Well...I'm quite happy with where we are at.....I'm not sure we need for much, except for regular training sessions to bed down our new game style.
The only things I 'want' for are :
1) A 'niggler', or, an 'enforcer'.....someone who is 'feared' by the opposition. I'm not sure where this comes from(?),but I reckon, our best Freo teams have been when Josh Carr & Ballas & Crowley have been doing their best work. I would like - for once in 26 yrs - to have a big bloke that 'no-one wants to muck with', so, I'd like Hodor to show a 'little more mongrel'. (I know he's been under the pump from the umpires for just being in the vicinity of the ball let alone touching it, so he's unlikely to be roughing anyone up whilst under that scrutiny.)
2) Dean Margetts to umpire less of our games.
3) Tall forwards who 'really want to have a go'. (1st point -this is not aimed at Tabs. Well Done Tabs for your fantastic year!) But I'm worried about what we got form Rory this year, and I'm still not yet convinced by Hogan.
These 2 - at this stage in their respective careers - should be 'ripping games apart'...and they simply are not.!
Rory was perhaps - in my opinion - our most disappointing player this year. His inability to eradicate this stupid 'sowing machine runup' is almost 'laughable'. It brought no greater accuracy, drew unwanted attention to him, put pressure on him, and - I mean - we are talking about a professional sportsman here. That stuff is just not on!
Hoges...well...obviously he is a complex character, and obviously he's talented. But, i'm sorry, I just don't like his body language, and I really do think he can put himself in more 'dangerous positions, rather than just going and getting the easy kick down on center wing.
I guarantee every opposition backman thinks its 'a job well done' when they see Jesse with the ball down on center wing. No maybe that's 'coaching' and he's being told to be there. If it is, well...I'm not so sure that's the best use of our million $/yr forward?
In short, I want a whole lot more from Jesse Hogan, and a full committment to a preseason and our club, might deliver that.
More than anything, I want to see our big forwards doing a whole lot more than ' the two feet jump ' when attempting to mark the ball. Have seen this far to often - even Pav used to do it!.
Maybe its to do with errant kicks into the forward line, or poor positioning/gameplans (ie bombing it in, no leading plan) but when was the last time we saw a Fremantle tall forward charging a pack, one knee up in the air as he does so, springing of his 'leaping foot', and hitting the pack hard??? Fyfe is the closest we have ever seen to that type of 'Devil may care / get the bl...y hell out of my way' forward??
Just doesn't happen... but THAT, is what we need.