2016 - The Washup

[Mr Fonebone]

One of the most difficult years the club has had to face.

Blighted by a never-ending run of injuries esp to key players like Fyfe, Johnson, Sandilands and A Pearce and poor form by a number of experienced players the season never got going.

The other big factor was the apparent lack of fitness. The boys seem to continually fail to run out games and were overrun. Myself, I failed to notice any real change in team tactics or game plan. Week after week it was the same old same ol'. Aimless long kicks forward to no one in particluar being of particular annoyance. There was a brief period of 3 weeks where the guys played with rare attacking flare and racked up a couple of huge wins - albeit against weak opposition. It didnt last.

But there were some good signs and positives. Lyon seemed to realise the old guard were not going to cut it anymore and there was a focus on youth with the likes of Weller, Blakely, Apeness, Collins, Tucker, Yarran and Langdon showing plenty at times. The form of Neale , Walters and Hill all year was very good.

A lot to look forward to next year though. A very interesting and crucial off season awaits.

 

[go_the_dockers]

Gets some K's into our legs, some KG's onto a few players and we should improve a lot.

Apeness is a raging bull, but needs to channel this so that he doesn't get suspended.

I think Mayne, Barlow, de Boer, C Pearce, Ibbotson, Clarke all have a future, but I don't think many will be at Freo next year.

 

[StingBitten]

Biggest Positives of the year

- Pav 700 beautiful goals and over 350 games.
- Lachie Neale highest disposal accumulator of all time
- Shane Yarran, Lachie Weller, Connor Blakely and Sam Collins.

 

[Tbonefreo]

Yeah well that was ****** and i am glad its over.

 

[Bicco]

What year?

 

[YelloMit]

Biggest Positives of the year

- Pav 700 beautiful goals and over 350 games.
- Lachie Neale highest disposal accumulator of all time
- Shane Yarran, Lachie Weller, Connor Blakely and Sam Collins.

Add Alex Pearce to that last one until he got injured.

 

[Reynolds Number]

s**t mud cake with a cherry on top.

 

[Tazmania]

Personally I'm not too upset with this year. I felt last year that we'd driven into a cul de sac and had no way forward. This year we've reversed out and today we saw the signpost that is showing us the right way forward.

Next year will be fantastic.

 

[Freeeoo]

I'm actually quite optimistic about the future, bring it on!

 

[Admiral Byng]

I'm actually quite optimistic about the future, bring it on!

me too

 

[meima]

Old one dont go new one wont come. A new legend is born .

 

[Scham]

I'm actually quite optimistic about the future, bring it on!

Yep, me too. There was an element of tanking to this year.

 

[Ripper]

I'm actually quite optimistic about the future, bring it on!

I have been all year

 

[electricfeel]

Glad it's over. Sad to say farewell to our champion in Pav.

A new era begins.

Positives of the season:
- Lachie Neale stepping up and leading our midfield. Should wrap up his first Doig medal. Well done to him. Stoked he's signed on with us.
- Youngsters in Weller, Blakely, Tucker, Collins, Apeness, Langdon and Yarran (if he counts). Another pre season into them to build their fitness. Weller is class.
- Walters stood up too and lifted on many occasions to try and get us over the line. Should be runner up in the Doig. Hill should be third.

Negatives:
- Skills. Awful. Have never seen anything so bad. We could not execute basic skills and that was basically the downfall of our season.
- Poor form from our senior players in particular: Ballantyne, Mayne (perhaps they've played their last games for fremantle?), Mundy, Sutcliffe, Clarke, Danyle Pearce, Suban. Very disappointing to see Mundy have probably his worst ever season.
- Injuries.
- Lack of KPP. Need to have a solid draft and trading season to address this.

Bring on 2017.

ETA: please please please can we keep Barlow.

 

[johnnomac]

Yep, me too. There was an element of tanking to this year.

There's tanking, and then there's tanking a la the Marquee de Sade. If we were, it would have to be the latter.

 

[johnnomac]

Glad it's over. Sad to say farewell to our champion in Pav.

A new era begins.

Positives of the season:
- Lachie Neale stepping up and leading our midfield. Should wrap up his first Doig medal. Well done to him. Stoked he's signed on with us.
- Youngsters in Weller, Blakely, Tucker, Collins, Apeness, Langdon and Yarran (if he counts). Another pre season into them to build their fitness. Weller is class.
- Walters stood up too and lifted on many occasions to try and get us over the line. Should be runner up in the Doig. Hill should be third.

Negatives:
- Skills. Awful. Have never seen anything so bad. We could not execute basic skills and that was basically the downfall of our season.
- Poor form from our senior players in particular: Ballantyne, Mayne (perhaps they've played their last games for fremantle?), Mundy, Sutcliffe, Clarke, Danyle Pearce, Suban. Very disappointing to see Mundy have probably his worst ever season.
- Injuries.
- Lack of KPP. Need to have a solid draft and trading season to address this.

Bring on 2017.

I'll add another one to your positives. Today's effort without any real passengers shows that this group can win games. Add in the missing faces and some new shrewd pick-ups and we will storm back next season.

 

[Dockernut]

Well thank * that's over.

For me the greatest plus came today. This year we've watched teams ream us week in, week out, by running hard off half back and delivering the ball with precision. You can have all of the big unit defenders you like, but if the ball hits the deck in your backline and you haven't got a composed, elite kick, driving your attack from that very second, you're dead in the water. Over the last six or seven years, from this position, we've lost Roger Hayden, Paul Duffield and I'd give Johnno about 1 more year.

Enter Lachie Weller.

His game today was excellent and if he can consistently provide that kind of drive and elite kicking out of defence, we're a big step closer to pulling ourselves out of this shitswamp. Importantly for me, it appeared that his presence down there also freed up a few of our other defenders. Where ordinarily our defenders are so busy trying to lock down their respective opponents, those players like Ibbo and Hilly became more offensive. I think this is because the forwards have to switch their attention to shutting down some of Weller's creativity and run.

Maybe it wasn't just Weller alone, maybe I'm giving him too much credit, but it certainly looked a lot more organised down back with him in there and a lot smoother coming out of defence; an area we've looked decidedly lacking all year.

 

[rgauci]

Well thank **** that's over.

For me the greatest plus came today. This year we've watched teams ream us week in, week out, by running hard off half back and delivering the ball with precision. You can have all of the big unit defenders you like, but if the ball hits the deck in your backline and you haven't got a composed, elite kick, driving your attack from that very second, you're dead in the water. Over the last six or seven years, from this position, we've lost Roger Hayden, Paul Duffield and I'd give Johnno about 1 more year.

Enter Lachie Weller.

His game today was excellent and if he can consistently provide that kind of drive and elite kicking out of defence, we're a big step closer to pulling ourselves out of this shitswamp. Importantly for me, it appeared that his presence down there also freed up a few of our other defenders. Where ordinarily our defenders are so busy trying to lock down their respective opponents, those players like Ibbo and Hilly became more offensive. I think this is because the forwards have to switch their attention to shutting down some of Weller's creativity and run.

Maybe it wasn't just Weller alone, maybe I'm giving him too much credit, but it certainly looked a lot more organised down back with him in there and a lot smoother coming out of defence; an area we've looked decidedly lacking all year.

100% agree with this, add Hayden Crozier with the left boot and we are starting to compile some genuine speed and kicking skills off HB. Hopefully both those two options are persisted with in the offseason.

 

[Sweetback]

So Weller takes Croz's possie as a forward and now takes it as a defender?

 

[Dockernut]

So Weller takes Croz's possie as a forward and now takes it as a defender?

Croz can play Left Right Out as far as I'm concerned.

 

[meima]

So Weller takes Croz's possie as a forward and now takes it as a defender?

Now i start to love the switching player part . Balic ,tucker ,croz , weller all can play wing/hf and back too . Langdon will be included once he signed, exciting time my friend .

 

[pavslovechild]

Love Tucker's kicking. Looks a footballer and I reckon will be a solid player into next year for the run.

 

[Lach72]

Love Tucker's kicking. Looks a footballer and I reckon will be a solid player into next year for the run.

Weller was good but I think I enjoyed Darcy more today.

Nicely weighted kicks and taking attacking options

 

[meima]

Love Tucker's kicking. Looks a footballer and I reckon will be a solid player into next year for the run.

I dont want to hype him too much, he is a young kid got a lot of work to do. Saw one of the floating kick to the corridor nearly cause a turnover. If that team is hawthorn will get punish. But he show good sign.

 

[Square Peg]

Weller was good but I think I enjoyed Darcy more today.

Nicely weighted kicks and taking attacking options

Cool head too, has the temperament to make it big time