Review Round 13 vs Fremantle @ Optus Stadium? (12.06.21 - 4:15pm AEST)

GC2015

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Return of the Matt?

bJO3zCS.jpg
 

RowellAnderson12

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Finally i can go to a game, Freo crowd are alot nicer than Eagles so thats a bonus.

Fyfe, Brayshaw & Tabener aren't 100% atm but still got two games till us.

Could be a great win if we played the same style against the eagles round 1

Please Rowell Please i beg you come back
 
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I think you give Rowell that extra week and play him against Port on our home deck. Hopefully we see Day back as well.

For this game, Bowes should be fit again so he probably comes back.

Jeffery has put together some decent VFL form that could be rewarded as well.

Rosas has done some alright things but send him back to the VFL to dominate now he has had a taste of senior footy. Atkins has had a slow start and would be at risk as well.
 
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I think you give Rowell that extra week and play him against Port on our home deck. Hopefully we see Day back as well.

For this game, Bowes should be fit again so he probably comes back.

Jeffery has put together some decent VFL form that could be rewarded as well.

Rosas has done some alright things but send him back to the VFL to dominate now he has had a taste of senior footy. Atkins has had a slow start and would be at risk as well.


This.

1st game back after his knee op and the longest trip in the AFL on the concrete slab called Optus........give him an extra week and bring him back for his next game at HOME......
 

Goodguy72

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I think you give Rowell that extra week and play him against Port on our home deck. Hopefully we see Day back as well.

For this game, Bowes should be fit again so he probably comes back.

Jeffery has put together some decent VFL form that could be rewarded as well.

Rosas has done some alright things but send him back to the VFL to dominate now he has had a taste of senior footy. Atkins has had a slow start and would be at risk as well.
Watched the game with a guy who coached in the NT has grave doubts that Rosa has the core skills to make it in the AFL which is why he sprays it so often and is not great in a one on one contest . I thought he got to the ball ok but was panicky and made a few bad errors. He also said that Jeffery will be a gun and is as good as Darryl White at the same age
 

robo_1

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This.

1st game back after his knee op and the longest trip in the AFL on the concrete slab called Optus........give him an extra week and bring him back for his next game at HOME......

As long as Rowell isn’t trotted out in a neafl practice game in a cow paddock like omeara was then happy with that
 

The Victorian

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The St Kilda game in particular was galling.
We'd be just outside the top 8 with that win
100%. We aren’t that far away!! We are just one win outside the 8! Imagine if we did win that Crows and Saints game?! I still think we are capable of making finals! We still have some quality coming back from injury! I’ve got us down to win at least 5 more and who knows, we could snag a win at home with our guns back against a team like Richmond or Port.

Run home:
Freo at Optus
Port at home
North in Hobart
Richmond at home
Giants at Giants
Dogs at home
Demons at home
Brisbane at Gabba
Carlton at marvel
Essendon at Metricon
Swans at SCG
 

The Victorian

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I’m hoping to get to this game! I’ve got flights and accommodation booked. Just hoping that we get on top of COVID down here and they reopen the border for me
 

GC2015

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Damo just said on the Sunday Footy Show that the Fremantle v Bulldogs game is not locked in to be played at Optus. The Dogs are heading to Sydney and it's possible that the game will be played in Sydney, which would obviously be a better outcome for us because the Dockers would have a long and late Sunday night/early Monday morning flight back to Perth with just five days to recover for our early Saturday fixture against them the following round. We'll be coming off a 14 day break and they'll be going into their 13th consecutive week of footy with a few of their key players under injury clouds. It may even be that our game against the Dockers isn't played at Optus Oval and we get another game at a neutral ground in Sydney but I'd say that's unlikely at this stage. Either way, plenty of factors going in our favour for this game.
 

The Victorian

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I would be nervous about that.. the wa premier has previously shown he likes to have 28 days with no local transmission
Yeah I do realise that! We've doubled checked and will get our accomodation money back and Jetstar will give us a credit.

I've always wanted to go to Perth for the football at Optus and most weekends I'm unable to travel due to community sport commitments. I can usually only go the first few weeks of the season or the last round of the season but with this game being Queens Birthday weekend and a week off for community sport, I jumped at it!
 

The Victorian

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In: Bowes, Day
Out: Rosas (tough I know but Bowes needs to come back into the side), Burgess

Rowell to have a week in the VFL vs Williamstown at home to freshen up ready to go for Port the following week. Flanders might be the unlucky one needing to make room for the Buzz when he returns.
 

SnusCG

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In: Bowes, Day
Out: Rosas (tough I know but Bowes needs to come back into the side), Burgess

Rowell to have a week in the VFL vs Williamstown at home to freshen up ready to go for Port the following week. Flanders might be the unlucky one needing to make room for the Buzz when he returns.
Rather Bowes in for Farrar tbh.

I like Farrar, but he's still very much a work in progress.
 

GC2015

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Another weekly reminder that if we’d won every game that we had a lead in the last quarter we’d be 8-3 right now.

let’s not drop this one.

carry on.
The St Kilda game in particular was galling.
We'd be just outside the top 8 with that win
I've posted this before but if you went back to the start of this season and looked at our draw you would probably find we should have five wins on the board if we're going well:

Preseason expectation (result)
R1 v West Coast @ Optus - Loss (Loss)
R2 v North Melbourne @ Metricon - Win (Win)
R3 v Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval - Win (Loss)
R4 v Carlton @ Metricon Loss (Loss)
R5 v Bulldogs @ Marvel Loss (Loss)
R6 v Sydney @ Metricon Win (Win)
R7 v Collingwood @ MCG Loss (Win)
R8 v St Kilda @ Metricon Loss (Loss)
R9 v Brisbane @ Metricon Loss (Loss)
R10 v Geelong @ Kardinia Park Loss (Loss)
R11 Hawthorn @ SCG 50/50 (Win)

I would suggest before the season started that we were only expected to beat North, Adelaide and Sydney, with Hawthorn being a 50/50 game at a neutral venue given both clubs finished 2020 with 5 wins. All other games we were expected to lose before the season started and although we lost the Adelaide game, we beat Collingwood at the MCG to make up for the one we slipped against the Crows. So I think we're exactly where people probably expected us to be in terms of expected wins. The Carlton and St Kilda games were probably closer to a 50/50 prospect than other games we've lost this year but I still believe we were expected to lose those games before the season started AND during the week of the games. The tight nature of these games were reflected in the final score lines with the loss to Carlton being 11 points and the loss to St Kilda being 9 points. If we had won one of the Carlton or St Kilda games then we'd be going really well right now and would be equal 8th on the ladder but four wins by the end of round 11 is more than commendable with the draw we had and injuries that occurred to our key players.

Run home:
Freo at Optus
Port at home
North in Hobart
Richmond at home
Giants at Giants
Dogs at home
Demons at home
Brisbane at Gabba
Carlton at marvel
Essendon at Metricon
Swans at SCG
Given we're getting back Rowell, Bowes and Day in the next 2-3 weeks, I'd say only the Dogs, Demons and Lions games are the three we're very unlikely to win in the last 11 rounds. If we're on and our opponents are off then I believe we're capable of winning these games:
  • Fremantle in Perth - We almost beat West Coast in round 1 and proved we can play well on that ground. The Dockers will be tired and injured compared to our fresh list coming off a bye. Potentially winnable.
  • Port Adelaide at Metricon - They've looked questionable at times this year and you only have to look at the way they played Brisbane at the Gabba this year to see they can struggle on the road. Potentially winnable with Rowell back.
  • North in Hobart - We should win this one pretty easily. Removing North's actual home ground advantage in Melbourne helps our case even more.
  • Richmond at Metricon - They have struggled massively this season and with no Tom Lynch it's going to be really tough for them to play us at Metricon. Potentially winnable.
  • GWS in Sydney - Tough away game but the Giants got absolutely spanked yesterday and have been really hot and cold over the last 12 months. Depends on which GWS shows up that day but if we're on then we can take this one. Potentially winnable
  • Carlton in Melbourne - We've already shown earlier this year that we can beat them if we kick straight and we've beaten the Blues plenty of times in Melbourne before. Definitely winnable.
  • Essendon at Metricon - Essendon have shown some good signs this year but I think this one being at Metricon and their list being quite young and probably struggling to finish the season well swings this in our favour. Definitely winnable.
  • Sydney in Sydney - The Dew factor makes this one winnable. We have a really good record against the Swans, smashed them at Metricon earlier this year and beat them at the SCG last year. So we're definitely a chance in this one and we may even be playing off for a spot in the top 8 if things go well (you never know!). Potentially winnable.
You typically need 11-12 wins (7-8 more wins from where we are now) to play finals and there are eight games listed above that could be winnable under the right circumstances. I know some people will say 7 wins from the remaining 11 games is a pipe dream when we've only won 4 from our first 11 games but it can suddenly turn into a more doable prospect if we beat Fremantle in round 13 which would mean 6 wins from the last remaining 10 games are required to give ourselves a shot at finals. Don't forget we had a 75% winning record (3-1) when Rowell was playing for us last year and we absolutely belted some of those opponents in that period so his inclusion alone dramatically increases our chances of winning some of the 50/50 games we've got in the second half of the season.

I know it sounds glass half full and some may question why I even took the time to write all of that but the impact Rowell has had on our team in the past genuinely has me believing we can do something special in the second half of the season. We're just one win behind the top 8 right now so that obviously means we're in the thick of it which is probably exactly where a lot of us had hoped we would be going into the bye.

Beat Fremantle and get Rowell back in the team. Who knows what happens from there...
 

GC2015

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I'd be surprised if Day and Rowell make the trip West
Bowes definitely plays but I wonder if Dew and the crew will be tempted to bring Day in given Corbett has been relegated to the sub position already? IMO it's pretty obvious that King needs further support and Sammy provides exactly what's needed. Plus this is potentially a winnable game so you want to give yourself the best chance to win by picking an experienced guy like Day.

I also wonder if Rowell could potentially be the sub for this game? Could be a good way to re-introduce him to the team instead of giving him an immediate full work load. It really just depends on how he's going in training. Maybe we need to send a spy down to Metricon next week to see if Rowell is training full contact 😂
 

The Victorian

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I've posted this before but if you went back to the start of this season and looked at our draw you would probably find we should have five wins on the board if we're going well:

Preseason expectation (result)
R1 v West Coast @ Optus - Loss (Loss)
R2 v North Melbourne @ Metricon - Win (Win)
R3 v Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval - Win (Loss)
R4 v Carlton @ Metricon Loss (Loss)
R5 v Bulldogs @ Marvel Loss (Loss)
R6 v Sydney @ Metricon Win (Win)
R7 v Collingwood @ MCG Loss (Win)
R8 v St Kilda @ Metricon Loss (Loss)
R9 v Brisbane @ Metricon Loss (Loss)
R10 v Geelong @ Kardinia Park Loss (Loss)
R11 Hawthorn @ SCG 50/50 (Win)

I would suggest before the season started that we were only expected to beat North, Adelaide and Sydney, with Hawthorn being a 50/50 game at a neutral venue given both clubs finished 2020 with 5 wins. All other games we were expected to lose before the season started and although we lost the Adelaide game, we beat Collingwood at the MCG to make up for the one we slipped against the Crows. So I think we're exactly where people probably expected us to be in terms of expected wins. The Carlton and St Kilda games were probably closer to a 50/50 prospect than other games we've lost this year but I still believe we were expected to lose those games before the season started AND during the week of the games. The tight nature of these games were reflected in the final score lines with the loss to Carlton being 11 points and the loss to St Kilda being 9 points. If we had won one of the Carlton or St Kilda games then we'd be going really well right now and would be equal 8th on the ladder but four wins by the end of round 11 is more than commendable with the draw we had and injuries that occurred to our key players.


Given we're getting back Rowell, Bowes and Day in the next 2-3 weeks, I'd say only the Dogs, Demons and Lions games are the three we're very unlikely to win in the last 11 rounds. If we're on and our opponents are off then I believe we're capable of winning these games:
  • Fremantle in Perth - We almost beat West Coast in round 1 and proved we can play well on that ground. The Dockers will be tired and injured compared to our fresh list coming off a bye. Potentially winnable.
  • Port Adelaide at Metricon - They've looked questionable at times this year and you only have to look at the way they played Brisbane at the Gabba this year to see they can struggle on the road. Potentially winnable with Rowell back.
  • North in Hobart - We should win this one pretty easily. Removing North's actual home ground advantage in Melbourne helps our case even more.
  • Richmond at Metricon - They have struggled massively this season and with no Tom Lynch it's going to be really tough for them to play us at Metricon. Potentially winnable.
  • GWS in Sydney - Tough away game but the Giants got absolutely spanked yesterday and have been really hot and cold over the last 12 months. Depends on which GWS shows up that day but if we're on then we can take this one. Potentially winnable
  • Carlton in Melbourne - We've already shown earlier this year that we can beat them if we kick straight and we've beaten the Blues plenty of times in Melbourne before. Definitely winnable.
  • Essendon at Metricon - Essendon have shown some good signs this year but I think this one being at Metricon and their list being quite young and probably struggling to finish the season well swings this in our favour. Definitely winnable.
  • Sydney in Sydney - The Dew factor makes this one winnable. We have a really good record against the Swans, smashed them at Metricon earlier this year and beat them at the SCG last year. So we're definitely a chance in this one and we may even be playing off for a spot in the top 8 if things go well (you never know!). Potentially winnable.
You typically need 11-12 wins (7-8 more wins from where we are now) to play finals and there are eight games listed above that could be winnable under the right circumstances. I know some people will say 7 wins from the remaining 11 games is a pipe dream when we've only won 4 from our first 11 games but it can suddenly turn into a more doable prospect if we beat Fremantle in round 13 which would mean 6 wins from the last remaining 10 games are required to give ourselves a shot at finals. Don't forget we had a 75% winning record (3-1) when Rowell was playing for us last year and we absolutely belted some of those opponents in that period so his inclusion alone dramatically increases our chances of winning some of the 50/50 games we've got in the second half of the season.

I know it sounds glass half full and some may question why I even took the time to write all of that but the impact Rowell has had on our team in the past genuinely has me believing we can do something special in the second half of the season. We're just one win behind the top 8 right now so that obviously means we're in the thick of it which is probably exactly where a lot of us had hoped we would be going into the bye.

Beat Fremantle and get Rowell back in the team. Who knows what happens from there...
I 100% agree with you mate. We have quality players coming back. If we happen to win our next three (I honestly think we'd beat Freo and North with Port a possible win if we turn up especially now that Day and Rowell will be back) that will give the team a massive boost with a spring in their step and can help them to give them confidence and hype that could help us play well in the games following. The positivity needs to start from us the members! We have played well in parts for every game bar the Lions game so know we can do it. Just look at last week, if we kicked straight we could've won that game and that was Geelong IN GEELONG!

My predictions
Freo at Optus- 50/50
Port at home- Loss
North in Hobart- Win
Richmond at home- 50/50
Giants at Giants- 50/50
Dogs at home- Loss
Demons at home- Loss
Brisbane at Gabba- Loss
Carlton at marvel- win
Essendon at Metricon- win
Swans at SCG- 50/50

If we can nab some of those 50/50s and win those ones that we should win we will be around the mark
 

GC2015

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I 100% agree with you mate. We have quality players coming back. If we happen to win our next three (I honestly think we'd beat Freo and North with Port a possible win if we turn up especially now that Day and Rowell will be back) that will give the team a massive boost with a spring in their step and can help them to give them confidence and hype that could help us play well in the games following. The positivity needs to start from us the members! We have played well in parts for every game bar the Lions game so know we can do it. Just look at last week, if we kicked straight we could've won that game and that was Geelong IN GEELONG!

My predictions
Freo at Optus- 50/50
Port at home- Loss
North in Hobart- Win
Richmond at home- 50/50
Giants at Giants- 50/50
Dogs at home- Loss
Demons at home- Loss
Brisbane at Gabba- Loss
Carlton at marvel- win
Essendon at Metricon- win
Swans at SCG- 50/50

If we can nab some of those 50/50s and win those ones that we should win we will be around the mark

EJnhqEs.jpg



Looks like the guys at AFL.com.au are starting to believe we're a chance with Rowell back...

Like you pointed out The Victorian we're a definite chance to win two of our next three games against Fremantle and North Melbourne with the imminent return of Rowell, Day and Bowes. That would give us a record of 6 wins and 8 losses. However, if we were to find a way to beat Port Adelaide at Metricon in three weeks from now, as well as win the other two aforementioned games, then suddenly we have a 7-7 record and may only be required to win 4 of our last 8 games to play finals. We give ourselves a serious chance at September action if we're solid over the next month of footy.

Yes, this is glass half full thinking but as has been stated already in this thread, both supporters and club need to be a glass half full if we're going to make the jump we all want to see. The players often feed off our energy and constant pessimism is only going to result in us becoming another Carlton where our list is full of talent but we never realise the potential. We need to believe our guys can go over to Perth and beat a tired Dockers outfit, we need to believe as the home team we can give Port and Richmond a run for their money and potentially even beat them on our deck and we need to believe we can beat GWS in Sydney. It's a necessary shift in thinking for the players and us as fans.
 

GC2015

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I think 7 wins should be the minimum benchmark for this season. Anything more would be a bonus. Then 2022 is when finals should be the aim.
I agree that 7 wins is the minimum expectation for our natural progression this year. North in Hobart should clearly be a W for us and I'll say 50/50 games against Fremantle, GWS, Carlton and Essendon should render at least 2 wins. That gets us to 7 wins for the season and I firmly believe that's a minimum expectation for us this year with Rowell, Day and Bowes coming back in the next 2-3 weeks. Sydney is also very winnable with the Dew Factor and you never know in Metricon games against Richmond/Port Adelaide/Bulldogs with the way those teams have played at times this year.

5-6 wins - bad season and we've faded out in the second half of the season again
7-8 wins - minimum expectation for our progression
9-10 wins - good season with something to build towards next year
11-12 wins - amazing season and possibly our first ever finals appearance


I know people like to be conservative when it comes to season expectations but a lot of our guys are coming into the right age/games played for us to seriously compete. Touk looks to be at the absolute height of his powers right now (hopefully he gets even better!) and is entering his prime at 25 years old with 127 games under his belt. That's the perfect age and amount of games to really give the competition a shake if you have the talent. Lachie Weller is also 25 years old with a similar amount of games played (115) so it's entirely possible he's about to take off in performance as well. Swallow and Greenwood are right in the middle of their physical primes at 28 and 29 with Dave having 168 games under his belt and Hugh hitting 80 games but obviously he was a latecomer to the sport and did a lot of his early development in basketball anyway so those 80 games are more like 120+ games in terms of high level sports experience. Ellis is a dual premiership player in his physical prime at 27 and has over 200 games under his belt. Atkins is in his physical prime at 26 and over 100 games played. Zac Smith is a bit older at 31 but still has plenty of experience with over 100 games played. Noah Anderson was really the only full time midfielder from yesterday's game that wasn't close to his prime years at 20 years of age and 27 games played but obviously his talent speaks for itself and he has more than held his own during his short career.

Sexton is 27 and has played 140 games. Lemmens is 26 and has played over 100 games. Collins is 26 and just hit 50 games. Holman is 25 and has played 64 games. Markov is 25. Farrar is 24. Then we've got our younger guys that ALSO have plenty of experience already like 21 year old Charlie Ballard with 58 games, 20 year old Jack Lukosius with 48 games and 20 year old Ben King with 41 games. I don't think we're as young and inexperienced as most people assume we are. A lot of our key players are getting to the point where they shouldn't just be surviving at the AFL level, they should be thriving and we're seeing that manifest itself in Touk's performances this year. We just need some others to step up.
 
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Freo like us have struggled to score this year and have goal kicking issues. I think we are an superior defensive team so the games going to be won by our forward line. Midfields about even.

If you go purely off points against we are the 7th best defensive team in the league. Pretty impressive for a fairly young backline
 
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