From Elite to "Mediocre": A Dockers Third of the Season Report Card

GilG

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Thread starter #1
How can the same team we so dearly love, which just eight months ago was a straight kick away from the lead midway through the third quarter of the Grand Final, now be 4-4 after eight games in an ensuing season that started at dominant 2-0?

Yesterday Coach Ross Lyon nailed it on the head after the deflating, dispiriting 18-point loss to an incredibly energized Port side -- whose recent meteoric rise mirrors Freo's own -- when he said, "we are a mediocre team at the moment."

So why don't we all take a turn now, playing armchair footy coaches and write our own report cards on the boys?

Here's mine:

Hayden Ballantyne C+ Dangerous against both Collingwood and WCE, but has lacked consistency and discipline. The suspension he copped in the Sydney game, with our forward line depleted? Inexcusable.

Zac Dawson B Has done well in the backline, coming off a Grand Final in which Jack Gunston took him to school. Still an elite spoiler, but he too had a brain cramp getting rubbed out by tripping an opponent.

Danyle Pearce B+ Definitely improved over a very good season last year. His pace has been essential this year, as has his precision passing. Needs to improve overall composure and sprays shots on goal.

Nat Fyfe A Only a questionable suspension keeps him from Brownlow consideration. Elite ball-winner and team's best marker. Team must consider moving him forward or keeping him in the middle.

Matt DeBoer C Teammate's recent injury saved him banishment to Peel. Must be more than one-dimensional defensive forward. Has shown signs of life the last two games.

Tendai Mzungu A- Continues to improve with every game. Great tank, reliable set-shot and very handy in defense.

Ryan Crowley B Hasn't had nearly the same degree of shutdown influence he had last year, as on-ball opponents are breaking free of his chain -- see Boomer Harvey's run in the loss to North Melbourne.

David Mundy A Elite midfielder who has had an All-Australian first third of the season. Would you trust anyone more than him at a center bounce for a clearance? Where would Freo be without him?

Hayden Crozier F Missing in action since given the massive opportunity to shine, with Michael Walters injury. Has to be on the chopping block this week.

Luke McPharlin A Has returned to his customary excellent form in the backline. Could've used some second half help defending against Buddy Franklin in the Sydney loss.

Michael Barlow A Has been his creative, courageous best this season in the middle and resting forward and his four-week loss to injury definitely was felt.

Chris Mayne C What's happened to the third tall, sharpshooting set-shot and forward pressure machine? Severely deflated confidence? Lingering injury? Both? Starting to see faint, hopeful signs.

Lachie Neale B Slow start, but massive gain in form the last two weeks, which saw him win the Glendinning Medal. Need him to be the go-to stoppage specialist he became last year.

Matthew Pavlich A- Admirably carries entire forward line load on his back every week, while blanketed and bruised by the opposition's best defender and loose man. Desperately needs a tag-team partner.

Zac Clarke B Enormously talented, maddeningly inconsistent. Needs to build on great form the last two weeks to overcome earlier quiet weeks.

Aaron Sandilands A Dominant in the ruck and handy when pinch-hitting in the backline. Definitely improved his taps and plays best when displaying some mongrel. Will challenge Fyfe for Doig Medal.

Stephen Hill B+ His elite run and carry makes him essential, but Barlow's absence made him more taggable. Has shown more toughness this year and really impressed in the Hawthorn debacle.

Cameron Sutcliffe B- Not as clean with the ball this year and hasn't yet provided the spark he did last year as the sub.

Lee Spurr C+ Has elevated to leadership group, but downward escalated in form. Has been pantsed by some of the competition's best smalls, which last year was rare.

Michael Johnson A Hard to find any other defender more composed with the ball, under pressure and has excelled in backline. Can count the number of skill errors/turnovers this season on one hand.

Paul Duffield B- Seems to have dropped in form. Port game was Exhibit A: his bump on Chad Wingard is sure to get him rubbed out and kicking out on the full late, directly led to a costly conceded goal.

Incompletes: Garrick Ibbotson, Nick Suban, Michael Walters, Tom Sheridan, Josh Simpson, Matt Taberner, Alex Silvagni, Jack Hannath, Clancee Pearce.

Best team performance: Rd 1, Collingwood. Total demolition job showed Freo at its best.
Worst team performance: Rd 3, Hawthorn. Humiliation from the opening bounce.

Freo is cursed because...After a two-year recruiting effort to snare a top-flight power forward to complement Matthew Pavlich, which included Travis Cloke, Jack Riewoldt, Harry Taylor, Aaron Black, Jesse White and James Podsiadly, it nabs Scott Gumbleton for a low draft pick. Gumbleton returns to WA fully fit with a great attitude, never misses one pre-season training...only to (again!) tear a hamstring in a pre-season game, forcing him to miss the season's first half.

Freo is blessed because...After doing a knee for the third time and missing three seasons, Anthony Morabito is now tantalizingly close to returning to action.

Best reasons for dread: Freo have failed to beat top-tier teams Port, Hawthorn and Sydney and copped a home loss to North and show little ability to beat them in rematches, potential and actual. Big recruits Gumbleton and Colin Sylvia have yet to play a minute, the forward line issues appear no closer to being resolved than at the end of last year, Walters is gone for the season and maybe second-tier teams will catch up to us.

Best reasons for hope: Between games v Geelong in Rd 9 and Rd 20, there's a bye week followed by nine straight VERY winnable games, including Brisbane, St. Kilda, Melbourne and Carlton. Even with a loss to Geelong in Rd 9, coming up winners in those nine games would leave Freo with a 13-5 record, with four games left, including another against Brisbane. Potentially getting back a healthy Gumbleton and Morabito, a rejuvenated Colin Sylvia and a precocious big man in Michael Apeness would be tremendous, as would a miraculous return of Walters. Freo must again face Hawthorn and Port, but this time at home.
 

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go_the_dockers

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#2
I just get the feeling we are bit underdone, and have had a very tough early draw.

I would prefer to have a lot of the tough games coming into finals.

Walters out has lost us a lot of class, add Ibbotson not playing most of the games and that is a big difference. Add Fyfe and Barlow and this is a big reason why we have struggled. Yes others teams find a way to win, but I don't think we are at that level until players like Crozier and Sheridan find a way to stand when needed.

Pending WAFL form, adding Syliva, Ibbotson and Morabito and we will add the class we need to get top 4 and then hopefully Walters if fit for the last few games.

I am not sure Sylvia has quiet earned his spot, but swapping Sylvia with Crozier would be a big upgrade and it simply has to be done. (Assuming he turns up in the WAFL)
 

aussieviking

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#3
pretty spot on GilG .
Ryan Crowley C- His opponents have beaten him many times this year, his disposal is poor and he seems to have lost his mongrel attitude this year

Matt DeBoer D Last 2 games have been better but should be out of team if we are at full strength
 

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#6
I just get the feeling we are bit underdone, and have had a very tough early draw.
This. And we have brought little improvement to the team compared to others: No new player is having an impact, a few out of form, while nobody really improved on last year's form, injuries again. And our Ross Lyon trademark gamestyle is probably physical draining in the long term as well...
 

Midnite65

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#8
We need most of our group of elite players playing together to be back to our best.....basically at least two elite forwards from Mayne, Pavlich, Ballantyne or Walters.....three midfielders Fyfe, Barlow, Mundy who I think have managed to only play a couple of games together and two or three elite backs....Johnson, Mcpharlin and ?

The Collingwood game was the game they were all together and the result showed.

What the season has show us so far is that our average role players, Pearce (x2), Spur, Duffield, De Boer, Suban, Suttfield, Clarke, etc can be good when surrounded by the elite but when some of the elite are missing they don't have the class to step up.
 
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#10
I really don't believe there is to much difference between teams. But our team has been about maximum effort anywhere and anytime. So we are probably on the upper echolon. And had the shortest preseason...
Looking at the ladder we have played 8 of the top 10 sides. Lost 3 top four sides away & NM at home.
We play the othe top 4 side this week.

Not the best but above the rest of the pack.
 
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#11
It's just not good enough.

Hawthorn came back angry. They lost to the Swans and those guys didn't want anything like it again. They played great all year, were stronger and more focused on Grand Final day, and ended up Premiers.

Fremantle have shocked questionable intensity, only a few guys have shown heart, and the execution and action has been simply mediocre.

Questions need to be asked of this club. To fall like this and not be seething is something Richmond would do. Not the Hawks. Or Cats.
 

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If you don't mind an opposition supporter having a say, there's no way Freo is mediocre.

Couple of hiccups this year, not helped by injury but one of the biggest-bodied, best drilled, most-disciplined teams going around. All the aspects that are crucial in finals.

Freo is the team I feared playing the most this year because of all of those attributes (and a lingering memory of being rag-dolled last year). Those strengths win finals and Freo will be there when it counts.

In the game on Saturday that defensive mojo was there and some of the movement on the slingshot was breathtaking.

Ross can be a miserable sob but for some reason that makes him all the more interesting (even endearing in some weird way) and he is a great coach.

I know he wasn't happy about the loss but it was a great game between two teams that gave it everything and Port played very well on its home deck. Ken Hinkley openly admits that after Freo pounded us last year he set that as his defensive benchmark for Port.

I thought there was genuine respect between the players post-match too. That shows that within the circles that count, Freo is still highly regarded and trust me, still feared.
 

ImperialPurple

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#14
Best team performance: Rd 1, Collingwood. Total demolition job showed Freo at its best.
Worst team performance: Rd 3, Hawthorn. Humiliation from the opening bounce.
Great write up GilG - but here is where I beg to differ... The North loss was, for me, the worst loss of the season. Yes, we were embarrassed from the first minute by Hawthorn, but we should NEVER have lost to that flaky, soft, inconsistent bunch of sooky lala whingers Norf AT HOME... THAT, for mine, was our worst loss / worst team performance.

Other than that I think you're spot on - except I think you've been a bit generous on Crowley...
 

GilG

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If you don't mind an opposition supporter having a say, there's no way Freo is mediocre.

Couple of hiccups this year, not helped by injury but one of the biggest-bodied, best drilled, most-disciplined teams going around. All the aspects that are crucial in finals.

Freo is the team I feared playing the most this year because of all of those attributes (and a lingering memory of being rag-dolled last year). Those strengths win finals and Freo will be there when it counts.

In the game on Saturday that defensive mojo was there and some of the movement on the slingshot was breathtaking.

Ross can be a miserable sob but for some reason that makes him all the more interesting (even endearing in some weird way) and he is a great coach.

I know he wasn't happy about the loss but it was a great game between two teams that gave it everything and Port played very well on its home deck. Ken Hinkley openly admits that after Freo pounded us last year he set that as his defensive benchmark for Port.

I thought there was genuine respect between the players post-match too. That shows that within the circles that count, Freo is still highly regarded and trust me, still feared.
More importantly...You, me (and I'm guessing our forum's own Harry Reems) may be the ONLY people the known universe besides those involved in the film to actually have seen, liked and feel the cult classic merits of "Ford Fairlane."
 

jusjoshin

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#17
Great write up GilG - but here is where I beg to differ... The North loss was, for me, the worst loss of the season. Yes, we were embarrassed from the first minute by Hawthorn, but we should NEVER have lost to that flaky, soft, inconsistent bunch of sooky lala whingers Norf AT HOME... THAT, for mine, was our worst loss / worst team performance.

Other than that I think you're spot on - except I think you've been a bit generous on Crowley...
North are quite an outfit when up and about. Fair enough they are inconsistent, but it is the same team (and only team) that have beaten Port this season. Our form is gradually trending upwards - aiming to peak around August/September when we will play the top teams again. We have a soft run after the bye, keep the faith purple sister.
 

Kram

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#18
Hope Ballas gave himself a massive uppercut for getting suspended for the Norf game.
 
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Hope Ballas gave himself a massive uppercut for getting suspended for the Norf game.
The guy works himself stupid. He puts in. He got Freo a goal from the 1%er of running ragged at a kick-in. How many players do that? We need that desperation and he's one of the few guys who does it. The guy is a champ. There's 15 escaped goats behind him.
 

Kram

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The guy works himself stupid. He puts in. He got Freo a goal from the 1%er of running ragged at a kick-in. How many players do that? We need that desperation and he's one of the few guys who does it. The guy is a champ. There's 15 escaped goats behind him.
Exactly so he shouldn't do silly stuff to miss games when the team desperately needed him that night, it's pretty simple..
 

Nickos66

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If you don't mind an opposition supporter having a say, there's no way Freo is mediocre.

Couple of hiccups this year, not helped by injury but one of the biggest-bodied, best drilled, most-disciplined teams going around. All the aspects that are crucial in finals.

Freo is the team I feared playing the most this year because of all of those attributes (and a lingering memory of being rag-dolled last year). Those strengths win finals and Freo will be there when it counts.

In the game on Saturday that defensive mojo was there and some of the movement on the slingshot was breathtaking.

Ross can be a miserable sob but for some reason that makes him all the more interesting (even endearing in some weird way) and he is a great coach.

I know he wasn't happy about the loss but it was a great game between two teams that gave it everything and Port played very well on its home deck. Ken Hinkley openly admits that after Freo pounded us last year he set that as his defensive benchmark for Port.

I thought there was genuine respect between the players post-match too. That shows that within the circles that count, Freo is still highly regarded and trust me, still feared.
Our defensive pressure doesn't hold a candle to what it was last year.

Teams shouldn't be able to kick away and score the numbers they have been at will this year. It's a little concerning that the ferocity and hunger to strangle and keep sides from scoring has almost been dropped in favour of slingshot footy. The ability to keep sides down to around 30 pts at 3 qtr time and less than 50 at full-time seems like a distant memory.
 

PapaJ

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#22
Great write up GilG - but here is where I beg to differ... The North loss was, for me, the worst loss of the season. Yes, we were embarrassed from the first minute by Hawthorn, but we should NEVER have lost to that flaky, soft, inconsistent bunch of sooky lala whingers Norf AT HOME... THAT, for mine, was our worst loss / worst team performance.

Other than that I think you're spot on - except I think you've been a bit generous on Crowley...
Yeah, was about to post the same. I was livid after that game.

Losses in order of suckyness:

- Nth Melbourne: At home, supposed fortress, was livid with the result. We did everything right except kick an odd one or two goals more, which we should have easily done. A truly wasted opportunity that game. Just a total shit result.

- Hawks: GF rematch fizzer. Bit of build up, but I never really gave us much of a chance given our depleted midfield. Hoped for something better than a smashing, and that's what made it a annoying, but I kind of expected the result so less 'hurtful' than the Nth game in that sense.

- Syndey: The form line said we should win but, again, I didn't actually tip us. I know Sydney were only a bit of confidence and few lucky bounces away from returning to their top flight form, and after the Hawks reality check 2 weeks earlier, it was never going to be as easy as many thought. Looking back now, we can see that the old Sydney are back and we caught them on the rise. Still should have been good enough for the win, but all considered, the other two games above suck more.

- Port: The form to-date was clear to see, and we went in as solid underdogs for the first time this season. I thought we played a good game, so no complaints there. Port, full strength and chock full of confidence, just hit a purple patch on their home turf in the 4th and that was that. Never like loosing, but given the circumstances, this one sucks the least.
 

13then7

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#23
We've had a really strange start to he season with injuries and another couple of odd situations which have been spoken about ad nauseam on here.

We will get confidence, tweak a few things and get healthy against some of the easier teams in the competition and hit form at the right time of the year.

I still think we will be one of the final four teams playing AFL this year. How it all comes about is anybodies guess.
 

yoong

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#24
We lost our mojo after losing to Hawthorne in round 3. We are playing a team effort, pressure type of strategy. This required us to have confidence and strong believe in the game plan and teammates.

It's not the losing, but the way we lose as well. It'll take a while to pick up the pieces, and it'll take beating a top side to bring it back imo
 

GilG

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Thread starter #25
Good mate of mine is a Hawks supporter who observes that Hawthorn is vulnerable to Geelong and Sydney pressure.

Why not ours?

In Rd 3, Hawks ran riot through the corridor like a thundering herd of gazelles on the Kenyan savanna, as any Hawk with the footy in hand had one or two teammates running alongside to handball to, or someone ahead to kick to. Different sport analogy, but they looked like the '80s "Showtime" Lakers in the NBA wiping the floor with the talented, but flatfooted Celtics.

Granted, we were already without Barlow and Fyfe and Mayne, Ibbo and Son-Son all went down with injuries, but still.

Oh and I definitely see the merits of other posters who rate the home loss to North as a worse defeat than getting poleaxed by Hawthorn. I also was livid, considering we held the Roos last year to 29 points. But y'know Coach Lyon's mantra: "The past counts for nothing."

Still see Hawthorn loss as worse, as we had a chance to show the world we could hang with and beat those guys. Hope we get our hurt boys back for late-season matches against them and Port, are in ripping form and beat them so badly they'll answer "Freo!" when we ask 'em, "who's your daddy?!" :mad:
 
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