To borrow and amend the lines of the nursery rhyme about the girl with the curl: “When they were good, they were fairly good, and when they were bad they were horrid.”
That pretty much sums up the Dockers’ 2018.
Some good wins were followed by some serious thrashings which left most of the experts scratching their heads and unable to predict how the club will fare in 2019.
Not helped by injury, Fremantle had only two players – David Mundy and Lachie Neale – who played every game during the season. Adam Cerra missed Round 1 and Nathan Wilson missed one game during the year, while Bailey Banfield missed two. Cerra, Wilson and Banfield were all first-year players at the club and – along with another seven debutantes – will fill important roles at the club into the future.
Nathan Wilson (six years at Greater Western Sydney) and Brendon Matera (seven years at the Gold Coast Suns) will add some much-needed experience while 23-year-old new recruit Scott Jones will provide another mature body to the all-important mix of players needed to ensure success at the club.
Of the ten new recruits to the club, only one (backman Taylin Duman) failed to score a goal in his debut year with Matera topping the debutantes with 13.
Fremantle still has a good nucleus of experienced players, but apart from Mundy none of their top six current players played more than 17 games for the season. Their powerhouse ruckman Aaron Sandilands, who gives them so much first use of the ball, played only 11 games, the now-retired Michael Johnson 13, Stephen Hill 13, the unsociable Hayden Ballantyne 17 and Brownlow Medallist Nat Fyfe 15.
The next most experienced Docker, Lachie Neale (No 25 on the Dockers all-time top 100 game players list), is reportedly unhappy and wants out despite knocking back an offer and signing a new contract with the club last year.
(Photo by Will Russell/AFL Media/Getty Images)
While Michael Johnson contributed something in his final year, he and the other two retirees will not be missed. Danyle Pearce played only three games and contributed one goal and Lee Spurr never took the field in 2018 due to injury, yet both players played every game in 2016.
With some reasonable recruiting and the development of the younger players and if the older, more experienced players can manage to stay on the paddock, the Dockers could surprise on the upside next year.
Fremantle are still a relatively young club, having played only 543 games and used 211 players in their history. They will live in the shadow of their colossus Matthew Pavlich for the next decade, but the club already has a second player in the AFL all-time top 100 game players – David Mundy.
Mundy has played 294 games and sits in 89th position, equal with former Richmond champion full-forward Jack ‘Skinny’ Titus and North Melbourne’s dual Brownlow Medallist Keith Greig (1973 and 1974) and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that – if he has a trouble-free 2019 – he will not only pass the 300-game milestone but climb up the list to a top 50 AFL game players position.
That in itself is something for Dockers fans to look forward to in 2019.
Downsey
Roar Pro
Mate, I'm suss about most employment machinations. I hadn't thought about Bell's media jobs. I don't think he'd mind giving up ABC breakfast radio because that hasn't been a resounding success, but perhaps not the game commentating. That being said, perhaps he's looking for more regular hours with a young family. He also strikes me as the type of footy intellectual who'd rather be a CEO than a media personality, and this job would be a step in the CEO direction.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Haha, everyone's always so suss about footy club machinations. From what I've heard the issue for Michell Cowan and Bec Goddard was that they weren't being offered more full-time positions at the partner clubs (unlike their male counterparts). The problem being that the AFLW positions wouldn't sustain them financially through the whole year but were fulltime+ for 3-4 months. So there's probably some degree of frustration with the management at Freo there, but I'm sure a plum footy manager's position would wash that away pretty quickly. I'm not sure Bell would want to take it on full-time though? He seems like he's got a lot going on business and media-wise.
Downsey
Roar Pro
Hell yes, she's certainly got a competitive resume and might bring a fresh perspective. I'm just not sure whether 'seeking other opportunities' was a PR spin and there was actually a falling out? I've got a gut feeling Bell might be the one though - a bit of a board 'job for the boys' situation.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Peter Bell's seems a smart bloke and affable enough, but from my vantage point I'm not sure he would be dynamic enough in that space. He's got no footy department experience to speak of either, which is also something I would hope the new guy would have plenty of. You'd really want someone who could complement the senior coach, while working with them. Maybe someone with that high level coaching experience, but without too much ego getting in the way. Hey how about Michelle Cowan?
Jonboy
Roar Rookie
It has been suggested that Freo target Neil Balme who has been in the same role at Premier clubs Collingwood, Geelong and currently Richmond.
Downsey
Roar Pro
If Bell wins the position permanently, thoughts? He's quite diplomatic, but can't see him being 'extroverted' in the role. Middlemas prodded him a few times on Bell's radio spot and couldn't get a straight answer, which makes me think he's a likelihood.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Getting a new footy manager is exciting actually. Get that right and it could be a big catalyst into the next stage of the team's development. Bond was a steady hand and had a key hand in some brilliant leaps in development, such as 2010 and the subsequent run of 2012-15. He wasn't exactly what you'd call imaginative or particularly inspiring though. In his tenure they turned away from WA and flair in their drafting which has possibly cost them here and there. I'd like to see them go for a more extroverted footy boss, but also balanced out by an ability to work diplomatically with others. Bell I think would only come in as an interim and on a working committee. Not sure who else might be on the radar.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Not a member survey at all. Those of us who are members have not been surveyed. These are straw polls. I told you about Cerra long ago. You laughed. Neale is not unhappy in any way. Listen to his press conference the day before Brissy went public with their wish list. If a club offers you and your fiance an all expenses paid flight and weekend in luxury in Brisbane after the season, you'd take it. There is nothing "unhappy' about talking to a club who offers you $4 million. It's exciting for Lachie but Freo will match whatever they offer at the end of next year. Freo has stacks of salary cap room. If Lachie takes a higher offer from Freo now, great but Freo is fine either way. The only way Lachie goes is if we can get Hipwood and a draft pick or Brissy can work something out with Melbourne to get Hogan to Freo. Lachie is happy and is more than likely to choose to stay. Listen to his presser.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Do you think they were the same board members all that time. Some of you gainsayers are just thick. Do some independent thinking. One of the staff that left has been head-hunted for a higher position because he has done such a good job and the other has given 14 years of service at all levels. Hardly a rot. Neale won't be leaving.
Gary
Roar Rookie
Something wrong at board level imo. They have made shocking appointments over the years- Chris Conolly, 5yr Lyon contract extension. Losing football department staff and Neale this year is surely symptomatic off rot at the top. Hopefully we get a good return for Neale trade, and our young guns improve in readiness for the next coach.
Jonboy
Roar Rookie
I agree Stephen about the year, i think we are all scratching our heads what will 2019 bring? The great news is Cerra extending his contract and hopefully Peter Bell takes Bond's job and gets 100% unity going forward. It appears Neale is not happy for some reason so move him on now don't wait till next year, he is not worth breaking the Bank for. A member survey found only 30% are in support of the coach so he has to alleviate the thrashings of 2018 and improve the win/loss situation, so all we can do is hope there is better times ahead.