Play Nice 2020 Pre-Season Training

freofc1994

All Australian
Sep 15, 2014
635
783
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
NY Giants, Chelsea
Rather than looking at the grounds where our stats are skewed by another team (eg West Coast) who has the highest home win rate of any team 69.83% it probably makes more sense to look at the teams individually. We have a 58.18% win rate at home historically - somewhat middle of the pack and behind Collingwood, Geelong, Adelaide, Carlton and Port. I think our so-called 'home advantage' is highlighted because we've been the 4th worst team winning away (30.36%) - so comparatively it stands out. If you look at West Coast though, they've got the 4th best away record as well (45.53%).

I just don't think the data shows a massive advantage at home, or teams travelling here are disadvantaged. I think it shows Fremantle have been far better at home than away.

I certainly don't think it makes us immune to being a candidate for a spoon - just like it didn't for WC in 2010.

I would also add that we were far better at home when that home ground (Subi) was unique to the league in terms of its dimensions. Optus will dilute that for both us and WC.
 

malpaso

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 30, 2004
8,973
7,622
Melbourne
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Chicago Bulls, Kansas City Royals
Honestly on paper the 22 looks really ugly without Hogan/Pearce/Hamling. I think Logue and Cox will be good but experienced talls are gold.

So I'm not really going to be surprised if we struggle early.
It's about the midfield for me, even a good defense can be smashed if the midfield isn't doing their job up and down the ground.
 

jusjoshin

Club Legend
Oct 22, 2008
2,483
2,103
Gosnells
AFL Club
Fremantle
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Perth Scorchers, East Side Hawks
It's about the midfield for me, even a good defense can be smashed if the midfield isn't doing their job up and down the ground.
Similarly, a poor defence won't get exposed if the ball doesn't spend much time back there.

We do have a young midfield group which might expose our understaffed defence. I'm hoping Mundy is ready soon and Serong is as ready as he seems or it will be a long season.
 

malpaso

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 30, 2004
8,973
7,622
Melbourne
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Chicago Bulls, Kansas City Royals
Similarly, a poor defence won't get exposed if the ball doesn't spend much time back there.

We do have a young midfield group which might expose our understaffed defence. I'm hoping Mundy is ready soon and Serong is as ready as he seems or it will be a long season.
That's exactly what I saying o_O
 

Superkoops

Norm Smith Medallist
May 7, 2009
6,585
11,217
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
Any training today peeps?
I second this. There are a bunch of training gallery pictures on the Dockers website.

Noted Meek and Darcy both training hard in the main group and Mundy running what looked like at a reasonable intensity. No pictures of Young or Tucker who seem to have mild ailments.
 

wayToGo_

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 24, 2015
16,071
50,928
AFL Club
Fremantle
Some good snippets...

Before rounding out the session with a quarter of footy, the players went through drills that focused on clearing the ball out of stoppages and moving the ball end-to-end.

With high numbers in a small area, the drill rewarded accurate kicks and those who were able to take the game on.

Exciting forward prospect Sam Sturt showed his strength in the drill, going in hard in a contest against Griffin Logue and winning the ball.

Rookie Isaiah Butters looked explosive and was hard to catch with ball in hand, doing well to hit Lloyd Meek with a pin-point pass as three opposition players closed in.

Blake Acres continued to show his form from the intraclub with his run and carry.


In a positive sign, rucks Sean Darcy and Meek took part in most of the session after they missed Freo’s intraclub last Friday.

The pair went head-to-head in the match simulation, with Darcy providing the highlight with a big contested mark over Meek at half forward.

Ethan Hughes continued to impress, with his intercept mark leading to an excellent end-to-end play that involved good delivery from Brett Bewley and running from Matt Taberner to get the ball forward.

First year midfielder Caleb Serong did well teaming up with Nat Fyfe and Connor Blakely in the middle, but the midfield of James Aish, Adam Cerra and Andrew Brayshaw had the best of it with the strong wind at their backs.
 
Oct 18, 2013
2,226
5,289
Perth WA
AFL Club
Fremantle
I understand the motivation for tempered expectations, but its a logic I'm just not buying into whatsoever.

The only thing low expectations do is present future roadblocks to your development IMO... regardless of how well or how badly you do, you're only ever comparing your performance (and thereby cognitively linking your performance) to the yardstick of diminished expectations.

Myself, I'd rather leave room for the guys to surprise us, and themselves, and thereby enable higher performance standards than a pessimistic approach will allow for.

Personally I place no expectations on our lads at all this year, either good or bad - I'd much rather watch and discover what they are all currently capable of, rather then try to predict, limit or pre-ordain it in some fashion.

Who knows - this season could be their finest hour for all we know. And isn't that a far more attractive and enjoyable mindset to start the year with anyway?
 
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Superkoops

Norm Smith Medallist
May 7, 2009
6,585
11,217
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
McCarthy needs to spend a couple of weeks at KFC.
He did look pretty slim. Has he taken to Peter Siddle’s Vegan and banana diet.

I’m not convinced about him on the wing but I think half forward flank roaming up the ground on long leads as a third tall with Lobb and Tabs as the KPF could be his go.
 

Galapagoose

Debutant
Jan 17, 2016
145
352
AFL Club
Fremantle
He did look pretty slim. Has he taken to Peter Siddle’s Vegan and banana diet.

I’m not convinced about him on the wing but I think half forward flank roaming up the ground on long leads as a third tall with Lobb and Tabs as the KPF could be his go.

It's great that it looks like he's putting in the work. He doesn't need size and we all know he's never going to be that contested marking forward we hoped.

I like Dardy as that roaming half forward type too. The challenge is if can he become a 20 possession player, I think he needs to be because of his lack of defensive pressure. If he can get there with his skills he'll be a real asset to the team.
 
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It's great that it looks like he's putting in the work. He doesn't need size and we all know he's never going to be that contested marking forward we hoped.

I like Dardy as that roaming half forward type too. The challenge is if can he become a 20 possession player, I think he needs to be because of his lack of defensive pressure. If he can get there with his skills he'll be a real asset to the team.

The perfect Cam McCarthy is a Freo version of Adelaides Tom Lynch IMO. Lynch in his peak season went for 20 disposals and 1.4 goals per game, that'd be an amazing outcome.
 

Cesoir

Club Legend
Feb 11, 2019
2,721
10,918
Cairns
AFL Club
Fremantle
Just the 1.4g per game I would be happy with
Not me. You would assume that in the 20 possessions there would be a number of goal assists, especially for someone with the foot skills of Cameron.

I'd be happy with 20 possessions leading to 3 or 4 goals per game, more so than him kicking his one per game - of course both would be great!
 

Purple_Turtle

Stockholm Syndrome
Oct 12, 2019
2,847
6,043
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
South Fremantle, Hull City
Not me. You would assume that in the 20 possessions there would be a number of goal assists, especially for someone with the foot skills of Cameron.

I'd be happy with 20 possessions leading to 3 or 4 goals per game, more so than him kicking his one per game - of course both would be great!

Doesn't 3 or 4 a game average put you with the elite key forwards?
 
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