Review Freo Just not Quite Good Enough - Rd 23 Review

[rgauci]

I am not denying we have dropped this year. We didnt drop massively but we dropped....

But the thing is... last season we Faced both Brisbane and Port in Perth. We beat both of them.

When we beat Brisbane last season, we were down by 2 goals, got a small lead at 3 quarter time and held on to win by 2 goals.

When we faced Port last season, we had a 30-40 point lead, then held on by a goal.

In 2022, Brisbane finished 6th, won 2 finals. Port narrowly missed out on finals after going 0-5.

This Season we Narrowly lost to Brisbane and Port in Perth.

Have Brisbanes playing squad improved? they traded in Josh Dunkley and got Jack Gunston as a free agent. Port traded in Jason Horne Francis but lost Karl Amon in free agency.


I think Brisbane and Port improved their squad by 10 percent. While on the other hand Freo went backwards by 10 percent.

Dockers have lost some Narrow games at home.... North, Tigers, Brisbane and Port. We win those 4 games, we make finals.

% is a better reflection, close games have a bit of luck involved. Chapman spoil etc etc.

2022 117%
2023 95%

We’ve actually fallen off a cliff. It’s quite disappointing.

Last year in the first half of the year we were the best transition team in the afl. We could move the ball from defense to forward without issue. It was a short kick game plan then we would add pace to the ball in the middle of the ground. About halfway through last year we got stuck in our back line.

For the last year and a half our coaching group has failed to implement an effective transition game. Right now we are absolutely dependent on winning clearances to win a game. Stoppage goals are our only option. Front half turnovers are sloppy and don’t score effectively as slick teams. Our transition from the back line comical, with crazy handball chains that run us into trouble but sometimes look amazing, but look terrible in wet weather with a slippery ball.

I’m not confident in our coaching. Our plans change with the wind.

 

[Taylor]

% is a better reflection, close games have a bit of luck involved. Chapman spoil etc etc.

2022 117%
2023 95%

We’ve actually fallen off a cliff. It’s quite disappointing.

Last year in the first half of the year we were the best transition team in the afl. We could move the ball from defense to forward without issue. It was a short kick game plan then we would add pace to the ball in the middle of the ground. About halfway through last year we got stuck in our back line.

For the last year and a half our coaching group has failed to implement an effective transition game. Right now we are absolutely dependent on winning clearances to win a game. Stoppage goals are our only option. Front half turnovers are sloppy and don’t score effectively as slick teams. Our transition from the back line comical, with crazy handball chains that run us into trouble but sometimes look amazing, but look terrible in wet weather with a slippery ball.

I’m not confident in our coaching. Our plans change with the wind.

Biggest issue as I see it is that we have leaked out of the stoppages resulting in our defensive unit, which used to restrict sides to under 60 points, now getting that kicked on them by 3QT.

I would expect we have kicked more score this year, but we've had more kicked on us by a long way.

 

[rgauci]

Biggest issue as I see it is that we have leaked out of the stoppages resulting in our defensive unit, which used to restrict sides to under 60 points, now getting that kicked on them by 3QT.

I would expect we have kicked more score this year, but we've had more kicked on us by a long way.

1739 - 1486 - 22 games in 2022
1742 - 1842 - 22 games in 2023

We’ve scored an extra 3 points…

Adds weight to the severe decline in form of Pearce and to a lesser extent Cox. They have lost a disproportionate amount of one on ones this year compared to last. Scoring against us was very very easy this year. I’m not convinced it’s all midfield defensiveness or easy clearances. The defense haven’t held up their end of the bargain. Too easily conceded goals and unable to exit our defensive 50 without creating reentries.

 

[DocT]

1739 - 1486 - 22 games in 2022
1742 - 1842 - 22 games in 2023

We’ve scored an extra 3 points…

Adds weight to the severe decline in form of Pearce and to a lesser extent Cox. They have lost a disproportionate amount of one on ones this year compared to last. Scoring against us was very very easy this year. I’m not convinced it’s all midfield defensiveness or easy clearances. The defense haven’t held up their end of the bargain. Too easily conceded goals and unable to exit our defensive 50 without creating reentries.

Having lost Lobb, the only way our fwd line was going to get significantly better in 2023 was for Tabs/Fyfe to have had decent years.
Amiss and Jackson have stopped our fwd line from sinking.

I agree about Pearce, he's unfortunately had a bad year. From my POV I think the captaincy is the only clearly identifiable factor for his decline. He has to give that away and get back to what he is brilliant at - being the pillar-in-chief of one of the best backlines in the AFL.

Dear God in heaven I can't believe I'm saying this BUT if our forward and mids keep developing on their trajectory and if the backline recovers its mojo, 2024 could be a very good year for Freo. Not asking for anything speccy guys, BACKS just do what we have seen you do and MIDS/FWDS keep growing on your natural path. We then need to add some leadership spark and the mix will ignite.

 

[Docker82]

1739 - 1486 - 22 games in 2022
1742 - 1842 - 22 games in 2023

We’ve scored an extra 3 points…

Adds weight to the severe decline in form of Pearce and to a lesser extent Cox. They have lost a disproportionate amount of one on ones this year compared to last. Scoring against us was very very easy this year. I’m not convinced it’s all midfield defensiveness or easy clearances. The defense haven’t held up their end of the bargain. Too easily conceded goals and unable to exit our defensive 50 without creating reentries.

Personally I think the lack of midfield pressure is the biggest reason for us conceding more.

When the kick is to the advantage of the forward, which it is against good teams when you don’t put on pressure, any half decent forward isn’t getting beaten. At worst they bring the ball to ground.

If the kick pressured then it’s often in the defenders favour. Same thing applies as above.

I wouldn’t knock Ryan’s defending for a similar reason but he’s largely responsible for a number of repeat inside fifties with his ball use.

 

[Taylor]

Personally I think the lack of midfield pressure is the biggest reason for us conceding more.

When the kick is to the advantage of the forward, which it is against good teams when you don’t put on pressure, any half decent forward isn’t getting beaten. At worst they bring the ball to ground.

If the kick pressured then it’s often in the defenders favour. Same thing applies as above.

I wouldn’t knock Ryan’s defending for a similar reason but he’s largely responsible for a number of repeat inside fifties with his ball use.

I think you'll see the defender mentality out of most of our tall or at least tall accountable defenders when they kick. They want the ball as far away as possible so it doesn't come back with speed because it's their men who get on the end of it.

When the likes of Luke Ryan, Alex Pearce and Brennan Cox kick the short pass into the corridor, trusting that player not to turn it over another 20m forward when he could have just saved them the time and kicked it 50m directly, we will have a better ball movement strategy.

There is a huge element of opposition allowing us to play a certain way in it all though. Would an opposition allow us to put everyone on the wing under the high ball and keep their players spread across the corridor? I think most would back themselves to win a loose ball and move it fast into the middle to score, but how much do we need to dominate the ball movement through weight of numbers before they match the bodies at the contest and allow the wide open space on the fat side? The space that would allow the talls to get on the 150m leads for the marks.

 

[wakojako]

1739 - 1486 - 22 games in 2022
1742 - 1842 - 22 games in 2023

We’ve scored an extra 3 points…

What a useless statistic. So for every extra point we have scored this year, we have moved down 3 ladder positions (9 in total).

 

[Taylor]

What a useless statistic. So for every extra point we have scored this year, we have moved down 3 ladder positions (9 in total).

Looks more like 16 points extra we let through to score per game we have slipped accordingly. Three goals a week worse.

With just that difference we would have beaten: Saints, North, Tigers, Lions and I'll say Port too.

We would currently be sitting 5th on the ladder.

 

[dropbear101]

personally, i think pearce still nurses something. hell never admit it, but movement wise he is less. which means he'll be better next year.

 

[BStaff17]

How many classy players do Fremantle have?

Walters, amiss and that's probably it.

Seeing for all the amazing things that he is lacks class. Brayshaw too.

Young for the elite kick that he supposedly is doesn't show his class ball in hand.

Young, Brayshaw X2 and serong missing their set shots today were so predictable.

MJ was meant to be one of the better kicks in his draft but I'm yet to see him actually hit a target inside 50 on a lead or a kick that opens up the play. It's either a simple chip kick or a headless bomb.

Watching our mids butcher kicks inside 50 all day then seeing tod bloody Marshall sublimely pick out Rioli was infuriating AF.

AB is my fave player but what exactly is he. A low clearance winning inside to outside mid with questionable disposal?

70m out who do you want kicking inside 50? You struggle to think of someone. Theoretically young? Days gone by would be Mundy and Walters

45meters out slight angle at a pivotal time how many players do you trust to kick it?

We make things look ridiculously hard. We've been out so many times this year but have absolutely butchered it. Think the only time we were out and got a set shot on goal was hitting Shultz pretty much on the boundary line. Every other team gets a shot 30 out on a slight angle.

Even our handballing on the overlap, a simple skill, is atrocious. The player running past has to pause and halt his momentum coz it's rarely delivered in his stride.

Post of the year. Couldn't have said it better myself.

Who do you trust in the mids to kick crucial goals and I am not talking about clutch ones to win matches after the siren.

People have argued the Goal kicking accuracy may have gone up on previous seasons but let's be honest it was a low base to start with we finished 2021 with more behinds then goals ffs.

It had to go up and its still nowhere near the elite level where the great teams sit.

 

[BStaff17]

What I've learnt from this season especially is I need to stop letting myself get so emotionally invested or let Freo effect my mood.

I have been overseas since the essendon game got back last week.

It helped being away from it all as we were just s**t I was mentally able to tune out for 2 months with no expectations as season was cooked and not focusing on the news here in Australia.

I didn't even bother with the Watch AFL app overseas wasn't worth paying the $45 a month just for Fremantle games.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

personally, i think pearce still nurses something. hell never admit it, but movement wise he is less. which means he'll be better next year.

His form the last month has been encouraging. The Pearce we need is still there

 

[wakojako]

personally, i think pearce still nurses something. hell never admit it, but movement wise he is less. which means he'll be better next year.

He doesn't participate in full training and gets a jab when he does according to training watches I know. He also rarely talks with the crowd. Just a dumb choice for captain if the he doesn't even train with the guys, how can he expect them to play for him.

 

[pK75]

1739 - 1486 - 22 games in 2022
1742 - 1842 - 22 games in 2023

We’ve scored an extra 3 points…

Adds weight to the severe decline in form of Pearce and to a lesser extent Cox. They have lost a disproportionate amount of one on ones this year compared to last. Scoring against us was very very easy this year. I’m not convinced it’s all midfield defensiveness or easy clearances. The defense haven’t held up their end of the bargain. Too easily conceded goals and unable to exit our defensive 50 without creating reentries.

We have missed Chapman as the 3rd tall/ interceptor all year.

 

[Bigger]

Pearce plainly lacks a full range of movement in his back. Which is kind of important. If he gets that right over the off and pre season, he will be number 1 or 2 key defender in the comp.

And if Coxy stays off the skateboard, he'll be good to go also.

Chappy gets back. Luke Ryan murders a couple more thousand steak sandwiches.

Walker I am concerned about but Wagner has shown a bit.

Add the reliable defenderiness of Beefin Huge and the back 6 are getting the chicks.

 

[ignoramus]

Find it funny to see more than a couple of people refer to the Fyfe forward "experiment" and it being "over".

When exactly was the experiment trialled? He trained preseason as a forward, and was looking a reasonably decent option. Yes, they were just preseason games, blah blah blah, but that's not the point. The point is that he played as a forward only in Round 1, after which it became clear he'd played with a foot injury. Not sure we can evaluate the success or otherwise of the "experiment" on that game. When he came back into the side, he was being played in the middle, because the midfield had been (ahem) underperforming.

I don't think we've yet seen how the team goes with Fyfe up forward. There might be other arguments against it (too tall; would have to drop, probably, Treacy and deny him development; or better used in the middle, or as tactical sub), but I for one would not be tearing my hear out at coaching/selection, if be lined up inside F50 in Rd1 next year. Whatever else you might try to say about his ability as a forward, surely you wouldn't deny that he's got the smarts to lead the forward 6 and help make it work. I'm still interested to see what that might look like.

 

[Dockeroo]

He doesn't participate in full training and gets a jab when he does according to training watches I know. He also rarely talks with the crowd. Just a dumb choice for captain if the he doesn't even train with the guys, how can he expect them to play for him.

Great point that’s been understated. Our captain has barely trained all year.
It has to change for next year

 

[Dockeroo]

Pearce plainly lacks a full range of movement in his back. Which is kind of important. If he gets that right over the off and pre season, he will be number 1 or 2 key defender in the comp.

And if Coxy stays off the skateboard, he'll be good to go also.

Chappy gets back. Luke Ryan murders a couple more thousand steak sandwiches.

Walker I am concerned about but Wagner has shown a bit.

Add the reliable defenderiness of Beefin Huge and the back 6 are getting the chicks.

rgauci has a great post above about how our defensive transition game is rubbish and we can’t score from possession chains originating deep in defence, instead relying on stoppage and clearance dominance to score.
It’s a great point and so true.
Replacing Chapman with Hughes has been disastrous if you ask me. Chapman is an aggressive attacker of the corridor by foot. Low flat bullet passes. He was superb at this in 2022.
Hughes? He cannot kick to the required level so just slows the game and takes the long bomb down the line, or turns around and kicks backwards after 3 or 4 seconds to probably Ryan, who then generally proceeds to bomb it down the field. Modern AFL footy has passed players like Hughes out. It’s Corey Wagner types you need now at half back. Clever creative players by foot.

I’m putting it out there now - if Ethan Hughes plays most games again next season we will not play finals. I’m certain of it.
Pearce is another terrible kick but at least he can lockdown big gorillas and it’s less important for him to be a good kicker than Hughes.

 

[rgauci]

rgauci has a great post above about how our defensive transition game is rubbish and we can’t score from possession chains originating deep in defence, instead relying on stoppage and clearance dominance to score.
It’s a great point and so true.
Replacing Chapman with Hughes has been disastrous if you ask me. Chapman is an aggressive attacker of the corridor by foot. Low flat bullet passes. He was superb at this in 2022.
Hughes? He cannot kick to the required level so just slows the game and takes the long bomb down the line, or turns around and kicks backwards after 3 or 4 seconds to probably Ryan, who then generally proceeds to bomb it down the field. Modern AFL footy has passed players like Hughes out. It’s Corey Wagner types you need now at half back. Clever creative players by foot.

I’m putting it out there now - if Ethan Hughes plays most games again next season we will not play finals. I’m certain of it.
Pearce is another terrible kick but at least he can lockdown big gorillas and it’s less important for him to be a good kicker than Hughes.

What do you think of recruiting someone like Yeo from West Coast to take Hughes role, long kick, good intercept defender and rebounds aggressively. We would need to be confident we can keep him fit.

Imagine him as a wildcard in finals too, through the midfield.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

My wish list in order of most wanted considering cost/rewardi
1) Georgiades - Seems a much better fit than a Naughton at a fraction of the price. Treacy, Amiss and MG can definitely all play in the same forwardline
2) Brockman - Genuine class and very cheap. Little worried he could be nothing though
3) Yeo - Requires a lot of fine print on what we'd pay but he's still so good on the field and would be perfect in the backline and never near the middle again.

Not sure there's anyone else worth putting any hope into. Save the big money and go all in on Sam Taylor

15

Sam Taylor

Age

24

Ht

198cm

Wt

95kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.0

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

3.3

3star

T

2.1

4star

MG

130.5

2star

D

8.0

2star

K

2.5

1star

HB

5.5

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.5

3star

MG

60.8

1star

D

8.6

3star

K

3.0

1star

HB

5.6

4star

M

1.2

2star

T

2.8

5star

MG

110.8

2star

in a couple of years

 

[Purpletown]

What do you think of recruiting someone like Yeo from West Coast to take Hughes role, long kick, good intercept defender and rebounds aggressively. We would need to be confident we can keep him fit.

Imagine him as a wildcard in finals too, through the midfield.

Yeo is past it. He was a great player for quite a while but has been very injury prone for several seasons now. It's best he spend the rest of his career on WC's injury list than ours.

 

[JunglistPosse]

It’s been mentioned a couple of times but it boiled my blood watching Sturt & Amiss leading straight up from goal being burned over & over while someone stood there paralyzed with indecision before kicking it up for Alir to pick off.

At one stage Sturt was visibly frustrated & I don’t blame him. His biggest asset is his lead& finishing.

The same could be seen from behind the goals. Players leading into space in the corridor to be ignored in favor of the trusty bomb to the wing.

100%

 

[blue shark]

Yeo is past it. He was a great player for quite a while but has been very injury prone for several seasons now. It's best he spend the rest of his career on WC's injury list than ours.

Sounds similar to when Schofield from Port joined us.
Only reason he came was to up his Super.
Known Freo hater, but still took the coin.
Port didn’t want him due to I think a crook back.
There is a list of these types, Silvia, Gumbleton, and even
further back one bloke turned up to preseason spewed and never
played a game?

 

[Perfect Purple]

It’s been mentioned a couple of times but it boiled my blood watching Sturt & Amiss leading straight up from goal being burned over & over while someone stood there paralyzed with indecision before kicking it up for Alir to pick off.

At one stage Sturt was visibly frustrated & I don’t blame him. His biggest asset is his lead& finishing.

The same could be seen from behind the goals. Players leading into space in the corridor to be ignored in favor of the trusty bomb to the wing.

Spot on.

JL needs to have that footage of both Amiss & Sturt making numerous leads playing on a loop and make every player watch it till their eyes bleed.

It also wouldn’t hurt for Amiss & Sturt to spend some time studying the leading patterns of players like Charlie Curnow and Jeremy Cameron. Dig up some old footage of Josh Kennedy as well.

We need to see a vast improvement in deliveries to the forward line. We get that right and the magic will happen.

 

[Dockeroo]

Spot on.

JL needs to have that footage of both Amiss & Sturt making numerous leads playing on a loop and make every player watch it till their eyes bleed.

It also wouldn’t hurt for Amiss & Sturt to spend some time studying the leading patterns of players like Charlie Curnow and Jeremy Cameron. Dig up some old footage of Josh Kennedy as well.

We need to see a vast improvement in deliveries to the forward line. We get that right and the magic will happen.

I’d agree, Sturt and Amiss are not the problem. They are clever players who lead to a very good standard, relative to other quality AFL forwards.
The problem lies out the field with the guys kicking it into them