We went in with a healthy level of nonchalance; we injected the appropriate amount of complacency and deliberately ended up lackadaisically horizontal. Time to somehow Restump Podcast that beyond meaningless, going through the motions, self-preservation performance against the Blues. 

I can’t remember a more meaningless encounter. In fact, I can’t ever recall contemplating switching off 5 minutes into the first quarter. And we were 3 goals up at the time! 

And no doubt the players felt the same. There wasn’t the attention to detail, there wasn’t any defensive vigour and there was just no purple spirit. Even Paddy Voss’ attempt at inserting the energetic vibe fell flat. When Vossy can’t spark the fire, you know there’s more at play.

We had nothing whatsoever to gain and too much to potentially lose. We rested Jye Amiss, Sammy Switkowski and Heath Chapman. 

But why did we stop there? It’s been a hell of a long season, so why wouldn’t we rest half to three quarters of the best 23, Rosco Lyon style? A lack of soldiers in the WAFL wasn’t it! Was a 20-day break too risky? Was it fear of the AFL and their idiotic fake optics obsession?

However, we’ve won 19 games in a season, we’ve won the minor premiership, we’ve got the double chance, two home finals and we’re not only favourites for, but we’re in the best position we’ve ever been in to win that debut flag. That says the club has gotten almost everything right this year, so who are we to question their decisions!

Unfair ifs buts and maybes though, possibly Brennan Cox wouldn’t be nursing a torn calf? And given how absolutely vital he is to our chances, you will never convince me there was merit in putting Alex Peearce on a plane to play in an inconsequential formality, especially after the knock to the knee the week before. 

Anyway, Brennan Cox aside, we got through seemingly unscathed to close out what has, so far, been a magnificent and successful season. We couldn’t have achieved much more than we have to date and it’s caps off to all involved at the club.

However, rightfully or wrongfully, the season’s success to date inevitably raises the bar and the expectations. What we’ve done the last 23 rounds shouldn’t be understated or glossed over when reviewing the year, but it is now in the rearview mirror and, in the context of the imminent finals campaign, it counts for noting.  

We’re at the pointy end, largely healthy and in good shape. We’ve got a little over a week to prepare for what is now a new season. We all start on zero and we’re looking to win three on the bounce. 

Is the All-Australian night now being held in the purple palladium? The numerous positions in the team awarded to Fremantle individuals is a reflection of our remarkable season. And it was especially a stellar evening for Murphy Reid who never seems to walk away empty handed from an award ceremony. He took home the Best Emerging Player award, drawing with St Kilda’s Max Hall. 

Nothing against Murph or Max, and by all means call me a killjoy, but these unnecessary made-up awards are getting a little monotonous! It’s becoming a bit participatory! What is this… a seven-year-old’s birthday party where everyone goes home with a lolly bag? 

Yeah ok, self-indulgent rant over.

It’s pointless probing that purposeless performance, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of purple to prattle on about. So, don your daggies, deploy your deck chair, decompress and drop in on the docker drivel disguised as deep dialogue on the pod. 

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In the pregame team meeting, Paddy misconstrued the collective noun for an instruction! Time to Restump Podcast that polished purple performance.

Let’s start at that magnificent jumper. It took us back to the nostalgic Neesham era, a simpler time in life when we ran around with a bunch of ragtag upstarts from the WAFL. Every member of the team had a license and if you didn’t do something outlandish or you performed without flair, you didn’t belong! 

We got around in an unthinkable combination of purple green red and white while we made the unconventional popular. We cared little for the opinions of outsiders, we played recklessly, free from expectations and not for a second was it not entertaining. I feel for the Freo supporters who never got to experience that special time. 

If we were to make that last Saturday in September, it’d be a fitting tribute if we were to don that same deep Fremantle heritage representing, kaleidoscopic number on Grand Final day. Imagine winning the club’s first premiership 30+ years later in the same jumper in which it all began. 

Was that the most even contributed performance across the board you’ve ever seen?

We out pressured the best pressure team in the competition. But it felt different. It was not only a specific focus and at fever pitch, there was an added component to it, which was to make sure the crows felt it. So, it wasn't just the tackle or the corralling pressure, it felt there was an instruction to hit hard and hurt. A lighter week on the training track would probably wouldn’t go astray.

It’s difficult to argue Alex Pearce isn’t our most important player. His presence, his cover, his support and organisational skills allow other members in the defensive unit to play to their strengths. He simply makes others better. 

And what about the Serong and Brayshaw combo quietly stepping back into the fold to pick up the responsibility slack. Their willingness to do the unfashionable work, take somewhat of a back seat, then step in, take the reins and lead by example when required is beyond impressive. Where we are as a team is largely a direct result of their lack of ego, and there is nothing more admirable.

There is some irony in the suggestion it was an even contribution while selecting individuals out for praise. However, a guy that rarely sees the limelight but turns up without fail, is Heath Chapman. In the context of his role, he had an outstanding multifaceted game. Courage personified, he backed into trouble, he was crisp with his ball handling and decision making, he got himself in the right positions and played his role to perfection.

Has Jye Amiss forced the tailors to ask for his jacket measurements? He’s second in the Coleman medal with 58 goals at a rate of 2.6 goals a game, going at 64% accuracy. However, he’s kicked 36 in his last 12 games. At the very least, he has surely entered the chat!

Anyway, we’re all about the collective and not about the individual. So, we continue on as one connected entity and let the individual accolade chips fall where they will. 

Minor premiership secured but in the bigger picture, that is small potatoes. We don’t need to celebrate it and risk Paddy Voss damaging numerous eyeballs! Let’s just get through the one remaining inconsequential regular season game.

Meanwhile, join us as we take a deeper look into the classy performance against the Crows, decipher who to rest against the Blues and potentially plot the path the purple pioneers will proceed to possibly procure the premiership on the pod.

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Everything is under control. The purple Pearce powder preservation plan will pay off. Time to Restump Podcast the manic moments of mayhem against the Dees.

Straight off the top, quite simply, if Alex Pearce plays, we win that game and you can't change my mind.

We may have won plenty of games without the skipper in the past, but when the heat really goes on, we need the General back there organising and executing.

Did the Dees expose our vulnerabilities that we may not have known existed? Is our reliance on Alex Pearce a concern? As silly as it sounds, has constant winning wallpapered over our deficiencies or reliances?

We haven't faced a lot of adversity this season to date. We've had just a handful of challenges and our injured players rarely resembled a list.

The reality is Andy Brayshaw was down, Murphy Reid finally saw a tight tag and had little influence, Freddy was horribly absent, we were vulnerable down back, we wandered away at times from the selflessness that has served us so well, we suffered moments of complacency and yet we lost by just a kick. 

To put it bluntly, the Dees played out of their skins and cannot play better than they did. We, on the other hand, can and will.

Tidy up of just one of Mason Cox's nightmare moments and we walk away with another 4-point package. However, it is preferable to get the lesson now rather than in September.

From this point on, in future meetings against Melbourne, Harrison Petty's name is in big black bold letters pregame on the whiteboard. He doesn't get to shed tears over some hurty words, garner widespread sympathy, play the taunting victim and be the catalyst for a pathetic rule change, and then come out and make a mockery of his own episode and play this wannabe fake tough guy character! You can't have it both ways and it was a little disappointing we allowed it. Alex Pearce would have rendered him irrelevant!

Anyway, we live, we learn, we look into the loss, lock in on the learnings, leverage the lessons and liquidate the lapses.

On some small level the loss alleviates the pressure a little. It removes any dangerous perception of invincibility that could have possibly internally crept in. It could work favourably as a grounding agent that will do us well heading into September.

Well, that's enough laundering of the language here. The truth is, other than from a mental perspective, the loss had no impact and it means very little. However, dismissiveness alone doesn't feed the bulldog. So, join us to continue the loss legitimising conversational gymnastics on the pod.

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It was rarely pretty and it took us a while, but we found a way to break the dog clog. Time to Restump Podcast the minor premiership securing win over Bevo’s Bullclogs.

Apparently Bullies coach Luke Beveridge had no specific plan or intention to ensure our forward 50 metre arc resembled an RSPCA adoption dog shelter! The crowding and clogging “just played out that way.” 

Rightio Bevo, and bank robber Bill had no plan to roll the bank, he just donned the balaclava and shotgun to do his daily banking and it, “just played out that way.”

To be fair to the dogs though, once Aaron Naughton was ruled out, they had no option and their only chance was to implement that clogging strategy, whether they care to admit it was intentional or otherwise. 

However, in doing so they actually did us a favour. If the dogs played their usual high offense game we would have destroyed them by half time, given their known struggles to defend and the cattle they had out. So, we were forced to endure a different contest, weather the pressure, adapt, persist and find alternate pathways to victory. Yes, it was predominantly ugly but we still manufactured moments of Milan catwalk worthiness.

The game gave Murphy Reid a taste of the close checking treatment he's likely to get more of and, unsurprisingly, he’s already made inroads into how to deal with it if his 23 possession second half is any indication.

The armchair dingbats taking a dislike to Paddy Voss simply don't understand the Freo system and the selflessly pivotal role he is performing. The sheer volume of cages he is rattling on and off the field points to the possibility he is at the peak of his pervasive and protective powers.

Is it no Bont, no dogs? Did Marcus Bontempelli have an off night? Or was it the engaging tactics of the imposing Hayden Young that put the clamp on the champ?

The effort and the dedication to the journey Oscar McDonald have undertaken to get to his career best game, is worthy of praise. However, while he superbly played his role, there's no confusion or cause for hesitation, Brennan Cox walks straight back into the team.

One man whose role and position are well and truly secure is Karl "Marx" Worner. He had the makeshift dogs forwards on a leash and ended up the highest rated player on the ground.

We ran the dogs into the ground, we chalked up our 18th win of the season and we got through unscathed. 

We then watched Sydney scrape home over the Saints; we saw Hawthorn fall over the line again the Roos and the Josh Fraser revitalised Blues put the 3-peat seeking Lions to the sword! Everything is coming up Millhouse!

It's all getting very real! So, we need to come together as a collective, remain calm, be measured and have some composure... is what we'd call for if we were a boring, self-obsessed, joyless, egotistical, purist fan base! But we're not that rabble of a rudderless mob up the road! We get involved, we get loud, we enjoy every moment, celebrate every thrill and we ride this magnificent juggernaut to whatever end!

So, for all that type of hype tripe, dig in your heels, lock in your knees, hang on for dear life and join in the conversation to give and get a purple cheerful earful on the pod!

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If Andrew McQualter still wants to be a scalper, he'll have to turn to Freo's finals tickets! Time to Restump Podcast Saturday evening's walk in the Optus Stadium park.

Imagine being a west coast supporter and thinking you're an improved outfit. 12 scoring shots for the game, just 5 in the second half for 1 goal 4. Quite simply, they were putrid. 

If Fremantle did anything wrong, it was gravely underestimating the sufficient level of complacency required to win. We could have implemented a player management strategy with a performance output made up of equal parts apathy and lethargy!

Pretty much other than the minor premiership securing 4 points, there was almost nothing to take out of that game. I mean it was a good win, and a win by 10 goals, but let’s be fair, we were up against a team of Richmond rejects, mid-season recruits and a guy who cries ‘free kick’ if someone goes within 6 feet of him! 

Harley Reid has implemented his own social distancing policy. He rings his own free kick hot line when anyone breaches his self-designated safe space and lodges a complaint!

The reality is the game was never out of our control and by quarter time, despite us being the narrowest of margins behind, it went from a procession to a formality, before we let down to a ‘going through the motions’ routine.

Yes, Murphy Reid continued bedazzling us, Matty Johnson had arguably his career best game and Jye Amiss, with another 5 goals, showed he has well and truly arrived. But let’s ironically sing the praises of the unsung heroes.

Disco Nathan had a ripper of a game. Is it right to suggest he hasn’t the best right foot? But, on his left foot, unlike what left his right foot, a lot left right out of the middle. So, he did a lot right with his left, he left nothing in the tank and right now he’s in no danger of being left right out! (I can’t be the only one who is now bamboozled to a point of not knowing my left from my right?) Anyway, 2 goals, 7 score involvements, 11 possessions and a goal 3rd quarter, and plenty of defensive work from his 19 total touches from the wing was a pretty important contribution. 

And the ultimate team man Paddy Voss! His selflessness was on display yet again with his all-round game having a greater impact than it suggests on paper. Add in his goal, his 7 score involvements, his 6 inside fifties and his shepherding of Shai Bolton’s goal and it puts substantial meat on those 11 disposal bones.

The good news just kept coming off the field with Murphy Reid signing on until 2032 and Hugh Davies dedicating his future to Freo by putting pen to paper. We cannot overstate how big an achievement securing the extension for Murphy Reid is. The system Fremantle has put in place, the culture they have built, the recruiting and list management they have conducted, the ignoring of the outside noise and backing in Justin Longmuir and the resulting ridiculously successful year we have so far put together, are all encompassing elements that enticed and landed Murphy Reid for longer. He didn’t initially want to come to Fremantle and now he doesn’t want to leave. That is a monumental feather in the Freo cap. 

Well, Saturday night was fun but unfortunately the derbies have just lost their shine. Sadly, like they did to state of origin football in its former format, the West Coast Eagles have killed them off.

However, that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of purple to prattle on about on the pod! So, before we draft a docker design to deal with the dogs, feel welcome to wade into the west coast wrangle waffle water with us as we wrap up the weekend cake walk. 

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It wasn't the smoothest hit and run operation, but we saw off the attempted Carrjacking. Time to Restump Podcast the procuring of the points from the plucky Port Power players. 

While our mission to get into south Australia, secure the four points and get out again took a similar amount of time, we weren't exactly Delta Force commandos, executing a flawless raid and capture of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela!

Sometimes you simply have to battle the monotony monster in the mind and just win. Sometimes no thrills or frills pays the bills. That was pretty much the summary of the comfortable win over Josh Carr's cabal.

There was an air of supremacy about us and a sense of formality and while they're habits we don't want creeping in, to be fair, it's hard to be critical.

Port Adelaide had nine of their best 23 out. No Zak Butters, no Jason Horne-Francis, no Connor Rozee and no Mitch Georgiades! So, it is a tad forgivable for allowing an infection of momentary complacency.

However, they belted us in the midfield which kind of makes you raise half an eyebrow. Was it a symptom of the situation? It's not nothing but is it any real cause for concern? Does it just provide us with beneficial feedback to work on before finals?

But we're a ‘focus on the positives’ posse at the Restump and they came in the form of Luke Jackson, Jye Amiss and Izzy Dudley.

Luke Jackson, single handedly turned the tables and carjacked the Carrjackers in the 3rd quarter! But him telling his mids at half time he was going to do it and to be ready for it, that is something we're all here for.

Jye Amiss arriving predominantly over recent weeks is something special and it only enhances our September chances.

And we've said it before and we'll say it again, Izzy Dudley is as clever as Murphy Reid. His inability to waste a possession is top drawer and it’s a rarity that something good doesn’t occur from a Dudley involvement!

We took the points, we put an almost insurmountable lead on the comp for the minor premiership race and now we look to keep on trucking towards Friday night’s Derby, otherwise known as the West Coast fans grand final, whether they admit it or not.

And what an encounter it may be! The Eagle fans are high on hope after a string of self-destructive performances masquerading as honourable losses, and they’ll bring their nothing to lose mentality, their whinny manner, backpacks full of arrogance and an overinflated sense of entitlement. 

So, if you want to block out the constant shrieking of West Coast fans complaining about Harley Reid not getting a free kick for being tripped by a step, feel free to swap their noise for ours. We can’t guarantee you’ll be better , but at least you’ll be getting a better quality of nonsense.  

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 Two games and 11% clear at the top. We're isolated in a league of our own! We're getting lonely up here! Time to Restump Podcast that stunning performance against the swans.

A jaw dropping performances surrounding Sydney usually involves the Sweeney variety, rather than the Swans.

I mean, what in God's name did we just witness? We were going to do the podcast earlier but we've been in a paralytic state since Thursday, stunned by that second half.

After just 11 points for the first half of the match, we somehow shook off the shackles, turned it up a level and hit the Swans with something they, us and anyone around the country watching on, never saw coming. 

To be honest, except in front of the white posts, we weren't playing poorly during that six-point puntless period. We were just a little slow to adapt to the relentlessly furious pressure the Swans applied, but we were still holding our own and creating opportunities.

It wasn't the disaster a goalless 11-point first half would have you believe, but it still was far from ideal. 2 quarters and 22 points down.... 2 for 22... did we invoke inspiration by beckoning the being of Richie Benaud? 

Nonsense momentarily aside, it was Alex Pearce over the spirit of Richie. The Captain was again brick wall remarkable to single handedly keep us in the contest early and help put the game to bed late. 

While I'm not exactly sure which "team" he'd choose to represent, Colonel Pearce could defend the strait of Hormuz! I mean whenever chants of “build the wall” ring out, Alex Pearce's name will be in Freo fans front of mind. Hey, I did say the nonsense was only momentarily being put aside.

Quite simply if Alex Pearce wasn't able to keep a cool head amidst the mayhem, we may have been too far back to turn it around. 

Wait a minute... we piled on 100 points in a half of footy! We had 6 goals up our sleeve. 

We can watch on in awe of the bedazzling Bolton, Murphy's magic and Wolf-hearted Worner but, there in the background running the show, ever doing the heavy lifting, the grinding and gravel grouting as always, was Andy Brayshaw.

While captaincy possession remains with the Moose until he says otherwise, for mine, I'm only emboldened in my stance that Andy Brayshaw is next cab off the rank. You can have your Caleb Serong and Josh Treacy conversation, but, while they'd be worthy candidates, it's all inconsequential noise while Andy is around! 

After setting the club record with 14 wins in a row a few weeks back, we claimed another club record Thursday with 9 goals 5 being our largest ever fourth quarter score.

While the performance had to be seen to be believed, what's even more astonishing is that it wasn't against some hapless west coast team of even wannabe battlers celebrating some perceived honourable loss! It wasn’t against some ragtag bunch of Sunday league Bombers, it was against the second placed Sydney Swans! 

100 points in the second half! Who do we think we are carrying on like that? Get out of here with that ridiculousness!

Well, we've hit our ludicrousness limit here. But, like us, if you believe too much purple parochial palaver is a pittance for such a profound performance, pack your polished piffle, practise your prattle, patronise us and partake in the powwow on the pod.

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Blocking out just one sun? What an amateur megalomaniac Bill is! Time to Restump Podcast the retributive purple punishment Freo supplied the Suns.

There has to be a sunscreen sponsorship coming Murphy Reid’s way, doesn’t there? Or at least he should be forwarded some of that lucrative green energy climate change cash for an ambassadorial role? Even when the clouds momentarily parted, not even a single ray got close to him!

Call it atonement, making amends or retribution. It was evident Gold Coast eliminating us from the finals last year was still very much front and centre in the minds, and it was as if closure on that fateful event was required. 

You always hear about players memory banking certain defeats or incidents for future incentive use but you never really think grudges are truly held. However, it's difficult to believe the catastrophic finals loss last year wasn’t an extra motivating factor on Sunday. 

The Freo players were on from the first bounce. They were zoned in, super focused, hitting hard and setting the tone. Sure, we’re all locked in and the eyes are on the bigger prize, but it felt like there was more at stake yesterday, something a little extra to play for. 

36 more disposals, 6 more inside 50s and 24 tackles in just the first quarter alone set a conspicuous tone and put an authoritative stamp the game. It said, “We remember, it hurt and here, have some of these apples!”

Admittedly the Gold Coast Suns must have some internal issues, but to hold them to just 3 goals for the entire match, especially considering how dominant, albeit unclean, they were in clearances in the first half, was a stellar defensive performance by the entire team, but specifically the docker dudes down back.

Up forward the inaccuracy disease flared up a touch again, but it looked a little worse on paper given we had 5 rushed behinds.

But there are two ways to look at it. We can finger wag at Amiss and Treacy’s misses, or we can realise that even when they’re off, others are standing up. The forward line is functioning in such a way that this week we got the reliability of Paddy and Jackson while Freddy got his reward for recent efforts.

And when you have a complimenting and individual supportive forward line, a situation summing up and fast ball moving midfield, attacking half backs and a brick wall of a last line defence… you can win from multiple different positions. Heck, you might even win 14 in a row!

This is all getting extremely real. We’re passing each and every test, teams are looking for the chinks in our armour and coming up empty. Have we progressed onto juggernaut status?

We’re now at a stage where we have built something meaningful, so we have something serious to lose. So, we need to surround the current climate with sensible and measured commentary. If you can find that anywhere, please let us know! Meanwhile feel free to come along for our often unreliable, absurd and irreverent take on it all on the pod. 

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The difference between Shai Bolton and us Freo fans? Shai's head is literally in the clouds, ours metaphorically are! Do we even remember what defeat feels like? Time to Restump Podcast the cutting of the Cats claws.

We don't want to speak in a forgone conclusionary tone and we don't want to put the purple cart before the pony, but is use of the term ‘dynasty’ a little premature? 

Yes, we know, we hear what you're saying... ‘But Geelong didn't have Tom Stewart or Bailey Smith and Jeremy Cameron only had the use of just one arm!’ Well... we didn't press the Wharfie Time button, so it all cancels each other out!

Thursday night's scoreboard may reflect a narrow 9-point Freo victory, but it was effectively a 5 or 6 goal comfortable win. If it wasn't for our inexplicable wayward kicking, with the exception of Paddy Voss, Geelong wouldn't have gotten a look in. 

3 goals 11, a scoreless Josh Treacy shot that didn’t make the distance, a Jye Amiss out on the full and a couple of posters to Sammy Switta and Murphy Reid! We couldn't have hit water if we fell off a jetty! Josh and Jye were like blind darts players in cyclonic conditions! 

Yet despite the mayhem, despite the fact we couldn't win a centre clearance early and that we were dealing with a 28-point deficit at some stage, there wasn't any panic in the coach's box, on the ground, in the stands or in the lounge rooms.

It never felt like it was out of control. Both teams were punishing mistakes on their scoreboards, but the difference was we were handing out punishment in ones. However, you were quietly confident it'd get rectified. 

Talk about rectified personified! 3 goals 11 turned into 13 goals 11 in the final quarter. Did we find the accuracy switch or what? And from being on the wrong side of a 3 to 10 centre clearance count, we soon found our midfield mojo to win 15 of the last 16. 

Individually speaking, All Australian ruck, Brownlow and Doig favourite Luke Jackson has no peer at that moment. It must be a tad difficult being a Melbourne supporter watching prime time LJ putting on absurd spectacles... and we don't mean the Mason Cox kind.

Does anyone actually work harder than Andrew Brayshaw? Is it possible to actually work harder than Andy Brayshaw? Not that anyone had forgotten, but he just gave everyone a reminder of his courage and capability conveying a compelling and commanding case of captaincy consequence.

Murphy Reid is outrageous, Shai Bolton is ridiculous, Paddy Voss is preposterous and the 150-game celebrating Captain Pearce is tremendous.

But overall, it's the confidence of the collective. It’s the belief and the hunger and the selflessness across the board that has us in this enviable position a game clear at the top of the tree.

We could bang on all day about Bolton's marks, Murphy's magic and Paddy's fend offs, but.... wait, we can bang on all day about Bolton's marks, Murphy's magic and Paddy's fend offs! So, join us on the pod as we bang on all day about Bolton's marks, Murphy's magic and Paddy's fend offs!

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Lukey Ryan loves to operate with time and space, but even he never thought he’d get to take a leisurely stroll in the park and stop for a cup of tea during a game! Time to Restump Podcast the tiptoeing through the tulips win over the Kangas. 

The Kangaroos just absolutely skedaddled. It was as if Luke Ryan was on the back of 4X4, armed with a spotlight and a Winchester! Was there divine intervention? Not since Moses parted the Red Sea has a safe and spacious passage to the promised land inexplicably appeared!

It was a remarkable record tumbling day down at Bunbury, brought about by the contributions of both teams. You don’t win 12 straight if you’re not a serious outfit, but you don’t destroy any opponent by 120+ points, hold them to just 3 behinds in a second half and put on 19 goals on the bounce without their deficiency assistance. 

However, at the same time, you can’t manage such a feat if you’re not rolling out an airtight functioning system and combining it with a relentless worth ethic and an insatiable hunger. 

Is there another ruckman in the league whose teammates willingly handball to? Maybe Brody Grundy but it’d still be due to a lack of comparable options. Hayden Young’s first thought is ‘get the ball to Luke Jackson!’ Even Luke Jackson’s first thought when he gets his own ball is to handball to Luke Jackson! He is the AFL player prototype and unless there’s a relaxing of the ethics and laws around cloning, he’s going to remain a one-of-a-kind collector’s item. 

We gotta talk Sammy Switkowski. JL’s Einstein, the sharpest man in the west and I’m pretty sure a former Sale of the Century showcase winner! He’s taken 9 injury plagued seasons to get to 117 games and he’s potentially in his career best form. His work rate is unquestionable and on Saturday he saw personal reward with an equal career high three goal feat, something he has now managed three times. With two of those occasions coming this year, he’s a vital piece of the September puzzle.

I know we’ve won twelve on the bounce, we’re twelve and one for the year, we’re top of the tree, a game clear of Syndey in second, three and a half games and thirty percent ahead of the Hawks in third and 3/1 favourites for the flag…. but, for mine, the hype from all corners of the industry is a little uncomfortable. There is an unwanted element of forgone conclusion commentary about us and it’s just a little bit unnerving. 

Yes, the ship has to leave the safety of the harbour at some stage but that means navigating unchartered waters! Give me back our comfortable underdog status, remove the intense magnified focus and let us return to our familiar footing of flying under the radar! 

Oh, who am I kidding, it’s like a Tupperware container…. even if you could find the lid, there is no putting the lid on it. The lid is so far off, we can’t even see the lid! The lid is in outer space! So, we live now, we throw cautious  optimism to the wind and go mental enjoying the thrilling journey and we worry about any possible unwanted consequences if or when  they arrive.

We’ll all take a breather over the bye, but before then, there is still plenty of purple praise to promulgate. So, put on your pants, pour yourself a piccolo, pitch in, park yourself on a plush perch, press play and partake in the purple prattle on the pod. 

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