Prediction Changes: Round 3 Vs West Coast Eagles + pre-match discussion

[TheMcManusNose]

Not really that insane to me. He’s our main clearance extractor and most of our problems stem from the fact we can’t win a clearance and get the ball quickly into our forward line.

18th in clearances. Drop our second best clearance player.

I mean there's sending a message and then there's cutting off your nose etc etc.

 

[Sweetback]

Has Brodie ever played forward? He seems like he has a nose for goals

 

[Taylor]

Has Brodie ever played forward? He seems like he has a nose for goals

He was playing forward a considerable amount of time last week and watched his opponent leave him in the goal square to impact the contest.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

18th in clearances. Drop our second best clearance player.

I mean there's sending a message and then there's cutting off your nose etc etc.

He’s dropped off in his main discipline and it’s hurting the team. He doesn’t provide us with anything else other than clearances and he can only play 60% game time. I’ve got nothing against him at all but he’s out of form and right now he’s the logical omission to allow some speed into the midfield.

 

[Dockeroo]

18th in clearances. Drop our second best clearance player.

I mean there's sending a message and then there's cutting off your nose etc etc.

He’s been very poor the opening 2 weeks.
We are talking about an inside mid here not a back pocket. One of the most important positions on the field, crucial to how the entire team performs. There has got to be some selection accountability if he’s not delivering 2 weeks in a row.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

He’s been very poor the opening 2 weeks.
We are talking about an inside mid here not a back pocket. One of the most important positions on the field, crucial to how the entire team performs. There has got to be some selection accountability if he’s not delivering 2 weeks in a row.

He's only attended 44% of centre bounces whereas Serong and Brayshaw have attended 80% and O'Meara 60%.

Despite this he is our equal leader for centre clearances - and second for central clearances.

He did get murdered on transition against Collingwood last year and a touch last week.

If we are expecting our clearance to improve with him out of the team I think that's fanciful - defensive run on the other hand - absolutely.

 

[Footskill]

Do people still think our problem is in the midfield?

My Gods.

Can't believe there are those that think it isn't. Can't get clearances especially in the middle puts the pressure on the defense. Poor delivery to the forwards. Sure forwards need lift but the number of times they are open the mids can't even hit the target

 

[WilloTree]

There’s a fairly large difference between lumping all of the responsibility onto the midfield and rebutting a claim that Brodie was a scapegoat. Is anyone actually claiming that the forwards have done their job?

Mate, Brodie is No2 at the club for clearances and No2 for tackles. He also has a DE of 81% He's been working his **** off both ways and using it bloody well.

To put that into perspective (current ave):

Takles - Clearances - DE%
Brodie 5.5 - 5.0 - 81.1%
Kelly 1.5 - 4.5 - 70.4%
Cerra 2.0 - 3.0 - 75.7%

It's mind-boggling.

 

[WilloTree]

Can't get clearances especially in the middle

Centre Clearances V St Kilda were 9-8

I guess people see what they want to see.

 

[Sweetback]

He was playing forward a considerable amount of time last week and watched his opponent leave him in the goal square to impact the contest.

Okay so maybe not then

 

[poshman]

Mate, Brodie is No2 at the club for clearances and No2 for tackles. He also has a DE of 81% He's been working his **** off both ways and using it bloody well.

To put that into perspective (current ave):

Takles - Clearances - DE%
Brodie 5.5 - 5.0 - 81.1%
Kelly 1.5 - 4.5 - 70.4%
Cerra 2.0 - 3.0 - 75.7%

It's mind-boggling.

Using two very below average mids this season as a comparison is mind blowing.

 

[King Huskii]

Using two very below average mids this season as a comparison is mind blowing.

Brodie and who else are below average

 

[poshman]

Brodie and who else are below average

Using Brodie and comparing him to Kelly and Cerra was strange. Like he is going better than them so we are fine.

Kelly has been rubbish and Cerra is playing poorly.

If the idea is to say keep him, he is good. Then we should compare him to in form mids who play the same position. Cerra, I would argue doesn't.

 

[King Huskii]

Using Brodie and comparing him to Kelly and Cerra was strange. Like he is going better than them so we are fine.

Kelly has been rubbish and Cerra is playing poorly.

If the idea is to say keep him, he is good. Then we should compare him to in form mids who play the same position. Cerra, I would argue doesn't.

Yeah fair enough. I see your point. He should be compared to in and under mids. He's a distributor. I'd compare him to Tom Mitchell for Hawks/Collingwood

I'd say he isn't as good but his best is close. He just needs to find form again but so does the entire team.

 

[WilloTree]

Using Brodie and comparing him to Kelly and Cerra was strange. Like he is going better than them so we are fine.

Kelly has been rubbish and Cerra is playing poorly.

If the idea is to say keep him, he is good. Then we should compare him to in form mids who play the same position. Cerra, I would argue doesn't.

Kelly the perfect 10 last week...rubbish.

 

[poshman]

Kelly the perfect 10 last week...rubbish.

View attachment 1647772

I watched him in the first round, and he was rubbish. So over two games very average. Now over three still very average. He has been far from a success since being at WCE.

And Cerra... please.

 

[WilloTree]

I watched him in the first round, and he was rubbish. So over two games very average. Now over three still very average. He has been far from a success since being at WCE.

And Cerra... please.

Let it go. This was a discussion for before the game re changes for R3

p.s. we won. Enjoy yourself.

 

[poshman]

Let it go. This was a discussion for before the game re changes for R3

p.s. we won. Enjoy yourself.

And yet you reply and carry it on. SO take your own advice.

I have been and am.

 

[Madas]

midfield first, because we’re giving up so much territory.

After watching the game live yesterday the midfield is a worry
Could not have got better silver service from Darcy
Brodie needs to come back in

 

[Ysaye]

After watching the game live yesterday the midfield is a worry
Could not have got better silver service from Darcy
Brodie needs to come back in

Longmuir noted that the midfield got dominance in terms of Darcy winning the taps for all of three games so far this year; he said that he felt that what was needed was more footspeed and that teams were setting up knowing they would lose the taps against us but look to shark them as a primary position. It is unsurprising that Aish and Switkowski have spent more time there in and I expect that the evolution may look like putting even more time into Switkowski being in there. Matt Johnson also on paper is fast (although I still think he looks slow in game) and may also spend more time there as well I suspect.

 

[royale with cheese]

I don't think JL is a dud - there's plenty of time to make that call.

But I agree with you 100% on the last part - I'm not sure I see us kicking over 100 pts this year.

We did.

 

[royale with cheese]

We should absolutely NOT be the youngest club when we’ve been ‘rebuilding’ since the 2016 draft.

Who is to blame for that? Puzzlingly we got Bennell, McCarthy and Hogan while Lyon was coach and they all failed.

 

[Wigarus]

Who is to blame for that? Puzzlingly we got Bennell, McCarthy and Hogan while Lyon was coach and they all failed.

Maybe because the coach picks the team not the list...


He's been gone for over 3 years you can't keep blaming him. The only thing Ross could be criticized for is giving us draft picks at the end of each round in his first 4 years. Because guess what? The coach coaches the players he has in front of him, same as it's not Jlos fault the list is in the shape it's in. It's not rocket science.

 

[royale with cheese]

Maybe because the coach picks the team not the list...


He's been gone for over 3 years you can't keep blaming him. The only thing Ross could be criticized for is giving us draft picks at the end of each round in his first 4 years. Because guess what? The coach coaches the players he has in front of him, same as it's not Jlos fault the list is in the shape it's in. It's not rocket science.

I don't blame him, but the coach is involved in directing list managers on what he needs, and it is clear talent became a desert under his tutelage. Very little between Neale and Brayshaw, a six year stretch that dwarfs the worst of the 90s.

Our last quality forward was recruited by Phil Smart while Harvey was coach: Walters.

 

[royale with cheese]

The 2013 GF team had 9 players in it recruited in the three year stretch between 07-09: Mayne, Hill, Ballas, Suban, Clarke, Walters, De Boer, Fyfe, Barlow - also missing those who may have been worthy contributors had they not got injured like Palmer and Morabito, and Ibbotson who would have played had he not been injured late in 2013. Even someone like Kepler Bradley, who was drafted in 2007, may have played the GF had he not done his knee.

The question I have never seen answered is why a three year stretch under a coach widely seen as a joke was the most productive in Freo's history in terms of recruitment? Why was it not done before, and why hasn't it been replicated since?