Prediction Changes for Freo

[Mutt]

Wow Mutt. The club's never won 16 home and away games before?? That's amazing. All hail The Drink. What a beast.

Only twice have we won 16 Home and Away games - in 1985 and again in 1992. Win this weekend and we equal the club best performance.

 

[fronkalicious]

Only twice have we won 16 Home and Away games - in 1985 and again in 1992. Win this weekend and we equal the club best performance.

With the worst year of injuries I can recall in my lifetime. Incredible.

 

[Bulldog Brent]

With the worst year of injuries I can recall in my lifetime. Incredible.

And even bettering the 97, 98, 08, 09 and 10 seasons ...

 

[Mutt]

With the worst year of injuries I can recall in my lifetime. Incredible.

Yep.

 

[Norm De Guerre]

Only twice have we won 16 Home and Away games - in 1985 and again in 1992. Win this weekend and we equal the club best performance.

Yet we will in all likelihood still finish 7th. Thats crazy!

 

[Mutt]

Yet we will in all likelihood still finish 7th. Thats crazy!

Crazy, crazy season Norm.

 

[Boristown]

With the worst year of injuries I can recall in my lifetime. Incredible.

Seems Bevo has some clue about this caper, doesn't it?

 

[ringa5]

Brad Hardie and Mick Malthouse De ja vu

 

[DognBones]

I reckon he'll end up playing VFL next week if he has a stinker this week. I'm not sure of the rules around who can play VFL next week, but if the hawks can do it with Cyril, there's no reason why we can't do it with Jake.

If he plays a stinker and doesn't put any effort in (and does the same again next week), then I'd be ok with him missing the first final, but I'd also be shocked and thoroughly disappointed.

If he applies himself (like he did last week and like I expect he will again), but doesn't quite find form then I would absolutely want him back for finals. He is a genuine match-winner and he improves our team substantially.

Hopefully the club hasn't backed itself into a corner by continuing to leave him out. As you indicated, if Stringer has an ordinary or, worse still, a poor game at VFL level this weekend, does that mean he cannot be promoted? Surely you cannot promote him if there has been no improvement in the KPIs the club is requiring of him. This leaves us with a Stringerless finals series which in any assessment would be a very messy and, as you say, disappointing end to the season. The ramifications for such a scenario would undoubtedly bring turmoil to the off-season.
Let's hope he turns in a blinder this weekend so we can all relax and smell the finals roses.

 

[Bulldog Brent]

Stringer has two VFL games to tick Bevo's boxes - tomorrow and the first final next week ... I'll back him to do it.

 

[bobby2]

Hopefully the club hasn't backed itself into a corner by continuing to leave him out. As you indicated, if Stringer has an ordinary or, worse still, a poor game at VFL level this weekend, does that mean he cannot be promoted? Surely you cannot promote him if there has been no improvement in the KPIs the club is requiring of him. This leaves us with a Stringerless finals series which in any assessment would be a very messy and, as you say, disappointing end to the season. The ramifications for such a scenario would undoubtedly bring turmoil to the off-season.
Let's hope he turns in a blinder this weekend so we can all relax and smell the finals roses.

If he plays the way he did last week again for the next two weeks, he'll play finals. Bevo actually suggested that he met the KPIs. The effort and intensity were both there. You often need to meet KPIs for more than one week to earn a spot in the team. I really do think we could be trying to get him an extra game next week so he has more time to find touch. I'd be disappointed if stringer doesn't bring the effort, but I'm very confident that he will bring it, so I'm not too concerned.

 

[maddog37]

i imagine the oppo would be putting their hands up to be playing on Jake this week!

 

[Doggy]

Yet we will in all likelihood still finish 7th. Thats crazy!

If wet toast manage to beat Adelaide.. yes

 

[Ghenghis]

As this entire thread is based upon opinions and individuals perceptions rather than stone cold facts how about this.

Yes, Jake has been down on form and, as previously shown by Bevo with other senior players, he did warrant a stint in the twos.

Given that Jake is now a second time dad, it could be entirely possible that the option to play a second week with Footscray (at home) thus avoiding a road trip to Perth was thought to be in his, and the teams, best interest.
If he was struggling on the home front with sleep, baby blues, whatever, it is an entirely a personal matter and I can understand the club not publicly stating it as the reason for his dropping. Plus it limits any potential ammunition for sledging from opposing players and supporters.

3 weeks out of the seniors will see him hopefully see him refreshed and hungry to prove a point come first week of the finals.

 

[cosmicr]

If wet toast manage to beat Adelaide.. yes

Or if we lose.

 

[Dog 36]

As this entire thread is based upon opinions and individuals perceptions rather than stone cold facts how about this.

Yes, Jake has been down on form and, as previously shown by Bevo with other senior players, he did warrant a stint in the twos.

Given that Jake is now a second time dad, it could be entirely possible that the option to play a second week with Footscray (at home) thus avoiding a road trip to Perth was thought to be in his, and the teams, best interest.
If he was struggling on the home front with sleep, baby blues, whatever, it is an entirely a personal matter and I can understand the club not publicly stating it as the reason for his dropping. Plus it limits any potential ammunition for sledging from opposing players and supporters.

3 weeks out of the seniors will see him hopefully see him refreshed and hungry to prove a point come first week of the finals.

I was thinking along the same lines and adding that maybe his shoulder is still an issue so by playing him in VFL the intensity and hits are not as bone crunching as in AFL but he still does not lose that match day run as he would if he had weeks off.

A combination of all of the above is most likely at play.

 

[immortalmike]

For 8 weeks the club tried to address his form working through it at AFL level. No result. I think it would be higher risk to go into the finals and just hope he comes good than to try something else to get him right.

We need him going flat out if we're gonna win the flag this year. Let's try for that, rather than accepting half rat power Jake Stringer, when to be honest, we're better off playing Toby McLean or Clay Smith.

He's been playing like this since round 1 not just for 8 weeks. He could've been dropped at any point in the season (with my full support), to do so now is pure folly in my opinion.
A half rat power Stringer is better for the team than either of those players simply because of the knock on effect, Dickson and Maclean get a worse opponent because you still have to put someone good on Jake.

Those talking about him wanting to be traded or that there has been an issue between player and coach are jumping at shadows in my opinion. Dropping him may even help him long term but it does nothing for our season now and when it gets towards finals that's all that I care about.

 

[Hard Ball Get]

Yet we will in all likelihood still finish 7th. Thats crazy!

If we win this week and the Eagles beat the Crows, we will finish the lowest a team that has won 16 games has ever finished in the history of the game.

 

[Bont2Bruce]

Hopefully the club hasn't backed itself into a corner by continuing to leave him out

I don't see it as any different to Bevo playing Tom Boyd in the VFL at various times. Piques the media's interest but that's about it.

 

[Bont2Bruce]

If we win this week and the Eagles beat the Crows, we will finish the lowest a team that has won 16 games has ever finished in the history of the game.

All true, in fact we'd be the lowest (7th) finish for 16 wins by several places on the ladder. The lowest that a team with 16 wins has ever finished before is 4th.

 

[boydsno1]

So close to the finals is the best time to drop Stringer as it's the time it will hurt the most. Make he work hard for the big stage. Let's face it, we have been calling for him to be dropped for over a month now. I think we are all in shock that Bevo had the balls to do it.

Well played.

 

[Werewolf]

All true, in fact we'd be the lowest (7th) finish for 16 wins by several places on the ladder. The lowest that a team with 16 wins has ever finished before is 4th.

Amazing. And to think the minor premiers in some years have gone 15-7!

 

[BIG_BONTS]

Only twice have we won 16 Home and Away games - in 1985 and again in 1992. Win this weekend and we equal the club best performance.

Having two-three basket case teams at the bottom of the ladder conflates the wins IMO. I guess that is balanced out with the injuries anyway.

 

[Bont2Bruce]

Amazing. And to think the minor premiers in some years have gone 15-7!

Yeah, it's why I don't understand why some media folk are sticking with the line under the top 4 and saying that the rest can't go all the way.
This year's top 8 standings are just simply very different to what has previously eventuated.

And with the extra bye before the finals for all top 8 clubs, there is even less of a margin separating the top 4 from the bottom 4 in terms of possible benefit of having a week off for only the winners of the two qualifying finals.

 

[Doggies_13]

With the worst year of injuries I can recall in my lifetime. Incredible.

Yet people on this board continue to say our depth is poor