Mega Thread Non-Freo AFL Discussion 2025

[s_wd6]

Reidy was not an experienced back up ruck.
He was a plodder. He could have been at Freo for another five years and still offered nothing.
Two totally different situations.

Doesn’t change that there’s was a hole in the list for an experienced ruck depth?

 

[Cesoir]

Doesn’t change that there’s was a hole in the list for an experienced ruck depth?

I'm sure Lachie could fill a few holes if he comes back.

 

[Descent]

He’s out of contract so will get to where he wants for not much. Walking to the PSD can be done with Brisbane who will probably play hard ball again for some strange reason.

Maybe if he elects Freo but WC grow a pair and steal him from us but it would be a pretty funny outcome. Especially if he retired immediately rather than play for them.

It will be a 4th round pick. There is extreme reputational risk from playing hardball on reuniting a father with his kids.

 

[s_wd6]

I'm sure Lachie could fill a few holes if he comes back.

He does have one hit out for us

 

[DQ 4EVER]

So it seems there will be a chance for the 2026 premiership team to have Neale return?!
Interesting

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

Being a piece of shit partner and by extension, Father does need to be separated from the football club person of which their are no issues.

It'll be interesting to see how he goes this year. The soft tissue injuries are creeping in, Brisbane have no shortage of depth for the midfield and every year after 30 for most AFL players the chance you fall off a cliff seems to rise exponentially.

Im honestly unsure unless he wants to get into coaching (seems the sort) then its a no-brainer along the lines of Mitchell at WC (and the bonus of now no wife to pull him away to another state when he keeps filling holes).

 

[pK75]

Neale ditched Freo in our hour of greatest need to chase personal glory, he doesn’t deserve to be immortalised as an inaugural premiership player for Freo, we may have pinched a premiership already if he’d hung around and been loyal, obviously not a trait he possesses, if we win this year, I’d entertain bringing him in as a player/coach type but pretty sure the AFL would be everything they could to persuade him to move to WC instead of the reigning premier if it came to it.

 

[anchor man]

Doesn’t change that there’s was a hole in the list for an experienced ruck depth?

The hole was there even if the club had kept Reidy.

 

[noise36]

Massive yes from me. He’s still a Freo player and played in our only attempt at a flag. Massive experience and a big game player. Knows what it takes, is fond of the club that drafted him. Be stupid to turn him away.

All the moral pearl clutching is genuinely laughable.

100%

The only important question would be does he improve the clubs chances of a premiership or not.

 

[anchor man]

Massive yes from me. He’s still a Freo player and played in our only attempt at a flag. Massive experience and a big game player. Knows what it takes, is fond of the club that drafted him. Be stupid to turn him away.

All the moral pearl clutching is genuinely laughable.

He WAS a Fremantle player. He stopped being that when he walked out on the club.
Same as Schultz. Both walked out on the club when needed.

 

[King Huskii]

He WAS a Fremantle player. He stopped being that when he walked out on the club.
Same as Schultz. Both walked out on the club when needed.

We got Bolton and Murphy Reid thanks to Shultz.
Collingwood got Shultz.

At the end of the day we low balled both players and they walked. Neale clearly wasn't happy with the training standards of a few players. One player being my neighbor and I can clearly see why.

We got this. No hard feelings here

 

[anchor man]

We got Bolton and Murphy Reid thanks to Shultz.
Collingwood got Shultz.

At the end of the day we low balled both players and they walked. Neale clearly wasn't happy with the training standards of a few players. One player being my neighbor and I can clearly see why.

We got this. No hard feelings here

Schultz backed doored us.That is what I am saying.
He spoke with forked tongue, telling the club one thing and was dealing the other way.

 

[serial_thrilla]

Very sad.
Former North player Phoenix Spicer just passed away.

 

[anchor man]

100%

The only important question would be does he improve the clubs chances of a premiership or not.

The only answer is NO.

 

[freo84]

I just want a premiership.

I dont care how much of a dickhead a player is, if he can help us achieve that goal then who cares.

 

[King Huskii]

I just want a premiership.

I dont care how much of a dickhead a player is, if he can help us achieve that goal then who cares.

Yep West Coast had Kerr and a handful of other absolute flogs.

 

[Shipping Report]

Very sad.
Former North player Phoenix Spicer just passed away.

View attachment 2504522

Incredibly sad, clearly had some talent. Poor bugger.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

I definitely don't think we need a dual brownlow medallist and dual premiership captain at our highly successful club in any capacity.
Imagine how much it would undermine the perennial excuses about our young inexperienced playing list, for starters

I'll give you a pass on this as it made me laugh.

 

[anchor man]

I agree the decision should purely be a football one unless there are players at the club that have major moral objections (which there shouldn’t be).

I swear it’s not enough for some to see freo win a flag - it must also be with 23 guys that are morally superior and more virtuous than all other footy players out there!

Why shouldn't they have moral objections?
The club had the same issue with a player doing the same thing. We rattle on about culture, yet you don't see any harm in bringing in someone that left the club. Then, well no need to say more.

 

[Taylor]

Being a piece of shit partner and by extension, Father does need to be separated from the football club person of which their are no issues.

It'll be interesting to see how he goes this year. The soft tissue injuries are creeping in, Brisbane have no shortage of depth for the midfield and every year after 30 for most AFL players the chance you fall off a cliff seems to rise exponentially.

Im honestly unsure unless he wants to get into coaching (seems the sort) then its a no-brainer along the lines of Mitchell at WC (and the bonus of now no wife to pull him away to another state when he keeps filling holes).

That is a fair point. There are many, many great fathers and husbands who are rubbish at footy.

But Fremantle would be foolish not to seek to add a quality player for as cheap as possible, both in terms of trade and salary.

Getting Neale for $400k and a third rounder pick would be fine, but it might also be the actual value of a player his age.

 

[Quazar2]

Very sad.
Former North player Phoenix Spicer just passed away.

View attachment 2504522

Horrible tragedy. 23 is so awfully young. RIP

 

[fnerd]

Won’t be fazed if does head west (almost guaranteed) next yr but not to Freo as player only

I definitely would be all for it tho if it was a Sam Mitchell/WC type role.

Yes they’ve had their arses absolutely wiped by big daddy AFL but that still doesn’t change the fact that the Brisbane model has been easily among the leagues best practice for AFL clubs for quite awhile now.

Add to the fact that Lachie (pretty sure he’s stated he wants to go into coaching previously) would not only bring an extreme wealth of knowledge of what it takes to climb the summit but also ,and like Mitchell does come across as the type(a genuine campaigner of a bloke, off field anyway) that could make a decent coach.

Ive said for a long time with walls in charge of player personnel we have the talent ID and acquisition side sorted

I’m still far from convinced we have the right amount of IP in the coaching/off field side of things , so in that regard it’s a yes from me(under the role outlined above)

 

[King Huskii]

Won’t be fazed if does head west (almost guaranteed) next yr but not to Freo as player only

I definitely would be all for it tho if it was a Sam Mitchell/WC type role.

Yes they’ve had their arses absolutely wiped by big daddy AFL but that still doesn’t change the fact that the Brisbane model has been easily among the leagues best practice for AFL clubs for quite awhile now.

Add to the fact that Lachie (pretty sure he’s stated he wants to go into coaching previously) would not only bring an extreme wealth of knowledge of what it takes to climb the summit but also ,and like Mitchell does come across as the type(a genuine campaigner of a bloke, off field anyway) that could make a decent coach.

Ive said for a long time with walls in charge of player personnel we have the talent ID and acquisition side sorted

I’m still far from convinced we have the right amount of IP in the coaching/off field side of things , so in that regard it’s a yes from me(under the role outlined above)

I agree with this

I couldn't care less about his mistakes in life. He is an absolute competitor just like Mitchell and has footy smarts that could help guide the club. If he's willing to out the hard work into helping develop players then I'm all for it.

 

[ImperialPurple]

I’m still far from convinced we have the right amount of IP in the coaching/off field side of things ,

I mean I’ve never coached at AFL level - or any footy at all tbh - but I did coach a season of junior netball in 1990 so I’d be willing to have a crack if you reckon they need me.

 

[Dockeroo]

lol at People thinking we don’t need Lachie Neale

9

Lachie Neale

Age

32

Ht

177cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.0

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

15.5

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.7

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

28.3

5star

K

13.9

5star

HB

14.4

5star

M

4.6

4star

T

4.0

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

7.4

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

CL

0.4

3star

anymore, meanwhile Bailey Banfield

41

Bailey Banfield

Age

27

Ht

190cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.6

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

6.5

4star

M

2.9

3star

T

3.9

5star

MG

175.5

3star

D

9.5

2star

K

5.3

2star

HB

4.3

3star

M

2.0

2star

T

2.8

4star

MG

109.5

2star

D

14.4

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

6.8

5star

M

3.8

4star

T

3.2

5star

MG

200.4

4star

played 20 bloody games for us (including a final) the season just past