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Please be nice guys

One of the many supporters who are complacent and get more joy seeing Bailey Banfield as Captain Starlight on social media than seeing this club achieve any on-field success. They probably think Fyfe is still captain.

This is why we're going nowhere.
 
We’re meant to have won a premiership by the end of this year. Don’t think that’s going to happen at this rate
 

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I get that the game has changed and all that blah blah blah

But this idea of “let’s get in a circle and say how sad we are that we lost while Pearce plays guitar or whatever” strategy isn’t working

Players need some tough love
It's not just the game it's society as a whole. We live in a time where young people are coddled rather than challenged and it completely saps any notion of resilience and the ability to overcome hardship. They don't need to be stripped naked and whipped with burlap sacks but sometimes confrontation is necessary. call it a boomer take or whatever but young men thrive when they're challenged, you just have to look at how effective that approach was with the Saints. If someone did that at Freo I reckon half the squad would take mental health days.
 
It's not just the game it's society as a whole. We live in a time where young people are coddled rather than challenged and it completely saps any notion of resilience and the ability to overcome hardship. They don't need to be stripped naked and whipped with burlap sacks but sometimes confrontation is necessary. call it a boomer take or whatever but young men thrive when they're challenged, you just have to look at how effective that approach was with the Saints. If someone did that at Freo I reckon half the squad would take mental health days.
I’ve been pretty critical of this notion for a long time but this is the first time I’ve found myself agreeing with it.

Like even the way they spoke after the Adelaide game made it seem like they’ve never held each other accountable, never challenged each other. Like they were afraid someone would get upset otherwise and that week was the first time they all put on their big boy shoes and just cop whatever criticism they needed to.

Im over this whole “reading the room” thing JL always talks about. You’re grown men. Professional athletes. You shouldn’t need a cuddle and an “it’s ok you tried your best” after every loss.
 
I’ve been pretty critical of this notion for a long time but this is the first time I’ve found myself agreeing with it.

Like even the way they spoke after the Adelaide game made it seem like they’ve never held each other accountable, never challenged each other. Like they were afraid someone would get upset otherwise and that week was the first time they all put on their big boy shoes and just cop whatever criticism they needed to.

Im over this whole “reading the room” thing JL always talks about. You’re grown men. Professional athletes. You shouldn’t need a cuddle and an “it’s ok you tried your best” after every loss.
Right? It’s literally all you have to do for your obscenely great salaries. Front up and do what’s required. If they can’t, or don’t want to, that’s on leadership. Hold them accountable. Show them the consequences of their inaction.
 
The last few years with Ross were putrid, at least this list has shown it is much better than that.
Is it? That game is as bad as anything I’ve ever seen under the end of Ross.

The last few years under Ross, they were just shit…. they tried but weren’t very good.

That last night was uncompetitive, and not because they aren’t very good, but because they didn’t bother trying. That’s so much worse than anything under Ross…

I’d trade JLo for Ross in a heartbeat.
 

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Is it? That game is as bad as anything I’ve ever seen under the end of Ross.

The last few years under Ross, they were just shit…. they tried but weren’t very good.

That last night was uncompetitive, and not because they aren’t very good, but because they didn’t bother trying. That’s so much worse than anything under Ross…

I’d trade JLo for Ross in a heartbeat.
Apart from the Geelong game where they kicked 20 goals in a row
 
ONE of the things that gets me is that after the Melbourne loss and last night, in the player interviews, both Switta and Ryan said, and I'm paraphrasing ' coming into the game we knew they we strong in X,Y and Z and would look to shut down our A,B,C. Unfortunately they beat us by being really strong in X,Y and Z and we just couldn't get our A,B,C going.'
We actually know what the opposition is going to do and can't stop it.
Mentally, we're a million miles off it. We have no idea what the mental fortitude level required is to win.
JLo saw no signs during the week. Let me tell you, they were there. He just has no idea what to look for.
 
ONE of the things that gets me is that after the Melbourne loss and last night, in the player interviews, both Switta and Ryan said, and I'm paraphrasing ' coming into the game we knew they we strong in X,Y and Z and would look to shut down our A,B,C. Unfortunately they beat us by being really strong in X,Y and Z and we just couldn't get our A,B,C going.'
We actually know what the opposition is going to do and can't stop it.
Mentally, we're a million miles off it. We have no idea what the mental fortitude level required is to win.
JLo saw no signs during the week. Let me tell you, they were there. He just has no idea what to look for.
Wish the attention turned to the players and not the coach. Show some fuken balls and back your team mates when they’re getting manhandled all night long. Where’s the mongrel smack a few heads don’t let the oppo get away with it. We are very soft and that’s on the players. Captain needs to show a bit of emotion on the field when things aren’t going well. He says nothing looks like a deer in the headlights.
 
Apart from the Geelong game where they kicked 20 goals in a row
Somehow this game felt worse… we were a crap team with zero expectations to win… it was shit, but no one cared…
This was a game we were favourites in, on prime time, with a list people think can contend.
The context makes this loss far worse.
 
Yes but Brodie is only good with clearances. What does that offer our team right now? And how does it fit into game plan A?
Did you see the clearances last night? This season? It's almost taking superhuman efforts by Brayshaw and Serong (also tagged heavily). With no Hayden Young and no other midfielder able to help it's not working..
 
Somehow this game felt worse… we were a crap team with zero expectations to win… it was shit, but no one cared…
This was a game we were favourites in, on prime time, with a list people think can contend.
The context makes this loss far worse.
Talk about contending. Tossage at the beginning of the season said WC is closer to a flag now than Freo and everyone laughed. Looking at the current lists, WC future draft hands I think he may be right as this list won’t win a flag as they aren’t tough enough
 

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I made the decision to travel to Melbourne to watch us play the Demons at the MCG instead of St Kilda.

Imagine telling me I made the right decision immediately after the Demons game?

My VENT is... is anyone going to travel to watch this team anymore? I don't even want to watch them play against Collingwood on the TV (I will) let alone spend a dollar more to watch players who get paid 3x to 10x as much as me running around, half invested in the outcome as I am.

The trust with the supporter base, is surely broken now?
 
Talk about contending. Tossage at the beginning of the season said WC is closer to a flag now than Freo and everyone laughed. Looking at the current lists, WC future draft hands I think he may be right as this list won’t win a flag as they aren’t tough enough

McQualter is the first senior coach who played under Ross. That's a danger sign already.
 
Gotta be honest: I might have to check out (#eco) for a while. It's just no longer fun, I'm not getting anything out of following Freo anymore and I have a newborn at home and priorities elsewhere and I don’t want to be a miserable bastard because my weekend interests are bringing my mood down.

Whilst we have Longmuir and a list who seemingly couldn't give 2 f***s I don't see it getting better, have to take a sanity break. Hopefully the board make some tough and smart decisions in the near future and my interest can re-stoke but until then I may save my footy for passing interests in local teams, better stories and better footy.

Seriously, what the f*** are we doing?
 
Did you see the clearances last night? This season? It's almost taking superhuman efforts by Brayshaw and Serong (also tagged heavily). With no Hayden Young and no other midfielder able to help it's not working..

Exactly, bring in Brodie, and get rid of Longmuir.
Simples.
I'd give Rawlings a crack personally, he's coached SANFL, he could be another Chris Scott.
You don't know, till you don't know.
And my memberships are in the bin if Longmuir is still there next season
 
Nothing excuses this team's constant failure to show up in big games, nor their tendency to wilt entirely under any frontal pressure. Our game completely falls apart against any mildly co-ordinated and sustained defensive system that involves closing space in front of the ball carrier.

Either the captain or the coach has to fall on their sword. This is clearly a leadership failing, these guys do not care for nor understand the emotional burden the last 31 years has placed on the supporter base. Being a Freo supporter is like being stuck in Pergatory for eternity.
 

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