Autopsy Round 3, 2025: Positives and Negatives vs Fremantle

[FDH16]

I'll be gentle here, but there are some glaring issues with your current stock.

Was at the ground today, I've never seen a player torch so many scoring chains as one Matt Owies - he's just not very good.

Is Jayden Hunt contracted beyond this year? If so, why?

Oscar Allen is either shot, or doesn't care - either way - big issue.

Tim Kelly, can't be played again - meant to be a leader - sloppy, picks and chooses when he goes - can't have that around a young group.

Found one in Reid (Archer, that is)

 

[Dale Doback]

Long should be dropped. Some of his token efforts pushing up through the midfield to cover after turnover, where he's neither running hard, or manning anyone were pathetic. Ryan turned the ball over a few times with genuine chase.

 

[Goroyals22]

I'll be gentle here, but there are some glaring issues with your current stock.

Was at the ground today, I've never seen a player torch so many scoring chains as one Matt Owies - he's just not very good.

Is Jayden Hunt contracted beyond this year? If so, why?

Oscar Allen is either shot, or doesn't care - either way - big issue.

Tim Kelly, can't be played again - meant to be a leader - sloppy, picks and chooses when he goes - can't have that around a young group.

Found one in Reid (Archer, that is)

Is “I’ll be gentle” this years “ i come in peace”?

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

I'll be gentle here, but there are some glaring issues with your current stock.

Was at the ground today, I've never seen a player torch so many scoring chains as one Matt Owies - he's just not very good.

Is Jayden Hunt contracted beyond this year? If so, why?

Oscar Allen is either shot, or doesn't care - either way - big issue.

Tim Kelly, can't be played again - meant to be a leader - sloppy, picks and chooses when he goes - can't have that around a young group.

Found one in Reid (Archer, that is)

You're not telling us anything we don't already know.

To return the favour (being gentle of course). Your mob looked bog average and any half decent team should have won by 10 goals

Best of luck finishing 12th this season.

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

We have worse players in their mid-late 20s than most clubs, and a new gameplan.
Our mature players arent mids, thats where we need them more than any other role to stabilise our performances.

We can less afford to play kids right now when chasing some half decent performances tbh

This is just a circular argument. We're bad because our 24-27 year old guys aren't as good as other teams, and we can't play the kids because our 24-27 year old guys aren't as good but we need them to provide stability.

If our main mids at the end of this year are still Tim Kelly, Jack Graham, and Liam Baker it has been a complete waste of a year.

 

[ep2018]

Essendon at home in round 6 will be our first win this season. We have the tigers twice, likely two wins there too. We'll pinch a couple of wins in the second half of the season when the game plan gels more and we've finally dropped the dead wood seniors. Finish 16th on 5 or 6 wins.

 

[stallon]

Hutch seems so much better in the middle than on the wing. Could we pre-empt his return but moving Kelly or Graham out to the wing, give Hall a couple of weeks in the on-ball rotation and, when Hutch is ready to go, he either comes in for a poorly performing Hall or we drop one of the small forwards and push the other of Graham/Kelly to a half forward flank?

Im thinking more medium term, but yeah Hutch in the middle would be fine too.

I just know we have Yeo to come back soon, and if we want Hewett/Reid/Hall/Gross in there along with Kelly/Graham/Baker for bits and then Hutch, its probably 1 mid too many.

Hutch at least we know has the tank to play wing, next year we should have more options fingers crossed.
Good to have the flexibility at least to put him in there.

 

[mehow2g]

It's obvious how much the scrutiny caused by the fans and particularly the AFL media has really gotten to Harley, the guy looks dead in the eyes compared to last year, not enjoying himself.

If this is some tactic to lure him back to Vic they're doing a good job of it, I feel sorry for the bloke.

 

[stallon]

This is just a circular argument. We're bad because our 24-27 year old guys aren't as good as other teams, and we can't play the kids because our 24-27 year old guys aren't as good but we need them to provide stability.

If our main mids at the end of this year are still Tim Kelly, Jack Graham, and Liam Baker it has been a complete waste of a year.

You said we had 9 players sub 50 games I think? plus Hough?

Id drop Hunt for Hutch(when hes fit), maybe Cole for Allan eventually, plus we have Gov out injured now with Brock the likely replacement brings us to 12 players at 60 games or under.
Long out for Hall doesnt change that number of kids.

Thats a decent mix imo.
Next year or even later in this year we can bring a couple more in

I dont want Graham to be one of our CBA mids at all, as ive said a few times in here now. I want him playing HFF, coming up to stoppages to do defensive jobs on whichever oppo mid is going good.

Yeo, Reid, Hewett and then a mix of Kelly/Baker/Hall/Hutch/Gross should be our midfield mix at the end of the year imo

 

[stallon]

It's obvious how much the scrutiny caused by the fans and particularly the AFL media has really gotten to Harley, the guy looks dead in the eyes compared to last year, not enjoying himself.

If this is some tactic to lure him back to Vic they're doing a good job of it, I feel sorry for the bloke.

I think thats the tqactic, but it also could easily backfire as its mostly those same Vics bullying him lol

 

[stallon]

Yeah, I mean really it's all just shuffling the deck chairs on the titanic.
The real issue is the same one we've had for quite some time, not enough ball winners in the middle.

Cant be fixed overnight unfortunately

 

[mehow2g]

I think thats the tqactic, but it also could easily backfire as its mostly those same Vics bullying him lol

I hope he is getting the support he needs, he looked like he was about to cry in todays game.

If I had to guess, he probably thinks he cannot do anything right, not a good mental space to be in.

 

[Godfather32]

Cant be fixed overnight unfortunately

Haven't prioritised drafting them for years, no surprise we don't have many on the list now

 

[Rowan18]

I'll be gentle here, but there are some glaring issues with your current stock.

Was at the ground today, I've never seen a player torch so many scoring chains as one Matt Owies - he's just not very good.

Is Jayden Hunt contracted beyond this year? If so, why?

Oscar Allen is either shot, or doesn't care - either way - big issue.

Tim Kelly, can't be played again - meant to be a leader - sloppy, picks and chooses when he goes - can't have that around a young group.

Found one in Reid (Archer, that is)

Definitely, that's why we're rebuilding

Freo is monumentally cooked though. Don't be mistaken, you played like shit but we just brought unforced turnovers and a complete lack of pressure. Your midfield is bad - Serong and Brayshaw are short people that just can't compete with the big boys. Bolton looks disinterested and is clearly a flaky front runner. KPD are old and KPF average/inconsistent. I don't really know what the solution is, because you've been rebuilding for 9 years. Would probably be best to get rid of one of Bryashaw and Serong and get a big bodied mid that can win when the whips are cracking.

 

[donpyke92]

Not positive or negative..
I would be playing Harley forward atm...he seems gassed pretty early midfileld
Would do the same with Kelly.
What happens to our midfield?
Pop Hall back in and give the young Gross a go, with Hewett getting full minutes....might sound ridiculous, but we are rebuilding. Got mature bodies in Graham, Duggan, Baker that can go there. Not ideal, but that's where we are at.
Think Oscar should stay back for a bit, not just by necessity, but for his own form.
Really hoping Bazzo shows some good form early to press for selection.
*otherwise break glass and make Grego captain

*Edit I don't need to tell you who comes out of the forward line for H Reid & Kelly do I?

 

[stallon]

Haven't prioritised drafting them for years, no surprise we don't have many on the list now

We started too late to try to fix it

 

[Barrybran]

Interesting comments from Mini re Harley playing in defense. Who came up the ground when Harley went back?

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

You said we had 9 players sub 50 games I think? plus Hough?

Id drop Hunt for Hutch(when hes fit), maybe Cole for Allan eventually, plus we have Gov out injured now with Brock the likely replacement brings us to 12 players at 60 games or under.
Long out for Hall doesnt change that number of kids.

Thats a decent mix imo.
Next year or even later in this year we can bring a couple more in

I dont want Graham to be one of our CBA mids at all, as ive said a few times in here now. I want him playing HFF, coming up to stoppages to do defensive jobs on whichever oppo mid is going good.

Yeo, Reid, Hewett and then a mix of Kelly/Baker/Hall/Hutch/Gross should be our midfield mix at the end of the year imo

This doesn't change the fundamental issue at hand.

Our midfield isn't actually a midfield at all. It's full of half forward flankers, half backs and part time mids who don't have the tank.

Shifting who is on the wing, or playing which flank doesn't solve anything. You need to turn over the midfield.

Move Harley out until he is fit enough to play in there properly. Give Hall, Hewett Harley's minutes.

Otherwise we're just re-arranging deck chairs.

 

[stallon]

This doesn't change the fundamental issue at hand.

Our midfield isn't actually a midfield at all. It's full of half forward flankers, half backs and part time mids who don't have the tank.

None of the kids in the WAFL have the tank either.
We are trying to get Hewett and Reid up to scratch, and Hall more than likely comes straight back in.
Not a lot more we can do in the short term.
If we bring in Gross thats more than likely at the expense of one of the 3 other kids I just mentioned

Shifting who is on the wing, or playing which flank doesn't solve anything. You need to turn over the midfield.

Move Harley out until he is fit enough to play in there properly. Give Hall, Hewett Harley's minutes.

Otherwise we're just re-arranging deck chairs.

I dont mind moving out Reid for a while to fit in Hall or something
Graham out a it to make space for Hewett to have a proper go.

In a few weeks we get Yeo back, and Hutch back in 2 probably.

 

[rebel23]

In the end we got absolutely burnt by errors an under 15's amateur side probably wouldn't make... Endeavour was pretty good but skills were shocking.

I thought Archer Reid, Ginbey and Maric were really big positives...

Negatives were many... However I'm going to single out Harry Edwards who isn't an AFL footballer.... And the entire midfield unit.

Graham was absolutely hopeless, Kelly just a dumb footballer right now... and Harley mate... That's a droppable performance...put him at full forward instead of Long... It's the position he can do most damage with limited accountability..

Allan had a dirty day but his endeavour I thought was there.. massive lack of service... I'll give a pass... Duggan was fine.. not the worst of our problems this week.

You see all the other teams provide short leads for our backs to honour except for us... So it becomes dump kick central..

Time to turf the entire mids brigade and play the kids.. if Harley has a shit game as full forward...drop him too... Enough of mollycoddling... That Serong cheap shot was pathetic.

anyway what a shit way to end the weekend

 

[Shueygod]

In the end we got absolutely burnt by errors an under 15's amateur side probably wouldn't make... Endeavour was pretty good but skills were shocking.

I thought Archer Reid, Ginbey and Maric were really big positives...

Negatives were many... However I'm going to single out Harry Edwards who isn't an AFL footballer.... And the entire midfield unit.

Graham was absolutely hopeless, Kelly just a dumb footballer right now... and Harley mate... That's a droppable performance...put him at full forward instead of Long... It's the position he can do most damage with limited accountability..

Allan had a dirty day but his endeavour I thought was there.. massive lack of service... I'll give a pass... Duggan was fine.. not the worst of our problems this week.

You see all the other teams provide short leads for our backs to honour except for us... So it becomes dump kick central..

Time to turf the entire mids brigade and play the kids.. if Harley has a shit game as full forward...drop him too... Enough of mollycoddling... That Serong cheap shot was pathetic.

anyway what a shit way to end the weekend

Clueless mate, take your preconceived expectations out of it and tell me what 19 year old is getting dropped after 15 touches and a goal in the bottom team. Last I checked Serong was facing him so not a cheap shot, if it was the opposite way around everyone would be talking about how Harley flopped.

“Time to turf the midfield brigade and play the kids, drop Harley though”

 

[AnyDanger]

I'm glad to see mini was prepared to throw harley around, although you could argue his hand was almost forced based on performance.

He's absolutely drowning in the guts and we need to get him out of there to break the head space he's in currently. I don't mind the idea of giving him a few weeks at half back. I think he'd benefit from getting the ball in his hands as much as possible at the moment, maybe some cheap ones, get him feeling a bit better about himself because he doesn't look like he's enjoying his footy at the moment. Just one of the many problems we currently have.

 

[rebel23]

Clueless mate, take your preconceived expectations out of it and tell me what 19 year old is getting dropped after 15 touches and a goal in the bottom team. Last I checked Serong was facing him so not a cheap shot, if it was the opposite way around everyone would be talking about how Harley flopped.

“Time to turf the midfield brigade and play the kids, drop Harley though”

Id say clueless is you mate...

The whole lot of the mids are f... Ing useless this week as well as previous weeks.

As for Harley... He was torched as a mid....and then torched again by Frederick playing as a 'defender'...

At least he can play as an effective forward....sooo put him there.

But hey kudos to you for excepting mediocrity from your side... for your sake I hope they don't drop anyone and we lose by 15 goals next week...

F..ing pissweak

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

I'm glad to see mini was prepared to throw harley around, although you could argue his hand was almost forced based on performance.

He's absolutely drowning in the guts and we need to get him out of there to break the head space he's in currently. I don't mind the idea of giving him a few weeks at half back. I think he'd benefit from getting the ball in his hands as much as possible at the moment, maybe some cheap ones, get him feeling a bit better about himself because he doesn't look like he's enjoying his footy at the moment. Just one of the many problems we currently have.

I worry about the way he defends. Yes he was an elite intercepting half bank flank in his underage year, but you barely need to defend at U/18 level.

If we put him in at half back, Hough and Ginbey will need to pick up his man more often than not. We've seen both be pretty offensive this year.

I'd plonk Harley in the forward pocket. At least that way, he might be incentivised to pressure and defend with the chance of earning a free kick for a goal.

Definitely need to change the mix in the middle. I'd argue that our midfield has looked it's worst when Graham is in there. He just makes the entire midfield look too one paced, and his defensive efforts don't make up for his lack of pace.

Drop Long for Reid in the forward line. Bring in Hall, and Gross and move Hewett to a midfield role.

 

[rebel23]

A

I worry about the way he defends. Yes he was an elite intercepting half bank flank in his underage year, but you barely need to defend at U/18 level.

If we put him in at half back, Hough and Ginbey will need to pick up his man more often than not. We've seen both be pretty offensive this year.

I'd plonk Harley in the forward pocket. At least that way, he might be incentivised to pressure and defend with the chance of earning a free kick for a goal.

Definitely need to change the mix in the middle. I'd argue that our midfield has looked it's worst when Graham is in there. He just makes the entire midfield look too one paced, and his defensive efforts don't make up for his lack of pace.

Drop Long for Reid in the forward line. Bring in Hall, and Gross and move Hewett to a midfield role.

Absolutely agree with everything you've said... Graham out... Hall and Gross in..

Long out... Harley to forward line until he builds a sufficient tank