Is Hugh Dixon our Next Pav?

Apr 25, 2011
2,213
4,678
AFL Club
Fremantle
I am a new Fremantle supporter, predominantly because of Hugh Dixon being recruited to the club. I have watched him develop over time, know him and his family, and support Kingborough, the club where he played in Tasmania.


Welcome on board mate - and thank his his family and town for us :)

Even with bad results at the club, we haven't seen a mass exodus, the club culture is strong and he should enjoy his time around the sun and surf. He'll be pushed to think about his long term, they will push him 100% to go to university while he's playing, or pick up on other vocational and life skills so he has a life after football. He is in good hands :thumbsu:
 

Wally Walpamur

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 23, 2016
6,150
11,930
AFL Club
Fremantle
I am a new Fremantle supporter, predominantly because of Hugh Dixon being recruited to the club. I have watched him develop over time, know him and his family, and support Kingborough, the club where he played in Tasmania.

Let's start with Fremantle and my perspective as a "new" supporter. We are one game into the season. We have played a decent side on their home ground and been flogged. There will be better sides than us that do worse this year against them at home. We are going through a rebuild, and while that is not an excuse for poor performance and intensity, it is a simple fact that when you have turned over nearly 25% of your players in one year, and have so many inexperienced and immature players not ready for the rigours of AFL it puts pressure on the remainder of the list. I should add here that we also turned over significant numbers in 2017, and that Bennel, is not available. Just that one person with some experience and above average ability can make a difference to a side like ours that is going though change and whose results will be driven largely by confidence, belief and emotion. When that is the case, you have to expect inconsistency, bad performances and on the positive side, some good performances. We have copped a bad one first up, and we may cop another 5 before we see a good one, who knows. That is just where we are. Not great for the short term, not great for committed, loyal, expecting, fans, but its reality. Short term pain, long term gain, a reality of football and life in general.

Hugh Dixon. I believe in the kid as much as anyone. He has the natural ability to be a top notch AFL footballer. As I have said on this site previously, I believe Fremantle recruited a gem. Do I think that he is ready to play AFL seniors - definitely not. As someone said, he is 3 weeks out of the rehab group, and his base fitness would be nowhere near what is required to play AFL. The last thing you want to be doing with someone like Hugh Dixon is throw him to the wolves, and risk what he will become in the future with a more rational and strategic approach. HD is a key forward, that is learning his craft and still finding his way in a new state, with a new club, new team mates, new expectations and a whole new life. I see absolutely zero advantage to him, the club or us at supporters, playing him in a side that performed like they did on Saturday, and are going through a rebuild which means the results will fluctuate as I described above. People like HD are the keys to our real goal, winning a premiership when the window opens in the future, and the next few times it opens after that. He is way too important to risk in the short term. Better to just remember what we have developing in the background, ready to produce when the time i really right. It helps me get through the short term pain, that is for sure.
Welcome aboard but let me warn you, with that kind of common sense you are speaking, you won't get too far around here. Put on your delusion hat like the rest of us and dream big.
 

Freeeoo

Club Legend
May 7, 2006
2,412
3,268
SOR
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
The Gooners
I am a new Fremantle supporter, predominantly because of Hugh Dixon being recruited to the club. I have watched him develop over time, know him and his family, and support Kingborough, the club where he played in Tasmania.

Let's start with Fremantle and my perspective as a "new" supporter. We are one game into the season. We have played a decent side on their home ground and been flogged. There will be better sides than us that do worse this year against them at home. We are going through a rebuild, and while that is not an excuse for poor performance and intensity, it is a simple fact that when you have turned over nearly 25% of your players in one year, and have so many inexperienced and immature players not ready for the rigours of AFL it puts pressure on the remainder of the list. I should add here that we also turned over significant numbers in 2017, and that Bennel, is not available. Just that one person with some experience and above average ability can make a difference to a side like ours that is going though change and whose results will be driven largely by confidence, belief and emotion. When that is the case, you have to expect inconsistency, bad performances and on the positive side, some good performances. We have copped a bad one first up, and we may cop another 5 before we see a good one, who knows. That is just where we are. Not great for the short term, not great for committed, loyal, expecting, fans, but its reality. Short term pain, long term gain, a reality of football and life in general.

Hugh Dixon. I believe in the kid as much as anyone. He has the natural ability to be a top notch AFL footballer. As I have said on this site previously, I believe Fremantle recruited a gem. Do I think that he is ready to play AFL seniors - definitely not. As someone said, he is 3 weeks out of the rehab group, and his base fitness would be nowhere near what is required to play AFL. The last thing you want to be doing with someone like Hugh Dixon is throw him to the wolves, and risk what he will become in the future with a more rational and strategic approach. HD is a key forward, that is learning his craft and still finding his way in a new state, with a new club, new team mates, new expectations and a whole new life. I see absolutely zero advantage to him, the club or us at supporters, playing him in a side that performed like they did on Saturday, and are going through a rebuild which means the results will fluctuate as I described above. People like HD are the keys to our real goal, winning a premiership when the window opens in the future, and the next few times it opens after that. He is way too important to risk in the short term. Better to just remember what we have developing in the background, ready to produce when the time i really right. It helps me get through the short term pain, that is for sure.
Welcome Jock, don't listen to them, anyone who talks this much sense is welcome here.
 

Hazelsnuts

Club Legend
Sep 17, 2016
1,778
3,377
The beach
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
North Beach. AIK Stockholm
Probably see how goes in a WAFL game first.

Apeness has more runs on the board at this stage.

Didn’t Big Dix play league in Tasmania last year?
It’s not WAFL but he would’ve played against mature bodies unlike other TAC draftees.
 

Johnny Dalmas

Getting Old and Grumpy
Oct 16, 2015
4,178
6,692
Albany
AFL Club
Fremantle
I hear what you are saying, but Brayshaw seems to have been elevated to the senior team almost straight away, so why does it apply to some but not others?
Brayshaw hit all the training benchmarks he needed to meet over the summer and so got to play an early pre-season game. Ever since he has done enough to keep his spot.

I reckon if Dixon had completed all the summer work and then kicked, say, 2 a game over the JLT he would have played Rd 1

But he wasn't considered for JLT because he didn't do all the summer work and so now he has to get his track record of consistent
performances via Peel.

This puts him in the same boat as Cerra and Crowden. It's nothing more than that.
 

Dockernut

Norm Smith Medallist
Dec 23, 2008
7,384
10,305
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Sharks. Anyone playing West Coast.
Any danger of th club sending someone down to record one of these practice matches so we can get a glimpse of our newest recruits? Don’t these people work on weekends??
 
Alex Pearce is going to be one of the best KPDs in the competition, cant we just be happy with that?

I won't rest until he lines up as a defensive midfielder
 

elsleevador

All Australian
Aug 13, 2014
625
2,113
AFL Club
Fremantle
I am a new Fremantle supporter, predominantly because of Hugh Dixon being recruited to the club. I have watched him develop over time, know him and his family, and support Kingborough, the club where he played in Tasmania.

Let's start with Fremantle and my perspective as a "new" supporter. We are one game into the season. We have played a decent side on their home ground and been flogged. There will be better sides than us that do worse this year against them at home. We are going through a rebuild, and while that is not an excuse for poor performance and intensity, it is a simple fact that when you have turned over nearly 25% of your players in one year, and have so many inexperienced and immature players not ready for the rigours of AFL it puts pressure on the remainder of the list. I should add here that we also turned over significant numbers in 2017, and that Bennel, is not available. Just that one person with some experience and above average ability can make a difference to a side like ours that is going though change and whose results will be driven largely by confidence, belief and emotion. When that is the case, you have to expect inconsistency, bad performances and on the positive side, some good performances. We have copped a bad one first up, and we may cop another 5 before we see a good one, who knows. That is just where we are. Not great for the short term, not great for committed, loyal, expecting, fans, but its reality. Short term pain, long term gain, a reality of football and life in general.

Hugh Dixon. I believe in the kid as much as anyone. He has the natural ability to be a top notch AFL footballer. As I have said on this site previously, I believe Fremantle recruited a gem. Do I think that he is ready to play AFL seniors - definitely not. As someone said, he is 3 weeks out of the rehab group, and his base fitness would be nowhere near what is required to play AFL. The last thing you want to be doing with someone like Hugh Dixon is throw him to the wolves, and risk what he will become in the future with a more rational and strategic approach. HD is a key forward, that is learning his craft and still finding his way in a new state, with a new club, new team mates, new expectations and a whole new life. I see absolutely zero advantage to him, the club or us at supporters, playing him in a side that performed like they did on Saturday, and are going through a rebuild which means the results will fluctuate as I described above. People like HD are the keys to our real goal, winning a premiership when the window opens in the future, and the next few times it opens after that. He is way too important to risk in the short term. Better to just remember what we have developing in the background, ready to produce when the time i really right. It helps me get through the short term pain, that is for sure.
Post of the year.
Welcome to Freo Jock. Thanks for the sensible optimism. I loved HDs draft highlights and look forward to him becoming the next Lance Whitnall (but better).
 

DaveLister

Premiership Player
Feb 17, 2016
3,190
6,663
AFL Club
Fremantle
I said it when he was a playing for the allies, I said it when we drafted him and I said it when I first saw him in person, he has the widest shoulders of any draftee I've ever seen. He's got a lot of muscle to put in before he's even close to fully developed, give him some time.
 
Post of the year.
Welcome to Freo Jock. Thanks for the sensible optimism. I loved HDs draft highlights and look forward to him becoming the next Lance Whitnall (but better).

Post of the year?

Did you miss my Out: D Pearce?
 

Kenyan

All Australian
Jul 5, 2015
773
1,736
Perth
AFL Club
Hawthorn
I'd like to see Dixon get a go in the main team some time this season (if he has earned it), just so he knows what's required. As mentioned above by others, it might be better for the young guy if Freo sorted out our forward line structure, team work, kicking and decision-making before we introduce a predominantly leading forward into the team. Bombing away aimlessly is not going to benefit his development. He is a smart footballer though, so he could probably think his was through some of our chaos.
Chud doesn't need to spend any time in the main team. He needs to be allowed time to mature and develop his body/core strength before worrying about playing seniors. There is absolutely no doubt he possesses talent and is a natural footballer. He has very quick hands and makes great decisions under pressure. Kicks the ball very well and takes a good grab.
Be patient and the rewards will come.
 

greatgatsby

Premiership Player
Oct 17, 2010
3,823
5,660
The Seat of Power
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Washington Commanders, Black Ducks
Been away for a while in London so I haven't really focused on Freo.. but I saw his U18 highlights for the first time the other day and looks like a good type. Has agility which is important in this day and age, really needs to get his tank and speed up if he wants to make it.

I think this is the plan for an 18yo KPF
 
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