Dockers re-sign Ballantyne for 2018

Not much wrong with those numbers for key forwards. Ballas' defensive pressure is outstanding. You've really got to be a Freo fan to watch and see. You won't look, let alone see. Freo is fine. All they need is freedom from injury.

Taberner averages Disposals 11.5 Marks 5.4 Goals 1.4 Tackles 1.4 per game Mccarthy 11.3 3.4 1.3 2.4 Kersten 10.6 4.1 1.2 1.4 Ballantyne 10.4 3.2 1.1 2.4 Defensive pressure non existent less than 1 tackle per Game.Tabs 5 years at the club more than enough chances. Mccarthy excuses tries hard will improve Kersten 5years in the system after 22 games this year clearly not AFL standard. Ballantyne Clearly past it .cannot find the ball continues to fall over no defensive pressure Clearly need to draft and trade for forwards.

I expect Matt Taberner to be at a Victorian club next year kicking a bag of goals (40+) for them!

Jon boy,yeah I agree they're different,I do think though that Kelly could play as a stay home forward at the next level,has some really good goal sense.

Oops sorry watch him play.

Mattyb,,,i agree with you about Kelly have watched helm play and he probably will go before Ryan they are different all together.

Noel Morton was better than Wally Matera.

Have to agree you have summed it up pretty well

Kersten has hardly set the world on fire, but he had the odd game where he made a significant contribution ... pretty much like Taberner. In other words, he seemed no worse than Taberner, and Freo were looking to give the forward six a lot of time together in the hope they'd gel, so there was no good reason to be dropping Kersten for someone who history suggested would not be any better performing or more consistent. Don't get me wrong, I like Taberner; I've noted his leaps in development each year, and I'd be very disappointed if Freo somehow failed to re-sign him. But even in hindsight, I don't think there's a case to say he should have been persisted with, as his diminishing returns over his first stint in 2017 suggest. Again, it's hard not to feel that it took being dropped again and having his career on the line to really kick him into action. Having said that, I do believe that he should've been picked for the first derby (and said so before the game). His extra height and his mobility would've helped keep WC's back six accountable. Doubt it would've been the difference between a loss and a win, but maybe Freo wouldn't have been out of the game at quarter time if he'd been selected... who knows?

6x6,personally I don't think it matters,I'm just thinking of what recruiters think. Like I've said,I've been pumping Ryan up before anyone and am clearly on record,he is a risky but a huge talent. I think there is some serious talent running around in the WAFL overall,and I watch a bit of state league football from all leagues.

Would it matter if he was never ran mid minutes matty? Walters is a rare talent who has had the ability to go thru the middle but how many other true small fwds successfully make the transition?not to many come to mind.

Jon boy,I've been on the Liam Ryan train for two years,he has heaps of potential but a couple of things will never change,his beep tests for one are terrible and suggest he will never play many minutes as a mid. I was only pointing out he could improve his defensive game because when someone else said the same thing you said they were wrong. Anyway,I'm also into Kelly and think he will go first. Interestingly Ryan hasn't been invited to the combine but Kelly has,this might just mean that teams outside WA are more interested in Kelly for varying reasons though.

with kersten as the only other option they seemed to have this year I think perseverance with tabs would of been more beneficial, yes he disappears and for a man his size doesn't assert His presence but freo weren't exactly swimming in tall options this season and surely giving him a confidence building run would've been better than kersten getting games

"if ever there was a season he should of been persisted with week in week out it was this year" Nah, he did exactly what he did last year, which was come in and have a fantastic first game, followed by a solid, if unimpressive second game, followed by a series of mediocre to poor performances. It's hard not to think that his being dropped again, and then being overlooked after some good WAFL form, is what produced his excellent — and consistent — end of year form.

AD hes got a bit of magic about him thats the exciting bit especially being a small fwd and winning the Bernie Naylor medal(last small to do that was medhurst if memory serves) naughton is who I expect freo to target for their 1st round selection this year and would expect Ryan to go before your guys have their 3rd rounder

Dude, they weren't knocking him. They were just noting that he's got better attributes than defensive pressure. You are right, though. He is only young. And he seems like a great talent. Freo could do worse. I will profess to not knowing to much about him, so I won't comment to much :)

Can't disagree there and west coast biggest challenge is getting his diet on track but at wafl level even for chubby little Augustus gloop whenever not injured his class shone thru.

Mattyb..i thought you were better that . Liam Ryan is only 20 years old i am sure his defensive pressure will get a lot better and endurance with time and coaching he is super talent and i am sure he will play a lot of AFL games. Very few 20 year olds have it all. Knock him at your own Peril it might come back to bite you and DON.

The only gains Rioli is making is on his waistline

Paul we all know freos fwd line has never recovered from Jack Anthony's departure.