I went along to the Freo season launch breakfast this morning. Without downplaying how hard events teams work to put these things together, they are largely paint-by-numbers affairs, but here are my thoughts.
i. It’s really weird attending a season launch when you suspect it will be the only time you see the players in person for a while. A lot of talking around COVID-19 – “expect some bumps in the road etc” – but the message was that it’s business as usual (at least until it isn’t).
ii. Mark Readings pulled off his role as awkward-Dad-at-a-wedding reasonably well. I reckon they can do better though.
iii. Dale Allcott threated to out awkward-dad Readings, but was fine. He said there was a new energy at the club and the Board is confident the tough decisions last year were vindicated.
iv. I thought the club did a pretty good job including parts about the women’s team, and there was a good interview with Cooper and Gemma Houghton, but I thought it would have been nice to have a few more of the AFLW team there.
v. The club is a much better place for having Colleen Howard and Richard Walley around the place.
vi. Longmuir was pretty measured and didn’t give much away. Readings’ questions were heavily focussed on the injuries, but Longmuir played a pretty straight bat.
vii. Starting a number presentation with a player who wasn’t there (Hogan) was a bit awkward.
viii. Fyfe spoke well. He said it will take a while for the players to internalise the new habits expected by the new game style, but that he hoped it would click sooner rather than later.
ix. Walters got the biggest laugh of the morning, after suggesting he was a little nervous playing for a new coach because under Lyon he got to do whatever he liked.
x. Simon Garlick was the highlight for mine. He has a real energy, and if he hasn’t taken the club to heart then he does an excellent job of faking it. As a fan, he seems a real upgrade over the last CEO.
