DeeSpencer

One half of VFL this year. Maybe none last year? 2 in 2017 5 in 2016 Plenty in 2015 My point is, this is a guy who's had less than 10 games in the last 4 years at the level where he should be playing to improve. At AFL level: - Slow - tentative physically - doesn't seek out the ball - doesn't run with the ball to counter attack At VFL level he can do all of those things time and time again and get better at them. Then when he comes in to the AFL side he can do that and either improve or not. I think he's also been underdone this year and carrying an injury, so at full fitness he can do it all with confidence. I wouldn't completely write him off until he's had a chance to develop properly.

Both. The next 5 weeks is: Bris Carl Bulldogs Eagles St Kilda No reason not to be competitive and try to win as many of those games as possible. Win 5 straight or even 4 of 5 we'll be in finals contention, win 3 or less and our draft position probably won't have changed all that much. With our percentage we could win 3 of 5 and still be at best 13th. Then we have a couple of big home games against Richmond and Collingwood. Would be lovely to knock them off as they go in to September. We're unlikely to win those games unless our form is massively improved, so it's unlikely to be an issue. But beating teams in flag contention (yet to see where Richmond is by then) in front of big crowds would be really important for the players and club. The last two weeks against Sydney and North might be time to put the cue in the rack and focus on next year. I know our history with tanking but there's still a strong argument for having our cake and eating it too. Again, if we're drastically improved things will be looking good, if we're not it's the time of year to try a few things for next season as well as getting all the surgeries and niggles fixed. If North and Sydney are in similar spots on the ladder and we're looking at pick 5 or pick 8 then just for the last 2 weeks I'd be thinking the results aren't that important. Of course we'd have to give our all and if we win that's good too but there's a way for the players to give their all but the club to make some strategic decisions.

Hibberd might be our best and only choice to play on Cameron. He’ll have a field day. In for Wagner. Good luck pig. Wouldn’t rush Lever. Hannan’s done nothing since he came back and looks a fair way off it. Actually think we’re better off with Hunt in his role as a deep forward. Corey Wagner back at half forward? Or Dunkley? Stretch or JKH playing wing and use Baker/Fritsch forward more?

Yep Fyfe is the weak defensive link in Freo’s midfield but usually a tagger sits on him so it’s irrelevant. Agree about Harmes, thought he looked flat all game, maybe a virus?? Took until the last to make Fyfe chase him. Fyfe’s such a beast, but I think he’s close to 10th than 1st. He’s a freak in the air and at stoppages but otherwise like Oliver but without the younger legs and upside (hopefully). The backs seem reluctant to switch because they don’t trust the mids and half forwards to win the spread race outside. Better spread and they’ll be more encourage. May needs to pick up the tempo to then use the ball to his potential. He’s still dump kicking every now and then, which is understandable given he’s played in perennially crap teams. His ability to slide through traffic for a big man is wonderful and was on display in the last term especially.

6 - Lockhart 5 - Frost 4 - Gawn 3 - Viney 2- Petracca 1 - Tommy Mc

The BAO would've had the old timer thrown off the David Neitz terrace if it was at the Marvel

I reckon Freo are a top 4 spreading midfield, if not higher than that. Mundy, Conca, Walters and fit young mids inside, then Hill and Langdon outside, plus hard running forward flakers. They are built to chop up teams and nearly did - might have without injuries. Fyfe's a lazy spreading player but they have 1, we have 4! Harmes looked off for most of the game. Viney was on. Clarry and Gus just meh. And then really babies on the wing in Fritsch and Baker. Plus playing Wagner (and Hore and Petty) as back flankers at times who really aren't suited to small quick opponents. Given all of that I think we did very well to run with them. A couple of preseasons for Baker and Fritsch or relegation to the 2nd and 3rd fittest wingmen and all of a sudden our outside mids have so much more run. Then clearly a big summer and big fitness focus for our inside bulls. Plus another quick flanker rather than Wagner. I really think the transition defending is the easiest thing for us to fix. We're already about 10 goals better than we were in the first 3 weeks. Same goes for switching. Baker and Fritsch were options. In another summer they'll demand the ball. And again, upgrade Wagner/Petty with Lever and another proper flanker, some more match fitness in to May and it starts coming out the other side rather than in to traffic. And it's not even switching that we need. The set up kick that looks like a switch then creates the open corridor kick and off we go. Just setting up and making the opponents cover the switch creates what we need.

There's a phenomenon where improper English spreads through the community and is then repeated, especially when you've been at the footy all day and aren't really focusing on writing correctly. Well done on being the grammar nazi on a footy forum though. In the meantime I'll be consulting with Merrian-Webster and hanging out with my old mate F. Scott. https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/misuse-of-literally

Spoke to MCC/MFC members before the game. I didn't take notes so I'm completely paraphrasing here. Robbo: 'Hasn't Goody being listening to you. Jennings: He's been listening. R: Freo? J: A good side with a lot of solid role players a handful of excellent players. Fyfe, Walters, Hill and a guy who doesn't get talked about but was in the paper today - Luke Ryan. They are excellent players. (Note: Harmes to Fyfe, Viney to Walters, Rotating wings on Hill and Smith to Ryan - they took them seriously) R: What's been going wrong J: We had sessions with 12 fit players over summer R: Coaching changes? J: Goody doesn't want to wait for changes at the end of the year, made them now. R: Forward line? J: Most of the other things have been looking good but the forward line has struggled, we'll look at more changes. Suggests we'd have won more games with better accuracy. Briefly mentioned a goal kicking coach R: Finally, What do you expect/want to see out there today? J: I want to see some Freo bodies hit the deck Old man heckling: How about some goals.

He was worst on ground playing quite possibly the worst game I've ever seen for 3/4's of the game against inexperienced defenders (Ryan was on Smith and Hamling on Hannan). Did Rawlings only start coaching at 3/4 time?

1 year deal with a club option would make more sense than a 2 year deal. Who are we negotiating with? He runs damn hard which opens space for others but skill wise he isn't at the level and he doesn't have the athleticism of game sense to really create space. When Lockhart gets the ball at half forward something happens - good or bad, when ANB gets the ball it's often a fumble, smothered handball, or looped nothing disposal. You're relying on the bounce of a ball or a fumble going the right way to get the results with ANB. Literally you roll a dice when he gets near the ball and hope it pans out. He might improve and we need the runners but I just don't see why we'd commit 2 years. If Spargo, Hunt, Hannan, Lockhart even Chandler yet alone recruits or picks all go passed him next year we'd be stuck with him for 2021.

Against 21 other players it's a couple of men clashing shoulders, standing their grounds. Despicable from Walters. Start a melee, head but someone, dive. Awful sequence of events. Jones should be smarter but it wasn't as bad as it looked.

The one who's spent a whole team of time injured and might not have the soft tissues to play a lot of footy on the wing or even half back might not suit us all that well! I'd only want Stephen if he's a cheap free agent and only after getting one of Brad Hill or Langdon. Brad Hill is the better over all player but even with Langdon's sloppy skills I'd be very keen on him. Stronger at the contest than Hill. Either way, let's get a fair dinkum wingman so we can use Fritsch, Baker, Hunt and maybe KK through the flanks and build a running game.

23 goals in not much more than half a season as a ruck/forward covering Gawn in 2017 as well. It was over 2 seasons that he was looking like an excellent forward. I'm still comfortable with the decision to put the eggs in the McDonald and Weideman basket. It's logical to expect both to improve next year. If we had kept Hogan with our current forward line struggles I'd imagine he'd be worth nothing more than a mid first round pick as an out of contract player. We also wouldn't have got Steven May, who despite his struggles looks like a very good player. And even if we paid too much for May we wouldn't get nearly the same return as May and a decent pick that became Sparrow for Hogan.

There was talk that our previous club doctors quit because Misson outranked them on player management. Injury prevention would be the first priority, but a fitness guru also has to make a call about the right fitness program and when a player is right to play. A doctor or physio would manage the initial stages of injury but I'm 99% sure it then it comes down to the guru to work out the right amount of training. Some of these guys are physiotherapists as well as exercise physiologists. And certainly it's a matter of team work between the doctor, physio and fitness guy to create the best plan.

FB: Hore May Hibberd HB: Jones Frost Salem C: Stretch Oliver Fritsch HF: Petracca T Mc Hunt FF: Smith Weid Lockhart Foll: Gawn Viney Harmes Int: Wagner, Brayshaw, Baker, Hannan Out: Lever, Spargo, Garlett In: Smith, Lockhart, Stretch That's what I'd do. Freo spread like crazy. Getting as many runners through the midfield and wings will be vital to stop their run. So even though he's a limited player Stretch comes back in to run with Langdon or Hill. Time to give Jones a good run at half back to see if he can reinvent himself. Time to give Smith a fair go at it as the 3rd tall forward to see if that frees up Tom and Sam as it did for parts of the game against the Crows in Darwin. Petracca should get some midfield time as well.

Yes fair, but of all the player problems he's a clear number 1 (with Melksham number 2). He led the forward line like an All Aus level CHF last year and is now lucky to be getting a game. I'd much rather have Tom right than have the Hogan trade back. Quite frankly I'd be shocked if many on here disagree with that.

Why are you assuming Hogan wasn't replaced? Hogan was replaced by Weideman for this year, just as he was after injuries last year. The forward line failures are far more to do with McDonald's form, Melksham's injury and the fitness/skill of the mids kicking it inside 50.

Panacea doesn't simply mean solution, it means universal cure, magic bullet etc. The players are going to have to do the work to solve the problems, Rawlings can only guide them. That's being realistic and sharing responsibility rather than having an ego. A higher conversation rate will result in more wins if the rest of the side can continue to do what they've been doing or improve. Coming out and promising wins is foolish. Bill Belichick might be the best sports coach on the planet and his motto is 'Do your job'. All our coaches need to do is spell out what they want from the players and hold them to that. An assistant coach hyping the fans? Come on.

We consistently struggled to score against good sides last year with Hogan. v Richmond v Hawthorn v Collingwood v Sydney despite stacks of inside 50's. The forward lines best games against good sides were v WCE, GWS and the first 2 finals with the Weid. We didn't bend over backwards to retain Hogan. He was contracted for this year, we could've held him to that. We recognised the opportunity to improve the backline and that the forward line functioned without him. I absolutely stand by that decision as the right one.

- Tom McDonald was the star key forward last year. 50+ goals and got the best defenders. - Melksham and Petracca were both very good medium options, Joel Smith was shifted forward as another difficult match up - Hannan, Spargo, ANB did their jobs well and we recruited more small and flanker options Hogan v top 8 teams last year - 6 games, 8 goals (3, 1, 2, 0, 1, 1) and 26 marks Weideman v top 8 teams last year - 6 games, 8 goals (0, 1, 1, 3, 2, 1) and 30 maks Hogan has had 2 excellent games this year surrounded with a lot of ordinary ones. At this stage he is miles off a once in a generation forward. In fact he has been miles off tracking like that since his first or second season. The Weid hasn't come on but has shown good signs the last two weeks. There's still good reason for optimism that he becomes a very handy player. Tom McDonald going from a guy who kicked 53 goals in 20 games to a pumpkin is the real issue.

How good is he at injury prevention and management - who knows? But Port were fit when he was in charge. They believed it, they played like it and they ran over teams late in games. It was great footy to watch. I'd be willing to risk some injuries to see our players really believe in themselves. We seem so reluctant to kick the ball and run to space. Our quick ball movement game plan will never amount to anything if we're afraid to stretch the size of the ground with run.

Viney's are irrelevant. I'm not suggesting replacing Jeff with an inside midfielder. Hunt - 14 goals/12 games. 2.2 tackles Hannan (last year): 22 goals/15 games 2.2 tackles Lockhart 6 goals/7 games 2.4 tackles They are guys who have some combinations of pace and forward craft. They also have more flexibility to rotate through the midfield or high half forward line so Baker, Oliver, Petracca etc can all spell deep forward. When he kicked 40 goals a season and had electrifying pace Garlett was a great player, but he's lost a yard and lost the hunger for the ball.

Multiple times in each game he: - Clearly runs under kicks to avoid body contact from behind, spilling or clean missing marks - Takes flying shots on goal to avoid contact - Approaches defenders from behind to lay run down tackles rather than having to attack them from front or side on which requires more force and courage and is more likely to create a turnover - Passes off goal scoring opportunities including the 30m shot against the Pies that was inexcusable All these things are clear to see. If you can't see them then I don't know what you're watching. Yes, he has far more forward craft than any of the alternatives but he's no longer a competitor. He plays like a guy who doesn't want to be there. Now that we've got Hunt, Hannan and Lockhart all available we have 3 guys who can do the job and are actually willing to put their bodies on the line.

I'm pretty sure from watching training that McCartney is a play it on quickly Geelong under Thompson style coach. Lever and May should mean more intercept marks and with a fitter midfield group that could mean more kick mark style. The desperation to move the ball quickly stems from having a forward line without goal kicking power and a midfield with running power. A controlled build up needs more run in to space and forwards who can beat a man.