2026 List Management

[Nico]

Both serviceable, none worth anything near what is being touted but......

As usual Sydney Match Committee not getting the best out of it, any forwards in the top 40 goalkickers rucking ? Zero

Freo are 3 games clear on top and have 3 permanent tall fwds in the Top 20 Goalkickers plus 2 dedicated Rucks.

Regardless of when Grundy was firing, the 20% of time he wasnt rucking would have accounted for 70% of opposition scoring not to mention what it did to our fwd line.

Midfield in shambles, Partime tall fwd line or smalls that arent required to tackle or score, 36yr old undersized key Defender, no wonder we are @@@@@@

Midfield a shambles!!!! Give me a break. Did you watch the last quarter yesterday? By the way the last time I looked we have won 15 games this year, and it maybe 18 by the end of the Home and Away

[imuninformedtwo]

Midfield a shambles!!!! Give me a break. Did you watch the last quarter yesterday? By the way the last time I looked we have won 15 games this year, and it maybe 18 by the end of the Home and Away

I'm somewhere in between.

My worry is our midfield in a couple of years. The fact is we don't have a midfielder under 23 in whom you can express real confidence. Gus hasn't nailed it; I think Datolli is exciting as a midfield option, but yet to be proven; Kyle is the most likely but still no guarantee as a pure midfielder; Cleary - meh; and who knows what Phillipou will be. And there's nothing exciting in the academy, this year at least.

We'll need to quickly rebuild our stocks in there.

[Nico]

I'm somewhere in between.

My worry is our midfield in a couple of years. The fact is we don't have a midfielder under 23 in whom you can express real confidence. Gus hasn't nailed it; I think Datolli is exciting as a midfield option, but yet to be proven; Kyle is the most likely but still no guarantee as a pure midfielder; Cleary - meh; and who knows what Phillipou will be. And there's nothing exciting in the academy, this year at least.

We'll need to quickly rebuild our stocks in there.

We don't know about Dattoli because Cox doesn't give him a game.

[Roadrunner]

We don't know about Dattoli because Cox doesn't give him a game.

Why do you think that Nico? Cox strikes me as willing to give any youngster a go if shown consistent form in the ressies. Given Rosas’ poor recent games, I can’t see him retained this week and if Dattolli doesn’t get picked it will be very strange indeed.

In: Dattoli, Melican/Hamling, Gus and maybe Wicks.
Out: Edwards, Rowy, Rosas, and Lloyd/ Heeney managed.

[imuninformedtwo]

I rate Datolli and wanted him in the side before the end of the year but was ok with him being made to wait a bit. Earlier in the year his running power wasn’t there off the back of his injuries since joining. Some of the stuff in reserves in the first half of the year in particular was really lacking. That’s not a knock on him. It was a function of his interrupted training schedule.

There was no way in the world you could pick him. His transition running in particular was poor.

The constant time he’s spent playing midfield has done him good and I’d be comfortable picking him now.

But I hope we load up on midfield talent the next two off seasons to fill the void.

[Nico]

Why do you think that Nico? Cox strikes me as willing to give any youngster a go if shown consistent form in the ressies. Given Rosas’ poor recent games, I can’t see him retained this week and if Dattolli doesn’t get picked it will be very strange indeed.

In: Dattoli, Melican/Hamling, Gus and maybe Wicks.
Out: Edwards, Rowy, Rosas, and Lloyd/ Heeney managed.

Ludwig is an avid viewer of the VLF and he is adamant that Dettoli has been very good for weeks and can't work out why he hasn't replaced Rosas.

[Ludwig]

I don't think we are in any desperate need for a midfieler, but doubtless there will be a few coming onto our list in the next few years. We have a sold midfield group, with Heeney tholdest, so you would expect this group has a several more years to go, if e can keep Warner. Our midfield is good enough where we can spare Mills to play in defense.

I can't see Datoli as a midfielder. Small forward definitely is the position for him. As a forward, he has many Heeney-like qualities, in that he can kick well on both side, for all distances and angles. Last game he was inside 50 in the 4th qtrr and could have gone for goal, but in a split second spotted Cleary in a better position around 40 and hit him spot on with a perfect kick. It was really impressive. I'd be shocked if he doesn't come in for Rosas.

BTW, Cleary missed that set shot, but miraculously kicked 2 beautiful set shot goals from more than 50 out in the same qtr. I've never seen Cleary kick that straight or that long in any AFL game. Probably just a fluke but hope springs eternal.