Young Freo will need time..Pav

[spitlizard]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/73910/default.aspx
This article pretty much sums up the way I am feeling this year.
I can't remember the last time I have entered a season so excited yet so composed.

Normally by this time I am overly excited, overly impatient and more importantly overly too confident that it will the year we "kick arse".

This year however I am sooo much more composed and realistic about our season. If we make the finals.....great.......If we blood the newbies and they turn out as fantastic as their early form has shown, then BRING IT ON

Whatever happens, I just would like to see an honest effort week in week out and I will call 2009 a success

 

[sabre_ac]

All the more reason why this is a must win, the young players will be at their best early in the season.

The inevitable fade out of young teams is well documented...We must start well to make the most of this season.

 

[spitlizard]

All the more reason why this is a must win, the young players will be at their best early in the season.

The inevitable fade out of young teams is well documented...We must start well to make the most of this season.

I did expect people would respond like this (all constructive comments are good comments) and I will definitely take all good points on board Sabre.

However this year I have for the first time in a long time with Freo a belief that we have changed, "grown up" so to speak and for that reason alone I am willing to allow the younglings, Harvey and more importantly Freo the time (not too long now ) to get their act together...

 

[sabre_ac]

I did expect people would respond like this (all constructive comments are good comments) and I will definitely take all good points on board Sabre.

However this year I have for the first time in a long time with Freo a belief that we have changed, "grown up" so to speak and for that reason alone I am willing to allow the younglings, Harvey and more importantly Freo the time (not too long now ) to get their act together...

Fully agree

I think its Harvey insisting on drafting players that give it their all and love a good scrap, that has and will make a huge difference

 

[Sandi2Palmer]

From talking to other Freo people it seems most of us are thinking the same thing. Harvey has changed the direction of Freo and must have time. We will win a few this year and some very well. The inevitability of some bad losses is there aswell.
I'm looking to 2010 and 2011 with optimism.

 

[newlander77]

I think he is referring to the Hawthorn like zoning structures the team has adopted. They think it will take them time to get used to it. Remember how long it took Hawthorn to get used to it? Although I think Freo will adapt faster and learn from the mistakes the Hawks made.

With that game style I think guys like Scotty Thornton work well (and I can't stand him). He works good in a zoning situation. It will look horrible at times and in other times it will look incredibly easy.

 

[Sandi2Palmer]

Haydos,Dodd and Grover are the only 3 that don't currently zone in my opinion. McPharlin and MJ should prosper from this style. Both good readers of the play and handy aerialist with great skills. I don't know if Dodd has the smarts to leave his man at the right time though.

 

[BeinPurplenGreen]

All the more reason why this is a must win, the young players will be at their best early in the season.

I think its Harvey insisting on drafting players that give it their all and love a good scrap, that has and will make a huge difference

So explain why Murphy and Head are playing at the expense of Drum, Broughton and Hinkley?? Especially against the Bulldogs, on Subiaco, on a 32+ day??

 

[newlander77]

So explain why Murphy and Head are playing at the expense of Drum, Broughton and Hinkley?? Especially against the Bulldogs, on Subiaco, on a 32+ day??

Google says Perth will be a top of 24 tomorrow, while weather.com.au says 26c.

Hinkley has MAJOR problems atm with his disposal. He finds he footy lots, but he is a turnover king. As for Murphy and Head, your guess is as good as mine!

 

[Ripper]

I expect that this year will be a lot like the most exciting year we have had to date , 2003.

Went in with little expectation , everybody was supportive , we surprised a few including (ourselves) and went perilously close to top 4 even though there were a few disappointing games along the way.

To put it another way there were some high highs and some low lows.

Just remember that when the inevitable low low comes along.

 

[BeinPurplenGreen]

Google says Perth will be a top of 24 tomorrow, while weather.com.au says 26c.

Hinkley has MAJOR problems atm with his disposal. He finds he footy lots, but he is a turnover king. As for Murphy and Head, your guess is as good as mine!

Thanks for the weather update - the Met Bureau was showing a predicted top of 33 when I checked this morning, but I see the forecast is now down to 27 - so who knows, it might even be a bit cooler - especially if the Freo Doctor has kicked in by bouncedown.

Hinkley's disposal might be bad, but it isn't as bad as Murphy's - and he at least gets in, finds the footy and has a go - unlike Murphy. Personally, against the Bullies smallish backline, I'd be playing Grover as FF, or Drum or Dodd at worst. Not Murphy.

 

[brose]

can't believe the tab had us (has us still?) at 2.10 to make the 8 - hopefully they know something i don't.

can't wait to see hill and suban in action & keen to see everyone in the 22 having a real crack.

 

[Docker Dolph]

So explain why Murphy and Head are playing at the expense of Drum, Broughton and Hinkley?? Especially against the Bulldogs, on Subiaco, on a 32+ day??

I agree on Head and would've played Drum myself.

I'd be interested in which of the younger guys you'd have played at FF though? Hinkley for Murphy doesn't make sense.

I agree with the premise of playing the kids, but you also need to pick the best balanced side you can. Hinkley wasn't competing for a spot against Murphy. He was up against anyone you see playing through the middle today.

In that respect I can think of noone I would want out to see Hinkley in.

Like it or not, Murphy is one of our better options as a KPP forward, we have no kids ready for that yet.

 

[BeinPurplenGreen]

I agree on Head and would've played Drum myself.

I'd be interested in which of the younger guys you'd have played at FF though? Hinkley for Murphy doesn't make sense.

I agree with the premise of playing the kids, but you also need to pick the best balanced side you can. Hinkley wasn't competing for a spot against Murphy. He was up against anyone you see playing through the middle today.

In that respect I can think of noone I would want out to see Hinkley in.

Like it or not, Murphy is one of our better options as a KPP forward, we have no kids ready for that yet.

Thanks for asking - though I'm sure everyone's sick of my views by now.

There's this guy called Pav - I reckon I might be playing him at FF, at least some of the time. Hinkley/Broughton would then slot in to the HBF spot occupied by Head and the forward pocket role Pav is named in.

Also Bradley IMHO goes quite well in the square, and even Duffield or Dodd would be options against the small (but fast) Bullies backmen.

Or, given the Bullies are such a small side, you could swing one of Elvis/Groves/MJ forward, and slot Drum/Hinkley/Broughton in down back against the smaller Bullies forward flankers.

Basically, as long as Pav plays, I don't think we need the second traditional key position forward against the Bullies on Subi. I think given Rocket's game plan, it is more important to have speed and stamina across the lines, even at the expense of size. Next week, against Essendon at the Docklands, we may well need a more traditional KPF - but I still wouldn't pick Murphy for that role, I'd use Bradley.

Anyway, given I lack the direct line to the Freo coaching box that GJ and Memories enjoy, none of the above is actually likely to happen - but it is how I'd do it.

Also, if Hayden and/or Elvis are out injured (as one of the TV news bulletins in WA apparently said last night??), I'd be bringing Drum in for Elvis, and maybe playing Tazz down back too. Not sure who else comes in if both are out, given that the other two of our emergencies played WAFL yesterday (I've never understood that part of the rules on emergencies - can anyone enligten me??).

 

[Docker Dolph]

Bradley is a better option than Murphy in my opinion as well. The only caveat I put on that is that we have someone else to do the 2nd ruck to spell Sandi.

Gilly may be able to do that but I don't see him as being any better or worse than Murphy to be honest.

The other options you suggest are all good too, but they rob us of our best backmen. My preference is to have Luke spend all year down back. Grover gets exposed too often without help from him.

Your suggested game plan against the Dogs basically amounts to us trying to match them at their game with a weaker set of runners. The other option, and the better option in my opinion, is to play to our strengths and win that way.

Playing Pav one out up forward enables them to swarm him and win out that way. By having other tall options it makes Pav/Taz even more dangerous. No matter how bad we think Murphy might be, he demands an opponent and adds to the strength of the side if only because Luke stays where he's of most use to us.

Worsfold showed last night that if you try to copy a tactic that works for someone else without the right cattle, you look like an idiot.

I think Harves is trying to expose the areas of weakness the Dogs have and use that to win rather than trying to beat them at their own game.

 

[BeinPurplenGreen]

Bradley is a better option than Murphy in my opinion as well. The only caveat I put on that is that we have someone else to do the 2nd ruck to spell Sandi.

Gilly may be able to do that but I don't see him as being any better or worse than Murphy to be honest.

The other options you suggest are all good too, but they rob us of our best backmen. My preference is to have Luke spend all year down back. Grover gets exposed too often without help from him.

Your suggested game plan against the Dogs basically amounts to us trying to match them at their game with a weaker set of runners. The other option, and the better option in my opinion, is to play to our strengths and win that way.

Playing Pav one out up forward enables them to swarm him and win out that way. By having other tall options it makes Pav/Taz even more dangerous. No matter how bad we think Murphy might be, he demands an opponent and adds to the strength of the side if only because Luke stays where he's of most use to us.

Worsfold showed last night that if you try to copy a tactic that works for someone else without the right cattle, you look like an idiot.

I think Harves is trying to expose the areas of weakness the Dogs have and use that to win rather than trying to beat them at their own game.

Actually, my game plan isn't about matching the Bullies at their game plan - it is about us not picking players who will be out-paced or out-played by the Bullies. We still need to play our own game plan, which (hopefully) will be different to Rocket's approach - but why make our side weaker than it needs to be?

In my view, having Murphy in the team creates an extra weakness for us, above and beyond the weaknesses we already have against a side as fast and skillful as the Bulldogs. Instead of providing us a strength, or even tactical flexibility, it gives the Bulies another weakness to exploit, and increases the workload on our established players like Pav, Taz or MJ.

As to the ruck, I'd be using Bradley to spell Sandi, and while Bradley is in the ruck, either spell Sandi in the goal square, or if he's off the field, go small up front and swing Duff-man or Dodd into the square.

Also, against Minson and Hudson, someone like MJ could do short stints in the ruck around the ground, to exploit pace and agility.

Anyway, you make good points, and it sounds like Harvs is taking the approach you suggest, so we'll see how things go. Hopefully, Murphy kicks 5, has 18 hit-outs in the ruck, takes 11 contested marks and makes me look like an even bigger goose than I already am.

 

[sabre_ac]

So explain why Murphy and Head are playing at the expense of Drum, Broughton and Hinkley?? Especially against the Bulldogs, on Subiaco, on a 32+ day??

Murphy was resigned last year for two years, I am presuming certain promises were made.

Head I've never rated, so not sure whats going there.

Drum I agree should get a game ahead of Murphy, but all reports are Hinkley still has some skill problems.

 

[spitlizard]

God they are going to need a shyte load

 

[_Woofers_]

Freo are still sticking to this 'young team' rot? It's time to dispense of the excuse list and get real. The supporters have been crying out for some form of success since day dot, and now the club wants them to wait longer.

 

[paul8241]

Freo are still sticking to this 'young team' rot? It's time to dispense of the excuse list and get real. The supporters have been crying out for some form of success since day dot, and now the club wants them to wait longer.

You've either been in hibernation or you're just plain stupid. Does cleaning out the list and recruiting the number of new players that we did not constitute a redevelopment phase. Do your research and stop trolling.

By the way, when did the dogs get their last premiership. Have the dogs not been in and out of redevelopment, but I guess there's no excuse list when you've only been waiting for 53 years.

You win a game and start sprouting off like you actually know something. You've really lowered the average IQ of bulldogs supporters on here. Go home, your mum's calling you.