Bay Riffin

From what i saw he only lacked energy at the end due to fatigue. He was up and about most of the game.

Did you watch GWS dominate marks in defensive 50 last week with one of the best key back in the league ? AJ did his job bringing it to ground. as did the others. Thats what Goodwin rates.

disagree. he's still our best deep forward. i think people need to take into account we had Jefferson, Johnstone playing their first games and they are all getting used to each other. We are playing 3 talls along with Fritsch so defensive pressure will suffer.

and here's the clincher. He was Essendons first rounder !!

take a very big chill pill. 5 newbies against a premiership favourite. What were we expecting?. To win that would be one for the ages. It wasnt to be, but it took GWS till the last minute to steal it back. Anyone looking negatively does not understand the our side today.

Sorry im reading through this, do people know the odds of winning with 5 first gamers ? we didnt win but it was in the last minute of the game that GWS won. Winning for us was almost IMPOSSIBLE. If that last kick from Johnstone went through it would have been one of the greatest home and away wins of the last 20 years. I cant understand or even read the negativity on here.

He was the sub and playing a premiership favourite who cleaned up the pies last week.

i thought he was quite good last year. at times really good. this pre-season hes been quite poor though. I still think he will end up a third tall in defence and be very effective.

yes i can imagine if both are down an immediate swap could take place. sometimes Petty takes the ruckman though which Turner might struggle with. I think Turner and Jefferson have to use their wheels more as both have some pace.

Well we have Turner who can play back, TMAC and Petty playing back and Adams seems to be progressing as well. All well stocked for tall backs but we need a key forward. Let's face it, Petty might be the best forward of the backmen.

if you look for all the negatives you will fins. its a praccy game and after a year when we down in contested ball, possession, defence etc it was a welcome return to upping those numbers. it will never be perfect.

Against North last year i meant. Archer gave him a lesson in intensity.

agreed, against North Archer was killing him just based on pure hunger. later in the game Fritsch fired up and started to play better but he needs to do way more defensively.

according to demonland 35 - 0.

Well Ollie Greeve looks very much like you mentioned. plus hawks just try and grab him last minute. wow.

It cost Essendon the Xavier Lindsay pick. He did not come cheap. They could have manoeuvred to get enough points without giving up their first rounder in what is touted as the best draft since drafting began.

early on you are looking for glimpses of something special. this kid produced a few on the weekend. the one hand gather that left rocket onto the leading full forwards chest probably the highlight.

was looking like he belonged too.

i agree. great player and everyone has the right to feel negative towards the club but you keep it internal. He stuffed up the brand Goodwin had built over the previous 5 or so seasons. When a top player like Houston did an about face watching it, that was it for me. As a teammate how could you listen to him after that.

but also isn't it the right thing to change the style when you don't have the personnel for a faster flowing style.?

Jagga Smith was rated by many recruiters to be number 1 pick in a super draft and he looks a beauty. They pulled out of getting Houston to trade picks for Smith. Wise move. Freo also gained Shai Bolton who will make their midfield very hard to beat. just what they need.

agreed. When most pundits were negative on getting Grundy in, I remember Cornes saying during the pre-season it was a 'brilliant' move. When we stopped playing him he turn coated and said what a disastrous decision that was. no credibility.

I think we are very capable of making it back into finals. we will miss ANB no doubt but Petracca and Oliver is where some real improvement will come from plus some elite youngsters coming through. I feel we now have genuine back up for Gawn. In terms of the midfield i think Pickett and Rivers will add a real point of difference, playing more minutes in there, not just cameos. We may lack some speed down back but Windsor and who knows, Lindsay may help with that a lot. I also think Melksham after a full pre-season my surprise up forward. I think finals is quite achievable.

I can see Freo reaching top 4 this year with probs the best midfield in the league now. and best ruck combo. a bit like the Petracca situation late last year, if Kozzie wanted to go there, how could a deal be done ?

Blakey had two father son choices, then went to swans. his dad happened to be on the payroll as a coach which was purely a coincidence I'm sure. ha ha