Mega Thread 2015 Training Reports

[Ragtooth]

From Twitter:

• Fremantle Dockers ‏@freodockers 25m25 minutes ago
  
  Looking SHARP on the track this morning #foreverfreo #AFLFreoEagles

 

[malpaso]

From what I could see he was getting lost up the field while Cameron was doing whatever he wanted. Put our defense under unnecessary pressure on more than one occasion (having to try and cover for him being missing).

Seriously you don't understand defensive structures at all in footy if you can't see what Dawson brings to the FFC. Dawson is aggressive, knows his role to a T and leads FFC in 1%'ers when he's full time.

 

[go_the_dockers]

Seriously you don't understand defensive structures at all in footy if you can't see what Dawson brings to the FFC. Dawson is aggressive, knows his role to a T and leads FFC in 1%'ers when he's full time.

At the moment he is in and out of my best 22.

Having McPharlin, Johnson and Ibbotson is the more attacking option, but leaves us struggling to match up on the 3rd tall especially vs the Hawks.

Having Dawson, McPharlin, Johnson and Ibbotson is better defensively. I think if we play the Hawks we have to go man on man, so it will be a tough call which way we go and it may depend on the opposition.

 

[Stuart88]

Seriously you don't understand defensive structures at all in footy if you can't see what Dawson brings to the FFC. Dawson is aggressive, knows his role to a T and leads FFC in 1%'ers when he's full time.

Seriously you overate what he brings to the table.

 

[XXRL]

I'm a Dawson fan: he bodies up well, pulls and pushes and pressures his opponent, spoils well and doesn't often get beaten one on one.

Clearly he's not perfect: his distribution isn't fantastic and he can be clumsy, and maybe it is better to have a more attacking defence with McPharlin, Johnson and Ibbotson.

What annoys me, and I'm not talking about anyone here but more commentators, is that they rate aesthetics over effect.

I swear all the hype over Alex Rance is partly because he looks good when he's playing - not saying he's not good, just he's not the league's best defender by far which is what the media seem to tell us. In fact he got solidly beaten by Pav and then Tex recently.

Anyway, point is that Dawson is not an aesthetically pleasing footballer but I would argue he's effective as a key defender and therefore, I'm a fan of his work.

 

[malpaso]

Seriously you overate what he brings to the table.

So does Ross....

 

[Stuart88]

I'm a Dawson fan: he bodies up well, pulls and pushes and pressures his opponent, spoils well and doesn't often get beaten one on one.

Problem was I saw him far to often not bodying up on Cameron.

Look, if our midfield is doing there job then it shouldn't really matter who is down there as the ball won't be coming in lace out to the forwards.

 

[XXRL]

Problem was I saw him far to often not bodying up on Cameron.

Look, if our midfield is doing there job then it shouldn't really matter who is down there as the ball won't be coming in lace out to the forwards.

Fair enough, Cameron did get away from him a fair bit that game - he was really their only threat. I'd prefer to see Zac on a bigger slower type of player than Cameron.

 

[Taylor]

Cameron is a bee in a glass jar when the ball is heading to his forward line, I'm not sure anyone would keep with him. As long as they get there to create the contest that's fine with me. Jeremy is only one of the best young players in the game at the moment.

I want to say Zac Dawson offers a wider range of defense, as in his influence circle takes up more of the ground so he can help out others but I have no evidence to back it up.

 

[malpaso]

Problem was I saw him far to often not bodying up on Cameron.

Dawson will be in the 22 for our finals campaign, that's where he shines. Picking out his first game back this year against Cameron as an example of Dawson not good enough reeks of an agenda. He has plenty of runs on the board not to mention 4 GF appearances as a full back.
Players like McPharlin and Johnson don't put their body on the line like Dawson (and SNOS) does and there are more than a number of times in a game where that is required.

 

[Stuart88]

Cameron is a bee in a glass jar when the ball is heading to his forward line, I'm not sure anyone would keep with him. As long as they get there to create the contest that's fine with me. Jeremy is only one of the best young players in the game at the moment.

I'm not saying he was standing off him a couple of meters, he was actually running around up the ground with no regards as to where Cameron was at all at one point. Macca was playing on the slower resting ruck. And that's the problem, Dawson is usually effective on the slower stay at home forwards so he can't really give macca a chop out.

 

[Stuart88]

Dawson will be in the 22 for our finals campaign, that's where he shines. Picking out his first game back this year against Cameron as an example of Dawson not good enough reeks of an agenda. He has plenty of runs on the board not to mention 4 GF appearances as a full back.
Players like McPharlin and Johnson don't put their body on the line like Dawson (and SNOS) does and there are more than a number of times in a game where that is required.

So you think there is room for SOS,Dawson,Macca,Johnson & Ibbo? (assuming all are fit)

 

[malpaso]

So you think there is room for SOS,Dawson,Macca,Johnson & Ibbo? (assuming all are fit)

No, we wouldn't play 2 fullbacks. That's a dumb question.

 

[jusjoshin]

So you think there is room for SOS,Dawson,Macca,Johnson & Ibbo? (assuming all are fit)

This will be Macca's last roll of the dice. I wouldn't think he'd go around again, so we need Dawson. He might be depth right now, but he'll start on the field every game next season that he's available I would think.

 

[Stuart88]

No, we wouldn't play 2 fullbacks. That's a dumb question.

Well I would be playing SOS & Macca before Dawson. Therefore he doesn't get the chance to add another GF loss/draw to his name. I hope to hell he proves me wrong if he is required but his first game back was terrible.

 

[Stuart88]

This will be Macca's last roll of the dice. I wouldn't think he'd go around again, so we need Dawson. He might be depth right now, but he'll start on the field every game next season that he's available I would think.

Well I hope the added responsibility will bring out more than we've seen so far

 

[wild side]

Dawson will be in the 22 for our finals campaign, that's where he shines. Picking out his first game back this year against Cameron as an example of Dawson not good enough reeks of an agenda. He has plenty of runs on the board not to mention 4 GF appearances as a full back.
Players like McPharlin and Johnson don't put their body on the line like Dawson (and SNOS) does and there are more than a number of times in a game where that is required.

He's played in 3 losing GF's, and one draw. I wouldn't call that shining.
I'm a fan, he's the quintessential role player.
RTB likes him.

 

[apuchar]

He's played in 3 losing GF's, and one draw. I wouldn't call that shining.
I'm a fan, he's the quintessential role player.
RTB likes him.

got smashed by Gunston. Made it almost impossible for us to win the grandfinal. Wouldn't worry me if SOS played instead of him but he is good value mainly.

 

[malpaso]

He's played in 3 losing GF's, and one draw. I wouldn't call that shining.
I'm a fan, he's the quintessential role player.
RTB likes him.

I never said it was shining, however to be the fullback on teams that make it to 4 Grand Finals says enough. If our fullback is shining then our midfield isn't working hard enough.

 

[malpaso]

got smashed by Gunston. Made it almost impossible for us to win the grandfinal. Wouldn't worry me if SOS played instead of him but he is good value mainly.

Really? I think the fact that Lake destroyed us up forward had more to do with it and the fact that we missed sitters.

 

[apuchar]

Nice interview with Fyfey is anyone interested
http://www.fremantlefc.com.au/video/2015-08-14/nat-fyfe-off-the-track

 

[apuchar]

Really? I think the fact that Lake destroyed us up forward had more to do with it and the fact that we missed sitters.

Don't agree.

 

[Square Peg]

Dawson played more on Roughhead than Gunston.
Anyway, on topic, can those at training provide any clearer idea on who is tall and playing?

 

[Frank J Moose]

got smashed by Gunston. Made it almost impossible for us to win the grandfinal. Wouldn't worry me if SOS played instead of him but he is good value mainly.

You may have had a point had he actually been playing on Gunston.

 

[apuchar]

You may have had a point had he actually been playing on Gunston.

I did ask who was playing on him and I was told Dawson.