of mid forward connection and cohesion continues to bring us undone.

Is Luke Ryan keeping an eye on the Mi Casa Property Boutique Metres Gained Competition? He had 13 possessions to ¾ time and then went into overdrive with 13 in the last quarter to almost double his metres gained with 321 in the last quarter. Thommo Thomason took off the $150 jackpot spend from 2 Brothers Foods with a 245 metres prediction. It’ll be back next week starting from $50 once again.

Enough of this claptrap here! Let’s get into the podcast and dig a little deeper, call in the biomechanists, the shrinks, the podiatrists even and anyone else that can help get to bottom of the wayward goal kicking woes! There are no wrong answers so join us with your suggestions.






Box.png
 
It’s the first time in our history we’ve less than 5 indigenous players on the list. But that doesn’t mean 3 isn’t good quality company. Time to Restump Podcast the Saturday night scrap against the Saints.

For a club that is known for its adoption and celebration of indigenous culture and its rich history of numerous indigenous players, we have recently seen a sharp decline in numbers down at the purple Port.

For our entire history leading up to the start of 2024, we have averaged over 7 indigenous players per year and, as mentioned, we’ve never had less than five on our list. However, with the departures of Joel Hamling, Liam Henry, Nathan Wilson and Roy Benning at the end of 2023, Sonny Walters, Alex Pearce and Conrad Williams are carrying the indigenous representation load.

Albeit from across the aisle, we reunite with Ross and say hello to Henry Saturday night in a must win game against the Saints. Our former coach has obviously had enough of his team’s wayward form, swinging the axe, making six significant changes.

Out goes Seb Ross, Liam Stocker, Jack Hayes, Hugo Garcia and the two goals a game forward against Freo, Tim Membrey.

While it appears down at Cockburn central we are going in with an unchanged line up, we do have some interesting emergencies. Will Liam Reidy be a late in to make his debut and give Luke Jackson a chop out in the ruck? Whatever the case, let’s hope all the goal kicking radars got a tune up during the week.

Should be a very close game. Both teams are extremely similar in regards to offensive and defensive numbers and its incredibly difficult to get a genuine handle on the form of both clubs.

The Mi Casa Property Boutique Metres Gained Competition is back for the weekend. A $50 spend from 2 Brothers Foods is up for grabs or $100 in the ongoing Bailey Banfield special. Check our social medias Friday for the competition post.

Apparently, the teams that do little to no traveling, think getting across the Nullabor every second week is no big deal because a few guys get to travel in business class. No doubt they’re the same VFL clubs who have complained about having to travel to Marvel stadium!

The remaining fixtures are out and, surprise surprise, we’ve been handed a bunch of dead zone timeslot games beginning WA morning times!

Anyway, plenty to talk about but let’s focus on the task at hand, which is, in a good-natured way, giving Liam a little lip and showing the Lyon no love. The pod isn’t going to preview itself so let’s get into it and look for a path to the four-point bank.




Three.png
 
You thought covid was contagious! Inaccuritis is a coordination destroying mental contagion, leaving sufferers incapable of performing simple tasks. Time to Restump Podcast the point kicking epidemic.

Call in a priest, this evil presence needs exorcising! Or it may be as simple as tapping David Mundy on the shoulder again and saying, “Dave, come down and show these guys how it’s done.”

The last two weeks we’ve kicked 13 goals 33 behinds. We’ve never been a great goal kicking side but this is beyond anyone’s comprehension! Have we got Zac Dawson down there running goal kicking drills? I mean who is taking all our shots on goal…. Nat Fyfe? (Sorry Fyfey, low blow)

It’s a genuine contagion and when the rot sets in, it sets in. The pressure builds and then every player subsequently taking a shot at goal has the desperation demons in his head.

Jye Amiss’ radar is so far off its almost sinister! We know Nat Fyfe has never been a great kick but he’s lining up 30 metres dead in front and hitting spectators on the wing! And Paddy Voss at the moment, like Crash Davis said in the movie Bull Durham, “couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat.”

While the numbers are tragic, there are also great silver lining positives to come out of them.

Accuracy is predominantly the extent of our game problems. While it’s not easily rectifiable, it isn’t an unfixable deficiency. And again, while inaccurate, if you consider the scoreless shots and the out of bounds on the full, we generated 13 scoring shots from sources other than the forwards. It is something that has been pronounced in recent weeks suggesting an intentional move, so we’re developing.

On top of the inaccurate doom and gloom we did go over there, matched and bettered a similar highly defensive game from the Saints, we kept them to 55 points and we came away with a much needed 4 points.

The continual improvement of Matty Johnson coinciding with more midfield time, the goal kicking wingman Jeremy Sharp, Jordan Clark continuing his All-Australian form and the emergence of Brandon Walker are just some more of the positives to come out of the game and reasons to remain upbeat.

But at the minute the inaccuracy is a difficult pill to swallow. We got away with it this week but it cost us in more ways than one last week and will do going forward if we don’t rectify it.

The reality is we’re only 4% from 6th place so, as Rosco always says, “Its never as good or as bad as it seems.”

After going back-to-back in the Mi Casa Property Boutique competition, Luke Ryan has now gotten the most metres in 12 of the total 40 quarters Freo has played this year. He is as safe as the houses the Mi Casa team buy and sell for their clients!

So, with no jackpot to speak of, there’ll be another 2 Brothers Foods $50 spend this week when we come up against Lachie Schultz and his Pies.

Enough of the carry on here, let’s get into the pod to dig deeper into the catastrophic kicking, talk through the mental problems and come to a real solution-based outcome. Who are we kidding… we can only offer more nonsense but come along for the listen anyway.






Accuritis.png
 
No one wanted to lose Lachie Schultz but some fan’s reactions at the time were way over the top! Who is offering up a 1st rounder to get him back? Time to Restump Podcast the Friday night Pie fight.

It wasn’t necessarily in a Don Corleone type of manner, but Collingwood made us an offer we couldn’t refuse, and they probably didn’t have to.

If only to stoke some retaliatory fire, it is worth mentioning, albeit with some cherry picking embellishment, that Lachie whined he felt disrespected, he cried victim and he packed his bags, took his bat and ball and went home! As we said at the time, it was disappointing to see him walk out the door but he was never irreplaceable and we’re extremely comfortable replacing him with Collingwood’s first pick this year.

Enough water has gone under the Lachie bridge now so it’s time to bind together and invoke the George Bush’s drum beating war cry, “You’re either with us, or you’re with the Collingwood terrorists.” I know… I was surprised Bush said that as well, but it’s true… take my word for it, there’s no need to look it up. Lachie chose the terrorists so the sympathy time is over!

All traitorous Lachie Schultz shenanigans aside, this game is a huge opportunity for us to peg one of the wins back that we shouldn’t have lost recently. Collingwood are travelling ok but now is the time you want to get them, so we must take advantage of it.

Jordan Degoey, Tom Mitchell, Jamie Elliot, Will Hoskin-Elliot and Jeremy Howe are all absent. That’s a shedload of talent and experience. Further advantageous for us is the fact they’re playing 2 debutants and a further 4 players have a total of 15 games between them.

We welcome back Sean Darcy and combined with Luke Jackson, it looks a powerful and versatile combination that should prove far too superior for Darcy Cameron and Mason Cox.

Corey Wagner also makes a well-earned return but we lose Freddy to concussion and unfortunately for Paddy Voss, for team balance and nothing more, he steps aside.

We’re going in as $1.72 favourites and, when you look at the two teams on paper, it is difficult to argue that shouldn’t be the case. But on paper, goal accuracy doesn’t enter the equation. We’ve had two horror weeks in front of the big sticks… hopefully Friday night is the exception to the philosophical rule that things come in threes!

Don’t forget to take a stab in the dark in the Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition. It is free to enter and you can win yourself a $50 spend at 2 Brothers Foods. Look up the competition post on our socials and remember entries close at 5.10pm Friday night.

It’s less than 24 hours until Andy Brayshaw puts a bit of hurt on the back of the Blake Acres head cowardly punching Lachie Schultz, so we better get on with it. If you’re looking to knock off 40 minutes between now and bouncedown… by all means, come along for the listen providing you have low expectations.




ShootaFoot.png
 
It should have been 4 points, it was looking likely to be zero points, so we’ll grab the two points and get the hell out of Dodge! Time to Restump Podcast the two-point Pie heist.

Like so many previous occasions, our beloved Fremantle Dockers have left us with mixed feelings. It was a game against a very depleted side that we should have won. It was a game that was looking like we were going to be on the end of a five-goal hiding and yet it was a game we somehow salvaged something from the wreck. Can you be disappointedly grateful?

Were the final seven minutes a case of us finally clicking into gear, or was it Collingwood’s recent and in game adversity catching up with them? It is probably a little of both but does that seven minutes and salvaged two points cloud the reality? It’s a matter of opinion, its open for interpretation and discussion.

We’ve significantly upped our handball game over the last half a dozen weeks but we’re struggling to find the right balance. We hit our season high handball numbers on Friday night, but against a team that thrives on applying pressure, it may not have been the ideal occasion to do so.

With errant and poor decision handballs we nearly sold as many teammates into trouble as Mi Casa Property Boutique sells homes!

Jye Amiss needs some purple love and support. The poor kid looks mentally broken, suffering a serious and bizarre case of the yips. His confidence had taken a beating in recent weeks and upon missing those two shots at goal by a long way, it was shattered. He went into his shell and barely got another touch all day.

One man who is at the opposite end of the scale and usually the opposite end of the ground, cannot put a foot wrong. Captain Alex Pearce did his job down back and then went forward to show them how it’s done up there.

Sometimes you momentarily put results aside to admire and celebrate a very rare moment in this game. Alex Pearce’s goal and his dedication to Cam McCarthy was one such special moment.

We’re precariously placed in 9th. Seven of our remaining twelve games are against current top eight sides, five of them against top four sides. We really could have done with that extra two points on Friday! It’s a tough run home, so we can’t let any more opportunities slip through our purple fingers.

After winning it three times in a row, The Mi Casa Property Boutique competition has turned into “guess how many metres Luke Ryan will get,” so it’s getting a revamp. It is unconfirmed, but apparently the Neighbourhood Watch segment is returning and there will be a lot of the usual repartee to endure.

So, if your cautious optimism is starting to wane and you’re confusingly disappointedly grateful, then you’re amongst likeminded purple people here. Join us as we try to crack the conundrum, unravel the riddle and attempt to put together the pieces of the purple puzzle in this hour of who knows what!






LegItLongy.png
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

And Melbourne thinks it’s the world’s best at lockdowns! Somewhere, probably outside a golf course, there’ll be an angry Dan Andrews. Time to Restump Podcast the dismantling of the Dees.

Eighties kids will remember John ‘Hannibal’ Smith saying “I love it when a plan comes together” at the end of the A-Team episodes. It is easy to envision Justin Longmuir doing the same at the conclusion of Sunday’s game.

While you’re not being absolutely honest with yourself if you’re not acknowledging Melbourne’s physical or mental inadequacies on the day or that they’ve got some real weaknesses at times, 90-point beltings aren’t handed to you and they still have to be earned. However, it was more the manner in how we achieved it which was so encouraging and it was the adherence to the system which was confidence boosting.

It was simply a joy to see the back six get unconditional trust. It set the tone for the day, kickstarting the system we want to play, which we got to see in all its glory.

We found the ideal tempo balance; we took the first option and we ran in waves to support. Whether there was a lack of in-your-face pressure from the Dees or not, the forward line showed great functionality and we created efficient mid forward connectivity.

More than anything else on the day though, most importantly, we found our accuracy and that makes life easier for everyone.

Sammy Switkowski just played his career best game. Relentless across the four quarters, he’s now put two superb performances together on the bounce. Is Sammy Switta about to deliver in spades what he has consistently given us in patches? We’re in good shape if he brings that every week from here in.

Welcome Back Nev! Jye Amiss got amongst it early, slotted his first goal, got a shot of confidence in the arm and went on to bang in three more, seeing off the accuracy monkey from his back! He teamed up with his tall timber mates, Josh Treacy and Luke Jackson, and together, working cohesively, they easily kicked more than Melbourne’s entire score.

Hayden Young’s signature to the end of 2027 was such a massive get because his stock continues to sky rocket. We can’t sing Heath Chapman’s praises highly enough, Jordy Clark is a lock for All Australian and he should probably be coated up alongside his captain, Alex Pearce.

Was the performance of the Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy combination, otherwise known as team JackArce, the first step to showing the premature naysayers how it may operate? Let’s not forget Sean Darcy is still way underdone and unfortunately the bye may have come at the wrong time for him.

The reality is you can’t leave anyone out for praise. There were simply 23 serious contributors on the day that were all on the same page, all performed their roles and all had an influence on the result.

They can go into the bye now enjoying the well-earned rest, knowing they’re in 6th position, knowing JL’s system works and knowing if they bring the endeavour, the intent and the smarts they did Sunday to every remaining game, they’ll be playing finals.

We’ve got a jackpot in the Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition after Hayden Young was overlooked. So, when it returns in two weeks’ time there will be a $100 spend on offer from 2 Brothers Foods.

Freo’s form has been a difficult read recently but Sunday’s performance just saw us take a big step in the right direction. We’re going to get much tougher and more engaged opponents in the run home but Sunday has to be the base performance.

There are now two weeks off so lets gets this nonsense out of the way. While the negative is that there is no Freo footy now for a fortnight… at least you’ll get a break from our noise. Take the silver lining!




SwittaLD.png
 
Our post bye game form isn’t the Dog’s breakfast we perceive and an AM start in WA doesn’t hurt! Should we Lobby the AFL for more byes? Time to Restump Podcast the Saturday morning dog fight.

For some reason we’re all of the belief we’re still in holiday mode or we’re jet lagged when we turn up after the bye and consequently our form isn’t flash. However, we’re misleading ourselves because we’re 8 wins and 7 losses from our 15 post-bye games.

So, we’ve got a 53% post-bye win strike rate which is about 8 percentage points greater than our overall historical win rate of 45%. Does that suggest we’re better coming off the bye?

Fractions and odds and percentages aside, every game is its own bag and that includes tomorrow at Marvel against the Dogs.

After not putting a foot wrong in his two quarters from his last two games as the sub, unfortunately for Corey Wagner he makes way for the return of Matt Johnson, who is a really good in.

With Aaron Naughton and Sam Darcy out of the Bulldogs, maybe we took the opportunity to strengthen the midfield depth?

The Dogs have some quality ins though with Corey Weightman back in since sustaining the arm injury against us 7 games ago. They also have brought back Ed Richards who adds some heat to their midfield in both defensive and offensive manners. And they lose Alex Keith which is a positive for us.

Front and centre on the team strategy white board should be, “avoid playing to Liam Jone’s strengths”. Whoever is on him at any given stage needs to lead him away from the action.

The Dogs were seemingly flying but they got opened up last week by the Lions. Without two of their three tall timber goal kickers, too much pressure fell on to Jamara Ugle-Hagan’s shoulders. Corey Weightman will no doubt alleviate some of that pressure but they’re not the same side without Naughton and Darcy.

This is a very winnable game and it gives us the chance to put a little mini space between us and those outside the eight if we do grab the four points here.

Jojo couldn’t let another Rory Lobb moment pass quietly so he has apparently gone gimmicky again. He wouldn’t divulge what he’s done but we’ll evidently find out tomorrow before the game.

And if the cost of living is biting, study up and an enter the Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition. We have a jackpot so there is $100 spend at 2 Brothers Foods on offer or a $200 spend if you go one of the two specials, Bailey Banfield or Rory Lobb.

Bounce down is not far off so we better get into it. Big second half of the season starts now so feel free to come along for the ride. You’ll learn nothing, you’ll throw 40 minutes away and you might even be lesser for it but what if that isn’t the case? Can you really take that chance?





Lobbying.png
 
We were all Sarim Akhtar on Saturday. Unfortunately, if only as a coping mechanism, it’s time to somehow Restump Podcast that, double negative intended, catastrophic calamity.

I know it was a morning start time in WA but it wasn’t in Victoria… did we really need to be the dog’s breakfast? They should have already eaten!

At The Restump, we always look at every game with a wholesome holistic approach, we try to find balance, we search for the positives, we look for silver linings. There isn’t even a shadow of a slight subtle greyish hue of a line here.

We were simply out-worked, out-muscled, out-thought, out-coached and out-strategised. It wouldn’t surprise us if Champion Data’s analysis showed Sonny Walters was in our best players in the second half!

At some point do we have to contemplate the real possibility that our form, or at least our recent form, has a degree of inauthenticity to it? Is there a lack of integrity in many of our performances that is disguised by our often, opposing team factor driven, wins?

For us, the games where we truly showed our capabilities were against Carlton, Port Adelaide and Sydney. Ironically, we lost all three, but it wasn’t due to lack of effort, intensity or application. Umpire decision, a momentary brain fade and inaccurate kicking respectively, were the cause for the losses. But the fact is, we were genuinely as good as our opponents all day.

On Saturday, admittedly from the cheap seats, it appeared to be a lack of application and often intent. There was a lethargy in our endeavours. It seemed no one really wanted to do the hard work. We have been trying to increase our outside run and carry, quick ball movement game and it looked spectacular at times when it came off, but everyone wanted to be on the outside.

If it wasn’t the third or fourth type of similar performance we’d delivered this year, we’d call it an anomaly, rule a line through it and move on. But by the very definition, a bunch of outliers can’t exist.

Quite simply, the Dog’s, without Aaron Naughton and Sam Darcy, the two tall forwards leading their goal kicking, managed their highest score of the year kicking 23 goals against the statistically number one defensive team in the league. It is beyond inexplicable.

If only our goal kickers were as accurate as Jojo’s “Kiss of Death” abilities! His pre-game ‘Losing no Sleep Over’ player this week was Rory Lobb. Yeah, great work Jojo, you’re about 6 and zero!

The Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition has jackpotted for the second successive week after the Captain Alex Pearce was abandoned by the punters. So, there’s a $150 spend at 2 Brothers Foods up for grabs this coming week.

Let’s start the pod and see if we can make heads or tails of Saturday’s debacle, to salvage something, anything, from the wreck. We understand if you’re all purpled out but we need some closure before we move on. So, if you’re in despair and struggling for purpose, come along and we’ll all attempt to heal together.





PakistanDocker.png
 
And he turned to his detractors and said, “Write me off at your peril. In the near future, I see no Swan song.” Time to Restump Podcast that magnificent win against the Bloods.

It is difficult to fathom that everything across the board would all come together on a Saturday in Sydney against the Swans. There was no early lethargy and no lapses, there were no holes in the game plan or deficiencies in executing it. Oddly enough, given our seemingly vulnerable backline, there was no missing piece of the puzzle.

It was as if there was a foreign subconscious connection over the entire group, a highly infectious energetic positive presence. The deep selflessness and the sacrifice of the individuals, produced a pure purple magic we’ve previously only seen sporadically.

From the coaching committee to the players, to the runners, the book only consisted of the single page and everyone was on it.

Internally, there wasn’t a hint of trepidation about the gigantic shoes Josh Draper and Hugh Davies had to fill, or the ominous and understandably overwhelming task they were both asked to perform. How they both carried themselves, shouldering such responsibility, it is now easy to see why!

The poise and the composure of Josh Draper and his, dare we continue to say it, Michael Johnson-like versatility, brings a joyful and nostalgic tear to your eye. And then the currently undersized but competent and competitive Hugh Davies in just his second game…. shut your face! Yeah, he made a bit of a blue with his loop short kick to Clarky, but we’re putting it down to the ghost of Blake Acres.

Quite simply we cannot sing the praises of the two young defenders highly enough. Up forward with Josh Treacy, Jye Amiss and Luke Jackson we may have Triple J. But down back with Draper and Davies…. we’ve now got a great pair of Double D’s!

But while talking defenders, we should throw some love Corey Wagner’s way. He is proving pivotal and probably performing above all hopes. JL, Bell, Wallsy and whoever else deserve a congratulatory pat on their collective backs for plucking him out of obscurity.

And we can’t leave off without giving the “we should’ve known” nod of respectful acknowledgment to the old man in the middle. When the old dogs are Fyfe dogs, they can always learn new tricks. Plenty were stamping his retirement ticket in recent weeks, but how often do we all have to learn that you just don’t write off champions, especially of Fyfe’s calibre? The team first oriented work he did on Isaac Heeney…. we don’t win the game without it.

We could bang on about everyone because it was that type of team performance, but let’s put the cap on the purple pencil and pick it up on the pod.

If you’re not done reminiscing about Saturday, you’re not on your own. So, feel free to join us as we sing the praises of our purple players and prattle on for an hour about that splendid, surely September securing success over the Swans.






Ye.png
 
A strong leading, pack busting, ground covering, contested mark taking, accurate goal kicking forward! Who here is not shedding a joyful purple tear? Time to belatedly Restump Podcast the Tiger taming.

Saturday night wasn’t our finest performance. It is more than fair to say it wasn’t polished or pretty…. but we’re not on a catwalk in Milan! Sometimes you just have to get the business done and we’ll take an ugly four points over a pretty loss every day of the week.

The Tigers are 18th on the ladder for a reason. They’re in an ‘end of a dynastical era’ situation and with a substantial injury and aging list and a new first-time coach, it is understandable that they’re severely struggling.

But there were enough former premiership players in their team on Saturday night, along with a Taranto and a Hopper, to offer up some resistance. On some level they dragged us down to their level, as can happen.

One guy who wasn’t entertaining anything other than a top shelf showing was Josh Treacy. Career best 5 goals, 9 big grabs, almost 500 metres gained, numerous contests and even a stint in the ruck! He is on a ridiculous growth trajectory, so much so, that the re-signing of Logan McDonald with Sydney during the week, barely raised a fleeting interest from us Freo folk. Through his form this year, our 2020 Rookie Draft pick (yes that’s right, our rookie pick) has said, “what do you need Logan for?”

But he couldn’t do it all on his own. As we know everything starts in the middle and there was a future captain in there who was back to his 2022 best. Welcome back, Andy Brayshaw! He’s been going superbly but Saturday night he was back to monster status.

The return of Heath Chapman and his contributions and the growth in Matty Johnson is something else. Hayden Young’s now scoreboard hitting regularity, Sam Switkowski’s high level consistency and a return of Freddy doing Freddy things are all vital parts, the sum of which adds to the reason why we’re residing in the top four.

We’ve grown as a club and become a tighter unit. That Tigers outfit and the occasion, coming off a big win against the Swans, once would have troubled us. In fact, as near as last year it would have caused us some level of trepidation. But there is a dependability about the group now, a belief in individual desire and effort and a trust in each other. It’s showing on the field and in the results.

The jackpot went off in the Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition and Russ2468 on twitter took home the $150 spend at 2 Brothers Foods. We rewire, replumb, restump and reset back to $50 this coming week.

We’re a bit late with the pod this week and, truth be known, we’re probably the exception to the ‘better late than never’ rule. So, if you haven’t moved on to the Hawks game, by all means bung these 50 minutes in your Lords and Peers. It’ll cost you an hour of your life, you’ll learn nothing and, chances are, you’d be better off without it. But is that a risk worth taking? Of course it isn’t, but what’s life without risk?






BOS.png
 
Jet lag? What about the jet leg! Any hope of a few extra business class seats, AFL? Time to Restump Podcast the ever-treacherous Tassie trip.

There is a reason why 2 wins separate positions 2 and 13 on the ladder. It’s that type of remarkable year where the difference between most teams on any given day is negligible. A year, rightly or wrongly, in which the AFL’s equalisation endeavour army will be patting themselves on the back.

We had the opportunity to almost secure a top 4 finish but couldn’t get it done. However, as far as losses go, this one wasn’t in the soul destroying, therapy requiring category. It was almost acceptable. I said almost! Ok, maybe understandable is more appropriate than acceptable. But with understanding comes acceptance… you get the point.

Quite simply there was too much Hawk Torque for us. They matched or bettered our intensity and endeavours and, more importantly, they took their chances, whereas we didn’t.

We had the opportunity to put the game away in the third quarter and it felt like we went all in. +36 poss’, +12 contested poss’, +8 clearances, +11 marks… we were dominating the so-called ‘premiership quarter.’ But for all our dominance, 10 scoring shots to 4 for the quarter, we only outscored Hawthorn by 16 points. The inaccuracy fever re-infected the freo folk with Jye, Vossy, Freddy and Caleb falling victim and it proved fatal.

We’d thrown our best punch and in Fast and Furious analogical speak, we mistimed hitting the nitro button.

The Hawks took the ascendency in the final term and were beating us at our own game. That said, again we had our chances but the story of the day continued. We failed where it counts most, inaccurately kicking 1 goal 3 to Hawthorn’s 5 goals 1.

It was a tight, hard fought, defence orientated contest all day and, in God’s country, as the final siren drew near, we were left with nothing other than a prayer that went unanswered.

The Hawks have now won 8 of their last 10 games, they’ve won 60 of 80 games at York Park and over the last 7 weeks they’re top 4 for centre bounce clearance wins and number one in the league for scoring from them. They’re very far from your typical 13th placed team and they deserve credit for what they’re doing and for their win over us.

We’ll get out of Tassie, regroup and reset for the Dees this week.

Rabi Rchy is snacking on his 2 Brothers Foods $50 spend after winning the Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition on the weekend. Jye Amiss may have kicked inaccurately, but inaccuracy doesn’t compromise metres!

On this occasion, the usual therapeutic 50 minutes post-loss is unnecessary. However, some reasoning, some realigning rationale and some sobering sounding sentiments can’t hurt, can it? But we’re not the gate keepers of public opinion! So, feel free to join us, disagree with us, converse with us and share the ever-emotionally erratic expedition all us Freo folk forever fancy.






BusinessClass.png
 
Last edited:
A Doig medal, an All Australian, a Simpson medal and lead DJ at Covid Club 150. Time to Restump Podcast Lukey Ryan’s 150th in the demolition of the Dees.

The defensively versatile Luke Ryan has put together a remarkable 150 games and played them at a ridiculously consistent high-end level. He’s been the mainstay, showing incredible durability, playing 150 of a possible 160 games since his debut in 2017, and at 28 years of age, there’s another 100+ games in him yet.

His services were barely required Sunday as we tore a hapless Melbourne Demons team apart in the middle, softening the reliance on the defensive unit. Without a Max Gawn and a Christian Petracca, there was little to no resistance in the midfield and around the ground at stoppages.

While without any doubt we performed superbly, producing a connectivity enabling chains of play we have only dreamt of and been striving for, our lack of an opponent had some say in it.

There is something that is just not cricket at Melbourne. We took 21 marks inside 50 and our average prior to the game was 12. A total of 24%, nearly one in every four of our marks were inside 50! That is an insane stat. We usually go around the 12%, or one in 8 or 9 marks inside 50.

We went +31 in the clearances when we average +7 all year. Centre clearances we were +9 and we usually go around +2.4 mark.

The Dees had a Jack Viney and a Clayton Oliver in there. They rolled Trent Rivers and Tom Sparrow through there. These are far from fringe players so there is plenty of merit in our performance. But you don’t put up numbers like we did against these types if there aren’t additional underlying issues. Max Gawn and Christian Petracca are influential greats but they weren’t that big of a difference. Something is a tad off at Demon land.

But we got to play our game and hone our drills. We banked another four points and added 3% which may or may not end up vital. Top 4 is ours if we want it.

It was magnificent to see what is now the full-blown arrival of Josh Treacy. Lets remember, while the Dees were off in the middle they still had a Steven May and a Jake Lever. Neither of them caused Treacy any grief.

Message sending Sonny Walters was back causing havoc and putting in a complete and well-rounded game. Never write off champions!

I’m willing to bet right now that Andy Brayshaw is a shoe-in for next captain. He’s back to his 2022 best, with big moment and game influential acts. If anyone wants that bet, get in touch with me!

It was one of those one in all in, same page, individual role-playing performances that produces stunning results. The Dees may not have put the pressure on us, but its still a win we should take great confidence out of.

The injury to the captain is a devastating one and hasn’t arrived at the ideal time. He was in scintillating form and leaves shoes impossible to fill. Let’s hope the time frame is good news.

While we sit in the top 4, we are only a game and a half out of 9th. So, the words ‘No Complacency’ should be put in bold on the white board down at Cockburn this week, as we head towards the derby.

We ran into a few time hurdles so the Mi Casa Property Boutique Metres Gained competition didn’t get up last weekend. It’ll return for the Derby.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable game to watch, but it’s an interesting game to assess. Ross Lyon’s “never as good or as bad” line seems highly appropriate.

Anyway, let’s get into a bit more depth on the pod and see what noisy nonsense eventuates.






Club150.png
 
Is it true the West Coast Eagle’s coaching position is now being advertised on Gumtree? Time to Restump Podcast what hopefully will be Freo's derby retribution, this Saturday night.

We miss the golden Derby era! It was a time when rivalry really meant something, when flying the colours and playing with club pride were the objectives and the four points was secondary want.

However, let’s not revive it Saturday. As we hone in on what should be a final’s campaign in a month’s time, we need to avoid suspendable situations at all cost. Let’s view the AFL tribunal like prospects around the country are viewing the West Coast Eagle’s head coaching position – places no one wants to be in!

After the deplorable performance we put in against West Coast back in round 6, we do need retribution. But it’s a bigger fish to fry, greater good type retributive prospect we should be viewing it as. There is a top 4 position and consequently a double chance on offer and that needs to be the sole focus.

And I’m not going to lie, I have some concerns about us getting through the game unscathed. West Coast have suddenly abandoned their “play the kids” policy and brought back a host of veterans. It has “nothing to lose” vibes about it and cheap spiteful acts may be on their strategic whiteboard. Can they goad us into something we don’t want to be involved in? We have to fly the flag and back up our teammates, but we have to be retaliatorily measured. They kind of have us at disadvantage, if that is the path they choose.

Unfortunately, Sonny Walters has pinged a hammy and will spend time out and we know Alex Pearce is done for four or five weeks. That’s a decent amount of experience to go out when you realise their replacements are Tommy Emmett and Josh Draper. In fact, over the four players we show a 343 game and 359 goal deficit.

But the reality is, winning on Saturday night is simply mindset, it’s intent. If we turn up in the right frame of mind, apply the intensity that we have in recent weeks, the result should take care of itself. If we fail to do that, do we really deserve to play finals?

The Mi Casa Property Boutique Metres Gained Competition will be back for the Derby so keep an eye on our social media. Throw in an entry and you might score a $50 spend from 2 Brothers Foods.

Regarding the result, Brett, or Brent or Brad McDonald or McDonnell is a little too overconfident for my liking but, I guess this episode of the Neighbourhood Watch segment also oozes cautious arrogant optimism!

Strategically speaking it is a little difficult to be meaningful analytical about this upcoming game, so it’s a preview pod with more nonsense than the usual amount.

So, if you’re partial to palaver and pointless prattle, part with a portion of your presence, pull up a pew and plug this 40-minute parcel into your Lords and Peers. By all means. take the plunge and join us in the purple opinion party pool.






Anyone.png
 
Someone has some tidying up to do after throwing all the toys out of the cot! To be fair to Harley, he did make it a great entertaining Derby. Time to Restump Podcast the Eagle’s grand final loss.

It was far from the iconic demolition derby, but we saw a return to some highly entertaining derby spite, plenty of antagonism and several subsequent flareups. In this new world of sanitised and scrutinised football, it was probably as close to the great derby era as we’re ever going to get.

Whatever you think of Harley Reid, he brought enough hostility and created enough friction to turn what have been lifeless, often dispirited, recent derbies into something most of us were thrilled by.

The high and mighty finger waggers, will look down their noses, make tut tut sounds, shout unnecessary and self-righteously suggest bigger fish need frying!

Let the purists stew in their own joyless existence. The rest of us know thoroughly enjoying the moment and the journey and remaining focused, can all co-exist.

It was the win and the game we needed. A 100-point belting wouldn’t have helped us from a mindset perspective. We needed the kitchen sink thrown at us, we needed to wear the pressure and be made fight tooth and nail. Admittedly, West Coast are in wooden spoon territory but the game was played at a level far above and beyond that. Personally, I’d go as far as to suggest it was up there with our best wins of the season.

There was a professionalism about it, about how we assessed it on the run and then went about rectifying it. To endure the heat that West Coast brought, be near on four goals down, click up a gear, take back the ascendency and then put them to the sword, was super impressive and it can only put us in good stead going forward.

It shed some light on a few questions that were lingering above our heads. Could we turn a game under extreme duress? Would we be able to insert our game style in the face of that level of pressure? Yes, again it was West Coast and they weren’t going to be able to sustain their first half pressure for the full game, but they did a better job at it than we all probably thought they would.

Andy Brayshaw is back to his 2022 form and Caleb Serong was just absolutely absurd! His clean ball handling skills are Lachie-Neale-like! And while Hayden Young might be the silky-smooth left foot deliverer, another ridiculous 12 big tackles show he’s not afraid to get down and do the hard stuff.

Down back the crew continues to perform and now the forward line is entering well oiled machine territory. Josh Draper was rightly recognised with a Rising Star nomination. The mind boggles where he is going to be in a few years. Even our wings look super solid with Sharp and O’Meara.

We’ve become a serious team. There are no heroes or egos, everything is team oriented, team first. Players seem willing to do the hard yards today without personal reward. Consistent individual team orientated based effort across the board, sees everyone have their day, but not necessarily on the same week. The acceptance of that and the willingness to work for the greater cause, is paramount to achieving ultimate success.

The Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition failed to go off as Tommy Emmett look the fourth quarter and was shown no love by participants. That means there is a $100 spend at 2 Brothers Foods this week against the Bombers.

Enough of this rambling here, lets get into it on the pod as we go through Saturday night’s Derby in depth. So, if you’re still ginned up and looking to non-violently fight anything clad in blue and gold, put on the purple mitts and join us in throwing metaphorical haymakers!





HR.png
 
It can’t have gotten far, it was just with us! Geez, you can’t take your eyes off opportunity for a second! It’s time to Restump Podcast Sunday’s demoralising top 4 departure.

Sunday at the MCG felt very historically Fremantle-ish. Destroying pivotal moments and golden opportunities! Just when we had the chance to almost lock down some valuable top four real estate, the Essendon Bomber Bank said, “sorry, we’re not financing that” and the deal fell over.

It really hurt because it was another game that we’ve let slip. The two games in South Australia were slightly different bags, but the early West Coast loss and the Collingwood draw had filled our allowable debacle quota. Letting Essendon run us down from four goals behind… is a step too far and could have horrifically dire consequences in relation to September participation.

The game was quite deceiving. Our rare accuracy and efficiency were clouding the reality. The fact is, we weren’t travelling that well early in the game. Just 10 inside fifties in the first quarter to Essendon’s 18 was disguised because we kicked 4 goals 1. We were scoring every second entry, but so were the Bombers who kicked 5 goals 4. Did the 9-point quarter time margin not set the alarm bells off?

Was there a sense of complacency? Were we out there thinking a mirrored performance from the previous week against the West Coast Eagles would unfold? At half time we’d gone inside 50 two less times than we did in the first quarter, but again we were accurate and efficient kicking 5 goals neat. Compounding our potential complacency was Essendon kicking 1 goal 2… but they went inside 50 fifteen times. If Essendon started scoring, we were in strife.

The penny seemed to drop in the third quarter as we got our game going and got it on our terms. Clearances, contested possession, inside fifties all turned in our favour. But for all our dominance we didn’t necessarily make the most of it.

The final quarter was a disaster. They steam rolled us and, disappointingly, we showed little to no fight. We reverted to the first half form, getting beaten in contested and uncontested possession and they took 16 more marks than us in the final term alone. We made just one centre clearance and that was where the game was lost.

It was a game we should have won with the personnel we had but the experienced and steadying hands of Alex Pearce and Sonny Walters at either end of the ground were noticeably missing. And if those ‘numbers on a page’ readers think we don’t miss Nat Fyfe… maybe now they’ll change their tune.

It’s a devastating loss and one that may prove fatal in terms of September this year but, bigger picture-wise, let’s not forget where we are and where we were this time last year. (15th for those playing at home) We’re an exceptionally young side of substantial talent. As far as premiership windows go, ours is only just starting to open.

We’ve got the Cats, Giants and Port to come in the run to the finals. Those three teams in their current form probably pose the toughest test any side has to endure in these final three weeks. We’re only a win and % out of 9th…. we probably need to win two of our last three.

Anyway, lets get into it on the pod and break it all down further. So, if you’re looking to make sense of it all…. point us in the right direction because so are we! Problems shared are problems halved and you can’t solve them without talking about them. Let’s start the chit chat.






48Hours.png
 
Three quarter time we’re sitting top four with a guaranteed finals campaign locked in. Half an hour later we’re clinging on to September for dear life! Time to Restump Podcast the Cat scratching.

That season jeopardising last quarter loss to Geelong on Saturday was soul destroying, but to be honest, it probably isn’t the game we should be mad about. Admittedly, for whatever reason, we didn’t show up for half the first quarter and we again worryingly ran out of legs late in the game, but under the circumstances, we performed pretty admirably against a very formidable outfit.

That result was always a chance of happening, but we shouldn’t have been in the position that such a game carried so much importance. Our frustrations should apply to the early Derby, the Collingwood draw and the loss to Essendon last week. They’re the opportunities we let slip that puts us in the precarious position we now find ourselves in.

The fact is, after quarter time on Saturday we outscored Geelong, which was a pretty decent feat. Remove our current best key forward, our current best key defender, our lead ruck and our most experienced and senior small forward, and we’re vulnerable against anyone.

That isn’t giving a pass to the crew that was out there Saturday though, because there is no excuse for mindset. Knowing the unfortunate situation of what was on the line, its difficult to think you couldn’t be fired up and ready to unleash at the first bounce.

The selection of Matt Taberner seemed an odd one but there are obviously reasons we are unaware of. However, with the inclusion of Paddy Voss at the expense of Josh Treacy and the knowledge that Sean Darcy was doubtful, it’s puzzling why you’d go for Taberner in front of Liam Reidy, which was our known possible area of need.

Selection issues and missing guns aside, we had our opportunities to win the match but we butchered several moments. We had no mid forward connection, which is somewhat understandable given the upheaval of our forward line. But frustratingly and most disappointingly, we applied little to no forward pressure as Geelong consistently walked the ball out of defence with the greatest of ease.

As mentioned, it’s left us in a very precarious position. The fact we’ve virtually only beaten one genuine top eight side all year, it tragically feels more likely than not that we miss September, given we have to win at least one but possibly both of our two remaining games against the Giants and Port Adelaide.

Destiny is in our own hands, yet it feels like she’s saying, “stop touching me up and put me down!” But we’re resilient, glass half full, adversity enduring eternal optimists. We don’t know how to do things the easy way! We subscribe to the ‘if you’re not dead, you’re not done’ philosophy and that’s all the chance we need.

Congrats to Josie Price on taking out the Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition on the weekend. Jeremy Sharp, who did show up in the first quarter, got the business done for her and Josie now takes off the $100 jackpot from 2 Brothers Foods.

Anyway, let’s get into the pod and peer at the path the purple prattle proceeds. We’re all doing it tough, we’re all a little distraught at the horrible prospect of missing finals, so we need to talk it through. Join us if you’re looking for a support network, because we need one!





ClingOn.png
 
Are we Reidy for Saturday morning fever? Disco is back! Yes, I know… it couldn’t be lamer… but we’re trying cut the tension surrounding this game, of which there is virtually no tomorrow. Time to Restump Podcast the stress against GWS.

This isn’t the position we had envisioned! We had aspirations of a lengthy September; we had no intention of playing a game with potentially no tomorrow in August. Ok to the mathematical letter of the law, its not exactly a no tomorrow proposition, but its as close as we can get without it being one.

And now with our season teetering on the edge, to save it, we must, without our best forward, our best defender and our lead ruck, come up against a rampaging, pretty much full-strength Giants outfit, spearheaded by the Coleman medal favourite and ex Fremantle full forward.

It is ‘backs to the wall’ stuff for us purple people! However, looking back at the eleventy squillion times in our history when we’ve been in similar ‘backs to the wall’ situations, and seeing them result in a requirement of structural maintenance for the wall, I just can’t gather the confidence I was hoping to fill up on. Hope, desire and dreams we’ve got plenty of but confidence is a little scarce.

But in a roundabout way, it could amount to a situation where the pressure is sort of off and expectations aren’t all encompassing, and that can, at times, lead to some favourably unexpected outcomes. Yeah, that sounds more comforting… let’s run with that. Pressure is off and play with the freedom!

While it probably would have been preferable last week, it’s wonderful to see Liam Reidy get a debut. He’s deserved a gig and while we can’t saddle him with lofty expectations, we can only hope he goes well. We’ll even barrack for and celebrate a halving of the contest.

And is the insertion of the Disco and the enthusiasm he brings, the shot in the arm the team needs? He’s had a really tough year and while we probably thought we would see an O’Driscoll this year, we were thinking Emma rather than Nathan. Tear up the wing Disco, and if you get the opportunity, celebrate your hardest and get the boys on board!

Another day, another prospective coach escapes the West Coast Eagles’ clutches. It’s tragically sad what that once proud, eternally pretentious and ever still arrogant club has become. We reach across the aisle, give them a consoling pat on the back, a “hang in there” whisper and wish them all the best in the Neighbourhood Watch segment.

We’re nearing season’s end of the Mi Casa Property Boutique meters gained competition, so keep a look out for it on our social media pages sometime Friday, throw in an entry and you might find your way into a free $50 spend at 2 Brothers Foods.

Let’s get into it on the pod and see if we can find a way in to somehow slaying these menacing Giants.






ReidyForIt.png
 

Remove this Banner Ad

The Restump Podcast

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top