Review Positives and negatives season 2018

[sportsmaniac89]

Positives:

Langdon's emergence was easily the highlight of the year
Cerra, Brayshaw, Banfield - 3 players who should go on to have very good careers

Negatives:

We're bloody boring to watch on a regular basis
Skills
Inability to score - We've gone from scoring 73 points per game in 2017 to 70.7 points per game in 2018
9 thrashings by over 50 points and somehow we've improved despite that
Gaff's hit on Brayshaw
Shane Yarran
Ross Lyon Sexual Harassment Story - Should've been sacked for costing the club money
133 point loss to Geelong
The fact Lyon wasn't sacked after that 133 point loss to Geelong
The fact that there seems to be no willingness to make changes or put Lyon under any sort of pressure whatsoever
Our PR department had a real shocker this year

The Biggest Positive:

That I can forget about this season and focus on watching teams/sports that are more value for money than watching Freo. FYI, this doesn't make me any less of a fan, just that I'm sick of low scoring, boring gameplay.

 

[Marty Whitelaw]

Positives:

Langdon's emergence was easily the highlight of the year
Cerra, Brayshaw, Banfield - 3 players who should go on to have very good careers

Negatives:

We're bloody boring to watch on a regular basis
Skills
Inability to score - We've gone from scoring 73 points per game in 2017 to 70.7 points per game in 2018
9 thrashings by over 50 points and somehow we've improved despite that
Gaff's hit on Brayshaw
Shane Yarran
Ross Lyon Sexual Harassment Story - Should've been sacked for costing the club money
133 point loss to Geelong
The fact Lyon wasn't sacked after that 133 point loss to Geelong
The fact that there seems to be no willingness to make changes or put Lyon under any sort of pressure whatsoever
Our PR department had a real shocker this year

The Biggest Positive:

That I can forget about this season and focus on watching teams/sports that are more value for money than watching Freo. FYI, this doesn't make me any less of a fan, just that I'm sick of low scoring, boring gameplay.

Genuine question. Which sports would you recommend? Other than boxing and a little basketball, I don’t have anything to fill the void in the off season.

 

[sportsmaniac89]

Genuine question. Which sports would you recommend? Other than boxing and a little basketball, I don’t have anything to fill the void in the off season.

Soccer and Basketball would be the main 2. If you feel inclined, watch some cricket especially the 20/20 version given there's a very successful team out west. Tennis over the summer goes quite well and the Hopman Cup is something worth watching in WA.

Besides that, a little bit of everything never hurt.

 

[UFO Tatsu]

Lachie Neale made the All Australian squad...which is...surprising to say the least

Not really surprised but wasn't really expecting either

 

[apuchar]

Soccer and Basketball would be the main 2. If you feel inclined, watch some cricket especially the 20/20 version given there's a very successful team out west. Tennis over the summer goes quite well and the Hopman Cup is something worth watching in WA.

Besides that, a little bit of everything never hurt.

Can't believe you complain about low scoring and boring and you watch soccer.

 

[sportsmaniac89]

Can't believe you complain about low scoring and boring and you watch soccer.

It's not like football where you get "rewarded" for missing the goal.

 

[apuchar]

It's not like football where you get "rewarded" for missing the goal.

Not sure how that makes soccer interesting but each to their own. I've had people say the same to me about sitting and watching 5 days of test cricket or a 4 day shield game. Maybe you can see something deeper in soccer that I can't.

 

[sportsmaniac89]

Not sure how that makes soccer interesting but each to their own. I've had people say the same to me about sitting and watching 5 days of test cricket or a 4 day shield game. Maybe you can see something deeper in soccer that I can't.

It's about much more than the game. It's about the tribal atmosphere on a weekly basis; the fact there's always different competitions going on, being able to simultaneously follow different teams in different leagues.

For me, I've not been to a Freo game since Round 14, 2016. There are a few reasons for that; one being that I live in Melbourne, two being financial, three being that we play crap football when we get on a plane (Yes, you lot in WA have it better every year) but most of all, while I have friends who are Freo supporters, I don't feel like that I truly belong because of all the s**t fights over the years online with Freo supporters. That's the unfortunate reality.

 

[Bastyy]

POSITIVES

-The young blokes. Banfield, Brayshaw, Jones, Duman, Giro, Crowden, Switto and Cerra all showed signs. Looking positive for the future.
-Nathan Wilson. Played exactly how he should, sure to be a big piece of a future Freo team that pushes for the top of the 8.
-Ed Langdon. The kid's surpassed his brother and should be an amazing player for the rest of his time at Freo
-Lachie Neale. Just go in the AA squad, this kid can't do wrong

NEGATIVES

-Injuries, way too many. Bennell should have played a few games but got injured straight before he could
-Round 22 v Geelong
-Loss of Shane Yarran, still depressing
-Matera. Showed nothing all year, looks a failure, but I'll give him next year to impress
-We score pretty low
-We are very boring.

 

[apuchar]

It's about much more than the game. It's about the tribal atmosphere on a weekly basis; the fact there's always different competitions going on, being able to simultaneously follow different teams in different leagues.

For me, I've not been to a Freo game since Round 14, 2016. There are a few reasons for that; one being that I live in Melbourne, two being financial, three being that we play crap football when we get on a plane (Yes, you lot in WA have it better every year) but most of all, while I have friends who are Freo supporters, I don't feel like that I truly belong because of all the s**t fights over the years online with Freo supporters. That's the unfortunate reality.

I think we have all been through that at some point. I try and concentrate on the civilised people on here and try and kept the odd squabble as short as possible. I don't need to have the last say or finish the winner, so none of it really matters. No-one elses opinion on here is of any more value than mine. We are all amateurs, at the end of the day. Hang in there with us.

 

[Wally Walpamur]

Massive common theme here is injuries; without looking at the data and going off the top of my head, the following players missed 6+ games of the season through injury (and this doesn't consider Walters who also admitted to playing injured the whole season):

Tabs, Billy, Hilly, Fyfe, Sandi, Bennell, Tabs, Logue, Darcy, Blakely (?), Ape.

You could argue, fully fit, that's about 50% of what we would consider top 25 player's at our club.

 

[Deathly]

Massive common theme here is injuries; without looking at the data and going off the top of my head, the following players missed 6+ games of the season through injury (and this doesn't consider Walters who also admissted to playing injured the whole season):

Tabs, Billy, Hilly, Fyfe, Sandi, Bennell, Tabs, Logue, Darcy, Blakely (?), Ape.

You could argue, fully fit, that's about 50% of what we would consider top 25 player's at our club.

Our best forward, our two best outsides, our captain, our first & second best ruck, our best utility, our 2016 1st Rounder, our most natural footballer and Apeness who was rediscovered this year with some good football. Pretty good I guess.

On top of Walters playing injured, don't forget players like Cerra / Banfield / Cox / Pearce hitting their fitness threshold after the midway point of the season but still playing (Which is fine by me anyways).

We really need to improve in that department this off-season and have some luck go our way until Round 1.

 

[Wally Walpamur]

Our best forward, our two best outsides, our captain, our first & second best ruck, our best utility, our 2017 1st Rounder, our most natural footballer and Apeness who was rediscovered this year with some good football. Pretty good I guess.

On top of Walters playing injured, don't forget players like Cerra / Banfield / Cox / Pearce hitting their fitness threshold after the midway point of the season but still playing (Which is fine by me anyways).

We really need to improve in that department this off-season and have some luck go our way until Round 1.

Our injury list wasn't too bad heading into the season IIRC. Bennell did his calf and Darcy did his knee during the JLT games but then all of these soft tissue injuries hit. We seem to lost a lot of games through calves, quads and hammies.

 

[Purpletown]

I think we have all been through that at some point. I try and concentrate on the civilised people on here and try and kept the odd squabble as short as possible. I don't need to have the last say or finish the winner, so none of it really matters. No-one elses opinion on here is of any more value than mine. We are all amateurs, at the end of the day. Hang in there with us.

Well said. It's a good feeling to enjoy the opinions and insights from fellow Freo fans on here. Best to not get involved in any tiffs on here as it pretty pointless at the end of the day. As that old saying goes "treat others as you would have them treat you" and this forum can be a great part of being a Fremantle fan.

 

[WestCoastLeagle]

My thoughts as parochial West Australian...

- Freo have some promising youngsters coming through and the makings of a killer midfield. I think I read somewhere that on average, Freo fielded the youngest team across 22 rounds this year.
- Bennell and Balantyne should be delisted to make room for more young kids in the draft.
- I know a lot of Freo fans have run out of patience with Ross the Boss, but to win 8 games with such a young team is pretty good. If it were my decision, I'd be giving Ross another 12 months and the yardstick for 2019 would be 12 wins.
- Draft, draft, draft. Focus on WA kids. A couple of key forwards and some smaller attacking players who can double as mids if the need arises. Maybe another ruckman as well. Forget about trading in anyone (unless it's WA product and the price is too good to refuse).

 

[TheLastCall]

- Draft, draft, draft. Focus on WA kids. A couple of key forwards and some smaller attacking players who can double as mids if the need arises. Maybe another ruckman as well. Forget about trading in anyone (unless it's WA product and the price is too good to refuse).

Why would we want another Ruck???
Sandi, Darcey, Meeks, Nads, Apeness and Jones are more than enough.

Mids and small forward are what we need. Maybe a project tall back.

 

[apuchar]

Well said. It's a good feeling to enjoy the opinions and insights from fellow Freo fans on here. Best to not get involved in any tiffs on here as it pretty pointless at the end of the day. As that old saying goes "treat others as you would have them treat you" and this forum can be a great part of being a Fremantle fan.

Well said by you also

 

[raffrox]

Positives

• Home form
• Most games by 2017 draft debutantes in the league (double the next best)
• Brennan Cox showed that he's a keeper
• Ed Langdon
• Backline is set for the next 5-7 years
• The way that Son Son responded to losing Shane Yarran - More of a highlight in a tough time

Negatives

• Away form
• We got destroyed regularly (i.e. most losses over 50 points in the league)
• Skill level is diabolically bad at times
• Our forward line doesn't work with any cohesion still and the mids don't help the situation either
• Still not convinced that we have a game plan that is contemporary or dynamic enough
• We are deadset boring to watch most of the time
• Injuries
• Losing Shane Yarran

 

[Megalon]

He played 15 and his last two sucked balls

You're joking right? Fyfe was playing like a maniac against the pies, trying to win or impact every contest like an insane mofo... and he had 37 disposals in the cats annihilation. Not deserving of AA, I agree, but his last two games did not suck balls at all.

 

[Superkoops]

You're joking right? Fyfe was playing like a maniac against the pies, trying to win or impact every contest like an insane mofo... and he had 37 disposals in the cats annihilation. Not deserving of AA, I agree, but his last two games did not suck balls at all.

He was ok against the cats. Had a real dip but was a little rusty.

Against the pies he definitely sucked balls. Worst I’ve seen Fyfe play in a long time - he was prob trying too hard and only had 19 touches. Constantly slipped over - see the pies first goal of the game and then the one that put them in front in the last quarter, where he fell over at CHB. Also had Ballantyne all alone in the second quarter and his Collingwood man about 20 metres behind him but he managed to hit the Pies defender lace out for a turnover and goal up the other end. Just to name a few.

 

[Deathly]

Whatever Fyfe told the guys to go out and do for Johnson's last game, he went out and did the opposite himself.

 

[Superkoops]

Positive
- Alex Pearce; love this guy and his early season form was all Australian like
- Brayshaw, Cerra
- Langdon’s improvement
- enjoyed the Michael Johnson tribute game
- Wilson was a solid pickup that will be better next year
- continued development of Luke Ryan

Negative
Injuries halting any momentum
- Bennell played his best game in the WAFL and was ready to explode in the derby (with 4 remaining games) but redid his calf
- Logue was playing a cracker of a game in the WAFL mid season but injured his ankle right on the 3 quarter time Siren (done for the year)
- Fyfe hamstring against Brisbane when he had been in peak form
- Blakely injures his knee in stupid midweek AFL trial game, just as his form was looking good
- Stephen Hill would start to find form and then ping his quad (never got going unfortunately)
- Darcy did his knee the week before they planned on him being selected to play against GWS
- Apeness did his hamstring just as he was building his game fitness.
- Brayshaw got smashed by a filthy sniper just after half time when he had 16 possessions and was growing into something special

That all sucked balls

 

[Belnakor]

Skills!!! We must seriously be one of the worst in the league. Do we even practice this? This has barely improved in the last 3 years. Skills and goal kicking seem really bottom of the barrel type stuff. The effort is there but our finishing and polish is horrendous.

ross constantly harps on about how the "skills come from the system - by the time they get to Fremantle there is not much you can do - its too late". I've heard his assistants say the exact same line... absolute nonsense.

I assume Mason Cox arrives at Fremantle and we go "oh well - its too late now"...?

 

[Belnakor]

Against the pies he definitely sucked balls. Worst I’ve seen Fyfe play in a long time - he was prob trying too hard and only had 19 touches. Constantly slipped over - see the pies first goal of the game and then the one that put them in front in the last quarter, where he fell over at CHB. Also had Ballantyne all alone in the second quarter and his Collingwood man about 20 metres behind him but he managed to hit the Pies defender lace out for a turnover and goal up the other end. Just to name a few.

Didn't look fit. i reckon he was playing with a jab, either in his back or leg. He spent a huge % of the game in the forward line, went for a few hangers and barely got off the ground. Looked frustrated as hell like he couldn't get moving enough.

 

[Scham]

Fyfes work inside was insanely good vs Pies. Everyone harps on about the big bodied bollocking mid, well that was his role on the weekend. His pressure, body work and deft touches inside the contest was first rate.
Some people just see the flying for marks and not coming down with it and judge his whole game on that it seems.