I'm glad someone has created this.
On balance, RL has been a very good thing for Freo: it would be very hard for someone to argue otherwise. We were created when the AFL wasn't what it is now, and the Neesham-Drum-Connolly-Harvey years were fun but with a lot of people on training wheels. RL made the club relevant, and professional. In giving us the 2012-2015 ride, he maybe grew too powerful within the club and wasn't challenged enough, but not many of us (if any) are on the inside, and will never know the full truth.
He gave us the QF in Geelong, the Prelim against Sydney two weeks later, the walk to the MCG from Federation Square, the big wins, the tight wins. For some clubs, finals come along like buses: that wasn't the case with us. Every September from 2012-2015 felt so exciting, like anything was possible and we at least were never going to be embarrassed or bundled out by ten goals.
He brought together a great core that was more than Pavlich, McPharlin, Mundy, Sandilands, Fyfe — great clubmen who will always be life members: Crowley (188), Ibbotson (177), Mayne (172), Duffield (171), Suban (156), and now Ballantyne (171) games. Not to mention Mzungu, Barlow, De Boer and many others who I'd love to buy a beer and hear a story from.
I'm glad he came along. Thanks for the memories Ross.