Match Thread: Fremantle v Swans

[Legs Akimbo]

I found it strange that McLean wasn’t moved to the ruck. He wasn’t getting and kick and Hickey was injured. Surely would have been better than Blakey too.

Me too. I assumed it was due to structure and creating forward line space for Franklin. Blakey shouldn't be rucking. We looked unbalanced last night. Interesting to compare current team with round 1-3.

[Bangalore Swans]

Great to watch Franklin play so well. An unbelievabley talented footballer and still the Swans best footballer.

That Fremantle player who was playing on McLean was outstanding. I think it was Brennan Cox.

Why didn’t Cox play on Franklin?

[Matty10]

I don’t think he was going for goal - he was going for parley who was goal side of both freo defenders.

I just had another look at it myself. Yes, Ollie could’ve (should’ve?) kicked to Heeney or Hayward, but I can understand the temptation in kicking long to Papley when running out the back. I think Paps misread the ball in the air and came forward while it was still sailing over.

There were kicks all night where people tried to finesse them and they popped up or slid off the side. Long option was the better option for much of the night, it just didn’t work out in the end.

[Ralph Dawg]

Weekend so far for my team's:
NRL Dragons lost by one in golden point
Son's team lost by 3, late goal by opposition
My trivia team lost in a tie breaker
Swans we all know about

Maybe the 2nds can beat Casey today for some small consolation??

[Ralph Dawg]

Blakey is a seriously talented player but clearly is down on confidence and perhaps very confused about where his role is in the team.

I said it a few weeks ago but a stint in the back half as an intercepting defender could do him the world of good. He's actually taller than Haynes and Sicily and is the same height as Lever. Coupled with his speed and penetrating kick (when he's not trying to be too cute), he could really thrive in the role.

Whether this happens in reserves or firsts, I'm not sure. Playing reserves would not be great for his confidence but he's not really contributing much in firsts.

Hickey's early injury hurt us and there most probably is more value in us playing a second ruck rather than Blakey. Dare I say it, Naismith???????

[dejavoodoo44]

Weekend so far for my team's:
NRL Dragons lost by one in golden point
Son's team lost by 3, late goal by opposition
My trivia team lost in a tie breaker
Swans we all know about

Maybe the 2nds can beat Casey today for some small consolation??

Well, we did win the academy match against Gippsland, but unfortunately, that took place under a cone of silence, thanks to the NAB League app.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Well. No. Buddy brings other players into the game. He draws the best 1-2 defenders freeing up other forwards. If he kicks 2-3 he’s delivered as fair return

It was a remarkable game from Buddy, a wonderful reminder of what he is still capable of.
He still doesn't look 100% IMO (not much defensive chasing) - but even at 90% he can have a colossal impact.
But I disagree about some of your comments. I didn't see him taking on two defenders simultaneously this week. Nor does he draw the best defender every week. As to bringing other players into the game, I don't see it, but as a finisher I don't see the need to measure him against that metric. The opposition didn't stack the deck against Buddy, a luxury he may not get next week after such a great game.

[SwanSand]

I reckon Blakey is going in the direction of Gary Rohan. Mercurial talent that Longmire cannot tap well enough. His roles are probably not the right roles for him. Or maybe the forward structure is not good enough for him to exploit it.

McLean was always going to get beaten up by Brennan Cox. But maybe we could have swung Tom McCartin forward to clinch some marks on the wing and steady the ship. But JL did not change anything - Fyfe, Mundy, Cox were too good on the day in addition to Walters and Lobb.

No defence can stay tall when the ball was coming so frequently to the forward line. We needed the midfield to lift and they absolutely wilted under pressure.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

If you look at things collectively, our scoring in every quarter was on track for a 100 point game. Which usually means a Swans win. So while I'm not going to wipe the whole forward line bar Buddy, there were a few concerns though.
McLean had an absolute stinker, but he's a kid and will hopefully be better for the experience.
Wicks looks like he might be feeling considerable pressure to score, his reaction to his missed set shot was both extraordinary for it's duration and demonstrativeness.
I did wonder why Hayward was playing so deep, often in the goal square, all it seemed to achieve was to reverse the improvement in his form that had been slowly building since his return - was this a coaching decision.

Now that we've lost Fox, I think it's up to Brand and Gould this afternoon to prove who should get promoted.

Hewett's individual performance wasn't too bad, but he really doesn't participate in our defensive unit. He's more like a midfielder playing defence. I would rather see him play forward.

Even though it's still early days, I sort of agree Ludwig. Perhaps he and Hayward could have been switched?
But surely, in the 3rd quarter the move that had to have been made was for George to have gone on to Fife. Nate was completely out of control, and I'd have put George on him, and asked JPK to play in the back half for a bit.
It's almost as if Horse etal have forgotten how effective a tagger was against midfield monsters.

[i'm-uninformed2]

Last night was also a good summation of the development of our list.

We’re rich on talent through the middle, at least in terms of building depth. Warner, Stephens and Rowbottom will all be excellent players, but are still showing they are young at times and a bit up and down. That’s fine and will resolve itself.

But as we build towards a challenge in about 2023/4 and a few blokes like Bud, Reid and Rampe move towards the end, we are still a bit light down the spine. A true KPD to accompany McCartin, ruck depth and a third marking, mobile forward are the obvious gaps.

It’s ok, we are a young side and mix of smart drafting and trading can fix it.

[AnsweredPrayers]

I'm tired of hearing Blakey is "seriously talented" then watching him drop marks, fumble the ball, and miss targets by foot. These are not the hallmarks of "seriously talented" players. it might be time to ignore the drafting hype and look at the actual player.

Gary Rohan was always explosive, a strong mark, and an excellent kick. He just struggled to get involved.

[AnsweredPrayers]

We took a risk with Hickey, he got a hard knock early, and we paid the price of not having a second ruck.

[Kafka's Ghost]

I tend to be a bit more “glass half full” than many posters, especially after a two point loss, but seriously, we effectively lost our in-form ruckman within the first few minutes, had a few players down and lost Fox. Ollie Florent lowers his eyes, spots up Heeney or Hayward, and it’s likely a different result. But his wasn’t the only dumb decision made during that last quarter. Hickey battled on gamely, but the Freo midfield had it on a platter most of the game. Blakey in the ruck is really just pinch-hitting, and everyone knows it. His form is disappointing, so it’s either back to the VFL or just stick him on a wing or at half-forward for a while and let him settle into a position.

- - - Updated - - -

We took a risk with Hickey, he got a hard knock early, and we paid the price of not having a second ruck.

Spot on. Fyfe and Mundy are two of the best midfielders in the comp, a ruckman able to give them an armchair ride was seriously detrimental to our chances.

[Roadrunner]

I reckon Blakey is going in the direction of Gary Rohan. Mercurial talent that Longmire cannot tap well enough. His roles are probably not the right roles for him. Or maybe the forward structure is not good enough for him to exploit it.

McLean was always going to get beaten up by Brennan Cox. But maybe we could have swung Tom McCartin forward to clinch some marks on the wing and steady the ship. But JL did not change anything - Fyfe, Mundy, Cox were too good on the day in addition to Walters and Lobb.

No defence can stay tall when the ball was coming so frequently to the forward line. We needed the midfield to lift and they absolutely wilted under pressure.

I think Blakey is his own problem- he just can’t find the ball with any regularity and when he does, he tends to scuff his kicks. We can’t blame Horse for that, though it’s true that he hasn’t found his position. He has been tried every where except in defence, so that’s next or back in the two’s.

My main disappointment was that for most of the game we didn’t play like a team, but left it to a handful to perform-Buddy was superb and Mills in the first half. Others drifted in and out, mainly out!

Ludwig is right- let’s build the new team and play guys like Amartey, Ling, Gould, COR and Logan. Sinkers has to come in until big Sam is ready. Unfortunately Joey and Parks are too slow now in midfield and need to be up forward most of the time and move Paps to the ball for some zip, as we need more speed at clearances.

[longmile]

Blakey just needs to stop being gifted games. He needs a serious stint in the reserves. Especially when we have players in the ressies who deserve games