Fremantle must not be seduced into a rebuild off this, their annus horribilus. They must re-group and press onward and upward.
The Dockers have seemingly been connected to everyone coming out of contract either this year or next, and doubly so if the player in question is from Western Australia. If you’re out-of-contract at the end of this season, and haven’t seen your name in the paper as a possible target, your manager isn’t doing his job.
Cam McCarthy, still listed at GWS, has been the most prominent name, and will have to be traded for given he is contracted to the Giants until the end of 2017. Brad Hill from Hawthorn is the latest, with a desire to return home and play with his brother Stephen.
This is good news for Freo, and they need to make these deals happen. This is the time to go forward, not back as some pundits would implore them. What they have to give up to land these players will be one of the stories of the off-season.
Obviously things haven’t panned out for the Dockers this season, but they did finish in the top four the previous three years. If they can create a better list immediately, they need to trust Ross Lyon to be able to take them back to the top in quick time.
Nat Fyfe, the reigning Brownlow medallist and the nominal best player in the game, will be 25 at the start of next season. A rebuild can’t be entertained while he’s in his prime years, or he won’t finish his career in purple. If he wants out, the re-build then has no figure-head, and no player to build the team around.
Michael Walters is having his best season covering a lot of ground, should be in the All-Australian frame, and is right in the prime of his career. Stephen Hill is doing his best in a trying year, with a team and game style unsuited to maximising his talents. Fremantle can’t waste the career of two of their most devastating talents on a rebuild.
Aaron Sandilands and Michael Johnson have had outstanding but injury-riddled careers, and have been carefully managed out of this season from an early stage. Their initial injuries were no doubt authentic, and they could then be set for an assault on 2017. Next year will be their last hurrah.
David Mundy has had some injury concerns, and has struggled for continuity throughout the year, never finding his best form. He turned 31 last week, and so will be 32 when next years’ finals come around. The Dockers should try and be there while he can still thrive.
Danyle Pearce and Hayden Ballantye still have something to offer, through middle-back and up forward respectively, but for perhaps only a year or two longer. There are enough other solid citizens to form an older base, although only Michael Barlow as a tagger and Garrick Ibbotson if he can find his confidence again should be in the best 22.
These older players (Sandilands, Johnson, Mundy, Pearce, Ballantyne, Barlow and Ibbotson) would only make up a third of the team, which is a good spread of experience.
Outside of them, there is plenty of talent either in their prime or young players capable of having an impact.
Fyfe, Walters and Stephen Hill have already been mentioned, as have McCarthy and Brad Hill, if they can be brought in. Add in the rare match-winning talent of Harley Bennell, and you have a host of players that can shape a game in the forward half of the ground, which has long been Fremantle’s weakness.
Matt Taberner has quietly put together a consistent season in trying times, given the type of ball movement he has been playing in front of, and is ranked higher than Jack Riewoldt, Josh Kennedy, Charlie Dixon, Jesse Hogan, and Josh Bruce in contested marks per game. Next year might be his launching pad as he crosses that 50-game barrier, which is when Riewoldt and Kennedy really came into their own.
Shane Yarran showed enough in one match to suggest that he might be a handy foil too, with his athletic gifts. Lachie Weller has been a find in the forward half too. All of a sudden, there’s an eclectic mix of players to make things happen up forward, and someone like Chris Mayne can be put out to pasture.
Lachie Neale has become the premier ball-winner in the competition, carrying the load in the Docker midfield, and will still get better. Connor Blakely has been superb as a 20 year old and Darcy Tucker has shown enough glimpses, and will develop. Ed Langdon played the best game of his short career on the weekend.
Walters and Bennell will obviously run through the middle as well, and Fremantle then have one of the most exciting midfields in the competition. No more Clancee Pearce, Nick Suban, Tendai Mzungu.
Michael Johnson is a huge key down back, but Alex Pearce looks a future All-Australian, and Sam Collins has impressed since coming into the side. Goodbye Zac Dawson.
Stick with Hayden Crozier down back, where he has put his creativity to good use. Tommy Sheridan has more to give, and would be a bigger weapon in a free-running side.
2016 has been one of the most even seasons in memory. Hawthorn aren’t the dominant force they have been, and second to seventh on the ladder are separated only by percentage, all sitting on 12 wins.
It has been a poor season to have a down year for a perennial contender, but there is nothing to suggest that 2017 won’t throw up more of the same among those finalists. It could well be anyone’s ball game once more.
A Fremantle that welcomes back their guns, welcomes in some quality, and adds another pre-season of development into the exciting younger types, could very well be ready to contend again. Ross Lyon is too smart a coach not to evolve and learn from what went wrong this year.
The Dockers have already gone back. Next year, they must go forward.
rusty
Roar Rookie
I might add, on a more positive note, if we had won more games this year I reckon Neale would have been a chance at a Brownlow. He will poll really well regardless.
rusty
Roar Rookie
I included Bennell. He has to get on the park though. Johnson is a fantastic footballer, but getting on and injured too often. No one has seen Balic play and word is his wrists are so bad he may not play footy for much longer, and Ethan Hughes looks promising but so do about 40 other players currently on afl lists not getting a run. I don't think I'm pessimistic at all to be honest and feel like I have made an honest assessment of our list- we are in a lot of trouble.
Don Freo
Guest
Rusty...your glass is a bit empty. Johnson, Bennell, Balic, Hughes...you don't rank them?
rusty
Roar Rookie
I genuinely have no idea where Fremantle will finish next year. They could finish top 8 easily or just as easily come 15th. If you work on the modern theory that the game is won and lost in the midfield then Sandilands, Fyfe, Neale, Barlow, Hill, Mundy, Bennell and Blakely are going to take it up to any team. I personally think Sandi could play for another five years if he wants to. His body has been resilient and he's not getting any shorter. He has never had pace either so he can't lose that. The issues I have are with the rest of the list- it is awful. Walters is the only other top notch player we have. Many other players have gone backwards at the very age they should be starting to peak. Guys like Ibbotson, Sutcliffe, Zac Clarke, Ballantyne, Mayne, Deboer, C Pearce, Silvagni, Muzungu, Dawson, Sheridan, Griffith, Suban etc. The problem is that not only are many of these players either past it or not up to standard, but due to the poor quality of our list they play most weeks anyway. Anyone that thinks Fremantle aren't facing a long rebuild are, in my opinion, kidding themselves. It is a list management crime that Pavlich is about to retire and is our only key forward. Please don't say Taberner is one. He is a third tall that tries his best but that is it. Can Apeness play football? Who knows. He has been injured for three years. As to the young players they have blooded this year, I have only Blakely as a definite player long term, with Weller, Collins and Langdon as possibles. In dark times there is a tendency for fans to cling to anything and I feel Freo fans have overrated some of our debutants. This is my list of genuine afl players on our list that may one day play in a flag- Fyfe. Barlow Neale. Ballantyne (maybe) Hill. Collins (maybe) Walters. Weller (maybe) Mundy (getting on though) Sandilands Blakely A. Pearce Spurr Crozier I may have missed someone. Not a bad team, but it is only 14 players and you need 22. The squad falls off a cliff after that. Then you add a few injuries... Quite simply, too many Fremantle fans, of which I am one, have rose tinted glasses. I find it telling that on forums many Freo fans tend to try to look to the future by including players that aren't even on our list and are in fact at other clubs. What we do have, in my opinion, is the second best coach in the league. Criticism of Lyon is grossly unfair. To have us playing as we have in the last 5 years, with all our deficiencies, especially a non existent forward line, has been outstanding. I find it very hard to stomach criticism of Lyon. The whole game plan thing is so overrated in footy. The coaches main job is to motivate and inspire. I cannot recall more than one or two games, including this season, where Fremantle have not tried their ring out in a game of footy for Lyon. He deserves this rebuild. But make no mistake, that is what it is. Fremantle's premiership 'window' is at 2am.
rusty
Roar Rookie
They were going to take Adams but the Bulldogs took him a few picks ahead. It was just bad luck. They took Collins instead who has been good, but not as good as Adams. Fremantle have missed Macpharlin terribly this year. So underrated over east. I can't recall a single bag being kicked on him over the years. It has thrown everything out. Dawson is a good spoiler, but a liability in every other sense. Without Johnson and Macpharlin the dockers defence has been severely compromised. Ibbotson and Sutcliffe are the two that have been found wanting. Massive steps backwards this year by those two. However, credit where it is due, Lee Spurr has been sensational this year.
rusty
Roar Rookie
We'll lump it thanks and get him at the endof 17
Don Freo
Guest
Easy to say that. You don't know who I am or where I am. How are you going to pay me?
Mark
Guest
I'll $100 right now that Freo will not beat Geelong or Hawthorn at any time next year, except maybe NAB Cup.
Hammerhead
Guest
What about Cale Hooker? Has he resigned with Essendon for next year? If not Freo should look at him.
johno
Guest
I like Mayne, he'd be even better if Freo had 2 dangerous key forwards, and not just Pav and Tabs. McCarthy, Tebnerner, Hogan and Mayne would do quite nicely
D.Large
Guest
Yep, Freo will bounce back quickly from this.
D.Large
Guest
Up the Roys!
D.Large
Guest
yep
D.Large
Guest
agreed
bryan
Guest
I wish we still had Macca, Cookie,Bellie & Company-----they were great to watch,even when we didn't win many games! :) What I can't understand is all the "Mayne--bashing". OK,he's had the "yips" for a while with set shots on goal,but in recent games he has shown he is getting his "mojo" back. In the meantime,he tackles like a fiend,has taken some spectacular marks,pops up anywhere on the field where he is needed,& has kicked quite a few goals "on the run". Many other players,(including Pav) have had similar problems,without such a barrage of criticism.
Richard
Guest
You can have Hill as as long as we can have Neale and Fyfe in return.. Like it or lump it..
johno
Guest
I still think I see Clive out there during most games
johno
Guest
Yeah - the bloke leading the comp in disposals this season is rubbish
johno
Guest
yeah he doesn't play the kids which is why Fyfe, Neale, Blakely, Weller, Sheridan, Crozier, Tucker, Alex Pearce, Walters, Apeness, Taberner, Sutcliffe, Collins and Yarran can't get a kick. All of them had less than 50 games or were brought in during Lyons tenure
johno
Guest
BINGO "The question is why persist with this negative, grueling game plan that gives you no chance of kicking a winning score?" Interesting, in 65% of games he has coached his team has kicked the winning score .... Alistair Clarkson 64% The big difference is in the Grand FInals for Ross its 0-1-3 and Clarko 4-0-1 For Clarko against interstate teams in finals its 9-3 with 3 premierships in that mix and only one win interstate (last year v Freo). There has been only 1 loss at home at the MCG to the Swans in the GF. The other 2 losses were to Freo at Subi in 2010 and West Coast at Subi last year. He's played 3 finals outside of Victoria for a 1-2 record (all at Subi) I think there was an article about how home ground advantage doesn't matter in finals ... I tend to disagree with that