Season going down the gurgler...

[rgauci]

What are we going to cop if CC goes to Melbourne and wins a premiership.

I honestly think we'll end up swapping coaches with Carlton. Which would be horrible.

I'd like to see Leigh Matthews take the reigns. If you can't trade up why trade at all.

 

[Jetau]

Yes, CC may go to Melbourne and take them to a premiership. IT could happen. But so what? Surely we can't keep accepting mediocrity from our playing group, as has happened throughout CC's tenure. Rick Hart has said it's 'finals or bust' and I'm afraid it's bust. For me, I think a finals win (i.e. second round exit) should be the minimum required for CC to get a new contract.

The spin from CC this week will be: 'we won 9 in a row after the Sydney loss last year. We can win the last 8 this year to make the top four.'

Don't believe a word of it. 2007 is dead and buried for Freo.

 

[chook2734]

There seems to be a never ending stream of people putting their hands up for a senior coaching position this year, which can only be a good thing if we are going to make a change. Ratten and Liberatore have both announced they are 'ready' now, along with sumich, Voss and probably a few others I've forgotten.

 

[dominguez]

I honestly think we'll end up swapping coaches with Carlton. Which would be horrible.

I'd like to see Leigh Matthews take the reigns. If you can't trade up why trade at all.

Pagan would definately be trading up.

 

[dominguez]

Yes, CC may go to Melbourne and take them to a premiership. IT could happen. But so what? Surely we can't keep accepting mediocrity from our playing group, as has happened throughout CC's tenure. Rick Hart has said it's 'finals or bust' and I'm afraid it's bust. For me, I think a finals win (i.e. second round exit) should be the minimum required for CC to get a new contract.

(

I agree, if Connolly was to lead Melbourne to a premiership it would mean that he has learnt a lot from his time at Freo and has made some changes to the way he coaches. He isn't getting anywhere near the best from the players so it is time for him to move on.

Winning a final should still be the minimum requirement, but he'll get another contract if we make the 8. Don't be surprised if he gets an extension if we win 5 of our last 8 games and just miss the finals.

 

[freocynic]

Is the clubs mediocre perfomances directly a result of CC coaching?

I would say sack CC for sure if I thought it would change our fortunes but I don't think it will. Sam Newman (yes i know he's a d*ckhead, so don't point that out, but he has played and coached a lot of football over several decades) says that the coaches roles is quite often over rated. I believe that it is the senior players not having that winning culture and not being able to instill it in the younger guys. All of our senior players are guilty of turnovers, missing set shots at crucial times (ie Pav V Collingwood - I forgive you Pav, please don't go!) and giving away free kicks. When the games intensity is at its highest and there are 50/50 contests we quite often lose them. The opposition wins the so called 'moral victories' around the ground and in the end it leads to them scoring. The players have to take responsibility.

Whether a new coach can change the culture that the last 12 years or so of sub standard performances have ingrained in our players is questionable. The whole club needs to reassess itself, from Rick Hart down.

Having said that though, while there is a chance of us playing the finals this year, I'm not giving up hope. I got 2 bottles of vodka riding on it!

 

[pistol17]

Look guys, another disappointing loss. I really expected a win today to set the ball running for a another string of wins ala 2006.

Last year it took a loss similar to todays performance to kick us into gear. Our next 4 out of 5 games are at home but to be honest we are in big trouble. Kangaroos at home, Adelaide away, Geelong at home, West Coast at subiaco, Essendon at home, St. Kilda away.

I can only see us beating essendon. I am usually pretty optimistic, maybe its the disappointment from the loss today but the finals are gone, CC is gone and some senior players are playing for their careers.

So frustrating at times...

 

[freocynic]

So not a good outlook for my Vodka then

 

[dugrene]

Look guys, another disappointing loss. I really expected a win today to set the ball running for a another string of wins ala 2006.

Last year it took a loss similar to todays performance to kick us into gear. Our next 4 out of 5 games are at home but to be honest we are in big trouble. Kangaroos at home, Adelaide away, Geelong at home, West Coast at subiaco, Essendon at home, St. Kilda away.

I can only see us beating essendon. I am usually pretty optimistic, maybe its the disappointment from the loss today but the finals are gone, CC is gone and some senior players are playing for their careers.

So frustrating at times...

Pretty much spot on.

Finishing last year where we did was not only us winning but the result of a few other games falling our way.

To tell the truth winning this week at the SCG was always going to be as tough as it gets. Mind you (imo) the team was not picked to play a small wet ground, something that either was considered by the match committee and disregarded or if not considered then we need a new match committee.

Now that the SCG trip is done and dusted I expect the focus to take a harder edge. We will find out when we take on the Kangas next game.

It is probably possible to lose two more and still make the eight the reality is we can lose only one and make it it easy.

In 'footyspeak' lets look only as far as next week while we still have a chance.

The last thing I want to hear is "from here on we can help shape the eight" once we hear those words goodbye CC.

 

[Jetau]

Hmm, let's have an honest look at the run home.

Round 15 v Kangaroos - we should win this. We have been strong at home and I still don't rate the Roos that highly (at my peril perhaps). WIN

Round 16 v Adelaide - A tough ground for us. I could see us winning this, but not unless we play better than just about every away game this year. LOSS

Round 17 v Geelong - Geelong are red hot and will possibly start favourites. This is hard to predict. 50/50

Round 18 v West Coast - hmmm they aren't travelling too well. I can't stomach another derby loss this year, but who knows? 50/50

Round 19 v Essendon - this looks like a probable win to me. WIN

Round 20 v Sk Kilda - we don't do well at Telstra Dome. Even though the Saints aren't any better than us, they are at home. LOSS

Round 21 v Melbourne - easy win at home, and cheerio to some old favourites. WIN

Round 22 v Port Adelaide - According to me, we will be 10-11 by this stage with the season shot. To rub salt into the wounds, we will get up here. WIN

Which gives us 11-11 for the season. Again.

 

[Lach72]

Hmm, let's have an honest look at the run home.

Round 15 v Kangaroos - we should win this. We have been strong at home and I still don't rate the Roos that highly (at my peril perhaps). WIN

Round 16 v Adelaide - A tough ground for us. I could see us winning this, but not unless we play better than just about every away game this year. LOSS

Round 17 v Geelong - Geelong are red hot and will possibly start favourites. This is hard to predict. 50/50 Loss

Round 18 v West Coast - hmmm they aren't travelling too well. I can't stomach another derby loss this year, but who knows? 50/50 Loss

Round 19 v Essendon - this looks like a probable win to me. WIN

Round 20 v Sk Kilda - we don't do well at Telstra Dome. Even though the Saints aren't any better than us, they are at home. LOSS

Round 21 v Melbourne - easy win at home, and cheerio to some old favourites. WIN

Round 22 v Port Adelaide - According to me, we will be 10-11 by this stage with the season shot. To rub salt into the wounds, we will get up here. Loss

Which gives us 11-11 for the season. Again.

I am more pessimistic

8 and 14

 

[Gaspode]

My shot at this

Round 15 v Kangaroos - I think this will be a hard game, we're coming home yes, but we've just played a wet game - that can take it out of the players, but still I think. WIN

Round 16 v Adelaide - Both Adelaide teams are a bit hit or miss, so whichever team plays their "top" team (ie the team that played last week against Calton) will win. I would rate this 50/50

Round 17 v Geelong - Geelong, as much as I would love to see this game, I won't be there, but I think it will be hard for the boys - and I think this is really the tell-tale game for the season. LOSS

Round 18 v West Coast - They're really showing they are vulnerable, and if Freo pull out a big one - I think we can get this one. Hard to tell when you wonder what effect snifter boy will have on the game. WIN

Round 19 v Essendon - Agree - we should win this. WIN

Round 20 v Sk Kilda - I think we'll win this one - I think we have it hard going over there - but I can't see them beating us. WIN

Round 21 v Melbourne - Will be a good match to go to - just hope that if this is a must win game, that we don't just play some players for sentimental reasons, but pick the team that's going to get the job done. WIN

Round 22 v Port Adelaide - Hard to call this one as it's a long way away. If it's a dead rubber - look for us to lose, but if our season is still alive we should come up and win. If we don't then really we shouldn't be in the 8 (as much as I hate to say that.)

That gives me 11 plus two 50/50

 

[spitlizard]

Now that it looks like we wont make the finals or at least just scrap in and make up the numbers, the selectors should bite the bullet and start getting real gametime into the younglings.

 

[longsuffreosupp]

i think we can at least win the last 4, and next weekend is at least a 50/50

 

[legitimatic]

What are we going to cop if CC goes to Melbourne and wins a premiership.

Wake up from the dream, and face yet another day with CC at the helm of the Dockers promoting the mediocrity we have embraced since inception.

 

[estibador]

Sam Newman (yes i know he's a d*ckhead, so don't point that out, but he has played and coached a lot of football over several decades) says that the coaches roles is quite often over rated.

With all due respect to Sammy the dinosaur (ie none) footy has changed a lot in the last 10 or 20 years. I'm not surprised he hasn't noticed though since he's too busy being a professional jackass (not that there's anything wrong with that per se), and since the only analysis he ever provides is to whinge about how boring footy is to watch these days.

What he mightn't have realised is that these new styles he doesn't like are the result of the game being dominated by coaches like never before. The coaches hammer their gameplans into the players until they are second nature and a well drilled team with modern tactics will beat a more talented but disorganised team any day of the week.

Maybe coaches weren't important back in his day when players just went out and played but these days I reckon they're just about the most important person in the whole organisation.

 

[RoyalBlue]

Round 15 v Kangaroos - we should win this. We have been strong at home and I still don't rate the Roos that highly (at my peril perhaps). WIN

Mate I think this is a 50/50 game at best.

We've been under rated all year, even on the Richmond Board people were saying 'Yeah I think the Kangaroos are over rated and we can beat them'.

 

[masai]

Play the kids and get rid of the old guys. Macca and Parker were good today but what's the point if they're not gonna be here next year. Give Kiwi and Spud some real game time, at least to boost their market value. Send guys off for surgery and and shut up shop.

I see where you are coming from but at the moment Murphy is more likely to be playing in Souths reserves than the Freo team. Only reward players who deserve promotion.

Give Hase a rest for a week or two, he can hardly run.