Panic merchants

[Dr Ralph Dagg]

I was a bit disappointed with the club's line that its only round 1 and that people shouldn't be panicking and writing us off. That strikes me as denial. the kind of game we played has been occurring since 2003 not just one round.

As Gerard Healy said we could be 5 and 1 in 6 weeks, and sitting up the top of the ladder.

I think my frustration is like many others. There is just not a scrap of evidence that this is likely or even remote. While I have great respect for the opinions of lot of posters, there is a cumulative body of work that sustains a fine thesis that any kind of finals spot is a way off. To suggest people are panic merchants based on one round of footy might be true. But if the past is any guide to the future, and experts tell us it is the most reliable guide, then we are in for more of the same. There are seasons 2004 and 2005 that say it isn't going to get any better.

And the line trotted out by the club could have been "they understand why people are a bit frustrated", or they could say "they understand why people are writing them off." Then they could say "but we don't think this will happen" and why.

So I'm far from convinced. To see Belly trotting around the backline picking up handpasses, and then kicking short was being discussed as a bad idea in 2002. To see it again in 2006 just reeks of no progress.

I can't see what is going to stop the pattern repeating. Our senior midfielders with the exception of Bell and Haselby go missing on a regular basis. Walker, Josh Carr, Matty Carr, Heath Black stand out. Can you ever remember Walker having an outstanding game or winning the contested ball? Am I missing something? What is going to happen that will change things with this player group?

So I'll chuck this up and see what the rest of you reckon?

 

[milo]

Correct. As supporters we’re not down in the dumps because of 1 loss.

We’re down in the dumps because we’ve had 11 years of it and need some positive signs.

A smashing of Carlton this week would help. Not just a win, but a belting similar to what we gave Collingwood last year.

 

[malpaso]

Spot on.

It wasnt the loss on Sunday that was so disturbing it was the way in which it occurred.

We played the same gameplan as Hawthorn did, the difference was they came out at halftime to win the game in the third quarter, as they say that's the premiership quarter. Freo just sat back waiting for someone to do something.

Too many bystanders. Peake, Duffield, Mundy, Murphy, Schammer dont do this because they are eager to perform. James Walker I've had enough of, he does not use his speed to advantage.

I think there were some aberrations in that game (The Carr brothers disappearing act comes to mind) that will be rectified. The most disappointing thing is that Freo just dont inspire me in a tight game, their gameplan and personnel just cannot cope.

In the end if Sandi just punches the ball forward everytime we would be far better off than trying to 'shark' the ball, as we know we suck at that!

 

[Topdock65]

I am still awaiting the Premiership Quarter to start ...

11 wins from our last 27 games is our true record ...

 

[Ysaye]

The midfield; This was and remains our key weakness, and for mine it wasn't addressed over the summer recruiting. It worried me then, and it worries me now. The only potential I could see to improve was from Brett Peake and J. Carr; On the weekend, J Carr had a shocker and Peake was in the WAFL.

As Ralph points out, there are too many midfielders that go missing too often. Furthermore, most of them only have average or below skill levels and decision making ability, and don't look to be getting better in that respect. There are really good potential players at this club, but too few of them are midfielders.

 

[doppo]

For me it stems back to 2003 Round 21 V Essendon @ TD. That was around the time we started to look like we could actually be a decent side heading towards the finals and we had our pants pulled down.

From then on it's been example after example of the same thing happening in similar circumstances. The loss against the Bombers last year was particularly disappointing as it showed that not a single thing had changed in the preceeding two years. Sunday's game again reinforced that point.

So Ralph is correct in saying that the 'it's only round 1' excuse is nowhere near good enough.

It was 'only round 2' vs Sydney 2004.
It was 'only round 4' vs Richmond 2005.

 

[Plugga]

I'm giving Connolly & co a month...a win against Carlton I can see on the horizon & I'm sure the team will show aggression, skills, pace & everything that we thought we would see heading into Round 1...BUT the tale will come in the month afterwards, with Port at Aami, then the Crows at Subi, Saints in bloody Tasmania & then Wet Toast.

If we can get to 3-3, I'll be happy...if we get 4-2 I'll be ecstatic, if we are 1-5 I think Connolly might be GAWN. I've got faith in the players to get us into finals this year, I'm hoping (like I have in the past 10 years) that they can instill that confidence again from pre-season from this Saturday night game.

Fingers x'd (again)

 

[ImperialPurple]

I'm not going to discuss game plans or anything like that as I am not well enough educated in that area. For me, the footy is an emotional thing - and I do love Freo. Enormously. But Sunday was the first time I have ever thought... "aaah, why do I bother?"

Why do I invest time and emotional energy (and money) into this lot? Even after the fade-out in 2004 and the mid-year slump of 2005, I have kept the faith and not had that feeling of "why bother?"

But to serve that up for Round 1, to tease us so mercilessly with a pretty good-looking pre-season then come out in game one and show us that... well I'm almost ready to look around for something else to do on the weekends.

And it has nothing to do with being a panic-merchant, or jumping off after one loss.... it's a cumulative thing starting from 5th Sept, 2003 to the present.

Seriously, through the entire summer I would have thought that with just days till our first home game of the year, I would be jumping out of my skin with excitement. Rather, I have a feeling of "meh".

Yeah, I'll be there, I'll don the purple, wave the flag, lead the cheer in Block 153 as I always do, but I just feel that the spark of excitement has gone for me. Why invest the emotional energy? I'll be a Freo-fan forever, just a little less fervently for now. They need to follow though and do something other than tease and taunt - give us supporters back something to get excited about.

(This is how I feel....)

 

[milo]

You’re not on your pat malone there IP.

For the first time ever I didn’t bother watching the last quarter last week (hence missing my man Medders contribution).

As far as this week goes, with the flooding and the way we played last week etc etc.

Meh.

Of course I’ll be there but probably won’t get as involved.

 

[Lach72]

You know I was thinkin' about it last night...
With all of the talk about the players not wanting to play for Connolly, I thought, how about these guys actually playing for us and for each other, if not for the coach.
you know we're at 11 years now and only once have we thought "Alrighty then, we're ready, here we go."
I'm with ya IP, it's about time the players showed us some respect and gave us some encouragement FFS!! I'm tired of coughing up dough to guys who look content to bank the cheque but leave all the guts in the change rooms...

 

[Cameron_K]

I'm with you on this one IP, Sunday was the first time I honestly said to myself why do I continue to put myself through this kind of crap. I don't mind if the team loses, yet to just show no heart and go down like they did in the 3rd quarter was disgraceful.

 

[dockers_bengals]

yep you got my vote too,if the're serious about getting tough then we should see the axe fall now on a player or two.I saw more heart and soul in the floggings we got in games with drummy and neesham.If they know freo fans then they should know we will take a loss knowing they gave 100% effort and not that lame c**p some players put in.

 

[Exeter]

The ridiculous thing is that the Dockers will probably go out and violate the Blues at Subi and, combined with a likely Eagles loss against the Crows, people will again start to think things aren't really that bad after all.

And they're not - it's just that they're not that good either.

If doing what you've always done gets you what you've always got then it's time to change.

You can't sack a coach on the basis of one game and the problem is that you've probably got a bit more of this sort of crap to put up with until the Board bites the bullet and quietly decks CC with a bag of spanners behind the clubrooms late after training one night.

And perhaps sacking the coach will finally get the message to some of the senior players that half hearted efforts away from home are not acceptable - never were, never will be - in any circumstance.

Come to the dark side IP - you know you want to.

 

[Plugga]

I'll be a Freo-fan forever, just a little less fervently for now. They need to follow though and do something other than tease and taunt - give us supporters back something to get excited about.

Come Saturday night, all will be forgotten IP......you can't say your not going to get exited when Luke takes a hanger, or Medders kicks a banana goal or The Wiz runs 100 metres with the ball, or yell your voice off when Parker goes to kick out from Full Back...I think your going to far, just relax & pretend the Hawthorn game didn't exist.

& then we'll sit down Easter Sunday in front of the idiot box, crack open a amber ale & hope that Freo can beat Port Adelaide at Aami...I think how they perform then & not this Saturday night will determine alot of supporters resilience

 

[ImperialPurple]

Come to the dark side IP - you know you want to.

Please don't insult me.

 

[Lach72]

Please don't insult me.

...and the horse you rode in on...

 

[ImperialPurple]

Come Saturday night, all will be forgotten IP......you can't say your not going to get exited when Luke takes a hanger, or Medders kicks a banana goal or The Wiz runs 100 metres with the ball, or yell your voice off when Parker goes to kick out from Full Back...I think your going to far, just relax & pretend the Hawthorn game didn't exist.

What and the Hawthorn game last year, and the North games for the last 2 years, and the Brisbane game last year and the Collingwood game the year before that, and the Richmond game at the G last year.... All clubs are going to have bad days, just ours have way too many and when they are bad they are Ba-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ad......

Anyhoo, of course I'm going to get excited, but I can't deny that the spark has gone. And I didn't say I was jumping off - would never... could never do that - just that I'm going to temper my fervour - for now - for my own psychological and emotional health and well-being. I'm hoping (hopeful??) that they'll give me 100 good reasons to get excited all over again.

 

[Exeter]

I can understand that sentiment.

I endured the Cardinals 20 year drought until it broke in spectaular fashion in 95. And what a euphoric day that was.

as Winston Churchill was fond of saying: never, never, never, never, never give up.

 

[Ripper]

I can understand that sentiment.

I endured the Cardinals 20 year drought until it broke in spectaular fashion in 95. And what a euphoric day that was.

as Winston Churchill was fond of saying: never, never, never, never, never give up.

Another drought was broken in 95. If you think the Cardies drought was bad , try growing up being a QLD cricket supporter.

I still have the entire 1995 shield final on tape.

 

[dugrene]

Pretty much summed it all up you guys.

PS. I didnt watch the last 10 mins either.

Even if we had of got back to within a goal I still would have felt cheated.

I think there will be a strange feeling in the crowd come saturday. Bit like are going to a party or a funeral.

 

[wehavethepassion]

The theme going thru all the posts is the "expecation" that the Dockers had turned the corner has now returned to "hope". I have had a gutful of hoping they'll show up to play!! I expect to win 22 games.

I think as supporters we should stick to our "expectation" that our side will give it their best shot each week and will leave no stone unturned in achieving this. lets not start "hoping" we are going to do this or that.
The great side always expected to win and went about their business accordingly.

Keep the bar high. The players chose this career/vocation and as such must take the rough with the smooth. The rough is when they collectively have bad game(s) there are alot of people - tens of thousands of people who can have bad weeks/months/years because of this.

 

[masai]

I'll still be at the games voicing my opinions and giving the boys who give 100% my full support, but boy oh boy if they don't give 100%, I reserve the right to tell them so.

We need more grunt, more run and less seagulls.

After enduring the Black Ducks bad run through my school years (school kids can be so cruel !!!!), I'm in for the long haul.

 

[Kapow!!!]

I'm not going to discuss game plans or anything like that as I am not well enough educated in that area. For me, the footy is an emotional thing - and I do love Freo. Enormously. But Sunday was the first time I have ever thought... "aaah, why do I bother?"

Why do I invest time and emotional energy (and money) into this lot? Even after the fade-out in 2004 and the mid-year slump of 2005, I have kept the faith and not had that feeling of "why bother?"

But to serve that up for Round 1, to tease us so mercilessly with a pretty good-looking pre-season then come out in game one and show us that... well I'm almost ready to look around for something else to do on the weekends.

And it has nothing to do with being a panic-merchant, or jumping off after one loss.... it's a cumulative thing starting from 5th Sept, 2003 to the present.

Seriously, through the entire summer I would have thought that with just days till our first home game of the year, I would be jumping out of my skin with excitement. Rather, I have a feeling of "meh".

Yeah, I'll be there, I'll don the purple, wave the flag, lead the cheer in Block 153 as I always do, but I just feel that the spark of excitement has gone for me. Why invest the emotional energy? I'll be a Freo-fan forever, just a little less fervently for now. They need to follow though and do something other than tease and taunt - give us supporters back something to get excited about.

(This is how I feel....)

Amen. I've been quite angry with the club so many times before but that was washed away with a good performance the next week and I was back on board and I always had that underlying excitement. Now it just feels like "I can't be stuffed watching anymore". The passion has pretty much up and died from Round 1 after what looked like a great pre-season and things might change they go out and then give us crap.

I've got a choice this Saturday of going to the GABBA to see Brisbane vs Essendon or staying home and watching Freo vs Carlton...in the past normally I would've stayed home in a heartbeat but now I just don't know if I want to watch. I don't know if things are going to be better. It's all well and good to bully the weaker teams after a bad performance but this week, even if we beat Carlton by over 100 it just won't be enough for me. Strewth I'm even having doubts that we will beat Carlton and for some strange reason I bearly care.

Don't get me wrong I'll always support Freo but recently it's just that feeling of "If they don't care how they play why the f*** should I?"

 

[dockertor]

Seems you've hit the nail on the head IP. Gut wrenching was how I describe last weekend. More of the same rubbish. We have got to start winning clearances or heads should roll. And not just the coaches