Unsuccessful Freo people in charge of Freo

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sumavich

Premiership Player
Aug 29, 2006
4,290
2,598
perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
I don't post threads much, used to, but got sick of the invective I received etc.

However, it is very apparent to me we are being run by previously unsuccessful Freo people, who are being unsuccessful again.

We did go outside beforehand a few times, Connolly and that crazy * from Melbourne (Schwab) etc.

We also went to St Kilda, and had our most successful era ever (low bar I know).

Reckon this list should not be bottom 4, and therefore I'm looking at Bell (puppet master) and Longmuir (apprentice).

These fellas have tried hard, taken mega $ out of the club, but ultimately unsuccessful.

Some may think I'm being harsh, but I don't think so.

Doing the same thing over and again, and expecting a different result is the Longmuir mantra.

Lets get a Melbourne based coach, Yze or Leppitsch etc
And Bell can go to AFL house.
Hallelujah
 
I don't post threads much, used to, but got sick of the invective I received etc.

However, it is very apparent to me we are being run by previously unsuccessful Freo people, who are being unsuccessful again.

We did go outside beforehand a few times, Connolly and that crazy * from Melbourne (Schwab) etc.

We also went to St Kilda, and had our most successful era ever (low bar I know).

Reckon this list should not be bottom 4, and therefore I'm looking at Bell (puppet master) and Longmuir (apprentice).

These fellas have tried hard, taken mega $ out of the club, but ultimately unsuccessful.

Bell's track record prior to being appointed as GM of football was patchy at best.

Heres a quick timeline.

1) AFL player
2) Does his shirt trying to do a development in Geraldton
3) Starts up some nightclubs
4) Does his second shirt on these
5) Start working on Radio doing the day time shirt on 6PR (high profile right)
6) hired as GM of football at Fremantle.
 

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I know you aren't a big fan Belnakor. This isn't really a shot at Bell, but he is responsible.
He was probs the architect of the Jackson trade, and the jury is out on that. Not happy myself.
It's more about the fact that Freo people let Freo people back in all the time.
FWIW I reckon Bell has been serviceable, but it's ultimately been a failure imo
 
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No one cares! Peak Freo
Not true, but it’s been the same since 2016.
Our football dept has never been a priority. We pay overs for players
Forever selling hope, and we lose our better personal to other clubs.
We are our own worst enemy, either rookies, Nepotism, or just yes men.
If you need an example I’ve spoken out in the past on Michael Prior.
He spent ten years here as an assistant, that’s way too long, and as above
the good ones get poached.
 
I agree, it's weird no one really at the games either, including me. At the Carlton game we were like, let's go to the pub, left before half time. Didn't really feel angry or annoyed just left the ground.
For me I started to feel a bit off about the club when we as 15 year members got booted from our seats when we moved to the new stadium. The lack of a bill Walker room for any level of membership is a total kick in the guts too, getting turned away because you arent paying 1000 buck but only 815 is total bullshit. We used to feel a part of something in the bill Walker room. The new stadium is pretty s**t in a lot of subtle ways as well which I can't really be bothered going over.
 
Adam Kingsley is doing pretty well. New coach, new team
 
I agree, it's weird no one really at the games either, including me. At the Carlton game we were like, let's go to the pub, left before half time. Didn't really feel angry or annoyed just left the ground.
For me I started to feel a bit off about the club when we as 15 year members got booted from our seats when we moved to the new stadium. The lack of a bill Walker room for any level of membership is a total kick in the guts too, getting turned away because you arent paying 1000 buck but only 815 is total bullshit. We used to feel a part of something in the bill Walker room. The new stadium is pretty s**t in a lot of subtle ways as well which I can't really be bothered going over.
the new stadium is definitely lifeless compared to subi, despite being more comfortable. In a perfect world we would have a stadium at Freo Oval.
 
I don't like to make excuses BUT, FACT, we are a young, inexperienced team. No-one can dispute that in 2023 we have shown good signs of what we are capable of but just can't string it together.
SO, we have to give the Bell/Longmuir team 2024.
If we are still shite this time next year then it is right that we should be looking for a new coach and Belly should probably put his hand up to say he shouldn't be in charge of the looking.
 
You know there are 15 other teams in the competition all equally or better resourced all employing the best people they can get all trying to achieve the same thing as us?

Some of them have access to priority concessions of various types, some have a seemingly endless line of elite father/son talent they get for free, some are located in desirable locations & have long established systems of paying players outside the cap. Most of them are in the capital of AFL heartland & can raid with impunity the products of the elite development systems that go to feeder clubs for a few years first.

And yes, some of them are better run than us but even some of those teams with all their advantages haven’t won a flag in the time we’ve existed.

I reckon we have some internal problems & possibly Peter Bell’s ambitions are at the heart of some of them but overall I think we’ve made some progress in the post Pav, post Ross era.

We’ve made some howlers too & as we’ve seen we mismanaged the list quite badly at the end of last year. Losing the players we did and most especially the retiring of Mundy & the brokenness of Fyfe has left us without sufficient experience & leadership onfield.

Most questionable in my book is the lack of investment in the forward half & very little capital to improve that.

I think the club is generally well run these days & we have a really solid group of young players devoted to success developing together.

This is a team capable of playing good football & subject to the failings of inexperience.

Is it the right football department & coach to realize this potential. Jury is out.

But it’s an awful year. A lot of people are unhappy. And we desperately desperately need some elite players in the forwards.

If Fyfe was even 80% of what he was, Chapman had played all year, so many players hadn’t gone backwards (what has happened to Pearce, Cox, Walker, Shultz, Switta,Freddy etc?) and we hadn’t lost Logue & Acres for peanuts this year would look a lot different.

Something ain’t right but who’s fault is it? I don’t know.
 
Bell's track record prior to being appointed as GM of football was patchy at best.

Heres a quick timeline.

1) AFL player
2) Does his shirt trying to do a development in Geraldton
3) Starts up some nightclubs
4) Does his second shirt on these
5) Start working on Radio doing the day time shirt on 6PR (high profile right)
6) hired as GM of football at Fremantle.

I said at the time the Bell appointment didn't make sense. You can add mornings for ABC after he left 6pr as well.

Longmuir did an apprenticeship and was highly regarded. I don't mind the appointment, but the manner in which we went for it was average. Did we interview any other serious candidate? Did we interview McCrae or others?
 

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Longmuir did an apprenticeship and was highly regarded. I don't mind the appointment, but the manner in which we went for it was average. Did we interview any other serious candidate? Did we interview McCrae or others?
Apparently… 🤮 Sumich was considered.
 
You know there are 15 other teams in the competition all equally or better resourced all employing the best people they can get all trying to achieve the same thing as us?

Some of them have access to priority concessions of various types, some have a seemingly endless line of elite father/son talent they get for free, some are located in desirable locations & have long established systems of paying players outside the cap. Most of them are in the capital of AFL heartland & can raid with impunity the products of the elite development systems that go to feeder clubs for a few years first.

And yes, some of them are better run than us but even some of those teams with all their advantages haven’t won a flag in the time we’ve existed.

I reckon we have some internal problems & possibly Peter Bell’s ambitions are at the heart of some of them but overall I think we’ve made some progress in the post Pav, post Ross era.

We’ve made some howlers too & as we’ve seen we mismanaged the list quite badly at the end of last year. Losing the players we did and most especially the retiring of Mundy & the brokenness of Fyfe has left us without sufficient experience & leadership onfield.

Most questionable in my book is the lack of investment in the forward half & very little capital to improve that.

I think the club is generally well run these days & we have a really solid group of young players devoted to success developing together.

This is a team capable of playing good football & subject to the failings of inexperience.

Is it the right football department & coach to realize this potential. Jury is out.

But it’s an awful year. A lot of people are unhappy. And we desperately desperately need some elite players in the forwards.

If Fyfe was even 80% of what he was, Chapman had played all year, so many players hadn’t gone backwards (what has happened to Pearce, Cox, Walker, Shultz, Switta,Freddy etc?) and we hadn’t lost Logue & Acres for peanuts this year would look a lot different.

Something ain’t right but who’s fault is it? I don’t know.
Fans sitting the outer just pick some random names that they think are responsible for performance but generally unless someone is on the inside nobody really has much clue.
 
Would’ve thought GM of football and Head Coach aren’t random. One controls the list, the other trains the list. They are very important roles, and both those blokes have never won anything at Freo! There are as good, if not a lot better than these 2 out there. Rosich showed if you show some dare, things can happen
 
Would’ve thought GM of football and Head Coach aren’t random. One controls the list, the other trains the list. They are very important roles, and both those blokes have never won anything at Freo! There are as good, if not a lot better than these 2 out there. Rosich showed if you show some dare, things can happen

Many clubs have shown if you’re too reactionary and throw the baby out with the bath water every time you have a bad patch you get stuck in limbo.

Richmond showed if you trust your team & process is mostly right and tweak a bit success can follow.

I’m not saying you’re wrong I’m just pointing out it’s not always the right answer to smash everything & start again when times get tough. It might be in this case but how can we say for sure from the outside looking in?
 

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