List Mgmt. What Do We Need to Make Finals in 2022

rgauci

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The problem is Sturt is pretty much the only player on our list who hasn't looked horrible, and in fact he looked bloody amazing, in that half forward role. He's only 3 games in, I wouldn't mess with that. We need speed in our forward line most of all imo.

Similarly with Young. He's probably the key to unlocking us being more attacking from half back. He's only 5 games in and looked good there. Again, I wouldn't risk screwing up his development curve.

JL has been pretty clear he wants players to play the role they are most comfortable in. Especially for youngsters, let them settle into one role first.

I think the wing is a much harder role than it is perceived as. You're expected to run all day both ways and then hit forwards on the tit at full tilt every time you deliver i50. I know people are obsessed with speed but all the best wingers have shown it is far more about endurance and making good decisions with ball in hand. I wouldn't over react to what we saw in just one game (against the Dogs) - I thought their wingers ran harder, not necessarily faster (as the stats backup - Acres had the highest distance at speed on the ground but the Dogs had the top 5 distance runners).

Having said all that I am all for drafting a good outside player (preferably with good speed and skills on top of endurance base) with our first pick. Western and Walker both inject a lot of speed but they are unlikely to have the endurance to play wing at AFL level yet. Speed at half back and half forward helps the outside ball movement plenty as well. For 2021, I'd back in Acres, Aish, Cerra and Tucker rotating on the wing - they need to provide a better defensive work rate than yesterday though. I'm on the fence with Bewley - I'd persist another year. Freddy seems a natural winger so I'd expect they might look at him in the mix as well next year (he runs a heap, and at speed but looks lost at half forward).

Western has a huge tank. But he isn’t tall enough as a modern day wingman.
 

Johnny Dalmas

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I thought Cerra has looked pretty good as a wingman. Acres seemed to play OK in the last month too. Both Bewley and Aish have been OK in that role as well when they have played there.

I don't think it is our strongest part of the ground, but i also don't think it will be a high priority area this off-season
 

wayToGo_

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Western has a huge tank. But he isn’t tall enough as a modern day wingman.
I watched him yesterday morning and was trying to get a read of his endurance. Claremont took him off the ball for a whole quarter and I couldn't understand why (threw him in the forward line obviously). Really don't want to over hype him but he looked so clean compared to everyone else on the ground. It's really his acceleration that is the most dangerous of his weapons imo. Hit some great kicks as well including an i50 coming out of congestion near the boundary line to Van Rooyen 35m out directly in front that was the best play all day. Did some good defensive things as well but if I were a recruiter I'd probably want to see him him run a bit harder defensively (hence why I'm keen to know what his endurance base is atm).
 

Freeeoo

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Combination of things, being able to train 18 players at the same time using the full ground will help, hopefully a new high performance set-up will help us keep more of the squad available and natural progression of our younger group.
I think we've got the building blocks in place now to really challenge for the next 5 years and that certainly starts next year.
 
Sep 22, 2011
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I watch Freddy's highlights from last year and I see a kid with great skills, huge tank and he seems quite smart.
At half forward he looks lost...
He is the wingman we were looking for...I just wonder whether he needs to be near the ball so his footy brain kicks in
I’m sure he ll be developed in that position over time. It’s no secret Fremantle like to develop players across half back/half forward before they’re finally playing in their natural positions.
He’s still 20, light weight but it’s great to know he played 10 games in his debut year. A full pre season coming up and he ll be even more dangerous.
 
May 2, 2017
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I watched him yesterday morning and was trying to get a read of his endurance. Claremont took him off the ball for a whole quarter and I couldn't understand why (threw him in the forward line obviously). Really don't want to over hype him but he looked so clean compared to everyone else on the ground. It's really his acceleration that is the most dangerous of his weapons imo. Hit some great kicks as well including an i50 coming out of congestion near the boundary line to Van Rooyen 35m out directly in front that was the best play all day. Did some good defensive things as well but if I were a recruiter I'd probably want to see him him run a bit harder defensively (hence why I'm keen to know what his endurance base is atm).
Western's acceleration is why he has to be part of the midfield rotations next year (if he plays). Exactly what we lack. I don't think he can be in and under straight away but could probably do Andy's role off the back of stoppages. Can be forward the rest of the time.
 

Square Peg

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Lobb needs to be better, much better considering what we are allegedly paying him. I had faith in him heading into the season which was reinforced by his performance in round one, but after the break he has consistently disappointed all year. It's a dilemma we have to solve if we're going to go far but there doesn't seem to be an easy solution.
 

wild side

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To get better, plays like cox dropping the mark leading directly to a Dogs goal (Barrass wouldn't do that), Acres dropping a mark in the defensive 50 with no-one around him (no-one in AFL would do that), and Wilson turning the ball over from a kick out of defensive half. Those 3 things, all skill errors, will need to be eradicated b4 we are taken as a serious AFL side.
 
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May 2, 2017
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Lobb needs to be better, much better considering what we are allegedly paying him. I had faith in him heading into the season which was reinforced by his performance in round one, but after the break he has consistently disappointed all year. It's a dilemma we have to solve if we're going to go far but there doesn't seem to be an easy solution.
We have to find a way to utilise his around the ground marking. He is borderline B22 without it and is top 10 when it clicks.

I do think part of his lack of impact is our ordinary forward entries, but I feel like he contributes just as much. Never really looks like a forward, just a massive bloke.
 
Sep 30, 2005
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We have to find a way to utilise his around the ground marking. He is borderline B22 without it and is top 10 when it clicks.

I do think part of his lack of impact is our ordinary forward entries, but I feel like he contributes just as much. Never really looks like a forward, just a massive bloke.

It's a figment of people's imagination.
It doesn't exist
 
Apr 26, 2011
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I want to win a final next year, not just make them. This happens through some combo of the following where
1)Darcy, AB and Cerra step up again. Cerra’s game against Melbourne happens 3 or 4 times a year, not once or twice and their quieter games happen once or twice, not 4 or 5 times
2) Some magical fairy fixes our forwardline connection. I think JL can do this but a new assistant coach here would help, as would being able to train properly.
3) Walters last two games are more his norm next year then his other post injury games.
4) 50% reduction in the injuries
5) Hogan of the last month is the minimum we get from him each week.
6) Lobb fixes his kicking
7) Hayden Young and Sturt stay on the park the whole year - our gameplan is made for these two.
8) We get early season Aish and last 3 week (not tonight) Acres for 80% of the season.
9) 1 draftee has an immediate impact
10) Logues Adelaide game becomes something close to the norm for him each week
11) We get another 10% improvement from the gameplan essentially being on autopilot now - we would have 2-3 more games if our late season form was the norm

Think there is an incredible amount of growth in this team with Mundy the only b22 player next year that you would expect to decrease their output. Can’t wait till 2021!!!
Sturt & young staying fit & proving their talent will be huge
 

Bring back Drum

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Lobb isn’t tracking much different from his time at GWS. His stats last year are inflated because he rucked the majority of the season.
His stats this season are very similar to his last year at the giants & his value is as a mobile back up ruckman who can compete forward.
Perhaps our expectations on what he can produce are over the top, but with quicker ball movement into f50, we should see better output.
 
May 2, 2017
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Lobb isn’t tracking much different from his time at GWS. His stats last year are inflated because he rucked the majority of the season.
His stats this season are very similar to his last year at the giants & his value is as a mobile back up ruckman who can compete forward.
Perhaps our expectations on what he can produce are over the top, but with quicker ball movement into f50, we should see better output.
I never rated him as a forward given the price we paid. I still think he can contribute in a premiership team which is all you really need for him. The cost is in the past and his next contract won't be anywhere near as juicy without a significant form spike.
 
Sep 20, 2014
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Big fan of Lobb, but Jesus what a 2020 season from him.

When Lobb can be a link up target through the middle of the ground and then push forward to add a goal to his game, that's when he's at his best. He may say he's a forward, but in reality he doesn't make leading patterns for the entries going inside. He's just stationary and has the ball bombed on his head in outnumbered contests. The way he was used in our forward line, considering his TOG also - he should have just been moved up onto the wing more than he was. Hogan being in the square since he's a more natural forward, Taberner CHF and Lobb pushed up further is how we will probably maximise scoring between the 3 talls.

The fact Lobb didn't get that set-shot routine blasted out of him by the coaching staff before seasons end is a bit of an embarassment too. Disappointing season overall, should have been much more impactful than he was. He influenced a lot of games last season, then this season he influenced nothing, just killed momentum when he had opportunities to step up and goal for us.
 

theGav56

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Lobb isn’t tracking much different from his time at GWS. His stats last year are inflated because he rucked the majority of the season.
His stats this season are very similar to his last year at the giants & his value is as a mobile back up ruckman who can compete forward.
Perhaps our expectations on what he can produce are over the top, but with quicker ball movement into f50, we should see better output.
Yes, and for me those were/are my expectations. Some posters on here refer to what we are paying him and want to measure against that, but it is that salary because we took over his previous contract.

I think when our forward set up is more settled he becomes more dangerous and productive. Structurally he is a weapon that we haven't got the maximum out of.
 
Sep 22, 2011
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Cut out the silly losses to similar to below strength teams. Essendon, Gold Coast and Carlton probably cost us this season. 2021 is a year where the team have to be ruthless and win those games rather then get up against the top teams and perform. Narrow margins this year and potentially cost us of finals by a game or two.
 
If Lobb can kick a goal from 40m out on an angle in the first quarter of our first game, then go on to kick another three with his new settled routine - that will just about do it.

Taberner, Hogan and Lobb are such confidence players. Once that ball gets rolling it might be too much to stop.
 

Nodgey

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Still more midfield grunt for mine. Loving the development of AB, Cerra and Serong but there's still a reliance on Mundy who'll be another year older in 2021. Blakely has been very disappointing and I prefer Conca in the middle instead of defence. Tucker to continue his upward trajectory. And natural improvement from Darcy should assist here.

If we can get something for Blakely, who just has to change clubs for a fresh start, we're on our way.
 

Scham

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Still more midfield grunt for mine. Loving the development of AB, Cerra and Serong but there's still a reliance on Mundy who'll be another year older in 2021. Blakely has been very disappointing and I prefer Conca in the middle instead of defence. Tucker to continue his upward trajectory. And natural improvement from Darcy should assist here.

If we can get something for Blakely, who just has to change clubs for a fresh start, we're on our way.


Our first pick in the draft could well give us a mid too. O’Driscoll, Carroll and Trew are a few that could be available and they’re just the sandgropers. All 3 could very well be ready to go first year too.
 
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