Michael Apeness......

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With the Talls already here, and with McCarthy, I think we don't need to use our first pick on another Tall. ruck/forward.
Yes we need a pure Ruck, but that will be available later.
With Tabs, Ape, Mccarthy, Smith, forward line has enough height, down back A Pearce, Collins, Uber, and Hurley, and others who
can play tall, Silvagni, Nhyius, Hughes, we should concentrate on ball users/winners.
 
blue shark said:
With the Talls already here, and with McCarthy, I think we don't need to use our first pick on another Tall. ruck/forward.
Yes we need a pure Ruck, but that will be available later.
With Tabs, Ape, Mccarthy, Smith, forward line has enough height, down back A Pearce, Collins, Uber, and Hurley, and others who
can play tall, Silvagni, Nhyius, Hughes, we should concentrate on ball users/winners.
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I want to agree but i still have nagging doubts about the talent of tabs and the body of apeness. they both proved a lot this year though.
 
jedi mind tricks said:
If Cam is playing for Freo and our number 1 forward then both Tabs n Ape will be working overtime to get that other key forward possie.

He looks very hard to push off the ball. If he can add a bit more core strength and build his fitness he could really start to show his worth.
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As a key forward, Apeness >>>>>>>> Tabs imo. Better inside 50 target, far better defensive pressure, better contested mark (about on par atm but will pass him next season), better contested work when the ball is on the ground, and just more desire to make an impact generally. Tabs would have him on goal accuracy currently but Apeness is improving very quickly. I can see them finding room for Tabs as a high half forward but McCarthy and Apeness should be our two locked in key forwards. We need Apeness (or Smith if he is injured) playing every game next season, as they at the very least bring the ball to ground and create opportunities for the smalls around them.
 

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Steinfreo said:
I want to agree but i still have nagging doubts about the talent of tabs and the body of apeness. they both proved a lot this year though.
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I have a feeling that we may well target Shane Kersten through the pre season draft also, He will offer us a bit of depth in the KPF department also. Then I think we will sign Tanner Smith to a 1 year contract as depth for KPP depth at both ends and then probably let him go at the end of next year if he doesn't crack a spot.
 
Lach72 said:
Tanner did his hamstring tendon again on Saturday.
If they re-sign him he's got surgery then rehab before he can even start pre-season.
I hope they do, because I think he's got something
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The only thing that will keep him on our list I feel is the fact that he has height on his side and with our sever lack of KPP depth I think he will be retained for 1 year.
 
Our forward structure is still precarious... Apeness has shown a little in limited game time but we don't know his full potential. Taberner's been up and down and found himself out of the playing 22 at the end of the season yet again.

However - the positives could be massive; Taberner has poise and speed, Apeness has grunt and intensity - throw Walters and a McCarthy/Kersten type in there and we're in a fairly good place up front.
 
Because of injuries have been waiting a while for him to demonstrate what we all hoped he had. I was stoked after that mark that he backed himself to kick from 50 and got it. Being from a rugby background I wasn't sure he had the nouse or skills for the game but I've seen we have something to work with. Most times he brings the ball to ground if he can't mark. Tabs gets pushed off too easily and unfortunately can't even make the distance from 50 and you have to have that in your arsenal, defenders will know that and can defend much harder closer to goal knowing Tabs is not a threat from further out.

Hopefully we can get McCarthy and he hasn't lost too much fitness, he looks a bit flabby and pasty in any of the photos I have seen of him! Hopefully he can play that lead up hard running roaming tall forward type, otherwise Tabs will need to take that role. A forward line of Ape, McCarthy, Yarran, Walters, Bennell/Fyfe resting, Weller/Crozier/Langdon would be pretty dangerous.
 
Freo Blood said:
Because of injuries have been waiting a while for him to demonstrate what we all hoped he had. I was stoked after that mark that he backed himself to kick from 50 and got it. Being from a rugby background I wasn't sure he had the nouse or skills for the game but I've seen we have something to work with. Most times he brings the ball to ground if he can't mark. Tabs gets pushed off too easily and unfortunately can't even make the distance from 50 and you have to have that in your arsenal, defenders will know that and can defend much harder closer to goal knowing Tabs is not a threat from further out.

Hopefully we can get McCarthy and he hasn't lost too much fitness, he looks a bit flabby and pasty in any of the photos I have seen of him! Hopefully he can play that lead up hard running roaming tall forward type, otherwise Tabs will need to take that role. A forward line of Ape, McCarthy, Yarran, Walters, Bennell/Fyfe resting, Weller/Crozier/Langdon would be pretty dangerous.
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Tabs kicked a goal from the exact same spot as Apeness' goal yesterday in the Brisbane game. Tabs can kick from 50 too.

Tabs has improvement every year he has been at the club. I expect improvement again next year. He is our most accurate set shot for goal and has the most contest marks for Fremantle. He needs to work on staying involved in the game and our midfield need to learn to honour his many leads. I reckon Brad Hill would be Tabs' best mate after 2 or 3 games.

Tabs, McCarthy and Apeness should be our three talls next year. Walters, Yarran and SPS? are our three smalls.
 

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Eski3 said:
I think it's a matter of time until we see Apeness have a breakout game and kick 5. I think it will happen early next year.
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He's struggling to touch it 5 times at the moment. Needs an uninterrupted preseason to work on his tank. Doesn't get to nearly enough contests at the moment.
 
Unique Name said:
Tabs, McCarthy and Apeness should be our three talls next year. Walters, Yarran and SPS? are our three smalls.
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SPS doesn't play for us yet. Langdon or Weller could play that 3rd small role now. Otherwise I agree on the makeup of our forward line. But need to point out that it's not 100% that McCarthy will be playing for us next year either.
 
I think the positive with Apeness is that when we need him to make a contest, he does. He doesn't leave anything out on the ground. He has got some mongrel about him.

Taberner looks a nice player but doesn't have that mongrel which can leave coaches and supporters frustrated. That is why Apeness is already getting games ahead of him.

With the development of some mids (Blakely, Langdon, Weller, Tucker, Balic, etc), I would give Fyfe a hybrid role similar to what James Hird had.

For me, Mayne and Ballantyne have been great servants but it will be exciting to see a forward line in their next year without them in it. For me, the biggest weakness for both Mayne and Ballantyne is their inability to win a 1 on 1 contest.

That would leave us a very flexible forward line with McCarthy primarily the leading option along with Yarran, Apeness playing deep and bringing the ball to ground, Walters and Yarran both crumbing, and then Fyfe and Bennell doing whatever they like.

It also leaves Taberner then having to perform to come into the side. He needs to iron out his deficiencies before he will get more games.
 
Unique Name said:
Tabs kicked a goal from the exact same spot as Apeness' goal yesterday in the Brisbane game. Tabs can kick from 50 too.

Tabs has improvement every year he has been at the club. I expect improvement again next year. He is our most accurate set shot for goal and has the most contest marks for Fremantle. He needs to work on staying involved in the game and our midfield need to learn to honour his many leads. I reckon Brad Hill would be Tabs' best mate after 2 or 3 games.

Tabs, McCarthy and Apeness should be our three talls next year. Walters, Yarran and SPS? are our three smalls.
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Agree with your comments about Tabs improvement year on year. He is a work in progress and is making progress but obviously needs to step it up a bit more in 2017.
 
jedi mind tricks said:
If Cam is playing for Freo and our number 1 forward then both Tabs n Ape will be working overtime to get that other key forward possie.

He looks very hard to push off the ball. If he can add a bit more core strength and build his fitness he could really start to show his worth.
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Play him in a forward pocket with Cam on the HFF.
I think Yaz shapes as our full forward because of his leading speed .
 
Unique Name said:
Tabs has improvement every year he has been at the club. I expect improvement again next year. He is our most accurate set shot for goal and has the most contest marks for Fremantle.
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I agree, Tabs has gotten better and should continue to improve. He averaged 1.8 contested marks per game this year. Until yesterday, Apeness averaged the same but finished on 1.6 after only plucking one - he had lots of opportunities to grab more. I am pretty sure most of Tabs marks were outside the 50 (eg on the wing) whereas Apeness has had the majority of his inside 50. I think if you applied a fair weighting due to this, Apeness is already a better contested marker. Fyfe and Sandi are also better than both and hopefully will be back to their best next season. All good news, as having a few on our list that can do that is important.

I look forward to seeing Alex Pearce, Apeness and Tabs all in a group battling it out in pre-season. Our KPP hopes aren't that dim.
 
Remember the bloke hobbled through his preseason.
Prior to that the coaching staff praised his running ability.Can't remember who they rated the best out of the pair but his tank was certainly comparable to Tabs.
His upside is pretty significant based on the what he's shown.
 
Wouldn't mind getting Kersten. From the games I've seen he is a smart player with a good kick, looks for shorter options rather than bombing it and runs to open areas on the ground, doesn't crowd an area. He is probably a downgrade in terms of defensive pressure though but we need players that can get and move the ball efficiently, that way we don't need to tackle so much.
 
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