I must have seen the game differently

[Moods]

To most on here.

I was rapt with how we played. Maybe it says something about the low expectations I have for the club, but I could see us getting blown away by 6-7 goals in the same game last year.
We're showing far more defensive grit and you can tell that the players are having a fair dinkum crack. What more can we ask?? Yeah I know we can ask them to hit a target, to convert their opportunities, to be a bit cleaner etc etc. But several times in that game we looked like getting blown away and each time we came back. I was rapt with Battle's game and Lonie has shocked me. Billings has been a pleasant surprise. We got beaten badly in the clearances, but I reckon young Marshall is improving each week. Members and Bruce need help. We need King to be 2 years further advanced.

Look I love winning as much as anyone, but losing by less than a kick in Perth (to a team that thumped Kangas by 80 points over there 2 weeks ago) is not a bad effort.

It's making watching them bearable again. Looking fwd to next week.

[The_Dud]

I think it was our best performance of the year even though it was our first loss. We did enough work to win the game. We lost it in front of goal and in the coaches box.

[WellardSaint]

As a Perth resident, I was excited to see them live, first time since the WCE game last yr.
My joy turned to despair after our really poor start, giving up several goals.

The standard looked like a practice game, exemplified by the 3 kicks out on the full by the Dockers, in the space of 3 minutes.
When we had the ball, our guys upfield didn't do enough running to get in the clear to present a viable option,
meaning the man with the pill was bombing it to contests most of the time.
And the Dockers seemed to be ready for the crumbs, but we weren't, and they ran it clear under little pressure.

I was sad about Sincs, who got 8 handballs but zero kicks, Kent didn't seem to be free and always chased, never really
had an impact.
Billings got 32 touches, surprisingly. More than I thought.
Brown gave good contest and never shirked the issue, he competed well.

Newnes has kept his spark from the previous 4 games (2 JLT included) but output was down a bit, maybe the Dockers put some work into him.
Ross- I really didn't notice him much, but I think he got into the best players.

I really have to watch the replay, because seeing them live, and not on a screen, I was hungry to take it all in, no time to evaluate.

Just want us to get back to basics against the Dawks next week.

[SaintPav]

Still hate losing to that prick.

It hurts.

[saintspremiers]

Still hate losing to that prick.

It hurts.

Did you see the dirtbag smash his phone in the last as Freo kicked it on the full for the fourth consecutive time?

This continual deliberate out on the full should’ve been a 50 metre penalty. It was clearly a strategy the players decided to do on field against the coach to slow down play.

[bigcarl]

Still hate losing to that prick.

It hurts.

Did you see the dirtbag smash his phone in the last as Freo kicked it on the full for the fourth consecutive time

That made me laugh. I’ve never seen the old flog that animated.

[stkfc1]

Huge amount of improvment on last year. Dont forget we're also missing Steven, Carlise and Robbo in our best 22 so with them in, we would have won. Honestly I think if just Jack had played yesterday we would have won. Billings and Gresh stepping up is a big reason for our improvement. Wilkie good again.

[Crossy66]

I think it was our best performance of the year even though it was our first loss. We did enough work to win the game. We lost it in front of goal and in the coaches box.

I think you are three qtr right. The tactical issue was Walters v Dunstan and we should have identified that at the selection table. We know how RTB thinks and he was always looking to exploit it. I like Dunstan in our best 22, but the big grounds and quick mids will be our achilles heal. I think we have a few quicks that should have been in the mix. Might have been a good time to give hind a run. All that said, if a fit Stuv had of played, it may not have been so glaring

[spert]

I don't like saying it, but the scoreboard flattered us- I thought we played some pretty poor footy..especially the midfield and forward line.

[Crossy66]

I don't like saying it, but the scoreboard flattered us- I thought we played some pretty poor footy..especially the midfield and forward line.

Cant agree. We had more than enough shots on goal to win comfortably.
We played well- couldnt convert, thats the story. Sure there were plenty of areas for improvement, but we really should have won yesterday.

[repta]

great effort. Very very difficult to win in Perth. Not many teams will win over there. Very close in the end.

Very defining as we have been extremely ordinary interstate for a long period. Yes there were ebbs and flows in the game, but we remained competitive and within touch.

if only we can kick straight.

[saynta]

great effort. Very very difficult to win in Perth. Not many teams will win over there. Very close in the end.

Very defining as we have been extremely ordinary interstate for a long period. Yes there were ebbs and flows in the game, but we remained competitive and within touch.

if only we can kick straight.

it's our kicking for goal that kills us.

Are you listening dicko.

[bigred]

Should have won by at least 28.

Once again our entries were just putrid, and our set shot value was through the floor.

Burned four points.

[SemperFidelis]

The reviews of the game suggested we lost because we were down on star power. I totally disagree.

We had the cattle on the park to win that game, had we kicked straight at the end of the third and been more daring in front of goal rather than sharing it around in the last.

I was very proud of them, nonetheless. I just want them to believe that they can beat pretty much anyone if they have a crack, regardless of whether Stuv et al are in the team.

Hunter better for the run and whilst he made some simply errors, he also showed why he is going to be a gun.

[bigred]

I just watched it again and at least two quarters, being the first and last just reeked...REEKED of 2018.

[twirlyhair]

I think it was our best performance of the year even though it was our first loss. We did enough work to win the game. We lost it in front of goal and in the coaches box.

Why does your comment not surprise!!!

[Otiman]

Improvements required with forward structure and delivery. Our switching and measured kicking forward has not worked this year. Too many entries from the boundary are limiting our options.

We need to leave more space in the F50, it will either give us a spot to lead into or a contest with numbers in our favour.

[SemperFidelis]

In an astonishing development even Paul Roos just said positive things about us ...

[guitars4]

At 3/4 time with Fyffe out of the game I thought we would win but I think the players thought the same thing work rate dropped off & Freo capitalized .

[Jacks Back]

It was a poor game played by two sides that didn't finish in the 8 last year.

[ace]

To most on here.

We need King to be 2 years further advanced.

What we need is a full forward with a few years experience.
Not just any player but the type of player you get from a number one draft pick.
You know a player like .........................
Well maybe not.

[ace]

Huge amount of improvment on last year. Dont forget we're also missing Steven, Carlise and Robbo in our best 22 so with them in, we would have won. Honestly I think if just Jack had played yesterday we would have won. Billings and Gresh stepping up is a big reason for our improvement. Wilkie good again.

Forget Robbo and McCartin.
They should never play again due to medical issues.
We have to plan for life without them.

[avid]

I was there! (First time ever in Perth!)
It was frustrating to watch, but exciting too. We attacked audaciously and relentlessly, and couldn't quite get it over the line time and time again. We were so close. Freo defended well. It wasn't really due to poor kicking.
Freo had one or two extra better players. Walters was one of them, and Luke Ryan (who i'd never heard of) saved them in defence.
Sad about the result but happy about our performance.
Billings and Marshall great bonuses.

[WellardSaint]

I was there! (First time ever in Perth!)
It was frustrating to watch, but exciting too. We attacked audaciously and relentlessly, and couldn't quite get it over the line time and time again. We were so close. Freo defended well. It wasn't really due to poor kicking.
Freo had one or two extra better players. Walters was one of them, and Luke Ryan (who i'd never heard of) saved them in defence.
Sad about the result but happy about our performance.
Billings and Marshall great bonuses.

Freo had 20- 6 inside f50 entries in one quarter...
Every time they won a clearance, they seemed to sweep it forward without much response from our guys.
It seemed they were buoyed by the roar of the crowd, which made me disheartened (the crowd noise)

We didn't have many clear scoring chains that I could see,
and our goals came from just being scrappy and fighting hard. Always seemed to have less time than them.
Really happy with Gears, what a fighter

[thejiggingsaint]

I thought that we came to a standstill in the 4th quarter... whether that was fitness or fatigue issues I don't know, but Freo had only a limited interchange bench, and so that's not really a valid excuse for the boys to lose. I personally think the clangers killed us... Gresh taking that set shot and missing the lot was inexcusable. Hopefully the team will learn from this and apply themselves better this week against the Hawks