Prediction Michael Barlow

[Stiffy_18]

Bit of a let down after the Gibbs hype but I would not be against it. He is still young enough for a couple of solid years and one thing I do like about Barlow is that he is genuinely a big midfielder and that is one thing we really lack.

 

[BACCS]

Still finished 8th in Freo's B&F from 13 games, knows how to find the ball and can kick multiple goals on the odd occasion. Absolute no brainer from me, especially when it costs us nothing but a list spot. Had 43 touches and kicked 2 goals while tagging Robbie Gray out of the game mid season, that is elite from a midfielder. Still has 2-3 quality years left.

 

[BACCS]

That's the key, the club has a choice to make, grab Barlow and they can't play Thommo.

Next year is going to be a watershed year in our history I reckon and will tell us so much about our club and whether we live up to Elite Standards.

Another year of Thommo, Mackay and Douglas with Barlow instead of Menzel, Hampton, Knight, Milera and Wigg and we are going nowhere.

Best post in this thread.

 

[Stiffy_18]

I see a lot of "No since we re-signed Thommo" comments. IMHO, Thommo is irrelevant here. At the end of a year he was a shadow of himself from the start of the year. Pretty clear that he will not last a full year. If Thommo plays at all it will be for a handful of games.

I think getting Barlow would give us a big midfielder that can find the footy. The mix is not ideal but I think he would provide more next year than Thommo would. If we do sign him, I think he replaces Thommo in the team and a more versatile player replaces Lyons. Probably someone like Knight or maybe even Cameron.

 

[JimmyTheScoop]

Where would he sit in our pecking order for value to our midfield next year?

Sloane
Brouch
Mrouch
Atkins
Cameron
Knight
Barlow???
Dougie
Cey
Mckay
Thommo

Probably just above Knight (on experience)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[1990crow]

Where would he sit in our pecking order for value to our midfield next year?

Sloane
Brouch
Mrouch
Atkins
Cameron
Knight
Barlow???
Dougie
Cey
Mckay
Thommo

I'd have him above Atkins to be honest.

 

[mistylake]

Shittest. Haiku. Ever.

But still better than the Barlow Idea.

 

[SydCrow]

Gee we've got a shallow midfield. Thommo is going to get many games next year.

 

[Samcro24]

Fremantle coaches still gave him enough votes to finish 8th in their B&F and he only played 13 games

They won 4 games and dropped him, maybe twice I think.

 

[Troy87]

We are a couple of injuries off having a very ordinary midfield. Barlow for nothing isnt the worst idea.

 

[Elite Crow]

I see a lot of "No since we re-signed Thommo" comments. IMHO, Thommo is irrelevant here. At the end of a year he was a shadow of himself from the start of the year. Pretty clear that he will not last a full year. If Thommo plays at all it will be for a handful of games.

I think getting Barlow would give us a big midfielder that can find the footy. The mix is not ideal but I think he would provide more next year than Thommo would. If we do sign him, I think he replaces Thommo in the team and a more versatile player replaces Lyons. Probably someone like Knight or maybe even Cameron.

As long as we don't play Thommo

 

[Elite Crow]

Best post in this thread.

Not according to Wayne's-World

 

[Sanders]

Fremantle coaches still gave him enough votes to finish 8th in their B&F and he only played 13 games

You'll have to ask them to explain that discrepancy, as he played in the 2's the rest of the time

 

[Sanders]

Still finished 8th in Freo's B&F from 13 games, knows how to find the ball and can kick multiple goals on the odd occasion. Absolute no brainer from me, especially when it costs us nothing but a list spot. Had 43 touches and kicked 2 goals while tagging Robbie Gray out of the game mid season, that is elite from a midfielder. Still has 2-3 quality years left.

It wasn't injury that restricted him to 13 games. Played plenty of WAFL

 

[dylan123]

It wasn't injury that restricted him to 13 games. Played plenty of WAFL

That's incorrect.

He played 2 games at WAFL level during rounds 8-9 of the AFL season.

He next missed round 16 which was off the back of a broken finger during the round 14 match against Collingwood. He did his shoulder in round 17 and didn't play any footy for the rest of the season.

 

[Croweater23]

Makes me laugh when people say he hasn't been the same since he broke his leg. He broke his leg during his debut year, 2010.

 

[Croweater23]

That's incorrect.

He played 2 games at WAFL level during rounds 8-9 of the AFL season.

He next missed round 16 which was off the back of a broken finger during the round 14 match against Collingwood. He did his shoulder in round 17 and didn't play any footy for the rest of the season.

He was actually very good when playing through the middle. Performed a tagging role prior to doing his shoulder, still managed to get plenty of the ball himself.

 

[GROTTO]

Makes me laugh when people say he hasn't been the same since he broke his leg. He broke his leg during his debut year, 2010.

If you want to know all his flaws and then some just head over to the Power board the minute we sign him up.

While he definitely is no Gibbs, he will improve us albeit marginally.

 

[Sanders]

That's incorrect.

He played 2 games at WAFL level during rounds 8-9 of the AFL season.

He next missed round 16 which was off the back of a broken finger during the round 14 match against Collingwood. He did his shoulder in round 17 and didn't play any footy for the rest of the season.

Looks like memory is playing tricks on me.

I withdraw that comment

 

[Bovo]

He'd be long odds to go to the Demons with their midfield strength, if I was him the only way I go there is if it's the only option.

I am just being a negative nancy. We need someone like him....but why did Freo drop him?

 

[Sanders]

Trying to figure out why my recollection on Barlow was so wrong, did a bit of digging. Incidentally the answer seems to be **** knows, I was just wrong. Thought he played much more in the wafl than he did

What I did find was this:

http://www.watoday.com.au/afl/frema...aying-future-in-question-20160717-gq7fcc.html



"
Recovery from surgery into the summer is expected to determine whether one of the most popular Dockers will play again next season.

It is understood medical experts fear the worst for Barlow who had only just returned from missing a fortnight with surgery to repair a broken finger he suffered in the eight-goal loss to Collingwood in Melbourne last month.

Barlow, 28, is out of contract and awaiting assessments from coach Ross Lyon and his advisors on whether the 126-game follower is offered a new deal.

Early indications from surgeons planning to perform Barlow's operation to tighten shattered soft tissue around his shoulder joint are uncertain whether the courageous follower will play again."

Our medical team would want to be confident

Though none of it changes my mind that we have set off down the path of internal growth and we should now follow it. Barlow will help in the short term but he is a limited player and he will block the development of someone in the 2's we need to get games into

 

[feenix67]

Trying to figure out why my recollection on Barlow was so wrong, did a bit of digging. Incidentally the answer seems to be **** knows, I was just wrong. Thought he played much more in the wafl than he did

What I did find was this:

http://www.watoday.com.au/afl/frema...aying-future-in-question-20160717-gq7fcc.html



"
Recovery from surgery into the summer is expected to determine whether one of the most popular Dockers will play again next season.

It is understood medical experts fear the worst for Barlow who had only just returned from missing a fortnight with surgery to repair a broken finger he suffered in the eight-goal loss to Collingwood in Melbourne last month.

Barlow, 28, is out of contract and awaiting assessments from coach Ross Lyon and his advisors on whether the 126-game follower is offered a new deal.

Early indications from surgeons planning to perform Barlow's operation to tighten shattered soft tissue around his shoulder joint are uncertain whether the courageous follower will play again."

Our medical team would want to be confident

Though none of it changes my mind that we have set off down the path of internal growth and we should now follow it. Barlow will help in the short term but he is a limited player and he will block the development of someone in the 2's we need to get games into

Hmmm big bodied midfielder who finds the ball in close and distributes well by hand. Not the best kick going around and isn't that quick.

Barlow? No, Cameron Ellis-Yolmen.

 

[earlsta]

No to Barlow, we need pace.
Back in Knight, Hampton and co.

 

[PykeDream]

Trying to figure out why my recollection on Barlow was so wrong, did a bit of digging. Incidentally the answer seems to be **** knows, I was just wrong. Thought he played much more in the wafl than he did.

Barlow being dropped blew up in the media for a bit, even though it was only for two rounds as mentioned. Primarily because Fyfe had already gone down, Mundy was struggling and the cupboard was seen to be bare in terms of decent experienced midfielders - so why drop the one that's fit? It was seen as an acknowledgement that Ross was finally embracing the youth movement at the expense of token wins, which to some is tanking and to others just good management of the list. Could be a reason why it seemed like he spent more time there than he did.

39 disposals in his first match for Peel, and 44 disposals, 3 goals, 13 tackles in the next certainly meant his WAFL appearances drew plenty of attention too. Still, the WAFL is where he belongs. The only real positive I can seem him bringing is tackling pressure, but all things being equal I'd rather play Knight.

 

[dylan123]

"
Recovery from surgery into the summer is expected to determine whether one of the most popular Dockers will play again next season.

It is understood medical experts fear the worst for Barlow who had only just returned from missing a fortnight with surgery to repair a broken finger he suffered in the eight-goal loss to Collingwood in Melbourne last month.

Barlow, 28, is out of contract and awaiting assessments from coach Ross Lyon and his advisors on whether the 126-game follower is offered a new deal.

Early indications from surgeons planning to perform Barlow's operation to tighten shattered soft tissue around his shoulder joint are uncertain whether the courageous follower will play again."

Our medical team would want to be confident

Though none of it changes my mind that we have set off down the path of internal growth and we should now follow it. Barlow will help in the short term but he is a limited player and he will block the development of someone in the 2's we need to get games into

Interesting read - something I didn't come across or give note to when it happened during the season, sort of just read he was done for the year and left it at that.

I don't suppose you came across any follow up information post operation as to how bad his shoulder might have been?

Hmmm big bodied midfielder who finds the ball in close and distributes well by hand. Not the best kick going around and isn't that quick.

Barlow? No, Cameron Ellis-Yolmen.

So hard to get a good read on CEY. I remember when he got a gig in the pre season of 2013(?), think at that point he was more of a HBF (don't quote me on that) and I remember him showing a few nice signs, something to get excited about. Heading into the 2015 season I had him as a monty to get delisted come the end of the season given he just hadn't taken off from what he did in 2013 but he came out and really looked to fit into our midfield under Walsh. He's not quick but he's just one of those players that seems to have a bit of time when he has the ball in his hands and for all the talk of his poor kick, he was surprisingly effective when kicking it into our forward 50. I remember being of the opinion he was better in the team ahead of M.Crouch due to the fact he seemed to have a real knack for winning it out of a centre clearance, those touches seem to be gold imo.

However at the same time, the club has shown no real interest to give him a crack since the loss of Walsh. It seems Campo wasn't interested in what he had to offer and Pyke only brought him in for two games due to outs and even then, he hardly saw a run in the midfield. For whatever reason, the coaches don't seem to have much faith in him. Even as a fan myself, I don't think we can put all the eggs in the CEY basket and there needs to be an alternative option in case he doesn't carry on from where he left off in 2015. We've got other midfielders in the seconds but none that possess the height/size of CEY (I suppose Greenwood but I'm not giving him much time until he's moved to the senior list) which is something I feel we miss in our midfield.

I wish we had a bigger sample size of CEY at AFL level to get a better idea of what he can offer. My two concerns are whether he's really aggressive enough and if he can find enough of the ball consistently at AFL level to be a full time midfielder. Not really finding a heap of it was probably my biggest issue in 2015 with him although I feel incredibility harsh in saying such given it was his first proper shot at AFL level and he was far from being a first string midfielder.


So really, I'm all for playing CEY as I think he's long overdue of a proper shot yet at the same time, even as a fan I feel we need an alternative option and then when you consider the position of the coaches, he really doesn't seem like much of a go to option with how he's been used in the past ~18 months.