gaskin
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After the s**t with Brad Hardie is anyone really surprised?
Mega Thread 2017 Media Thread
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After the s**t with Brad Hardie is anyone really surprised?
- Aug 27, 2010
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Nope. January predates that though.
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He was in the defensive 50 when Fyfe took that mark, within 10 metres, had changed over with Lambert - Martin was running to Tucker - Lambert slips and Fyfe get's the uncontested grab.
They are POLES APART.
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The point is, I am not critical of Martin for Fyfe's goal in the first 25 seconds. I am just pointing out that the same critical standards don't seem to apply evenly. Neither Fyfe nor Martin are the type of players who should be held responsible for every time their opposing midfielder kicks a goal or sneaks forward. Neither were playing the role of defensive taggers and typically, both are attacking midfielders who spend more time in the forward 50.
But again I shake my head.
Fyfe, Freo's captain, who has consistantly shown in 2017 to have extremely high pressure acts, 1%ers, high TOG%, even high GPS tracker stats (all better than Martin in this game), is being criticised in a game in which the stats clearly show he was Freo's best player (possibly best on ground if you put as much value on contested football as I do) and yet some Freo supporters plus much of the media still WANT to find fault in him.
This Tall Poppy Syndrome attack on Fyfe of recent years just needs to stop and again, especially from supposed Freo supporters.
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Well, you can't because Martin was within 10 metres and attempting to cover Tucker, Lambert slipped over which is why Fyfe takes it uncontested.
Fyfe, Martin - Suban or Townsend are all accountable for their performance and their match up - Fyfe rolled the diced and lost. He rolled the dice when the side was 70 points down, getting thrashed in the contest and leaking goals. Fyfe clearly makes the conscious decision to leave Martin alone in our defensive 50 - chase a stat and got burnt. It happens, and it's ok to call it out - in fact it is healthy.
This isn't a witch hunt - Fyfe is in his first year of captaincy - he needs to learn that his actions set the tone - can you imagine Fyfe launching into another player for not being accountable after that? Probably not, because he wouldn't have a leg to stand on. It was a mistake, and it's ok to point out a mistake, learn from it and then change the pattern. He will be better for it, or would you rather that action go unchecked?
It isn't tall Poppy syndrome, there's no ulterior motive, no witch hunt. Fremantle was beaten by 104 points for the second consecutive week, every element of the club will be scrutinised, and rightly so. Those in Leadership positions are ultimately at the forefront of such scrutiny.
I don't think anyone has said Fyfe isn't an elite talent, one of the best in the compeition as a player - but in that moment, as a player and leader of the club he didn't carry himself well - again it's fine, as long as it doesn't happen again.
gaskin
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Fyfe had 20 Contested Possessions, the most in that game by 4 and 7 more than Martin. Fyfe does not go chasing stats, he looks for the contest and drifts forward. His role definately should not be to chase his opposing midfielder deep inside the defensive 50 ... that would be an opposing coaches dream come true, because they would just force Fyfe to do that all day long.
Again, in 2017 Fyfe has shown a dramatic improvement in many areas such as pressure acts, 1%ers, TOG, stats far better than most of the other top AFL midfielder in 2017 (especially Martin). If you really WANTED to take an impartial closer look and not just listen to the witch hunt anti-Freo anti-Fyfe media hype that chooses to focus on one isolated incident, then you may see where I am coming from. Never mind that Martin got that goal after a goal assist from Rioli 40m out. Rioli had drifted up from half back with Crozier jogging 10 metres behind. If Crozier had have been chasing his man harder, we wouldn't even be discussing this and even if Martin wasn't in the 50m on his own, it would have been an easy goal to Rioli anyway.
Yep, beaten by 104 points, Fyfe was Freo's best on ground with 7 more contested possessions than Martin, yet his leadership is questioned by highlighting one goal where Fyfe doesn't tag Martin all the way in to the defensive 50 ... and you wonder why I suggest there is a witch hunt.
Too true
I've been critisising Fyfe and the other midfielders for it for a while now, it's only when it becomes blatantly obvious does shows like On the Couch pick it up, we lack two way runners, it's why Suban is one of our more important players when it comes to selection
More abdications. Just admit you are wrong.
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The devil is in the detail. In 2017, Fyfe is playing a much better game for Freo by going forward. For example, in this game he had 7 Scoring Involvements out of Freo's 16 (or 44%). Martin for instance had 8 out of Richmond's 32 (25%). I posted a week or two ago about just how good Fyfe's scoring involvements (relative to a team's scoring shots) are ... again ... up there leading all the AFL's Elite midfielders and very close to the levels of forwards like Buddy Franklin and Kennedy (extract from old post Fyfe is involved in 38% of Freo's scores. Dangerfield 33%, Martin 37%, Zorko 37%, Sloane 33%. That is up there with the league's premier forwards; Buddy Franklin is 38% and Josh J Kennedy is 40%)
Getting Fyfe to become more defense minded would further hurt Freo's scoring ability ... which is already dire and given Fyfe's already very impressive pressure acts and 1%ers it is an absolutely nonsense topic.
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The issue isn't Fyfe in isolation, of course shows like OTC and the likes will single him out in a matchup v dusty because it's showbusiness, the main issue is nearly all the midfielders are doing this, there's no balance and we're getting killed through the middle because of it
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This became very evident back at the start of last year when Freo got smashed by Gold Coast's run and carry in round 2. Lyon acknowledged that the defensive work of the midfield had failed. This new structure was poorly introduced, from what I believe to be a design copy of Hawthorn's game plan. It came off the back of the 2015 season where the media and supporters hammered Freo's scoring ability (ie. too defensive). The game plan is fine when you are winning the inside ball and using cleans skills to move it. Freo's problem is their lack of skills and the subsequent turnovers. So Lyon is still trying to get this balance right. I acknowledge the problem is there, but blaming Fyfe is the wrong place to start. He is too valuable doing just what he's doing. Additionally, our current lack of strong bodied contested ball winning mids like Barlow and de Boer haven't been replaced. Neale and Blakely are quality inside mids but don't offer the same phyical tackling pressure that was there in 2015 (and prior). Putting a very poor contested ball player like Sutcliffe in the midfield really exagerates the problem.
A fit and firing Sandilands (plus Neale, Blakely, Walters, Bennell) plus some improvement from the younger up and coming mids should allow 2018 to look much better.
Yep, don't think we should expect a great deal from 211 next year. I hope he plays 10-12 games and focuses on the mentoring of Darcy and maybe Nads.
- Sep 27, 2013
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Funny how David King picks it up, the greatest one way player there ever was, Danyle Pearce has more defensive qualities than King had.
Wut
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Which part of anything I have said, is wrong?
You don't see the inconsistency of saying Crozier should chase harder, but Fyfe gets a free pass? Bizarro World?
At least this time you had an answer, rather than posting pathetic GIFs.
As it happens, its pretty obvious that different players have different roles to play. Some e.g. Crozier have a role that includes putting pressure on in the forward line. Others e.g. Fyfe have a role that includes creating play in the centre and forward. so they get judged differently based on their roles.
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So which part of what I said, was wrong?
Pav, is that you?
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Even if Ross went on 6pr it would be full of excuses and spin.
It is just too easy and weak to palm them off.
It is just too easy and weak to palm them off.
It would be 100% in response to the Brad Hardie comments.
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