Without casting aspersions on the individual characters of those who have vented their spleen on this thread, let me just say you clearly have no idea about footy - that is, AFL footy.
What we have seen over the course of the past 2-3 years is the AFL making a deliberate attempt to stamp out the 'defensive-based' game plans pioneered by coaches like Malthouse and adopted by a range of coaches (mostly out of the Sydney system) like Roos, Lyon and dare it say it - Woosha.
This has been implemented through the continued reduction in rotations, increasing the 'protected zones' around the mark and the perceived changes in umpiring whereby 'incorrect disposal/dropping the ball' is largely ignored or, at best, subjectively applied.
Freo built their current list around a defensive-style of footy that requires high pressure and elite endurance - but where raw pace and skill and disposal efficiency are not high priorities. Our list is full of the midfielder/half back/half forward with elite endurance (De Boer, Mzungu, et al) so they have been able to apply manic pressure on the ball carrier and around the contest - provided they can take plenty of spells on the bench to recover and repeat.
We, as a club, have been caught out with the rapid introduction of the new 'way' which is shoot-out footy and for that game plan to work you need players with raw pace and elite skills - an area we are seriously lacking in. The AFL can (and have) made changes to the way the game is umpired and conducted in a matter of weeks. Clubs, however, can not turn over their lists as quickly and that's where we find ourselves now.
I hate losing as much as anyone, but I also remember 2001 and anyone who calls themselves a true Docker supporter from inception (as I do) will realise we have been in far deeper holes and where the only light at the end of the tunnel was a train coming the other way.
At least in this 'hole' we have a proven AFL coach in charge and some genuine talent both on the park and off it. The kids getting a run are showing plenty of promise and I look forward to seeing more of them in the coming weeks and months. There will be a clean-out at season's end of the like we may not have seen before and some fan-favourites are sure to be shown the door/traded out.
But for now we have to stay the course, show up and support our team (the only disgraceful thing last night was the attendance figure) and wait for the worm to turn. If you haven't the internal fortitude for that, well then maybe you should keep your bilious comments to yourself.
