Season Over

[Purple Jesus]

Now hear me out, can we realistically push for a flag this year with our depleted and then underdone stocks? I don't think so. An extended pre-season would do our list wonders. Do we concede it all now and make a stronger play for next year?

How do we make sure our cattle is fit and firing and doesn't get re-injured in preseason again? Do we ship them off to Arizona?

Can't see us winning any more games this year, especially not after watching Collingwood yesterday. As much as it pains me to say, they are scary good.

Thoughts?

 

[samseenee]

We wont ship our guys off to Arizona... we go to Kalgoorlie... HEAPS BETTER!

 

[Kickett Punches Read]

Now hear me out, can we realistically push for a flag this year with our depleted and then underdone stocks? I don't think so. An extended pre-season would do our list wonders. Do we concede it all now and make a stronger play for next year?

How do we make sure our cattle is fit and firing and doesn't get re-injured in preseason again? Do we ship them off to Arizona?

Can't see us winning any more games this year, especially not after watching Collingwood yesterday. As much as it pains me to say, they are scary good.

Thoughts?

in the past i would have said no, we should keep playing our best side yada yada yada. however. i now subscribe to this theory. especially since the tankers up the road got extra picks for mediocrity, and got who was it darling, and maybe stevens for it. Im thinking we now have to get our sore boys fit for next year, given that we will probably lose the rest of the games left even with our best available squad, why not let the guys recouperate?

also, if we lose every game from here on, we may drop to what 12th, even with the comprimised draft pick 12 or whatever it is, is better than pick 16. might as well cut our losses on the year from hell and load up for next year

 

[Clay Davis]

Pfft. Keep pressing for finals.

 

[Kickett Punches Read]

Pfft. Keep pressing for finals.

to what benefit? why rush sandi and mundy back if we can give them an extra couple of weeks to really get right? if hill is sore, like im sure he has been all season, why not rest him, from here being realistic, we will only just sneak into the 8 at best. rather than put the cue in the rack, i see it as an opportunity to ensure our key players with injuries are cherry ripe for 2012

 

[Clay Davis]

Because finals experience is invaluable

How many clubs have won a premiership with minimal finals experience? I can only think of one in living memory: Hawthorn. And they had still played finals the year before.

If we're going to miss finals this year, then in my opinion you can effectively write off next year, and we should tank the entire year of 2012, because we will have passed our last chance with McPharlin, Sandilands and Pavlich

 

[Purple Jesus]

I'm going to argue that getting smashed in a final is not a valuable experience, and having to rush players back to maybe attempt to experience said smashing is going to set us back valuable months of a good preseason.

 

[Memories]

Once St Kilda destroy us on Friday night in front of the whole nation, will be interesting what Freo fans think and do. I'm sure injuries will be totted out as to why our players didn't "care" to chase, tackle or man up, and we'll go around the merry-go-round of "next year it will be better, next year...."

 

[dominguez]

I agree with Clay.

to what benefit?

To build a bit of culture. To finish in the 8 this year after our run with injuries would be a massive achievement and a real springboard for 2012.

why rush sandi and mundy back if we can give them an extra couple of weeks to really get right?

Who siad rush them back? But if they're fit they should do their job and play footy.

We won 2 weeks ago away from home against a side that will play finals with close to our worst side for the year then lost by a point to a side pressing for top 4. The Hawthorn game was obviously disappointing and we'll probably struggle this week but have a reasonable record at the Dome.

if hill is sore, like im sure he has been all season, why not rest him,

Check the fixtures, he had a rest 3 weeks ago but if he's still sore leave him in Perth this week.

from here being realistic, we will only just sneak into the 8 at best. rather than put the cue in the rack, i see it as an opportunity to ensure our key players with injuries are cherry ripe for 2012

Essendon and North still have a bye to come so I think we'll finish 8th. If we get there we should hit the finals with our strongest side for the year and could be playing the Swans who we beat this year or the Blues who we have a good record against in the first week of the finals. Win that and it's probably a derby for a spot in a prelim.

 

[malpaso]

Push for finals. The experience is good for our young players, heck even our older players need it.

Imagine if we end up facing WCE? You think we'd lie down and die in that one?

 

[dominguez]

I'm going to argue that getting smashed in a final is not a valuable experience, and having to rush players back to maybe attempt to experience said smashing is going to set us back valuable months of a good preseason.

We got smashed in a final last year, how many games did we win in the first month of season 2011?

What changes over the summer? If Sandilands and Mundy are back for the finals and we get belted by the 5th best side in the competition in the first week of the finals then you're saying we should be pessimistic about season 2012?

 

[Quokka]

Writing the year off completely when we're still a chance of making the finals teaches really bad habits to young players that you're trying to do the exact opposite with and instill the 'dig deep, never give up' type of attitude.

For sure dont rush players back and if they're 50/50 they rest but there's plenty of players that imo havent taken the opportunity this year to make the most of getting game time due to injured players and I hope the basic attitude at the club stays focused on trying to win every game and make the finals.

Imo scraping into 8th place even if we're then knocked out in the first week would be better for the club then finishing 10th and having a few extra weeks focusing on 2012.

 

[Purple Jesus]

We also comfortably won a final.

Also, this is not something you'd put to the playing group - each and every player should absolutely give it their all week in week out, I'm talking about selection and managing players coming off injury "decisions".

 

[desert docker]

to be in this position at this time of year i would take any day compaired to our history. if we make the finals this year it would be our 3rd best year in the comp and to do it with what where gone thru i would rate it nearly our best.
so to all our melbourne supporters get to the game on friday night and let the boys know you are there with the freo chant, i've been a supporter of this club since it came into the comp and there is no way i'm telling the boys to put the cue back in the rack.
freo 15 points, come on friday

 

[Kickett Punches Read]

I agree with Clay.





To build a bit of culture. To finish in the 8 this year after our run with injuries would be a massive achievement and a real springboard for 2012.







Who siad rush them back? But if they're fit they should do their job and play footy.

We won 2 weeks ago away from home against a side that will play finals with close to our worst side for the year then lost by a point to a side pressing for top 4. The Hawthorn game was obviously disappointing and we'll probably struggle this week but have a reasonable record at the Dome.





Check the fixtures, he had a rest 3 weeks ago but if he's still sore leave him in Perth this week.






Essendon and North still have a bye to come so I think we'll finish 8th. If we get there we should hit the finals with our strongest side for the year and could be playing the Swans who we beat this year or the Blues who we have a good record against in the first week of the finals. Win that and it's probably a derby for a spot in a prelim.

all valid points. disappointment with the weekends performance may be clouding my postage at the moment

 

[Clay Davis]

Theoretically, we should beat North, Carlton and the Dogs in the run home.

We probably can beat St Kilda as well.

The measure of the club is whether we do.

It will be a black mark against the club if we capitulate and miss finals. After all that has been done to turn the club around, to meekly disappear in the home and away season will only prove the club hasn't changed. If we fail, I will find it hard to believe Fremantle can win a premiership in the next decade.

 

[leungtl]

It will be a black mark against the club if we capitulate and miss finals. After all that has been done to turn the club around, to meekly disappear in the home and away season will only prove the club hasn't changed. If we fail, I will find it hard to believe Fremantle can win a premiership in the next decade.

It will be disappointing if we miss finals, but I disagree that we've meekly disappeared given the nightmarish run of injuries we've had THROUGHOUT the year. Every time we get someone back, someone else gets a long-term injury and there's only so much you can do with a bunch of guys lacking in cohesion, match fitness and form.

You look at what happened when West Coast were hit with injuries last year compared to their dream run this year. What's changed? They haven't gone out and completely changed their gameplan or gained any extra guns (although the contribution of Shuey, Darling at the start and Gaff recently has helped) but they've jumped an unprecedented 12 spots on the ladder.

I'm at the stage where I think we just don't have the cattle to beat some of the top sides. If we miss finals because we get beaten by the better team on the day (and that will happen with our run home) but the playing group shows they're applying themselves 100%, I can accept that. What else can you ask of them?
But if we miss finals and look like a bunch of pea hearts doing it, then that will be a black mark against the club.

 

[summerthebat]

Deep down I want us to pack it in for '11, but long term that's a pretty silly thing to do, we should try our best to make the finals this year.

Even though I am now 90% sure we won't make the finals.

 

[Clay Davis]

We've looked like a bunch of pea hearts against St Kilda, Melbourne and Richmond.

Even if we look reasonable in the run home but miss out anyway, it will be the pitiful performances in those games that will have cost us a finals berth.

 

[Boppo]

2012 guarantees nothing. One would expect the current 8 to be thereabouts plus north, bombers, GC and maybe Richmond to be pressing. We cant afford to write off this season.

 

[EastcoastDocker]

Play in a final and try and give it a decent shake.

finishing 8th and playing eagles at home would be a good outcome and also a decent chance of success.

just dont play players that arent 90-100% fit

 

[Nickos66]

We wont ship our guys off to Arizona... we go to Kalgoorlie... HEAPS BETTER!

We should write a grant application to Eddiewood for them to fund us the trip to Arizona. What do you reckon his response would be?

Oh and.. What are the betting rates for the upcoming saints game? Maybe we can swing the outcome by way of Murphy's law if we put a big enough combined total on the Aints to win.

 

[malpaso]

Just put fit bodies on the park and get them to play their guts out whoever they are. Based on our forced OUTS our criteria for selection is rather limited.

 

[Alfonz]

As much as I think the season is shot, we can't give up. I only think we need to win 2 more games, so we have to keep trying.

Heck, Melbourne lost by 31 goals and if you look at the fixtures, they are still a chance to take 8th spot if they can muster a paltry 10.5 wins.

 

[Purple Jesus]

They also belted us by 89 points only 6 rounds ago.