Checked out this side tonight and, surprise, surprise, no Fremantle representative. All the guys there, as with the Rising Star, seem to approach their games with some degree of freedom. Unfortunately any of our new players seem to have this flair coached out of them from the moment they walk through the doors. For our guys it's weight development, defensive work and if they don't get injured or put in rehab, they might get a game. They seem reluctant to take the game on and become scared of making mistakes.
I watched Brereton commenting on Cam McCarthy earlier this season and he lamented on the state of Cam's game compared to when he coached him on arrival at GWS. He declared Cam as having,äbove his head the best ability to hold the ball all the way to the ground, amongst a group including Lobb, Cameron, Patton and Boyd and that he had not seen this since he arrived at Fremantle. Basically it seems that he has lost confidence to just hit packs and go for his marks.
Some players, it seems, thrive on Roscoes defensive mantra whilst others are crushed and lose their flair and freedom. I hope the new coach inspires young players on our list to maintain their flair and enjoyment of the game like Connor Roze, Xavier Duursma and Sam Walsh and focus on defensive mindset and weight training later.
