Cats clobber Dockers 115-73

Sandi tapped it to the opposition all game long and handballed it to players who immediately got slammed. Stop trying to rewrite history- he had a shocker.

You can do whatever you want with the team you support...but I will never find reason to bad mouth my team. That is not what this supporter does. I look for ways to support and the obvious supporter action is to look at what we have in the club. What we have excites me. No one needs to expend energy telling me to be depressed.

Sandi had a beauty. 46 hit outs. Mundy (31), Fyfe(28) and Hill(30) caned it with more of the ball started by more clearances. Danger, who usually gets 40 touches was held to 26 by by Mundy who had 31 at a better disposal efficiency. Sandi gave them a carpet ride. No wonder you are down. You missed a lot. Defense was our problem. Not attack from defense...just defense when there was a turnover.

Onya Don. I'm with you. Even with a loss I'm feeling really positive about this new look Freo team. Love Mcarthy and Brad Hill and can't wait for Bennell to get back,plus A peace.Good times ahead for the Dockers.

Don, mate, you do realised that every once and a while we're allowed to be frustrated with our team, yeah? I'm still full of optimism for the year ahead, but I think even you would excuse a bit of frustration and disillusion with Sunday's performance, yeah? I'll be even more frustrated if we perform like that again against Port. I'm sure rusty has faith, and I do as well, but Freo isn't automatically spared our frustration just because we support them and (in the case of me) pay them every year for a membership - in fact, that just exacerbates my annoyance. Sorry for the rant. Other than that, I largely agree with what you're saying. Our youngsters were probably a bit overwhelmed last year - understandably, given that Fyfe, Sandi, Johno and others weren't playing for a vast majority of it. This year will provide them - as you say - with the oppurtunity where they can develop further on-field with Fyfe et al.

In general i agree with you although Sandi had a shocker on the weekend. He is our most important player and I am confident he has at least 3 years left in him. I agree about Hill, but our backline needs players that can a) kick the ball accurately and b) get the ball. Tucker and Weller don't get the ball enough. So I would play both Hills there and see how it goes. Half back is essentially on the ball these days anyway. We are rebuilding. Again. That means fringe players or older players need to miss out. Unfortunately that means more young players that aren't ready, and more losses.

Oh Rusty!!! We have wasted Stephen Hill down back for the past 2 seasons. Tucker and Hughes have the disposal we need there. Hill under the pack is essential and where he shines. He, with Mundy were our two stars, followed by Sandi and Fyfe on Sunday. Brad Hill must be on the wing and running forward. He will put the ball on the chest of McCarthy and Taberner. When you talk fringe players, they are Sutcliffe, Suban, Sheridan, Danyle Pearce, Griffin... The young fellas, Tucker, Hughes, Apeness, Balic, Weller, Langdon, Blakely, Logue...they are class and exciting. This season with the experienced support of Sandi, Fyfe, Johnno and the greater freedom for Mundy, Hill and Neale provides an environment where these guys can develop rather than have to carry the load like last year. This will be a very exciting year. Have faith.

Sad? No. Just angry and disillusioned like every other Fremantle fan. To describe us as 'exciting' is disingenuous- we are the least exciting team in the afl by a country mile. As for Tucker, yeah sure, he shows promise but no more than the kind of fringe players every team has on their list. He is yet to play a really good game. Ditto Weller. But they must be persisted with because we have no choice. What was lost in the off season recruiting excitement is that both Hamling and Kersten are fringe afl players. I have much more hope for McCarthy- he looks like a proper forward and will find his feet. I would think about playing both Hills off half back because of their disposal.

Rusty...you seem so sad. This is an exciting team. Tucker would be snapped up everywhere...he's a gem. Weller has been a real positive. Hughes and Collins are very good kicks. Bennell, Apeness and Clarke join Ballas as players to come back. Sit with a different mob and you'll see the game differently.

Did you watch the game or is that some of your special "intell"?

Freo will be fine. Agree that the Peel boys will transition in through the season. I like Johnson up forward and, hopefully, Collins will be in soon to give some big man resilience to the defence....another strong marking game at Peel (7 solid marks). Mundy and S Hill were exciting for me (and Sandi, too). Mundy played directly on Dangerfield when Danger was in the midfield and beat him comfortably (Best afield). Danger got a few token Brownie points when he went up forward and played on the increasingly unaccountable Sutcliffe. Ethan Hughes is so much stronger and faster than Sutcliffe.

Or not...

I agree Crozier should be in the team. As should Sheridan probably. The problem is we have been waiting a long time for them to turn into decent footballers and are still waiting. But I would definitely pick them both ahead of Suban, who is awful, and Sutcliffe who looks done. Weller and Tucker would not be getting a game elsewhere but because of where Freo are at they need to be persisted with. I would give Balic a run if there is a spot. Basically anyone that looks remotely like a footballer that can kick straight will get a game this year. Also, we need to consider playing one ruckman. Griffin just doesn't offer enough. Incredibly disillusioned. There was an air of resignation at yesterday's game amongst the fans. We know where we are at and it is not good. Will this club ever rise above mediocrity? I see us being 0-4 almost for certain, probably 0-5 and season over. Lyon will be lucky to see out the year.

From what I saw I,m predicting Geelong to be the stand out team this year.Their poor performance in the prelim probably made us forget how strong they were over the coarse of 2016. Apart from Geelong the only other team I would say is a lock for top 4 is Sydney purely because thats what they do.

There is a fair bit of subjectivity around what is full strength for Freo at the moment. That's the circumstance you find yourself in when you are in a transition phase. Crozier played some ripper games for Freo last year off the half-back line after seeming to ramp up his work rate in the offseason and saying he's had plenty of chances is a bit meaningless, really he's been developing for a good part of that and it's what he can produce now that counts. I'd have him in for Sutcliffe. Weller and Tucker are both players who have pretty good skills and as they feel more comfortable and develop more consistency with their involvement that should result in a greater level of skill execution in games for Freo. Balic looked good on the weekend too and he's got some chops to show as well. Bennell is still a little way off potentially, but he would also up the skill level should he get out there on a regular basis.

Geelong made as many errors as Freo. Disposal efficiency was the same for both teams. I think the errors are magnified for Freo because they get slaughtered on turnovers. They are playing this ridiculous game plan (as they did last year) where they chip the ball off half back from one side to the other. It's like Ross Lyon has beaten any footy instincts out of them to play this game plan. The slow it down, Geelong cover Freo's options, the pressure builds to the point where they either have to kick it long to a pack or chip it across the ground to a dangerous situation where it's 1 Docker and 2 opponents. Unless the kick is perfect it's going to be intercepted or spoiled.

I think Crozier is a decent kick and deserved to play yesterday following on from his end of season form from last year. I would almost put him in for D Pearce now A Pearce would also be a first 22 player ahead of Dawson But it was almost full strength.

The problem is that the guys waiting in the wings are also poorly skilled, or have had too many chances. For example, Sheridan, Crozier, Taberner have had plenty of chances whilst Hughes, Grey, and Collins are goers but can't kick. Apart from Ballantyne, yesterday was Fremantle at full strength. Big, big list problems down there and it's only round one but I'm tipping them for the wooden spoon.

But Ross will stick with the same line up, with maybe 1 change going to Adelaide next week … most likely Taberner for Kersten, but that won’t fix a thing. That's exactly what's frustrating. He needs to look at who the poor skill culprits are, and replace them with the younger players in the WAFL. Sure, it mightn't work out, but surely it's worth a try.

Freo were sloppy with the ball in hand, so many simple errors. Johno kicking it straight to Hawkins, Sandi handpassing over Brad Hills head, Kersten unable to hit a target and just bad decisions made time after time. At the end of the day there were 2 scoring shots the difference, but the big difference was skill and polish. Freo coming our of the backline was sluggish and indirect. But Ross will stick with the same line up, with maybe 1 change going to Adelaide next week ... most likely Taberner for Kersten, but that won't fix a thing. Skill levels and taking on the game is required. Freo dominated possesion and territory at the start of the third term, but you just knew all the Cats needed was a little opening and they would goal. In the WAFL players like Balic, Hughes, Cozier and even Strnadica will be putting their hands up soon for a game unless things change dramatically over the coming 2-3 weeks