Mega Thread The Media Thread

[Joao]

Dale147 (or anyone else with paywall access) - any chance of seeing this? Many thanks.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE Conca reveals Freo’s reasons for surprise axing

The 28-year-old leadership group member was dropped despite taking on the competition’s most dangerous small forwards all season and keeping most of them quiet. Here’s why.

Err, we already covered this, we exceed the ginger quota with him and Watson in the team.

 

[wakojako]

Fremantle defender Reece Conca says he was told to improve the contested side of his game and offer the Dockers more offensively after being dropped for Sunday’s defeat to Essendon.

The 28-year-old leadership group member was axed despite taking on the competition’s most dangerous small forwards all season and keeping most of them quiet. Champion Data statistics reveal Conca has conceded just six goals to his direct opponents.

Conca couldn’t stop Brisbane livewire Charlie Cameron in his most recent game, with Cameron kicking two goals from six scoring shots in the first half before Griffin Logue kept him on a tighter rein in the second. Conca’s average of 13.1 disposals this season is the lowest of his 149-game career. The former Richmond defender said he was surprised to be dropped but that he had a “really good conversation” with coach Justin Longmuir.

“I had a really good chat to JL and there’s just a few things that over the past few weeks I’ve drifted away from in terms of my best football. I just need to recapture that and I’ll be back,” Conca said. “It’s just a little bit of contest stuff, on the ground and in the air. And then he probably wants a little bit more offensively from me. We want to be a little bit more damaging going forward. “So they’re probably the two main ones. Which is something that I know I can do. It’s one of my strengths, so I’ve just got to get back to doing that.”

Conca said sitting on the bench as an unused medical sub was one of the strangest experiences of his career. “It’s one of the stranger games of footy I’ve ever been involved with,” he told TAB Radio. “I just made a real focus to stay involved in the game, try and impact the guys from the bench. Stay really positive and communicate with them what I could see. “You’re sort of just waiting, anticipating to come on and as each quarter goes by it sort of slowly slips away from you.”

Conca said Longmuir warned him last Thursday that his spot was in jeopardy before being told he was out the following day. Conca’s axing came despite Fremantle only having six fit defenders to choose from, with midfielders Darcy Tucker and James Aish used to plug the holes down back.

“He came to me after training on Thursday and just notified me that I’d dropped off in a few of those areas and they were reviewing the selection,” he said. “And then on the Friday he came to me. It’s obviously not a great conversation to have. But he was really good about it and just said that he wants me to get back to my best and just be really strong and find that edge again.”

 

[estibador]

I mean, fair enough, but if I was Conca I'd be a little miffed watching Acres running around if I'd just been told I'd lost my spot because I needed to improve the contested side of my game.

 

[wakojako]

I mean, fair enough, but if I was Conca I'd be a little miffed watching Acres running around if I'd just been told I'd lost my spot because I needed to improve the contested side of my game.

Exactly and it annoys me that JLO dropped Conca when he keeps people like Crowden, Schultz and all the other park benches in our team.

 

[Yeti]

Fremantle defender Reece Conca says he was told to improve the contested side of his game and offer the Dockers more offensively after being dropped for Sunday’s defeat to Essendon.

The 28-year-old leadership group member was axed despite taking on the competition’s most dangerous small forwards all season and keeping most of them quiet. Champion Data statistics reveal Conca has conceded just six goals to his direct opponents.

Conca couldn’t stop Brisbane livewire Charlie Cameron in his most recent game, with Cameron kicking two goals from six scoring shots in the first half before Griffin Logue kept him on a tighter rein in the second. Conca’s average of 13.1 disposals this season is the lowest of his 149-game career. The former Richmond defender said he was surprised to be dropped but that he had a “really good conversation” with coach Justin Longmuir.

“I had a really good chat to JL and there’s just a few things that over the past few weeks I’ve drifted away from in terms of my best football. I just need to recapture that and I’ll be back,” Conca said. “It’s just a little bit of contest stuff, on the ground and in the air. And then he probably wants a little bit more offensively from me. We want to be a little bit more damaging going forward. “So they’re probably the two main ones. Which is something that I know I can do. It’s one of my strengths, so I’ve just got to get back to doing that.”

Conca said sitting on the bench as an unused medical sub was one of the strangest experiences of his career. “It’s one of the stranger games of footy I’ve ever been involved with,” he told TAB Radio. “I just made a real focus to stay involved in the game, try and impact the guys from the bench. Stay really positive and communicate with them what I could see. “You’re sort of just waiting, anticipating to come on and as each quarter goes by it sort of slowly slips away from you.”

Conca said Longmuir warned him last Thursday that his spot was in jeopardy before being told he was out the following day. Conca’s axing came despite Fremantle only having six fit defenders to choose from, with midfielders Darcy Tucker and James Aish used to plug the holes down back.

“He came to me after training on Thursday and just notified me that I’d dropped off in a few of those areas and they were reviewing the selection,” he said. “And then on the Friday he came to me. It’s obviously not a great conversation to have. But he was really good about it and just said that he wants me to get back to my best and just be really strong and find that edge again.”

Wait.....

You're not Dale147

 

[Daddoo]

Fremantle defender Reece Conca says he was told to improve the contested side of his game and offer the Dockers more offensively after being dropped for Sunday’s defeat to Essendon.

The 28-year-old leadership group member was axed despite taking on the competition’s most dangerous small forwards all season and keeping most of them quiet. Champion Data statistics reveal Conca has conceded just six goals to his direct opponents.

Conca couldn’t stop Brisbane livewire Charlie Cameron in his most recent game, with Cameron kicking two goals from six scoring shots in the first half before Griffin Logue kept him on a tighter rein in the second. Conca’s average of 13.1 disposals this season is the lowest of his 149-game career. The former Richmond defender said he was surprised to be dropped but that he had a “really good conversation” with coach Justin Longmuir.

“I had a really good chat to JL and there’s just a few things that over the past few weeks I’ve drifted away from in terms of my best football. I just need to recapture that and I’ll be back,” Conca said. “It’s just a little bit of contest stuff, on the ground and in the air. And then he probably wants a little bit more offensively from me. We want to be a little bit more damaging going forward. “So they’re probably the two main ones. Which is something that I know I can do. It’s one of my strengths, so I’ve just got to get back to doing that.”

Conca said sitting on the bench as an unused medical sub was one of the strangest experiences of his career. “It’s one of the stranger games of footy I’ve ever been involved with,” he told TAB Radio. “I just made a real focus to stay involved in the game, try and impact the guys from the bench. Stay really positive and communicate with them what I could see. “You’re sort of just waiting, anticipating to come on and as each quarter goes by it sort of slowly slips away from you.”

Conca said Longmuir warned him last Thursday that his spot was in jeopardy before being told he was out the following day. Conca’s axing came despite Fremantle only having six fit defenders to choose from, with midfielders Darcy Tucker and James Aish used to plug the holes down back.

“He came to me after training on Thursday and just notified me that I’d dropped off in a few of those areas and they were reviewing the selection,” he said. “And then on the Friday he came to me. It’s obviously not a great conversation to have. But he was really good about it and just said that he wants me to get back to my best and just be really strong and find that edge again.”

When RTB was around how many times did people complain that he wasn’t holding players accountable or he was gifting players games? I’d say it was north of about a bazillion. I love this. As an educator, I always knew who I could press and who I couldn’t. You know which students can handle the heat and who would fall apart and crumble. It’s not always about treating people the same. You should know when and where to apply pressure.

I’m backing JL in here and saying he knows that Conca is capable of more and that he can handle being dropped for a game. Essendon was a good game to do it. They’re a below average side. Conca was not the reason we lost by a long shot. If Conca improves to the level JL knows he’s capable of, it was a smart move. If it doesn’t work, at least he gave it a shot.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[DragoDelph]

^^^
and, for others on the edge, may give them a lot nudge. If Conca’s not safe, I better pull my finger out, type thing

 

[Freoforever86]

I mean, fair enough, but if I was Conca I'd be a little miffed watching Acres running around if I'd just been told I'd lost my spot because I needed to improve the contested side of my game.

yeah this is a strange one.

 

[malpaso]

I mean, fair enough, but if I was Conca I'd be a little miffed watching Acres running around if I'd just been told I'd lost my spot because I needed to improve the contested side of my game.

Why? Conca is a defender and that has according to JLo dropped off along with wanting to get more offensive. Acres is a winger. It didnt affect our personnel for the Bombers game whereas dropping Acres would have.

 

[G Mus]

Why? Conca is a defender and that has according to JLo dropped off along with wanting to get more offensive. Acres is a winger. It didnt affect our personnel for the Bombers game whereas dropping Acres would have.

They square pegged Tucker back when he could have played Acres role

 

[Freoforever86]

They square pegged Tucker back when he could have played Acres role

exactly. Was the flow on effect.

 

[wild side]

Conca's kicking has been bad recently, and Cameron would've kicked 6 on him.
I'm no Acres fan boi, but he's been pretty good lately.
Certainly has held his place imo

 

[Ge3ks]

I'm no Acres fan boi, but he's been pretty good lately.

Yeah he has been solid enough. His larger body helps a lot. A physical presence that brings more balance to our relatively young and scrawny squad.

 

[DragoDelph]

It would be interesting to see if Acres can get 12 months of footy into himself, how he goes.
If he does actually shirk the contest as posited, or if he is currently lacking confidence in his own body.

 

[Freoforever86]

Conca's kicking has been bad recently, and Cameron would've kicked 6 on him.
I'm no Acres fan boi, but he's been pretty good lately.
Certainly has held his place imo

Conca has the 4th best kicking efficiency in the side at 80.4%

overall disposal efficiency of 83.1%

edit - that includes Hamlings 1 game, so he’s really 3rd

 

[Taylor]

Conca has the 4th best kicking efficiency in the side at 80.4%

overall disposal efficiency of 83.1%

edit - that includes Hamlings 1 game, so he’s really 3rd

If you can kick longer than 40m, you never need to actually hit a target or have your team retain possession of the ball to have 100% disposal efficiency. As long as the opposition don't directly mark it, you're good.

Plus you can kick sideways.

The stat I'm most interested in is whether the next possession is also retained.

Conca > kick > we keep the ball > disposal > we also keep the ball.

That's going to tell whether a player uses it well, since we can also have players with 100% efficiency who sell their team mates into trouble with bad decisions or loopy ball movement.

But I don't have easy access to that stat

 

[wild side]

Yeah, I'm with Taylor.
He does short kicks, and often sideways. Don't like his kicking game
Ryan kicks long and well, he opens up the forward's. We've missed him, don't think we miss conca much

 

[Shaymuhz]

 

[mattis117]

Conca has the 4th best kicking efficiency in the side at 80.4%

overall disposal efficiency of 83.1%

edit - that includes Hamlings 1 game, so he’s really 3rd

Rubbish stat because it doesn't give any information of the difficulty of the kick attempted.

 

[wayToGo_]

Nice of the WA media to notice... It's been a long journey, I'd like to thank every one for all their support.

 

[SiempreFreo]

Nice of the WA media to notice... It's been a long journey, I'd like to thank every one for all their support.

View attachment 1132420

As UK comic Harry Secombe once said, "Thanks for your support, Perth - I shall always wear it!"

 

[SiempreFreo]

And not only but also: credit where due to Paul Haselby. Often found him an annoying media voice but his article in today's West, "Coach Woes a Load of Cap" I reckon is spot on.

 

[Freoforever86]

Rubbish stat because it doesn't give any information of the difficulty of the kick attempted.

its not a rubbish stat, cause the previous posted said his kicking was trash lately.

Conca isn’t the player we want kicking the ball for the tough kick. His job is to get it to that player, and judging by his disposal efficiency, he is

 

[wild side]

its not a rubbish stat, cause the previous posted said his kicking was trash lately.

Conca isn’t the player we want kicking the ball for the tough kick. His job is to get it to that player, and judging by his disposal efficiency, he is

I don't agree, I don't want Conca distributing from the defensive 50 at all. Handball no probs, but kicking is not a strong point of his game.
Ryan very good kick, even Cox isn't bad. Wilson is good for the free wheeling attack from the back half.
Conca just needs to keep his man quiet, which he didn't do.
He's not a good kick.

 

[Taylor]

Conca works hard to provide an option, takes the mark, holds it, holds it, hooooooooolds it and then kicks either long down the line or across to the player standing at CHB in 30m of space.

Now they have said that the coach told them to hold the ball movement up a bit so they can get some structure in front of the ball, so it's not just a Conca thing.