I've said it before, but GWS are a bunch of front-running show ponies who have always been the best players at their age. You need a bit of grunt from a bloke who worked his way up from the rookie list to show them how to make the most of your ability and put your head over the ball when things aren't going well. He's a perfect fit for them.
We need some quality, particularly in disposal and in kicking goals. He's not going to give us that. Our players can learn the craft of playing footy from blokes like Walters and Neale, who also were rough gems, but who are also A-grade footy players.
Besides, below is AFL.com.au's guess at Freo's best 22 next year. I haven't interrogated it too closely, but which of these blokes would you boot for de Boer? Add two top 5 picks (likely midfielders) and blokes like Tucker, Kersten and Grey out of the team - as well as whipping boys Sheridan and the unfairly maligned Sutcliffe - and I'm not sure there is much benefit in him being on Freo's list.
He's better off with GWS until he comes back to coach Claremont to a few premierships before jumping to Freo as an assistant to Pav.
Good on him.
B: Griffin Logue, Joel Hamling, Lee Spurr
HB: Nathan Wilson, Michael Johnson, Luke Ryan
C: Stephen Hill, Connor Blakely, Bradley Hill
HF: Michael Walters, Brennan Cox, Harley Bennell
F: Hayden Ballantyne, Cam McCarthy, Brandon Matera
R: Aaron Sandilands, Nat Fyfe, Lachie Neale
INT: David Mundy, Sean Darcy, Ed Langdon, Ethan Hughes