What a sporting coup the signing of Ross Lyon has been for the Fremantle Football Club. The fact he was signed without knowledge of his ‘management’ goes to show how much can be accomplished when you cut out the middle man in the cutthroat world of the AFL.
2011 wasn’t a good year for the St Kilda or Freo.
After finishing the home-and-away in sixth spot, the Saints bowed out with a loss to eventual premiers of 2012, Sydney.
That sealed the deal. The Saints were on the demise.
The Dockers didn’t even make the finals, finishing 11th at season’s end.
St Kilda just missed out in contentious fashion with the tied grand final in 2010, but that was the peak of their glory.
The resulting match-up in grand final two was a white-wash, not something synonymous with the Ross Lyon game plan. Collingwood were simply more driven.
2011 wasn’t a good year for old coaches: Chris Scott won a flag in his first year, Mick Malthouse was tossed to the side and Ross Lyon signed on with Freo after Mark Harvey’s sacking.
Or should I say, Mark Harvey was sacked when Ross signed the paperwork.
Harvey has since moved to the Lions with mixed results but finished well as stand-in coach, one point off three from three.
I love ‘Harvs’ the man but Fremantle’s record 2011 versus 2013, where we saw both lists struck with injury, speaks volumes.
In 2013, finished third, whereas 2011 was the catalyst to give Harvey the old heave-ho.
The man who finds himself in the hot seat to coach the embattled Essendon Football Club for 2014, but has voiced his reluctance and unwillingness to take on a senior coaching position (again due to his sacking), built a list that is on the verge of greatness.
Hats off but, if what I have heard is true, he was never going to be the man to bring Freo their first flag.
Enter the boss. In two years he has delivered what no other coach (all rookies) has been able to do: consecutive finals.
Despite a list that has suffered big holes due to injury for most of the season he managed to do what no one has ever been able to do, beat the Cats two years in a row during week one of the finals.
This result has rocketed Fremantle into the favourites to make the grand final. Not to mention making a mockery of Geelong’s home-and-away record.
What Ross has managed to do with his list, built by past and current servants of the club, is make a team ready to take out its first ever flag.
Against all odds he took his third placed team and beat the second placed team in their fortress. Beating teams above in the regular season isn’t as important as beating them in the finals.
Freo now only need beat Sydney (a team the Dockers drew with away) to make the last weekend in September.
That will leave a potential match-up against Geelong or Hawthorn. And with Freo’s recent games against the former, it leaves only the Hawks as a significant hurdle to the elusive first premiership.
Can readers remember the Dockers’ final record against that team?
Bruce McAvaney remarked this week St Kilda were in the wrong to lose Ross. Ironic that his uncle played for South Fremantle?
Ross now has the cattle to do what he failed to do at the Saints – win a flag. Only two games stand in his way.
Bond007
Guest
Dockersfan, how's this for acknowledgement by Ross in today's press conference? "I think what gets lost is I think the early days were hard but the last 3 years the club's been really strong financially, great corporate backing with Woodside and Decmil and Programmed and a great executive and management. It's not one person, it's not one player it's about the whole club and we're a serious football club that’s highly accountable and aims to win." As I said, in recent weeks as the hype has increased, Ross has barely missed an opportunity to laud Harris, Rosich, Bond, Lloyd & co. Given the incompetent lightweights he was stuck with at St Kilda for 5 years, his appreciation is heartfelt, I have no doubt.
FreoGael
Guest
In reference to the comments about other clubs supporting us, well I spoke to a WA-based Collingwood member and he is 100% behind Freo this year; not because they're up against eastern teams but because he hates WC Eagles.
Docker from the hills
Guest
Just rad the last paragraph I wrote. It should read instead of Bruce McAvaney remarked this week St Kilda were in the wrong to lose Ross. Ironic that his uncle played for South Fremantle? Bruce McAvaney, who loves ''Mr Delicious", remarked this week St Kilda were in the wrong to lose Ross. Ironic that his uncle played for South Fremantle?
Docker from the Hills
Roar Rookie
Supported them for a long time too, grew up in a West Coast family, ever since 92' when I say next to someone called Leach who's brother was selected already for the latest AFL team of the time. As a West Australian Floyd, are hawks that hated amongst other Vic team's supporters? So far I have seen nothing but disdain and disrespect for Freo amazing at some supporters.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
If Freo do make it to the GF, you might be surprised at the number of neutral Victorians who hope they win. Especially against Hawthorn.
Minz
Guest
Supported Freo for 19 years... hoping tremendously for a win this weekend, but not holding my breath! Nerves... enormous.
Docker from the Hills
Roar Rookie
Are our wobbling days over? I hope so!!
Docker from the Hills
Roar Rookie
Had Saints looked after Ross he would have stuck around and rebuilt. What his plans were we will never know and I am sure he isn't going to give Watters a helping hand and let him know where he is going wrong. Freo's list has much better talent across the board than the Saints did when they were having a tilt. I think the recruiters and talent scouts at St Kilda are to blame. Maybe Ross, if he could have his time over he would do it differently. Luckily for Freo it seems he has learnt from it and is running the kids when he can.
Docker from the Hills
Roar Rookie
Don't forget the thrashing at the hands of the Bulldogs in 2010 when we did make the finals under Harvs. This at a time when the injuries were under control. The trouncing we received from the Cats in the semi of that year was as good as we were ever going to be. Rosich himself told me that Harvey at the end of his contract was never going to have it renewed so they acted whilst Ross was still available. If Harvey did really love Freo then he should be happy that we are now doing so well. As much as I like him, this success would never happen under him and his coaching on the run was never going to work.
Docker from the Hills
Roar Rookie
Couldn't agree more although I did hear Crackers Keenan say the other day that Harvey rang him up inquiring after any talent in the VFL and Crackers offered up the Name Barlow. Cant really trust him too much, he loves taking credit for everything.
Keen Observer
Guest
Curious to know what you would be saying had St Kilda had been a bit luckier and won the 2010 flag. My guess is it would have made the slide down the ladder now a bit more palatable.
Dockersfan
Guest
#dreamer
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Freo should win easily unless they are in a purple daze.
Cat
Roar Guru
Freo better hope they can win at least one premiership before Lyon sees the long term destruction of the list and runs after more cash again. The St. Kilda list is a disaster all because of Lyon.
Bond007
Guest
Lyon acknowledges the vital work of Harris, Rosich, Bond and Lloyd at every opportunity, publicly, in his press conferences and interviews. He repeatedly refers to Freo's strong Board and Executive as indispensable linchpins of success, the vital complements to a strong Senior Coach. As a Senior Coach, Harvey is virtually unemployable (except as a temporary fill-in). Sacking him was a matter of urgency. The list built by Chris Bond and co. was being wrecked by Harvey at an alarming rate. This so-called "list builder", as some like to call him, was about to trade Ryan Crowley and delist Clancee Pearce, was turning talent-laden players like Walters and Suban into lazy WAFL-standard nobodies, was playing stars like Pavlich and Johnson out of position and causing carnage with his injury management, putting players' careers at risk because his coaching style relied on a few stars doing 90% of the work. Harvey's performance in 2011 wasn't just poor from the standpoint of number of games won. It was all the rest that went with it - his blaming of injuries, complete uncompetitiveness in many matches (suffering a huge number of massive losses, including hidings from teams such as Melbourne), players going backwards etc. One needs 3 hands to count the number of players' careers that were at the crossroads who have been rejuvenated and play excellent football under Ross Lyon.
Balthazar
Guest
Bond and Lloyd will get plaudits. Rosich and Harris will get some too. However - while they should be congratulated for bringing over Ross - they have been unnecessarily divisive at the best of times.
Dockersfan
Guest
Coaches haven't been primary recruiters since the early 90's. Mark Harvey had as much to do with the selection of those draft picks as I did. Fremantle the club has come a long way since 2008 and we are just now seeing the on field culmination of that. Lyon has done a brilliant job with the side but he wouldn't have even considered coming over without the work laid down by Harris, Rosich, Bond and Lloyd. They won't get them but they deserve a large portion of the plaudits should Freo make it to their first ever GF appearance.
Docker from the Hills
Roar Rookie
Brad Lloyd and Chris Bond are to be thanked too. Lucky for Freo both are still on the pay role. Everyone laughed at Harvey in late 2008/early 2009 when he said the list was dangerous. No one is laughing now, except Freo fans.
johno
Guest
I'm sure Ross will be writing a thank you note to Harvey for the recruiting that was done under his watch and the team re-build. The players ushered in under Harvey include Fyfe, Hill, Ballantyne, Clarke, Walters, De Boer, Barlow, Suban. Pearce, Mzungu, Griffen plus the unlucky Morabito. That's quite an outstanding selection period.
Docker from the Hills
Roar Rookie
As a Freo fan I know we can overcome Sydney this Saturday but after seeing them play on the weekend it's not going to be as easy as it might have seemed after their Hawks match. I still believe they are a better outfit without Tippett. Should be a good game either way.