Right direction

[ImperialPurple]

I reckon there are too many people on all the Freo boards getting too concerned over the skill level in today's game. Three of the last four games we have played against Collingwood have been hard, scrappy affairs (obviously I do not include the 112 point hiding we gave them ) with not much space to work in. So far they've got us once out of the three times (2004 @ Subi - who could forget??), while we prevailed last year at the MCG, and again today.

Coupled with the second week playing in 37+ deg heat... a highly skilled game was probably a bit much too ask for and not likely to happen. There was enough in the game this afternoon to suggest we are travelling alright.

Something to take heart from - we have won 9 of the last 11 games we have played, and won each of the last 8 quarters we have played. Good stuff.

 

[Ripper]

Agreed IP. I am just so relieved that we have managed to back up from a big win.

This had "danger game" written all over it.

i. A game we were expected to win
ii. MM talking his side down
ii. Coming off a training run last week.

Is it just me or is there signs of a more measured approach by both the team & supporters with less over the topness and more quiet confidence after last week?

 

[dugrene]

Historically (apparently) we are deflated after a Derby. The goss has it we are easier to knock off after beating the slime. I'm not going to look at the stats.

Now if that is true having a win today would be a real positive for team moral. As against if we had lost.

Today was one of those games were winning meant a bit but 'not losing' meant much more. When the pies hit the front I reckon everyone who follows Fremantle got the shivers.

With the win today after losing the lead in a tight game 1 week after beating the slime, we are, as IP put it, Travelling alright.

 

[stylor]

Am I getting caught up in the media hype or is anyone else here concerned that CC is giving a little too much away before the real season starts? Every coach in the league is getting a good look at what we're going to be about this year!

CC wants some wins on the board but is he paying too much attention to an unimportant preseason? Personnally I think it's great to create a winning mentality right now and get a run on before the seson starts, but I was wondering what everyone else thought of the issues stated above?

 

[rgauci]

Am I getting caught up in the media hype or is anyone else here concerned that CC is giving a little too much away before the real season starts? Every coach in the league is getting a good look at what we're going to be about this year!

CC wants some wins on the board but is he paying too much attention to an unimportant preseason? Personnally I think it's great to create a winning mentality right now and get a run on before the seson starts, but I was wondering what everyone else thought of the issues stated above?

I think CC has realised that good teams don't need complicated game plans and orchestrated wins from the coaching box.

CC has basically laid out our plans, tag our on-ballers and our half-backline will dominate. Tag our half-backline and our on-ballers will dominate. We'll have between 3 and 5 players positioned as forwards and back our run from the half-backline to deliver to our forwards.

Its a simple game plan, that when executed should see us win more games than we lose. We have backed our forwards to dominate and lets see how the year pans out.

I think if we stick to our guns, the gameplan will strengthen, and the players will learn their roles. The longer we stick to the formula the better we'll get at it.

Check Brisbane, Port and Sydney. They didn't win games by miraculous moves and inventive coaching. They won with solid game plans that were executed to perfection.

The inventive left field moves seem to be executed by lesser teams to snatch a win from better teams. I'm happy our gameplan is transparent. It plays to our strengths in my opinion which are our fitness and forward structure.

 

[funkyfreo]

Am I getting caught up in the media hype or is anyone else here concerned that CC is giving a little too much away before the real season starts? Every coach in the league is getting a good look at what we're going to be about this year!

CC wants some wins on the board but is he paying too much attention to an unimportant preseason? Personnally I think it's great to create a winning mentality right now and get a run on before the seson starts, but I was wondering what everyone else thought of the issues stated above?

What is the point of the pre-season if you only try things that you are not intending to try in the real season. Most teams that play us in the season proper will have had at least 7 matches of real-season footy to figure us out. I also doubt that many opposition coaches would for a gameplan on how to play us based mostly on pre-season matches.

Last season's pre-season winners got the wooden spoon, but the 2nd placed side got to the GF. So I don't think that giving anything away in the pre-season predicts much either way.

 

[stylor]

Yeah you've both convinced me, I agree that if we back ourselves and have a solid gameplan in place we should defintely win enough games this year to make a real impact! With even more depth than last year and solid players all the way down the spine I'm hoping my last year in Perth is going to be an exciting one!

 

[theGav56]

Best strategy is to get our players playing well. Game plan wise, we have been a bit thin, with the startegy of manning up, and playing hard at the man being an easy ride to beating us. The strategies that seem to be developing should counter that.

The other thing is that the two games so far have been quite different from each other. I don't think we are going to have a single game plan, more some possibilities about how we structure up.

 

[Dr Ralph Dagg]

I think CC has realised that good teams don't need complicated game plans and orchestrated wins from the coaching box.

I think that is a little unkind to our coach. Clearly he has a lot more to work with than when he first arrived. If you look at our midfield we had Bell and Haselby and not much else. No Heath Black, no Josh Carr, no Des Headland, no Dodd, no Crowley, no Peake.

And apart from Pavlich no key position backs, and no key position forwards. Despite an absolute torrent of abuse and second guessing after the fact, he and Schwab have built a pretty solid squad that looks like it will be difficult to beat.

While we're all complaining that he plays favourites but somehow we've had Crowley, Dodd, Peake, Thornton, Mundy, Murphy, Johnson, Gilmore and Warren coming through who all have shown they can at least hold their end up at AFL level and will only get better.

I think he has to get the credit for creating the "good team" that he doesn't have to overcoach. He must be doing something right to get all those players coming through. Sometimes it pays to take a trundle through every other club's list and have a look at who is doing it any better than the Dockers. Have a look at Hawthorn, or Bulldogs, or Melbourne or Kangaroos to see how hard it is to build a quality list.