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

meesy

Cancelled
Apr 14, 2012
636
906
AFL Club
Fremantle
What do we need?
  • Brayshaw regularly kicking goals running into f50
  • Cure for Lobbs stutter step
  • More composure from Frederick and Henry
  • Alex Pearce to actually get on the park
  • Darcy giving away less frees
  • Pressure from Freo to get better time slots (and as a result better umpires)
  • Actually beating the Eagles for once
  • Forward and mid connection
  • Valente to get a game

The squad is fine really, we would of made finals if not for umpiring in some games and obviously the injuries throughout the year. Solomon would be a good get (fired for being too close to the players? Uhh what?). Tbh I always get this general sense of unease with Freo, particularly when we are in a high pressure game or playing the Eagles. Other good teams make mistakes yet still have a winning culture. They're not mutually exclusive. I hope this anxious vibe disappears next year.
 
Apr 16, 2014
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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.

This.

Black mark against all of our coaching staff. Couldn't even get him to try a simple routine. Every kick was different.

Need to embed a routine over the offseason until it's a habit. The routine hopefully takes part of the thinking away and helps settle the nerves.
 

BStaff17

Premiership Player
Aug 1, 2016
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We really need more goals from midfield. I dont think our midfield hit the scoreboard enough and its why our scoring is low. Relying on forwards to kick all the goals isnt going to be enough.

Brayshaw and Cerra we probably want them kicking 10 plus goals next year to help the spread and improving that aspect of there game.

I have been rewatching the games we won during that 2012-2015 period in my spare time recently and it was quite remarkable how often a guy like mzungu who generally played between arcs back then would kick goals at crucial times by pushing into the forward 50 having a player like that kicks 12-15 goals a year is quite valuable
 

Johnny Dalmas

Getting Old and Grumpy
Oct 16, 2015
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Albany
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Fremantle
We really need more goals from midfield. I dont think our midfield hit the scoreboard enough and its why our scoring is low. Relying on forwards to kick all the goals isnt going to be enough.

Brayshaw and Cerra we probably want them kicking 10 plus goals next year to help the spread and improving that aspect of there game.

I have been rewatching the games we won during that 2012-2015 period in my spare time recently and it was quite remarkable how often a guy like mzungu who generally played between arcs back then would kick goals at crucial times by pushing into the forward 50 having a player like that kicks 12-15 goals a year is quite valuable
Brayshaw not kicking a goal for the season was a pretty ordinary effort.
 
Oct 5, 2004
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We just need to get our best 22 on the park on a reasonable basis. Missing Walters and Tabs today made things very hard. Difficult to understand why they did not bring in Dixon for Tabs instead of Colyer.

The more the the guys work together the better they will get


Or bring in North or Valente and play Fyfe as a forward. The inclusion of Colyer was bizarre.
 

TheMcManusNose

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Apr 21, 2014
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It's a figment of people's imagination.
It doesn't exist

Nah.

It does and the numbers bear it out. Better contested mark per game than all your other major rucks. Marks per game compare up there with the likes of Gawn, Grundy etc, only shaded by the true elite KPFs. Only 1/4 of his marks are inside 50 too so I'd say that qualifies as around the ground.

He is what he is, I think we all see what he can do in some moments and expect him to be the best in the AFL at it. Which he could be but he just isn't and never will be, so we should really just abandon that expectatio.

I think the key to Lobb is a) kicking the goals he ****ed up this year with that stupid stutter. I think we'd all have been a lot happier with 20-25 goals. The b) is can we figure out how to use him better around the ground or in a manner that isn't clogging up or disrupting the forward line.

If we can't do that then the discussion end next year might be do we play him and if yes what do we do with Darcy.
 
Feb 11, 2011
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pakenham
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1. Keep at least two key backs on the park for each game.
2. Small forwards need to improve their composure with The ball
and stick to defensive principles ie one to the ball and others to the outlet.
3. Taberner, Hogan and Lobb need to play 80% together.
4. Reduce injury list from second last worse to middle of the pack.
5. Win at least 9 out of 12 home games and win 3 plus against bottom teams away.
6. Improve centre clearances either cleaner or more in number. Also, reduced the number of clear clearances from the other team.
 
Mar 18, 2012
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1. Reasonable run with injuries. Living in the real world, we aren't going to have our best 22 every game all year, injuries will happen. But we can't be missing 6,8,10 out of the best side like we have at times this year and make finals. Need a bit of good luck and better management.

2. Goal scoring mids. A feature of all good sides. The ability for the mids and wingers to run forward at the right times and provide attacking options is important because the forward line will have days where the opposition defence gets on top. That's Brayshaw, Serong, Cerra, Acres, Tucker to get more involved forward of centre.

3. Forward line structure and connection from the midfield. Already been spoken about heaps, even a 10% improvement would be huge. Do we need a fresh take from a new forwards coach?

4. Have to at least break even in the derbies. Starting off the bat with 0/8 points from these games puts us on the back foot in the big way when we're fighting with the win/loss ratio to go our way.

5. Some natural development from the younger brigade. It's the reason we're excited about the future, we're projecting these talented kids to step up. Progression is not always linear and there will be stumbling blocks but if for the most part, we see Cerra, Brayshaw, Serong, Young, Schultz, Sturt, Logue, Cox, Tucker, Henry continue to develop their games we'll be in a better place this time next year.

6. Effort and system. If we can bring it again like we did this year, along with the improvements above we should be a good chance to not only get to finals, but make an impact.
 

Johnny Dalmas

Getting Old and Grumpy
Oct 16, 2015
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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.
The cost isn't just what we pay him. Its the 1st rounder + 1st round downgrade
 
Oct 21, 2015
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This.

Black mark against all of our coaching staff. Couldn't even get him to try a simple routine. Every kick was different.

Need to embed a routine over the offseason until it's a habit. The routine hopefully takes part of the thinking away and helps settle the nerves.
He had a routine....stroll to the right....stutter stutter stutter...miss to the left.
 
1. Reasonable run with injuries. Living in the real world, we aren't going to have our best 22 every game all year, injuries will happen. But we can't be missing 6,8,10 out of the best side like we have at times this year and make finals. Need a bit of good luck and better management.
yeah as Duffield wrote in his article, all 17 games this season we were missing at least 6 members of our best 22, quite often more. simply can't let that happen again
 
Apr 16, 2014
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If by a miracle everyone is fit in the backline I would be happy to play a taller backline similar to Geelong. Knowing that Hamling and Logue can both play small.

Ryan - Hamling - Logue
Young - Pearce - Wilson
+ Cox off the bench

Players such as Hughes, Duman, Hill are then depth.

But what would people think about trying to utilise one of these talls in a Westoff type role? Plug and play where needed. Backup ruck, swing forward, swing back, etc.

Really I'm just thinking about options that don't result in us having to rely on a 1st year ruck/fwd to be pressuring Lobb for his spot.

Cox has already played as a ruck/fwd in previous years with mixed results. His confidence in playing is much improved, he is physically stronger than he has ever been, his field kicking has always been a strength.

Hamling has previously asked to play forward. He's strong, tall with an amazing reach, fast, desperate when the ball is loose.

Logue could be a wildcard, strength of a midfielder, great leap, ferocious attack on the ball, excellent mark.

But both Cox and Logue are still young and developing. Do we stunt their progression by swinging them about? Hamling at 27 might be the best option as he is already fully developed in the defensive role. Could he be the one we experiment with?
 

theGav56

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 11, 2004
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If by a miracle everyone is fit in the backline I would be happy to play a taller backline similar to Geelong. Knowing that Hamling and Logue can both play small.

Ryan - Hamling - Logue
Young - Pearce - Wilson
+ Cox off the bench

Players such as Hughes, Duman, Hill are then depth.

But what would people think about trying to utilise one of these talls in a Westoff type role? Plug and play where needed. Backup ruck, swing forward, swing back, etc.

Really I'm just thinking about options that don't result in us having to rely on a 1st year ruck/fwd to be pressuring Lobb for his spot.

Cox has already played as a ruck/fwd in previous years with mixed results. His confidence in playing is much improved, he is physically stronger than he has ever been, his field kicking has always been a strength.

Hamling has previously asked to play forward. He's strong, tall with an amazing reach, fast, desperate when the ball is loose.

Logue could be a wildcard, strength of a midfielder, great leap, ferocious attack on the ball, excellent mark.

But both Cox and Logue are still young and developing. Do we stunt their progression by swinging them about? Hamling at 27 might be the best option as he is already fully developed in the defensive role. Could he be the one we experiment with?
Have to consider the best use of the deepest part of our list. For me it is Logue and Young precisely because they are still developing, and because their skillsets translate to the midfield.
 

Tbonefreo

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 13, 2013
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If tabs gets a forward pocket AA im going to explode.

We are looking good. Our mids are solid. Another pre season and they will be humming. Our list is looking damn fine
 

Purple_Turtle

Stockholm Syndrome
Oct 12, 2019
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Have to consider the best use of the deepest part of our list. For me it is Logue and Young precisely because they are still developing, and because their skillsets translate to the midfield.

What's wrong with just playing guys in their natural positions?

With the way Hayden Young zones off, intercepts and drives the ball forward from the half-back flank I have no idea why we'd not use him there.



He's starting there in the best 22 whenever he's fit for me.

As for Logue I imagine he'll be in the 22 as a 3rd KPD as well. If Cox becomes the depth that's not a horrible outcome; good teams will have good players in the magoos because they can't fit everyone into a side and so long as Cox is willing to wait for injuries or a spot to open in the side for him it's not a huge problem.
 
My God, Ryan and Young are going to be unstoppable together
it might only happen for 2 games before an injury, but man do I want see Ryan, Young and AP across the half back line together. AP’s disposal might be hit and miss, but it’s always good watching when he’s on the move with ball in hand
 
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