Opinion Something else happened.

[Cobbler]

Feels like we genuine depth now too.

When that happens guys will have to perform or get in line.

Making great use of our outside leg speed and endurance too.

Love that Fyfe is looking to handball more to release run.

On paper our best 22-25 are more than capable.

 

[theGav56]

Feels like we genuine depth now too.

When that happens guys will have to perform or get in line.

Making great use of our outside leg speed and endurance too.

Love that Fyfe is looking to handball more to release run.

On paper our best 22-25 are more than capable.

Without getting ahead of ourselves..... it is definitely panning out as a strange "anything could happen" type of season. The underdogs have been unleashed and are roaming the streets. Imagine what might happen once the boys start to settle into the game plan, and the faith in each other spreads from defence, through the midfield and into Taberner's boots.

 

[Belnakor]

Love that Fyfe is looking to handball more

The 20m handball to setup the hogan goal was a thing of beauty.

 

[Schauermann]

Very good game. Feels like ages since we caused a real upset. Was pretty even for most of the day but we stepped up when needed and had our kicking bots on when it counted. Which is not a speciality of Freo.

On the other hand, the way this season turns out atm I'd probably only go in with confidence against Carlton. But they are not the worst winless team either...

 

[theGav56]

Very good game. Feels like ages since we caused a real upset.

Away from home, and in Canberra of all places is part of the picture too. Exactly what we need for the development of the team.

 

[88mph]

Without getting ahead of ourselves..... it is definitely panning out as a strange "anything could happen" type of season. The underdogs have been unleashed and are roaming the streets. Imagine what might happen once the boys start to settle into the game plan, and the faith in each other spreads from defence, through the midfield and into Taberner's boots.

You're right.

This season is looking tighter than the last.

We still have players to come back from injury and growth from the youth.

Anything can happen.

 

[Caldera]

Not sure there is anything to add to this thread. But maybe a great opportunity for posters to restate their cemented in views of where we are at. Despite the evidence.

4 weeks ago this thread really annoyed me. Felt ridiculous after 1 game in 2019. But 5 weeks in its a fair call. It’s still early days, but clearly we are in a better place.

 

[Fyfster]

Marks inside forward fifty big upside , And most of the improvement is from someone we had all along

 

[theGav56]

Marks inside forward fifty big upside , And most of the improvement is from someone we had all along

Taberner was mostly injured last season. Injuries to key players certainly effect the likely outcomes, that's for sure. Without the structural changes to the forward line Taberner's impact would be reduced. There is upside from her once they get used to playing together and the midfield synergy develops. Hogan, Switkowski and Colyer barely know each others names, let alone how they play.

The contention of some poster on here was that our game plan was not developing and the coach cannot (and doesn't want to) develop an attacking structure.

 

[blue shark]

Taberner was mostly injured last season. Injuries to key players certainly effect the likely outcomes, that's for sure. Without the structural changes to the forward line Taberner's impact would be reduced. There is upside from her once they get used to playing together and the midfield synergy develops. Hogan, Switkowski and Colyer barely know each others names, let alone how they play.

The contention of some poster on here was that our game plan was not developing and the coach cannot (and doesn't want to) develop an attacking structure.

Gav56 Good on you for keeping the faith, and this game away I think was the proof that we needed that we can play attacking footy against
a quality list.
I still think the GWS coach is poor, but they have the squad to play multiple final campaigns.
Ross would make GWS formidable, no denying that.

 

[BlueE]

Taberner was mostly injured last season. Injuries to key players certainly effect the likely outcomes, that's for sure. Without the structural changes to the forward line Taberner's impact would be reduced. There is upside from her once they get used to playing together and the midfield synergy develops. Hogan, Switkowski and Colyer barely know each others names, let alone how they play.

The contention of some poster on here was that our game plan was not developing and the coach cannot (and doesn't want to) develop an attacking structure.

The game plan was different from the defensive choas ball of last few weeks and was more like the round 1 plan. Taking 20 or so marks inside 50, with kicks targeting leading forwards (and leftovers benefiting crumbers like Matera, Walters and Swtiz) who were at home and not up the ground still in the zone press? This, added to our players focus and intensity and the dominance of Fyfe and desperation of the defence gives us hope that something else might happen this season.

Different game plan and rightly so and the ground was way too long and wide for the press to be effective. But that hadn't stopped Ross changing anything in all the other games we've played at Manuka or against most opposition over the years until yesterday so why?

I'm suggesting that spending two sessions this week mostly on skills (although there wasn't too much emphasis on goals kicking and too much on ball handling) and that the changes in attacking structures and when to use them are coming from new "oppositon analysist".

 

[MadMundy]

Great game, we keep playing like this we'll make top 8, no reason that we can't.

 

[Paracleet]

The game plan was different from the defensive choas ball of last few weeks and was more like the round 1 plan. Taking 20 or so marks inside 50, with kicks targeting leading forwards (and leftovers benefiting crumbers like Matera, Walters and Swtiz) who were at home and not up the ground still in the zone press? This, added to our players focus and intensity and the dominance of Fyfe and desperation of the defence gives us hope that something else might happen this season.

Different game plan and rightly so and the ground was way too long and wide for the press to be effective. But that hadn't stopped Ross changing anything in all the other games we've played at Manuka or against most opposition over the years until yesterday so why?

I'm suggesting that spending two sessions this week mostly on skills (although there wasn't too much emphasis on goals kicking and too much on ball handling) and that the changes in attacking structures and when to use them are coming from new "oppositon analysist".

Some mental gymnastics here

 

[fnerd]

Some mental gymnastics here

My favourite part was the comment about the “decision” to spending a “couple” of sessions on our skill work this week was the reason behind our improved skills.... buuuuuuut unfortunately we spent “too” much time on ball handling skills and not enough on goal kicking... thus explaining our poor goal kicking ....
Brilliant!!!

 

[Nothing]

Some mental gymnastics here

Indeed.



It appears we are happy to get into shootouts with attacking teams but ultra defensive teams we are struggling with. In time, the hope will be that more games are played on our terms. By my reckoning, NM, GWS and 3/4 of WC was on our terms. GC and Saints on their terms.

 

[BlueE]

Some mental gymnastics here

Maybe. No harm in expanding your thinking!

But RTB throws his hands up in the pressor after last game saying players have to "own their own" skills. Not his problem is it? Then in the only two Perth training sessions this week about 75-80% of the time is spent on SKILL drills. Edit for clarity: One session was 100% skills, the other around 50-60%, so I'm averaging the two sessions. This doesn't come from Ross given his public stand on skills and my mental gymnastics can hear a Bell ringing.

Secondly the game plan hasn't changed for the last three years and players are told just to try harder, until game 1 this season. We may have been playing against witches hats but for that team it was very effective. The only coaching change was Montagna being added to Freo as a "opposition analysist" and Ross publically thanking him after the game.

Back to the usual defensive chaos ball for the next three games until this game with the attacking style and forward structure of game 1. The ground being longer and wider than any other we play doesn't support our usual zone press, but that didn't stop repeatidly trying it in the past without success.

Just a guess but I think the opposition analyst had an influence in our structure and tactics for this game.

 

[FreoMonocle]

The GC and Saints games were played by those teams as frenzied, fast and frenetic. We had our players moving around the ground at the same pace to break their ball movement, probably hard to then slow the game down when we had the ball - because they weren't going to slow down. Probably the only way would have been to control the tempo from bouncedown, but we weren't dominant in the midfield.

 

[BlueE]

My favourite part was the comment about the “decision” to spending a “couple” of sessions on our skill work this week was the reason behind our improved skills.... buuuuuuut unfortunately we spent “too” much time on ball handling skills and not enough on goal kicking... thus explaining our poor goal kicking ....
Brilliant!!!

Sorry to confuse you did you watch the training sessions? Around 80 % of the time was spent on skills. Edit for clarity: One session was 100% skills, the other around 50-60%, so I'm averaging the two sessions.

Some were specific skill drills and some hand -eye co-ord drills. Only one drill was specifically on goal kicking (that i remember). In that drill in two lines a kick was made to a tall forward only metres out from goal who hit it to ground and it was followed up by 3 or 4 shot then had to pick it up and kick the goal. Only 9/20 went in before they changed sides and around the same on the other side.

Kicking improved this week and I'm glad so much of the training was spent on skills but there can be more and better drills for goals.

The ball handling drills that I'm talking about took up around an hour in the second training session which was too long, IMO. What did you think? These are hand eye co-ord drills, short hand passes and kicks in small formations etc. These are different drills than specific skill drills like kicking for goal on the run, set shots, forward structure drills etc.

 

[LeftFootBanana]

To be honest I thought we still made plenty of skill errors but made up for it with defensive pressure.

hese are hand eye co-ord drills, short hand passes and kicks in small formations etc.

I don't get to every training session but I've certainly seen drills that sound similar to these this season. Maybe the coach letting the players know they're accountable for their "craft" and a bit sharper focus made some difference.

 

[FreoMonocle]

With lot's of new faces, we would have needed to be focussed on structure at training throughout the preseason. I think it just shows some confidence that the new trades are holding structure okay and leave it more to the classroom stuff that they do behind closed doors.

 

[Freo Hitman]

Put todays date in your memory bank.
For the good ( and after a disappointing loss its hard too understand ) every player and Ross Lyon will know why this game slipped.
I am adament after today we will put these games away with this current group , We should have been punished , but were not & are disappointed not to bank the 4 points. We are one key ingredient away from firing on all cylinders .

How would everyone assess this comment. My ego needs no stroking btw

 

[LeftFootBanana]

I think it's safe to say young players need to learn lessons - sometimes the hard way. We'll probably learn some more tough lessons before the season is out but as long as we learn form them then we're heading in the right direction. It was a spot on call at the time by the way.

Winning is a good habit and there's no substitute for belief when you play a team game. The new guys like Hogan, Colyer, Lobb and Conca are on board and with Mundy, Fyfe, Hill and Sonny leading the way there's no reason why we can't maintain an upward trajectory.

I also think that if you're serious about what you do for a living you never stop learning. Ross will continue to make mistakes (as he's admitted previously) and hopefully will learn from them too. Nothing to be ashamed of in that.

 

[Scham]

4 weeks ago this thread really annoyed me. Felt ridiculous after 1 game in 2019. But 5 weeks in its a fair call. It’s still early days, but clearly we are in a better place.

Today would’ve been a sensible time to post that the signs are looking positive and Ross MAY get a contract extension IF we keep improving.

After round 1 to call that he’s done enough to earn an extension was absolute madness.

 

[cardamon]

I distinguish Ross from Eade etc type coaches in that they slowly faded into irrelevance whereas Ross experienced the big crash of 2016 and probably had to take stock of his actions and philosophies a bit and adjust. He was lucky he got extended while things were rosy but don’t underestimate the importance of major failure in learning, and I wouldn’t be discouraged by his age as well, lots of 52 year olds in high stress jobs are in their professional primes


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[theGav56]

Today would’ve been a sensible time to post that the signs are looking positive and Ross MAY get a contract extension IF we keep improving.

After round 1 to call that he’s done enough to earn an extension was absolute madness.

You may need to point out where the opening post advocates giving the coach a contract extension. I've read it a couple of times, and, oh yeah, I wrote it, but that is not what it says. That is also clarified in the third post in the thread.

What it clearly says is that he won't be getting the boot anytime soon (despite what the media would like to engineer, and taken up by some posters on here) because he has clearly demonstrated the direction the list and game plan is going. He will be given the opportunity for that to play out, which is exactly what we are seeing.