As Vossy always says, "everything is just a mindset." When it came to taking down Callum, will was key! Time to Restump Podcast the Friday night atonement.

On a Friday night in May just over 12 months ago at Marvel Stadium we suffered an inconceivable 10 goal belting at the hands of the St Kilda stranglers. It was an insipid performance, one that had every Freo fan at wit's end. 

But what felt at the time a near West Coast Eagles type depth of despair we'd never surface from, amazing good came from it. It turned out to be the shock wakeup call we needed and the catalyst for absurd change. 

Fast forward a tick over 12 months to another Friday night in May, this time in WA, and the same Saints tried the same suffocating assault on us.

But the times, they are and have been a changing. This Freo team of soldiers now deals with heat. We love heat, we eat heat for breakfast… ok we heat things up and eat them for breakfast, but you get the point. We've grown, we've matured and we've improved. We can now weather the storm, we can dig in, grind and then we can counter punch.

Friday night was an important test for us. Sure, I hear what you’re saying, the Saints aren't top of the tree? But the fact is they were far from that last year. They can though drive you into the ground and pressure you to distraction in true typical Rosco Lyon style. If we were unable to mentally cope with the pressure this time around, then our potential premiership hopes were all but a shattered dream.

The fact is we couldn't really have been more impressive. We went toe to toe with the Sainters pressure for 3 quarters and then in the final term, class won out. 

The Saints threw everything at us and at one stage they got out to a 3-goal lead. Last year we may have panicked and capitulated. This year when we find ourselves in such a position, we see opportunity and respond with, “challenge accepted.” 

Arguably what was most pleasing was being able to perform and win in that manner without the reliance on Caleb Serong, Alex Pearce and Hayden Young. You can't remove three players of such prominence, importance and impact from any team and be unaffected by it, except it seems we can! 

It's always said you learn a lot more from your losses than you do your wins. Given we've now won 22 of 27 games since that fateful Friday night in May 2025, that must have been one hell of a lesson!

There's no time for any laurel resting or momentary complacency though because we've got another big box to tick this coming weekend. After two beltings on the bounce, could you face the Brisbane Lions at a worse time? ‘Beware the wounded Lion’ has never been more prescriptive.

Lyon last week, Lions this week... what are we playing in the Serengeti?

Anyhow, while there's no time for the club to stop and head wobble, there's always time for fans to strut after a victory! So, if there's a pep in your step and glide in your stride, join us as we swagger through Friday's cathartic consecration on the pod.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show