If it’s true, that Howe thinks and said, that Langdon deserved a minor beating up, by 3 Pies players, when we played them last, simply because he made the lighthearted, “all duck” comment, then imo Howe is an idi-t.

Edited April 24, 20231 yr by Redleg

Was wondering how long until somebody in the media ran with the subject of this thread, the answer was six rounds and The Age

 

1 hour ago, Redleg said:

If it’s true, that Howe thinks and said, that Langdon deserved a minor beating up, by 3 Pies players, when we played them last, simply because he made the lighthearted, “all duck” comment, then imo Howe is an [censored].

Oath.

34 minutes ago, binman said:

Oath.

So you are not allowed to say “idi-t” on DL.  Wow!

Edited April 24, 20231 yr by Redleg

For Freo death riders, if Richmond win tonight they’ll jump above Fremantle on the ladder. Just saying…😬

5 hours ago, Sydney_Demon said:

Wasn't Howe essentially playing half-forward flank for us? Certainly a much-improved player once he went to Collingwood. Frawley was 26 when he left at the end of 2014 and he might have made the difference between us making the Finals or not in 2017.

I think you're re-writing history re 2018. Everyone seems to downplay Melbourne's performances due to the horrific Prelim exit. One bad game and that unfortunately was the final one. A bit like last year. A 14-8 record in 2018, and should have been 16-6 or 17-5, percentage of 130%+. Lost 2 Geelong games by under a kick that we shouldn't have. Lost to St Kilda (16th at the time) by 2 points. Our smallest winning margin was 13 points... Basically, we should have finished 2nd, not 5th, and then who knows what could have happened?

And Steven May was close to 30 when we won a flag, the same age Frawley would've been in 2017/2018.

Our biggest weakness was having Frost and OMac as our key pillars. We got monstered by the gorilla key forwards every year (Hawkins especially) - Frawley would've been a massive help in us being good enough to go a little further each season. We might've made the finals in 2016, 2017, and gone further in 2018. Only point im making is that one timeline lead to trading out Hogan for Steven May, due to our dire need to shut down the influence of the op's best key forward, the other timeline maybe not so much. This is getting into Marty & Doc territory now 

Not sure I'm downplaying that year, when I say it failed against better teams, because we lost to WCE, Collingwood and Richmond that year, the 3 teams above us, all in the same fashion. 

Edited April 24, 20231 yr by John Demonic

Freo Big Footy lamenting something Amiss.

 

Thing is I don't think JVR would've been a reach at pick 10. All the recruiters must've been on drugs or some s**t for him to slide to 19.

We’re gonna regret not picking JVR up Freo supporter, right under our noses this ******* club.

 

we are ******s not picking up this kid

 

Edited April 24, 20231 yr by John Crow Batty

I don't see the point in hating anyone who decides he no longer wants to play for our club. If that's how a player feels, a parting of the ways is best for both sides. The jury is still out on Luke Jackson. If he fails to reach the heights Fremantle are counting on, Peter Bell might even have done us a favour. Those extra picks in the next draft might prove very valuable in the long term. Solely for that reason, I would be delighted to see the Dockers finish as low as possible on the ladder this season.

Richmond were alright tonight. I think they should win enough games to finish ahead of the Dockers this year. 

3 hours ago, John Demonic said:

Frawley would've been a massive help in us being good enough to go a little further each season. We might've made the finals in 2016, 2017, and gone further in 2018.

We might also have missed out on Trac & Brayshaw.

The Frawley compo pick was one of the keys to our Premiership win

22 hours ago, Sydney_Demon said:

I think you're a bit tough on James Frawley. Played 8 seasons and 139 games for Melbourne and did not get to play a final. He was a great contributor for Melbourne in what were almost universally poor sides. He deserved the opportunity to have success at Hawthorn and I was happy for him that that happened in 2015. I feel the same about Jared Rivers although at least Melbourne were a good side in his early years. Personally I can't understand either all the anamosity towards Jeremy Howe. And players aren't supposed to go to successful clubs. Why not? Would you also also criticise Stan Alves & Greg Wells for leaving the Club?

I get annoyed with this whole disloyalty argument. These guys are professionals who are playing for a limited period of time and their first loyalty should be to their nearest and dearest. We are fans which is an entirely different thing. Supporters are naive if they think players have the same irrational attachment to a Club as we do. 

If people want to boo, I guess they will. Not much point calling for rational mature behaviour because there's always going to be a significant part of any crowd that isn't going to be nicely-behaved, regardless of appeals to their (probably non-existent) better natures.

I can understand it from a players perspective, but from a supporters perspective, I think we have every right to despise it and disrespect it on game day.  Equally there is good reason why guys like Flower, Jones and Gawn are revered buy fans.  BTW, I don't have quite the same level of distain for Frawley as I do some others.   He's Max's brother in law after all isn't he.

This professional / corporate view of sport also borders on a disease.  It's the sort of thinking that is why the AFL permits wall to wall sports betting adds on every telecast and at games.  The number of seats sold and given away to corporates at Grand Finals makes me sick.

Sport is not pure business, people hardly head out in crowds to cheer on Coles, Qantas, Commonwealth Bank etc.

Edited April 24, 20231 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

1 hour ago, John Crow Batty said:

Freo Big Footy lamenting something Amiss.

 

Thing is I don't think JVR would've been a reach at pick 10. All the recruiters must've been on drugs or some s**t for him to slide to 19.

We’re gonna regret not picking JVR up Freo supporter, right under our noses this ******* club.

 

we are ******s not picking up this kid

 

I’m sure Peter Bell is already living in JVR’s bin hoping to convince him to come home🙄

On 4/23/2023 at 11:31 PM, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Agree with most of your post here Deanox and particularly this last bit.

During the Dogs game first round this year, their supporters started booing Lauchie Hunter - to which I yelled back "You didn't want him you idiots" .  On cue, nuffy MFC supporters boo Sauce Baker when he got a possession soon after 🤦‍♂️.

I personally think players that leave for big money or to play at a more immediately successful club such as Tom $cully, Jerremy Howe, James Frawley etc deserve to be booed by supporters of their former clubs.  There's an old notion of disloyalty, greed, selfishness about that, which shouldn't go unrewarded and unrecognised.  However personally I'm a bit more neutral towards players that have given good service and/or just genuinely want to return to their home state like Jeff Farmer, Jessie Hogan, Scott Thomson and Jacko.

Agree with all this.

I think even though we might boo players who jump ship and chase success, that is very different that despising or true I'll will. Often players are only booked against their old team but those same supporters would still have a soft spot for them when playing against other teams.

And just as those players might be booked, we would probably go a bit over the top in support of a player who crosses over to us, especially when playing their old mob. Help them stand tall a bit.

As I said, it's all a bit of a pantomime. Until it isn't.

I won't boo LJ.

He seems a special sort who wanted to be close to family. And we weren't held to ransom in the trade (even if it may have felt like unders).

Plus I think he is coping enough from the media and his own supporters. The pantomime isn't fun in his case, it's really just bullying.

2 hours ago, John Crow Batty said:

Freo Big Footy lamenting something Amiss.

 

Thing is I don't think JVR would've been a reach at pick 10. All the recruiters must've been on drugs or some s**t for him to slide to 19.

We’re gonna regret not picking JVR up Freo supporter, right under our noses this ******* club.

 

we are ******s not picking up this kid

 

Amiss is a jet. Thoroughly impressed by that young lad. I hope he’s a target for us. Can play mid as well. Will be a top 5 player in that draft. I do understand the frustration of Freo supporters in respect to JVR, as he is a young KPF, looks to be exactly what Freo needed. Now their capped out with Jackson who is essentially Grundy to us - surplus to needs, but they used picks too.

 

53 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

I’m sure Peter Bell is already living in JVR’s bin hoping to convince him to come home🙄

Perhaps Peter Bell might end up in the dust bin of football administrators first.

Let's try and add a different flavour to this. Fre supporters have to suffer enough having Luke Jackson and giving up a top pick.

Now they have to suffer the fact we have JVR...

Went and checked out bigfooty at Freo. It's not @Lucifers Heroquality but close enough. Enjoy!

 • Awesome mark and goal by JVR.

• Anyone know if we are in Van Rooyens ear?

• Van Rooyen on fire here

• JVR is a gun. Wish we had drafted him.

• JVR + Amiss. Imagine if we had the guts to do it. We had the picks. Could have set us up for 15 years.

• JVR, Amiss and Johnson woulda been quite the haul

• Set up the contest for the goal. Mark and goal. Free kick and behind. Mark then goal. JVR doing it all

• It's hard not to think that Amiss and JVR could have been our version of a Buddy and Roughead haul to set us up for a decade.

• Probably hoping he would've slid to 21... should've just had the balls to take him at pick 10 instead of Erasmus. I rated JVR much higher then where he actually went.

• Could of done a Hawks and gone JVR and Amiss pick 8 & 10. Jobs done. And no go home factor

• Think we are hoping Treacy can do a JVR.

• Doubt it. JVR spent his whole first year in the VFL and kicked 37 from 19 games. Treacy's best return is 19 from 14.

• JVR again, * me what a player

• He just looks so much like a FF. The toughness, the swagger. He did in his draft year too 🙁

• How did JVR slide to pick 19? I mean seriously.

• Sigh. What could have been, what could have been...

• JVR will be attracting quality defenders from now on.

• We’re gonna regret not picking JVR up Freo supporter, right under our noses this ******* club.

• Thing is I don't think JVR would've been a reach at pick 10. All the recruiters must've been on drugs or some s**t for him to slide to 19.

• JVR has some aggro and swagger about him. Powerful unit and physically imposing. Plays a bit like Treacy but with more talent and athleticism. Would have been a perfect combo with Amiss.

He was ranked right up there to start the year, then had glandular fever (?) and slid down.

We were handed two WA spearheads on a platter and still wouldn't take both. Mids can always be found in later years.

• Until & if Erasmus starts to boss AFL it’s going to look like a hell of a blunder not to take Amiss & JVR. Couldn’t have known Johnson would still be there at 20 but even so, as others have mentioned mids are easier to find & quicker to develop and we could have had our key forwards sorted for 10 years. Sigh . . .

lastly,  my favourite one.

• All good we’ll give Melbourne 2 first rounders and a second for him in 2 years time.

Geez. The Dockers have a tough run in to their bye with Brisbane, Sydney, Geelong and us to play along with Hawthorn. If they lose against the four teams above them, then they’re virtually toast. 

19 minutes ago, einstein251 said:

Geez. The Dockers have a tough run in to their bye with Brisbane, Sydney, Geelong and us to play along with Hawthorn. If they lose against the four teams above them, then they’re virtually toast. 

And if they lose to the Hawks, they’re cactus.

Geez JVR is a special young player. can we sign him up for a decade now and save multiple threads about his contract in the future?

1 minute ago, Dwight Schrute said:

Geez JVR is a special young player. can we sign him up for a decade now and save multiple threads about his contract in the future?

He extended til 2025 right? He would be stupid to extend now. Imagine what he’d be worth in 2 years 🫠

1 minute ago, Jaded No More said:

He extended til 2025 right? He would be stupid to extend now. Imagine what he’d be worth in 2 years 🫠

Yeah i know, i am just suggesting this for purely selfish reasons. kid is going to be special. like Jefferson as well! 

11 hours ago, Jaded No More said:

I’m sure Peter Bell is already living in JVR’s bin hoping to convince him to come home🙄

Then maybe we draft his brother, if he is potential AFL standard.