Don’t hate us Skip, we still love you. We can’t all be great at everything. Time to Restump Podcast the seemingly season crushing loss to the Western Lobradors.  

Well that one hurt. We’re still a mathematical chance of making the eight but the percentages are diminishing at a rapid rate. We probably can’t afford another loss, or maybe one at the most, but even that doesn’t guarantee us a spot, given the logjam. 

For two and a half quarters the game looked ours as we matched and surpassed the dog’s pressure. But in the blink of an eye, they got a lucky decision, they took the ascendency and literally piled on 3 goals in a minute. We were left Memphis Raines like – Gone in sixty seconds. 

Our subdued start to the game hurt us again and while we had switched on and closed the gap by the end of the first quarter, it was energy sapping damage that had been done. 

Poor execution of skills, an inability to deal with frenetic pressure and at times horrendous decision making could account for the loss. 

Does the Chief’s “Alex Pearce Kick Deterrent System” need to be implemented? $5,000 fine every time he kicks the ball. That’s a little too harsh but…. it’s difficult to have confidence when he has ball in hand and doesn’t take a handball option. 

Did Bevo and his coaching crew out coach us at pivotal points in the game? Could Jackson have come into the ruck in that last quarter when things got dizzy quickly? Were there pivotal times in the game when we had Erasmus and Johnson in the middle? 

Caleb Serong was again off the scale and while finals might not be coming his way in September, his fair share of Browlow votes will be. 

He might not be amongst the votes but Sonny Walters is in goal galore territory. With 25 goals on the board and another eight games to go, at 32 years of age Evergreen Sonny is in career best form range. 

Liam Henry made it two on the bounce. Sure, he butchered a couple but he wasn’t on his Pat Malone and his productive performance far outweighed his errors. His growth is a 2023 positive, especially as we know, or we should know, he’s just 21 years of age and far from the finished product.  

And you can’t speak about 2023 positives without the great Jye Amiss. You have to continue to remind yourself…. he’s a teenager. He’s on track to kick 40+ goals and he’s a teenager! 

We’re not going to dwell too much on wouldas, shouldas and couldas. We got provided another presentation explaining exactly where we are as a club and a list. The upside is that the window is only just starting to open.

So, join us for these 50 minutes as we pull apart the purple performance. There’s blame, there’re regret, there is sorrow, acceptance and then rejuvenation. Have the bright lights of season 2023 been turned off or have they just been dimmed? 

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The build-up has been conspicuously subdued this time around against the Dogs, almost an eerie silence. It’s a tricky assignment to work out and we’re feeling a bit restrained but we’ll Restump Podcast it and see what comes up.

The name Rory Lobb has barely been whispered this week. Is it a case of once bitten, twice shy? Have we all made the error of being overly cautious? If we subscribe to the ‘offense is the best defence’ theory, then shouldn’t we have doubled down?

The reality is there is so much on the line on Saturday. We probably need 13 wins at a minimum, probably 14 given our inferior percentage, to make the finals. So if we need to win 6 or 7 of our remaining 9 games and then we see we have got Collingwood, Port Adelaide, Brisbane and Geelong at Kardinia Park to come…. we can’t afford to drop the ball Saturday. 

James Aish makes his much-welcomed return to add his solid and calming influence. Might he get the tap on the shoulder at some point in the game with the “Mr Aish, please make your way to Mr Bontempelli” request? Let’s hope he’s not required in that manner, but its handy to know the option is there.

The Dogs lost a couple of tall backs which plays into our favour as Jackson, Jye and Josh will look to exploit the advantage.

But it starts and probably ends in the middle. We can’t allow the ease of possession and movement we presented the Dogs in that earlier clash this season. If we do, it could well be curtains for the year.

We’re going in with some nervousness and a little bit of trepidation, but we’re looking forward to some retribution and loading the season up for the run home. 

It’s a tough game to work out because it is difficult to really know where the Dogs are at. But that doesn’t stop us foolishly having a go at it! Just a tick over 30 minutes is a more manageable bite size of nonsense this week. 

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If Saturday night was the result of ‘cautionary tales’ and ‘liabilities’… then throw caution to the wind and buy up all the debt laden liabilities we can. Time to Restump Podcast Saturday’s Henry Jackson show. 

Isn’t it amazing what a little patience, a little support and persistence can do. 

A few weeks ago a certain King called Jackson a cautionary tale and Liam was cruelly being referred to by so-called Freo supporters as a liability. We reached out for comment but all we got were rolling tumbleweeds and the sounds of crickets!

Enough of that nose-rubbing-it-in rubbish, the reality is whether you were an emotional knocker or a supporter of Liam Henry and or Luke Jackson, let's hope we all just enjoyed the show Saturday night. And to be honest, we probably didn’t get the win without their output. 

But while we rightfully sing their praises, it was a commitment of the collective across the board, a commitment that was absent a week earlier against the Giants. 

While best on ground honours went to Liam Henry or Luke Jackson, you could easily throw Caleb Serong into that equation. His game was off the scale and the reality is Liam and Luke largely couldn’t have done what they did if Caleb didn’t do what he did. 

The win wasn’t necessarily our best but we did what we needed to do against a team in a similar boat, to keep our season alive and kicking. However, after the last two weeks, it certainly was a warm and welcomed performance and coinciding result.

Looking forward to talking about this one so let’s get into it on the pod. It may never be as good or as bad as it seems but its important to celebrate the joys along the journey. Plug in and join in this 50 minute recap. 

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The self-professed Prince of Perth is back and with him comes the feeling that all is well again. Time to Restump preview podcast Freo’s good-natured battle against the team with the flying machine logo!

Essendon is travelling at around 90 points a match but they’ve just upped their offensive game. Sure, its in regards to their logo but apparently its offensive none the less! 

Are we, as Freo fans, drinking at the last chance Saloon Saturday night? Our post-bye form has been horrid and if we’re going to turn it around it has to be now or never. 

The reality is when you look at both teams, Essendon and Freo are almost identical as far as form lines go. Essendon have beaten just one top eight side and have beaten 3 of the four bottom teams. Freo have beaten just one top eight side, we’ve beaten three of the four bottom teams and been beaten by one of them. Are we really in the 2023 conversation? 

Having said that, the form of pretty much the entire league, apart from Collingwood, and Port Adelaide, is topsy turvy and rarely predictable. So almost everyone can get a September hypothetical mention. 

Our defences are comparable and we generate the same number of scoring shots per game, from the same number of inside 50s. The difference is Essendon has slotted 16 goals more than us. They take their chances and its something we have to start doing.

We’ll cop the Richmond loss, rule a line through the Giants debacle and restart our season right now… or rather tomorrow night… in the wet… and the cold. But a warm dry 4 points will fix all that.

Jojo, is recording from the Tuscany bird Avery for hopefully the final time so everything should return to normal programming next week. 

But for now, there’s a tick over 40 minutes of discussion on the chances of the purple people against the red sash wearing inoffensive Essendon Hot Air Balloons tomorrow night. So, feel free to immerse yourself in our nonsense, providing you accept that we offer no guarantees or time refunds.   

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Apparently, it's what was heard when that fictitious photo was taken! Time to Restump Podcast that performance, ironically a game the Giants metaphorically torched us and scattered our ashes. 

Was there a mole planted pre-game? I think its just a little too coincidental that a certain someone was a late out from the Giants! Oh who are we kidding... we're reaching in looking for buck-passing reasons! 

Trying to find a positive out of Saturday is like trying to find a psychologist in WA with available appointments. 

We thought those dark days were behind us. We thought we’d never revisit them for at least a decade or two, if ever. Maybe it was one last trip round the bend for old times sake. Maybe it was a strategic plan to give this new young group a taste of what we have not only been through over our journey, but could return to again if we don’t bring effort each and every week. Maybe Saturday was the wake-up call.

The Giants were good. We don’t want to take anything away from them because they destroyed us. They’re good, they’re not a 70 point demolition good. We own most of that defeat… we were that ordinary, the Giants would have beaten witches hats by just 60 points!

I’m a stats backed realist and a patient and tolerant person when it comes to Freo. I’ve been of the opinion we’re far from the finished product and that we’re 40 to 50 games away from the majority of our current crop being ready. However, age and inexperience have nothing to do with effort and intent and it wasn’t age and inexperience that was behind that thumping on Saturday. 

The entire game was disturbing but the final quarter was damning. There wasn’t even any junk time efforts and when you even see Andy Brayshaw half-heartedly attempt to tackle and stop an opponent, that is unprecedented and you know as a whole and in relation to the last few seasons, we’re in rare territory.  

It was by far our worst performance this year, not just because the scoreboard said so. We’ve been beaten by lesser opponents than the Giants, but not in that manner. 

And there lies the ever so faint positive, the unsteady brittle rack on which we hang our tattered hat on. Saturday was so uncharacteristic it was initially more drop jaw shocking than it was disappointing. It wasn’t on or the beginning of a trend, it was an anomaly, a freak event…. or so we all desperately hope.  

Let’s get into it in further detail on the pod as Jojo and his sharp footy brain will surely have some insight and reasons for such an odd performance. 

Healing is based on talking so let’s start taking and hopefully healing. Join in and let us know your thoughts in a constructive manner… there are no right or wrong opinions after a game like that.

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This two prong Toby attack is no Walker in the park. But with some defensive help from the mids, we’ve it this covered. Time to Restump Podcast preview the vital clash against the Big Big Sound Giants.

At the risk of suffering over confidence we’re calling it right off the top here. They’ve made a mistake not having us as favorites. We don’t advise or advocate gambling but the $2.10 is difficult not to raise a keen interest eyebrow at.

But we’re not here to ogle the odds, we’re here to pull apart the team numbers, assess the ins and outs and match ups and look for strengths and weaknesses to exploit.  

If we want to play finals, this game against the Giants really is a must win. Its there for the taking and if we put up a similar performance against GWS to the one we delivered against Richmond last week, it is difficult to think we won’t be banking the four points.

GWS get by on their offensive game. They don’t have too many issues scoring but neither do their opponents. While both Freo and the Giants go at around 84 points a game on average for the season, we’ve upped that to 95 points over the last 5 games. 

And from a defensive standpoint, we were leaking nearly 92 points a game on average for the first half of the season so far. Over the last four or five weeks we’ve improved it three goals to 74 points, which is bang on 3 goals less than the Giants let through.

Oh, but it is the Giants home ground you say? Well that is true but given they’ve played at the Showgrounds four times this year for a win and three losses… they hardly have home ground supremacy. Having said that, we've only played the ground twice for two losses and one of them a 113 point belting by this  Giant's outfit.

Don’t get me wrong, the Giants definitely aren’t easy beats and as Fremantle supporters we don’t have the right to use that term or even think that of an opponent. I mean they’ve got talent on every line. Toby Green obviously, Josh Kelly, Tom Green and Lachie Whitfield are as good as anyone going around. 

With Jimmy Aish going down it makes it a really big job for our wingers Disco and Henry. But the return of O’Meara provides options as well as strength and versatility in the middle. Beyond that, our pressure applying oriented team system and structure and the above-mentioned numbers put enough tickets in the Bob barrel for mine.

Jojo McDonnell is still deck chairing it on the Amalfi coast so were still suffering unacceptable delays. However, his lack of control left the door open for the resurgence of the Neighbourhood Watch.  

We’re about 24 hours out from bounce down so let’s get into it. Join us for these 40 minutes of try hard analysis and nonsensical commentary on the big Freo V Giants show. We’d call it amateur hour but ironically, we’re 20 minutes short.  

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Was it a simple case of our missed opportunities or did Richmond wind back the clock to their dynastical Richmondy times? A post bye win would’ve been handy for momentum but its not the end of the world. Time to Restump Podcast Saturday’s once bitten twice shy loss to the Tigers.

We can all debate the reasons for the loss and opinioniise our preferred personnel, but we probably just got a reality check of where we’re really at. And other than the missed four points, its not a negative. 

Yes, we didn’t take our opportunities but isn’t that a part of a current make-up at any given time? The lack of composure and skill execution, specifically in that final quarter, could be partly attributed to our age and inexperience. 

We might have to pass the hat around to help the boys pay for the How To Handle The Ball In Wet Conditions lesson Tim Taranto and Shai Bolton gave us. They were exceptional all night and we simply had no genuine answers for them.

Having said that, our 19-year-old Busseltonian up forward had the velcro hands and took all but one opportunity of his own. His rapid rise to the level he is at is astonishing and we’re pretty much at a point where it’s Nev’s forward line, everyone else give him a chop out and get out of the way.

Meanwhile another rapid rise to prominence, this time in the midfield, the magnificent Matty Johnson made every post a winner and was arguably Freo's best. Mature beyond his years and if Saturday night was indicative of the base which he’ll grow from…. holy Christmas…. sky is the limit. 

And speaking about taking your opportunities… Jayden Short took three of them all from beyond the 50 metre arc! I haven’t seen goal kicking like that since…. believe it or not… Rory Lobb kicked 4 against the Dogs for us last year.

Did we experience any repercussions from the week off? We went into the bye with a solid victory which now makes it 15 pre-bye round wins, while the loss on Saturday has us at 8 post-by round wins. So, from 17 byes we have an 88% pre-bye round win record, but the post-bye round we win just 53% of the time. 

Whatever the case, the reality is once upon a time in the not-so-distant past, we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near back in the game from being 6 goals down in dry conditions, let alone in treacherous rain.

We’re a team of kids, we were two and a half years younger and 50 games lighter on average against a rampaging Richmond team consisting of 16 premiership players, and we just fell short through missed opportunities and a lack of composure. Safe to say we’re in super shape.  

This is actually a really interesting game to dissect. So, lets put the cap on the pen and get into it on the pod. I can’t guarantee you’ll learn anything but other than 45 minutes of your precious time, what have you got to lose by coming along for the conversation and getting involved?  

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In the interests of inclusivity of all car enthusiasts, let us hope we continue holden our form tomorrow against the Tigers. Time to Restump preview podcast the post bye game against a hardwickless Richmond.  

What sort of post bye round shape will we be in? Is there any chance we might be a bit sluggish, a bit slow into stride suffering a bye hangover? We’ve been involved in 16 byes or 14-day break games. Pre-bye games we have an impeccable record winning 14 of them. Post-bye games we win just 56% of the time, winning 9 of the 16. Is there anything to read into that? Probably not.

Liam Henry has put a body of work together at Peel and earned his way back into the side and the opportunity has arisen for Sammy Sturt which he must take advantage of for the benefit and continuation of his long-term football life.

A few weeks back we had a two-time brownlow medalist wearing the sub vest ready to unleash on the opposition at the opportune time. This week we’ve got a 200 game, 330 goal club legend ready to do the same. The luxury of having subs the calibre of a Fyfe and Sonny to strategically inject into the game is invaluable! 

All eyes are on future midfield rockstar Matt Johnson this week as he no doubt takes on the extra midfield minutes and workload currently left by Jaegar O’Meara…. who understandably will probably never lay another tackle ever again!   The Tigers aren’t to be taken lightly despite their four and seven and a draw win loss 

record and their 13th placed ladder rung. The reality is five of their losses have been to top eight sides and three of them to top four sides. Add in that the 5 losses were all by just 18 points or less, two of them under a kick and the draw against Carlton and this is a tougher contest than the bookies are trying to have us believe. 

But our numbers are through the roof, we’re a much better side in rounds 8 to 11 than we were from rounds 1 to 7 and if we seriously want to play finals, we should be putting this game away. 

Bit of a rushed pod with Jojo sitting in a Rome café enjoying a breakfast vino with a brioche, distracted by dissent expressing Italians and noisy vespas…. but at times you do what you can do and somehow this 40 minutes has come together. 

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Two re-signings, two more years, two legends for life. We don’t want to jinx anything but it kind of feels that everything is coming up Millhouse! It was bye week but we'll find some purple to Restump Podcast about.

What great few days! While it has been an effort from the collective, it’s no surprise the return of Nat Fyfe has coincided with Freo’s return to form. And the evergreen Sonny Walters is still the man you call when you need to get forward stuff done! Two more years of these experienced champions providing leadership and support to our young list… sounds a recipe for tasty success!

Our list is in pretty good shape from numerous perspectives. Health-wise, yes we're minus the Prince of Perth but we’re in as good a nick as could be expected, and from an age profile… geez it really feels there is an exciting decade ahead of us. 

Ethan Stanley becomes the newest member of the purple people having been picked up from Victoria in the pre-season draft. There might be a little bit more to this goal kicking wingman’s selection than a simple free throw at the stumps. As usual the club has ticked all the selection box criteria.

Our Peel guys are all in great shape. Liam Henry is putting together a noticeable body of work, Neil Erasmus’ knuckles are bleeding from banging on the door, Will Brodie continues to be ready if needed and with 17 goals in 8 games…. could Sebit Kuek get a taste before season’s end?

Given it was the bye weekend the Chief thought he was getting a day off, but Jojo made short work of that! So, if you’re looking for some game gap filling Freo folly and not much more, come along for this 45 minute conversational ride and get involved. 

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Through no fault of his own he’s the face of Fremantle’s most famous, or infamous deal. He’s a journeyman who battled injuries for nine AFL years. He's a Fremantle foundational player, now a valuable part of the Clontarf Academy and, most of all, an all-round ripping good guy. We sit down for a chat with the great Tony Delaney. 

 We thought we’d take a walk down memory lane during the bye round so we caught up with the great man to get his unusual career story. 

Few other players, if any, could say they spent nine years in the AFL, was taken at pick twelve, traded for pick four, played at three clubs, delisted from the second one, had six coaches and played just 78 games. And they reckon Luke Jackson is a unicorn!

 Join us for these 45 minutes as we wind back the Docker clocker for a casual chat about everything Fremantle then to now with Tony Delaney.  

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