Fremantle Dockers

[Art Corvelay]

Re: Freo - Is it the players or the coach?

Can we not say it was the opposition for once?

50 points up says no - they choked.

 

[Grave Danger]

"I'll stick with the boys through thick and thin - I know they tried their hardest."

 

[Total_Juddshanks]

Re: Freo - Is it the players or the coach?

Honestly, I'm still scratching my head as to why there still seems to be a consensus in the media that Fremantle has a talented list, capable of being Top 4 and Premiership contenders...

I think that they have some severe gaps in their list, and that those gaps are not being covered for with good coaching, so it's a bit of both. I don't think that their list is strong enough to contend with, but at the same time, I don't think that they're being coached as well as they could be.

The thing is, their best is very good.

When Freo play to their full capacity like last week, they have

1. The best key forward in the competition.
2. A genuine class defender in McPharlin
3. A genuine class small forward in Farmer
4. A grunty midfield group roving to a dominant ruckman (Sandilands, Bell, J. Carr, Palmer)
5. Excellent run and skills off halfback (Johnson, Hayden, Thornton)

In theory that's the core of a very good side- when they all play to their capacity, they're darn good. But they're just an utterly schizo set of players and mentally ____ed- one week the voices tell them to be good, one week they do this.

 

[Campbell's Chunky]

Re: Freo - Is it the players or the coach?

 

[Duskfire]

It isn't the coach, at least not completely. The Dockers have bene like this for years; Chris Connely had the same problem. There needs to be a complete overhaul of the club. Start the rebuilding phase now, push hard for youngsters and stop trading for washed out players like Solomon.

 

[JKCeagle]

Just a disgraceful performance from a club going nowhere.

There is no excuse for performing an epic choke last week...and then an even worse choke this week.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Maybe Harvey isn't as good as the football world thought he was.

You are indeed an idiot. You can't blame it all on the coach

 

[King Elvis]

Re: Freo - Is it the players or the coach?

The thing is, their best is very good.

When Freo play to their full capacity like last week, they have

1. The best key forward in the competition.
2. A genuine class defender in McPharlin
3. A genuine class small forward in Farmer
4. A grunty midfield group roving to a dominant ruckman (Sandilands, Bell, J. Carr, Palmer)
5. Excellent run and skills off halfback (Johnson, Hayden, Thornton)

In theory that's the core of a very good side- when they all play to their capacity, they're darn good. But they're just an utterly schizo set of players and mentally ____ed- one week the voices tell them to be good, one week they do this.

Pavlich is their one genuine superstar.

Farmer is not a 'tier 1' player.

McPharlin is good, but not that good.

Their midfield is shit - Palmer is a rookie, Bell is over the hill, and Carr isn't a star.

As I said - a team like Geelong or Hawthorn has AT LEAST half a dozen players who are genuine stars.

Fremantle have 1.

Their list is crap.

 

[wce4premiership]

It's times like today I wish posters like Pav for AA were still around, for years he has dished it out especially to my club, has picked this year to disappear, perhaps he knew something?

Doesn't take a prophet to know freo would fail again. Then again my ladder predictions aren't very good so i shouldn't talk

 

[markfarmer]

No excuse with the lead we had.....I was surprised we had such a lead..

but we didn't have McPharlap for the 2nd half..
No Josh Carr, Roger Hayden, Antoni Grover or Des Headland.. 5 top 22 players...Gilmore also can off with hamstring tightness. The fill-ins weakend away.... And Melbourne kept attacking...

 

[KissStephanie]

I think that fremantle might have to make some big changes at there club because they are a disgrace.

Freo were favourites to win when the scores were level at the beginning of the match, let alone at half time when they led by 50 points, which is only the second time ever that a team has won after being behind by 50 points or more at half time. Collingwood beat St.Kilda in 1970 after trailing by 52 points at half time.

Bookmakers had been taking bets about Melbourne failing to win a match for the entire season, and up until half time, they were travelling worse so far this season than Fitzroy in their last season. How on earth has Fremantle lost to this team at all, let alone after leading by so much?

Ironically, the massive mistakes in recruiting which Chris Connelly was a big part of led to this performance, yet today he was celebrating the Melbourne win over the team he helped turn into a basket case. Well done to Melbourne for fighting it out, but Fremantle are a disgrace any way you look at it.

 

[WaltzingMatera]

i think that south fremantle in the WAFL could do a better job than dockers. haha

Actually the other day I was bored after some Economics study so I did a comparison between Subiaco and West Coast. Decided that it would be a tight game.

 

[kane249]

No excuse with the lead we had.....I was surprised we had such a lead..

but we didn't have McPharlap for the 2nd half..
No Josh Carr, Roger Hayden, Antoni Grover or Des Headland.. 5 top 22 players...Gilmore also can off with hamstring tightness. The fill-ins weakend away.... And Melbourne kept attacking...

McPharlin did play the second half, or at least some of it

 

[LongBomb]

Did the freo supporters clap them off again today after another close loss?

 

[Knighty]

Players or the coach? Nah, it's the media. Just ask Harvs.

 

[Wing Commander]

Sandilands is a total dud. Where are all the Fremantle fans praising him now? I must have counted at least 3 goals that resulted directly from his turnovers. Sure he can win hitouts, but how effective are they? and what else can he do? There is no room for a player in the AFL with the mobility of a statue and the skills of a 12yo kid.

 

[Docker Clint]

i think that south fremantle in the WAFL could do a better job than dockers. haha

I went to see Souths v Perth yesterday and they were woeful as well.

 

[Ricketts]

but we didn't have McPharlap for the 2nd half..
No Josh Carr, Roger Hayden, Antoni Grover or Des Headland.. 5 top 22 players...Gilmore also can off with hamstring tightness. The fill-ins weakend away.... And Melbourne kept attacking...

They might be top 22 players, but that's how bad the 22 is. They are all ordinary.

 

[CF]

Re: Freo - Is it the players or the coach?

As I said - a team like Geelong or Hawthorn has AT LEAST half a dozen players who are genuine stars.

Fremantle have 1.

Their list is crap.

If I turned back the clock to the end of 2006 everyone was saying that Geelong had no stars and that was its problem. The same players are still there and now we have all these stars.

Freo needs to take a leaf out of our book and build a new culture into that club. Get rid of the deadwood. Not only players but from the top down.

Disgraceful performance today. But well done by the Dees getting a much needed win

 

[itsintheblood]

I think that fremantle might have to make some big changes at there club because they are a disgrace.

I hope someone has Pav for AA on suicide watch.

 

[itsintheblood]

No excuse with the lead we had.....I was surprised we had such a lead..

but we didn't have McPharlap for the 2nd half..
No Josh Carr, Roger Hayden, Antoni Grover or Des Headland.. 5 top 22 players...Gilmore also can off with hamstring tightness. The fill-ins weakend away.... And Melbourne kept attacking...

Des Hedland? Oh pleeaase.

 

[imperial_oz]

There is no excuse for today's performance. We again showed we are mentally soft. No four quarter effort.

Hope the blokes are coming home in civvies, they shouldn't disgrace the shirt by wearing it any more.

No heart, no guts, no pride.

 

[Thommo 42]

I bet the Hawks are happy Harvey never answered those 'alleged' calls!

 

[CoastersFlag No.5]

I bet the Hawks are happy Harvey never answered those 'alleged' calls!

Harvey should've known that the Dockers have ended some pretty good coaches careers. Clarkson has proved to be an exceptional coach because of the great drafting and faith of his president/s not sure if it's only been Kennett but they are a professional long term high performing club. He was rebuilding a once mighty club Harvey is going to a long term basket case.

 

[The Casey Cat]

Re: Freo - Is it the players or the coach?

It's the players. They have been doing this kind of stuff for years.

Yep. That culture word is pretty accurate here also. The club and it's supporters have been to quick to accept these types of performances. Hopefully this is just about the last straw. Until they start to demand more they won't get more.