The title is to attract my Freo supporting friends and annoy my West Coast supporting friends.
Three weeks ago so many commentators were saying that 2016 was a year horrible for my Freo Dockers. And such a view could be supported with the winless Dockers languishing at the bottom of the ladder. In the last three weeks Freo has beaten a depleted Essendon, a disillusioned Brisbane and a disappointing Port Adelaide. With the best midfielder in the AFL out for the season, arguable the best ruckman on the sidelines and an All Australian backman injured. In fact just this week Coach Ross Lyon had 25 fit players to choose from. In his own words a ‘tipping point’.
Two or three chilled chardonnays down the road in the Rangie, West Coast’s season could best be described as ordinary. Some FTB (flat track bully) wins at home in front of a ageing but vocal booing crowd, some disappointing losses away, West Coast sit just inside the top eight heading for another finals appearance. Kennedy is a A grade forward kicking from everywhere with characteristic confidence. With the skilled but patchy LeCras backing him up.
However who is better placed? As I have come to realise, all that matters is winning the Grand Final. Not making finals, not winning preliminary final, but the big dance. Something Fremantle came close too, but have never done. Yes that stings.
Making finals means nothing unless you win the big dance. Will West Coast make and win the Grand Final this year? Very doubtful. If someone offers you odds on Freo not making the Grand Final, take them. Fremantle wont even make the finals.
But here is the point. Fremantle is better placed. A fine young crop of young players are getting valuable games in them. The best player in the AFL will be back in 2017 ready to fire. As will a host of other players rested up for a great tilt. And a lower place on the ladder means more opportunity to grab some great players.
West Coast on the other hand will fall over the line into another finals appearance. If they finish high enough they might even win a home final. But will they win the Grand Final? No. In fact their mediocrity will mean they continue to top up and believe they are in it. They are not.
No comments??? LOL Guess no one has taken the bite.
You make a mistake by saying Fremantle are having a BETTER YEAR and then go by basing your argument that they are better placed to win a grand final. Your moving the goal posts as its two arguments not one.
So lets forget whose having a better year because its obvious even with WCE being mediocre, they are better placed to win the GF than Freo for 2016. You have to play finals to get into a grand final and WCE can play in September while Freo cannot.
Your next argument about who is better placed is still flawed in the sense when past 2016 are either side better placed to win the GF? This year? In the immediate future of 1-3 years or 5+ years time? You need a time frame to properly guess which team is better placed.
Fremantle are in the middle of a rebuild. Is it a mini rebuild or a much larger rebuild, we wont know until the end of the year when their hierarchy decide what to do with the majority of your better players who are 29+. Yes you have solid players who are coming into or are in their prime like Fyfe, Tabanor, Neale etc but your better core players are over the age of where their best footy is in front of them. I personally think Freo will do a mini rebuild with another year out of the finals in 2017 and relaunch for 2018 onwards (in time for Lyon to come out of his contract).
In the immediate future WCE are better placed. Stats also show this based on games played, the age of the group, best players bar Priddas in their prime years style (unlike Freo), their defense numbers, their attack numbers and their ruck division. They also have the pedigree in the coach. However as you will no doubt say, GF are not won in stats and I agree.
WCE have holes in their midfield and their ability to win games outside of Perth. Until these obvious issues are solved they will just be like they where at the end of the 90’s – a solid team that will play finals but never really threaten the premiership.
So if everything goes according to plan WCE are better placed for the now and immediate future to win a GF. Will they do it? TBH I doubt it but are they better placed at the moment to win a GF before Freo? YES!
Are Freo better placed to win a GF in 2019 onwards? Maybe, probably but with Hawthorn showing they can play in four GF in a row and not slow down and with GWS the AFL’s pet puppy who are guaranteed success it may be a lean next five+ years for anyone else.
This is bigger than the original post! What a whopper bite. Freo are better placed in 2017 than West Coast FTB