I can't believe Bailey would start an extra man in defence to start the game last night, it made my blood boil, I was thinking how defeatest is that? There was no wind to speak of so there was no merit to the move. The commentators were banging on about it all first quarter, when we finally went man on man we were able to get it into the forward line easier and were generally more competitive, albeit too late. Take the game on Bailey from the start and we might be a chance of winning interstate.

Agreed, the extra man in defense didn't work but I would rather applaud his moves after qurater time and even more so after half time that allowed us to not only get back in the game but nearly pinch it.

He would likely admit he got some of his tactics and match ups wrong early on but he also can't be faulted for lazy and clumsy free kicks given away in front of goal, Bruce & Jones, silly 50 metre penalties (Rivers) and thoughtless kicks from the back pocket (Bruce) again.

Completely arresting the momentum of a side like Fremantle at their home gound is very, very difficult to do and from half time we no only did that but built considerable momentum of our own.

The extra man in defence was not the sole reason we were blown out at the start of the game, again. Bailey reliases we need to address that part of the game but for now I personally think we have seen Bailey has the makings of a solid match day tactician, clearly something Mark Harvey is not.

I posted before, not only the extra man in defense but have a look at the opening bounce, we had a very defensive set up. We are so concerned about getting blown away in the first quarter that we are starting defensive and still getting blown away. We all rave about our backline and it is a strength, but we don't back them one on one we seem to think we need to get 18 players in our defensive 50m arc to help them out. We look our best when we do back the one on one and we attack.

The best defence is attack and that ought to have been the mindset. We went out expecting to get drubbed early...and guess what !!!!!!!!!...

we setup for defeat and attained it.

This move pisses me off.

Last night we started with Morton loose in defence. A player we'd dropped the previous fortnight with (reportedly) the instruction to harden up. So we then give him the softest spot on the ground.

And McPharlin, who was then loose for Fremantle, dominated the first quarter.

It's not a good move, it doens't help us, and we shouldn't keep resorting to it.

Bruce is generally regarded as the worst kick in our side.

Why he was allowed to kick out is a mystery, and Bailey needs to make it clear that he should never again take a kick-in.

Why was Jamar Sitting on the bench most of the last five minutes of the game when we where a goal down, and I think Green may have been with him. If it was last year it would of been a clear tank, this year it's just bad coaching. Bailey can not prepare the players for the game, they come out asleep almost every game.

The best defence is attack and that ought to have been the mindset. We went out expecting to get drubbed early...and guess what !!!!!!!!!...

we setup for defeat and attained it.

The best offense is actually defence but that doesn't mean an extra man in defence.

Edited July 19, 201015 yr by jacey

Why was Jamar Sitting on the bench most of the last five minutes of the game when we where a goal down, and I think Green may have been with him. If it was last year it would of been a clear tank, this year it's just bad coaching. Bailey can not prepare the players for the game, they come out asleep almost every game.

Jamar took a heavy knock in the game during a marking contest, needed to eb seen by the trainers. Seemed to not move as freely from then on so maybe he was on teh bench becasue he was struggling? (Plus we weren't forced to put him on because PJ was competing.

Jamar took a heavy knock in the game during a marking contest, needed to eb seen by the trainers. Seemed to not move as freely from then on so maybe he was on teh bench becasue he was struggling? (Plus we weren't forced to put him on because PJ was competing.

Good point Crackers.

Some of the conclusion jumping without the facts is prominent on this thread. It would be good to understand the coaches intention for playing the extra player behind the centre at the start rather than posters trot the regular assumptions, cliches and half truisms.

However nobody likes the slow starts but lets deal with the actual causes. Our slow starts have been a problem this year but this is the first time we have played the extra man behind centre. It would be good to know the coaches thoughts on it.

The initial setup was 1-1 in defence, as we know the dockers got a few quick goals. Morton wasn't sent as a spare into defense until the dockers had scored 3 gaols in the first qtr. He started loose after half -time which makes sense considering out first half.

While I don't agree with a loose man in defense, it that players can run off half back they become a free player for attacking it all depends on the state of the game. Of coarse it requires good delivery into our forward line to avoid their loose man

I hate the spare back unless there is seconds to go and we need to stop a score for a win.

The initial setup was 1-1 in defence, as we know the dockers got a few quick goals. Morton wasn't sent as a spare into defense until the dockers had scored 3 gaols in the first qtr. He started loose after half -time which makes sense considering out first half.

While I don't agree with a loose man in defense, it that players can run off half back they become a free player for attacking it all depends on the state of the game. Of coarse it requires good delivery into our forward line to avoid their loose man

Good point Darkhorse.

Morton didn't start there. It's just that Freo kicked their goals so quickly that he was there early.

What was most disappointing about yesterday's first quarter i believe was that it wasn't Fremantle being that much better than us, it was that 4 of their first 5 goals came from free kicks or 50 meter penalties. That is just stupidity and a lack of mental application.