2 hours ago, adonski said:

Their lack of wings seems to go under the radar

They don't lack wings, it's just that their wings aren't performing.

That's because all the feathers are in use elsewhere.

8 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

maybe that would just discomgruntulate them even more?

Is that the same as discombobulate? Asking for a friend...

2 minutes ago, TRIGON said:

Is that the same as discombobulate? Asking for a friend...

close, but no cigar

Thanks @daisycutter. Still not sure if it's actually a word, nevertheless I'll try putting it into to song...

"We're a discomgruntulated team at Hawthorn, grammatically a veritable flock of dorks..."

4 hours ago, Davos said:

Forcing Mundy into retirement feels very similar to Melbourne prematurely retiring James McDonald (and in hindsight we know how that worked out for us). He was still playing great football and was the heart and soul of that club. Ridiculous move. 

I'm enjoying this thread, but I would push back on the idea JL is a bad coach. I think he's a terrific strategist, but there have been some bad list management decisions made over the offseason that may have set that side back a few years. Giving Longmuir the sack would push their premiership hopes back even further. 

It really does, it's almost the same scenario. 

But it kind of means any future decisions need to be bang on because we won't let them forget it. 

7 hours ago, layzie said:

I can't wait for this game with the Suns, neutral ground also takes some excuses away. Who gets it together in this game? The loser will be firmly under the blowtorch. 

The suns won't be under the blowtorch because nobody cares.

4 hours ago, Axis of Bob said:

I think that the retirement of Mundy at the same time that Fyfe has stopped playing as a midfielder, has had a big impact on how Fremantle operates.

Mundy and Fyfe are both around 6'4 (~192cm), so they are big midfielders, and are contest winners with Mundy consistently averaging over 10 contested possessions a game (9 last year) and Fyfe averaging closer to 15 before injury and form issues recently. What these bigger bodies do is take the load off and make it easier for the smaller midfielders in the contest. 

By comparison, their spot as the top contest winners in the engine room has been taken by Serong (5'10 - 178cm) and Brayshaw (6'0 - 183cm). They're both excellent players but they don't have the physical size to make the game easier for everyone else. Serong averages 13 cp/g this year and Brayshaw 10. The other midfielders are O'Meara (6'0), Aish (6'0) plus whatever's left, but none of them are big midfielders. Brodie helped a lot when he was in form at points last year but has been struggling (and dropped) this year, Fyfe and Mundy could always make the job of others easier around the ball but they can't anymore and now they just can't get any drive from the contests. It's a bit like the Neale, Zorko, Lyons midfielders from Brisbane, where they always struggled in the tough games because they got beaten up with size around the ball. 

They've picked up some big midfielders in the last few drafts (Johnson and Erasmus) but neither have shown so far that they're going to be the answer. They also struggled last year to get consistent contests in the forward line from their big guys, and with Lobb and Logue moving on they are getting almost no aerial contest inside 50. Taberner has always been more of a leading forward, Jackson isn't that sort of player and Amiss is a kid. 

Freo are going to have to learn how to turn slow inside 50s into scores, as that's how they're set up at the moment. They shouldn't be as bad as they are at the moment but they've got an oddly constructed list with some big gaps that they need to be filled with few resources to fill them. It'll be an interesting journey. 

Excellent analysis of a problem compounded by the Dockers’ appalling list management in their quest to secure Jackson during last year’s trade period. 

Fyfe’s continuing struggles are bad luck but allowance should have been made for the possibility of a shaky return from injury. In order to secure Jackson, Mundy was retired and Blake Acres, Rory Lobb, Griffin Logue, Lloyd Meek and Darcy Tucker were traded. The other ins don’t really excite although you might get some mileage from Jaeger O'Meara. Nothing exciting came from the drafts and their first pick at the end of the year is currently #29 followed by #48. 

Tell me again. Who is the list manager over at the Dockers?

19 minutes ago, Chelly said:

The other ins don’t really excite although you might get some mileage from Jaeger O'Meara.

Edited April 11, 20232 yr by TRIGON

2 hours ago, BDA said:

The suns won't be under the blowtorch because nobody cares.

Well they should be, it's costing enough.

 

 

Mundy averaged 5 clearances and 10 contested possessions last year. Was an absolute gun. You can't replace that quickly. But really its their forwardline not functioning. 

 

Anyway the worse they do the better off we are. And if some other teams like North, gold coast, etc can finish above them then sweet

25 minutes ago, biggestred said:

Mundy averaged 5 clearances and 10 contested possessions last year. Was an absolute gun. You can't replace that quickly. But really its their forwardline not functioning. 

 

Anyway the worse they do the better off we are. And if some other teams like North, gold coast, etc can finish above them then sweet

I’m pretty sure the consensus is that the problems aren’t on the field so to speak. 

 

4 minutes ago, adonski said:

 

somebody is reading this forum

Melbourne stands to be the big winner if Fremantle’s poor start to the season continues on the back of last year’s Luke Jackson trade.

Melbourne owns the Dockers first-round and second round picks in this year’s draft.

Based on current ladder positions, it means Melbourne has pick five and 23 from Fremantle in its back pocket before compensation picks are added.

Melbourne also still holds its own first-round pick, meaning the Demons, who are this year’s premiership favourite, currently have three picks inside the first 23.

Melbourne is clearly thinking the Dockers will improve after a slow start to the season, which has netted Justin Longmuir’s men only one win from their first four games.

But in any case the club pushed a hard bargain in trade talks with the Dockers as part of the total deal which landed Simon Goodwin pick 15 in last year’s draft as well as the two future picks.

The Demons snared key forward Matthew Jefferson with pick 15, and will have a strong hand once again in next year’s draft with Fremantle’s pair of picks.

 

4 minutes ago, Satan said:

Melbourne is clearly thinking the Dockers will improve after a slow start to the season, which has netted Justin Longmuir’s men only one win from their first four games.

really?  Maybe they're thinking exactly what we are

5 minutes ago, Satan said:

Melbourne is clearly thinking the Dockers will improve after a slow start to the season, which has netted Justin Longmuir’s men only one win from their first four games.

"Melbourne is clearly thinking" looks suspiciously like pretending to know something.

Agreed @deelusions from afar and @Tony Tea. I fail to see the logic that supports the journo's assertion.

23 hours ago, Engorged Onion said:

Are some players disgruntled? Or is this just an assumption?

Diamond Jim Tilbrook  #2 ??

”You are paid big bucks - get your own ball”!

In years gone by, Jason Taylor has done some incredible work with later picks.

With 4 picks under 40, he'll set us up for the next 10 years.

On 4/10/2023 at 6:05 PM, John Crow Batty said:

Thinking back to last season when we played Freo in Perth. Despite Freo losing,  Mundy had 35 touches and 15 contested possessions against us in tough conditions. He was their best player by miles. And then they tell him to [censored] off despite an excellent season. Can a club be run by headless chooks? 

Reminds me of the James McDonald situation way back when. Could be extremely destabilising especially for a young side needing on field leadership.

2 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Reminds me of the James McDonald situation way back when. Could be extremely destabilising especially for a young side needing on field leadership.

and fyfe is an ufa end of this year

On 3/12/2023 at 4:58 PM, Steamin Demon said:

I'd like to know where the extra 50 goals this year are going to come from?

Lobb out, Logue out & Acers out.

Luke isn't going to kick 50. 

 

 

Think I need a break from Death Riding. 

Freo are probably thinking they should have let us have North's 2023 2nd rnd pick, rather than their own, in the Jackson trade.. 

Keep going as they are and will finish higher or near North.  We end up with the better of the 2nd round picks!!!

 

42 minutes ago, layzie said:

Think I need a break from Death Riding. 

Agreed, we'll recommence at 5.10pm Friday afternoon