Highlights: Sandilands hurt as Eagles beat Freo

Jax, As I stated but you seem to be ignoring - "2011/2012/2013 Sandi missed huge chunks with turf toe." In 2012, your WC 1-2 year, he played 14 games. Missing rounds 12 - 20 through injury. No one gets an AA gig when they don't play a full season. Hence NN got his chance (even when everyone else though Jacobs or Minson deserved the spot) Bookends typically means "be positioned at the end or on either side of (something)". So to bookend 2011-2013 you would look at 2010 and 2014. As I stated and you ignored What I get frustrated at (not prickly) is when you ignore statistics and facts because it doesn't support your theory. in this case NN has never been fit while playing against Freo and Sandi over the past 5 years. I then give you the stats and you ignore. As for Sandi struggling to play thorugh pain ... it was his toe. You can't run or play when you're 120kgs and you can't put any weight on your toe. Sandi was able to treat and recover from these injries well enough to lead Freo into the 2013 GF.

Oh, the bookend years. Where did you get bookend years from? Sandi warmed the bench in 2008 for Cox - a bookend is a bookend. And yes my error on Nic as I forgot that Cox was warming the bench for Nic in 2012. I thought that it was Sandi but he didn't make the team. WC 1-2 that year.

Sorry jax - links below showing the AA teams from the bookended years of his injuries https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_All-Australian_team Sandi the only ruck slected in 2014 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_All-Australian_team - Sandi first ruck and Jamar on the bench Not sure what happened to Cox in both those years... probably injured

Not being sensitive. But if you make a big deal about a players actions being of "some concern" you should probably get your facts right.

The 14 game average that you alluded to opens up another discussion point. It suggests that Sandi struggles to play through pain, carry an injury or tough out a season. Nic on the other-hand has done it for much of his career, playing through pain, carrying injury and toughing it out for two seasons back to back, without the benefits of multiple pre-seasons I might add. When the going gets tough the tough keep going. This time Sandi does have a serious injury, no doubt it. I hope that Sandi recovers quickly from the damage that Nic did to him and that he'll be back out there sooner rather than later.

Oh here we go - I thought that you were being genuine johno. Too funny, I'll play one round. Sandi was interchange, back up ruck to Cox and Nic in some of those bookend years as I recall? In those 5 years Nic was a fit 21-22 year old that was #1 AA ruck with Sandi on his bench - then he was an OP carrying 23-24 year old for two years - then he was a first ever full pre-season under his belt AA top 40, 25yo. Who knows what this year, or the next 6-9 years will bring? Nic has certainly achieved more than Sandi did at the same age so there's plenty of time to build on his cv. Knock yourselves out as I'm away soon and won't be playing much.

"One of them has been injured for the last 4-5 years" Both rucks have suffered injuries over the past 5 years. Hell Sandi has only played 14+ games in a season in 2 of his past 5 seasons. This one looks likely to be another sub 14 games. 2011/2012/2013 Sandi missed huge chunks with turf toe. No surprises that those 3 seasons were book ended by All Australian selections. Compare that to NN - only 1 season in the past 5 has he played less than 20 games.

Don - those ifs are the same ones that I spoke about before the season got under way and there now seems to be more of them. I hope that you guys fix them soon. WC isn't in the top 4 of teams ATM but the score line flattered Freo. If WC had kicked straight it would have been a slaugher. Lecca and JK don't normally miss sitters like they did on Saturday. I have the Hawks, Dogs, Swans and Crows ahead of them ATM and maybe even North. On paper WC is much better than they have been these last two weeks but paper doesn't win you games, they clearly have some work to do to get into top gear. And Balt - your Nic v Sandi comment is out of context and you know it. One of them has been injured for the last 4-5 years and this was under a half of footy. Sandi had the better start from what I saw but Nic didn't dominate Pearce either so make of it what you will if it eases the pain somewhat. Good luck for the rest of the season fellas, I mean it.

Johno - I haven't seen the replay so it's hard for me to comment. Sandi seemed to have the ruck ascendency but then again Nic wasn't dominant against the Hawks the week before so he's clearly out of form. I must admit that I expected more than what he has delivered the last two weeks. He's clearly better than McEvoy, Pearce, Barlow etc but judging off the last two games you wouldn't know it which is why it has to be form or injury. Nic did seem to be working his way into the game and it was always going to be at ground level that he could take the ascendcy and while the conditions wouldn't have helped that's no excuse. I thought his mark was a decent exclamation mark. Nic wanted the ball and he took it over Sandi which was a powerful statement, but I'm sure that he didn't mean to hurt him.. I think we will have to wait until they meet again later in the year and hopefully both of them can play 4 quarters fit and in form. Interestingly, even with Sandi out Nic didn't dominate which leans to him losing form as he should have towelled up Pearce and the lesser lights. Lycett played better than Nic in many respects. Balt - no need to be so sensitive. It was Neale and that was my mistake, not my mates. My mate played high level footy at a young age as a ruckman. WC wanted him and they even had Bill Sufherland work with him on some rehab but he gave the game away not long after to pursue other interests.

Maybe you should have asked your knowledgable mate about Weller? He would have told you he's contracted to 2018. I can only assume you had an entirely different type of player in Neale in mind. Well, his manager has already said publicly that he's been instructed to give first crack at negotiations to Freo, so what's the problem? I suspect the only way Neale is leaving the club is as part of a trade for Hogan. Jonno: as you know, Sandi was giving Nic Nat a bath. Again

Home for Weller is Tasmania via the Gold Coast where his family moved to when his brother Maverick was there playing for the Suns. He's not anymore, he's at the Saints. Freo have 8 players 30+ (happy birthday Danyle Pearce for last week). That list includes Mzungu, Dawson and Griff. Not exactly in our best player list. of the rest Sandi, Johno and Mundy have a few years left in each of them. Pav is the only one who is likely to go and be missed. As for depth, Freo have the core of the team already on board - kids like Blakely, Hughes, Grey, Pearce, Weller, Langdon and Tucker are all long term prospects. Bennell is too Freo's main issue at the moment is their kicking. God knows what Hale and Guerra were meant to bring to this club but whatever it is it has back fired horrendously. BTW Jax how did you view the Sandi v NicNat matchup? Up to the point Sandi was injured that is? I recall you saying how NN would beat Sandi now he is fully fit.

Only "ifs" in the imagination of non-Freo people. Nothing in any of that of any concern at all, Jax. WC is the comp's best side at the moment and Freo did very well with a truck load of talent to return and a wealth of youth. Weller loves the west.

DJW...what an over reading! Remember there is the whole top side from last year still with only Luke Mac missing. A very positive 2016 ahead. Good luck hoping/wishing for something else.

Bennell - unproven Clarke - very rarely had a good game for Freo Morabito - hasn't played AFL for years These are your saviours Don? Freo are conceding more goals this year and kicking less. Ross has big problems

Don, RUOK?

I took a Freo supporter to the game, and a pretty knowledgable and honest one at that. Before the game he told me that he wanted Freo to drop back for a few years for a quick mini-rebuild and collect some high draft picks. He believes that the middle to lower tier of Freo players simply aren't good enough for Freo to win a flag and the reason that they were able to perform so well for parts of last season was because Lyon was able to extract so much out of them, but he believes that it's not sustainable. He did say that Hooker and McCarthy would straighten them up overnight and while McCarthy looks a certainty, Hooker isn't. McCarthy would only be a swap for Pav which still leaves them short of tall forwards as Tabs hasn't come on, yet. If they get Hooker then Pearce could play forward and that would give them a reasonable forward line though it would still be light on depth. Weller delaying contract negotiations would at least be of some concern. Sure he might be for waiting for more money but he might have decided to go home? We'll just have to wait and see. Lately there seem to be so many 'if's' with Freo. If they get X player, if X player doesn't get injured, if they can kick more goals, if they can fix their ball use and decision making etc. There are always going to be challenges that teams need to overcome and all teams require a bit of luck and Freo didn't have much of it in the backend of 2015 but that is where depth and versatility can help to balance the ledger somewhat but they dont have a lot of that either. Is it true that Freo has 7 players aged 30+ - could a team with their windows open or about to open like the Doggies, GWS or GCS make better use of some of these older players in exchange for someone younger seeing that these clubs have plenty of young talent? Eg trade two good older Freo players for a younger talented one and maybe even a draft pick or two? Lyon is such a competitive beast that he will resist a rebuild but maybe dropping back and strengthening their depth for a few years, improving their game plan and skill execution might be his only chance of wining that elusive first flag for Freo and himself in the medium-longer term? I can't see them winning a flag with this list personally but in saying that. Hooker, McCarthy and Bennell could change that but that's just another 'if' to add to the long list of existing it's.

No, I don't mean that.

i think you mean 'geelong and hawthorn don't rebuild any more , they just continue to bring players on'. Freo are no geelong or hawthorn - not near it.

Ridiculous talk. Sandi, Mundy, Bennell, Clarke and Morabito (best for Peel in his first game back) all to return. These boys will have 14 or 15 wins this season and will be having a crack at the 2016 flag. No clubs rebuild any more...unless you are Carlton. Clubs just continue to bring players on. Freo is really well placed. There is no "next generation". There is just a pending replacement when one drops off the pace.

The issue with a supposed 2017 flag tilt is that he risks Fremantle falling behind the rest of the competition. It's about being ahead of the pack (like Hawthorn) or consistently keeping up with the pack (Sydney), but Fremantle have looked archaic and helpless in their first three games, even the Derby where they had some control. Bad years can either make or break a team, and unless they have the quality of Hawthorn circa 2009, it will more often than not break a team.