Opinion 2015 Adjustments / Improvements / Development

Remove this Banner Ad

freoextra said:
Sorry the simplistic view lies with you. Fact one best and fairest, fact two most hated player in the league - I wonder why???? The eastern states ran a campaign against Crowley last year due to the fear he raised, but yeah I must have the simplistic view. Well at least you made me laugh on the way to sleep. Every team in the league would love to see Crowley retire, think about it!!
Click to expand...
How does being a BnF winner or a 'freoextra' professed "most hated player in the league" make him a valuable commodity in the midfield? They are not skills, or stats, and they won't win you games of football. Glad you had a laugh though, here's another - take off the rose-tinted glasses. ;)
 
Nickos66 said:
How does being a BnF winner or a 'freoextra' professed "most hated player in the league" make him a valuable commodity in the midfield? They are not skills, or stats, and they won't win you games of football. Glad you had a laugh though, here's another - take off the rose-tinted glasses. ;)
Click to expand...

Ok then let's all go back to the good old Freo days when we didn't have a tagger worth his salt. Yes I remember Buckley averaging around 44 disposals every time he played Freo, same for Ablett early on. Yeah, I would much prefer to go backwards to the era when we were a joke. And I don't need any type of glasses to spew over the results that would come. There are many teams screaming out for a decent tagger, terrible that we actually have one.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

freoextra said:
Ok then let's all go back to the good old Freo days when we didn't have a tagger worth his salt. Yes I remember Buckley averaging around 44 disposals every time he played Freo, same for Ablett early on. Yeah, I would much prefer to go backwards to the era when we were a joke. And I don't need any type of glasses to spew over the results that would come. There are many teams screaming out for a decent tagger, terrible that we actually have one.
Click to expand...
Yes, we all remember that. It was 13 years ago and Damian Drum was coach.

"Remember Damian Drum" should only be said to Freo supporting children as a scary bedtime story.
 
Last edited:
FUS_RO_DAH said:
Didn't he play on Smith in our last game against them? Did a bloody good job on him too if I recall
Click to expand...

Yes he did and he can be very good on some quick players but it does worry you a little bit because he certainly does not have "explosive " speed in a short sprint.
 
freoextra said:
Ok then let's all go back to the good old Freo days when we didn't have a tagger worth his salt. Yes I remember Buckley averaging around 44 disposals every time he played Freo, same for Ablett early on. Yeah, I would much prefer to go backwards to the era when we were a joke. And I don't need any type of glasses to spew over the results that would come. There are many teams screaming out for a decent tagger, terrible that we actually have one.
Click to expand...

It wouldn't matter if an opposing player got 40 touches but we still won though. They'd probs just get 1-2 votes in the Brownlow and that's it. The argument is that Crowley is crap with the ball. He's an excellent tagger, not so much this year, but doesn't provide much when he does have the ball. So in order for us to improve he either needs to step up his game, get better with the ball or we bring in someone else who has better skills than him.
 
Potentially one of the reasons why our forward structure was so bad this year can be traced to the preseason and Gumbleton.
Seem to recall they spent a long time planning the structure around a Pav and Gumbleton set up, which never eventuated.

Hopefully with continued development from Taberner and a set up designed to better exploit his and Pavs strengths, we might see some significant improvement based on that alone.
 
electricfeel said:
It wouldn't matter if an opposing player got 40 touches but we still won though. They'd probs just get 1-2 votes in the Brownlow and that's it. The argument is that Crowley is crap with the ball. He's an excellent tagger, not so much this year, but doesn't provide much when he does have the ball. So in order for us to improve he either needs to step up his game, get better with the ball or we bring in someone else who has better skills than him.
Click to expand...
We do seem to have been grooming a few to play Crowley's role, shows he's not guaranteed a game. (Probably didnt need to reply to your point but cbf changing that now)
Think Grey would be a good option from what I've heard, however I have not seen much of him play.
I feel as if Suban is the perfect tagger, strong body, aggressive, could get in the other teams head AND is an elite user of the footy when he gets it.
Used to play backline so wouldn't be bad if taken down there and if they try running his man off Half-back he is a proven goal kicker.
He might only get the footy ~10 times a game, however this is a similar output to what we see from him now. These 10 disposals have the potential to be extremely damaging! Suban often starts in the centre clearances when he plays, showing he is easily in our top 5 clearance players ... with him in there, we wouldn't be playing a man short, but with one of our strongest players.
Also might be a way to get him more ball as opposition ruckmen will be trying to hit the ball down to his player and his opposition will drag him to the footy.
 
Kunna17 said:
We do seem to have been grooming a few to play Crowley's role, shows he's not guaranteed a game. (Probably didnt need to reply to your point but cbf changing that now)
Think Grey would be a good option from what I've heard, however I have not seen much of him play.
I feel as if Suban is the perfect tagger, strong body, aggressive, could get in the other teams head AND is an elite user of the footy when he gets it.
Used to play backline so wouldn't be bad if taken down there and if they try running his man off Half-back he is a proven goal kicker.
He might only get the footy ~10 times a game, however this is a similar output to what we see from him now. These 10 disposals have the potential to be extremely damaging! Suban often starts in the centre clearances when he plays, showing he is easily in our top 5 clearance players ... with him in there, we wouldn't be playing a man short, but with one of our strongest players.
Also might be a way to get him more ball as opposition ruckmen will be trying to hit the ball down to his player and his opposition will drag him to the footy.
Click to expand...

Don't think he has the elite tank to be a consistent tagger. They'd just run him off his feet.
 
Yep I really think the original plan A for this year revolved strongly around having a structure of two small forwards (Walters and balla) and two key forwards (Pav and Gumby). Having half of those guys missing for most of the year meant we had to resort to plan B for most of the year.
It's amazing how much better the team looked having two KPF and two genuine small forwards late in the year.
 
Yep I really think the original plan A for this year revolved strongly around having a structure of two small forwards (Walters and balla) and two key forwards (Pav and Gumby). Having half of those guys missing for most of the year meant we had to resort to plan B for most of the year.
It's amazing how much better the team looked having two KPF and two genuine small forwards late in the year.
 
SHill Shall said:
Don't think he has the elite tank to be a consistent tagger. They'd just run him off his feet.
Click to expand...
could this be worked on do you think? Or is he more naturally 'unfit' (Not really unfit but you know what i mean)
Other thing is if he does good for the first half, opposition are likely to send his player deep forward for spells giving him a break, UNLESS THEY RECOGNISE THE FITNESS ADVANTAGE OBVIOUSLY!!
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Tommo said:
Yep I really think the original plan A for this year revolved strongly around having a structure of two small forwards (Walters and balla) and two key forwards (Pav and Gumby). Having half of those guys missing for most of the year meant we had to resort to plan B for most of the year.
It's amazing how much better the team looked having two KPF and two genuine small forwards late in the year.
Click to expand...

Gumby was worth a roll of the dice and that one didn't work out unfortunately. Going into 2015 Pav is now a year older however but Tabs has shown a bit and is young enough to give us hope he can be a meaningful contributor going forward. Not sure about Apeness but many on here seem to rate him so there is some reason to believe he can also contribute as a marking key forward.

In summary we have an ageing champion and a couple of OK prospects with very limited exposure to playing AFL. I hope for our sake they develop well and soon too.

Walters and Ballaz are great forward line players week in and week out. We need them both to stay fit (please hear us Footy gods) and Ballaz needs to stop doing dumb stuff that gets him rubbed out at the MRP.

Mayne getting fit and back to his 2013 form would be a huge help in the forward half. He seemed a bit muscle bound to me this season. His thighs were huge ala Medhurst.

Fyfe and Barlow kick important goals at times too and that is a big help. Crozier can contribute, Clarke has at times (3 goals in one game this year)

For us to kick enough goals to be a threat in 2015 our goal kicking assets need to all be on the park and on song. I have faith in RTB to be working away on this over the off season and hope he comes up with some solutions that stand up in the big games.
 
electricfeel said:
It wouldn't matter if an opposing player got 40 touches but we still won though. They'd probs just get 1-2 votes in the Brownlow and that's it. The argument is that Crowley is crap with the ball. He's an excellent tagger, not so much this year, but doesn't provide much when he does have the ball. So in order for us to improve he either needs to step up his game, get better with the ball or we bring in someone else who has better skills than him.
Click to expand...

Disagree with your point on, "it does not matter if an opposing player gets 40 touches", because if we let a Johnson or Ablett get 40 touches it is paramount to losing the game but on the other hand Priddis and the guy from Brisbane really don't hurt you.

As to Crowley, sure, he does need to work on his skills and he maybe in his last year or two, but what a great job he has done. If someone can do a better job then great (can only think of DeBoer and Menegola competing from the fitness requirement point of view). Crowley's role is vital, he was known as the best in the business until this year, was known as a very strong mark and whilst he does kick floaters on occassion he has also roosted goals from outside 50. Why can't he bounce back or even improve on this season?
 
freoextra said:
Disagree with your point on, "it does not matter if an opposing player gets 40 touches", because if we let a Johnson or Ablett get 40 touches it is paramount to losing the game but on the other hand Priddis and the guy from Brisbane really don't hurt you.

As to Crowley, sure, he does need to work on his skills and he maybe in his last year or two, but what a great job he has done. If someone can do a better job then great (can only think of DeBoer and Menegola competing from the fitness requirement point of view). Crowley's role is vital, he was known as the best in the business until this year, was known as a very strong mark and whilst he does kick floaters on occassion he has also roosted goals from outside 50. Why can't he bounce back or even improve on this season?
Click to expand...
Hawthorn let Ablett get 30+ touches every single game they play.
 
freoextra said:
Disagree with your point on, "it does not matter if an opposing player gets 40 touches", because if we let a Johnson or Ablett get 40 touches it is paramount to losing the game but on the other hand Priddis and the guy from Brisbane really don't hurt you.

As to Crowley, sure, he does need to work on his skills and he maybe in his last year or two, but what a great job he has done. If someone can do a better job then great (can only think of DeBoer and Menegola competing from the fitness requirement point of view). Crowley's role is vital, he was known as the best in the business until this year, was known as a very strong mark and whilst he does kick floaters on occassion he has also roosted goals from outside 50. Why can't he bounce back or even improve on this season?
Click to expand...

He can bounce back, which is hopefully what he will do. Which is why I said that if we need to improve he needs to a) find his A-game again or b) we find someone better. I think he plays a vital role, but I don't think he's as important to the team structure anymore. It seems the game is changing and we need to tweak the game plan a bit to be more offensive - like how we played in the last few games of the season.
 
freoextra said:
Ok then let's all go back to the good old Freo days when we didn't have a tagger worth his salt. Yes I remember Buckley averaging around 44 disposals every time he played Freo, same for Ablett early on. Yeah, I would much prefer to go backwards to the era when we were a joke. And I don't need any type of glasses to spew over the results that would come. There are many teams screaming out for a decent tagger, terrible that we actually have one.
Click to expand...
Notsureifsrs.jpg
salim malik said:
Any one see the irony in our disbelief in the WC's board treatment of Priddis and the treatment on here of Crowley:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Are you referring to my posts???
 
The Anchorite said:
Crowley's role has been pretty crucial at times. We don't win the 2013 QF, for example, without him there to shut down Stevie J.
Click to expand...

The role, absolutely, I agree. The question is though, is it worth having one of the four players at a majority of bounces having a purely negative role? I don't know. It'd be interesting to find out, and if we want to become a more attacking team, perhaps something we need to consider.

Aside, I don't like the notion that we can't criticise our own players. What is this "treatment" (whatever the * that means with regards to us idiots talking s**t on a message board), when the criticisms of Priddis are valid ones. Whether he impacts the Eagles negatively or not is a question that no one knows the definitive answer to. That is a genuine point of discussion with both players in question. I don't really think it's a good comparison though given one is a #1 mid in the team and the other plays a tagging role.
 
salim malik said:
Any one see the irony in our disbelief in the WC's board treatment of Priddis and the treatment on here of Crowley:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Two very different things though. Two pages of discussion here versus 320+ on there. :p

To be fair though, the Fremantle game started turning from being very defensive focussed to more attacking and one of things that really is part of Fremantle's defence is the tagger role. If we're changing the tactics then shouldn't this role be discussed as it has been?

No-one is saying bad things about Crowley, I'm sure we all love him, just that his role may be becoming redundant in a changing Fremantle. Change is inevitable as tactics change.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

im_a_lazy_sod
Toast The new (& improved) whipping boys
Replies
20
Views
967
Boomer93
Boomer93

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top