Jaded No More

I don't know whether this is such an issue with Dunn these days. I haven't really seen him squib anything (may have missed it though), and he is really good below his knees and in close, and has a monster kick. Bate is just a plodder. He is SO slow and the minute he loses the marking contest you just know we've lost it completely. I have no trust in him whatsoever when it comes to winning a loose ball off the deck, not because he won't try, but because he literally cannot bend, pick and run at the same time. Love him as I may, he is not big or strong enough to compensate for his lack of pace.

Cruising along Struggle Street is Mr. Bate. Personally I think he's been bad for 3 weeks now, and needs a spell Problem is, that no amount of time at Sandy is going to make him any faster, or any better below his knees. He gets a pass for marking and kicking, but he is an absolute liability going the other way. No idea what to do with him, but unless he starts taking contested marks consistently, I cannot see him being a part of our future. Dunn showed a lot more as a forward today than Bate has in a while, because Dunn is mobile and he can play both up in the air and off the ground.

HAHAHA Please Dean, make it go far far away. I beg of you, have we not suffered enough!

My condolences to the entire Bartram family. Horrible to lose your dad at such a young age, and under what sounds like pretty painful circumstances. Was incredibly brave of Bartram to play tonight. Saw him point to his armband a couple of times as well, and I'm sure his dad would have been proud of the effort he (always!) put in.

Please please please make Newton go away. If I have to see him play again I will seriously shoot myself. He is the single most infuriating, lazy, uncommitted footballer I have ever seen. GET RID OF IT! In: Robbo, Maric, Grimes (if he got through the match ok) Out: Newton, Bate (need to learn to play below his knees!!!), Bartram (very harsh given he played OK under horrible circumstances, but he needs a spell). Bate and Newton are like having two extra goal posts up forward. Go with a smaller forward line, that can actually mark and kick goals. Please! By the way, Bennell is ALL class in a group that seriously lacks class. Shouldn't go anywhere.

Worst game ever!!! Can't believe I'm freezing to death for this [censored]. Idiotic team selection to into the game with Juice and Bate and then let Adelaide do as they please by playing the most hidious defensive game I have ever seen. Terrible!

If they can cope with SNOW, they should be able to cope with a bit of wind :D I've got my snow coat (from the one time I went skiing, and almost died in a snow blizzard... because I'm such a hardcore Melbourne supporter ), and a beanie on and I just walked outside and it really isn't that bad. In fact, the sun just peaked out from behind the clouds, and there's a sliver of blue skies.

Interesting. We clearly don't need two "in-case-of-emergency" players to sit out the VFL match. Hopefully this means Maric will be in as a late change. Great news that both Bell and Aussie are back from injury. Hopefully Aussie gets through the match unscathed and we see him in the AFL in a couple of weeks.

It's a massive effort on the club's behalf to have raised our membership numbers by a massive 10,000 in just 6 years (given we sucked in 03, 07, 08 and 09). Amazing!

4? I think you are required to draft at least 4 new players into the club each year. However we will obviously be looking at a minimum of 6 given we'll have some pretty good picks again. However, it is far far too early to be making calls on anyone's future. This time last year people wanted Garland and Warnock gone, and I'm sure some had question marks over Rivers and his ability to ever return to fitness (some of us still doubt, but are stalking his progress to ease the worry ). At the end of the day very few players on our list can be given the "gone" stamp in Round 5.

Yep, everyone needs to drink a big glass of HARDEN THE F' UP and get themselves to the game. Rug up, and move to an undercover spot if you don't want to get wet. Nobody has ever died from a bit of rain or wind, and given that we never get to play under lights these days, this is as good as. Besides, as if you have something better to do on a Sunday afternoon anyway!

Can we make a late change and get someone out of the starting 18 without receiving a penalty (given of course that the change is due to the weather, not injury)? If Robbo or Maric are late inclusions, I would say that Newton would be the one dropped, simply because we'll be swapping a tall for a small up forward. Alternatively we could drop PJ and go with one ruckman.

Don't rule out a late change on Sunday if the weather gets really bad. Newton or Dunn may miss in favour of Maric. While I really want to see Maric play, and believe he deserves a game, it would be highly unfair to drop anyone from a team that won its first match in many many months. Everyone played their role (including Bartram!), and the one forced changed was always going to be Green out and our CAPTAIN in. Do I want to see Maric more than Junior? Sure I do, but I doubt Maric expects to be selected ahead of his captain. Bottom line is, you don't punish a young team for winning by making changes, and it is absolutely brilliant that there is finally some competition for spots. It will only get harder when Grimes, Robbo, Buckley and Watts are pushing for selection (assuming we don't get struck down by injuries again).

It's not the level of difficulty, it's the thought that counts. Gees!

Miller is most definitely NOT out of his league. They are both equally appealing, not to mention that Miller is genuinely a great guy. I'm sure any female who saw that Pillow Talk segment and heard the wedding speech story would have instantly fallen in love On a side note, I have a strong suspicious that the club is grooming Milsy to take over the captaincy next year. He is doing a hell of a lot of media recently.

If the club believes we're a good chance of playing finals in the next 3 years, then yes I would take him. He would be the difference between a bottom 8 and a top 4 finish. Having said that, he doesn't seem like the right fit for us, and we are definitely not the right fit for him. But he is a champion, and I actually hope he gets the hell out of Freo and goes to a club that will nourish him with success. Any club would be lucky to have him!

Some of the best forwards in the competition have goal-kicking issues. Richo, Buddy, any Geelong forward, Fevola on a bad day (and on a good day too ) etc... While poor kicking for goal is deflating for the team, it is something that can be worked on and corrected (just ask Robbo). However, it is my opinion that Miller's goal kicking issues are 100% mental. Watch him nail various shots during the warm-up and you'll notice that he is more than capable of kicking them. Obviously lack of confidence/nerves kick in during the game and his accuracy suffers as a result (although interestingly his field-kicking is generally pretty good).

Oh dear. So you've obviously come on here to have a cry, good on you. For what it's worth, I would be (and have been in the past) just as harsh on my own players if they pulled something stupid like that. Not only that, if an assistant coach at Melbourne felt the need to talk rubbish on radio and pump up the stupidity of our players, I would be bloody furious. I mean that is as dumb as it gets. Of course, had you actually read this forum, you would realise that the majority of us are harsher on our own club, than most. Take a look at the Sylvia thread for a start to see how we feel about players who act like tools and implicate their club in it, maybe do a search back to when Brock, Rivers and Carroll got in trouble overseas... better yet, just read any thread involving Carroll. No club is immune from idiots, both on and off the field. Individuals acting out is less costly to a club, than a group of players acting out, regardless of how large or small, as it immediately links that group to the organisation to which they belong (as it is the one thing they have in common). That the whole thing was blown up in the media, is one issue, that players feel the need to act like idiots instead of concentrating on winning, is another. Enjoy your time at Demonland, and I sincerely hope your mob gets its [censored] together and starts winning some games. We want picks 1 and 2... especially since we're less likely to trade them for the likes of Chris Tarrant By the way, you may think we are struggling on and off the field, but always remember that if it wasn't for us, your joke of a club wouldn't even exist. Thanks

I have seen him do much much worse. The point is, Stef >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Fraser.

I have a sudden urge to vomit now. Please please please don't ever compare anyone on our list, let alone Stef, to that filthy human being. Argh!

Terrible weather on Sunday (or so they say), so I'm going with 18,690

Oh, it's not my bandwagon, it's Stef's... I'm just driving it for him

Ummm... ok I'm sorry but is Des Headland really in Freo's leadership group? Oh my! And if you know your players are idiots, why go and make it publicly known on radio??

No doubt, what Bock did is criminal. However, Bock's behaviour does not reflect on the AFC, just as Sylvia's stupidity is not a reflection on our club. Given that this Freo thing involves a large number of players just speaks volumes about the state of that club.

Are you serious? These morons are 0-4, and instead of concentrating on their football, they are pulling stupid stunts? It doesn't matter what they were dresses as, the point is, they are idiots to have embroiled their club in controversy... or perhaps it's a diversion tactic from their terrible on-field performances? If I was a Docker supporter I would throw my membership, and several sharp objects, at the club and walk away. Fremantle are just lucky that they have loyal fans and a good financial base. Imagine if they were a Victorian team, they'd be out on their arse in no time. That club is an embarrassment to our great game!