It’s easy to write Fremantle and Ross Lyon off, but it doesn’t make it right.
Lyon continues to come up short in the quest for a premiership as a senior coach. In seven of his nine seasons at the helm, he’s driven a side to a top six finish. He’s been a toe poke away, but often he seems a country mile.
There are two main questions surrounding Lyon. Can his game style kick enough goals to win three finals? And if it can’t, can he identify that, understand what needs to be done, and change it enough to continue to put his teams in contention?
The common conception is that Lyon’s sides can’t kick enough goals to win finals, and the evidence does appear to be stacking up. But would his sides kick more if he had Jarryd Roughead, Jack Gunston and Luke Breust? Would they kick more if he had Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling and Mark LeCras? What about Taylor Walker, Eddie Betts and Josh Jenkins?
The Dockers’ best forward is Michael Walters, by a distance. Matthew Pavlich has obviously been in the twilight of his career during the Lyon reign, and might be seen no more. Hayden Ballantyne disappoints as often as he delivers. Chris Mayne has made a career of not doing enough.
They might land Cameron McCarthy from Greater Western Sydney, but it’s going to cost them to do so. Perhaps Harley Bennell. Lyon theorised about pushing Nat Fyfe forward next season, and no doubt he’d kick 50 goals if he did so.
Would releasing the breaks of Freo’s defensive system ensure more scoring? It’s hard to think a playing unit that has been so well drilled would completely break down defensively with a stronger focus on attack.
Does Lyon have to look to the Bulldogs sides under Rodney Eade, that didn’t have a dominant tall forward, but were ever dangerous with a series of small and medium forwards? Of course, the critics will say, that never delivered a grand final, let alone a flag.
Is Lyon capable of changing his game style, or will he dogmatically persist with it, believing that it only needs honing, tweaking, perfecting?
He doesn’t strike immediately as a man that will change, and his comments after the weekend’s loss to Hawthorn back that up.
Fremantle will still have one of the best top-end midfields in the competition next year. Fyfe, Lachie Neale, David Mundy and Stephen Hill are as good as any four, and beautifully complement each other too. Aaron Sandilands will continue to feed them.
Luke McPharlin will be missed, but Alex Pearce will slot in. Michael Johnson will return and hopefully play a full season. No player will work harder over pre-season than Tom Sheridan, given the fire that will be burning in his stomach after his dropped mark on Friday night.
The playing group will still be hungry. Ravenously so. The coaching panel will be freshened up, focussed, and driven.
Ross Lyon will ensure enough discipline to have his team contending again. But can he deliver enough creativity forward of centre, either through manipulating personnel or revolutionising his system?
Can the Dockers land the player that is the piece their puzzle is missing? Can Ross Lyon further develop the talent that is already there?
These are the questions that need answering. Gut feeling says that both coach and club are not done yet.
Don Freo
Guest
You don't rank Fyfe as much value?
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
Hardly irrelevant, Axle. Suggesting "all clubs have injuries" is a throwaway nonsense line that ignores the facts of this finals series. None of the other clubs in the final 8 experienced the unavailability of more than one high class player (Hawks - Gunston, Eagles- McKenzie, Freo - McParlin?, North - Wells, Tigers - none, Bulldogs - Libber, Adelaide - Janesch), but the Swans were without Buddy, Parker, Keiran Jack (all stars) plus Sam Reid & Nick Smith for part of it.
Macca
Guest
Looking at the Eagles side and players they have traded in you come up with a list of; Kennedy, Wellingham, Ellis, Yeo & Hill - it's not just the hawks who top up for success.
jax
Guest
He needs to find a way IMO. He costs his team at times and if he needs a home crowd cheering him on to get up he'll continue to struggle away from home. I'm not sure there is another player that carries on like he does. I wish he'd just play the ball.
jax
Guest
I didn't blame Lyon but you missed the point and the intent, again. Wouldn't even know who bosk is and don't care. if you think you know me think again and save the characterisations for someone else.
jax
Guest
Excellent reply Johno. That makes sense to me. I hope common sense becomes contagious and a few others catch on. It would make for a far more enjoyable experience. Young guys can fade Dal, it's normal as I'm sure you know.
Pumping Dougie
Guest
It's not remarkable, it's comical. And he's succeeded in sucking a few in! LOL
Pumping Dougie
Guest
Mark Harvey must be feeling happy and vindicated
13th Man
Guest
Yes but it certainly hasn't helped having injuries. Bit harsh to have a go at Sydney considering how many injuries they had this year. Similar to Freo's situation last year. They are a far better team than North, but unfortunately had their 'B' side playing.
13th Man
Guest
say what you will about Dawson but he plays a role and hardly ever gets beaten. Sure he never marks or kicks the ball but no one has really kicked a bag on him at all.
13th Man
Guest
Ballantyne plays best when he is on the edge of getting suspended, you have to accept that he will miss a few games, when he tries to tone it down he is just not as good.
Pumping Dougie
Guest
Dawson hardly playing this year was probably a contributing factor to Freo finishing top in the home and away.
Pumping Dougie
Guest
I like the way Bsllantyne plays, but in my opinion he ranks with Stephen Milne and Rhys Shaw as blokes you can trust to play poorly in big games. Ballantyne has choked in front of goals in finals too many times - home and away becomes irrelevant to reputations if you constantly let your team down in finals.
michael RVC
Roar Pro
This whinger will be a big mouth while his team is winning, but watch him front run into the dark in a year or two. Hawks are great, really great now, but go back to 2000 thru 2007. There is an embedded rotation of the top 6 or at best eight teams in this comp. The WA, SA teams and Sydney will always be there or only be below par for a short while. That leaves room for only two or three teams from Vic. Does having ten legacy teams from the old VFL make the lower ladder more interesting? Not IMO.
jax
Guest
they feed the masses into a frenzy and over what? Footy, resources, war, its the same game plan. Don't swallow it.
jax
Guest
The media clearly plays us off against each other. Thanks for confirming it guys. Lewis on 360 tonight (paraphrase) "it was good to hear Nat Fyfe speak, that's the first time I've really heard him speak, we don't get to hear hm speak very often". That staggers me. He's been regarded as the best player in the game for 2 years and he's not getting air-play in Victoria? I don't want fabricated, selective or slanted articles and talkback etc. I want to hear it straight from the horse's mouth. Anything else has a question mark over it. That's a good rule to live by. I get more out of player and coaches interviews than I do from anything else, bar games.
jax
Guest
Great save, I feel better now lol If the Pies climb up the ladder Pendles is sure to receive votes. They'll need to have a good season. The Pies need to play finals this year.
Don Freo
Guest
We've almost got to Wednesday in GF week and we're still talking about Freo. How good is this? No other side gets this attention. I think there is something enchanting about Freo that it's critics don't get. It is optimism and the joi de vivre of a club culture embodied by Fyfey last night.
Jacques of Lilydale
Guest
Get a job Don
Jacques of Lilydale
Guest
Don's like a cork in the ocean, and just as intelligent, he just keeps bobbing up Jax, don't waste your intelligence on poor old Don. He resides on the wrong side of the rabbit proof fence, so its not his fault totally, its hereditary.