Dockers: We fear no-one

I am going to cross my fingers that McPharlap will only miss one more game. Ibbo will have to cover Jonno this week and TBH as much as I love Jonno he was pretty crippled against Portand would have struggled against the Swans. It will be either Alex P or Mayne - Myne a bit too short I fancy? I think Ross also mentioned Tabs but that would seem poor to me - he is no defender yet and needed forward

Rick, I gotta be honest. for someone who uses the word "fact" in every sentence, having now reflected on all your posts in this thread, you do write some emotional gibberish

You ever stop to think that it might be better not leaving someone out for four weeks straight leading into a finals series? Looked fine to me on the weekend though, but I guess in your expert opinion from the couch in your living room he doesn't look fully fit. Nice effort though, a bit like some of the other poor explanations on this thread so far. I'll also bet my left nut that Johno probably has a herniated disc of some description in his lower back. Only thing I can think of that would 100 percent rule him out for the finals series. Not good going forward for him either, the Tomma Hawk is also susceptible to this and has to be managed very well.

"Winning is everything" ay? So what about integrity, contentment? Doesn't leave much room for them now, does it?

Oh yeah, he looks fully fit. LOL.

They've been tempted by Pearce for a few weeks now, but it may be too late to bring him in for a final. We definitely won't be able to replace Johno's footy smarts and height in the one package, but if it rains height may be less of an issue, for this week at least and if Ibbotson hit's a bit more form it'll be something to add.

Nooooo!!! Still Ibbo and the Zu-man are magnificent rebounders too. Silvagni deserves a full finals series. Could Alex Pearce do a Taberner? Dawson on Tippett and ...tee, hee, hee,...Crowley on Buddy!

Yep...one of us bathes in constant joy and the other walks through life, angry and bitter.

Carrington I'm a physiotherapist here in Sydney working with GWS juniors and know 3 of the physio's on staff at the Hawks. I was also lucky enough to do a rotational placement at the Cats during university since I'm originally from Melbourne. So believe me when I say - Gunston was not rushed back.

Well my discussion has ended with Bal, but I guess I can end with a one liner for you Don. It's a shame your passion doesn't extend to actually caring enough about your players winning a premiership. That's how losers think, and you wonder why I have no respect at present for the sub standard club in Fremantle. Your definitely right though, we are not the same. Winning is everything. People who think like you generally finish second and my stats yet again back that up with Fremantle. Nice line though champ!

Are you frothing at the mouth Rick? That is an almost manic rave. Your stats are irrelevant. Trends and vibes are all that count. I know you did some hard work with stats...but only a certain kind of footy fan cares about that. Footy is about passion. Your rejection of anything that doesn't embrace your opinion, renders your rave as just...crazy.

I think you're post there Rick has further exposed you as someone who's not particularly interested in analysis of facts in establishing the truth. Rather it shows you're determined to select arguments that defend the conclusion you're emotionally attached to. You don't want to expose yourself further by continuing this, so we can just look at the evidence for the Hawks not caring about the Freo game. Now was Gunston being rushed back for or against your argument?

Rick, keep it on their current squad. You make some valid points, but I'd hardly call them a disappointment. They've been a winning side for a number of years, it's only in the last few that I've seen them realistically push for a flag. And you can't base your argument on the chances of Freo based on a disappointing history. If we all looked at it that way, wouldn't the Swans be one of the most disappointing? 72 years without a flag could be considered disappointing, but does that lessen our chances this week? Absolutely not. I agree with your thoughts on Ross Lyon though. He has a history of coaching the second or third best side in the comp, and wonders why he has no flag on his record.

Bal I'll make reference to your last three games in more detail if it pleases you. You played the Hawks who like I have said from the beginning have been managing their list. This game meant nothing to them and everything to Freo. If you want to think this means more than what it is than go right ahed, because I'm certain Clarko won't be, just like Scott and Clarko know the game between the Cats and the Hawks meant nothing. You played Brisbane. Awesome - I don't think I need to say to much more with that one. You just beat Port and nearly got run over at HOME! Sorry Bal - I'm just not that impressed, especially by a team that is revving in high gear just to get into the four. You guys are a middle weight about to go up against a heavy weight. The middle weight sometimes wins, but I honestly think the Swans are going to unleash the beast on you come Saturday afternoon. I think the Hawks and Swans are purring t the moment and have had the luxury of fine tuning their engines. This strategy didn't work for you last time and I doubt it's going to work for you this time. This game plan failed 2 x with Saint Kilda and I think it's going to fail again. Stats are on my side and you can argue as much as you like, but I can tell for you it's a bitter pill to swallow the truth. As far as Freo matching up well on the Cats? Your funny, because a good match up is when you have an over whelming record over your opponent, a bit like Raffa has over Federer, which annoys the living daylights out of him. They are evenly matched, yes, but I'll take the three premierships and a crack at a fourth with a developing side over what over what you have been served up in the same period. This discussion is over on this front from me.

Johno out for the season. We'll find out what they're made of now.

Allowing for the shocking bias towards Freo ( and West Coast) in Perth as far as free kicks are concerned, it is astonishing to realise that Sydney,(the fairest,most deserving club in the AFL) averages 2 free kicks more per game than Fremantle does and nearly one less free kick against. Those 3 kicks might be enough for the Swans, but I can't discover where the extras are awarded.Perhaps the Goodes factor applies.I think that there is more heat than light in the above posts ,but one thing I do know-neither coach will talk of a gallant loss.

I'm not asking for you sympathy. I am refuting your embittered views about Ross and showing you why there has been recent significant improvement for Freo. My argument being something, I note, you did not address - saying it doesn't make sense is no appeal to reason by any self-respecting statistician. I am no more annoyed by your comments than anyone else's on this site. Free world etc. It's just that I don't have the faith in statistical analysis that you do. In my line of work, the same statistics can be made to mean many different things. And, just to be picky, "The fact is the Swans are better than the Dockers on pretty much every measurable metric we have when comparing teams" is simply not a factual matter. Fact is that Sydney had an easier draw then Freo this year. Fact is they get to play GWS twice each year. I also fall unashamedly in the Don camp in believing that teams match up better against some teams than others. This is because of the strengths and weaknesses of individuals within those teams. For example, we match up well against the Cats, which may or may not be the cause of your Freo angst. What I can say factually is that Freo v Swans are 1 win 1 loss 1 draw each from recent games in Sydney and Freo slaughtered the Swans in Perth last finals campaign (I'd love to give W.A. statistics as well but another fact is that the Swans have played one H&A game there against Freo in the last 8 or so years). However, while I like reminding Michael Huston of last year's finals series, I don't think it means anything. The only "assumption" I can make from the above is that Freo matches well against the Swans and won't fear them in Sydney, hence the thread title.

Bal Sorry for assuming you are a he, when in fact you are a she. I won't make that mistake again, unless of course you are a Hermaphrodite :) Statistical analysis quite after starts with assumptions. I got some pretty good feedback on my article a few weeks ago on this very topic. The data took me over a week to compile, so I'd say it's pretty strong evidence and a hell of a lot better than what you two have been trying to argue. Yes, each to there own opinion, but it was you two that jumped all over my original OPINION on how the Dockers are going to fare this week. In fact it wasn't just one long response from Don, it was two. I simply replied with a more evidence based a approach and use of FACT! The fact is Freo finished 4th and have been on after burning for the past 10 weeks because they have HAD to. The fact is statically the Swans have a better defence and better attack. The fact is the Swans have home ground advantage this week. The fact is the Swans HAD the luxury to not only rest Buddy, but Kennedy has well, whilst playing 9 players to Richmond's 6 that had under 50 games experience. The fact is the Swans are better than the Dockers on pretty much every measurable metric we have when comparing teams. Now you can say, 'oh that's your opinion and you are knocking mine', like Don is, but the issue is you will find it hard to dispute these facts. So in summary you will have to excuse me when I come onto a thread, type a few lines giving my OPINION and then get lumped with a response from you guys telling me that I have left a few things out of my analysis. When I go to the lengths to outline a more detailed and more importantly, logical argument - you both appear to get quite upset by it. Sorry if the reality check given to you hurts, but I guess we only have 4 more weeks to see who comes up trumps. Not that this should not worry Don, because he doesn't really care if Freo win the premiership, despite spending quite a bit of time telling everyone how they are going to win... Apart from this not making any sense what so ever (that's an opinion - not fact), neither does your last comments about Freo scoring more easily in the past few weeks. I also don't have to much sympathy for some or your outs, considering some of the major ones are self inflicted! You don't hear Clarko whining about his outs and the Hawks have managed a far greater injury list for most of the season than what Freo have. The only difference is the reigning champs fought their way into a strong position at the start of the year with a lot of their best players out and are now getting them back. You guys are having to do it tough when the top teams are resting their players. Like I said, good luck in the finals, but I just don't like you chances for all the reasons stated.

Wow this really took off in my absence. First of all, I am not a "he". I mention this because it is yet another of the assumptions you make when you post. Secondly, I find it hypocritical to chide someone from showing disrespect when you are writing things like " I think the Dockers are the most disappointing football club in the history of the AFL". I can't abide hypocrisy but otherwise don't really care what you think of Freo. But back on the topic of assumptions, you have totally misread Freo. Ross said at the beginning of the year that he wanted 2 more goals per game. And the people we drafted to help achieve that were FORWARDS - Gumby and Sylvia. Granted they have been disappointing for different reasons but they are both naturally attacking players. Freo has not scored highly for a lot of the year simply because Ross was making do with the cattle he had. Do you think he wanted Walters, our most attacking player, to go down in round 3? Do you think he wanted to spend a lot of the year nursing Mayne because of various back and ankle injuries? Do you think he wanted to cop the multiple weeks off for both Ballas and Fyfe which unsrprisingly coincide with when we had our worst defeats? Do you think he wanted our recruits to not fire? Would he have liked Fremantle to have recruited KPP forwards before he arrived so that he wasn't experimenting all year with the second tall role and now reliant on a green 21 year old? What - in my view - disproves your statistcs based argument is that in the last few weeks, with Walters back, Mayne healthy and Tabs firing (and Ballas staying away from the MRP), Freo has kicked 13, 15 and 16 goals. Before that, we were kicking 9, 9, 11,11. So that's an argument as to the depth of Freo (which I freely admit is not as good as the other top 4 teams) but it is irrelevant now because they have the forward structure we want, which has been missing almost all year. Your statistics simply don't account for that - well they could, depending on the data, but that's where the subjectivity in interpretation comes in.

How is that support? Well boys, here's a tip - support doesn't mean thinking that your team is going to win. In fact, support means that you go for your team whether they're winning or losing. For example, for me last year, support was going to the grand final and screaming my guts out despite being pretty confident of losing. Or how about 2001 - still supported the Dockers then, despite the, well, frankly horrid season. Just because having supported the club for so long has left me rock bottom on expectations doesn't mean that I'm not a supporter! I retain hope, just not expectations. And heck, I certainly enjoy it when they win.