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Here’s an absolutely useless random fact that I could tell to other people and receive some very blank stares.

The last player Freo drafted/traded to play 200 games for us was, Nat Fyfe, taken way back in 2009. It’s currently the longest stretch of any team not to produce a 200 game player.


Totally meaningless in every single context and it isn’t going to win you any quiz nights but I bet at least one of you clicks the link and thinks “wow, he (oh wait they) didn’t make this s**t up.”
 
Here’s an absolutely useless random fact that I could tell to other people and receive some very blank stares.

The last player Freo drafted/traded to play 200 games for us was, Nat Fyfe, taken way back in 2009. It’s currently the longest stretch of any team not to produce a 200 game player.


Totally meaningless in every single context and it isn’t going to win you any quiz nights but I bet at least one of you clicks the link and thinks “wow, he (oh wait they) didn’t make this s**t up.”
Lachie Neale has played 200
 
Not the "we peaked/we're peaking at the wrong time" thing again?

There's no such thing as peaking at the wrong time, to win a premiership you have to beat good ****en teams that's just how it is.

Yeah we peaked at the same time as a dominant Hawks team in 13-15 but what's the alternative? Peak earlier when Geelong and Collingwood were dominant? Peak when Richmond were on a rampage?

Spare me, the aim is to BE that team that everyone wishes they didn't peak at the same time as, hoping to have an easy run to a premiership is just wishful thinking (and a little bit weak).
 

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Unfortunately we were peaking right when GWS and to a lesser extent GC were being given bulk extra draft picks and basically hoarding the first round to themselves before we got to take a pick.

2011 - Freo finished 7th last. Should have had pick #7 (ended up with pick #16 - after they'd taken 12 players predraft)
2012 - Freo won a final. Should have had pick #12/13 (ended up with #17 - after the mini draft had taken another group)
2013/2014/2015 we were late teens at best, access to talent limited but not excluded.

This is the group who would be on 200+ games for Freo right now.
It's just the reality of the situation. I prefer that we were successful in that window than rubbish and still not getting access to the best talent.
 
Looking at that link 2001 - 2011 set up the list that made us briefly competitive. I'd say 2016 - 2026 has netted a potentially better spread of players. Alex Pearce is an outlier, the only player of note from 2012 - 2015.
 
Here’s an absolutely useless random fact that I could tell to other people and receive some very blank stares.

The last player Freo drafted/traded to play 200 games for us was, Nat Fyfe, taken way back in 2009. It’s currently the longest stretch of any team not to produce a 200 game player.


Totally meaningless in every single context and it isn’t going to win you any quiz nights but I bet at least one of you clicks the link and thinks “wow, he (oh wait they) didn’t make this s**t up.”
Love a useless random fact! Would be curious to see other clubs (not curious enough to dig through every club though).

this will all be forgotten when cox, darcy, serong and banners reach the 200 club in the same season 😉
 
Unfortunately we were peaking right when GWS and to a lesser extent GC were being given bulk extra draft picks and basically hoarding the first round to themselves before we got to take a pick.

2011 - Freo finished 7th last. Should have had pick #7 (ended up with pick #16 - after they'd taken 12 players predraft)
2012 - Freo won a final. Should have had pick #12/13 (ended up with #17 - after the mini draft had taken another group)
2013/2014/2015 we were late teens at best, access to talent limited but not excluded.

This is the group who would be on 200+ games for Freo right now.
It's just the reality of the situation. I prefer that we were successful in that window than rubbish and still not getting access to the best talent.

That’s definitely part of it but our offseason antics during the 2013-15 as far as games played are historically bad for a 3 year period (if a stat like that was ever to mean anything). Our 2010-12 isn’t actually that bad.

Pretty sure there’s only one team who has had a worse 3 year offseason period than this and that was the Saints from 2008-10 and there is a commonality between us and them during those periods.

Don’t be fooled by me continuing the conversation that I actually place any value in this stat, just find it a bit interesting.

Also if Ryan plays 21 games next year we will pass the baton onto someone else. Someone better bookmark this post so we can all revisit it on that fateful day.
 
That’s definitely part of it but our offseason antics during the 2013-15 as far as games played are historically bad for a 3 year period (if a stat like that was ever to mean anything). Our 2010-12 isn’t actually that bad.

Pretty sure there’s only one team who has had a worse 3 year offseason period than this and that was the Saints from 2008-10 and there is a commonality between us and them during those periods.

Don’t be fooled by me continuing the conversation that I actually place any value in this stat, just find it a bit interesting.

Also if Ryan plays 21 games next year we will pass the baton onto someone else. Someone better bookmark this post so we can all revisit it on that fateful day.
Have you checked out WC? They barely drafted anybody for 10 years except for 2017. Even then, they have just lost the two who were good from that draft.

Trading Lachie Neale & Weller still better than getting 200 games out of Tom Cole.
 
Have you checked out WC? They barely drafted anybody for 10 years except for 2017. Even then, they have just lost the two who were good from that draft.

Trading Lachie Neale & Weller still better than getting 200 games out of Tom Cole.

WC’s worst period looks like 2018-20 where they have played a total of 618 games but still have Kelly, Edwards and Williams on their list.

Our 2013-15 cohort have played 603 games with only Pearce remaining. Unfortunately I don’t think the skipper can get us over the line on this one.

Solid contender though, great effort Purple Suit!!!
 
WC’s worst period looks like 2018-20 where they have played a total of 618 games but still have Kelly, Edwards and Williams on their list.

Our 2013-15 cohort have played 603 games with only Pearce remaining. Unfortunately I don’t think the skipper can get us over the line on this one.

Solid contender though, great effort Purple Suit!!!
Should trading in players actually count though?

If you look at the players who were drafted by WC, they basically got 1 AFL standard player a year from 2013. Sheed, Duggan, Cole, Waterman, 2017 (None left), Bailey Williams/Harry Edwards (lol), 2019 (none), 2020 (none), 2021 (Hough maybe, long shots Williams or Bazzo)

Not 1 A grader. Not 1 solid B grader and why they are the worst team in the History of AFL.
 

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Should trading in players actually count though?

If you look at the players who were drafted by WC, they basically got 1 AFL standard player a year from 2013. Sheed, Duggan, Cole, Waterman, 2017 (None left), Bailey Williams/Harry Edwards (lol), 2019 (none), 2020 (none), 2021 (Hough maybe, long shots Williams or Bazzo)

Not 1 A grader. Not 1 solid B grader and why they are the worst team in the History of AFL.
Hough is actually a pretty good player. He'd get a game in most teams and Waterman has had 1 great season and then 2025 where he was injured again.

But the rest...that's dire.
 
Okay curiousity won out and I had to look at other clubs too. Fyfe's draft year (2009) ended up being a nice natural cut off as that was Gold Coast's first year in the comp. I have only included players drafted before Fyfe if they are current.

200 gamers who were drafted* by their club:

Adelaide current (3 players):
2007 Taylor Walker (301 games), 2010 Brodie Smith (273), 2011 Rory Laird (269)
Retired: 2009 Daniel Talia (200)

Brisbane current (4 players): 2010 Ryan Lester (233 games), 2011 Dayne Zorko (304)*, Harris Andrews (239), Hugh McLuggage (209)
*Included because although prelisted by GC he didn't play a game for them and it was a weird time

Carlton current (2 players): 2013 Patrick Cripps (230 games), 2015 Jacob Weitering (204)
Retired: 2010 Ed Curnow (221)*
*Rookie listed by Adelaide originally but never played a game for them


Collingwood current (4 players): 2005 Scott Pendlebury (425), 2008 Steele Sidebottom (354), 2011 Jamie Elliot (219), 2014 Jack Crisp (256)* and Brayden Maynard (229)
*Prelisted by GWS but never played a game for them
**Played for Brisbane (wtf I never knew this?)


Essendon current (1 Player): 2013 Zach Merrett (251)
Retired: 2010 Dyson Heppell (253)

Fremantle current (0):
Retired: 2009 Nathan Fyfe (248)

Geelong current (2 players): 2010 Cam Guthrie (240), 2011 Mark Blicavs (295)
Retired: 2009 Mitch Duncan (305)

Gold Coast current (1 player): 2014 Touk Miller (214)
Retired: 2010 David Swallow (249)

GWS current (5 players): Stephen Coniglio (227), Toby Greene (261), 2012 Lachie Whitfield (257), 2013 Josh Kelly (230), 2015 Harry Himmelberg (201)
Retired/traded: 2011 Nick Haynes (211)

Hawthorn current (0 players):
Retired: 2009 Ben Stratton (202), 2010 Isaac Smith (210)
Gunston was drafted by Adelaide


Melbourne current (3 players): 2009 Max Gawn (247), 2010 Tom McDonald (249), 2012 Jack Viney (237)
Retired/traded: 2014 Christian Petracca (212), 2015 Clayton Oliver (205)

North Melbourne current (1): 2013 Luke McDonald (218)
Retired: 2009 Ben Cunnington (238), 2010 Shaun Atley (234)

Port Adelaide current (2): 2012 Ollie Wines (273), 2013 DBJ (22)
Retired: 2010 Tom Jonas (216)

Richmond current (1): 2012 Nick Vlaustin (255)
Retired: 2009 Dylan Grimes (234) and Dustin Martin (302), 2012 Kamdyn McIntosh (213)

St Kilda current (1): 2014 Jack Sinclair (210)
Retired: 2011 Seb Ross (211)

Sydney current (4): 2011 Harry Cunningham (219), 2012 Dane Rampe (272) and Jake Lloyd (271), 2014 Isaac Heeney (224)
Retired/traded: 2010 Luke Parker (293)

West Coast current (1): 2012 Jamie Cripps (256), 2014 Liam Duggan (200)
Retired/traded: 2009 Brad Sheppard (216), 2010 Andrew Gaff (280) and Jack Darling (298)

Western Bulldogs current (3): 2010 JJ (212) and Libba (257), 2013 Bont (258)
Retired/traded: 2012 Jack Macrae (249)


*For interest have noted players who have only ever played senior games for their club but may have been re-drafted, re-rookied or traded prior to debut
 
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Meanwhile, Walls has revealed the Dockers have the flexibility to match any bids on next generation academy prospects Toby Whan and Ryda Luke should they come in the national draft after they have filled the two vacancies on their main list.
Fremantle have interest in next generation academy prospect Toby Whan. No
Under the rules, Fremantle can transfer a rookie spot to the main list, but it would mean the player’s wage would fall under the salary cap.
“The AFL gives you the flexibility to be 37 senior players and five rookies or you can be 38 senior players and four rookies, so we would have the flexibility to add another senior list spot if we decided to go that way,” Walls said.
“We’re definitely interested in them. That’s what we’ll do over the next two or three weeks is sit down and put our full draft order together and those two will be in our draft order it’s just probably at what level are they? And where do we get to them in the draft?
“At pick No.47 if they were our highest or the bid had come, we would potentially match but we could also say we’ve got guys that are rated higher than them and pass as well.”
 
Not the "we peaked/we're peaking at the wrong time" thing again?

There's no such thing as peaking at the wrong time, to win a premiership you have to beat good ****en teams that's just how it is.

Yeah we peaked at the same time as a dominant Hawks team in 13-15 but what's the alternative? Peak earlier when Geelong and Collingwood were dominant? Peak when Richmond were on a rampage?

Spare me, the aim is to BE that team that everyone wishes they didn't peak at the same time as, hoping to have an easy run to a premiership is just wishful thinking (and a little bit weak).
This post would feel at home as an inspirational speech in some Hollywood college football movie
 

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Meanwhile, Walls has revealed the Dockers have the flexibility to match any bids on next generation academy prospects Toby Whan and Ryda Luke should they come in the national draft after they have filled the two vacancies on their main list.
Fremantle have interest in next generation academy prospect Toby Whan. No
Under the rules, Fremantle can transfer a rookie spot to the main list, but it would mean the player’s wage would fall under the salary cap.
“The AFL gives you the flexibility to be 37 senior players and five rookies or you can be 38 senior players and four rookies, so we would have the flexibility to add another senior list spot if we decided to go that way,” Walls said.
“We’re definitely interested in them. That’s what we’ll do over the next two or three weeks is sit down and put our full draft order together and those two will be in our draft order it’s just probably at what level are they? And where do we get to them in the draft?
“At pick No.47 if they were our highest or the bid had come, we would potentially match but we could also say we’ve got guys that are rated higher than them and pass as well.”

That last line is clearly because he knows this is a public statement and is trying to stop a bid at 46 for example. If we have any interest in these guys we are very clearly getting both of them
 
I have no idea about the potential draftees so I will just list the generic qualities I expect our first round pick to possess:

  1. Height 190 -195cm
  2. sub 10 sec 100m
  3. sub 4 minute 1500m
  4. Able to go 12 rounds with Aleksandr Usyk
  5. IQ 135 or higher
  6. Laser like disposal by foot or hand on both sides.
  7. Excellent contested mark and contested possession winner
  8. Excellent decision maker
  9. 100% team player
  10. Utterly fearless
  11. Lives like a Trappist Monk ie eschews booze, drugs, women, music , social media and maintains a vow of silence always except at training or on the field.
  12. Votes conservative
  13. Likes cats.

I think this is a fairly modest start.
 
I see clubs are still delisting players. Do we have any out of contract players at risk of getting the chop?

As far as I see we have all of our players either signed for 2026 or already delisted, quite a number of clubs had players not yet signed for next year going into the trade period who were going to get their decision after - short of us cutting a contracted player to take them on the rookie list we wouldn't be delisting anyone.
 
I have no idea about the potential draftees so I will just list the generic qualities I expect our first round pick to possess:

  1. Height 190 -195cm
  2. sub 10 sec 100m
  3. sub 4 minute 1500m
  4. Able to go 12 rounds with Aleksandr Usyk
  5. IQ 135 or higher
  6. Laser like disposal by foot or hand on both sides.
  7. Excellent contested mark and contested possession winner
  8. Excellent decision maker
  9. 100% team player
  10. Utterly fearless
  11. Lives like a Trappist Monk ie eschews booze, drugs, women, music , social media and maintains a vow of silence always except at training or on the field.
  12. Votes conservative
  13. Likes cats.

I think this is a fairly modest start.
Surely needs to be on a solid mewing streak?
 

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