Mega Thread 2025 Media & Miscellaneous Thread

[Tonga Bob]

Back by popular demand. However...

There has been some aggro from publishers of articles in recent months about sites that copypasta their content onto other sites, particularly the paywalled ones, which could lead to fines and whanot for those that do it. Apparently there are copywrite laws for these things. As a result we can no longer have full articles reposted here, so if you come across something then please refrain from nabbing the whole thing and just post the link. Quoting a paragraph or two and linking the source is fine however, just don't get greedy.

Here's the updated site-wide rule: https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/please-read-re-copyright-posting-newspaper-articles.1389553/

Here's an example of what you can do:

"If West Coast was the gold standard for how to operate, then Fremantle's arrival into the AFL in 1995 could be viewed as a series of cautionary tales.

Despite eight wins in that debut season, a series of poor recruiting choices meant they didn't play their first final until 2003."

If they believe that us not making finals until 2003 was solely due to "a series of poor recruiting choices" then I have a bridge to sell them.

Can 'perennial underachievers' Fremantle become WA's biggest footy club?

For 38 years the West Coast Eagles have been WA footy's alpha male, but in the midst of their worst ever on-field run, is the balance of power shifting towards their bitter rivals Fremantle?

www.abc.net.au

Thanks for your understanding.

 

[Daddoo]

This is all well and good while we're winning, but as soon as we start losing and this reality is pointed out the frustration kicks in that we are 10 years into a rebuild and still in that band of age and experience.

I've been here for every step of the journey so I fully understand that there are factors to this that were unavoidable (like recruiting very talented youngsters that keep more experienced journeyman players out of the team on a consistent basis).

I don't have any issues with the outs over the last few years, even though I think they are largely to blame for our list profile being as young as it is.

I do think, however, that we missed a trick somewhere along the way when it comes to targeting older talent to play in our weaker areas (like on the wing).

Fair enough. Can’t win them all though. You’re going to make mistakes drafting, delisting, and signing, and you’re going to have bad luck with injuries at times. It’s how you adjust to those challenges. Expecting 100 full consistency is unrealistic imo. I’m not going to launch into the old debate about who was getting playing time and why at the end of RTB’s tenure and how that influenced our current rebuild, but I’m very happy where the club is at right now.

We’re young, talented, hungry, and, according to the list profile, slightly overachieving.

 

[largebus]

Ryan talks about the talk he had after the St Kilda debacle. Said they played lesser teams they became selfish and got too fancy.
Most interesting bit is him talking about his lockdown roles on various players, the implication being that he sacrificed his stats i.e. possible AA selections for the good of the team.

 

[Dockeroo]

Fair enough. Can’t win them all though. You’re going to make mistakes drafting, delisting, and signing, and you’re going to have bad luck with injuries at times. It’s how you adjust to those challenges. Expecting 100 full consistency is unrealistic imo. I’m not going to launch into the old debate about who was getting playing time and why at the end of RTB’s tenure and how that influenced our current rebuild, but I’m very happy where the club is at right now.

We’re young, talented, hungry, and, according to the list profile, slightly overachieving.

It may have slipped under the radar of a lot of fans but we are actually not really a young team anymore.
It was notable in the last game v bulldogs that we had the more experienced side than them - probably for the first time in quite a long time.

We only have 4 players in the 23 selected now with less than 50 games - Reid, Erasmus, Voss and Worner.

By contrast the dogs had a lot of guys (10) with less than 50 games including some critical key position spots with only a handful of games including Busslinger and Croft.
Projecting forward to this time next year I don’t think we’ll have that many players in the 22 with less than 80 games.

Young (88)
Treacy (79)
Amiss (70)
Chapman (64)
Wagner (57)

that’s the 5 players I’d say we have that have medium range experience (50-100 games).

For me anyone with over 100 games is an experienced AFL footballer. Games played is much more important and relevant than age.

14 of the 23 that played last week have over 100 games - it’s great to finally be able to say we are now an experienced and hardened team.

 

[Bigger]

There were a whole bunch of stats about the importance of experience that got thrown up when the Brisbane Lions were doing their threepeat. Key, for me, was not only that 100 game sweet spot for an individual player but that your core group had played at least 50 games together.

That's when you are genuinely in the frame.

 

[Dale147]

 

[Mags98]

View attachment 2415076View attachment 2415077

been so impressed by ryan and cox's form in the back half of the year. those boys look absolutely desperate to not lose a contest. has kept us in games when the opppo get a run.

 

[malpaso]

This is all well and good while we're winning, but as soon as we start losing and this reality is pointed out the frustration kicks in that we are 10 years into a rebuild and still in that band of age and experience.

I've been here for every step of the journey so I fully understand that there are factors to this that were unavoidable (like recruiting very talented youngsters that keep more experienced journeyman players out of the team on a consistent basis).

I don't have any issues with the outs over the last few years, even though I think they are largely to blame for our list profile being as young as it is.

I do think, however, that we missed a trick somewhere along the way when it comes to targeting older talent to play in our weaker areas (like on the wing).

The wing is not an area to focus on to build a team.
We built from the back -> middle - > forward.
We have only just discovered/built our tall forward line. Those players are very hard to find and then take time to develop. The fact that they are performing at their level already is testament to them, the coaches and system.
I don't think you should count 10 years. 4 of that is a different coach and playing list.
The other thing to note is our team is not only competing but is primed to continue each year competing.

 

[malpaso]

It may have slipped under the radar of a lot of fans but we are actually not really a young team anymore.
It was notable in the last game v bulldogs that we had the more experienced side than them - probably for the first time in quite a long time.

We only have 4 players in the 23 selected now with less than 50 games - Reid, Erasmus, Voss and Worner.

By contrast the dogs had a lot of guys (10) with less than 50 games including some critical key position spots with only a handful of games including Busslinger and Croft.
Projecting forward to this time next year I don’t think we’ll have that many players in the 22 with less than 80 games.

Young (88)
Treacy (79)
Amiss (70)
Chapman (64)
Wagner (57)

that’s the 5 players I’d say we have that have medium range experience (50-100 games).

For me anyone with over 100 games is an experienced AFL footballer. Games played is much more important and relevant than age.

14 of the 23 that played last week have over 100 games - it’s great to finally be able to say we are now an experienced and hardened team.

I match your Busslinger and Croft with Worner and Voss.
The fact is we are the 4th youngest lineup across the season on top of the fact that we are the least experienced games played of any team playing finals.
Sydney, Melbourne, Carlton and the Bulldogs considering their age and experience have had very poor seasons.

 

[Daddoo]

It may have slipped under the radar of a lot of fans but we are actually not really a young team anymore.
It was notable in the last game v bulldogs that we had the more experienced side than them - probably for the first time in quite a long time.

We only have 4 players in the 23 selected now with less than 50 games - Reid, Erasmus, Voss and Worner.

By contrast the dogs had a lot of guys (10) with less than 50 games including some critical key position spots with only a handful of games including Busslinger and Croft.
Projecting forward to this time next year I don’t think we’ll have that many players in the 22 with less than 80 games.

Young (88)
Treacy (79)
Amiss (70)
Chapman (64)
Wagner (57)

that’s the 5 players I’d say we have that have medium range experience (50-100 games).

For me anyone with over 100 games is an experienced AFL footballer. Games played is much more important and relevant than age.

14 of the 23 that played last week have over 100 games - it’s great to finally be able to say we are now an experienced and hardened team.

I think there’s a lot of ways to skin that cat.

We’re the 4th youngest team.

We’re the 3rd least experienced team.

Gold Coast players have a combined 21 games of finals experience. Fremantle have 86. Brisbane have 320 finals matches of combined experienced. I would imagine Collingwood and Geelong would be similar.

Are we really “not a young team” as you say? Depends on what you consider “young”.

we are not experienced, as you suggest, compared to the top teams (with crows as the exception like us). You bring up the dogs playing a ton of younger players, but this just proves the point you need experience to play finals.

People can huff and puff about “accountability” and “consistency” and “high standards” but the reality is we’re just hitting our stride. Our premiership window is now cracked open and will be for the next four years. Prior to this, we were just a team that has been inconsistent just like other young teams. We still have one foot in that inexperienced camp. I’m going to enjoy the ride this year and don’t expect a flag. Next year is a different story.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

I think there’s a lot of ways to skin that cat.

We’re the 4th youngest team.

We’re the 3rd least experienced team.

Gold Coast players have a combined 21 games of finals experience. Fremantle have 86. Brisbane have 320 finals matches of combined experienced. I would imagine Collingwood and Geelong would be similar.

Are we really “not a young team” as you say? Depends on what you consider “young”.

we are not experienced, as you suggest, compared to the top teams (with crows as the exception like us). You bring up the dogs playing a ton of younger players, but this just proves the point you need experience to play finals.

People can huff and puff about “accountability” and “consistency” and “high standards” but the reality is we’re just hitting our stride. Our premiership window is now cracked open and will be for the next four years. Prior to this, we were just a team that has been inconsistent just like other young teams. We still have one foot in that inexperienced camp. I’m going to enjoy the ride this year and don’t expect a flag. Next year is a different story.

The "analysis" of age is just overly too simple and always is. Our "core" is very close to, or in their primes IMO. Serong, Brayshaw, Pearce, Cox, Darcy, Ryan, Young, Freddy, Clark, Bolton are, if not as good as they'll be, close to what you can expect week in, week out, health committing (Young and Darcy possibly the exceptions there due to said health).

Jackson, Voss, Amiss and Treacy have a level to jump up and obviously so does Reid. The rest are fillers that arent and never will be the core elite talent. Chappy the only possible exception there.

The team is young in that they have years to compete IMO, not young as in shouldnt be competing. I think there is fundamental difference there that simply calculating average age and games played doesnt show.

 

[theGav56]

I think Draper, Chapman, Johnson, Erasmus, NOD and Dudley have some upside to come, and I am bullish on Nicholls.

Chapman the only one currently locked into our best side, perhaps none of them likely to become elite.

 

[Dockeroo]

I think there’s a lot of ways to skin that cat.

We’re the 4th youngest team.

We’re the 3rd least experienced team.

Gold Coast players have a combined 21 games of finals experience. Fremantle have 86. Brisbane have 320 finals matches of combined experienced. I would imagine Collingwood and Geelong would be similar.

Are we really “not a young team” as you say? Depends on what you consider “young”.

we are not experienced, as you suggest, compared to the top teams (with crows as the exception like us). You bring up the dogs playing a ton of younger players, but this just proves the point you need experience to play finals.

People can huff and puff about “accountability” and “consistency” and “high standards” but the reality is we’re just hitting our stride. Our premiership window is now cracked open and will be for the next four years. Prior to this, we were just a team that has been inconsistent just like other young teams. We still have one foot in that inexperienced camp. I’m going to enjoy the ride this year and don’t expect a flag. Next year is a different story.

Snuff said it best above.
Our top players are in their prime right here right now.
Of our top 10 most talented players I think only Reid has significant extra gears in him over the coming years.

Brayshaw
Serong
Clark
Ryan
Bolton
Pearce
Cox

These types are at their peak right now. They aren’t getting any better, not in a significant way. There is no “breakout” seasons left in that group. Maintaining that output is the key challenge for them.

Average age in an AFL team is an almost meaningless stat in my view. It makes no account for the proportion of talent across different age brackets.
Apart from Reid, all our A-grade or potential A grade talent is in the 23-29 bracket, which coincides nicely with the prime of most players careers.
It’s time to get moving right now.

 

[Bigger]

So I am assuming you think there's room for Jacko, Amiss and Young to get better?

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

Snuff said it best above.
Our top players are in their prime right here right now.
Of our top 10 most talented players I think only Reid has significant extra gears in him over the coming years.

Brayshaw
Serong
Clark
Ryan
Bolton
Pearce
Cox

These types are at their peak right now. They aren’t getting any better, not in a significant way. There is no “breakout” seasons left in that group. Maintaining that output is the key challenge for them.

Average age in an AFL team is an almost meaningless stat in my view. It makes no account for the proportion of talent across different age brackets.
Apart from Reid, all our A-grade or potential A grade talent is in the 23-29 bracket, which coincides nicely with the prime of most players careers.
It’s time to get moving right now.

Yes, the only exception here is that just by nature of their age and role, Jackson, Treacy, Amiss and Voss have levels to go (particularly the first three who I think have more talent than Voss).

It's a bit of different discussion again in that there is growth left in the squad but age is no longer a reason. The group is mature enough and good to go.

 

[The Feeder Club]

Right, which one of you tragics is him?

Is this WA’s biggest Fremantle Dockers fan?

He’s got an anchor tattoed on his arm, a dog named after the club’s captain and a jumper collection valued at a quarter-of-a-million dollars. Meet the man we think is Fremantle’s biggest fan.

thewest.com.au

 

[ignoramus]

There’s peak in performance and there’s consistency in performance. I’m not sure there’s a side in the comp that doesn’t have scope to improve in consistency of performing at their peak.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

This is all well and good while we're winning, but as soon as we start losing and this reality is pointed out the frustration kicks in that we are 10 years into a rebuild and still in that band of age and experience.

I've been here for every step of the journey so I fully understand that there are factors to this that were unavoidable (like recruiting very talented youngsters that keep more experienced journeyman players out of the team on a consistent basis).

I don't have any issues with the outs over the last few years, even though I think they are largely to blame for our list profile being as young as it is.

I do think, however, that we missed a trick somewhere along the way when it comes to targeting older talent to play in our weaker areas (like on the wing).

Agree with a lot of this, but will point out that we've brought in Hill, Acres, and JOM to play wing since our last sustained finals run.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Right, which one of you tragics is him?

Is this WA’s biggest Fremantle Dockers fan?

He’s got an anchor tattoed on his arm, a dog named after the club’s captain and a jumper collection valued at a quarter-of-a-million dollars. Meet the man we think is Fremantle’s biggest fan.

thewest.com.au

I often run through Brookdale in a Dockers jacket early in the morning (havent been mugged yet), but can confirm I'm not this guy. I'm wondering if this is the guy with the Dockers flag in his front yard that i run past (if it is, he should put it back up. Been down since the Brissy game).

 

[Dockeroo]

So I am assuming you think there's room for Jacko, Amiss and Young to get better?

I think there’s a lot more in Amiss out of that group of 3, less sure about Jackson and Young.
Reckon amiss is capable of maybe kicking 50 goals a season at the peak of his career, and getting his hands on the footy more often than now.
It’s a bit like whack-a-mole though. Part of the reason Amiss is down a bit this year in performance is because Voss is kicking some of the goals Jye would have otherwise gotten on the end of.
The fact is they aren’t all going to kick 50 goals in the same season as we don’t have enough forward entries to achieve that (nor do we need to). The spread of goalscorers we have is good and Voss has been a great addition this year to that forward line.

Youngs best right now is AA level, absolutely elite so I’m not sure there another level to unlock there but that’s not the question with him - it’s can he get on the park for more than 18 games a season like his compatriots Caleb and Andy can?

Jackson is an interesting one. My feeling is he’s destined to be a big moments player. A match winner type - bit like Shai Bolton or Cam Rayner at Brissy.
Probably not consistent enough to rack up AA awards like Caleb but that doesn’t matter - what matters is can he produce 10 min of magic in a big final and win the game for us. I think he’s that player right now, and not sure if he’ll be much different next year. Again thats fine I reckon - it’s matchwinners that are needed in September.
For example - Zac Bailey has the AA Award this year, but it’s Cam Rayner that scares me more if we play Brisbane in this finals series.

 

[s_wd6]

Jackson is an interesting one. My feeling is he’s destined to be a big moments player. A match winner type - bit like Shai Bolton or Cam Rayner at Brissy.
Probably not consistent enough to rack up AA awards like Caleb but that doesn’t matter - what matters is can he produce 10 min of magic in a big final and win the game for us. I think he’s that player right now, and not sure if he’ll be much different next year. Again thats fine I reckon - it’s matchwinners that are needed in September.
For example - Zac Bailey has the AA Award this year, but it’s Cam Rayner that scares me more if we play Brisbane in this finals series.

Interesting is that he's made the AA squad in 2/3 seasons since he came here. The only thing stopping him from making multiple teams is the position he plays. Never enough ruck time to get numbers for a ruck spot, and they prefer to fill the bench with four mids apparently instead of leaving a spot for a utility like him

 

[Daddoo]

The "analysis" of age is just overly too simple and always is. Our "core" is very close to, or in their primes IMO. Serong, Brayshaw, Pearce, Cox, Darcy, Ryan, Young, Freddy, Clark, Bolton are, if not as good as they'll be, close to what you can expect week in, week out, health committing (Young and Darcy possibly the exceptions there due to said health).

Jackson, Voss, Amiss and Treacy have a level to jump up and obviously so does Reid. The rest are fillers that arent and never will be the core elite talent. Chappy the only possible exception there.

The team is young in that they have years to compete IMO, not young as in shouldnt be competing. I think there is fundamental difference there that simply calculating average age and games played doesnt show.

I 100% agree that it is a incredible "oversimplification" of list profiles, however, when comparing the stat to ladder position the trend clearly indicates that the older teams (as determined by that oversimplified stat) are higher on the ladder than younger teams.

Here are the teams ranked by games played followed by their ladder position.

1. Collingwood – 4th on the ladder
2. Brisbane – 3
3. Sydney – 10
4. Geelong – 2
5. Melbourne – 14
6. Hawthorn – 8
7. Carlton – 11
8. Western Bulldogs – 9
9. Greater Western Sydney – 5
10. Adelaide – 1
11. St Kilda – 12
12. Port Adelaide – 13
13. Gold Coast – 7
14. North Melbourne – 16
15. Essendon – 15
16. Fremantle – 6
17. Richmond – 17
18. West Coast – 18

I'm not going to run the stats, but imo it's clear that older teams are higher on the list. Two teams jump out at over performing: Freo and Crows, which was the point of my original post. There are a couple teams that underperformed. Sydney had a terrible injury list all year. Carlton and Melbourne are a basket case. Many of us had Sydney and Blues playing finals in our preseason predictions.

So, perhaps we're both right. The stat is an oversimplification of list profile, yet there is some predictive power in using it to determine who is/isn't performing at a level in which you would expect.

 

[freo_leo29]

Right, which one of you tragics is him?

Is this WA’s biggest Fremantle Dockers fan?

He’s got an anchor tattoed on his arm, a dog named after the club’s captain and a jumper collection valued at a quarter-of-a-million dollars. Meet the man we think is Fremantle’s biggest fan.

thewest.com.au

eza316 but he aint overly active on here, you'll find him in the guernsey groups on FB with all the Freo knowledge

 

[ubiquitous226]

The "analysis" of age is just overly too simple and always is. Our "core" is very close to, or in their primes IMO. Serong, Brayshaw, Pearce, Cox, Darcy, Ryan, Young, Freddy, Clark, Bolton are, if not as good as they'll be, close to what you can expect week in, week out, health committing (Young and Darcy possibly the exceptions there due to said health).

Jackson, Voss, Amiss and Treacy have a level to jump up and obviously so does Reid. The rest are fillers that arent and never will be the core elite talent. Chappy the only possible exception there.

The team is young in that they have years to compete IMO, not young as in shouldnt be competing. I think there is fundamental difference there that simply calculating average age and games played doesnt show.

I posted this previously, it doesn't separate your "core" players but gives a visual view of the spread, it shows we should be coming into a very decent demographic in the next year or two.

We should be still actively recruiting, and we have a few key players who need to be replaced in the next few years, such as Pearce and Ryan.

 

[Purple Jesus]

There’s peak in performance and there’s consistency in performance. I’m not sure there’s a side in the comp that doesn’t have scope to improve in consistency of performing at their peak.

There's also the timing part. They all have to peak at the same time in terms of on field gelling/form etc for us to nail a flag. From WA, and being us, it's probably the hardest flag to win. Hard mode.

 

[BStaff17]

There's also the timing part. They all have to peak at the same time in terms of on field gelling/form etc for us to nail a flag. From WA, and being us, it's probably the hardest flag to win. Hard mode.

Yeah West Coast winning the flag in 2018.

Came 2nd and didnt have to travel to Melbourne until GF week.

They also got Collingwood who they beat in week 1 so in essence they had 4 x finals in a row & was it a small factor maybe that 1 or 2 % that made the difference as West Coast finished that GF over the top of the Pies with fresher legs.

Unfortunately for us winning the Flag from outside the top 4 is close to impossible.

Pulling it off would be the greatest triumph in AFL history and overtake the Dogs of 2016.