Review Fremantle vs Sydney QF

[salim malik]

Moon boots and crutches are normal if there is any niggle in the lower leg after a game as a precaution.
You would think if there was a real problem he wouldn't be out having breakfast but at the club having treatment or having scans.

 

[Taylor]

I actually didn't mind Suban having barely a touch to half time when two of our mids were on track for 40 touches and another looking at 30.

After that, when we got walked over a bit it was disappointing.

 

[electricfeel]

Gotta say, hats off to Ballas for a really great return. He exceeded my expectations actually and was excellent, particularly in a final. Hope he continues it!

 

[Keys]

Went to my first ever dockers home game

The sea of purple was an impressive sight
Liked TNT being played pregame - perfect song to get the crowd revved up prior to the team running out
No Karl prattling on pregame was a welcome omission. The half time dance cam however showed your "entertainment" could be just as cringeworthy as ours
The game itself seemed a little flat possibly because Sydney's failure to convert in the first quarter handed you an early lead that you never looked in danger of losing. A couple of times it seemed you might break them open but it never happened
Ballantyne is a real catalyst for you - was genuine excitement in the stands when he got the ball
Sandilands is a mobile monolith. The man is huge and it's easy to see why his presence intimidates sides especially when he parks himself 20m out from your defensive goal
Across the board you look bigger than us. Look a more mature stronger side which partly explains your recent dominance of derbies and why you should be favourites in a derby GF should that eventuate
No I didn't wear eagles colours to the game it's a curiously stupid thing to do. Sadly there were a couple of others about the place that have a different view to me
There was a sigh of disappointment around me when the attendance was announced. I was quietly pleased. Think we supporters compete over anything and everything
Had a chuckle to myself when goodes was booed as it showed you have your own cohort of idiots just as we do.
Going forward you have the somewhat remarkable ability to look like you're not playing well but keep winning anyway. Because you don't blow teams away it gives the appearance they're in the game when the reality is opposite. Envisage sandi fighting frodo - he'd just hold him at bay not under any threat but ready to land a knockout blow at will as necessary

 

[Freoforever86]

Fyfe is sore. And on crutches.

Keeping off his injured leg would be pretty standard. Will be fine after the break!

 

[Grape Bear]

I hope so!

 

[Grape Bear]

It really pisses me off how the narrative is that Sydney was brave and deserved to win and we were shit and should have lost.

The reason we won is because there were periods in the game where we were clearly better than they were and we capitalised on it. The last time I checked, kicking set shots was a skill, I'm not hearing anyone having a go at Sydney for spraying everything and handing us the win on a platter. So in the only way that counts, we were a better team than Sydney.

And what's this "Lyon has been trying to take control of the team for the last 10 weeks" crap from Footy Fix? Do you really think that the players are revolting against him after he's taken them to the most successful the team has had EVER? If anything, I think they're following team directives too closely, some of those guys just have to balance off following the drill and play by instinct - particularly in front of the goals.

They all need a psychology session in "taking my turn." I swear, it's like no one has the guts to put himself on the line and have a go - Sonson, Ballas yesterday excepted. It's why our forward entries are so shit.

Going back to one of my favourite sports movies - The Replacements - Coach says to Falco - "Winners want the ball when the game is on the line." Our players used to have that, even our second tier. Lately, it's like watching a game of hot potato. Passing to a team mate under pressure with a hospital handball, or centering from 50m to a pack where your best marking option is a drawf between talls. I'm not surprised we are getting hurt on the rebound at all. Defence has little time to set up. If we convert the entry, ball gets bounced in the centre and we reset and play to our strength. Instead, we get so little reward for effort.

Sorry, just free thinking on a Sunday morning.

 

[holy diver]

Many on the main board already saying we wont get past prelim.

It's funny how they'll mention the swans woes when they completely gloss over the fact a bloke like Ballantyne who has been out for months can come back and not be controlled by the swans. Freo' has injury concerns and questionable fitness on our players but that seems irrelevant. All that needed to happen yesterday was to win - we did it. Not good enough apparently. Conceding low scores and having a top defence isn't very good apparently. I just love reading all that stuff.

It's fashionable to hate Freo.

 

[Nothing]

Many on the main board already saying we wont get past prelim.

It's funny how they'll mention the swans woes when they completely gloss over the fact a bloke like Ballantyne who has been out for months can come back and not be controlled by the swans. Freo' has injury concerns and questionable fitness on our players but that seems irrelevant. All that needed to happen yesterday was to win - we did it. Not good enough apparently. Conceding low scores and having a top defence isn't very good apparently. I just love reading all that stuff.

It's fashionable to hate Freo.

Even after we win our first flag, we wont be good enough in a lot of people's eyes. Shrug your shoulders and roll with the underdog tag until October.

 

[holy diver]

Even after we win our first flag, we wont be good enough in a lot of people's eyes. Shrug your shoulders and roll with the underdog tag until October.

IKR.

I actually find it entertaining how uncomfortable it seems for them to acknowledge that the FFC and/or Ross Lyon or any given Freo player on having a good season. Furthermore we've been at it for at least 3 years now give or take. It is very very difficult to maintain a good run in an 18 team national league especially when you consider the extra burden of travel for WA teams.

Apparently winning consistently and when required isn't good enough anymore these days.

I honestly believe some of them want the Dockers of 15 years ago so they can inflate their own clubs relevance in the present era.

 

[sherrif]

Just for the record we are now only one win away from a grand final. Bloody difficult to see what all the negativity on this board is all about. As someone who has supported the team since 95 I find some of the posting by people who claim to be 'supporters' (yet rarely post anything apart from ridiculous negative comments about the team) truly bizare. If you are not enjoying our time at the top of the ladder, then what will you (the people who only post negative comments on here) be like when we slip down the ladder, which is obviously going to happen at some point. Yesterdays win was not perfect, but we handled swirly conditions a ton better than we did in our grand final loss.

With Lukey Mac back Im thinking we are a massive show at winning our next game. Just for the record I thought Tippet kicked two of his goals playing as a ruckman against Clarke and that Dawson actually played very well considering how much possession Sydney had at times. Sheridan played fantastically for a young player as well IMO.

 

[sherrif]

IKR.

I actually find it entertaining how uncomfortable it seems for them to acknowledge that the FFC and/or Ross Lyon or any given Freo player on having a good season. Furthermore we've been at it for at least 3 years now give or take. It is very very difficult to maintain a good run in an 18 team national league especially when you consider the extra burden of travel for WA teams.

Apparently winning consistently and when required isn't good enough anymore these days.

I honestly believe some of them want the Dockers of 15 years ago so they can inflate their own clubs relevance in the present era.

You only need to read this thread to see there is a ton of absurd negativity coming from some Fremantle supporters. I find that far more offensive then anything coming from the views of people outside the club. Seriously, if you read this thread and didnt know the result you would think we were the ones who lost. There is a difference between saying something constructive about how we could improve and just posting negative rubbish that would be more appropriate on the board of a team near the bottom of the ladder.

I dont have a problem saying I was a West Toast supporter before we came into the competition. One of the things that turned me off supporting them was the ridiculous level of entitlement of the supporter group. It seemed that unless it was a ten goal win all you got was negativity, and as a result supporting the team became a negative experience. I have loved the optimism and appreciation of effort that has been part of my supporting freo experience and the genuine commradery with fellow Freo enthusiasts. There is zero chance I wont be a Fremantle Dockers supporter for life as a result of my experiences following the team to date.

However, it has to be said that some of the contributions on the freo board lately have demonstrated a sense of entitlement and ignorance of the way modern football is played that is worse than Eagles supporters at their most obnoxious and idiotic.

To those posters I would ask that for at least the two weeks when we are fighting for a place in a grand final, at least make an effort to genuinely support your team, rather than make us look like West Toast supporters in the late 1990's and early 2000's.

 

[holy diver]

You only need to read this thread to see there is a ton of absurd negativity coming from some Fremantle supporters. I find that far more offensive then anything coming from the views of people outside the club. Seriously, if you read this thread and didnt know the result you would think we were the ones who lost. There is a difference between saying something constructive about how we could improve and just posting negative rubbish that would be more appropriate on the board of a team near the bottome of the ladder.

Been like it all year.
I honestly think some people cannot appreciate strategy and tactics.
They just want style over substance. I want something that stands up if we make it to GF, not flashy rubbish that is very light on in defence.

 

[Proud SJW]

Ballas has been copping flak on this forum for most of the year, I love the little guy and the effort he puts into his game, now I have never been a footy player and have no footy nous.. I just watch and love the games so someone please tell me..

Hayden played the same today as he does every game. He got 3 goals today..is this really a "form" thing, a luck "thing" or what?
Could it be that because he has been out of the side so long that Sydney forgot how to play him?.
Is this evidence that Freo is usually so predictable that teams find it easy to counter us?
Is this a hint that we should mix and match the way we play (if that is at all possible) eg chuck Crowls into the mix?
Can we keep just scraping through to the very end?
I am beginning to think we ought to gamble with some change cos I just don't think we can't go any further playing the way we are.

cheers Wal..the nervous nellie

Not Crowley, no. And I don't think mixing and matching is going to work at this point in the day.
I think it'll be Taberner back in making the difference, it wasn't that we weren't getting the forward entries, more that (as usual) we couldn't capitalise on them. Pav can't do it on his own, we need another target. That would give Walters and Ballantyne more to work with, and release Mayne to do what he does best.
The only thing that worries me a little is a lack of stability at the moment, Tabs should have played yesterday regardless of conditions.
We're in a position now where another change at the prelim stage may be as much a detriment as a help - but perhaps I'm underestimating the team.

Ballantyne did what he's always done, the only real difference is that he hit the goals this time. No change in the way he plays at all. His problem earlier in the year was a lack of scoring, and that seemed to be enough for some to be calling for his head. I don't agree, his bow has more stings than simply kicking goals.
Which is not to say I don't love it when he does, or that it's any less important that he does. When Ballantyne is scoring, we tend to win. Mayne, Walters and Ballantyne were all multiple goal kickers yesterday, the only thing that remains is getting Pavlich loose... and then suddenly we're back up around the 100-point mark. I think the key to that is Taberner.

The problem there, though, is who he replaces. Wonder how he'd go in the ruck in Clarke's place.

 

[Banker]

Not Crowley, no. And I don't think mixing and matching is going to work at this point in the day.
I think it'll be Taberner back in making the difference, it wasn't that we weren't getting the forward entries, more that (as usual) we couldn't capitalise on them. Pav can't do it on his own, we need another target. That would give Walters and Ballantyne more to work with, and release Mayne to do what he does best.
The only thing that worries me a little is a lack of stability at the moment, Tabs should have played yesterday regardless of conditions.
We're in a position now where another change at the prelim stage may be as much a detriment as a help - but perhaps I'm underestimating the team.

Ballantyne did what he's always done, the only real difference is that he hit the goals this time. No change in the way he plays at all. His problem earlier in the year was a lack of scoring, and that seemed to be enough for some to be calling for his head. I don't agree, his bow has more stings than simply kicking goals.
Which is not to say I don't love it when he does, or that it's any less important that he does. When Ballantyne is scoring, we tend to win. Mayne, Walters and Ballantyne were all multiple goal kickers yesterday, the only thing that remains is getting Pavlich loose... and then suddenly we're back up around the 100-point mark. I think the key to that is Taberner.

The problem there, though, is who he replaces. Wonder how he'd go in the ruck in Clarke's place.

Tabs isn't the answer, he doesn't last the whole game.

For someone with a 'large' tank, he doesn't even make a contest most of the times. I can see him falling to pieces at the MCG, when the whips get cracking.

We need Griff back asap, defs an upgrade on Clarke and can contest.

 

[Purple_Blood93]

Fyfe that sore during a game and afterwards? That mans a star! Being able to play the way he did under that cloud, especially his usual contested possessions and clearance work.

 

[Marty Whitelaw]

Fyfe that sore during a game and afterwards? That mans a star! Being able to play the way he did under that cloud, especially his usual contested possessions and clearance work.

Absolutely brilliant performance. The guy is a one man army when he's on.

I pray that he isn't going to break down in the next few weeks!

 

[wehavethepassion]

We looked like a team coming off a bye. No momentum. Sloppy. Handballing constantly to guys under pressure. Thank goodness for ballas and walters[.

2010 Harvey rested about 10 players in second last game. We needed to beat caaaaarlton in final game we did by only 6 points. Went the follojwing week to pants Hawks in eliminating final.
In 2013 we only beat Geelong by 15 points by resting about the same number as last week.

Yesterday we won yes we won by 9 points.[/QUOTE]

 

[Keys]

Been like it all year.
I honestly think some people cannot appreciate strategy and tactics.
They just want style over substance. I want something that stands up if we make it to GF, not flashy rubbish that is very light on in defence.

You are the ugly ducklings of the AFL and you've been given precious little recognition for a side that has been top of the table virtually all season. Lyons game plan is effective but is based around drying up opposition scoring so isn't exciting to watch in terms of scoring so you don't get a lot of love.

Being a WA based team doesn't help. The media seem to love Richmond but there are two very interesting aspects to them that get conveniently ignored -

Richmond scored a sum total of 73 points more than freo over the season which is just over 3 points a game. **** all in other words but nobody raises their lack of scoring as an impediment

They also get the most frees in the comp with daylight second but again this never gets raised as an issue. Think I'm correct in saying they have received more head high tackles over the last 5 years than us or Geelong but curiously they haven't had to wear the ducking tag

I'm sure if Ross was offered a 5 goal to 3 GF win he'd take it and sure all freo supporters would love it as well. Everyone else would hate it. Doubt you'd give a ****

 

[hoss]

calm down sport, I just wanted to clarify what he meant.

Which is why as soon as you responded reasonably, I deleted my post. You must have been fast to quote me!I deleted it within a minute of posting it.

 

[Moo]

Went to my first ever dockers home game

The sea of purple was an impressive sight
Liked TNT being played pregame - perfect song to get the crowd revved up prior to the team running out
No Karl prattling on pregame was a welcome omission. The half time dance cam however showed your "entertainment" could be just as cringeworthy as ours
The game itself seemed a little flat possibly because Sydney's failure to convert in the first quarter handed you an early lead that you never looked in danger of losing. A couple of times it seemed you might break them open but it never happened
Ballantyne is a real catalyst for you - was genuine excitement in the stands when he got the ball
Sandilands is a mobile monolith. The man is huge and it's easy to see why his presence intimidates sides especially when he parks himself 20m out from your defensive goal
Across the board you look bigger than us. Look a more mature stronger side which partly explains your recent dominance of derbies and why you should be favourites in a derby GF should that eventuate
No I didn't wear eagles colours to the game it's a curiously stupid thing to do. Sadly there were a couple of others about the place that have a different view to me
There was a sigh of disappointment around me when the attendance was announced. I was quietly pleased. Think we supporters compete over anything and everything
Had a chuckle to myself when goodes was booed as it showed you have your own cohort of idiots just as we do.
Going forward you have the somewhat remarkable ability to look like you're not playing well but keep winning anyway. Because you don't blow teams away it gives the appearance they're in the game when the reality is opposite. Envisage sandi fighting frodo - he'd just hold him at bay not under any threat but ready to land a knockout blow at will as necessary

**** you Freagle Boy

 

[poshman]

Not sure why Dawson isn't getting a heap of praise tbh. They had 53 entries to our 40 iirc... He had one kicked on him as a direct opponent and took a couple of key marks as well as his usual spoiling and help defense that is so valuable.

 

[Taylor]

The whole season was for that one game. 22 matches all for that one home qualifying final.

Its such an effort to get here. Home prelim. Week off.

Damn it's hard to win a flag.

 

[Proud SJW]

Tabs isn't the answer, he doesn't last the whole game.

For someone with a 'large' tank, he doesn't even make a contest most of the times. I can see him falling to pieces at the MCG, when the whips get cracking.

We need Griff back asap, defs an upgrade on Clarke and can contest.

I agree with you regarding Griffin.
I'm just not sure what your alternative is, though, with regard to Taberner. Clearly, we have problems up forward, but your answer to any potential solution is to keep things the same? How does that work? Griffin up forward might have helped a bit since he's replaced Clarke, but it hasn't been a magical answer. I suppose Ballantyne might help with that (because we haven't seen it yet).

I've been thinking I'd drop Mzungu for Tabs. Release Walters further up the ground, go with a taller forward line, and you know Ballantyne is back now to clean up the scraps (with Walters). We flirted with a tall forward line earlier in the year, I'm not sure enough time was put into it before circumstances decreed we had to do something else.
I couldn't quite catch where Gu started, half forward or wing? Walters would be more useful up there, and could drift forward or back as required.

Additionally, Tabs could be forced to play a whole game as a marking target, which would give us more interchange options in the middle.

 

[Square Peg]

It would be crazy to move Walters onto the wing. The only thing any team will fear from our forward line from here on is the two quality smalls working together - who has two lock down small defenders to go with them? If Ballas and Walters kick six between them in a GF and we will win in a canter.