Review Fremantle vs. Essendon

[YelloMit]

Post your thoughts here.

+Alex Pearce had a very solid debut. Kept Daniher fairly quiet.
+Neale is so underrated by other clubs. Another 33 touches.
+Pav with a small bag. Ballas chipping in with 2.
+Defence was solid. Ibbotson, Johnson, C Pearce, etc.

-Dropped off in the last quarter again.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Just quickly, well done to you and your mob. I love watching Freo play, you have some of the most watchable players in the league, and no doubt the best team won tonight. Obviously you took the foot off the gas in the last and while not ideal I doubt it's a big issue.

Thanks for a good game. Congrats on the won and good luck for the year.

 

[theGav56]

A win for the coach in his 200th is a good thing.

 

[youmewe]

I'm loving the fact we keep winning.

Only 22 points scored from the middle of the second quarter onwards is going to become an issue one day, hopefully not on a Saturday afternoon in Melbourne in early October.

 

[sabre_ac]

It's a pretty exciting time to be a supporter, that is for sure.

Pav and the small forwards (Ballas and Walters) as usual looked dangerous, throwing Fyfe up there is an amazing luxury as well

I also thought Neale was good but definitely one of the bigger no-shows in the end.

One of the commentators (can't remember who) believes it's a deliberate ploy by the team to switch off once the game appears to be in the bag. I understand that its common to take it easy once a decent lead has been built, but is there any credibility in the belief that Ross gives specific directions to take it easy? This would fly in the face of the common sporting notion of running games out.

 

[ydraw]

I thought Walters was flat out awful and the experiment of playing him up the ground isn't working. He needs to stay in the forward line and kick goals. We already have plenty of good mids.

I understand that its common to take it easy once a decent lead has been built, but is there any credibility in the belief that Ross gives specific directions to take it easy? This would fly in the face of the common sporting notion of running games out.

No. The reason we are fading in 2nd halves isn't because we have stopped trying. It's because fatigue is setting in and leading to horrible turnovers giving the opposition easy goals.

It's silly to suggest we are doing that deliberately. If you want to save energy, turnovers are the worst thing you can do.

 

[Schauermann]

One of the commentators (can't remember who) believes it's a deliberate ploy by the team to switch off once the game appears to be in the bag. I understand that its common to take it easy once a decent lead has been built, but is there any credibility in the belief that Ross gives specific directions to take it easy? This would fly in the face of the common sporting notion of running games out.

I'd actually like that to be true...

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

We are slow and boring to watch Freo far too good.

 

[andrew99]

Really pleased with A. Pearce: he never panicked in pressure situations, did not look out of place. I'd like to see us get a few more games into him this year. If we can keep Macca playing 1 more year Pearce will make the post big-3 transition allot smoother than might be expected.

C. Pearce keeps getting better: even during his first few seasons he could get the ball, his main detraction was his occasional brain fades, which seem to have dissipated.

Taberner. tbh I never saw much in him - I thought he was a stopgap until we unearthed superior talent, but now I see he's going to be a good player for us. Quiet but effective when he got the ball.

The fade outs are a worry, we nearly got overrun by Sydney because of them. Some of the commentators on Fox said it was part of our gameplan, but I doubt Ross would approve of this methodology.

Our ball use was also frustrating, perhaps highlighted by the usually elite disposal of Walters being below par.

 

[andrew99]

I'd actually like that to be true...

I really doubt it is true: can you imagine Ross concocting such a plan? Switching off is not in his vocabulary.

 

[rodney hoo]

Very happy the way two of my favourite players are going in Clancee and Clarke, good signs.

 

[cp3_jr]

Great win, destroyed another team. No doubt we look to control the ball and slow the game down towards the end. We need to peak come finals time so happy we have only played three quarters both games.

With our manic pressure it's hard to expect it for all four qtrs for 27/28 games, so not disappointed with the final term as much. It's probably why we start so well as we're fresh from the week before.

Walters needs to lift though...

 

[sabre_ac]

No. The reason we are fading in 2nd halves isn't because we have stopped trying. It's because fatigue is setting in and leading to horrible turnovers giving the opposition easy goals.

It's silly to suggest we are doing that deliberately. If you want to save energy, turnovers are the worst thing you can do.

I'd like to see an analysis of our structure and bench time during the last quarter tonight. I suspect the likes of Sandi, Mundy and Barlow are a little absent from the middle than they would otherwise be.

 

[Randomizor]

Kept Essendon to a paltry 3 goals for 3 quarters with our best defender missing

 

[Agenfrida]

If the Bummers played like they did in the last, in the third, we'd be 5-1.

Happy we won, but disappointed with the second half.

 

[Kram]

lol you are nuts if you think that we haven't deliberately been taking the foot off the pedal.

 

[Frank J Moose]

Davig King is the commentator who thinks taking the foot off the gas is a deliberate ploy. I'm inclined to agree with him. The quick switching and playing on drops immensely. The game takes on a whole different complexion as we work the clock down. Australian Football is one of the few sports where traditionally teams keep playing the whole game. Soccer, Basketball, American Football all take the air out of the game once the result is gone. Stars subbed out and the bench on the field. I think Ross is developing a structure to do that. We just have to learn not to butcher the scoring opportunities when the game is shut down.

Kicking today was poor. Hill and Walters the best two field kicking players kicked poorly.

 

[Randomizor]

Also, that's the lowest score Essendon has ever kicked against us

 

[Agenfrida]

lol you are nuts if you think that we haven't deliberately been taking the foot off the pedal.

When would they have put it back on the pedal? When Essendon got to within two goals? When they took the lead? Perhaps they did ease off a little in the second half, but that second half was still absolutely shithouse. If Ross is coaching them to cruise when we have a lead, I'm surprised and disappointed.

 

[purplerunsdeep]

We travel every 2nd week. We won and 4 points are better then %

Yeah we faded but literally a week ago we pumped Melbourne in the last term away from home

I'm ok with us slowing it down. What it does do is puts perceived pressure and tests the mental resolve of our players under fatigue. In effect we failed as they got a few late ones

 

[Alfonz]

People are kidding themselves if they are worried and don't think it is a deliberate ploy to switch off. It doesn't take much to let the other team back in it ... Only has to be a small drop in effort, don't run back defensively 100% of the time, have Fyfe and Sandi out of the middle more, etc.

The turnovers and lack of running and so forth are not entirely fatigue. Sure, we've worked hard for the start of the game, but it's also mental relaxation and lack of concentration/focus that causes these things.

And as if Ross is going to admit it, that would sound arrogant and a bit disrespectful.

It's not just us that do it. Sydney do it as well, including today (judging by scoreboard). They did it the week before we played them as well.

 

[dthom]

I'd like to see an analysis of our structure and bench time during the last quarter tonight. I suspect the likes of Sandi, Mundy and Barlow are a little absent from the middle than they would otherwise be.

Sandilands, Mundy, Fyfe and Barlow/Neale did not contest a single centre bounce together from about the half way mark of the third onwards. Or at least, not that I noticed. They contested almost all of the centre bounces before then. Definite tactical ploy.

 

[Spoken4]

If the Bummers played like they did in the last, in the third, we'd be 5-1.

Happy we won, but disappointed with the second half.

This is utter garbage. Essendon "couldn't play like they did in the last" because we made them play the game on our terms right up until 3/4 time. I suppose you reckon if West Coast had played like they did in the last quarter against us they would have won?

It is blatantly obvious that Freo switches to "preparing for next week"once the game has been won. This has happened in 4 of our 6 games this year.

 

[E Shed]

Well Ross as good as admitted it in his presser.
He said that they changed the rotations to manage some players and we lost our structures a bit.
Later he was asked plainly if we were backing off and he said he thought he's already answered that and that yes we had the luxury of tinkering with things and giving some players a rest and we did.

 

[E Shed]

Oh and Alex Pearce was awesome. A fine addition to our Pearces.