Welcome Welcome To Freo Shai Bolton!!!

[oldgoat]

Did anyone share this yet?

My favourite quality was always his dead set ankle-breaking ability haha.

FREAK!

This time next year we could have arguably the most powerful attack in the comp!

Treacy
Amiss
Bolton
Frederick
Jackson
Sturt
With support from
ODriscol
Young
Serong

Hyperbole?
No...
Dead Set!

 

[theGav56]

Dunno, kinda felt like Barra played some of his best footy at 36. Was just so silky smooth. Might have just been me marveling at a 36 year old playing like a 26 year old.

Either way, even if Shai has peaked, we still get peak Shai for at least 4-5 years before he starts to decline. I'm happy with that.

Yes. Being at your peak doesn't imply that you are about to decline. Bolton doesn't need to get any better.

 

[oldgoat]

Yes. Being at your peak doesn't imply that you are about to decline. Bolton doesn't need to get any better.

Good players... the peak is something you identify looking back at a plateau, should have a couple of years either side of peak that are near peak.
Mundys plateau was huge and sustained.
Shai is not going to drop off any time soon and a 5 year deal is an excellent punt for us.

 

[anchor man]

What the actual **** are you talking about, DQ 4ever?

We have won more than twice the amount of flags, four times as many Brownlow medals, have more Sandover medals, more Derby wins. Souths haven't produced a Rising Star, but the East Fremantle Breeding Ground of Champions has produced 4.

Apart from self-delusion, there isn't a single metric South Fremantle outperform East Fremantle in.

Not a one.

And I think you know that.

I am a massive Souths fan. Have been for over 70 years.I have a great dislike for the other mob from the dark side of Fremantle.
But one thing i have learnt over the years is, never ever under estimate them.Their record is undeniable.The number of great payers they have chruned out of the years is incredible.
My Old man used to say that all they had to do was walk outside, shake a tree and a champion would land on his feet.
Dislike them , yes, even much more than dislike, but have to respect their club .

 

[Quay Club]

yes i am very serious. Takes work and effort to change a style of play , i dont suggest he cant make that change. But it has been his style for the past few years. especially as Richmond forward line was not strong.

I watched a highlight reel of all his goals in 2024, great efforts . But many are from being the main target in the forward line. Some were great ground ball wins too. What we are after in the Forward line is someone with his PACE and Ground ball skills. Not someone flying for the same marks as Amiss and Treacy are going for. Just stay front and centre to gather those crumbs when ball brough to the ground.

I am sure he will be capable of performing. just takes a readjustment of his current habits.

AS you say, look what happend when TABS thought he was still the main focus and his crossing paths or filling same hole that amiss or Treacy would lead into.

Work for the coach to do and Boltons teammates and Bolton himself to do. Can all be accomplished.

So not sure why you got so upset at my post. was meant to be a postive post about a great player joining us. But might take a few games for him to learn that new role.

I take your point Raz and agree that our forwards coaches need to be working on a plan to best utilise the strengths of our existing forwards and incorporate the amazing skills of Bolton to it.

In some of those close games we lost last year the opposition started playing chaos ball and moving it fast and we didn't react quickly enough and played safe in our forward structure.

Shai brings that unpredictability and skill to turn defenders inside out.

This to me is what should be the focus in pre season to develop a style that is more adaptable to the situation and that is on the coaches to come up with a plan and the players understanding their role and when to change it up.

That sail sign they held up in the closing stages of quarters wasn't used enough in some of those games we lost.

I am sure there will be times when he will cut in on others but that is his style of play and one of his strengths.

I am looking forward to see more unpredictability and increased fire power he brings.

The other thing is how much time he will spend in our midfield.

He has that ability to turn it on in short bursts in the midfield which adds another string to our clearances.

In the words of Big Kev

 

[Bastyy]

Amazing how much talent is on our list now. I don’t forget the days of watching guys like Taylin Duman

44

Taylin Duman

Age

26

Ht

193cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.0

4star

K

10.4

4star

HB

4.7

3star

M

5.2

5star

T

2.5

4star

D

10.0

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

3.0

2star

M

5.0

5star

T

3.0

4star

D

12.6

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

4.6

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.8

4star

and Mitch Crowden

 

[Mr Cheese]

yes i am very serious. Takes work and effort to change a style of play , i dont suggest he cant make that change. But it has been his style for the past few years. especially as Richmond forward line was not strong.

I watched a highlight reel of all his goals in 2024, great efforts . But many are from being the main target in the forward line. Some were great ground ball wins too. What we are after in the Forward line is someone with his PACE and Ground ball skills. Not someone flying for the same marks as Amiss and Treacy are going for. Just stay front and centre to gather those crumbs when ball brough to the ground.

I am sure he will be capable of performing. just takes a readjustment of his current habits.

AS you say, look what happend when TABS thought he was still the main focus and his crossing paths or filling same hole that amiss or Treacy would lead into.

Work for the coach to do and Boltons teammates and Bolton himself to do. Can all be accomplished.

So not sure why you got so upset at my post. was meant to be a postive post about a great player joining us. But might take a few games for him to learn that new role.

I actually think that it won't be a problem. A lot of our entries were rolled gold last year, only one player ever in them. If we hit it to packs, Treacy's footy IQ is off the charts; expect him to clear people out if Shai's flying. Also give Shai some credit to realise if Jacko or Treacy has dibs and a crumb is incoming (a roll he excels at). I honestly don't see it being a thing.

On SM-G988U1 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Raz]

I actually think that it won't be a problem. A lot of our entries were rolled gold last year, only one player ever in them. If we hit it to packs, Treacy's footy IQ is off the charts; expect him to clear people out if Shai's flying. Also give Shai some credit to realise if Jacko or Treacy has dibs and a crumb is incoming (a roll he excels at). I honestly don't see it being a thing.

On SM-G988U1 using BigFooty.com mobile app

glad we agree. it is possible to find a solution.

Not once did i say Bolton cant change.

 

[Ghost Pig]

Welcome Shai and I reckon, fear not friends!

I exclusively watch Freo games and bar the studious deep dive on his EOY highlight reels which I've devoured since this trade was confirmed, I have only seen this young bloke play against us.

That said I have watched ALOT of Freo footy over the last 30 years and as such, I too am prone to manic overeactions and extended periods of looking in the mirror and asking "why are you doing this to yourself?"

This may very well be one of those episodes, but you know what? It doesnt feel like it.

After approaching the trade period with my miserly fists clenched desperately around the innate hope I'd felt holding 3 first round picks all year, when I watched defender after defender, fly past this young man, pirouette after pirouette, goal after goal, that hope I'd held onto, in various forms these past 30 years, metastasized from those now cold, gnarled hands into this proud, beating, purple heart.

Here, on BF, we as supporters come together in a twisted kind of support group, as we squirm and wriggle under the minutiae of everything Freo. The ongoing and so far underwhelming 25 year old saga, full of promise, that is J-Lo's career. The wave of relief as Treacy's potential was released upon us like a lanced and pustulent boil we've been sitting on, torturously, since Pav. The scoffing personal vendettas, snide comments and derision of club decisions, disguised as journalism by media mouthpieces who are seemingly promoted over and over just to spite us.

Era into aeon when will we finally taste the ambrosia we have so long been denied?

When I heard Shai Bolton

29

Shai Bolton

Age

25

Ht

176cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.3

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

12.7

3star

K

9.2

4star

HB

3.5

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.7

4star

CL

1.8

4star

D

9.2

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

4.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.0

1star

talk yesterday, first in his acceptance speech for his placing in the Richmond B&F and then in his first interview with the Freo media team, I wasn't taken aback by his purposeful, considered words, I wasnt put at ease by his charming, affable nature, I wasn't in awe of his steely intensity. Unlike many of our players, Shai exudes none of those things in his aura.

What I saw was a natural footballer, an elite goalsneak, with nous only seen in purple a handful of times in these last 30 years. When this fella, squarely in his prime, wears the kit for the first time, he will hold a torch held only by Abraham, Modra, Farmer, Medhust, Ballantyne and Walters.

Forget about fitting in.

Forget about gameplan.

We want this young father to have fun!

You saw the spirit that seeped into our footy this year, it was threatening to flood, but was ultimately dammed by the football gods.

Keep Shai's role simple and let him do his thing, this man just might put our whole team of hard working, serious young men on his back, singlehandedly unlocking the unbridled joy that will have us drinking from that hallowed cup and when that happens, may the boastful belches echo long and loud into that cool spring night.

 

[Docker82]

Was Clem Michael a father son pick up? There was some criteria early on that if a father played so many games for SF, EF, Claremont, Perth and Swans they would qualify as FS. Long time back to that now and the exact details are a little hazzy.

No idea why but Clem Michael wasn't selected under the father son rule.

My understanding of the old rules is that he was eligible.

In those days you basically got father sons for free so why we used an actual draft pick on him I don't know tbh.

 

[Hazelsnuts]

No idea why but Clem Michael wasn't selected under the father son rule.

My understanding of the old rules is that he was eligible.

In those days you basically got father sons for free so why we used an actual draft pick on him I don't know tbh.

I’m pretty Clem and Brett Peake were father son selections- it may have been the use of a draft pick back then instead of the points palaba we have these days??

 

[Joao]

Amazing how much talent is on our list now. I don’t forget the days of watching guys like Taylin Duman and Mitch Crowden

How much for one of those perma-bans?

A noble poster would fall on their sword and delete their account...

 

[greatgatsby]

Mitch is off limits

 

[malpaso]

yes i am very serious. Takes work and effort to change a style of play , i dont suggest he cant make that change. But it has been his style for the past few years. especially as Richmond forward line was not strong.

I watched a highlight reel of all his goals in 2024, great efforts . But many are from being the main target in the forward line. Some were great ground ball wins too. What we are after in the Forward line is someone with his PACE and Ground ball skills. Not someone flying for the same marks as Amiss and Treacy are going for. Just stay front and centre to gather those crumbs when ball brough to the ground.

I am sure he will be capable of performing. just takes a readjustment of his current habits.

AS you say, look what happend when TABS thought he was still the main focus and his crossing paths or filling same hole that amiss or Treacy would lead into.

Work for the coach to do and Boltons teammates and Bolton himself to do. Can all be accomplished.

So not sure why you got so upset at my post. was meant to be a postive post about a great player joining us. But might take a few games for him to learn that new role.

And in true freo bigfooty fashion, we proceed to now complain that he won't be able to play footy now he's in the door..

 

[greatgatsby]

And in true freo bigfooty fashion, we proceed to now complain that he won't be able to play footy now he's in the door..

Yes, I have some confidence that AFL coaches can manage these issues.

 

[Raz]

And in true freo bigfooty fashion, we proceed to now complain that he won't be able to play footy now he's in the door..

If your brain interprets what i posted as HE CANT PLAY then i would suggest going to a DOCTOR and explaining.

But you live your own life and enjoy.

 

[Vimal Anand]

I think the biggest difference he will make will be downhill skiing when we dominate. This is usually looked down on, but we are desperate for some players that put teams to the sword when we are right on top. We don't do this and let teams back in.

Exactly.. all the 7 games we lost by less than 2 goals, we were dominating the teams at one point right?

On SM-S918B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[malpaso]

If your brain interprets what i posted as HE CANT PLAY then i would suggest going to a DOCTOR and explaining.

But you live your own life and enjoy.

On my way to the DOCTOR..

 

[Docker82]

I’m pretty Clem and Brett Peake were father son selections- it may have been the use of a draft pick back then instead of the points palaba we have these days??

I double checked the official list before posting.

Besides Clem Michael was selected at Pick 21 - No father son was selected that early in that era. It was clubs last pick then a third round pick - looks like it was a third round pick in 1997.

Clem Michael was a mature aged draftee which is literally the only reason I can think of. Stephen Michael played over 1.5x what was needed for Clem to be a father son through the old WAFL rules.

 

[Wray27]

Again... I wont deny he is quality.

I am still worried he could be injury prone like Harley Bennell.

Could Freo realistically fit all 3 or frederick, Bolton and Walters in the same forward line in 2025?

Nope and it’s Walters who plays at Peel or retires

 

[Bastyy]

How much for one of those perma-bans?

A noble poster would fall on their sword and delete their account...

Sorry for the terrible bait, as an apology please accept my second favourite Mitch Crowden moment (I tried to find his 50 metre kick to Schultz that set up a goal from this same game, but no individual clip)

 

[Mesc]

Nope and it’s Walters who plays at Peel or retires

As harsh as that sounds you have a point. Sad really.

 

[Van_Dyke]

Sorry for the terrible bait, as an apology please accept my second favourite Mitch Crowden moment (I tried to find his 50 metre kick to Schultz that set up a goal from this same game, but no individual clip)

need to look back and see what I said about him on here after that game, he was phenomenal that day. at least was thinking things that were crazy high for him

 

[Spirit Level]

Sorry for the terrible bait, as an apology please accept my second favourite Mitch Crowden moment (I tried to find his 50 metre kick to Schultz that set up a goal from this same game, but no individual clip)

Wasn't even that great of a goal tbh.

I remember that game for a moment in the 3rd quarter where I was sitting near the play and Serong made a slick dashing run through the middle selling some candy in the process, that was the 1st time I thought daaaammmnnn we have a player here.

 

[freo_leo29]

Remind me which WA AFL team use past history to justify how great they are?

On SM-G960F using BigFooty.com mobile app

How many premierships did Souths win this year?

Easts won the reserves