Game Day Dockers vs. Crows Semi final 2012

[fairfooty]

Bottom line is you need to be in the Top 4 to have any chance, especially for us/West Coast due to the travel factor, which cannot be underestimated.

Congratulations you guys - that was a scary valiant effort tonight and I'm just damn pleased we didn't have to play you in the west. Like us, you've come from outside the eight, (11th last year?) to almost make top four - I have no doubt your time will come - and soon. I think PP is right - I prayed for Freo 'jet-lag' tonight and got it - no one can travel like you guys have for the last month and it not ultimately have an affect - yet you did it without a murmur So good luck for a top four finish next year - and less traveling.

ETA - and don't be too hard on young Silvagni (sp?). He'll come back even more determined from the experience. Very few defenders would have held Tex tonight - IMO, he was simply not going to be denied in the second half.

 

[yakka man]

So gutted but I have had time to settle. At least we really took it to them in the first half and we only lost by ten points. I just would've liked a bit more desperation towards the end of the game. Walters has become an amazing player and besides Mundy was one of the few who gave it a crack at every contest. He's got a lot more guts than I thought and has become a real team player. You couple that with his skills and ability to kick goals and he will kick 35-50 goals next year.

Our midfield and forward line continue to be our weaknesses. As good as Mayne is it is really sad when he is our best contested mark. Zac Clarke has been a spud this season. Really gutless effort from him tonight.

Midfielders and tall forwards should be targeted in the draft and trade period.

 

[BananaOnTheRun]

Congratulations you guys - that was a scary valiant effort tonight and I'm just damn pleased we didn't have to play you in the west. Like us, you've come from outside the eight, (11th last year?) to almost make top four - I have no doubt your time will come - and soon. I think PP is right - I prayed for Freo 'jet-lag' tonight and got it - no one can travel like you guys have for the last month and it not ultimately have an affect - yet you did it without a murmur So good luck for a top four finish next year - and less traveling.

ETA - and don't be too hard on young Silvagni (sp?). He'll come back even more determined from the experience. Very few defenders would have held Tex tonight - IMO, he was simply not going to be denied in the second half.

fair play, dude. i thought we did alright considering. good luck against the hawks. as raw as it feels at the moment, i'd prefer an adelaide flag to hawks one.

 

[Chris25]

I don't, who?

It's not like you to take the plunge?

Silvagni.

I'm not one who usually calls out an individual player. I don't care if someone gets beaten by a better player. But it honestly looked like Silvagni had given up in the last quarter. He can't control how well the midfield plays or how long our structures stay in place for, but he can control how he goes about his own game - and his face told the whole story.

Hopefully this will be the game that he needs to become a true AFL level defender, and if anyone can help him it's Ross. But there is no getting around the fact that he was bad tonight, and has a lot of things to work on. Consider this my one knee-jerk reaction for the year.

On the positive side of things, Walters was amazing. It's scary how good he can be. As for the people bagging Clarke, I didn't think he was that bad. All he needs is an entire pre season devoted solely to marking, and he will really dominate. Once the ball hit the ground tonight, he was good. It's just that that isn't his role.

 

[Mr Wiggles]

As a Freo supporter I found the second half of that game frustrating as hell. Every time Freo got the ball they fired it into the 50 nice and high and nearly every time the crows had one person jumping and spoiling, while another defender waited down low and picked up the crumbs. Surely, the coaching staff would realise after ~10 times that none of the Freo players are taking contested marks and something else needs to be done.

I think that if you said to the players that they need to carry the ball for longer and have a shot from outside 50, there would have been more points scored. Of course if Adelaide had of kicked straight as well, the final score would have also been a lot different.

 

[malpaso]

Silvagni.

I'm not one who usually calls out an individual player. I don't care if someone gets beaten by a better player. But it honestly looked like Silvagni had given up in the last quarter. He can't control how well the midfield plays or how long our structures stay in place for, but he can control how he goes about his own game - and his face told the whole story.

Hopefully this will be the game that he needs to become a true AFL level defender, and if anyone can help him it's Ross. But there is no getting around the fact that he was bad tonight, and has a lot of things to work on. Consider this my one knee-jerk reaction for the year.

On the positive side of things, Walters was amazing. It's scary how good he can be. As for the people bagging Clarke, I didn't think he was that bad. All he needs is an entire pre season devoted solely to marking, and he will really dominate. Once the ball hit the ground tonight, he was good. It's just that that isn't his role.

Your spot on Chris25, in the quarter time breaks his face was pathetic, standing at the back looking really down-trodden and dis-interested.

Clarke I didn't think was too bad, Bradley wouldn't have done any different in that game.

 

[smashing]

Cheers mate, but this isn't our best... by far.

yeah you were a bit sloppy tonight but the way you've improved in the second half of the year shows that once this game plan is perfected you'll be bloody hard to beat.

compare the freo of late with what you guys dished up at the start of the year.. its pretty remarkable.

 

[footy_noob]

hey guys, just wanted to say great effort and good luck with the 2013 season. mayne was great and so was your first quarter.

 

[Talentman]

How did you guys rate Matt Deboer?

He played as a defensive forward on Riley and I thought was a complete non entity.

 

[Jaeger]

Silvagni.

I'm not one who usually calls out an individual player. I don't care if someone gets beaten by a better player. But it honestly looked like Silvagni had given up in the last quarter. He can't control how well the midfield plays or how long our structures stay in place for, but he can control how he goes about his own game - and his face told the whole story.

Silvagni hasn't had much AFL exposure this year. He looked spent.

 

[Admiral Byng]

I thought we had a few too many spud moments. A few play-ons that weren't to advantage, a few fumbles at critical times. Just like last month when we played the Crows, the effort was ok but our mistakes cost us the game. Whatever you think of their draw, the Crows are a good side and they punish mistakes.

Didn't get to post much here tonight, had to dash out as soon as the game was finished to give someone a lift to the airport. Listened to the last 5 minutes in the car but watched all the rest.

 

[Alfonz]

How did you guys rate Matt Deboer?

He played as a defensive forward on Riley and I thought was a complete non entity.

??

Reilly killed us, but I barely noticed DeBoer in the forward line. Whenever I saw him, it was mainly in the midfield, and even down back. Usually at the bottom of packs. Wasn't a big game from DeBoer, but he tried hard like he always does. Much like most of his teammates ... tried hard, but something was missing and didn't have much impact.

 

[Nickos66]

At the risk of being a Hindsight warrior - Lower would have been good and fresh for this game.

Just sayin'.

 

[RickSanchez]

I love Pav, but he did nothing at all. Delivery was pathetic but even Rutten made an impact pushing up a bit to intercept etc.
Not saying its his fault of course, but it's hard when your main forward does nothing and your main back gets destroyed. If one had a good game, we would have won.
Anyway we didn't, we will improve next year. Well done Adelaide but you are not a top 4 side.

 

[tacopavlich]

Well done Adelaide but you are not a top 4 side.

Funny, they played like one tonight.

 

[Outshined]

Yeh no need for sour grapes. Adelaide were good tonight. Probably not at Hawthorn's level, but they are a quality side regardless.

As for us, I think the "running through quicksand" analogy is apt. We started off brilliantly, but deteriorated rapidly from about midway through the second quarter. It was painful to watch the fumbles, poor f50 entries and at times chaotic defensive structures that were the complete anti-thesis to our last 2 months of footy.

Another pre-season with Lyon plus draft/trading periods should make for exciting times in 2013. At the very least we need a home final next year. These last 2 weeks have proven the value of keeping travel to a minimum.

 

[Righteo]

I love Pav, but he did nothing at all. Delivery was pathetic but even Rutten made an impact pushing up a bit to intercept etc.
Not saying its his fault of course, but it's hard when your main forward does nothing and your main back gets destroyed. If one had a good game, we would have won.
Anyway we didn't, we will improve next year. Well done Adelaide but you are not a top 4 side.

Pav looked like he was on one leg tonight not forgetting, in fact he's been ****ed for some time really.

 

[IAMJUNGLEMUFFIN]

Yeah, Walters was boss tonight, props to E Shed for giving one of the most almighty and extended pump ups I've ever seen. Probably went on for nigh on 5 months, but hey, looks to be a fairly decent call.

 

[yakka man]

Barlow had to do a drug test straight after the game. (Hope he passed)

 

[Alfonz]

Funny, they played like one tonight.

Hard to argue with the facts that they are now in the final four, but I'm not sure they really played like a genuine top 4 side. The problem was that neither did we.

All things considered, take the top 7 entering the finals, put them on a neutral ground with equal rest, and I'd rank Adelaide 7th. They played like a 7th-8th placed side last week and tonight, just that we weren't any better due to fatigue. If we had played Adelaide last week, I think we would have beaten them easily.

 

[ATSAM]

To the Fremantle supporters who posted on our site last week- Oh dear. Predictions of a Grand Final appearance were , well as they say, premature. Ha hahahahahah. To the rest you will be feeling disapointed this morning, we know how it feels.

 

[sabre_ac]

Can't help but think with Mcpharlin in the side we would have won that which is encouraging after a disapointing game. Lack of a key defender and the guys being out on their feet ultimately cost us the game, I say cost because it was ours to lose. Funny how Crawely was pinged a few times for holding yet Hill's tagger wasn't sighted.

I'll acknowledge Clarke showed improvement this year, but he was poor tonight and should be showing more.

Looking forward to next year

 

[Harris Pilton]

Condolences guys. It's a sickening feeling to let a 6 goal lead slip away - we did the same against the Lions in round 21. I think the travel took its toll in the end. Congratulations on a great year. Wish you success next year and hope to meet in the finals again.

 

[Moo]

Condolences guys. It's a sickening feeling to let a 6 goal lead slip away - we did the same against the Lions in round 21. I think the travel took its toll in the end. Congratulations on a great year. Wish you success next year and hope to meet in the finals again.

Can you guys stop being so gracious in victory - I want to hate, but it's quite hard with everyone being so noice.

Mods can't we ban em?

 

[Wood_Duck]

6 flags before that. Freo flag count?

Typical classless cats supporter. Every dog has its day fool. Freo will win a flag before you lot win another one.