Premiership Dreams over?

ossie85 · July 25, 2010, 05:33:10 PM

That was shocking. Top 4 still a chance, but they have to be able to at least challenge the top teams in Melbourne.

Valk? Devastation? Or is the season being put in perspective given you guys were tipped for the wooden spoon.

Master Q · July 25, 2010, 05:42:18 PM

Premiership Dream Over?

Yes.

CFC 1979 · July 25, 2010, 07:38:05 PM

might make a prelim but that will be all she wrote

good year though from a young side

bunyip · July 25, 2010, 10:16:04 PM

We'll see how the year pans out. I give them a chance of winning a final though, if they get a home one.
A terrible game today though. A GF was never really on I don't think. Maybe win a final or 2.

Justin Bieber · July 25, 2010, 10:30:07 PM

Quote from: CFC 1979 on July 25, 2010, 07:38:05 PM
good year though from a young side

Definately. Finally living up to expectation previous years have been unable to achieve.

Premiership chances were gone once Barlow was injured :'(.

valkorum · July 25, 2010, 11:19:33 PM

Being realistic I never gave us a top 4 chance of being premiership material this year. I still live the dream though

My predictions at the start of the year were to make the 8 (actually 8th - in a thread on FF somewhere) so I believe we have had a fantastic year. The next 2 years is when our window really starts to open. It has really hurt having Barlow go down, sad to say but he has been a massive impact for us this year (glad we re-signed him for 2 more years at the beginning of the year). Didnt help today that Mundy was a late withdrawal. That meant our best 2 clearance players werent playing.

I am very happy with the way we have gone about it this year. I do believe we can realistically finish 5th (possibly 4th depending on games etc) and then win that home final. Our best hope is that Geelong lose in the first week and we end up having to play them as I believe out of the top 4 (Cats, Pies, Saints and Dogs) we match up best against Geelong. Even when we were shower we still took it up to the Cats. In saying that though, the Cats at home with all their finals experience will get them over the line against us.

If we can do that then I would say that this year has been a great success.

Getting another pre-season in to the young bodies will be very beneficial for the team and should put us in good stead for 2011 and beyond.

bunyip · July 25, 2010, 11:28:11 PM

I agree. If Freo are still challenging for a top 4 spot at the end of the year then they have done better than most people would have thought. In my summary at the start of the season, I didn't even mention them.

valkorum · July 25, 2010, 11:34:49 PM

Quote from: bunyip on July 25, 2010, 11:28:11 PM
I agree. If Freo are still challenging for a top 4 spot at the end of the year then they have done better than most people would have thought. In my summary at the start of the season, I didn't even mention them.

A lot of people didnt Bunyip. Freo doesnt get much media coverage in Melbourne (and rightly so from previous form) but it really erks me that even though we have had a great year they media still say "Freo will crash and burn". I will get the oven cooking so they can eat some of that pie.... whats it called again.... oh yeh, HUMBLE

Out of all the media the only one who has consistently stayed true to his good opinions on Freo has been David Parkin, the rest have been up and down more than a yo-yo. I might cook him some apple pie instead :)

valkorum · July 26, 2010, 12:02:19 PM

I thought I would also mention the injury list we have at the moment.

Michael Barlow - leg: season
Kepler Bradley - knee: 1 week
Ryan Crowley - knee: 4-5 weeks
Des Headland - knee: test
Chris Mayne - ankle: test
Alex Silvagni - groin: 3-4 weeks
Chris Tarrant - heel: test

That's 7 players who are most likely all in the best 22. All of those players (apart from maybe Kepler) would come straight back in to the team when fit. Grover was on that list until this week.

ossie85 · July 26, 2010, 12:24:44 PM

It is harsh luck, I agree.

Though I'm not if Headland is in your best 22. From the view Freo games I see, he doesn't seem to contribute.

valkorum · July 26, 2010, 03:46:41 PM

Quote from: ossie85 on July 26, 2010, 12:24:44 PM

It is harsh luck, I agree.

Though I'm not if Headland is in your best 22. From the view Freo games I see, he doesn't seem to contribute.

I agree with you but as soon as he is available and match fit he will come in to the side. He has been playing a permanent forward role (for the games he has actually played). To be honest him playing forward has been a lot better than him in the middle/wing.

Would leave a nice forward line

Pav, Mayne, Balla, Headland, Fyfe, Headland

CFC 1979 · August 18, 2010, 05:36:53 AM

was a pipe dream really

Boomz · August 18, 2010, 05:43:35 AM

it was a dream doesn't mean it was a realistic one. Never would have come true this year, with or without Barlow & the rest of the injured players.

ossie85 · August 18, 2010, 07:34:34 AM

Quote from: BOOMZ on August 18, 2010, 05:43:35 AM
it was a dream doesn't mean it was a realistic one. Never would have come true this year, with or without Barlow & the rest of the injured players.

I disagree, with a full-strength team they'd have been a huge chance to slip in the four.

Imagine they won their first qualifying final, and then a home prelim final in Perth? Suddenly things look a lot brighter

Boomz · August 18, 2010, 03:43:00 PM

Quote from: ossie85 on August 18, 2010, 07:34:34 AM
Quote from: BOOMZ on August 18, 2010, 05:43:35 AM
it was a dream doesn't mean it was a realistic one. Never would have come true this year, with or without Barlow & the rest of the injured players.

I disagree, with a full-strength team they'd have been a huge chance to slip in the four.

Imagine they won their first qualifying final, and then a home prelim final in Perth? Suddenly things look a lot brighter

Wouldn't have happened though. They have no finals experience... Next year they have a better chance if Barlow is back.