4 minutes ago, Redlegs said:

This game day thread is a carbon copy of a in-season 2024 game day thread.

Unfortunately. 
 

Poor skills, poor conversion, lack of ball movement. 
 

The only slight difference I see is more chip and less long down the line. 

Seems it doesn’t matter if we chip or go down the line at the end of the day we get no reward inside 50

We have overcorrected. Not enough chaos now. Ball movement really suffering without Koz. 
It is not as bad as the scoreboard given the several easy misses. But Freo are clearly a class above.
Opposition players are going to start deliberately leaving Billings open in F50, he is that bad at kicking for goal.

How's our skills 😂.  

If they kicked straight we’d be 60 points down 

Everyone still think Bowey is an excellent half back? 

What happened to JVR afl site says he is out ? 

Welp, I've seen enough for today. I get it's a pre season but this is very disheartening after the long summer of talk. I just wanted to see... Something? Not this. 

Fremantle are just too quick. More of the same whenever we play them this year. 

Thank god that’s over. 

I’m hoping that was a ruse and we are just setting them up for complacency, and we come out and play the actual game plan.

the one that’s different and exciting. The one they’ve been pumping us up for with all the social media post of the boys just blitzing stuff. 

Do that, please. 

LITERALLY NOTHING TO LOSE TODAY. NO POINTS ON THE LINE. 

JUST DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. 

Just now, fr_ap said:

Everyone still think Bowey is an excellent half back? 

Yeah he’s a concern, gives up a lot defensively with his height / pace.

Just now, Sydee said:

What happened to JVR afl site says he is out ? 

Back spasms in the first minute of the game.

Feels like Alice Springs all over again!

Midfield are doing their job, but we can't defend freo on transition and we can't retain the footy when it goes inside our f50. 

Watch one melb v freo game you've watched them all haha. 

Give Koz a run ffs

1 minute ago, Sydee said:

What happened to JVR afl site says he is out ? 

Back spasms

Well I was confident of a good season coming up, that just took a fair dent, practice match or not our skills are not upto it GIANTS will cut us to shreds 

I need another training report to cheer me up

Geez we look sloppy today. Yet another afternoon where Treacy and grandpa Walters do as they please. 
Not a big fan of the chip/mark game plan in defence. We don’t have the skill for that and it just feels pointless. 

Easy misses from Salem, Fritsch, Sharp, AJ and Billings hasn’t helped massage the scoreboard. Billings is so useless, looked defeated as soon as he marked it. 
 

Just a praccy match but definitely close to worst case scenario on what I didn’t want to see today. 

The only good thing that can happen from here is no long term injuries. What a disappointing debacle!!!

2 minutes ago, fr_ap said:

Those bemoaning lack of a new game plan...it's the cattle. 

As soon as the ball is in motion we can't stop it because we are slow on every line. It's been happening for years. 

We're a tough, slow team. We've never been a fast or skilful team, and unfortunately that's where the game has gone. 

Exactly. We’ve changed game plan without enough changes to personnel. Either because we couldn’t land anyone in trades or got scared to ship guys out (or both).

But we also aren’t drilling the fundamentals. We have easily enough skill in the backs and mids to execute basic kick it around and find an opening footy. And same goes for quicker counter attacks, if they see space and trust their run and team mates it will open up, but too few have the belief or the coordination to work the hands. 

Just about to look on Sportsbet to see if they have a market for first coach sacked…

Reckon I know who it might be.

Just now, BrisbaneDemon said:

Yeah he’s a concern, gives up a lot defensively with his height / pace.

Has been for a while. Offers very little going the other way as well. 

Fremantle expose us the same way every time - tough lads in the middle to win traditionally when they can, a very staunch defence to catch our dump kicks when they lose clearance and then slingshot with all their fast wingers and half forwards against our treacle half backs. 

 

3 minutes ago, Sydee said:

What happened to JVR afl site says he is out ? 

Goodwin said at quarter-time that JVR had a back spasm early on and would not be back today.

Kozi must be watching this going, hmmm, it would be considerably more enjoyable on the other side of this game. Flying with Shai… 

lol

Great to see some fast, clean, exciting attacking footy. Just a shame its not us.

Not much to love. They look like they dont know how to move the ball and second guessing just makes it slow and stagnant. 

Too many players that slow the play through fumbling (Sparrow) or indecision (Billing) as examples.

5 minutes ago, Sydee said:

What happened to JVR afl site says he is out ? 

Back spasm. Twinged leading for the ball after Trac got the first centre clearance and kick of the game. Goody expects he'll be ok for Rd 1.