Mega Thread The Media Thread

[Dale147]

https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/w...-keys-to-andrew-gaffs-recovery-ng-b881135022z

Great to see the true victim of the Gaff/Brayshaw saga is doing well.

You know what's more traumatic than punching someone and having to miss a Grand Final? Eating through a straw for months.

Ridiculous.

Yeah, poor Gaffy.

 

[Marty Whitelaw]

I think we're all keen to move on, regardless of what we think of Gaff. What we don't need is puff pieces like this garbage detailing his "recovery" and how tough it was for him watching on for the rest of the season. My heart bleeds.

You'd honestly think from reading their coverage that the roles were reversed. I'm expecting another article soon about how "brave" Gaff was accepting Andy's hand shake.

I generally don’t wish any player ill but for Gaff I make an exception. The way the WA media and the WC hierarchy tried to lie and gloss over what was a gutless and cowardly king hit was revolting. I hope he’s never the same player.

 

[tonygeeks]

You must be talking about Dal Santo or Riewoldt because you sure as hell can't mean Ross.

We all hear what we expect to hear , it's called confirmation bias

Everybody does it


On iPad using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Dockers v Channel7West]

Just watched Basil Smarmy Slimey Zemp's interview with Ross on 7
What I expected from the slime,
Negative disrespectful questions and more interested in talking about the WC scum and making comparisons
As expected and as always threw in a dig at the end reminding us of his disregard for Freo

 

[Dockers v Channel7West]

I generally don’t wish any player ill but for Gaff I make an exception. The way the WA media and the WC hierarchy tried to lie and gloss over what was a gutless and cowardly king hit was revolting. I hope he’s never the same player.

If not for the grace and class of the Brayshaws he would/should be wearing a green uniform now

 

[Dockers v Channel7West]

https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/w...-keys-to-andrew-gaffs-recovery-ng-b881135022z

Great to see the true victim of the Gaff/Brayshaw saga is doing well.

You know what's more traumatic than punching someone and having to miss a Grand Final? Eating through a straw for months.

Ridiculous.

Are Perth NOw deliberately trying to rub Freo fans up the wrong way and keep up the rage against Gaff, his smug complicit coach and club..?

I am trying to move on but this BULLSHIT article has got me fired up yet again and pissed at biased media crap

 

[wild side]

Mate, do yourself a favour and don't watch that shit

 

[Docker82]

If not for the grace and class of the Brayshaws he would/should be wearing a green uniform now

The AFL are piss weak. Should've been an indefinite ban pending criminal charges.

 

[Monument Hills]

Just watched Basil Smarmy Slimey Zemp's interview with Ross on 7
What I expected from the slime,
Negative disrespectful questions and more interested in talking about the WC scum and making comparisons
As expected and as always threw in a dig at the end reminding us of his disregard for Freo

Serious question: why?

 

[nurries]

Serious question: why?

exactly. don't feed the trolls

 

[AlwaysFreo]

Are Perth NOw deliberately trying to rub Freo fans up the wrong way and keep up the rage against Gaff, his smug complicit coach and club..?

I am trying to move on but this BULLSHIT article has got me fired up yet again and pissed at biased media crap

I'm interested to see what happens at the Freo home derby later in the year. I think he'll find out what Fremantle supporters really think of him. I have this feeling there will be booing on an epic scale. I'm not advocating it, I've just got this feeling it might happen.

 

[332docker]

https://www.fremantlefc.com.au/video/2019-03-13/uncovered-ross-lyon

 

[Cesoir]

Sounds like he wishes he was back in Melbourne , he's never understood the West or even seemed like he wanted to bet he spent the next 20 mins after the camera's were off shitcanning the joint

He's here cause we're the best payers and his markets shrunk away to nothing . Pack him off and let's get on with it with someone who wants to be here


On iPad using BigFooty.com mobile app

Wow! I just watched that whole interview and I have no idea how you came to that conclusion. I know you are just trolling for a bite, but I thought it was a really insightful interview, and it seems like Ross is well plugged into the young team.

I loved his comment about Sandilands - "what he's doing for young Darcy, money can't buy that".

 

[blue shark]

Wow! I just watched that whole interview and I have no idea how you came to that conclusion. I know you are just trolling for a bite, but I thought it was a really insightful interview, and it seems like Ross is well plugged into the young team.

I loved his comment about Sandilands - "what he's doing for young Darcy, money can't buy that".

Ironic that he talks about money, do you reckon we have got our moneys worth? As for Ballas kicking 40?

 

[Dockers v Channel7West]

Wow! I just watched that whole interview and I have no idea how you came to that conclusion. I know you are just trolling for a bite, but I thought it was a really insightful interview, and it seems like Ross is well plugged into the young team.

I loved his comment about Sandilands - "what he's doing for young Darcy, money can't buy that".

I was refreshing to watch Ross being treated with respect and not hostility
And from former players...

 

[wild side]

He'd be up to $8 mill this year wouldn't he?? That's some serious coin.
Some of these younger fellas will be asking $600k i.e. Langmuir, Caracella etc
So I think the wall is closing in on ross rapidly

 

[salim malik]

Why Longmuir, WC won a premiership after he left.

 

[bzparkes]

Why Longmuir, WC won a premiership after he left.

Went to Collingwood as a senior assistant, fair to say he had a big part in their rise last year.

 

[Halfbaked]

Why Longmuir, WC won a premiership after he left.

Was mentioned by several Collingwood players as a part of the reason they improved as player last year.
I also listened to a interview he gave before the grand final, he spoke well and gave some insight into his coaching methods.
I would prefer an experienced and somewhat successful coach next. However we could do worse.

 

[Sully90]

Longmuir could be the perfect replacement for us I think. He's been assistant coaching for almost 10 years now. Started as a line coach at Eagles before moving up then getting poached by Collingwood. Mainly covered offensive roles for Eagles and defensive roles for Collingwood.

 

[arsesmart]

Longmuir could be the perfect replacement for us I think. He's been assistant coaching for almost 10 years now. Started as a line coach at Eagles before moving up then getting poached by Collingwood. Mainly covered offensive roles for Eagles and defensive roles for Collingwood.

Longmuir's tainted goods now. Been to too many unsavoury places.

 

[Nothing]

Was mentioned by several Collingwood players as a part of the reason they improved as player last year.
I also listened to a interview he gave before the grand final, he spoke well and gave some insight into his coaching methods.
I would prefer an experienced and somewhat successful coach next. However we could do worse.

We have one of them already.

 

[poshman]

Wow! I just watched that whole interview and I have no idea how you came to that conclusion. I know you are just trolling for a bite, but I thought it was a really insightful interview, and it seems like Ross is well plugged into the young team.

I loved his comment about Sandilands - "what he's doing for young Darcy, money can't buy that".

That was huge to me - 'whatever we are paying him, it isn't enough' - great to hear and also great to have some perspective on expectations for the year.

 

[Halfbaked]

We have one of them already.

I don't think anybody believes Ross will still be the coach in two years unless there is obvious evidence of improvement. I'm not a RTB hater but he has the key forwards he badly needed, lets see if there is obvious improvement.
Either way I would prefer an experienced coach next.

 

[its free real estate]

I don't think most people truly appreciate how well WCE have been list managed for the past decade in comparison to Freo. Simpson inherited a really balanced and experienced list. To his credit, he's made the most of it.

In their premiership team they used experienced players that were traded in and then either one or two players from every draft from 2005 to the 2017 excepting 2009 (Brad Sheppard would have played if not injured) and 2011 (GWS impacted draft - Yeo was originally from that draft though).

Their key positions and midfield are filled solely by experienced players traded in (Kennedy, Cripps, Yeo, Redden, Jetta, Vardy, Hickey) or those drafted prior to 2014 (ie with 5 or more years in the system). Barrass was the only one in their B22 spine drafted or traded in after 2010. And their key distributors off half back are also two of their most experienced (Hurn and Jetta). The players in their B22 who were drafted after 2013 are all small forwards or small defenders (Duggan, Cole, Venables, Rioli, Ryan). In their GF team Venables was the only one under 20 - and he was their least important GF player (2 effective disposals and 2 clangers). Even with injuries to key players during the season their key spots were filled by experienced players (Naitanui > Lycett+Vardy, Sheppard > Schofield, Gaff > Sheed). Their youngsters may have played a couple of games but they were never KPPs (third talls at most - Waterman, Allen, Brander) nor played in the midfield.

Then we take Freo, whose spine (sans 35yo Sandi) is Darcy (a 20yo ruck), Hamling (traded in 2016), Pearce (drafted 2013, missed over a year with injuries), either Cox (a 20yo) or Taberner (a rookie from 2012 who is still not guaranteed B22), Hogan (only just traded in) and Lobb (only just traded in). Their spine has been playing together for years, ours isn't even settled (and is yet to play a regular season game together). Our midfield is Fyfe, Mundy (33yo) and then a bunch of youngsters drafted from 2014 onwards (most of our mids were in their 1st season last year) or players traded in the past 3 years (eg BHill).

We only have 8 players on our list that we drafted/traded in prior to 2014. West Coast has 16. 2 of ours are perpetually injured (Sandi and Hill) and 2 probably shouldn't be B22 (Ballas and Tabs). 14 of theirs are B22. All our trade ins have been in the past 4 years. 11 players in total - 5 are either injured (Bennell) or fringe (Kersten/McCarthy/Matera/Colyer). WC have 8 traded in players on their list, 7 of those over the past 7 years (1 each year except none in 2014 and 2 in 2015). 7 are B22 (Ah Chee the exception).

When your spine and midfield (plus immediate depth) has mostly been together for 5 years+ it makes it so much easier to coach and have the players execute a game plan effectively. I don't think West Coast are a skilled team because they are all amazing kicks. I think Simpson has turned them into an incredibly disciplined team and they move as one to give the person with the ball high percentage options (eg a short kick to a lead whilst the others draw away their defenders). And they do the same when the opposition has the ball - moving in unison. Something that can be achieved far more easily with a team that is experienced and has played together a lot.

Lyon inherited a not dissimilar list in 2012. We had an experienced and established spine (McPharlin/Johnson/Sandi/Pavlich) and a strong midfield (Mundy/Fyfe/Barlow/Hill/Crowley). Perhaps not coincidentally both Lyon and Simpson took their teams to a GF in their second year coaching (2013 and 2015 respectively) and both lost to a more experienced, skilled and disciplined Hawthorn. Freo's 2014 and WC's 2016/17 seasons weren't dissimilar either - both playing finals but not threatening. In 2015 Ross had Freo hobble in to the end of season finishing minor premiers (again losing to the Hawks in the finals), whilst in 2018, Simpson got his team to the GF, took advantage of Richmond getting ahead of itself, and won the big dance. The major difference between Freo's 2015 list and WC's 2018 list? One had the depth to cover key injuries whilst the other didn't. Some will say it was development, I'm saying it was list management.

People will argue Ross' game style wearing the players out was also a major reason for the collapse but the reality was, when key injuries happened, Freo had no-one on the list to replace them. Freo's 2015 list simply wasn't even close to as deep and balanced as what West Coast had last year. Freo were incredibly reliant on veterans to be competitive (hence the plummet in 2016), and due to massive gaps in prior drafting we had no choice but to rebuild. Our list was in a dire predicament but the past few seasons we've turned it around (with good trading and conservative drafting). We've traded in to fill key gaps and add depth, plenty of our youngsters are producing beyond their years but need more time (especially the midfielders) and we've backed them in by playing them in key roles at the expense of our competitiveness. We can't expect immediate coordinated perfection from a list where 32 players have been turned over in 3 seasons. I'm not sure if Ross is the right coach to take Freo forward but I think sometimes people forget the context he is working in. If he goes, someone will inherit a good list come 2021.

And don't even get me started on the player availability issues we've had on top of the list management farce in recent seasons. We need to take immediate action like we did with list management. This season could be a complete write off if we don't (will only take a couple more injuries early) and if we head into next season's first round with a similar 14 or so injured players we'll completely waste all the good list management work we've done of late.

Should have sacked the list management team after that bogus 2010 draft. Complete balls up of drafting 2010-2016, worst stretch in our history.