You’re more than enough Vossy, but we need you to bring back the infectious, contagious exuberance the miserable, joyless folk belted out of you! Time to Restump Podcast the chaotic conquering of the Crows. 

It’s time for Vossy to let go of the inconsequential opinions of him that are held by others and return to his naturally enthusiastic self. Bring back the organic energetic celebratory shenanigans that inspire teammates and resonate with fans. Remember, the Pony is fine; the spirit makes it shine!

We’ve discussed it often, we’ve had differing opinions and we’ve switched viewpoints. However, we’ve arrived back at a unified position that the Freo Docker captaincy is Alex Pearce’s until he says otherwise! We don’t win that game without him and I’m not even talking about the smother. It’s what he did repeatedly leading up to those last few astonishing acts that ensured we were even a chance to win, something he does all too often. The concern, though, is our prospects rely almost exclusively on his availability. 

Whatever the case, its Moose’s world and he just lets us live in it.

The usual suspects performed in their usual manner but it’s the growth in the likes of Matty Johnson, Neil Erasmus and Karl Worner that has raised the team’s floor. 

Are Jye Amiss and Sean Darcy taking positive strides? Jye showing some of his yesteryear energy and four goals and Darcy seemingly moving a lot more freely and looking substantially more confident and carefree. 

While a wonderful win it was to secure, and one that may have slipped through our fingers in years gone by, are the dramatic heroics of the final moments covering up some issues? We had a run of 7 goals kicked against us and we kicked just 3 goals in the 2nd half. We’ve played 2 relevant or significant teams this year, Geelong and Adelaide, and we’ve kicked just 3 goals in each of the 2nd halves. Concerns or too small a sample size?

We move on quick to Gather Round but there is always time to stop and smell the purple victory roses. So, if you’re still coming down from Freo’s frenetic Friday fanfare, join us as we celebrate, anticipate, appreciate, advocate, deliberate and hopefully stop stealing INXS lyrics! 

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Did we really destroy the Tigers or did we just turn up when they understandably couldn’t? In any case Josh Treacy put on a marking exhibition, catching everything. He’d catch a shadow in the dark! Time to Restump Podcast the toppling of the Tiges.

That was some display from Josh Treacy. The one grab marking in less-than-ideal conditions often against more than one opponent was unrealistically clinical. If I was an opponent, I’d be calling for an investigation into the possible use of Velcro or superglue!

The Tigers came out roaring, throwing everything they had at us in the first half to make it a hard-fought game until that point. However, while they did have some experience out there, you can’t be minus your spine, play ten youngsters and perform for four quarters. Tom Lynch up forward, Toby Nankervis in the ruck and Nathan Broad down back would make any side infinitely better.

However, we’re not here to make excuses for opponents. Our wayward kicking saved the Tigers from a 150-point belting! 35 shots on goal to 13 and we kicked just 7 goals more than them. 

We had 12 players hit the scoreboard and almost no one was immune from the inaccurate disease. Oddly enough Caleb Serong, who goes at a tick over 45% career goal accuracy, was our most accurate with 2 goals 1. Only Serong and Treacy ended up on thee right side of the ledger.

Luke Jackson had a wonderful game but even his usually reliable radar was off kicking 1 goal 4. The subdued Paddy Voss 1 goal 3, Switta 2 behinds and, while it was great to see him get amongst it, Jye Amiss hit 2 goals 3. 

It’s difficult to contemplate that Shai Bolton may have just played his best game for the club without numerous goals involved. His mid work and forward of centre was a sight to behold and seeing the beaming smile on his face in play, we weren’t the only ones happy with his work!

Did we see some vast improvement in Sean Darcy the longer the game went on? He played under half of the first half but clicked over to 53.5% in the second half. Admittedly against non-existent ruckmen he should have shown something, but his confidence seemed to grow the more he got involved. But the question remains, does Darcy’s reemergence lessen Jackson’s output?

To be honest the entire game and result was the formality it should have been. There was a fair bit of ‘going through the motions’ but you still have to get it done. We turned up, weathered the storm in more ways than one, endured whatever Richmond could muster and then put them to the sword for a more than comfortable victory. We bank the four valuable points and we look to the next fortnight in South Australia.

However, it’s a sin not to celebrate a Freo win. So, bring your party paraphernalia to the parade and as we peel back the panels and probe the performances of the purple players on the pod.

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Is there enough Dudley to go around? Everyone wants to see more Dudley! Time to Restump Podcast Dudley’s disorienting of the Dees.

He’s given us snippets before, thrilled us with his momentary glimpses, he has teased us, leaving us wanting so much more. Saturday night he gave us the extended version, the full feature-length Dudley film.

15 quality touches, 4 tackles, 7 score involvements and 3 goals 1. Personal best numbers every which way you look! What a difference another year of hard work and a second preseason makes. After averaging just under 60% time on ground in 2025, he punched out 80% on Saturday night. 

You couldn’t take your eyes off Izzy, but the background is no place for the Paddy as he put on a pony show of his own. Admittedly it was more of a circus, but didn’t we all ‘roll up, roll up!’

Typically, though, the AFL stooges, who are blatantly showing us they couldn’t run a tap, decided for everyone, Vossy’s antics weren’t a good look and instantly plucked a fine out of thin air to crush his spirit. We’re now truly entrenched in an era in which the eternally offended, self-serving finger waggers hand out fines for mean words and gestures. Rest in peace mental resilience.

If the end game is the sterilisation of the entire industry and the eradication of entertaining character and personality, it’d be the only area in which Andrew Dillon and his cronies are succeeding.

Just as you wonder where Melbourne would be without Max Gawn, I fear Freo’s whereabouts without Alex Pearce. His performance on Saturday was so much more impactful than his 5 touches suggest.

However, it was the defensive collective again with special mention to Karl Worner whose stocks continue to rise. And having Luke Ryan seamlessly slot back in was comforting and stress alleviating. 

Shae Bolton was off the scale in easily his best game in purple, 10 clunking marks from the thundering Treacy train was a night out and Murphy Reid with his 25 and 2 goals… it’s getting a bit monotonous! 

But can we just stop for a moment to marvel at the performance of the debutant and pay credit once again to Wallsy and co? Have we found our small high half forward in the form of Chris Scerri? The speed on that guy! The game was in danger of getting called off for lighting! He’s been on the list five minutes, he leapfrogs higher profile draftees, lands a debut, picks up 20 touches and has Gout Gout watching on saying, “who the f@#k is that guy?” You’ve done it again, Wallsy!

Overall, it was a good win and all you can do is win. We do have a few concerns with Jye’s form and the long-term prospects of Oscar McDonald down back and across the board it wasn’t quite a four-quarter level of performance where I think we’d like to be. But thankfully there is fair bit of polish still in the tin as it needs applying.

We’ve opened the win account, squared the points ledger and gotten the season up and rolling. While some people believe things are better off unsaid, we are not those people. We’ve always said, too much being said is never said enough. Nuff said, in more ways than one! Join us on the pod for more of this type of said idiocy!

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Frankie Valli and his four seasons is no match for Chris Scerri Scerri Baby and his first season, and you can’t change our minds! Time to Restump Podcast the imminent making of amends for round one as we take on the new look Melbourne Dees in round two.

What a great result for Chris Scerri and his family to nail down a debut only moments after landing a contract at Freo. The odds of making it through the supplemental selection period and getting onto a list aren’t high, so you really need to show plenty to achieve it. He’s obviously done exactly that and more to land not only the contract but a debut before his higher profile draftee colleagues who occupy the same position.

While we’re celebrating Scerri’s inclusion, we go in unfortunately with the forced change having lost Hayden Young to hamstring concerns. Youngy pulled up with some soreness and a minor tear, but who knows, according to Caroline Wilson, he may just be whinging.

Is there a chance of a late change? After just 44% game time last week and training away from the group in the later part of the week, could we see another purple debut in the form of Mason Cox? Despite the help from Jackson he’ll receive, do we really want to go in with an underdone Darcy against Max Gawn?

The Dees look a new and freer outfit. Aided by former Saints stalwart Jack Steele, they moved the ball through the likes of Harvey Langford and Caleb Windsor with speed and purpose against the Saints and capped off their work well in front of goal. Jacob Van Rooyan and the dual panels on the Picket fence up forward looked scary and the addition of Brody Mihocek has been a good one. 

The club is certainly not the 2026 struggler we all thought it may be after losing Petracca, Oliver, May and McVee. 

We got a taste of what we’re capable of last week in the first quarter against Geelong. However, we also got more than a taste of what we’re capable of in the following three quarters! So, if we serve up a repeat performance of that first quarter effort and extend it for a further quarter or two, we will see our first four points. 

With the conditioning run under our belts and the home ground advantage, we’re Looking forward to what should be an entertaining contest. So, as a quick game is apparently a good game, suit up, make a list of your whinges and join us for a short 30-minute preview of the must win encounter.

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It’s a unique game this Aussie rules caper. Almost as unique as the AFL’s caveat clad, ironic equality and inclusivity policy. Maybe next year we can play round one in Mumbai! Time to Restump Podcast the air gasping gut punch against Geelong. 

We’ve got mixed emotions about what unfolded on Saturday. There is no guarantee the situation with opening round dictated the result, but it was too conspicuous to not have had a substantial impact. However, result aside, reduce the possible advantage or disadvantage by simply abolishing the nonsensical round zero. 

After starting in sensational fashion, the Cats ate into some of our lead in the second term. But we had to expect it; I mean its Geelong we were up against… it’s not as if it was West Coast! But midway through the third quarter we hit the brick wall and there was no second wind. We stumbled onto the treadmills where we remained, unable to stop the combat-ready conditioned Cats from catching us. 

While the result was disappointing, what we delivered in the first quarter was the scintillating silver lining and the positive to take out of the day. Put some match fitness behind it and we should be in for a more than handy year. 

However, we didn’t necessarily do ourselves any favours as we likely compounded the opening round conditioning issues through selection. Knowing the challenges, you must ponder why we’d go in with an obviously underdone Sean Darcy and an Alex Pearce with a question mark where his halo usually is. Sean Darcy managed just 44% game time. Only three other players over the round, played less than 50% game time without injury reasoning. 

We’re not into consolation prizes but the loss wasn’t defining or season trend setting. It has that familiar feel of the ‘one that got away,’ yet it is far from a round one loss that has us saying, ”Oh here we go again.” There were contributing factors beyond our control, but we probably didn’t take care of the factors that were within it, and there lie the disappointment and frustration.   

2025 round one and 2026 round one, while both resulted in losses to the same team at the same venue, that is where the similarities end. On a post-match perspective and what it potentially means going forward, they couldn’t be further apart. 

How deep we can we dig into this game? How deep does this game need digging into? We don’t know! But put on your archaeological wide brimmed field hat, bundle up your trowel, shovel and brush and join us as we see what nuggets of nonsense we can unearth on the pod. 

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Is the overlooking of the workhorse, the defensive stalwart, the ten-year warrior, Lukey Ryan, unconcerning, or has it evolved into intrigue? Are we pretending the elephant in the room is a big purple lamp? Time to Restump Podcast the curious case of the custodian and the clash against the Cats!

Despite his recent performances in the WAFL preseason and his own assurances that he’s good to go, the longtime walk-up-start has been passed over. We have to take Justin Longmuir and his reasoning on face value that Luke Ryan has somehow dropped a peg in the pecking order, but with the Cats possessing a tricky and versatile forward line, wouldn’t we sleep a little easier knowing the chippie was chiming in? 

The first game of the season is upon us, and those familiar feelings have returned. There’s an ounce of anticipation, a hint of trepidation, a tablespoon of fear and a boat load of excitement filling the pot of the emotional simmering stew.  

We’re heading down to the Cattery, otherwise known as the field of fictitious finger fractures, to right the round one wrongs of twelve months ago. Have we learned from the mistakes everyone in the team, except Murphy Reid, made that day?

After no word or contact, we sent out a search party during the preseason to find the Disco. We just needed some proof of life but there wasn’t a blip on the radar and the silence was deafening. However, Nathan O’Driscoll must have been hiding in plain sight, because round one comes along and ‘hey presto,’ he’s back! He stuck his noggin up and got the nod. It proves Disco never dies; when it’s not centre stage, it’s existing in the background ready to reemerge.

With O’Driscoll, Sean Darcy and Switta returning, joining Hayden Young and Brandon Wallker, it feels like the members of the band, the Red Hot Injury Peppers, have reunited. 

We welcome Wagner and Worner back, we have Judd McVee in for his first official game in purple for premiership points and we’re always glad to see Alex Pearce, with or without his whiteboard. 

Not going to lie though, while Oscar MacDonald will fill the void to some degree, without Brennan Cox and Luke Ryan’s reliability, it feels we may be a little vulnerable in the last line of defense. 

However, we go in full of faith our favoured forces will formidably fight the feline fraternity. While Fictitious Finger Fracture Field is quite the home ground advantage where few away teams fare well, it holds no fear for us knowing we’ve won five of our last ten appearances there.

It’s time to parcel it up, put it all together and ponder the plight of our purple platoon on the preview pod. So, if you’re showing some Docker drivel decibel deficiencies, bring your ears and we’ll fill your purple prescriptions. 

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It’s time to remove the unnecessary risks. Bubble wrap him up, put him in cotton wool and cryogenically freeze him for a week and a half if we must! Time to Restump Podcast the purple proceedings at the Cockburn quarry.

What can we really take out of the practise match against the Adelaide Crows last Saturday other than cases of third-degree windburn? It was above the 2025 vanilla-ish preseason performance, but it understandably contained some going-through-the-motions as well. A solid conditioner? 

We’re on countdown to round one and all eyes and focus are on the health of the Freo fleet, especially the defensive unit. While Luke Ryan may need a shoulder holder and a few more miles in the aging legs, we’re on cattle watch with Coxy and the Captain as they deal with their calves. 

The midfield depth is something to behold. Hayden Young has been placed into protective custody and they’re fine-tuning Jackson’s juggling act. With Murphy Reid’s seemingly absurd growth, has Matty Johnson and Neil Erasmus been cut in front of in the queue to more midfield minutes? 

Is everything Kool and the Gang with the Disco? No O’Driscoll mentions, whispers or even grapevine chatter! Do we need to organise a search party? How’s he trekking… anyone, anyone… Bueller?

Mason Cox hasn’t put a foot wrong since arriving at the club apparently and he was good against Lachlan McAndrew last Saturday, which somehow sparked potential best 23 conversations. He’s a great pick up for us for specific reasons, but has the preseason distorted his perceived valuation? He’s 35 years of age and he spent 10 years at Collingwood averaging 14 games a season. 

He can tap, he can yap, he can fill a gap and wears a premiership cap! He’s the ideal insurance policy and a very good get considering the uncertainty cloud over Sean Darcy, but surely, we’re not entertaining the prospect of trying to teach an old American dog new tricks? 

Jojo is going all out campaigning to have ACDC’s TNT reinstated as the post goal celebratory song, but could we go one better and install Body Count’s, “There Goes The Neighbourhood.” 

Speaking of Neighbourhoods, after whatever that display was on Sunday, the West Cost Eagles and their fans are in Liquorice All Sorts of grief! And when that is the case, we show concern and compassion, reach across the aisle and try to pick them up with a supportive Neighbourhood Watch episode. 

It’s only a week and a half until we get underway in round one. Not going to lie, it’s a little concerning that the frequency of taking a nervous wiz has increased already! There is more pressure this year and the expectations are understandably off the chart. Rightly or wrongly, it feels such a consequential season.

It is often said the best way to deal with stress is to talk it out through incessant nonsensical rambling! And wouldn’t you know it, that’s our specialty! So, forget your supplements and essential oils, your calming tools, weighted blankets and acupressure mats and just come along for the chat.

Actually… maybe bring along a pair of those noise cancelling headphones.

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Nothing wrong with exploring, experimenting and pinch hitting, but highest and best use is always the most productive policy. Time to Restump Podcast all the latest goings on at Cockburn central.

Other than getting some miles in the legs, a preseason blowout and learning the Freo Dockers don’t believe in open borders, there wasn’t too much to take away from the kick to kick at Victor Kalis Saturday morning.

However, there was a conspicuous emphasis on using the Cockburn corridor. The instruction obviously was to move it down the middle at all costs, something you imagine we’re attempting to take into the season proper, albeit with a bit more selectiveness and caution. 

Was the state of origin as exciting a prospect as we’re seemingly made or told to believe? It was a good spectacle but from a meaningful and emotional investment perspective, it felt more in the range of well below a home and away game and marginally above an exhibition match. 

Are we really pushing on with the intention of having Luke Jackson play substantial midfield minutes? Surely his highest and best use supersedes the experiments? And as we’re not discarding another Darcy dash to Doha, Jackson’s ruck fate may well be sealed. 

Luke Ryan seems to be a little off the pace at the moment which is a tad concerning, especially as the responsibility for our success this year feels like it relies on the fitness of him, Alex Pearce and Brennan Cox. Oscar aside, the lack of tall defender depth does make us a little nervous.  

But all fit and available, do we have the cattle this year to go all the way? Or are we a Chad Warner away from as finished a product as you can be? 

Jojo has welcomed a few listeners to his Mount Hawthorn bar which he describes as a “relaxed, light driven, open atmosphere” so we’ll get an update there. But on more important matters the Chief wants a ruling from the self-appointed booing gatekeeper, Gerard Whatley, regarding Lachie Neale. 

We’re getting close to the siren to start the season! Its that time of year where the nerves are starting to creep in, they’re duelling with the excitement that is building all while trying to stave off cautious optimism. It’s the annual mixed emotional melting pot!

All that in deeper discussion and a shedload more unenlightening nonsense that could well prove detrimental to your cognitive well-being. But hey, wee all take refuge in the concussion protocols, should they be required. So, suit up, forget looking before you leap and just dive head first into an hour of inevitable traumatic brain injury generated listening. 

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If at first you don’t succeed, pivot, and destroy all the existing evidence of your attempt. We landed a tad wide of the Strategic Plan mark but it was a learning experience. We learnt not to set the bar so unrealistically high! Time to get 2026 underway and Restump Podcast the views and news in purple shoes.

The Strategic Plan is out and the 2030 Game Plan is in. We’ve rewired, replumbed, reset and restumped largely with all the same elements in the same positions. Is that a lack of accountability or an admission the bar was just mistakenly and unnecessarily set too high? Either way you don’t disrupt positive trajectory.

There has been plenty of talk about Mason Cox since his arrival. He is a handy addition but do we really believe he will be in the regular fully fit starting line up? Do we really expect anything beyond the insurance policy from the near on 35-year-old? 

Did we miss an opportunity to hand the captaincy baton over to Andy Brayshaw or Caleb Serong? Alex Pearce will do the job but with the end of the ‘strategic plan’ era and moving into this ‘2030 Game Plan’ period, maybe a fresh captaincy start might have been in order? Again, though is it a case of not disrupting positive trajectory?

We’ll take a look at the recruits and reluctantly touch on the Lachie Neale saga in relation to Freo. Are we revved up for state of origin or are we just praying for our players to get through unscathed? 

First pod of the year and unfortunately the Chief is already indulging in hysterical outrage, ranting about some inconsequential nonsense. 

And with his new thirst-quenching establishment now up and running, we’ll get the update from Barman Jojo about what’s doing there. 

It’s been a while between our purple passionfruit podcast drinks but the pre-season is just starting to gather some pace. So, why not go over the off-season developments, look at the foreseeable freo forecast and add some unnecessary purple noise pollution to the mix. 

We’ve given everyone’s ears a well-earned and extended rest to recover, but sadly all good things come to an end. We apologise for the subsiding of the serenity of silence, but we’re resurrecting the ridiculous rigmarole. 

For those whose listening standards are lower than our premiership count, by all means, join us for another year, starting now.

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The Sandgroper roper. He's a rustler! Wrangler Wallsy and co are out there on their annual muster, lassoing and herding prized young West Aussies back to the Fremantle farm. Time to Restump Podcast the trade parade.

The seemingly very focused Freo strategy of enticing quality age profile applicable young west Australians who fill or add to positions of need, continues. So far, we’ve seen off Liam Reidy and we welcomed home ex-East Fremantle product, Judd McVee, to the Freo family.

Under the clever guise of being neighbourly, Wallsy and co orchestrated a position that saw Judd McVee head to Fremantle, essentially for a very fair price, and potentially substantial unders. It unlocked the block that allowed West Coast to get their mature aged defender, Brandon Starcevich. 

We gave up picks 12, 33, 44 and 50 and received Judd McVee, pick 19, 23 and 46. 

Liam Reidy has made his way to Carlton with pick 53 and 71 while picks 50 and 68 returned. Nothing to write home about but what more could we realistically expect? You don’t have to win every trade. 

Trade period isn’t over yet but you’d imagine there wouldn’t be too much more action from a purple perspective, other than Will Brodie heading to Port Adelaide to team up with Josh Carr. But who knows what unfolds in the frantic few moments before the final bell?

Has the free agency compensation system gone past the point of repair? The manipulation and exploiting of the seemingly fluid rules, the lack of transparency around decisions made and compensatory awards handed down, suggest it’s time to either scrap it altogether or blow it up and rebuild it in a more appropriate manner. Jojo has been banging on about it for years and now it surely seems he’ll get his wish.

The Chief is still running his one-man campaign to sound out Geelong’s Ted Chlohesy. With Switta’s often unreliable availability, could Ted be the perfect candidate to mitigate that risk and fill our post-Schultzy forward pressure deficiency? 

However, we’re already in the workshop building the wagon to carry the picks, points and punters for the Chadwick28 Restump campaign ready to roll out next year! 

As always, we somehow come up with plenty of propaganda to prattle on about. So, as we always say, if you’re not pickled or plastered and passed out on purple, your performance isn’t presentable. If you haven’t overdosed, you’re not doing it right. Feel free to join us on the pod to get a momentary fix, or even just to top up.

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