Game Day Round 15 - Fremantle @ Optus Stadium - 23rd June 2024 - 4:00pm AEST

[CanYouFeelTheSunburn]

Disappointing but strong finish. Big shout-out to the suns mob getting the chant going today at the ground. There wasn't many of us but it was really good to see some us being really vocal and being able to hear it on the other side of the ground was awesome!!

Could hear bits and pieces on TV, it was definitely a lot louder than it’s been in the past in WA. Could actually hear fans cheering as goals went through in comparison to radio silence in the past.

 

[Sun Stormer]

Observations that are still in my head from yesterday's game.

1: Ainsworth, Berry, Long contributed very little - and that miss by Ainsworth is so typical of him when he's needed.
2: Mac Andrew had one of those poor games - just didn't seem focused at all and rarely did anything Mac like for the whole game.
3: Uwland and Graham are our future - and two of very few who don't mind getting bruised. We have too many soft players afraid to get bashed around.
4: We are the worst at sticking a tackle - embarrassing at times.
5: Will Powell got plenty of the ball but why does he persist in bombing it down the boundary to (usually) an opposition player. Needs to have more composure and actually scan for an accurate pass down field. Same for Collins - panics when under pressure evry time.
6: Many players (thanks to AFL) seem unwilling to actually meet a body head on when approaching a contest. They actually stop and pull back - wait and then go in. The game is being ruined when players do not want to actually contest a hard ball.
7: We've had a good run from umpires this year but a few dud decisions this game - and the boys drop their heads.
8: I know it was a good goal but Ellis is part of the past - do not get excited because he'll let you down.
9: Swallow should be permanent sub - his legs can't last a full game BUT he's a genuine tryer. Need more like him.
10: Did I say Graham and Uwland are the future!
11: Touk frustrates me more every game.
12: No chance this year - BUT I remain confident that with a few more clear outs of talent and a few experienced bodies - Rioli and Dusty - 2025 will be the year of at least one final.

On to the Magpies - and epending on whether DeGoey plays etc - it just might be winnable.

 

[eighties]

Blind freddy could see that the move was to get Touk out of the midfield and it just took to long for it to happen. Hardwick way to slow to change things 2 weeks in a row now...

Need more rotations through there. If its not working change it up quickly, we have guys that can play through there more...Flanders, Graham, and Humphrey.

Backline didnt need to be so tall. Collins, Ballard, Mac, Powell, Jeffrey and even Bodhi all Play tall.... Setting the backline up like this basically ensures that one or two of them will have minimal impact. Its been Chucky most of the year a bit down but today it was Mac.

Mac Andrew was basically wasted down back today. We should have used him as a roaming FWD coming up the ground to be a target for our predictable long kicks out of defence...especially with King missing and only Luko and Day as the targets up there ( who both did fine )

We have some good players running around out there I just feel Hardwick isn't getting the best out of them as a group just yet.

Pretty negative review of the game, I just found it a really frustrating game to watch.

 

[eppo67]

Blind freddy could see that the move was to get Touk out of the midfield and it just took to long for it to happen. Hardwick way to slow to change things 2 weeks in a row now...

Need more rotations through there. If its not working change it up quickly, we have guys that can play through there more...Flanders, Graham, and Humphrey.

Backline didnt need to be so tall. Collins, Ballard, Mac, Powell, Jeffrey and even Bodhi all Play tall.... Setting the backline up like this basically ensures that one or two of them will have minimal impact. Its been Chucky most of the year a bit down but today it was Mac.

Mac Andrew was basically wasted down back today. We should have used him as a roaming FWD coming up the ground to be a target for our predictable long kicks out of defence...especially with King missing and only Luko and Day as the targets up there ( who both did fine )

We have some good players running around out there I just feel Hardwick isn't getting the best out of them as a group just yet.

Pretty negative review of the game, I just found it a really frustrating game to watch.

Yes this monopoly that Anderson Rowell and Miller have on midfield minutes needs to be dialed right back

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[Jirik13]

Blind freddy could see that the move was to get Touk out of the midfield and it just took to long for it to happen. Hardwick way to slow to change things 2 weeks in a row now...

Need more rotations through there. If its not working change it up quickly, we have guys that can play through there more...Flanders, Graham, and Humphrey.

Backline didnt need to be so tall. Collins, Ballard, Mac, Powell, Jeffrey and even Bodhi all Play tall.... Setting the backline up like this basically ensures that one or two of them will have minimal impact. Its been Chucky most of the year a bit down but today it was Mac.

Mac Andrew was basically wasted down back today. We should have used him as a roaming FWD coming up the ground to be a target for our predictable long kicks out of defence...especially with King missing and only Luko and Day as the targets up there ( who both did fine )

We have some good players running around out there I just feel Hardwick isn't getting the best out of them as a group just yet.

Pretty negative review of the game, I just found it a really frustrating game to watch.

I did not watch the whole game yet, but didn't Mac play on Jackson? Jackson had no influence and was very limited.

Dimma frustrates me. Listening to his presser he realizes he should do better. Talking about rotating more people through the middle. Hallelujah. As you said we do have more people to run there. Humphrey confidence is shattered in no man's land forward. Flanders gets 4 clearances in last quarter when moved there. Graham is a beast there. Ainsworth, Rosas can run through too. Common, Dimma, swallow your pride and adjust.

If we split in middle we are watchable and have a shot. When we get bullied for 2-3 quarters we have no chance.

As for defence, we had one extra it looks like. Not sure we need Sexton. Uwland, Powell, Jeffrey can take game on. Just take Flanders out of there. What does he actually do there for us except having a ball 30+.

Yes, Miller was shocking with his disposal but at least he was trying. He looks like a captain who tries to carry a struggling team on his shoulders and tries way too much. Who really disappointed me is Anderson and nobody talks about him. He is not physical in the middle. I would move him on wing for periods. He looks to me like outside player more and more.

Witts is a real worry. He can't move. I suspect he is not right. Play Moyle!

Just really disappointed with our style. Where is the promise that we will play on instinct, with flare, to players strength. It's almost the opposite. Players are still thinking how to play, about positioning, play mostly slow.

The only positive from the last 2 games is that in the last quarter we finally came to play and were a better team. A bit too late.

Also like only for the 2-3rd time in a season we had a good start.

Funnily enough, Day can still play

No guarantee we will improve next year. Dream injury run will not last. If we play like this and not make finals it will be very difficult to attract quality players. Will players re-sign?

 

[Young_Guns]

Suns stars go missing after flight again as Freo skipper’s ugly blow sours crucial win — 3-2-1

Suns stars go missing after flight again as Freo skipper’s ugly blow sours crucial win — 3-2-1

www.foxsports.com.au

This is like 90% of our away problem and makes me irrationally annoyed. Yes the whole team is probably a bit down, but outside of King, the 4 in the middle are probably our highest paid players and the 4 we rely on to win the game (partly because we still refuse to rotate anyone else through there for some reason), yet the mix between them just doesn’t work anymore and they look like they care more about their own game rather than the team.

They’ve clearly been taught to cheat to try and win the clearance out of the front, but they seem to have taken that to mean they are free of any defensive responsibility.

Anderson doesnt look like he cares about anything but chasing kicks and when he’s chasing looks like he’s running in quick sand. Too many minutes in the middle? Stands out massively when he only manages 20 touches.

Enough has been said about Miller, but the biggest issue for mine is that he is meant to be the defensive focused of the 3 yet he spends the game just wondering around the square. Brayshaw’s goal yesterday was yet another example. Touk is just kind of jogging along a few steps behind the whole way with no real intent to get to him and leads to an uncontested mark. Prime Touk was so good because while his disposal was still suspect, he was a 2-way beast who would get back and win the ball and distribute, but this year he seems to just expect others further down the field will cover him?

And Rowell won’t stop fighting and digging his head in, but he can only be so effective when he’s the only one getting stuck in.

We desperately need the defensive midfielder to set up a wall and allow the others a bit more freedom. Flanders looked alright in the 4th, but its Graham and/or Davies best suited to that role who are willing to sacrifice their own game. Rotate Anderson/Miller/Rowell/Humphrey through the other 2 spots and get them all on the half-forward rolling up and it gives us so many more options and keeps everyone fresh. Crazy that we are just doing what Dew did in there and expecting different results.

 

[Jirik13]

This is like 90% of our away problem and makes me irrationally annoyed. Yes the whole team is probably a bit down, but outside of King, the 4 in the middle are probably our highest paid players and the 4 we rely on to win the game (partly because we still refuse to rotate anyone else through there for some reason), yet the mix between them just doesn’t work anymore and they look like they care more about their own game rather than the team.

They’ve clearly been taught to cheat to try and win the clearance out of the front, but they seem to have taken that to mean they are free of any defensive responsibility.

Anderson doesnt look like he cares about anything but chasing kicks and when he’s chasing looks like he’s running in quick sand. Too many minutes in the middle? Stands out massively when he only manages 20 touches.

Enough has been said about Miller, but the biggest issue for mine is that he is meant to be the defensive focused of the 3 yet he spends the game just wondering around the square. Brayshaw’s goal yesterday was yet another example. Touk is just kind of jogging along a few steps behind the whole way with no real intent to get to him and leads to an uncontested mark. Prime Touk was so good because while his disposal was still suspect, he was a 2-way beast who would get back and win the ball and distribute, but this year he seems to just expect others further down the field will cover him?

And Rowell won’t stop fighting and digging his head in, but he can only be so effective when he’s the only one getting stuck in.

We desperately need the defensive midfielder to set up a wall and allow the others a bit more freedom. Flanders looked alright in the 4th, but its Graham and/or Davies best suited to that role who are willing to sacrifice their own game. Rotate Anderson/Miller/Rowell/Humphrey through the other 2 spots and get them all on the half-forward rolling up and it gives us so many more options and keeps everyone fresh. Crazy that we are just doing what Dew did in there and expecting different results.

Also oppositions did homework on our midfielders. Witts poor performances don't help either.

 

[robo_1]

Dimma frustrates me. Listening to his presser he realizes he should do better. Talking about rotating more people through the middle. Hallelujah. Common, Dimma, swallow your pride and adjust.

If we split in middle we are watchable and have a shot. When we get bullied for 2-3 quarters we have no chance.

The only positive from the last 2 games is that in the last quarter we finally came to play and were a better team. A bit too late.

One of the frustrating parts is the coach is too slow to make changes. Majority of the time the game is done by the time he decides to spin the magnet

Just really disappointed with our style. Where is the promise that we will play on instinct, with flare, to players strength. It's almost the opposite. Players are still thinking how to play, about positioning, play mostly slow.

Effectively we’ve gone back to the previous regime of slow stagnant ball movement through the middle or long bombing down the line or into a congested forward line

 

[sunsofanarchy]

Rowell is actually a real nice kick, not the prettiest but is usually very well directed. I wish he played a little more like butters, if his priority was to be damaging, we would be better off

 

[KaySwizzle]

Also oppositions did homework on our midfielders. Witts poor performances don't help either.

I think this is it. Shut down Rowell and then Anderson doesn’t get the ball. It’s pretty easy to do.

Witts has never been a ruck to hit to advantage. Wins taps, but that’s it. Also easy to get bullied for a man of his size; and around the ground he gets torched. Look how Grundy catapulted a good Sydney midfield into an elite one. Witts isn’t that for us, at least not consistently.

We just don’t have a break glass in case of emergency midfielder who can be a circuit breaker and match winner (or we aren’t playing them there).

When we win the clearance we actually shoot forward with speed and get the ball to good positions. But when we lose that, we are so far off the pace.

Outside running is another big problem. Teams use the wings to destroy us, yet we can’t seem to do the same.

Besides King and Long, our set shot kicking is woeful. Another factor. It’s a miracle when our players kick them and a miss is basically expected, while when King misses I am actually disappointed.

 

[SandyToes]

.

Outside running is another big problem. Teams use the wings to destroy us, yet we can’t seem to do the same.

We gave away Sharp Hollands and Markov
As in gave them away
Which can all be laid at the feet of poor management in one way or another

 

[KaySwizzle]

We gave away Sharp Hollands and Markov
As in gave them away
Which can all be laid at the feet of poor management in one way or another

True. Previous coaches did that, but also our current list boss…

Sharp is a shame. Markov is a feel good story—right place, right time for Collingwood—but had his one year (I’m sure he’s happy though!). Hollands isn’t a winger, that’s his brother; we tried to make him one and failed.

But Clohesy has been a good find. Get someone for the other wing (Weller? Powell?) and we’re good. Primary focus needs to be kicking ability for that role.

 

[Sun Stormer]

True. Previous coaches did that, but also our current list boss…

Sharp is a shame. Markov is a feel good story—right place, right time for Collingwood—but had his one year (I’m sure he’s happy though!). Hollands isn’t a winger, that’s his brother; we tried to make him one and failed.

But Clohesy has been a good find. Get someone for the other wing (Weller? Powell?) and we’re good. Primary focus needs to be kicking ability for that role.

Faulkhead should be given at least a chance before delisting. He's played wing almost every game for the 2s. Couldn't be worse than an ageing Ellis or Atkins, Fiorini - the turnover / clanger king or others we've used to fill a gaping hole. Sharp snd Hollands were big losses - although Elijah just never seemed invested.

 

[geoffneverflies]

Thought I would go through the things that went well enough to give us some hope going forward after my more negative rant after the game

1) Sam Day

14

Sam Day

Age

32

Ht

196cm

Wt

106kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.8

2star

K

5.2

2star

HB

4.6

3star

M

3.5

4star

T

1.8

4star

G

0.7

4star

D

8.0

2star

K

3.6

1star

HB

4.4

3star

M

1.9

2star

T

1.5

2star

G

0.9

4star

D

8.6

3star

K

3.2

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

0.8

3star

G

0.2

3star

looked surprisingly capable

2) Q4 midfield adjustments could spark something in Hardwick

3) Uwland and Powell are a small defensive pair for a flag contender

https://eyesonthesuns.wordpress.com/2024/06/24/some-positives-to-take-from-the-fremantle-loss/

 

[geoffneverflies]

Also wanted to clarify that on a rewatch Andrew had a very good game on Jackson, Tracey going to work on Collins was the surprising flaw in our defensive strategy

 

[Jirik13]

Thought I would go through the things that went well enough to give us some hope going forward after my more negative rant after the game

1) Sam Day looked surprisingly capable

2) Q4 midfield adjustments could spark something in Hardwick

3) Uwland and Powell are a small defensive pair for a flag contender

https://eyesonthesuns.wordpress.com/2024/06/24/some-positives-to-take-from-the-fremantle-loss/

Our midfield rotations so far are puzzling especially considering that Dimma talked several times during the season about more players running through. And we do have options as you mentioned. It's pretty obvious that oppositions studied us well and designed good plans. Let's see what Dimma and Grigg will come up with. I am not impressed how Dimma coaches during the games. Way too late adjustments. Stats in HT were terrible. No clearances and 16 less contested possessions in 2nd quarter or something like that. He appears too stubborn to make changes.

Dimma, just finish Flanders experiment. Honestly, what are the benefits?

I would put Anderson on the wing where he can run all day when he does nothing in the middle. He is not contested beast.

Uwland is a very good kick and I would not mind at all having him a ball more and start our drives. If Zeke has the same dogfight attitude in him we will have a special brothers duo. Just wondering what about 2 remaining brothers. I believe there are 4 Uwland brothers . Do they play footy too?

It will be tough to get up for Collingwood game after flight from Perth and 6-day break. No doubt Magpies fans will be majority of the crowd.

 

[DCSuns]

Our midfield rotations so far are puzzling especially considering that Dimma talked several times during the season about more players running through. And we do have options as you mentioned. It's pretty obvious that oppositions studied us well and designed good plans. Let's see what Dimma and Grigg will come up with. I am not impressed how Dimma coaches during the games. Way too late adjustments. Stats in HT were terrible. No clearances and 16 less contested possessions in 2nd quarter or something like that. He appears too stubborn to make changes.

Dimma, just finish Flanders experiment. Honestly, what are the benefits?

I would put Anderson on the wing where he can run all day when he does nothing in the middle. He is not contested beast.

Uwland is a very good kick and I would not mind at all having him a ball more and start our drives. If Zeke has the same dogfight attitude in him we will have a special brothers duo. Just wondering what about 2 remaining brothers. I believe there are 4 Uwland brothers . Do they play footy too?

It will be tough to get up for Collingwood game after flight from Perth and 6-day break. No doubt Magpies fans will be majority of the crowd.

I believe the two other brothers have both played senior footy this year for league leaders Burleigh in the QFA competition.

 

[eppo67]

I believe the two other brothers have both played senior footy this year for league leaders Burleigh in the QFA competition.

They are local footballers nowhere near as good as Zeke and Bodhi

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