Opinion Positives

[BeinPurplenGreen]

Another one of my trips to Sydney almost out of the way. The last one saw a great win, but now we are back to usual SCG transmission. So out of that what do we take as positives?

1. The second half.
2. Hopefully we have our lowest scoring half of the year out of the way. You won't win many games of footy if you go in to the long break with a score of 21 points (unless you've kicked 21 behinds in a row mebbe?)
3. Barlow played more than a half and just got better as it went.
4. Hopefully Ross has learned a thing or two about our defensive weaknesses, and brings back Silver as a result.
5. A six goal quarter is proof that we can deliver offensive punch when we bring our game face - even when we look waaaaay out of the game (which we did ten minutes into the third quarter).
6. Jack and Kep both had sections of the game when they looked dangerous when creating contests in the forward 50 - even though Pav had a down day and (IMHO) spent far too much time on the ball.
7. Clarke's contested marking under pressure. Needs to work on his disposal after he gets the ball, but he is coming along well.
8. DeBoer - how awesome is he in his attitude, persistence and workrate?? Given his limited skills he has worked sooo hard to get to this level it isn't funny. Someone else (sorry can't remember who) said on here that it is freaky how DePig keeps his feet - and after watching him in action today I have to agree, he really does stay upright and bounce from contest to contest when he really should be thrown to the ground. Awesome stuff.
9. MJ - had a couple of howlers, but really stood up when the many of the guys were dropping their heads or running around like headless chooks in panic during the second quarter. He has a way to go still to win my full trust, but to his credit he really looks to be trying to apply himself.
AND most of all
10. The travelling Freo fans - the Freo chants were sooo lound from where you were it was fantastic, really echoed around the ground when we surged during the third. Fantastic stuff considering how few of you there were, and the fact that a whole end of the SCG was closed off. Well done to all of you.

Nice job with the banner in the wind too, guys and gals.

 

[yakka man]

- Lyon's appraisal of the game - "I'm hearing a lot of excuses put forward, We're a no excuse Football Club. A Half doesn't get it done."

- The comeback

- Zac Clarke running rampant taking contested marks all over the place.

- Barlow (Need I say more)

 

[Admiral Byng]

Zac Clarke's overhead marking was the highlight for me.

 

[Purplrrr]

1. managing to get back into it, even though we were a man down. thought we were going to be in for a really ugly day, but having a bit of fight is good. Though the swannies don't tend to put the foot down like some other teams.

2. apparently we're a no excuses football club.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/132499/default.aspx

half the time, that's all i wanted to hear from harvey last year. let the fans do the whining, but the club shouldn't.

 

[kp junior]

- Lyon's appraisal of the game - "I'm hearing a lot of excuses put forward, We're a no excuse Football Club. A Half doesn't get it done."

- The comeback

- Zac Clarke running rampant taking contested marks all over the place.

- Barlow (Need I say more)

How good is that to hear after last year's embarrassing Harvey press conferences

 

[Falkon]

We are 1 win and 1 loss after playing a top four side and a top 6 side away from home.

 

[free at last]

Zac Clarke is on such steep development curve I can't believe it.The kid is gunna need abseiling to stop him falling down the incline soon.

Sandi appearing to be injury free.

Barlow looking way better than last year.

Hilly showing something after halftime.

Probably going to see some of our better players who are yet to play in 2012.

 

[freo84]

Being 1-1 when everyone had us bei 0-2.

2nd Half fight back was one of the best i've seen from a freo side They ju kept on coming.

Zac Clark was amazing with his contested marking

Anthony's crazy arse goal....no one has mentioned it yet but it was awesome!!

 

[Dr Pepper]

I liked Jack's goal, I think he should play a string of games before they decide to drop him or not. He may actually get some confidence and become a good third tall for us.

I wouldnt mind seing Sandilands planted at FF for a while, he looked more hungry for the ball when he was marking at the Geelong game. Walters or Hill to pick up the crumbs.

 

[E Shed]

At least Jack can take a mark. Kepler is hopeless.

 

[The Anchorite]

Kepler is hopeless.

Give him another week in the side, just for the shimmy around Shaw in the goalsquare.

Can someone with skills create a gif of that? Had a bit of jig about it.

 

[Arcassius]

Anthony's goal made me grin - as much because of the exchange that followed it when it looked like one of the other players said something along the lines of 'did that go through' and Anthony gave this slightly bemused confirmation

Mayne shrugging after getting the goal for the interchange infringement likewise - not sure why he got a goal but hey, he took it

 

[Admiral Byng]

Another one just occurred to me. Ross Lyon changing the structure when things were going bad. Not just shuffling players around within the same setup.

 

[Outshined]

Second half was pretty good, just a shame it was marred by some of the most insipid football we've ever played in the first half. Not sure if the fightback can all be put down to Lyon's influence, but it was much better than fading into a 10 goal loss.

Zac Clarke's marking and Anthony's effort when most others seemed to be still on the plane wasn't bad.

And of course, Fyfe.

 

[Freomaniac]

Biggest positive is that Freo didnt give up. We could of easily of lost by 10 goals.

As stated were doing better than some expected. I rather be 1-1 than 0-2.

Hopefully were 2-1 after 3 rounds if we beat the lions.

 

[sabre_ac]

Fight and mongrel from the guys in coming back.

More miles into Barlow

Clarke is becoming a force

Mayne despite at times running around like a headless chook kicked a bag

Fyfes bad days are still pretty good

 

[ritz]

I've had a read of the positives and you guys have got them all covered ( albeit one is a blatant lie; jack and kep sometimes looked dangerous... Um... No) all exept one thing. ZAC DAWSONS weekly bump! Has anyone else noticed almost every week he lays a bone-crunching, fair-as-it-gets, awesome bump. Jack darling was the recipient in our nab cup scratchie, he laid out stokes(?) in the Geelong game (which was a great bit of play) and this week his bump on Sam reid was more effective than mcpharlins first half!
I know Zac. D has his flaws but I'm loving his bump work!

 

[im_a_lazy_sod]

- Barlow will be back to his best
- Clarke is incredible with his contested marking
- MDB was great in the second half (as was most of the team)
- McPhee had 100% DE trollface.gif
- Lyon can lift a team; Harvey couldn't have even dreamed of turning that game around at half-time
- Mayne can hopefully get some confidence from those 4 goals
- Our second half-pressure was intense even without Ballantyne (he would have won us the game imo)
- We did amazingly well with Duffield in hospital and missing for the entire second half
- Dawson will get better as he settles

 

[rgauci]

I thought Dawson had a terrific game except for that stupid 50m penalty he gave away by not giving the ball back straight away. Reflected by the fact he had 8x1%. A spoil usually counts as a 1%. He lead the team in 1% which means he probably had the most spoils.

People are quick to jump on his back, but if his role was reversed with McPharlin we'd be going ballistic.

 

[purplepassion82]

Talking about Lyon being able to lift the team.....some have said he gave a good spray at half time. Any footage of it?

 

[Zbeezy]

Zac Dawson is a fan favourite as a whipping boy, and there's those that won't ever look past his worst. He's been good and will get better.

 

[muckypup]

Zac Clarke's overhead marking was the highlight for me.

Zac Clarke definitely the highlight for me also. I think if not injured he will play every game this year and spend a bit of time changing up forward.

 

[Clay Davis]

The team we beat last week defeated the flag favourites*.

*AKA the perennially overrated Hawthorn. I seriously believe West Coast would dismantle that defence on the MCG. It is utter rubbish.

 

[FreoRicci]

Not sure where to post this but Pavlich has been cleared by the MRP. Good to see sanity prevails. Not sure how to embed an link but here is the link to the news, hopefully it works:

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/match-review-panel-offer-essendon-midfielder-sam-lonergan-a-one-match-ban-for-hit-on-ports-travis-boak/story-e6frf3e3-1226322161964

 

[Arcassius]

Freo ruined my tips