When the bar is lowered, Freo go lower

[tooby]

That performance was a disgrace, as bad a their game against the saints

 

[GV Baron]

if mark harvey had a talented list he'd find a way to coach the talent out of them.

now that he doesn't have a talented list, he's finding a way to coach them into going goalless in 3 quarters.

 

[estibador]

- why was connelly able to get your side to a preliminary final with such an ordinary list? or is this argument about the holes in the side merely used as a defence for harvey?

Schwab and CC embarked on an all or nothing approach where they traded our early picks every year for established players from other clubs. This resulted in them building a fairly strong list in the short-term, but at the expense of the future.

A risky strategy that would have paid off if we'd won the flag in 06, but we didn't and now we're paying the price of drafting virtually no young talent for most of CC's reign.

Unfortunately Harvey took over just as most of the senior players who took us to the 06 prelim starting ageing and/or losing form/interest. This resulted in more pressure being put on the next tier to step up... and the next tier has been found sadly lacking. That's what happens when you only leave your recruiting team 5th round draft picks to work with for 5 years.

- is it not an indictment on harvey if he has misread the fremantle list so badly prior to going there? does that not reflect terribly on him as a coach? and does it not reflect terribly on the freo board for choosing a guy that clearly had no idea?

Most people in the footy world rated us as having an underperforming good list in 07 so if Harvey misjudged the list it was the same mistake many made.

No one is saying Harvey has got everything right but to his credit he's the first coach we've ever had who's been willing to bite the bullet and start a proper rebuild form the ground up. And the young players he's molding into his own team are all showing very impressive signs.

- do u think it reflects poorly on the culture of the freo footy club that so many of the supporters are so quick to bag the one coach you've ever had that gave u a modicum of success?

CC mortgaged our future chasing short-term success. If you do that and you don't pull it off then you're leaving yourself open to criticism down the road.

Culture arguments are crap. If we praised CC you'd all accuse us of having a culture of accepting mediocrity. Damned if we do and damned if we don't.

 

[kranky al]

Schwab and CC embarked on an all or nothing approach where they traded our early picks every year for established players from other clubs. This resulted in them building a fairly strong list in the short-term, but at the expense of the future.

A risky strategy that would have paid off if we'd won the flag in 06, but we didn't and now we're paying the price of drafting virtually no young talent for most of CC's reign.

Unfortunately Harvey took over just as most of the senior players who took us to the 06 prelim starting ageing and/or losing form/interest. This resulted in more pressure being put on the next tier to step up... and the next tier has been found sadly lacking. That's what happens when you only leave your recruiting team 5th round draft picks to work with for 5 years.



Most people in the footy world rated us as having an underperforming good list in 07 so if Harvey misjudged the list it was the same mistake many made.

No one is saying Harvey has got everything right but to his credit he's the first coach we've ever had who's been willing to bite the bullet and start a proper rebuild form the ground up. And the young players he's molding into his own team are all showing very impressive signs.



CC mortgaged our future chasing short-term success. If you do that and you don't pull it off then you're leaving yourself open to criticism down the road.

Culture arguments are crap. If we praised CC you'd all accuse us of having a culture of accepting mediocrity. Damned if we do and damned if we don't.

good post - pretty much agree with all of that


id be that dirty on schwab etc - if i was a freo supporter

 

[nobbyiscool]

thanks to Jetau and estibador, and even nurries for your answers - they were very good answers, and really insightful. personally, i hadn't realised the depths that freo had gone to in order to win the 06 or 07 premierships.

so one final question - freo fans seem to be accepting of harvey as a coach because he's doing the rebuild that no one else has ever done. do u think he's the match day coach to lead you to success? and do you think your club would be better off with dean laidley, who is an outstanding match day coach, and has a history of getting the best out of average players?

 

[Jascave]

Is it time for the Fremantle Football Club to dispose of Mark Harvey and instead go for a guy who has a WA background as coach of Fremantle (ie Peter Sumich)?

 

[Notorious_29]

Is it time for the Fremantle Football Club to dispose of Mark Harvey and instead go for a guy who has a WA background as coach of Fremantle (ie Peter Sumich)?

in fairness to Harvey, have you ever seen a worse side fielded in the AFL.

seriously there was nothing he could do, the team is ordinary enough when we have our best 22 on the field but to be missing your best 3-4 is going to end in some bad results. Imagine if melbourne lost bruce, mclean, sylvia and green for a match. The result would not be pretty.

And when your captains David Mundy your in serious trouble.

When your going through a rebuilding stage you need your senior players in the team and freo are thoroughly lacking that atm.

 

[Jetau]

The problem with Harvey's situation is that he is contracted through to the end of 2010, so I can't see them dispensing of him now. Laidley would be a possibilty, although I think he said he didn't want to be a senior coach any more? Sumich is untried so we'd be back to square one again.

I'd say short of another 7 100 point losses, Harvey will still be the coach of Freo at the beginning of 2010.

 

[Father Jack]

What was amusing last night was the ripple of laughter that went around the Gabba when the half time scores were flashed up on the big screen.

 

[Jimmy_the_Gent]

It'll be interesting to see how Mark Harvey reacts to this.

And while I hate to be too critical, that was really shocking to see from a team which has a lot of good, young pieces.

The goods news would be that this is probably the low point of this re-build, so only better times ahead.

 

[Art Corvelay]

and do you think your club would be better off with dean laidley, who is an outstanding match day coach, and has a history of getting the best out of average players?

I reckon even if they keep Harvey, Fremantle should definitely look at recruiting Laidley, even if it's only to have him as a match day tactician.

 

[Pacer]

In defence of Schwab & co, at the time Freo's economic state was dire. They had to get more bums on seats at games and more sponsorship basically straight away and the quickest way to do this was to trade for ready made players and get some positive results pronto. It worked, the club is now one of the more financially strong ones going around but of course it has caused massive problems on the football dept side of things. Was it the right thing to do....dunno

Secondly, as a Freo supporter i sometimes wonder if we as supporters are more respected in the football world than the club itself is. Most of us have stuck by them through thick and thin and have been ridiculed for it.

Finally for those foolish people who say the club should be buried and start all over again, you have no idea what you're on about. I noted it was an West Coast supporter who posted this and its a prime example of a follower who has basically been spoilt for success (and good luck to you for that) from the clubs inseptance and just not understanding how things work in the heart of a true supporter.

I've never posted before so be gentle on me when you get stuck in.

 

[footyfreak]

Thats exactly the point, right now Hawthorn are the biggest disgrace in the competition.

No Fremantle are, have been and will continue to be the biggest disgrace in the competition.

Bottom of the ladder, they are a joke.

 

[Father Jack]

In defence of Schwab & co, at the time Freo's economic state was dire. They had to get more bums on seats at games and more sponsorship basically straight away and the quickest way to do this was to trade for ready made players and get some positive results pronto. It worked, the club is now one of the more financially strong ones going around but of course it has caused massive problems on the football dept side of things. Was it the right thing to do....dunno

Secondly, as a Freo supporter i sometimes wonder if we as supporters are more respected in the football world than the club itself is. Most of us have stuck by them through thick and thin and have been ridiculed for it.

Finally for those foolish people who say the club should be buried and start all over again, you have no idea what you're on about. I noted it was an West Coast supporter who posted this and its a prime example of a follower who has basically been spoilt for success (and good luck to you for that) from the clubs inseptance and just not understanding how things work in the heart of a true supporter.

I've never posted before so be gentle on me when you get stuck in.

Wow. I can't even work out what that is even meant to be? Inception perhaps?

 

[footyfreak]

Can someone tell me how many collective games of experience Adelaide vs Freo tonight?

Seriously, what were you expecting?

more than one pathetic goal for an entire game would be a start.

 

[Juddys_navy_blues]

Worse team since Fitzroy, possible worse than Fitzroy.

 

[footyfreak]

Admittedly when Harves took over he made the mistake of thinking we had a talented list that was being poorly coached by CC. Pretty much the same thinking that most of you bigfooty 'experts' had at the time. Johnson was recruited with the thinking that Harves could extract the potential from our list that made the prelim and have one more crack at the title.

When Harves realised the true extent of our list he cut his losses and embarked on a full rebuild. Trying to argue that our rebuild is 'moot' because of someone who was recruited and then delisted the year before is ridiculous.

WTF

He was there as an assistant! If he didn't know exactly what the situation was then he is an even more pathetic coach than it appears. Your excuses are as pathetic as your club and until you guys wake up you will continue to be the rabble of the AFL.

I was at last nights game and it was so ridiculous i spent most of the night in the bar and got blind and have suffered all day because of it.

 

[vandy]

I hate the Crows don't get me wrong, but I'm glad I was there for the most disgraceful performance in an AFL game ever.

Bottom Team beats Port. Oh Dear


vandy

 

[nobbyiscool]

LOL

vandy, i think you'll find that you go for the current bottom team

i'm sure there's a saying about people in glass houses...

 

[ziad]

pretty cheap shots at Freo while they are down.

I think I will just enjoy watching others do it.

Mind you 1.7. I saw football history.

 

[BFVirgin]

I actually feell sorry for the kids out there.

Imagine having your name called out on draft day by Fremantle.

West Coast Eagles v Fremantle
2:10pm Sat May 2

9.20Q413.9

 

[Tulip]

Fremantle Football Club-If only History had a Mulligan.

Made me chuckle

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Worse team since Fitzroy, possible worse than Fitzroy.

Fitzroy had an excuse. They were flat broke.

 

[Lucev23]

Just wondering as I didn't watch the game, did Freo/Murphy celebrate when they kicked their only goal?

 

[Audacious]

What was amusing last night was the ripple of laughter that went around the Gabba when the half time scores were flashed up on the big screen.

Being the laughing stock of the competition is more than just a throw-away line. The Dockers really do make you chuckle. Footy fans find humour in everything Fremantle do. From the logo, to their colours, their club song and performances - they barely have a shred of credibility to their name.

What a disgrace.