Roast Vent Here

[PrancingPony]

Spot on. Why didn’t we even try to bring Simpson in as an assistant after he was sacked by WC? Scott isn’t too arrogant to bring in someone like Bucks to help out.

Our coaching staff is literally a bunch of no names, and our greatest ever player now works for Sydney.

You watch your mouth calling big Sammy Naismith a no namer.

 

[TimN2]

This seems like as good a place as any for me to get this off my chest.

I am no fan of the Opening Round idea, but I just can't wrap my head around how it is some kind of excuse for the Fremantle result on weekend. Any other week of the year, the team that has had to travel and play a full game in the Queensland humidity the week before is the one that's going to struggle to play the game out. And the team that has just come of months of preparing for this game should be the one that finishes stronger. Surely?!

But apparently the coach wants to talk about it?! Take the L and shut up about it, because the way that game went says more about our preparation (mental, physical and strategic) than it does about stupid fixturing.

 

[swanny1234]

This seems like as good a place as any for me to get this off my chest.

I am no fan of the Opening Round idea, but I just can't wrap my head around how it is some kind of excuse for the Fremantle result on weekend. Any other week of the year, the team that has had to travel and play a full game in the Queensland humidity the week before is the one that's going to struggle to play the game out. And the team that has just come of months of preparing for this game should be the one that finishes stronger. Surely?!

But apparently the coach wants to talk about it?! Take the L and shut up about it, because the way that game went says more about our preparation (mental, physical and strategic) than it does about stupid fixturing.

You sir speak too much common sense for this discussion. You need to get the memo… - when we lose it’s never our fault and the coach is absolutely never to blame, it’s always some external factor, vic bias, fixturing, AFL conspiracy etc.

I’m sure some here would blame Trumps war on Iran for a loss before they’d hold our coach and players at all accountable.

 

[Mogumber]

He was asked, and he gave his response.
I think he was right to bring it up in the PC after the game.
Still should've won the game though, no doubt.
Selection mistakes were made as well, no doubt

 

[EastcoastDocker]

What is with our forwards and trying to kick drop punts tight on the boundary line?? Voss 2 on the weekend, sure he can complain that he felt one went in but you arent going to get the benefit of the doubt on that angle.. Amiss often goes the drop punt too, Treacy as well... its infuriating. For most forwards nowadays thats a regulation snap now because they train it so much. meanwhile guys who struggle to kick it on a 45deg angle are trying to thread the eye of the needle.

 

[Midnite65]

This seems like as good a place as any for me to get this off my chest.

I am no fan of the Opening Round idea, but I just can't wrap my head around how it is some kind of excuse for the Fremantle result on weekend. Any other week of the year, the team that has had to travel and play a full game in the Queensland humidity the week before is the one that's going to struggle to play the game out. And the team that has just come of months of preparing for this game should be the one that finishes stronger. Surely?!

But apparently the coach wants to talk about it?! Take the L and shut up about it, because the way that game went says more about our preparation (mental, physical and strategic) than it does about stupid fixturing.

He didn't use it as an excuse for the loss as people like Hardie have called out but just answered a question. We are a team that gets no concessions and is forgotten constantly by the AFL so every opportunity that we have to point out the inadequacies of what is still a biased Victorian comp need to be used. Just as a small example, if Round 0 was not played why would we have to endure Richmond vs Carlton as the first game of every year. They will say tradition, but it should be the AFL setting new traditions as a truly national comp and not the VFL and why wouldn't you have the GF replay held on the MCG as the first game every year??

 

[Spirit Level]

This seems like as good a place as any for me to get this off my chest.

I am no fan of the Opening Round idea, but I just can't wrap my head around how it is some kind of excuse for the Fremantle result on weekend. Any other week of the year, the team that has had to travel and play a full game in the Queensland humidity the week before is the one that's going to struggle to play the game out. And the team that has just come of months of preparing for this game should be the one that finishes stronger. Surely?!

But apparently the coach wants to talk about it?! Take the L and shut up about it, because the way that game went says more about our preparation (mental, physical and strategic) than it does about stupid fixturing.

Nah ok I get where you're coming from, and we still should have won that game, but...

He was 100% right to call out that horseshit, it's about time someone did it. You just accept it and it'll keep happening, it's such a BS concept.

 

[dockerfemme]

He didn't use it as an excuse for the loss as people like Hardie have called out but just answered a question. We are a team that gets no concessions and is forgotten constantly by the AFL so every opportunity that we have to point out the inadequacies of what is still a biased Victorian comp need to be used. Just as a small example, if Round 0 was not played why would we have to endure Richmond vs Carlton as the first game of every year. They will say tradition, but it should be the AFL setting new traditions as a truly national comp and not the VFL and why wouldn't you have the GF replay held on the MCG as the first game every year??

The stupid thing about Richmond v Carlton is that it is a ‘tradition’ created less than 20 years ago when we had a 16 team competition. It has rarely delivered good games. I feel it has contributed to the creation of Round 0 as it is a ‘tradition’ that has served the AFL poorly.

I feel the losing prelim finalists as season opener would nearly always deliver a good game. I feel a gf replay maybe has the potential to remove some glory from the reigning premiers. Maybe a gf replay could become a tradition for the Easter weekend or similar.

 

[PrancingPony]

I think the timing of Longmuir's comments on Opening Round is leading people to believe he's making excuses, which he isn't. We can acknowledge our team's own flaws and faults while still recognising the unfair advantage that Opening Round provides. It's a nuanced situation.

 

[ImperialPurple]

I think our list is over-rated. The 'experts' suggesting it's our year are seeing something I'm definitely not.

I said what I said.

 

[jerms]

This seems like as good a place as any for me to get this off my chest.

I am no fan of the Opening Round idea, but I just can't wrap my head around how it is some kind of excuse for the Fremantle result on weekend. Any other week of the year, the team that has had to travel and play a full game in the Queensland humidity the week before is the one that's going to struggle to play the game out. And the team that has just come of months of preparing for this game should be the one that finishes stronger. Surely?!

But apparently the coach wants to talk about it?! Take the L and shut up about it, because the way that game went says more about our preparation (mental, physical and strategic) than it does about stupid fixturing.

I think the gripe about facing three opening round teams in three years is valid, but it should have been mentioned by the CEO pre-game during the week, not by the coach after-the-fact. At that point, it simply looks like a cop-out... particularly when we got the jump on them early.

 

[BREATHLESS_987]

I don't know if this is a vent, or belongs in the match review, or just got lost in the R1/OR discussion wash up - but as beautifully described by Smurf_X in their review thread on reddit (well worth reading) - this is just abysmal reading

Fourth Quarter stats from some of our leaders, when the game was there to be won -

Brayshaw 1 handball, 2 tackles
Switta 0 disposals, 0 tackles
Treacy 1 handball, 1 tackle
Young 0 disposals, 0 tackles

 

[dockerfemme]

I don't know if this is a vent, or belongs in the match review, or just got lost in the R1/OR discussion wash up - but as beautifully described by Smurf_X in their review thread on reddit (well worth reading) - this is just abysmal reading

Fourth Quarter stats from some of our leaders, when the game was there to be won -

Brayshaw 1 handball, 2 tackles
Switta 0 disposals, 0 tackles
Treacy 1 handball, 1 tackle
Young 0 disposals, 0 tackles

Awful stats. Brayshaw had a shocker and my guess is he was carrying an injury. Switta poor all game and underdone. Young good early but dropped off badly (like most) and underdone. Treacy good early, dropped off but maybe limited opportunity.

The degree we dropped off physically is worrying. I will be watching carefully the next couple of weeks.

 

[Spirit Level]

Supposed to fly to the UK on the 2nd April to go to my uncles wedding but some ****ing morons keep lobbing missiles at each other,

Guess I'll go **** myself

 

[Quazar2]

I think our list is over-rated. The 'experts' suggesting it's our year are seeing something I'm definitely not.

I said what I said.

It's too early to tell. I think the overreaction of just 1 loss is pretty telling of what we're gonna get from the same posters that bark out the same overblown rhetoric/agendas every year, that's probably the most predictable thing right now.

It's interesting that Chris Scott was so enraged that he gave a bake that Geelong players stated as one of the worst they've ever seen him/encountered. Is that the main difference between a coach VERY capable, but slightly on the edge, and one, also good, somewhat capable.....but a bit more vanilla. A bit more bland?! It certainly feels like it played a part in this encounter.

I think it was the Saints game in Round 8 last season where he (Longmuir) was "pleading with them" at 3 quarter time or whatever it was. You know the Chris Scotts of this world wouldn't be out there pleading but baking the f*** out of them and making them play like lives depended on it. I think that's the main glaring difference for me.

Selections at times feel compromised and based on the coach's rigid philosophies/stubbornness and maybe even lack of clarity and it was obviously a mistake to play Darcy over M. Cox in my opinion; in fact I do think Darcy is a monumental disappointment trajectory-wise. I would have traded him 2 years ago personally, I compare him to Gawn and although Gawn is A Grader in all aspects, he matches big and tough physicality with genuine agility and ability. He has the perfect blend of what your modern ruck needs to be I feel, and I appreciate they don't grow on trees - but, BUT...Darcy just doesn't feel like that kind of talent, Darcy is too lumbering and limited and because injuries are creeping in, his body is all over the place. He's trimmed down, and credit to him, but he just doesn't look impactful out there much (whether that's injury related etc), as E Shed has stated previously. I agree with it.

You put a M. Gawn type in this team, I think it is top 2 bound. But again, is it the coach?! Or are the players just not able to elevate?

There's weird things too. Jackson is meant to be a midfielder this year and comes out at opening bounce as a ruck and plays ruck for the next however many minutes. Erm, where is Darcy, the number 1 ruck that the club is so desperately trying to get back to playing?! Clearly not fit enough to start on severely limited minutes it appears. It just feels like robbing Peter to pay Uncle Pauline. Some things reek of desperation, let's squeeze Darcy in this team because he's perceived best 23. I think 'best 23' is a myth, because it rotates from week to week. Players lose form, some never regain it; some players get surprise call ups and elevate, some come out of nowhere like the Flash and kick the fluck out of the competition. If the principle applies that Ryan isn't fit enough to play, then it should be the same for Darcy. And anyone else. Select your best 23 M.AS.K. agents best suited for this mission. If you know that reference, ya know!

That's what my worry is. The coach is a good bloke, and that's fine. But the club needs to be ruthless af to win this competition, I'm not sure it really knows how to be when all's said and done. They've allowed 7 years of this more passive-type coach to shuffle the cards and meander along for just 2 finals appearances, and he'll always be good enough to rack up 15/16 wins, some where the team made it look harder than it needed to be and some quite inspiring ones like beating the Pies over there and GC away/Geelong in 2022, Dees etc. But beyond that, can he take that next step?! Can he really, because his body language in interviews is as awkward, off-putting and stuttery as it was back in 2019/20, when he was a rookie coach. I mean, jeez, that "vanilla remark' last year was a real stinker of a faux pas.

I'm not personally convinced. He has 2026 to prove the likes of me (a bit more neutral) and his more ardent haters wrong I suppose.

I still think Freo won't win a flag, because the cards are too stacked against the club, for so many reasons, irrespective of who is coach - and I know that's quite cynical, but still, facts are facts. But I do think a Chris Scott, a Horse or someone akin would give it a really solid crack with this team. Right now! they just seem a bit more hard-edged than Justin, and hell - even Ross was back in his prime, but he just coasted along after 2015. He got left behind in the shuffle when rule changes meant coaches needed to adapt and become more 'offensive', Justin is in danger of repeating history.

It's too soft and lacking in tough psychology to impose itself for mine as it stands, we have a body of evidence to tell us that from the previous 3 seasons. I feel a lot of that stems from the coach and the players echo that mentality. Defend the lead, slow it down etc. Scrape over the line. We never gut teams, not even the poorer ones. Or if it happens, it's really rare. West Coast do NOT count; everyone guts them.

I'm just not convinced, I think Garlick and co are like Mulder, they want to believe, because they've sold that dream. To themselves, the shareholders; the fans and the public at large. Just not sure it's a reflection of reality.

Sorry for the long-assed ramble reply. Shucks

 

[Quazar2]

I suppose it's the Vent thread so I'm in the right place!!!

 

[chaosball32]

I don't know if this is a vent, or belongs in the match review, or just got lost in the R1/OR discussion wash up - but as beautifully described by Smurf_X in their review thread on reddit (well worth reading) - this is just abysmal reading

Fourth Quarter stats from some of our leaders, when the game was there to be won -

Brayshaw 1 handball, 2 tackles
Switta 0 disposals, 0 tackles
Treacy 1 handball, 1 tackle
Young 0 disposals, 0 tackles

Love Smurfs work but I did have a bit of a gripe when they said something along the lines of “no we didn’t start losing clearances when Darcy was rucking” which I think anyone watching the game could’ve told you was untrue but the stats prove it.

Ruck contests:

Q1 - Jackson 23, Darcy 10

Q2 - Jackson 7, Darcy 19

Q3 - Jackson 15, Darcy 6

Q4 - Jackson 5, Darcy 3

Clearance count:

Q1 - Fremantle 16, Geelong 10

Q2 - Fremantle 9, Geelong 11

Q3 - Fremantle 10, Geelong 6

Q4 - Fremantle 7, Geelong 1

Every quarter Jackson rucked the majority of we dominated clearances, the one quarter we lost the clearance count was the quarter Darcy rucked 75% of.

He’s all good and well winning the taps but once the ball hits the ground and is back in open play Darcy is effectively useless.

I know it seems like I’m singling out Darcy and obviously he was far from the only one who had a bad game but I reckon it might be the worst selection call JL has ever made, and that’s saying something.

 

[PrancingPony]

Love Smurfs work but I did have a bit of a gripe when they said something along the lines of “no we didn’t start losing clearances when Darcy was rucking” which I think anyone watching the game could’ve told you was untrue but the stats prove it.

Ruck contests:

Q1 - Jackson 23, Darcy 10

Q2 - Jackson 7, Darcy 19

Q3 - Jackson 15, Darcy 6

Q4 - Jackson 5, Darcy 3

Clearance count:

Q1 - Fremantle 16, Geelong 10

Q2 - Fremantle 9, Geelong 11

Q3 - Fremantle 10, Geelong 6

Q4 - Fremantle 7, Geelong 1

Every quarter Jackson rucked the majority of we dominated clearances, the one quarter we lost the clearance count was the quarter Darcy rucked 75% of.

He’s all good and well winning the taps but once the ball hits the ground and is back in open play Darcy is effectively useless.

I know it seems like I’m singling out Darcy and obviously he was far from the only one who had a bad game but I reckon it might be the worst selection call JL has ever made, and that’s saying something.

I think that's just a result of the Reddit contingent of fans avoiding being overly negative at all costs, Smurf does phenomenal work over there but they like a fair amount of Freo fans on Reddit just seem to tune out negativity and criticisms for the sake of focusing on the positives. I get it to an extent, I try not to focus on the negatives, but ignoring them completely isn't the way.

 

[GingerDocker]

Love Smurfs work but I did have a bit of a gripe when they said something along the lines of “no we didn’t start losing clearances when Darcy was rucking” which I think anyone watching the game could’ve told you was untrue but the stats prove it.

Ruck contests:

Q1 - Jackson 23, Darcy 10

Q2 - Jackson 7, Darcy 19

Q3 - Jackson 15, Darcy 6

Q4 - Jackson 5, Darcy 3

Clearance count:

Q1 - Fremantle 16, Geelong 10

Q2 - Fremantle 9, Geelong 11

Q3 - Fremantle 10, Geelong 6

Q4 - Fremantle 7, Geelong 1

Every quarter Jackson rucked the majority of we dominated clearances, the one quarter we lost the clearance count was the quarter Darcy rucked 75% of.

He’s all good and well winning the taps but once the ball hits the ground and is back in open play Darcy is effectively useless.

I know it seems like I’m singling out Darcy and obviously he was far from the only one who had a bad game but I reckon it might be the worst selection call JL has ever made, and that’s saying something.

So we won the clearances by a greater margin in the second half?

That's an insane stat. Should the forward line be under the microscope more than what I'd originally thought?

 

[chaosball32]

I think that's just a result of the Reddit contingent of fans avoiding being overly negative at all costs, Smurf does phenomenal work over there but they like a fair amount of Freo fans on Reddit just seem to tune out negativity and criticisms for the sake of focusing on the positives. I get it to an extent, I try not to focus on the negatives, but ignoring them completely isn't the way.

Yeah I don’t bother engaging with the Freo subreddit anymore, it is virtually impossible to have any sort of critical discussion about the club on there, the definition of toxic positivity.

I find BF a much better forum to discuss footy with a more diverse range of opinions. Much better moderators too.

 

[Big Animal]

I think the gripe about facing three opening round teams in three years is valid, but it should have been mentioned by the CEO pre-game during the week, not by the coach after-the-fact. At that point, it simply looks like a cop-out... particularly when we got the jump on them early.

It was literally discussed by Garlic in his interview with The West Australian.

seriously wtf

 

[swanny1234]

Supposed to fly to the UK on the 2nd April to go to my uncles wedding but some ****ing morons keep lobbing missiles at each other,

Guess I'll go **** myself

Can you fly through Singapore or Malaysia instead?

 

[PrancingPony]

Yeah I don’t bother engaging with the Freo subreddit anymore, it is virtually impossible to have any sort of critical discussion about the club on there, the definition of toxic positivity.

I find BF a much better forum to discuss footy with a more diverse range of opinions. Much better moderators too.

At the end of the day, we all have different ways of coping with loss, for some reason they choose to go into hyperdrive and be overly positive by pretending nothing's wrong, if it works for them, good for them, not my thing personally, I get it, but not for me.

 

[ImperialPurple]

It's too early to tell. I think the overreaction of just 1 loss is pretty telling of what we're gonna get from the same posters that bark out the same overblown rhetoric/agendas every year, that's probably the most predictable thing right now.

It's interesting that Chris Scott was so enraged that he gave a bake that Geelong players stated as one of the worst they've ever seen him/encountered. Is that the main difference between a coach VERY capable, but slightly on the edge, and one, also good, somewhat capable.....but a bit more vanilla. A bit more bland?! It certainly feels like it played a part in this encounter.

I think it was the Saints game in Round 8 last season where he (Longmuir) was "pleading with them" at 3 quarter time or whatever it was. You know the Chris Scotts of this world wouldn't be out there pleading but baking the f*** out of them and making them play like lives depended on it. I think that's the main glaring difference for me.

Selections at times feel compromised and based on the coach's rigid philosophies/stubbornness and maybe even lack of clarity and it was obviously a mistake to play Darcy over M. Cox in my opinion; in fact I do think Darcy is a monumental disappointment trajectory-wise. I would have traded him 2 years ago personally, I compare him to Gawn and although Gawn is A Grader in all aspects, he matches big and tough physicality with genuine agility and ability. He has the perfect blend of what your modern ruck needs to be I feel, and I appreciate they don't grow on trees - but, BUT...Darcy just doesn't feel like that kind of talent, Darcy is too lumbering and limited and because injuries are creeping in, his body is all over the place. He's trimmed down, and credit to him, but he just doesn't look impactful out there much (whether that's injury related etc), as E Shed has stated previously. I agree with it.

You put a M. Gawn type in this team, I think it is top 2 bound. But again, is it the coach?! Or are the players just not able to elevate?

There's weird things too. Jackson is meant to be a midfielder this year and comes out at opening bounce as a ruck and plays ruck for the next however many minutes. Erm, where is Darcy, the number 1 ruck that the club is so desperately trying to get back to playing?! Clearly not fit enough to start on severely limited minutes it appears. It just feels like robbing Peter to pay Uncle Pauline. Some things reek of desperation, let's squeeze Darcy in this team because he's perceived best 23. I think 'best 23' is a myth, because it rotates from week to week. Players lose form, some never regain it; some players get surprise call ups and elevate, some come out of nowhere like the Flash and kick the fluck out of the competition. If the principle applies that Ryan isn't fit enough to play, then it should be the same for Darcy. And anyone else. Select your best 23 M.AS.K. agents best suited for this mission. If you know that reference, ya know!

That's what my worry is. The coach is a good bloke, and that's fine. But the club needs to be ruthless af to win this competition, I'm not sure it really knows how to be when all's said and done. They've allowed 7 years of this more passive-type coach to shuffle the cards and meander along for just 2 finals appearances, and he'll always be good enough to rack up 15/16 wins, some where the team made it look harder than it needed to be and some quite inspiring ones like beating the Pies over there and GC away/Geelong in 2022, Dees etc. But beyond that, can he take that next step?! Can he really, because his body language in interviews is as awkward, off-putting and stuttery as it was back in 2019/20, when he was a rookie coach. I mean, jeez, that "vanilla remark' last year was a real stinker of a faux pas.

I'm not personally convinced. He has 2026 to prove the likes of me (a bit more neutral) and his more ardent haters wrong I suppose.

I still think Freo won't win a flag, because the cards are too stacked against the club, for so many reasons, irrespective of who is coach - and I know that's quite cynical, but still, facts are facts. But I do think a Chris Scott, a Horse or someone akin would give it a really solid crack with this team. Right now! they just seem a bit more hard-edged than Justin, and hell - even Ross was back in his prime, but he just coasted along after 2015. He got left behind in the shuffle when rule changes meant coaches needed to adapt and become more 'offensive', Justin is in danger of repeating history.

It's too soft and lacking in tough psychology to impose itself for mine as it stands, we have a body of evidence to tell us that from the previous 3 seasons. I feel a lot of that stems from the coach and the players echo that mentality. Defend the lead, slow it down etc. Scrape over the line. We never gut teams, not even the poorer ones. Or if it happens, it's really rare. West Coast do NOT count; everyone guts them.

I'm just not convinced, I think Garlick and co are like Mulder, they want to believe, because they've sold that dream. To themselves, the shareholders; the fans and the public at large. Just not sure it's a reflection of reality.

Sorry for the long-assed ramble reply. Shucks

I'll read this properly later, but my thoughts aren't based off that one game. I've thought throughout the summer that we have a very good, but not great, list. All the pundits saying Freo should / will be playing off in the GF are over-rating our list in my opinion. We're good, but not that good. I hope I'm wrong - maybe it's the 32-year factor, but I don't think we're there. Also, after 6 years, I still don't think JL is the guy.

And to further the vent - my hatred for GC and the concessions they have received, and the fact they've they've gone past us, knows no depths.

 

[dominguez]

I think our list is over-rated. The 'experts' suggesting it's our year are seeing something I'm definitely not.

I said what I said.

The first quarter suggests otherwise.

If not now then when after winning 16 games last year? Cox is 28 this year, Pearce 31 and Luke Ryan just turned 30 and the ret of our tall backs are underwhelming. Davies, Draper and Chapman could possibly have long careers but none of them will ever be A or B graders.