Pav shows why you never write off a champion

I see your "Fanboys" and raise it with "a h8ters gotta h8te".

Pav's doing fine in 2015. The way the media measures a full forward's performance, by highlight reels, is different to the way coaches measure it. Pav is contesting virtually every long bomb that comes in, and he follows up with pressure after the ball hits the ground. That's all you need to do to get a game as a full forward nowadays. Ask Cloke, Riewoldt, Tippett etc. And Pav should have sufficient mobility in 2016 to keep playing the same role. The media should look elsewhere for Freo's shortcomings.

Freo has beaten most opponents by 130% or more apart from the 2 they lost. That struggle against Brissy (13 goals to 6 goals) is my kind of struggle. We're happy to struggle on. What do you think is the ladder at the moment? I'd love to see how they read in Geneland.

"More than adequate" is probably the term you are searching for. That's how they get to 15-2.

They played without Fyfe, Johnson, Ballantyne, Clancey Pearce, Silvagni and have a good 10 AFL ready players. Freo has a very deep pool of talent. One of the reasons they are 15- 2. You've missed the boat with that comment Jax. You should get to know The Dockers as well as I know The Eagles.

The Dockers are merely the 8th highest scoring team in the league this year, 500 points behind Hawthorn and 400 behind West Coast. Perhaps "woefully inadequate" was a harsh assessment but its an absolute fact Freo has struggled to kick goals in most games especially after the bye.

Freo have sunk into a hole in the second half of the year, their fixture has ensured they haven't faced too many challenges after the bye and almost all their wins against top teams in the early rounds came at home. They're playing extremely ordinary football. Struggling to beat Brisbane at home, you call that Premiership form? Well actually you would, because we know you're incapable of opening the other eye when it comes to the Dockers. No surprise Freo has looked like a second rate side since Fyfe's form has tapered off. Unless he plays a blinder in all three finals their odds of winning the cup are practically zero, and even if he does Hawthorn comfortably has them covered. Sydney have a far better MCG record than the purple haze too.

"Yes but its a fact that Fremantle’s scoring power is woefully inadequate." Maybe you don't know what the word 'fact' means? How much did Freo beat your team by? Seems like their scoring power has been more than adequate for 15 games so far.

Only you thinking that way 'gene. "Most punters" see a premiership ladder, see a side with 15 from 17 and third best percentage in the league and they see goal scoring power that is more than adequate. Only you struggle to understand that they are doing ok. It would be interesting to know who you are trying to convince...yourself, maybe.

Yes but its a fact that Fremantle's scoring power is woefully inadequate. Ross Lyon told us at the start of the year he was looking for another two goals per game, and early in the season they were achieving it but in the second half their offensive firepower has mostly been firing blanks. Sorry Freo fanboys but I can't see your precious Dockers winning it. Their defense isn't that far ahead of other teams (West Coast & Hawthorn have only had 30 more points for the year scored against them) yet Freo have scored almost 400 points fewer than the Eagles and 500 points fewer than the Hawks! If Fremantle hadn't already secured a top 2 finish thanks to good early season form most punters would be doubting their ability to make the GF let alone win it. There's no reason why they can't win their first two finals at home, but would the Swans, Eagles & Hawks fancy their chances to win one of those games against them in Perth? You betcha.

Well what to do you expect! They make stories out of absolutely nothing. I am sure they will somehow take credit for Pavlich playing well now. Lyon is his own number 1 fan and rates his knowledge pretty highly. That knowledge must have been on holiday when he was one of the key people who decided to get Mark Neeld as senior coach.

I don't think they have been lucky either jax. Good teams win the close ones, but you wouldn't want to test that luck in a prelim or GF if possible. That's all I'm saying, and I thought Rosco's game plan at the start of the year was a positive step forward. As Balthazar pointed out above; lets hope they can revert back to a more positive, free flowing style of football, because I really enjoyed watching them at the start of the year. Right now though (I'll be brutally honest), I hate watching them and believe they are better - despite being top. The most important thing at this stage is structure, along with finishing top 2. However, one only has to look at history to realise finishing top does not necessarily bode well for the minor premier and if we look at who has won the GF the most, it's not from finishing top, but 2nd place. Game style is everything, and I'm not convinced a team with a percentage nearly 30% below the Hawks and WCE is going to cut it in the finals. When you take both these stats into account, it doesn't bode well for the Docker's and is why I think it's crucial Rosco addresses his game style now - irrespective of personnel.

Your points are valid Rick. I think it's safe to say that Freo's best 25 can match it with anyone with the possible exception of the Hawks on the MCG. You said that Freo either lack flexibitly or depth and I tend to agree. It might even be a bit of both? They are still winning of course but they could have dropped one or two and who knows if the luck will continue in the finals? Before someone jumps down my throat I don't think that Freo has needed much luck this year. They have clocked up the wins and taken care of business.

"If we had to make a judgment between; Who sees the game more clearly, Ross or Rick.. ? Hmmm….now that a tough one." It's an opinion site Don - you don't need to jump down peoples throats when someone expresses it, whilst trying to back it up with some evidence. For example: "The rest is that silly hamstrings/back gibberish…just rubbish. You needn’t second guess medical professionals." I'm use to people critiquing my work Don, so don't be surprised when I post a 'lengthy' response to your shorter, 'less' informed opinions.

You've misunderstood and mis represented Freo's game plan for a long time. You needn't be concerned that coaches like Ross and his cohort have not understood football as well as you have. If we had to make a judgment between; Who sees the game more clearly, Ross or Rick.. ? Hmmm....now that a tough one.

At no stage Don have I said he won't come back. I'm simply saying he'll probably never get back to All-Australian form or be a reliable figure in your back line. As such, I think it's futile to continue with a game-plan that requires Johnson to be 100 percent fit.

You can believe he won't come back then...but he will.

Good to see you have learnt how to edit your comments Don and removed parts of your last post. :) "You needn’t second guess medical professionals." Why not? Medical professionals occasionally make bad decisions when managing players. It comes down to risk vs reward when managing $500000+ players and extracting the absolute most out of them, whilst protecting that investment. It's as simple as that Don in the brutal world of professional sport. "The rest is that silly hamstrings/back gibberish…just rubbish" Go read this article from last year: http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/afl/michael-johnson-ruled-out-of-finals-series-with-back-injury-while-michael-barlow-will-play-on-with-a-broken-thumb/story-fnia3zef-1227044294070?sv=f38c3ef9b3f80395c4c282f601494b69 Below is an extract from that article - if you can't be bothered reading it - with regards to his back injury: "The Dockers boss revealed that Johnson’s back trauma flared last week ahead of the Port engagement. “He is seeing a specialist tomorrow with the likelihood of surgery,” Lyon said in his weekly radio spot on 6PR. “It just sort of popped up in the middle of the week, to be absolutely truthful. “He had some really minor sort of tightness and finished with a tight hamstring and it tracked to his calf." I won't bore you with the medical reasons as to 'why' a hamstring can tighten up and track to the calf due to a severe disc injury in the lower back, other than referencing you to that last line. In my opinion, his hamstring probably tightened up again as a result of his back issues, resulting in a localised hamstring tear as a secondary affect. Those symptoms describe above suggest I'm right. "Things will only build on this because…surprise, surprise…injuries heal." Discs don't heal Don. They are either partly or fully removed when damaged, and in severe cases, spinal fusions are required. He won't ever be 100 percent Don...it just doesn't work like that.

Your first sentence is correct, Rick. The rest is that silly hamstrings/back gibberish...just rubbish. You needn't second guess medical professionals. Freo has covered injuries to far more key defensive players than just Johnson...and won all but 2 games. Things will only build on this because...surprise, surprise...injuries heal.

Pav should never have been written off in the first place. Having said that, he's one of many (Reiwoldt, Harvey, Fletcher, Goodes, Judd, Hodge, Ablett etc) that still fit into their respective sides and contribute despite their age. I don't consider him a superstar anymore though. But a great of this era? Definitely.