Uncharted territory

[gungho]

Guys and girls. Everyone here is a passionate Freo supporter and this is a very exciting year. From our entire list, I can only think of two (very small) weaknesses right now. Nick Suban, who gets pinged for holding the ball a bit and sometimes goes quiet in games, and Paul Duffield, who has had a bit of a slow start to the year.
Every other player is performing at their optimum level. (Or close to).
They say that premierships are won by the strength of your bottom six players, and I can't really identify the bottom six. We have winners on every line.
I have been a passionate Freo supporter from the start and we have come a long way. I can not remember a time in the entire history of the club where we have fielded such a strong team.
Basically, we are in unchartered territory.

 

[clogged]

I reckon at least half a dozen players can play better.

-Ballantyne has been OK, but quiet in front of goals. Still struggles to perform away from Subi
-Barlow's form has been patchy
-Hill has been good but he has kicked less often than you would like. He is well below last year for inside 50s.
-Mayne has been better than 2014, but not quite at 2013 levels
-Sandilands has been consistent but not torn apart a game in the ruck like he used to (may not be able to anymore, also may not need him to)
-Sutcliffe hasn't really been involved in many scoring chains from defence (possibly because the side concedes so few shots at goal)
-Taberner could hold more marks

 

[HowieD]

I can not remember a time in the entire history of the club where we have fielded such a strong team.
Basically, we are in unchartered territory.

2013. Don't get over-excited yet.

 

[JamFrank]

all that matters is the shape we're in come finals. we may be in uncharted* territory, but we know where the destination is, it just depends how many hits we take along the way.

 

[clivenator26]

Injuries will come, just hopefully none serious and none to the big guns.

Our draw has been hard on paper but you could argue we've been lucky to play the good teams at home.

I still think we're chasing the Hawks and Sydney would be on par, but the more we win the better we all feel.

 

[masai]

How can we go into uncharted territory without our anchor ?.

 

[holy diver]

Like Captain Kirk in uncharted territory the first priority is always finding the green women.

 

[gungho]

2013. Don't get over-excited yet.

I think this year is quite a bit different to 2013. Had a fair few injuries in 2013. Also, probably were not playing as well as we are now. (Zac Clarke then and now for example) Only really got a chance to get in the grand final after an amazing win in a final away against Geelong.

 

[freoextra]

I reckon at least half a dozen players can play better.

-Ballantyne has been OK, but quiet in front of goals. Still struggles to perform away from Subi
-Barlow's form has been patchy
-Hill has been good but he has kicked less often than you would like. He is well below last year for inside 50s.
-Mayne has been better than 2014, but not quite at 2013 levels
-Sandilands has been consistent but not torn apart a game in the ruck like he used to (may not be able to anymore, also may not need him to)
-Sutcliffe hasn't really been involved in many scoring chains from defence (possibly because the side concedes so few shots at goal)
-Taberner could hold more marks

Think Sandilands reduced role is partly due to the emergence of Clarke (finally) as a real alternative option. It is very important that Clarke is playing consistent footy now as we all remember his stinker of a GF.
Taberner is the one I really agree with. So frustrating that he is so easily out positioned by some key defenders. Yes, he is very important to structure and a important part of the future but he is my pick for the one that might struggle if we get to a GF.

 

[ydraw]

Taberner is the one I really agree with. So frustrating that he is so easily out positioned by some key defenders. Yes, he is very important to structure and a important part of the future but he is my pick for the one that might struggle if we get to a GF.

So we can get destroyed by the spare key defender like last time?

 

[freoextra]

So we can get destroyed by the spare key defender like last time?

Hey, its not like I want it to happen, but Taberner has a lot to learn and possibly weight to put on before I think he might be reliable in a GF.

I also think part of the problem you refer to was due to the awful performances of Mayne and Clarke on the day. Mayne's performance was a surprise after a very good year but Clarke was just yuk - but signs are good this year.

 

[ydraw]

I also think part of the problem you refer to was due to the awful performances of Mayne and Clarke on the day. Mayne's performance was a surprise after a very good year but Clarke was just yuk - but signs are good this year.

Nah. The problem is that we played 1 too few tall forwards, which meant that they had a tall defender spare to do what he liked.

That is why Taberner is in the team and will remain in the team until such time as we find a tall who is better.

As long as Taberner is drawing a tall defender then he is doing his job. If his marking becomes so bad that teams feel comfortable playing small defenders on him then he has a problem, otherwise he's fine.

This is why Chris Mayne couldn't do the job. He's simply not tall enough, and opposition sides would just play a small defender on him and double-team Pavlich.

 

[beetz]

Having no injuries is the calm before the storm.

 

[Mr Fonebone]

It is interesting to look back at all the past players and speculate which ones would get a game in our side at present. I cant think of many:

Paul Haselby for Nick Suban
Justin Longmuir for Matt Taberner
Roger Hayden for Paul Duffield

Can't think of too many more. Bell would add nothing that Lachie Neale does'nt provide. ditto with Farmer in relation to Walters/Ballantyne.

The less said about Parker and McManus the better. Perhaps Ben Allan? Would you have Clive instead of Mayne?

 

[go_the_dockers]

Nah. The problem is that we played 1 too few tall forwards, which meant that they had a tall defender spare to do what he liked.

That is why Taberner is in the team and will remain in the team until such time as we find a tall who is better.

As long as Taberner is drawing a tall defender then he is doing his job. If his marking becomes so bad that teams feel comfortable playing small defenders on him then he has a problem, otherwise he's fine.

This is why Chris Mayne couldn't do the job. He's simply not tall enough, and opposition sides would just play a small defender on him and double-team Pavlich.

Guys 10 goals in 7 games as a roaming centre half forward, who opens up the space for Clarke, Pav and co is great. He will not be dropped.

 

[ydraw]

It is interesting to look back at all the past players and speculate which ones would get a game in our side at present. I cant think of many:

Paul Haselby for Nick Suban
Justin Longmuir for Matt Taberner
Roger Hayden for Paul Duffield

Can't think of too many more. Bell would add nothing that Lachie Neale does'nt provide. ditto with Farmer in relation to Walters/Ballantyne.

The less said about Parker and McManus the better. Perhaps Ben Allan? Would you have Clive instead of Mayne?

Farmer, Waterhouse and Modra would be certain starters. Longmuir would replace Zac Clarke.

 

[FreoRicci]

Farmer, Waterhouse and Modra would be certain starters. Longmuir would replace Zac Clarke.

Can I go as far back to add someone like Clem Michael? Geez he was a genuine tap ruckman and would be tailor made for today's game, pity that shocking knee injury. Simmonds was pretty handy back then, just was used too often as a forward rather then ruck. Luckily Clarke has the right balance. Farmer in for Ballas for me, more consistent, can mark well and having the midfield we have now would set him up beautifully. Under Ross we just simply stuck players to their natural positions and hardly any radical changes like in the past.

 

[FreoRicci]

I think this year is quite a bit different to 2013. Had a fair few injuries in 2013. Also, probably were not playing as well as we are now. (Zac Clarke then and now for example) Only really got a chance to get in the grand final after an amazing win in a final away against Geelong.

Ibbotson and Clancee out was huge in the end. Gunston was their third tall which Duffield didn't do a thing at all on. Like Lake, Ibbotson would've been handy as spare down back.

 

[freoextra]

Guys 10 goals in 7 games as a roaming centre half forward, who opens up the space for Clarke, Pav and co is great. He will not be dropped.

No one is looking at him being dropped as we all acknowledge his importance to our structure.

More we are talking about the frustration that he is easily outbodied by more senior defenders and is failing to clunk a lot of marks he should take. I was pointing out that this type of vunerability really shows up in the pressure of finals and especially the Grand Final.

Having said all the above, he is developing at the same speed as Clarke and Sandi did when it comes to marking but unfortunately we all hope to be playing the the GF this year and he may not be ready imo.

 

[freoextra]

It is interesting to look back at all the past players and speculate which ones would get a game in our side at present. I cant think of many:

Paul Haselby for Nick Suban
Justin Longmuir for Matt Taberner
Roger Hayden for Paul Duffield

Can't think of too many more. Bell would add nothing that Lachie Neale does'nt provide. ditto with Farmer in relation to Walters/Ballantyne.

The less said about Parker and McManus the better. Perhaps Ben Allan? Would you have Clive instead of Mayne?

Ben Allan was all quality, not that we got to see much of it, even Peter Mann was a good CHF who could be considered.

Can't believe you have dished Parker! played on talls, shorts, quicks and the massive. Always held his man and was regularly referred to by opposition as one of the hardest to get away from.

His kicking from full back, however, should never have been allowed!!

 

[Tbonefreo]

Adelaide are always hard to beat. I wouldnt be putting this down as a sure winner. No weeks are. Still suffering from FDPTSD.

 

[clogged]

Can I go as far back to add someone like Clem Michael? Geez he was a genuine tap ruckman and would be tailor made for today's game, pity that shocking knee injury. Simmonds was pretty handy back then, just was used too often as a forward rather then ruck. Luckily Clarke has the right balance. Farmer in for Ballas for me, more consistent, can mark well and having the midfield we have now would set him up beautifully. Under Ross we just simply stuck players to their natural positions and hardly any radical changes like in the past.

Clem was pretty undersized for a ruck in his time and would be even more undersized now.

 

[crowls bowels]

Heh. I was just thinking of Clive. His "random number generator" effect might have be handy come finals time.

 

[Freo88]

The OP's point about the good sides having a solid bottom 6 i think is a good call.

If your looking at the good sides, i think to analyse the bottom 6 of each side is a good start. Of course its debatable but i see our bottom 6 atm in no particular order as follows:

Suban
Tabs
Duffield
Sheridan
Sutcliffe
Clarke

The last player to chuck in there was a bit tough to come up with. Maybe a Danyle Pearce instead of Clarke.

Anyway to answer the OP's question, its probably fair to say we've almost hit unchartered waters with the strength of our bottom 6.

 

[JamFrank]

Suban
Tabs
Duffield
Sheridan
Sutcliffe
Clarke

This is probably true on current form, but only due to issues with consistency. With the exception of maybe Tabs and Sheridan (who are the two most unproven), anyone of these players, on their day, can have a massive impact on the outcome of a game.