Review Freo beat the Dogs by 16 points

[estibador]

Sharp's running prowess has never been in doubt. What I was impressed with today is he actually lowered his eyes and tried to kick to a lead instead of bombing it as far as he could.

 

[MadMundy]

I have to ask, what the **** has happened to Aaron Naughton???

He went from a highly touted player to what looked like non-existent today?

I remember a time where people were pissed we didn't draft him.

 

[s_wd6]

I have to ask, what the **** has happened to Aaron Naughton???

He went from a highly touted player to what looked like non-existent today?

I remember a time where people were pissed we didn't draft him.

Dogs fans reckon he had a really bad case of glandular fever and had close to no pre season

 

[Ysaye]

I have to ask, what the **** has happened to Aaron Naughton???

He went from a highly touted player to what looked like non-existent today?

I remember a time where people were pissed we didn't draft him.

Interrupted preseason apparently.

 

[Nolo180]

Biggest positive was finally seeing a fast kick in from Ryan and going coast to coast for the goal! Never thought I'd see the day...

 

[millsy]

Gekko71 and E Shed reading both your posts was an absolute gift, poetry in motion.

I actually really enjoyed that game, the little men (Reid, Dudley, Bolton) and the big men (Voss, Treacy, Amiss) all stood up in the big moments. Voss in particular is doing a hell of a lot to make up for his accuracy issues. Imagine if Reid wasn't there and he actually kicked through the middle after that side-step? Stoked for Reid but that would've been immense for the big man.

We've actually become exciting to watch, and could even put forward a highlight reel that might last longer than a minute.

Still can't see any evidence of JL's gameplan though, I reckon the players just decided they're good at footy and decided to play as such.

Pretty unfair on JLo for mine.

We were somehow in front at quarter time off the back of ball movement, reset some things and played super footy in Q2. Lost our ruckman and got down to two on the bench by 3QT and managed Q4 as well as we possibly could have.

I reckon if he gets the clips he also gets a pretty big tick today.

 

[King Huskii]

I can't believe the melts when we took Reid

 

[Nolo180]

Pearce took a great mark in the last quarter and was strong in the contest. We need that form to continue. However, he made some howlers. Cost us goals from howlers under zero pressure. We can't have that week in and week out. He has done it every game this season.

The defensive unit was very strong today. Hopefully that form continues.

Pearce was huge but he should follow ZDawson's lead and move the ball on by hand only.

 

[dominguez]

I have to ask, what the **** has happened to Aaron Naughton???

He went from a highly touted player to what looked like non-existent today?

I remember a time where people were pissed we didn't draft him.

On form Pat Voss is ahead of him.

 

[Gekko71]

Worner was excellent defensively when he came on I thought from up in 543. Will have to judge the going forward contribution on the replay. My friend next to me, having being in England for the first home game, is gong to have a bruise on his arm from me elbowing him and shouting "Reid again!"

I also have bruises on my body from watching Reid play... But they were largely self inflicted, and far more pleasant to endure.

(May not walk straight for a while but...)

 

[Tbonefreo]

I can't believe the melts when we took Reid

There were melts? I was sure as a collective were pretty happy with the result

 

[King Huskii]

There were melts? I was sure as a collective were pretty happy with the result

Yes plenty happy

A number of posts saying too slow

 

[EastcoastDocker]

Have been critical of Cox but credit where it's due he was absolute class today. Sharp much improved. Ryan back to his AA best and more adventurous by foot.

Treacy, Serong and Brayshaw really are the heartbeat of the club now. Not detracting from the skipper, its a positional thing more than anything else. We couldnt go near it that first qtr (despite scoreline) but Serong and AB turned the tide.

I like switta but I dont think theres room in this side for him.

 

[GoFreo4eva]

1 goal for the quarter doesn’t win a lot of games.

Losing our one ruckman changed our structure completely so it made absolute sense to adapt the way the game was played into a tight arm wrestle. How about giving a bit of credit to the boys in the back half who did an outstanding job in the last quarter. If we tried to turn it into a run and gun fest we would have been really out run and out gunned. 1 goal was all that was needed to clinch the victory and much respect goes to the guys like Voss, Treacy and Amiss who won some really important contests along with Moose who took such a great mark when he was way out of position..

If all you want to see is the pretty stuff and no grit and grind watch some NBA games as I think footy may not be for you.

I really do wonder what you expected from the team and the coach in the circumstances. Play attractive footy on no legs and get beaten?

 

[south beach]

Somehow, we won. Played one great quarter. Injuries were unlucky but we ****ed up our interchanges and nearly handed them the game via running out of legs and trying to play slow and stagnant the entire 4th. A bit of gritty defence and heart and individual brilliance won it against a team playing superior footy in the end.

I’ve never been surer JL is not a good coach for us and yet he’ll be even safer after this week. But we’re not going anywhere unless we vastly improve.

I thought we led at every change. Maybe I was watching a different game

 

[Superkoops]

Biggest positive was finally seeing a fast kick in from Ryan and going coast to coast for the goal! Never thought I'd see the day...

That coast to coast kick in was Brennan Cox wasn’t it. In the second quarter?

 

[Dockeroo]

Shout out to Mcmanus on the 7 commentary team. Wasn't happy with the umps.

Does anyone know if you can listen to these channel 7 commentary’s if you are not based in Western Australia?

 

[fnerd]

I can't believe the melts when we took Reid

I was honestly dumbfounded at the time (were posters watching something different to me?)

But it’s even crazier to think about it now

 

[fnerd]

There were melts? I was sure as a collective were pretty happy with the result

A reasonable number were pretty annoyed we never got Berry/traded up for him

Not sure when they ll learn that walls is the Mr miyagi of drafting tho

 

[StingBitten]

Pav said we were the youngest team this round - wow.

Reid, Dudley, Voss weren't considered best 22 at the start of the year. Draper, Wagner and O'Driscoll have only just made themselves starting 22.

I guess Fyfe, Walters, Darcy, Young and Switta raise the age a bit but I'm not sure Fyfe and Walters are going to be starting 22 anymore even when they're fit.

 

[StingBitten]

I was honestly dumbfounded at the time (were posters watching something different to me?)

But it’s even crazier to think about it now

From memory the melts were around Reid not looking too happy to come to WA, but that was all speculative.

 

[mightymouse75]

The lads tightened up everything in the last quarter.
They thought they were going to get overwhelmed by the dogs.
This will give them some belief.
Confidence is a big part of footy.

 

[fnerd]

From memory the melts were around Reid not looking too happy to come to WA, but that was all speculative.

Yeah was that but pretty sure most of it was around them thinking Reid was only/predominantly a small slowish mid

 

[LongSerong]

Gotta say it, I've got cake on my face tonight, Cox was damn good tonight. Long may it continue

 

[theGav56]

That last quarter was an exercise in energy management.

We saved as much energy as we possibly could in the first half of the last quarter, in order to be able to finish with more energy.

For those who call bullshit, I would remind you of how Ali won many of his most famous fights. On more than one occasion he would tire his opponent out through much of the fight, in order to save his energy and win the fight in the final rounds, once his larger and stronger opponent was more tired.

We simply did not have the tickets, or the necessary players at three quarter time, to play out that final quarter the same way we had played in the second. If we had tried, it would have been a slaughter.... because we weren't just playing the doggies -- we were playing the doggies AND THE UMPIRES.

What do people honestly think? That draining the tank fully, and going all out to win was going to work??

Do you REALLY think the umps were going to suddenly start being fair, and change their interpretations?

Myself, I don't think so. I think going slow, and conserving as much energy as possible for most of the last quarter, then emptying the tank at the very close, was the ONLY realistic option.

There was a reason we took our time at every opportunity during the last quarter.

There was a reason we stopped trying to create overlap run.

There was a reason we looked to the boundary line at every opportunity.

There was a reason why we didn't move the ball around the field as much.

We did all the above, because this allowed the vast majority of our team (who weren't involved in the play at any one time) MORE TIME TO REST ON THE FIELD, AND REQUIRED LESS RUNNING OF THEM.

The first and second quarters were beyond frenetic... The first quarter especially. The dogs tired halfway through the second, so we went hard to build a lead, and used more rotations in doing so.

Having three injuries occur in the third quarter was unforeseen, and meant that the rest of the side had fewer opportunities to come off for a rest. The dogs came hard, so our guys had to go hard in response. They did so, and did enough to prevent them losing too much of the lead.

So through necessity, and through injury, the fourth became a game of survival...

...and IT WORKED! We won a game that not many of us thought we could. We did what was necessary to win, and it worked.

No It wasn't pretty -- but seriously ...who gives a **** about playing pretty with umpiring like that???

I repeat: the final quarter was ALL about resource management. It was 100% a tactical decision from the coaching box.

So can we PLEASE give J-lo just a little but of credit for this win... just for once?? Just to break the monotony of bagging the guy out??

He didn't get his job as the free prize in a ****ing box of corn flakes, so let's stop treating him with such disdain folks.

We got the win, when on paper, we should have lost.... So we'll bloody done lads, it was a monumental effort all round -- even from J-lo.

Agree he deserves some accolade for the win. We're definitely improving as the season goes on.