Interesting move by Freo to play Jackson mostly as a tall forward. I'm assuming it's out of necessity, since they lost Lobb and Logue (their two main key forwards in 2021). That leaves them with Taberner (injury riddled battler) and Amiss (kid who needs to put on other 10kgs for his role).

Jackson is a below average forward. I've said it since before he was drafted and nothing has changed. He's a poor contested mark, two grabber, and only excels when he has a free run and jump uncontested from the side of a pack. With any form of body contact, he's poor and makes Sam Wiedeman look like Wayne Carey at times. If he's going to become the gun player he's hyped to be, it's as a mobile ruckman who becomes a link up option around the ground in the Cox/Grundy mould. If he plays predominantly forward, then they're spending a million bucks a year on a below average forward who will never kick 40 goals in a year. 

I'm tipping Freo to regress slightly next year. They've got fantastic young talent around and behind the ball, but they lost a chunk of best 22 experience over the trade period, and are completely limp in attack. Jackson playing forward works for us. Play Jackson forward, be an uncompetitive team, and gives us a higher draft pick in return!

Edited December 13, 20222 yr by Lord Travis

I thought their plan was to play him as a large midfielder to take advantage of his agility and size? 

 

Edited December 13, 20222 yr by darkhorse72

double up

Edited December 13, 20222 yr by darkhorse72

1 hour ago, darkhorse72 said:

I thought their plan was to play him as a large midfielder to take advantage of his agility and size? 

 

Yeah pretty sure that was originally what they had in mind for him

At least that was the word floating around during the trade period

I think this is a very simple deathride. Injuries to Brayshaw and Pearce lasting more than 4 weeks and Freo are done. They have a good coach, a good defensive setup and some guns but they fall away after their top five or six players and without Mundy, Acres, Lobb, Logue and a few others there’s a lot of pressure on very few. Lose Brayshaw and a Pearce and it will all fall apart very quickly. 

On 12/13/2022 at 4:47 PM, deejammin' said:

I think this is a very simple deathride. Injuries to Brayshaw and Pearce lasting more than 4 weeks and Freo are done. They have a good coach, a good defensive setup and some guns but they fall away after their top five or six players and without Mundy, Acres, Lobb, Logue and a few others there’s a lot of pressure on very few. Lose Brayshaw and a Pearce and it will all fall apart very quickly. 

I lost a pearce last night myself. Changed the sheets though.

1 hour ago, adonski said:

 

sam walsh missing for at least the first month of 2023 after having to undergo back surgery

can't see bluebaggers getting top 2

Edited December 22, 20222 yr by whatwhat say what

Geelong wont  have an armchair ride next year. They may even struggle a bit. I would have Freo in the 8 for the bulldogs.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with Jackson, and somewhat ironic that if they are using him as their forward target he could so so important to their success that the better he does, the worse our compensation for losing him will be!

Personally I think he has always looked best running among chaos, in bursts of labrador puppy level enthusiasm, chasing everything, getting involved in everything, and showing off his incredible level of initiative for a tall.

He might become a very high quality forward but I think that will always be a little sad. Think of it as if West Coast had plonked Naitanui up forward all career; a scary and effective target but the team and football in general would have been poorer for it.

Montage

23 minutes ago, McQueen said:

Montage

The hashtag unicorn and now this, their social media department is certainly creative……

25 minutes ago, McQueen said:

Montage

Wonder if they'll post a Harley Reid montage when we take him with Freo's first rounder this year 

Cringe. Freo's SM team are so lame

Oooft bit of a try hard montage

I can see Jackson kicking off his Freo debut with a 2022 esque performance of 8 possessions/1 mark/0 goals against St Kilda prompting a 40 page discussion on the Freo Bigfooty forum on whether they over paid.

Then all will be well in the world when he takes North to the cleaners in a round 2 Optus Stadium soft kill.

Freo to start the season 1-1.

Edited January 12, 20232 yr by Bring-Back-Powell

1 hour ago, McQueen said:

Montage

I never thought I'd say it, but now there is a worse pre-season pump-up clip than the Ren & Stimpy 'Happy happy joy joy' one the Demons produced around 2009ish.

On 1/12/2023 at 7:15 PM, McQueen said:

Montage

 

On 1/12/2023 at 7:40 PM, BrisbaneDemon said:

The hashtag unicorn and now this, their social media department is certainly creative……

I think filming Luke with his mates was a bit much.

https://fb.watch/i1WDV3MneB/

according to Sportsbet Freo are around even money to make the 8 with 8 teams shorter odds. Port and Carlton could well displace them

this could be a beautiful draft hand we have this year. and coming off winning our second flag, who can stop us?!

12 minutes ago, DubDee said:

according to Sportsbet Freo are around even money to make the 8 with 8 teams shorter odds. Port and Carlton could well displace them

this could be a beautiful draft hand we have this year. and coming off winning our second flag, who can stop us?!

You're on to something DubDee for sure.

History syas at least 2 teams will drop out of the 8 this season.

Freo are also in the frame for mine to be one of them. The other, not so sure.

52 minutes ago, Demon17 said:

You're on to something DubDee for sure.

History syas at least 2 teams will drop out of the 8 this season.

Freo are also in the frame for mine to be one of them. The other, not so sure.

I reckon the Dogs may be the other.

The Pies will slide with a tougher draw, but maybe not out of the 8

14 minutes ago, Demon17 said:

You're on to something DubDee for sure.

History syas at least 2 teams will drop out of the 8 this season.

Freo are also in the frame for mine to be one of them. The other, not so sure.

Prior to the start of last season I predicted freo as the bolter, and possible top 4 chance. They looked rhe goods too before falling away.

Part of my confidence was based on a sense Longmuire was following goody's template in terms of development and game plan (with some tweaks eg switch and outside run) - and he also has a similar temperament and approach

I still think they are on the right track. They should make the 8 - they have an ok draw, and have a pretty easy opening 6 or so games, which gives them a chance of banking critical early wins.

But one divergence from the goody template is the recruitment or Jackson.

The golden rule is you draft for premierships - and only add star recruits to address a specific gap in order to go to the next level. Lynch to tbe tigers is a good example.

Our equivalent is Lever and May. We were no chance of winning a flag without sorting our defence, which meant their recruitment made perfect sense and would have ruffled zero feathers within the team - and only minor ruffling with fans. 

What rarely happens however, is a team building towards being a genuine contender adding a really high priced recruit part way through the development phase who doesn't fill a a specific, and obvious gap that needs to be filled to win a flag. 

Doing so risks team cohesion as a new superstar salary impacts every other player on the list come contract negotiation time. And also plays havoc with tbe overall balancing of the salary cap.

Recruiting a star also raises fan expectations - and if they are not met pressure builds.

I wonder if Jackson is just such a recruit. I really don't see him being a massive game changer for them this season. Don't get me wrong, I think he will be a star. And may end up being a big factor in a premiership win. 

But freo aren't desperate for a ruck. To win a flag tbey need at least one elite big forward and at least one big bodied mid. 

Jackson's contract is going to make it hard to trade any such players. And if freo lose early games, his teammates and freo fans might start questioning the decision to put so many eggs in the Jackson basket.

And if that happens angst can infect the club and Jackson risks becoming the loci of that angst. Which heaps note pressure on him.

And grumbles about how much he is being paid and his performance start feeding in creating a mutant version of tbe virtuos cycle - the dreaded angst cycle.

Jackson is now in the ultimate footy fiah bowl. If the wheels start wobbling the pressure on him will be immense.

Bring it round one sainters.

 

Fremantle have a very strong developing list but the biggest dangers that they face are cultural/above the shoulders.

Are they a young team, who made a big leap last year, who think that it will ‘just happen’ for them in 2023? 
(See MFC 2001, 2003, 2005,2019 and Carlton seemingly every year)

To afford their big signing, have they lost too many solid role players?

How does the group feel about the players they let go to accommodate a high priced recruit?

How does the group feel about their own pay cheques with a largely unproven new teammate?