Strategy Changes: Round 4 Fremantle vs. Western Bulldogs

[Docker82]

Lobb was struggling as a forward at Freo.. it surprises me that Longmuir never even considered it whilst he was here.

If you think averaging well over a goal a game in his last two years at Freo is struggling then yea sure...

His first two years he played in the ruck an absolute heap so I'm not sure what games he was the no.1 ruck and what weeks he wasn't.

He was only struggling against people's unrealistic expectations and nothing else. Was a good KPF for us when we actually used him there.

 

[dont bowl there]

If you think averaging well over a goal a game in his last two years at Freo is struggling then yea sure...

His first two years he played in the ruck an absolute heap so I'm not sure what games he was the no.1 ruck and what weeks he wasn't.

He was only struggling against people's unrealistic expectations and nothing else. Was a good KPF for us when we actually used him there.

He was in the top handful of Forward/Rucks when he was at Freo, honestly in that role he was probably better than Jackson which is why when Darcy is back I hope they use Jackson around the ball more.

 

[blue shark]

Could say the same for Freo last year with Chapman, Cox, Pearce and McDonald missing a lot of footy.

Did we try Voss/Amiss/Treacy/Sturt/Jackson back?

If Lobb had stayed? Him leaving after 2022 is one of the reasons why we haven’t
made finals since then.
The ruck issues would have been a non event, and having Jackson and Lobb gives
Flexibility.
Is Lobb a knob, yes, but that tall mature body can play key positions.
Would JLo have played either Jackson or Lobb down back, IMO highly unlikely.
You can’t lose talls, that take time to develop, and are crucial to structure.
Losing Hogan, Lobb, Meek, Knobel, sure you can lose a couple, but then you
can’t use inexperience as an excuse when it is self inflicted.
It’s just bad management, as you say our injury concerns with so many players
leaves us vulnerable.
Now it is Cox, that game against Hogan last year really sums it up.

 

[go_the_dockers]

JL Presser at the moment.

Darcy playing WAFL.
Young - 50/50 - I am guessing WAFL. (JL mentioned what is best for long term)

Fyfe pulled up sore. May miss a week, won't play AFL.
Simpson
Only learnt on Thursday (he was playing back). Chance to maximise his strengths, did well the first week but it was an easy game.

Sharp has a sore shin, he will play if he gets through training.


FYI - I found it hard to listen to the people asking questions, which made it hard. Hopefully I got it right.

 

[s_wd6]

Please tell me I heard it wrong when JL said Cox might be the matchup on Darcy when he plays deeper

 

[nurries]

JL Presser at the moment.

Darcy playing WAFL.
Young - 50/50 - I am guessing WAFL. (JL mentioned what is best for long term)

Fyfe pulled up sore. May miss a week, won't play AFL.
Simpson
Only learnt on Thursday. Chance to maximise his strengths, did well the first week but it was an easy game.

Sharp has a sore shin, he will play if he gets through training.


FYI - I found it hard to listen to the people asking questions, which made it hard. Hopefully I got it right.

I reckon Young will be sub

 

[Paracleet]

Lobb is ranked 20th for key defenders for 2025. Sure if you take out guys who are either injured or not actually playing key defender it's maybe 17.
He's doing really well at leaving his man and getting to marking contests to shut them down. Pretty high up on one percenters but he has the same weakness he had as a forward: Not strong in 50/50 one on one contests. He has the highest loss rate 1 on 1 for all key backs in the comp at the moment for those 2+ a game*. He not really intercepting much and his contested intercepts is 0.
He's doing really well for a ruck forward suddenly converted to a back but 'among the best defenders in the comp' is not really supportable.

For ranking points context in the last 10 games he is the same as Pearce, and in the first of those Peace came off with a rebroken arm.

I'd say longer term his issue is he isn't a strong enough defender to be the 1st or 2nd key back and doesn't get involved enough to be the 3rd. We'll see I suppose!

*Pearce is highest for the season, but only 5 contests.

 

[stax on the mull]

I'm losing track on what injuries Fyfe has/had. Not that I was expecting him to play this week but Longmuir is reported as saying it's a sore knee.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

JL Presser at the moment.

Darcy playing WAFL.
Young - 50/50 - I am guessing WAFL. (JL mentioned what is best for long term)

Fyfe pulled up sore. May miss a week, won't play AFL.
Simpson
Only learnt on Thursday. Chance to maximise his strengths, did well the first week but it was an easy game.

Sharp has a sore shin, he will play if he gets through training.


FYI - I found it hard to listen to the people asking questions, which made it hard. Hopefully I got it right.

I'm actually quite amazed at the level of interest in media on Simpson's move. It seems a legitimate talking point

 

[Hamann188]

Motivation for a big win this wekend. Hope JT runs straight through him and his stupid haircut on Sunday afternoon.

 

[stax on the mull]

I only watched the 2nd half of the Carlton vs Bulldogs game. Despite the height difference I was surprised how Darcy could outplay Weitering in the marking contest when they were alongside each other. I would have thought Weitering would still be the much stronger player.

Whether that's because Weitering just had a rare bad evening or Darcy has got a a really smart step around or something that avoids being pushed off the drop of the ball with a bit of body on body contact. I suppose Pearce is the best match up height wise and he can do the strength test as well as jump and spoil.

They'll also, with Naughton, have O'Donnell and English swapping in the forward 50m so Cox, Draper and Pearce will have to be flexible - but sometimes there'll probably be a 1 vs 1 mismatch. I'm starting to wonder if opposition teams now plan with a preference to get Cox matched up close to goal in a 1 vs 1 and take away his intercept role.

 

[go_the_dockers]

Please tell me I heard it wrong when JL said Cox might be the matchup on Darcy when he plays deeper

Audio was horrible, I missed it.

Surely they can clean it up a bit.

 

[SiempreFreo]

Just goes to show how stubborn and unimaginative JLo is as a coach. He never would’ve even considered sending Lobb back.

Quite possibly would've hastened Lobb's departure. As it was he complained coach hadn't always deployed him well & my recall that was about getting more forward time, not less.

 

[s_wd6]

Quite possibly would've hastened Lobb's departure. As it was he complained coach hadn't always deployed him well & my recall that was about getting more forward time, not less.

lol no way anyone actually believes that right? First there were articles saying he wanted to be more ruck than forward, then he wanted to be more forward than ruck. he’s just a sook and nothing is ever his fault.

 

[FreoRicci]

Could Sharp be an out?
Would love Banfield to take wing again and kick 3 goals with 20 disposals like he did v Bulldogs last season.

Think will need Erasmus to have a rotating midfield. Only hope is to throw unpredictability at the Dogs.

 

[stax on the mull]

Could Sharp be an out?
Would love Banfield to take wing again and kick 3 goals with 20 disposals like he did v Bulldogs last season.

Think will need Erasmus to have a rotating midfield. Only hope is to throw unpredictability at the Dogs.

From what Longmuir said in the press conference when asked about Sharp - just has to get through training to be selected and injury and substitution last week was just managing some soreness. Words to the effect of saying he has some aspects of his game to work on but he's the only designated wing position player in the team and the role he plays is important.

 

[go_the_dockers]

Could Sharp be an out?
Would love Banfield to take wing again and kick 3 goals with 20 disposals like he did v Bulldogs last season.

Think will need Erasmus to have a rotating midfield. Only hope is to throw unpredictability at the Dogs.

JL said if Sharp is fit, he plays. Only question mark is on his fitness, with sore shins

 

[SiempreFreo]

lol no way anyone actually believes that right? First there were articles saying he wanted to be more ruck than forward, then he wanted to be more forward than ruck. he’s just a sook and nothing is ever his fault.

Yes, it was a silly and unwarranted complaint by Lobb.

 

[Alfonz]

JL Presser at the moment.

Darcy playing WAFL.
Young - 50/50 - I am guessing WAFL. (JL mentioned what is best for long term)

Fyfe pulled up sore. May miss a week, won't play AFL.
Simpson
Only learnt on Thursday (he was playing back). Chance to maximise his strengths, did well the first week but it was an easy game.

Sharp has a sore shin, he will play if he gets through training.


FYI - I found it hard to listen to the people asking questions, which made it hard. Hopefully I got it right.

So that sounds like zero changes except JOM and Wagner (if fit) coming back in for their late replacements Aish and Worner.

 

[go_the_dockers]

So that sounds like zero changes except JOM and Wagner (if fit) coming back in for their late replacements Aish and Worner.

Yeah, that sounds correct.

Interestingly, it sounds like Darcy, Young and Switta (JL said he should be available for gather round) should all be available next week.
That alone should put some pressure on fringe players.

 

[poshman]

I'm actually quite amazed at the level of interest in media on Simpson's move. It seems a legitimate talking point

He could be an absolute weapon coming out of the back half. His vision and creativity with pace... I like Wags, but wouldn't mind the role being Simpsons with Wags as the back up. Worner can stay at peel for a long time.

 

[LongSerong]

Damn. Was beginning to be quietly confident this weekend with the inclusion of Young and without Sharp. Now, not so much

 

[fnerd]

Listening to JL sounds more likely young will come back through the wafl. Everyone was convinced “you don’t run group 1 thorough breds in the country”.
Guess we ll see but Might need to remember this is Jlo not RTB

Also lol at people tipping /convinced Fyfe should/would be an in.

Love the guy but he’s long past the stage of being picked (even for sub) unless he’s 110% fit and after good run of games.

 

[Big Animal]

I only watched the 2nd half of the Carlton vs Bulldogs game. Despite the height difference I was surprised how Darcy could outplay Weitering in the marking contest when they were alongside each other. I would have thought Weitering would still be the much stronger player.

Whether that's because Weitering just had a rare bad evening or Darcy has got a a really smart step around or something that avoids being pushed off the drop of the ball with a bit of body on body contact. I suppose Pearce is the best match up height wise and he can do the strength test as well as jump and spoil.

They'll also, with Naughton, have O'Donnell and English swapping in the forward 50m so Cox, Draper and Pearce will have to be flexible - but sometimes there'll probably be a 1 vs 1 mismatch. I'm starting to wonder if opposition teams now plan with a preference to get Cox matched up close to goal in a 1 vs 1 and take away his intercept role.

Weitering is 195cm, Darcy is 208cm. 13cm + extra arm length is a massive reach advantage.

 

[Joose]

If Freo can get hold of the midfield and clearances and cut supply to Darcy, Naughton etc then they can win.

Would be happy with only one change this week = JOM for Sharp