When I think about the 2013 Grand Final I often wonder whether having a fit Morabito might have been the difference. In a reasonably dour Freo team we needed one other player with some X-factor. Think about the 10 minutes of the third quarter when Walters nearly brought us back from the dead! There aren’t many players who can turn a game.
Hopefully the attacking wheels will start turning a bit in the next few seasons under JLo, but it’s not hard to imagine a scenario where players like Hogan and CamMac could be those types of players.
I understand that Bell might want to correct his mistakes now, or a coach like JLo might want to start with a clean slate, but Hogan was too talented to just give up on, and though others took a different view (and may well be right) it honestly felt like their cards were marked very early by the coach. I know Bell and JLo’s actions are only one half of the equation, but it’s the half we’re stuck with and that will decide Freo’s future for the next decade.