Freo in the Friday Night Lights

[BStaff17]

Unfortunately another Friday night game and another disaster.

Why under Longmuir have we saved our biggest dross for a Friday night game.

Is it prep, pressure of a bigger game.

Other thing is our poor GK and most of our low scores have been contributed/saved to a lot of these games.

2022
Rd 8 v North - 102-24 win

Rd 19 v Richmond - 52-all Draw

Kicked 7.10

Rd 20 v Melbourne - 39-85 Loss

Kicked 5.9 against reigning premier sound familiar. 2nd lowest score of the season

2023
Rd 6 v Bulldogs - 69-118 Loss - 3rd heaviest defeat of that season

2024
Rd 9 v Sydney - 39-87 Loss

Kicked 4.15 - another wayward night - Lowest score of the season

Rd 11 v Collingwood - 75-all draw

2025
Rd 7 v Adelaide- 85-67 win

Rd 8 v St Kilda - 33-94 Loss

Lowest score of the year Kicked 4.9 and 2nd biggest loss

Rd 23 v Brisbane - 44-101 Loss

Kicked 5.14 and 2nd Lowest score of the year


I wont include the 2021 against Geelong on a Thursday Night our only prime time game that year we kicked 3.13 in a 100-31 Loss in these stats below but its a pattern.

9 games
2 wins
2 draws
5 losses

For - 538 = 73 goals 100 behinds @ 59.78 ppg

Against - 703

76.53%

 

[Freomaniac]

It's not good

 

[fnerd]

We’re just too young and inexperienced.

#i#injlowetrust…forever

 

[Taylor]

If you're looking for potentials:
A Friday night game inevitably means a shorter break and a flight involved within the last week, if not a day or two before the game. A six day break for Freo/WC isn't the same as a six day break for Carlton/Tigers/Pies etc. Certainly not back to back short breaks.

The players still get their day off, there's less time to recover and prepare - the routine is thrown out all so our supporters can get a prime time TV spot.

I'd prefer we played Saturday afternoon/evening every weekend. I don't want to have to earn the right to have prime time spots early in the round when the cost is short breaks and travel and then a longer break and travel.

 

[The Feeder Club]

If you're looking for potentials:
A Friday night game inevitably means a shorter break and a flight involved within the last week, if not a day or two before the game. A six day break for Freo/WC isn't the same as a six day break for Carlton/Tigers/Pies etc. Certainly not back to back short breaks.

The players still get their day off, there's less time to recover and prepare - the routine is thrown out all so our supporters can get a prime time TV spot.

I'd prefer we played Saturday afternoon/evening every weekend. I don't want to have to earn the right to have prime time spots early in the round when the cost is short breaks and travel and then a longer break and travel.

Nice try
Assesssing all the games in the OP

2022:
Freo 6 day break, North 6 day break
Freo 6 day break, Richmond 6 day break
*Freo 7 day break, Melbourne 6 day break

2023:
*Freo 7 day break, Bulldogs 6 day break

2024
^Freo 5 day break, Sydney 6 day break
Freo 6 day break, Collingwood 6 day break

2025
Freo 6 day break, Adelaide 6 day break
*Freo 7 day break, Saints 6 day break
Freo 6 day break, Brisbane 6 day break

So of the 9 games, we had the advantage in three, neutral in five, and a disadvantage in one game

 

[Dirty_banchez]

If you're looking for potentials:
A Friday night game inevitably means a shorter break and a flight involved within the last week, if not a day or two before the game. A six day break for Freo/WC isn't the same as a six day break for Carlton/Tigers/Pies etc. Certainly not back to back short breaks.

The players still get their day off, there's less time to recover and prepare - the routine is thrown out all so our supporters can get a prime time TV spot.

I'd prefer we played Saturday afternoon/evening every weekend. I don't want to have to earn the right to have prime time spots early in the round when the cost is short breaks and travel and then a longer break and travel.

I have also noted the same scientific observations in my paper: "Why Dockery Dockers Dominate Friday Night Footy".

 

[Purple Jesus]

if (pressure = >100) {
shit.bed();
}

 

[Farrand]

Just to add to the stats, since our beginning I believe it's 20 wins, 2 draws and 31 losses. And banned from Fridays for 5 years between 2017 - 2022.

 

[Taylor]

Nice try
Assesssing all the games in the OP

2022:
Freo 6 day break, North 6 day break
Freo 6 day break, Richmond 6 day break
*Freo 7 day break, Melbourne 6 day break

2023:
*Freo 7 day break, Bulldogs 6 day break

2024
^Freo 5 day break, Sydney 6 day break
Freo 6 day break, Collingwood 6 day break

2025
Freo 6 day break, Adelaide 6 day break
*Freo 7 day break, Saints 6 day break
Freo 6 day break, Brisbane 6 day break

So of the 9 games, we had the advantage in three, neutral in five, and a disadvantage in one game

I expect if you tally up the half days of travel in the month prior to the game you'll see why I said a six day break for Freo isn’t the same as a six day break for Pies/Tigers etc.

 

[The Feeder Club]

I expect if you tally up the half days of travel in the month prior to the game you'll see why I said a six day break for Freo isn’t the same as a six day break for Pies/Tigers etc.

That's got zero to do with it being a Friday game, we play off six day breaks on Saturday. Being based in WA we travel more than other teams, and water is wet.
When we have a 6 day break, most of the time so does the other team.

 

[Taylor]

That's got zero to do with it being a Friday game, we play off six day breaks on Saturday. Being based in WA we travel more than other teams, and water is wet.
When we have a 6 day break, most of the time so does the other team.

And if we won't play Friday or Thursday then we don't have to have extra back to back short breaks against sides that stay home for a month prior to a flight.

Bouncing between Sunday and Saturday, not great, hence why I said just Saturday would be ideal for us given we travel so much.

 

[The Feeder Club]

And if we won't play Friday or Thursday then we don't have to have extra back to back short breaks against sides that stay home for a month prior to a flight.

Bouncing between Sunday and Saturday, not great, hence why I said just Saturday would be ideal for us given we travel so much.

In the meantime, whilst we wait for that fantasy of playing all 23 games of the season on a Saturday, perhaps we can identify internal factors that make us fall apart regularly when we're in high visibility games, instead of blaming it on spurious external factors

 

[Piggy Smalls]

if (pressure = >100) {
shit.bed();
}

It's the damn simulation's fault!

 

[ubiquitous226]

It's the damn simulation's fault!

Simhousery, now it makes sense

 

[Doctor J]

In the meantime, whilst we wait for that fantasy of playing all 23 games of the season on a Saturday, perhaps we can identify internal factors that make us fall apart regularly when we're in high visibility games, instead of blaming it on spurious external factors

Every Freo team over the years is different. For the current lot, I think we get overwhelmed by the occassion due to our youth and inexperience. Big fan expectations, Fyfe retirement and high ladder stakes did it this time in spades. Not an excuse, as we need to learn to handle these occassions, but it might take another year and 20 games on the average to get there.

Also, our demographic is unusual with the limited number of over 30's to calm the younger players. Each year should get better as long as there aren't too many changes in the list old for new.

 

[longsuffreosupp]

Problem is the opportunity we get compared to some other teams, so when we do get the big games we're gonna crap the bed a bit.

It's all good for crap Vic teams to get Friday night games and Dreamtime and Anzac Day etc.

 

[PrancingPony]

The more we play in the primetime slot the more we prove we belong in the Sunday graveyard slot.

 

[Randomizor]

if (pressure = >100) {
shit.bed();
}

Hate to be that guy but,

It would be >=

 

[Purple Jesus]

Hate to be that guy but,

It would be >=

That’s what happens when you aren’t a coder

 

[Taylor]

In the meantime, whilst we wait for that fantasy of playing all 23 games of the season on a Saturday, perhaps we can identify internal factors that make us fall apart regularly when we're in high visibility games, instead of blaming it on spurious external factors

We could play the same experiment with only Friday night games too. Short breaks and travel are a killer. Stack them over and over.

I do think there's something in preparation though