Des

[Lach72]

Surely he is the one who looks silly, for not playing at his current level for the last four years? No one doubted his ability, his commitment was the issue.

Instead of working hard to make amends for his shocking finals series maybe he should have put in 100% last year.

Jesus H Christ on a crutch...
What the hell has happened to you?
He has played the best football of his time at Fremantle while the whole place is going up in flames and you say why didn't he do it last year???

Go and sit in a corner.

 

[Scham]

Jesus H Christ on a crutch...
What the hell has happened to you?
He has played the best football of his time at Fremantle while the whole place is going up in flames and you say why didn't he do it last year???

Go and sit in a corner.

He didn't do it last year coz his big fat pay contract wasn't up for renewal.

 

[Wizard]

Was good again yesterday. 18 disposals and 2 goals. Was good around stppages and was the only guy in purple that looked like he was ging to hit a target when he had the ball.

 

[Rob]

Can't argue there, he's been pretty decent the last 4 or 5 weeks.

 

[chook2734]

Can't argue there, he's been pretty decent the last 4 or 5 weeks.

Surely Des has done enough this year for everyone to now get off his back. He is standing up week in week out, regardless of the performance of the team, and is regularly providing a spark for the rest of the team to work off. He's no downhill skier.

 

[dominguez]

He's been playing well, will probably finish top six in the B&F.

 

[wehavethepassion]

He didn't do it last year coz his big fat pay contract wasn't up for renewal.

Very true and with Wiz also looking to maintain the current pay scale it could be very interesting come season's end.

I think both might be in for a bit of a pay cut.

 

[Jetau]

Easily his best year for Freo. In a terrible season, he has been a shining light. It all seemed to turn around for him after that 'tattoo incident.' All of a sudden, he's doing the hard inside work AND driving the ball into the 50 (and through the goals too).

Well done Des. Like many others, I've been a Des bagger, but this season he's turned it all around.

2006: 20 games, 259 kicks (13 per game), 40 tackles (2 per game), 21 goals (1 per game).

2007: 16 games, 199 kicks (12.5 per game), 31 tackles (2 per game), 23 goals (1.4 per game).

Hmmm, these stats don't seem to give the full picture.

 

[Belnakor]

Des was one of the few out there yesterday having a crack. I've definately softened on old des.

 

[E Shed]

It's great seeing Des having a crack and being a bit more consistent but he still doesn't have the numbers of an elite running player i.e possies consistently above 25.

 

[chook2734]

It's great seeing Des having a crack and being a bit more consistent but he still doesn't have the numbers of an elite running player i.e possies consistently above 25.

The reason Des doesn't get a million possessions is that rather than doing the short handball, run on to receive a handball (giving you 2 possessions rather than 1) like most of the 'elite' midfielders, Des much prefers to either kick the ball long, or run it as fast and as far as he can as soon as he gets it. The fact he has spent a lot of time in the forward line also reduces his number of possessions by quite a bit too.

 

[E Shed]

The reason Des doesn't get a million possessions is that rather than doing the short handball, run on to receive a handball (giving you 2 possessions rather than 1) like most of the 'elite' midfielders, Des much prefers to either kick the ball long, or run it as fast and as far as he can as soon as he gets it. The fact he has spent a lot of time in the forward line also reduces his number of possessions by quite a bit too.

It's an interesting point, and don't get me wrong I love Des as a player but do you honestly rate him like a West or Kerr? Or are you saying he's a different sort of player and we shouldn't expect him to rack up those kinds of numbers?

I'm liking his consistency just thinking he should get it a bit more.

 

[chook2734]

It's an interesting point, and don't get me wrong I love Des as a player but do you honestly rate him like a West or Kerr? Or are you saying he's a different sort of player and we shouldn't expect him to rack up those kinds of numbers?

I'm liking his consistency just thinking he should get it a bit more.

I don't think he's an out and out midfielder like Kerr or West, I think he's more a half-forward/midfielder, or at least, in the roles that he is given that is what he does.

My point was more in regards to the fact that a lot of the players who get massive possession counts are falsely inflated by 'doubling' up whenever they can. I think Des more often than not is making pretty good use of his possessions - he is one of the few players you can rely on to send us forward and I think he is very high up in our 'Inside 50' count as well. If he can get his hands on it more often it can only be a plus for the team.

 

[theGav56]

It's an interesting point, and don't get me wrong I love Des as a player but do you honestly rate him like a West or Kerr? Or are you saying he's a different sort of player and we shouldn't expect him to rack up those kinds of numbers?

I'm liking his consistency just thinking he should get it a bit more.

West and Kerr play quite differently and would definitely be rated above Headland, who this year may be nudging the "elite" category, whereas those two sit comfortably inside it. The Brownlow stats for those three players would tell you that.

He's definitely playing better this year, and being used better. But last year was also a reasonable season; His finals were poor, and he has used that as a motivator this year. dom thinks that's a reason to have a crack at him, but I think if all our players took a good look at themselves, and did something about their deficiencies, then we would be a much better side. Instead they cruise and expect a new coach to fix it for them.

 

[dominguez]

He's definitely playing better this year, and being used better. But last year was also a reasonable season; His finals were poor, and he has used that as a motivator this year. dom thinks that's a reason to have a crack at him, but I think if all our players took a good look at themselves, and did something about their deficiencies, then we would be a much better side. Instead they cruise and expect a new coach to fix it for them.

Ease up, there's no need to go there. We've been getting along so well lately, I haven't had a feud with you or Ripper, my old sparring partners for ages.

Headland's performance last September was unacceptable, but to his credit he has taken some very large steps in the right direction. His attack on the ball is the key, he's gone from standing off the contest to hitting it as hard as any player in our side.

Grover and Hayden were both poor against the cats, but at this stage Headland, Pavlich, Bell, Hayden, Dodd, Grover and Solomon have been our most consistent performers and the only ones who I would say can hold their heads high knowing that they have given their all.

It's great that Headland's finals performance has driven him to play well. The problem is that prelim's don't come round too often. Dessie may never get the chance to prove that he can play well deep in September. At this stage though I have been very happy with his season.

 

[Cameron_K]

Ease up, there's no need to go there. We've been getting along so well lately, I haven't had a feud with you or Ripper, my old sparring partners for ages.

Headland's performance last September was unacceptable, but to his credit he has taken some very large steps in the right direction. His attack on the ball is the key, he's gone from standing off the contest to hitting it as hard as any player in our side.

Grover and Hayden were both poor against the cats, but at this stage Headland, Pavlich, Bell, Hayden, Dodd, Grover and Solomon have been our most consistent performers and the only ones who I would say can hold their heads high knowing that they have given their all.

It's great that Headland's finals performance has driven him to play well. The problem is that prelim's don't come round too often. Dessie may never get the chance to prove that he can play well deep in September. At this stage though I have been very happy with his season.

Dessie has proved he can play well in September already

 

[theGav56]

Dessie has proved he can play well in September already

Would that be how he got a premiership medallion?

 

[blackus]

Dessie has proved he can play well in September already

Yeah playing for Brisbane as a seagull getting fed by one of the best midfields of all time. Mate anyone with half an ounce of football ability would be made to look good with Voss, Black, Lappin, Aker, Power and co at the bottom of packs feeding it out.

Overall he has been marginally better for Freo this year compared to previous years but looking at his whole career at Freo you couldn't be satisfied with his return could you given the price tag & reputation? At best he is a half forward flanker and its an insult to mention him in the same breath as guys like West. He is not an elite player as someone else mentioned either, those guys play at a consistently high level over a number of seasons not someone who has a few good games here and there.

I think he has probably suffered from being pidgeon holed as a midfielder but really is a wing man/flanker type player. I thought he was one of the better players for Freo against the cats though and tried hard.

 

[pistol17]

Yeah playing for Brisbane as a seagull getting fed by one of the best midfields of all time. Mate anyone with half an ounce of football ability would be made to look good with Voss, Black, Lappin, Aker, Power and co at the bottom of packs feeding it out.

Overall he has been marginally better for Freo this year compared to previous years but looking at his whole career at Freo you couldn't be satisfied with his return could you given the price tag & reputation? At best he is a half forward flanker and its an insult to mention him in the same breath as guys like West. He is not an elite player as someone else mentioned either, those guys play at a consistently high level over a number of seasons not someone who has a few good games here and there.

I think he has probably suffered from being pidgeon holed as a midfielder but really is a wing man/flanker type player. I thought he was one of the better players for Freo against the cats though and tried hard.

For once i totally agree with what a west coast supporter has said.

 

[Topdock65]

Dessie is having his best season for the Dockers .....

Was very good against the cats, and tried his guts out, some great tackles ...

Well Done Des .

 

[Belnakor]

Yeah playing for Brisbane as a seagull getting fed by one of the best midfields of all time. Mate anyone with half an ounce of football ability would be made to look good with Voss, Black, Lappin, Aker, Power and co at the bottom of packs feeding it out.

Overall he has been marginally better for Freo this year compared to previous years but looking at his whole career at Freo you couldn't be satisfied with his return could you given the price tag & reputation? At best he is a half forward flanker and its an insult to mention him in the same breath as guys like West. He is not an elite player as someone else mentioned either, those guys play at a consistently high level over a number of seasons not someone who has a few good games here and there.

I think he has probably suffered from being pidgeon holed as a midfielder but really is a wing man/flanker type player. I thought he was one of the better players for Freo against the cats though and tried hard.

Yup, the Weagles guy is pretty right.

I think its interesting that Des's stats are the same as last year, yet he is clearly playing better. Stats don't mean everything. But to rate Des as close to elite is pushing it, he is a good player in a bottom 4 side, who has played 4 finals for the club and not fired a shot.

 

[theGav56]

Yeah playing for Brisbane as a seagull getting fed by one of the best midfields of all time. Mate anyone with half an ounce of football ability would be made to look good with Voss, Black, Lappin, Aker, Power and co at the bottom of packs feeding it out.

So that he is having a good season this year with a very average midfield equates to what exactly? That he doesn't need anyone else to make him look good.

He did well at Brisbane because their structure allowed him to use his skills to the best of his ability. Same with the other players in that team.

 

[blackus]

So that he is having a good season this year with a very average midfield equates to what exactly? That he doesn't need anyone else to make him look good.

Yeah fair call. I guess my point was maybe everyone in the football world, not just Freo supporters, considered him a midfielder and expected him to do what a traditional midfielder does - in and under packs etc... like J Carr, Kerr & Co which is what everyone seems to have been marking him against and it is not his thing. If he was marked on being a wing/ flanker maybe we'd all see him in a different light and judge him accordingly. Along the lines of an Andrew Embley type player. He still needs to show consistency over a few years to.

 

[FD369]

How Des performs this week after the media turn this Selwood/Headland thing into something bigger than the game itself will tell us all more about Des the footballer and Des the person. Obviously they will target him and try to get him to react. I for one hopes he does all his talking on the scoreboard.

 

[theGav56]

How Des performs this week ....

It will be interesting to see how he goes, but virtually every week someone posts something about Headland that begins this way. usually it is, "Yeah he has been good this week/month/year etc, but unless he backs it up this week, then he is soft/a dowhill skier/seagull/tradebait." No matter how he performs this week, he has had a good year.