PAROLLING THE DICE

Tonight at Crown Casino in Melbourne, the AFL is hosting its annual Hall of Fame induction dinner. Meanwhile, last night at Burswood Casino in Perth, Jeff Farmer put in another bid for induction into the AFL Hall of Infame.

Farmer under police investigation

Fremantle Dockers forward Jeff Farmer is being investigated by police in Perth over an incident at the Burswood Casino on Wednesday night.

Police received a complaint this morning from the owner of a car which was damaged in a car park at the casino last night, but it is unclear whether Farmer knew the owner of the vehicle.

Comments

[Tony.T]

Farmer's just turned 30? That's what, another three years playing if he still has a career after this latest incident.

His life after footy could well be a grizzly affair.

[nick]

Wake up, Jeff!

[Tony.T]

He should never have left Melbourne.

I might be winging it here, but Freo celebrate goals with greater gusto than any other team. Do you reckon they've been told/encouraged/allowed to whoop it up to get them going, or at least get the crowd involved? And that this, in turn, has spilled over into their general demeanour?

It's becoming a cliché, but a new coach could do worse than pull their heads in (fight-wise, too) by reminding them of the NFL quote "When you get into the endzone, act like you've been there before."

[os]

Spot on Teach, I've said similar before (great minds ...) in a snitch with a certain Freo tragic in these august pages. Freo are too aggro, they misdirect their energies and forget their focus. Schoolboy stuff. They need to think "don't get mean, get even" a lot more. I like that NFL quote.
A bit rich coming from a WCE supporter. Anyway, the most important player in the list is back this week against Sinny. I mean Stenglein.

[Tony.T]

It's a fine line between confidence and over-confidence. I reckon most footy watchers think the latter describes Freo. Most of us look at Freo's post-goal histrionics and sneer "Do it when it matters, wanker."

Stenglein is gold, but Kerr is goldier. But how did he only get a week for that elbow?

[os]

I personally think he was MOST unlucky to even be cited. The other guy ran into him, he was half averted with his arm raised to protect his face, and the force of the impact caused his arm to swing involuntarily towards the assailant's head. There was no deliberate act of arm movement on the part of Kerr. No substantial contact was made and the elbow was not involved.
Open and shut really ... got any more you want me to solve?

[Hanging Judge Tony]

Well counselor, in light of your fulsome, glowing and no doubt, diligently researched defence, he should have got 15 weeks.

[Yobbo]

reo are too aggro, they misdirect their energies and forget their focus. Schoolboy stuff.

What a heap of bullshit.

Freo have been crucified by the tribunal this year.

Farmer got 6 weeks for an "eye gouge". Chris Judd does the same thing 2 weeks later and gets nothing.

Michael Johnson and David Murphy suspended for a hip and shoulder.

Meanwhile, Daniel Kerr deliberately punches a guy in the nuts (1 week) deliberately elbows a guy in the head (1 week). Kerr is the dirtiest player in the AFL, but only gets 1 week every time he gets caught out? What's the deal there?

It's an absolute joke the amount of suspensions Fremantle have got this year for incidents that were basically nothing. Notice when the TV pundits talk about how "undisciplined" Fremantle are, they never show the incidents that caused the suspensions?

Because they're bullshit.

Unfortunately, they can't say they are bullshit on air without being fined by the AFL.

[Yobbo]

There was no deliberate act of arm movement on the part of Kerr.

There doesn't need to be, because Kerr runs around with his elbows raised for the entire 80 minutes every week.

[Tony T.]

Agree that Johnson, Murphy & Farmer were dudded by comparison with later verdicts, especially Kerr.

That's three times now he's been underpenalised: Mitchell's balls, Bruce's head and two weeks ago. How he only got a week for that, in light of his recent record and the obviousness of the offence, completely eludes me. Judiciary = joke.

Freo still over-celebrate, though. I know it, because barracking for Melbourne I see it all the time.

[carneagles]

A few years ago, the Dockers had a major brand review carried out by a local public relations firm. The firm identified certain elements to be emphasised to celebrate the unique nature of the Dockers and their supporters, so as to attract and retain supporters in an Eagles-dominated town.

Following this review, amongst other changes, players were instructed to gesture to the crowd in celebration after eack goal, they being the fourth member of Spinal Tap and all that. Once you watch enough Freo games, it becomes more and more noticeable that it's going on - they celebrate goals more than other sides, and the celebration is invariably directed outwards.

So, there you go. When a Freo forward dribbles through a goal and carries on like he just nailed his sister, it's all about the brand.

It's getting a bit monotonous reading references to Daniel Kerr by Dockers supporters in response to the furore over the latest Farmer imbroglio. Not to excuse Kerr's actions - if he played for anyone else, I'd hate his guts - but repeatedly pointing to Kerr doesn't really absolve Farmer's behaviour, or especially its extraordinary timing.

[via collins]

...so assuming all the Farmer stuff's out of the way, we're back to T's very original question: how the heck did Kerr get away with one week for an offence that would have been 2 - 3 minimum in the "bad old days".

It did strike me as puzzling too. Not that I'm remotely interested in familiarizing myself with new tribunal rules. Most of the time they get it right. This was a howler, but no-one's howling.

[Adsy]

Notice when every time Freo kicks a goal, whether it be a miraculous goal from 50 out from the boundary or a simple tap through from a free kick straight infront, they ALWAYS give it the double fist pump. The Freo Fister I reckon it should be named.

For as long as they keep doing it, they will never be any good.

P.S - Weak as piss getting the coach shafted and then coming out and playing like superstars the next week. Poor.

[Yobbo]

The coach had it coming.

We have the best forward in the league and a game plan that only involved kicking it to him when he was 10 yards clear.

[Tony T.]

I, for one, don't hold up Kerr as any get-out for Farmer even though both are dicks, on and off field. Still, Farmer was dead set dudded with his 6, while Kerr was dead set lucky with his latest 1.

As far as yesterday is concerned, it was a top win by Freo, which proved to me why Connolly had to go.

I'm loathe to make the comparison, probably because it's a bit too pat, but the Dockers yesterday under Harvey reminded me of the Bombrés under Sheedy - plenty of players around the footy and plenty of pressure on the opposition ball carriers. Then once they got the ball they banged it in quick without waiting too long for options to open up. That probably sits with what Yob says. Namely, they backed Pavlich in to win any one-on-one.

It also seemed similar to what happened when Eade got dumped for Roos. A highly structured game plan was junked, replaced by a looser team plan that put a premium on getting the agate, stopping the other team getting the agate, and not fucking around with the agate when you get it.

Of course, that's changed now for the Swans with their tempo footy (although, when they're hot, they zing the ball down the ground), but it's still in line with both Roos' and Sheedy's core footy philosophy: the game's not basketball, setting up loose men, convoluted tactics or overuse of whiteboard methodology, it's about blokes knocking over other blokes and beating them for the ball.

[Adsy]

But seriously the Freo game plan wouldn't have changed that dramatically from the side that ran out against the Roos to that which played on the weekend surely?

Its more about blokes that were too comfortable in their roles and were more worried about looking good and doing the miraculous individual things rather than help the team win when the chips were down. That may have not been helped by Connolly's style but I don't subscribe to the notion that changing the coach does anything for the side in the short to medium term, apart from the first game obviously.

Look at the Saints: change of coach, apparently supposed to be a big change in the way we went about things but our game plan is still to bring it wide out of the backline, kick to Riewoldt around the wing/CHF and then bang it long to The G Train and hope either he marks it (one against three more often than not) or we have the crumbers around to shark a goal (which hardly ever happens with our midfield)

You can bang the ball in long but when your 3 against 1 and have some midfielders who dont man up their direct opponents well enough on the rebound then it puts pressure on your backline. In many respects St. Kilda and Fremantle are similar.

[os]

At the risk of attracting another spray from Yobbo, how many times do you'all have to be reminded, Kerr didn't deliberately punch Mitchell in the nuts. He satisfied the tribunal that he was aiming for his crook leg and missed. You can't be convicted on a charge of deliberately punching a bloke in the nuts if you can prove it was an accident. He still did it, for sure - it just wasn't deliberate.
I heard some radio comment from Judge on Connolly, lovely bloke but talked too much and over-complicated it.

[Vindicate]

Ah well, when Freo players take their celebrations to this level, I'll start getting worried.

[Yobbo]

Its more about blokes that were too comfortable in their roles and were more worried about looking good and doing the miraculous individual things rather than help the team win when the chips were down.

Like Who Adsy?

Compared to other teams, Freo has very few players who ever attempt to do miraculous things. We have Farmer and Headland.

Headland was recruited to look good and kick goals. Farmer has more goal assists and tackles than goals.

I don't see how you can have a go at players like Bell, McManus, Grover, Hayden, Johnson for excessive Lairising. Apart from Headland and Farmer, we have a lot of blue-collar players.

At the risk of attracting another spray from Yobbo, how many times do you'all have to be reminded, Kerr didn't deliberately punch Mitchell in the nuts. He satisfied the tribunal that he was aiming for his crook leg and missed.

Deliberately punching a player. Deliberately punching a player where you know him to be injured to hopefully prolong the injury.

Yeah, the AFL shouldn't be discouraging that sort of thing at all.

Kerr is the dirtiest player in the AFL, taking up the mantle from the now retired Wanganeen. How he only gets 1 week for things that should get 4 is a fucking mystery until you remember who he plays for.

The least penalised team in the AFL.

[Gareth]

As far as yesterday is concerned, it was a top win by Freo, which proved to me why Connolly had to go.

Careful Tone, he could be yours next year.

[Adsy]

Well I was probably pointing more towards Farmer and Headland when talking about the lairising part of it Yobbo, and I agree that the players you named are the backbone of the club. However I do stick by my point that there are several players that either go missing or aren't prepared to do what is needed to win you games. Funnily enough all the ones that seem to do this time and again are rejects from other clubs, which seems self explanatory given other clubs didn't require their services.

I'll give a few examples, so tell me if I'm off the mark or not with any of these:

M.Carr - Looks good when the game is flowing Freo's way, but lack of defensive skills going the other way.

Solomon - Solomon and Hardwick were Sheedy's thugs, no more, no less and were backed up by great players in Essendons midfield and backline.

Tarrant - Not a true key position player, more so a half forward flanker but flaky at best. Will go missing if you need a key mark or goal late in a game.

Headland - Should be a superstar but isn't for some reason. Can't put my finger on it, but won't be winning you Grand Finals.

Farmer - Has his off field issues but if he kept the on field antics down to a minimum he wouldn't be the target of such criticism. Is relied upon too much for the type of player he is also.

I may well be off the mark here but from an outsider looking at a side that nearly went all the way last year with a young dynamic list, to struggling to make the finals this year, I think some players aren't pulling the weight they should around the club. When you leave too much up to the Bell's, Hasleby's and Pavlich's in your side you will struggle. You substitute that with Riewoldt, Gehrig and Dal Santo and you have the same problem with my side. I've seen it happen with St. Kilda time and time again and the exact same thing is present at Freo I believe.

[Tony T.]

Urk. Connolly to the Dees? Urk.

Adsy's summary sounds like Melbourne, too.

[Yobbo]

I think you have most of it completely backwards Adsy...

1. M. Carr is a tagger. All he does is defensive. His biggest problem is he doesn't get enough of the ball himself.

2. Solomon is probably in Freo's top 5 B+F this year. For what we gave up for him he's been very good. He has basically taken Troy Cook's spot in the side and leads the tackles every game.

3. Tarrant. As you said he's not a key forward, and shouldn't play as one. He's best leading way up the ground and passing the ball to Pavlich rather than trying to kick goals himself. He isn't in the side to take big marks, he's in the side to run around and take marks on a lead.

4. Headland is a goalkicker. He plays best as a frontrunner and that is and should be his job. He is similar to Akermanis in that his biggest strength is goal hunger and foot skills.

At the time we recruited him, Freo didn't have any players that could rove a crumb and bomb a goal from 50. He's very good at that and he's good on a half forward flank. His defensive skills aren't good enough to play in the midfield.

5. Farmer is a forward pocket. He's there to kick goals and he does it, not much more to say about that.

Then you say Hasleby can't carry us? Hasleby is probably the number 1 player not pulling his weight this year. Considering how high a draft pick he was and how highly rated he is, he's not doing a hell of a lot.

A big part of why we won't make the finals this year is the loss of Farmer, Crowley and Peake. When we won 9 games in a row last year, those 3 along with Sandilands were the most important players in the side.

Freo doesn't have a depth of midfielders that can replace Peake's run, and that has cost us. When you get blokes like McManus and tell them to run the lines, bad things happen.

That coupled with inexplicable coaching decisions:

1. Deliberately not moving the ball on until a player is free. It's great when you have a highly skilled side that can play keepings-off for 3-4 minutes without stuffing it up, but we don't have enough skill to do it. We also have one of the best contested marks in the AFL at full-forward, there's no reason why we can't bomb it in now and then.

2. Continually playing James Walker even though he's never played a good game in his career. At the expense of players like Gilmore. Being able to run fast doesn't make an AFL player, you also have to have some other skills, which Walker doesn't have.

3. Bad matchups in the backline. McPharlin being played on forwards too strong for him. About halfway through they realised that Grover was the better option, by then it was too late.

McPharlin still doesn't have a role in the side, why not throw him forward? At the moment he does very little.

4. Not enough runners in the midfield. Hasleby, Bell and Josh Carr are all very slow, and they don't get enough clearances to make up for it. One of them (probably Hasleby) should be moved permanently into the forward line and someone quick moved into the middle (like Gilmore, Hayden or Johnson).

The problem with slow midfielders is that they can't put pressure on the ball-carrier of the opposition, because you have to be able to catch them to do that.

That's just 4 very obvious things that anyone who's ever played can tell you straight off the bat.

Of course our players continually getting suspended for looking at their opponents funny hasn't helped, as well as the injuries I stated before.

[Adsy]

I agree Yobbo about some of the coaching and matchup decisions, especially the not moving the ball quick enough one. But maybe your 4th point about not having enough running midfielders may have something to do with that?

Haselby too is a bit harshly regarded I think. Hes had nine 20+ possession games and three over 30 this season, so without analysing what he does with every touch, at least he is getting in there and getting the ball.

[Yobbo]

Adsy, you don't have to be able to run fast to move the ball fast. It just involves moving the ball forward by hand or foot, rather than sidways or backwards. Freo do too much of the latter.

Compare them to Essendon, who are a slower, older and less talented side, albeit one with a more reasonable game plan - Get the ball in fast and give your forwards a chance.

Kevin Sheedy could be coaching Fremantle next year, which could be the best thing to ever happen to them.