He isn’t a swing man. He is a bench player who isn’t good enough for position of KPF or KPD, but can relieve in an emergency. Big difference.
One day he may be a swing man, but until he is actually good enough for one actual position, no.
Coach Justin Longmuir
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One day he may be a swing man, but until he is actually good enough for one actual position, no.
SHill Shall
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A swing man, almost by definition, is not good enough to be outstanding at either end. But they're OK at both.
Remember Hunter - lauded as the swingman of the naughties!
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I think Longmuir needs to come down hard on guys that stuff up with drink driving offences and other drug related incidents with the recent Leno Thomas incident. Obviously not based off of that one particular incident but he needs to be firm with the boys and give proper consequences to those who choose to be stupid.
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I didnt mind his 2018 season when he spent most of the season up forward.
18 goals and 14 behinds from 14 games.
Kicked 4 goals vs the crows to get us over the line.
cardamon
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Ah remember when Lachie Weller was gonna be our next captain
And how many out on the full, he.
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that 2013 preliminary final vs the swans was brilliant.
Go watch that 2nd and 3rd quarter again when the Dockers mids chased and tackled the swans mids. It's similar to the 2nd and 3rd quarter of the 2017 AFL Grand final where tiger's chased and tackled the crows mids.
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That is also true but for some strange reason he got plenty of scoring shots
Should never have been a swing man. Harvey took his peak away from him.
McPharlin had multiple AAs as a full back written all over him.
Playing him as a forward.. made the eyes bleed.
Should’ve did the same in the 2013 GF. But that’s nerves. Felt like Ross went conservative to combat Hawthorn’s forwards. Nearly worked. Buddy 1 goal, Dawson’s “pal” Roughead with 2. That manic pressure would’ve been handy.
But that period from 2012-2015 remain the best as a Freo fan.
Especially enjoyed 2012, started off poorly , fans laughed, jumped on Ross. Then the team gelled, peaked off with a dominance final over Geelong. So nearly did against Adelaide the next week, but cooked.
One thing I liked, which a lot of others probably didn’t, was Freo was amongst the top 2 defensive teams in terms of points against. You’d just know, that regardless of the forward, Freo would hold a low score to give themselves a chance.
JLo can do that with this group. Fyfe at his peaks with youth/experience around. Just injuries and a balanced side away from really competing. The time is right for a new passage anyway. New ideas for a new group.
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In 5-10 years time, I reckon we can look back on how good that 2012-15 finals era was. It was a great period of stability.
Freo just didnt have that fire power compared to the Hawks, Eagles, Crows, Port and Swans in that period as all 4 sides had 2 solid KPFs.
Justin Longmuir has a decent side to work with. But if you want to compare the current freo side to the 2012-15 sides.....
Backline: the 2012-15 back 6 was settled. Dawson, McPharlin, Johnson were the talls. Spurr, Duffied and Ibbo were the smalls. McPharlin always got the best KPF. Dawson got the FF/ruck as he is 198cm. Johnson at 193cm was the 3rd tall but can play CHB is McPharlin was injured. Duffield was easily our best small defender, has pace and is a good kick. Spurr is solid mature aged pick up. Ibbotson was criminally underrated outside of the freo team.
The current backline is still unsettled. Hamling is our McPharlin. Alex Pearce is the full back at 198cm and takes on the FF/Rucks. Logue can be our Michael Johnson as he is 193 cm as well. Nathan wilson, Ethan Hughes and Luke Ryan. Wilson is easily the best of the 3 small defenders. Wilson, like duffield, has pace and a solid kick. Luke Ryan is criminally underated. Hughes like spurr, is a mature ager. Duman is also 192 cm and can play on a flank.
Midfield: That 2012-15 side had some solid inside mids in Fyfe, Mundy, Barlow in their primes. Suban and De Boer and Crowley were solid role players. Stephen Hill talent wise our best outside mid. Clancee Pearce, Danyle Pearce, Cam Sutcliffe were solid role players on the flanks and wings. the Ruck stocks were really good: Sandilands, Zac Clarke, Jonathon Griffin and Jack Hannath. Jono Griffin is very underrated on here. If he was 25 years old, he would be likely to play games in freos current side.
The current freo side has Fyfe, Mundy, Blakely as experienced inside mids. Banfield, Acres and Conca are experienced role players. Brayshaw and Cerra are both good kids coming through.
We lost Ed Langdon and Brad Hill which hurt. Stephen hill is the most experienced outside mid. You got Coyler, Tucker, Giro as wingers. Hell I can even possibly throw walters as a winger/Flanker too. Henry will get games in 2020 on a wing too. Sean Darcy is a good ruckman but his back up is Lobb, a FF/Ruck and Meek, Whos hasnt had an AFL game yet.
Forward: the 2012-15 sides biggest weakness. Pav was Easily our best KPF and will Probably remain our Greast Key position forward in our history for a very long time. Mayne at 185cm was an under sized CHF. Kicked 39 goals and 7 behinds from 23 games in 2012 and backed it up in 2013 kicking 35 goals and 12 behinds in 24 games. Ballantyne was a good 30-35 goal a season forward in that period, So was walters and both were taking both forward pockets. The other KPFs we had in that era was Kepler Bradley, Michael Apeness who could of been a solid ff/ruckman if it wasnt for those knee injuries and Matt Tarbener. The forward line struggled as we needed 2 mids to fill the forward flanks.
The Current freo Forward line has Depth, both on the Talls and smalls. You got Hogan, Lobb, Tarberner, McCarthy, Cox and Dixon. Thats some good depth. I dont see Hogan playing again. Lobb is a good FF ruck. Tarberner is underrated. Can play as a CHF or a forward flanker but can play FF if Lobb is injured. McCarthy, Cox and Dixon are all between 190-195cm and can play as a roaming CHF or on a forward flank kicking 25-35 goals a year.
As for the smalls, Walters is capable of kicking 30-40 goals a season, so can matera. both guys are 27-28 years old along with a few other key players on this list As we really need to have that run of 3-4 years of finals, hopefully startng this year.
Again...... J -Lo has a decent core to work with.
If fully fit, this team can contest for a finals spot.
I can sort of accept not playing finals in 2020, provided this team plays finals for 3 years in a row from 2021-3
SHill Shall
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I rate Ryan as easily the best of the 3 small defenders. Can both defend and create.
SHill Shall
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Well he was the exception that proved the rule
And would have been better off as a pure KPD - sometimes there’s team needs and poor coaching.
On potential I will raise you Hayden Young.....
Balla and Walters were also seriously dangerous small forwards in that era, but compared to WC at least Freo took it right up to
that dynasty team.
Unfortunately Ross, team management didn't learn or change much from that loss and everyone expected us to make another GF.
As history has proven conservative, predictable footy may give you a chance at ultimate success, but dynasties are not built that
way.
Current list definitely on paper has more X factor, first rounders, and shouldn't burn out with the age demographic.
JLo has indicated a defensive style with more freedom to attack, and it will be interesting to see what we morph into.
Well he was the exception that proved the rule
I am not a fan of the swing man. I really only want KPPs in the side who are good enough in the KPP role. After that, I prefer players like Mundy, Fyfe and Acres who are multi position players, which I see as slightly different. They could pinch hit, or rest either end of the ground if required, but in game day situations can be used strategically for advantage. In my dreamworld, both Logue and Young develop in that direction.
The other thing that has killed the swing man role for me has been the development of the role of rucks. Sides commonly have, or wished they had, a player like Lobb who can be a genuine forward and a genuine ruck.
I was really pleased to hear reports of Cox from the match sim because so far he has not demonstrated that he should be a first choice KPP at either end.
That’s a bit wait and see for me. Short kicking possession football is contrary to freedom to attack, whereas long kicking football is much more attacking.
If we actually did have the three tall forwards set up with the marking prowess of Hogan, Lobb and Taberner, supported by an emerging and talented fleet of dangerous medium/small forwards, why wouldn’t you back them in and have the likes of Young, SHill and Ryan getting it to them fast and long? It is more or less the perfect set up and exciting as football gets.
The guy is 21 FFS.
Not many 20yo KPP are first choice. It may not look like it to you but he’s shown an enormous amount of potential so far, especially as a KPF but also as a back up ruck and is not useless down back either.
If he keeps progressing as he has, he’ll be a very, very good player at the very least.
Cox has got to be close to the most overrated player on our list atm. Dude definitely has the talent to be a good player (or even very good), but he has a lot of work to show he is even an average player at AFL level from what he has actually shown out there so far.
78% disposal efficiency is over par. His pace for a big man is totally acceptable and his agility to go with that pace is very good. Bali may not be the place to judge from as on TV he does look slow, but he’s most definitely not.
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He’s shown some very good signs for a KPP for his age especially in comparison with others that have gone on to have made it to be very good AFL players, but you’re right, some are definitely using that potential and their foresight in rating him. I guess Cerra is another who has actually done very little but some rate extremely high none the less.
The quote, “because so far he has not demonstrated that he should be a first choice KPP at either end” says otherwise. But you’ve never been one for saying what you mean, or meaning what you say.
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