The Restump Podcast

We've been a circus at times but now we're a Dogga and Prancing Pony show! Time to Restump Podcast the withdrawal of the 4 points from the Kanga bank.When you get over the line in a last gasp effort against a team serially occupying cellar dwelling real estate, you're usually disappointed and rarely anything more than relieved. However, on this occasion, North deserves the credit. They brought and applied a pressure level none of us saw coming and it was all but good enough to beat us.However, in what is another step in the right direction and a feather in our cap, we found a way to win when previously we may not have done. Is this the maturing filtering through? The age and experience factors gradually starting to take shape?Can we just dip our lids, applaud and enjoy the Voss gloss? A two-time club discard, what a revelation Paddy Voss has been. From outside looking in, not only has he played his part in transforming our former robotic and predictable manner, he has created energy with his enthusiasm and made a material contribution. We say the Saints game was the catalyst for Freo's turnaround, but has it been the Prancing Pony instead? He came in the game after and has kicked 10 goals in his 5 games since.And while we're on the topic of discarded players, Corey Wagner deserves a standing ovation. Luke Davies Uniacke was cutting us to ribbons, ending the first half with 20 touches and a goal. Second half, Mr Longmuir said, “Mr Davies Uniacke, meet Mr Wagner.” LDU ended the game with 27 touches. Tristian Xerri was always going to be a problem but we saw some good improvement in Sean Darcy and while Luke Jackson didn't have his substantial midfield impact, he still found a way to influence the game. However, had it not been for the great Josh Treacy's defensive acts, we may be singing a different tune today. Sure, you expect Cyclonic performances in wet weather, but his game saving mark backing into a pack of Kangaroos deep in defence with just moments to go, has been undersold. His subsequent kick out of bounds on the full… we won't mention that.We won the game so the coaches obviously got it right, but there was a little disappointment in the subbing off of Neil Erasmus. For someone who has lacked opportunity and hasn't put a foot wrong since his return, maybe there were grounds for keeping him on. But with Fyfe looking for minutes, Nathan O'Driscoll playing superbly at Peel, Alex Pearce thereabouts, Izzy Dudley set to return and Brandon Walker closing in, there might be a few selection headaches and disappointments in the near future. Not a bad problem to have though. It was the first of the five vital games that will determine our September quest and we got the dishes done. And at the end of the day, that is all we really needed to do. We now need to feast on the next four and sure up some percentage given the tightness of the battle for top eight spots. It's a short turnaround as this Thursday night we take it to the Dons who are coming off a belting at the hands of Geelong. We need to be ready for their response.All in all it was a better win than a win over a bottom placed team suggests. We were made to work for it and we had to earn it. However, we got shown that we're still susceptible to pressure and if a top eight team dropped it on us, they also probably wouldn't allow us to score as freely and get away with it. Just some assessable balance food for thought.It's more a bank the 4 points and move on but there's always plenty to bang on about. So, if you're not ready to robotically put it behind us and be all methodical about it, feel free to join us on the pod to squeeze every last ounce of eSend us a textSupport the show

You have to respect the hustle! Time to Restump Podcast the Saturday night clash against the well-rested, tin rattling, garage sale conducting, home game selling Kangas. North Melbourne have been staying in WA for the entire week, showcasing Bunbury to Rottnest. We know they're a bit light in the pockets, but are they on the WA tourist bureau books? Whatever the case, they're going to be well rested and while they played a game last week down in Bunbury, it's fair to say both Freo and the Kangas are coming off byes. We're going in with an unchanged line-up and, in our most recent batch of form, it suggests complications and products of the bye should be our greatest hurdle. We're only tongue in cheek disrespecting the Kangas with our nonsense, but having watched their performance last week against the Eagles... we really shouldn't be losing this game. While an unchanged line-up produces continuity and stability, it means on this occasion we're going around again without the captain and without our best option for Nick Larkey. The Kangas forward isn't in hot form but he can turn it on. Paul Curtis on the other hand has had a career best year to date and is one that we'll need to do a little more than keep an eye on.Tristian Xerri is up there with, if not the best, rucks in the league and in the absence of a second ruck, he'll be up against team JackArce. It will be interesting to see if there is any improvement not only in Sean Darcy's game and condition, but more so his game time minutes.    Five weeks ago we'd just put in that insipid performance against St Kilda. We were all emotionally distraught, the sack the coach crowd were at fever pitch, our season was thought to be over and we were individually questioning all the decisions we'd made in our lives up until that point.Fast forward to round 14 and we've run the premiership favourites to a couple of goals, beaten GWS, Port Adelaide, Gold Coast, sit in 9th with 7 wins staring at five winnable upcoming games with four of them at home to be eyeing off top four once again, and not a murmur from the “to hell with JL” gang!We've won 50% of our post-bye games across our history. However, we've won 62.5% of our post-bye home games. As this is a post-bye away game at home, there isn't exactly a sufficient sample size of indicative statistics for that! While nothing is certain in life, victory over the Kangas on Saturday night should really be a formality. Yes, go ahead throw your accusations of “jinxing us” and “tempting the footy Gods” at me. The truth is, if we can't beat superstition, we may as well sell our home games because we wouldn't be a serious club!It feels a case of little to win and much to lose with little hope of losing it. Conventionality will get the job done but procedural tendencies are uninspiring. Do we need some sort of Griffin Logue centred shenanigans to raise the vibration and spark enthusiasm? Can we raise the spirits and lift the mental intensity on the pod as we discuss Saturday night's clash against the Skippies? It's a tall order! We offer no guarantees or returns, but we'll give it a go.Send us a textSupport the show

Was that a career best performance from Uncle Sam Switkowski? Or as a commentators call him Sam Swiskowski or Sam Sierakowski. Time to Restump Podcast that season setting up win over the Suns.Have we moved from cautious optimism to guarded enthusiasm? Or has that magnificent victory seen a release of the shackles, sending us into expectational elation? But we must be measured and keep some perspective, as we know the dangers of getting ahead of ourselves. With that been said… we may never lose again!Are we seeing the team and the performances we thought we'd see at round one this year? There has been a conspicuous shift across the board. There is a notable difference in the unwavering intent and effort, there is desire to contest, to run for each other and there has been widespread adoption of the non-negotiables. The game plan has been tinkered with and there have been a couple of personnel changes and positional adjustments, but the predominant the change has been mentality. It feels that the St Kilda game was the catalyst for change. Whatever happened post-match, whether it was the reading of the riot act, hard truths being aired or ultimatums given, it flicked the switch and snapped them out their funk. Will we look back in history and remember that game as our Keating recession moment, the horrendous performance we had to have?But back to Saturday to that almost impossible victory. It was so pleasing to see Sammy Switkowski put in a monster, arguably a career best game. All anyone is asking of him is to bring that consistency in effort and intent.  Did we learn anything about the prospects of team JackArce? If that combo allows that type of performance from Jackson, then it works and it'll only improve. Darcy spent just 50% time on ground but got to 57 ruck contests and won over half of them. Let's not forget he's far from full match fitness. Jackson was mental… 27 influential possessions… 19 ground ball gets… for god's sake… he's 2 metres tall. What world is he from!Can we give some love to Corey Wagner? What a wonderful pick up he has been. His tweaked role has unleashed his inner midfielder. He was superb on Saturday with his versatility, hitting the scoreboard, taking territory and defending. But as much love as we're throwing Wagner's way, we've got a little bit more than that for Shai. Were we sure we'd get such effort-based leadership from him? I'll admit I thought he'd be the cream on the top and would cap things off when we were going well. I didn't expect him to be the buy in guy and lead with such attitude. And I'm not sure I ever contemplated he'd win a game for us with a fatigued, last gasp tackle in the wet. Its like we donned the balaclava and shotgun on Richmond!  But let's pull up a bit, the big love-in is getting a bit much. So, for some balance and to keep us grounded, is it too far to tongue in cheek suggest Caleb might not hit water if he fell out of a boat? You know your foot skills need sharpening when you'd contemplate backing Fyfey in a one-on-one goal kicking contest! We still love you, Caleb!Speaking of the great man, how good was it to see Nat Fyfe run out there at ¾ time and a have a meaningful impact on the game. Shut up… I wasn't crying… it was a Gold Coast rain drop in my eye…. To hell with the lid, let's start some safe, non-Voss style high fiving and yahooing about that season setting up win on the pod. Feel free to join us but if you're going to come in hot with your ‘one week at a time' stick in the mud pessimistic nonsense, you'll be shown the door!Send us a textSupport the show

Talk about going from chocolates to boiled lollies back to chocolates and then boiled lollies again! The loss of Captain Pearce is far from ideal and we literally did the hokey pokey with him all week. Time to Restump Podcast the stoush against the Suns. This is almost as tough an assignment as there is in AFL at the moment. Playing the Gold Coast Suns on their home deck usually doesn't end well for the touring teams in recent times. They've won 9 of their last 11 games at home, they're sitting pretty in 3rd on the ladder and they still have a game in hand. Considering they've only had 2 games at home so far this year, it means they've won 6 games away from People's First Stadium, something they've struggled to do up until this season. So, it is it pretty safe to say the Gold Coast Suns have now finally arrived?Making our tough task more difficult, we've lost Captain Pearce, to the absolute delight for Ben King. We've also lost livewire forward Izzy Dudley and obviously Cooper Simpson. However, Nat Fyfe, Sean Darcy and Josh Draper return fill the void and they're 3 handy ones to pick up the slack. It's an interesting decision to bring both Darcy and Fyfe back in when the forecast is for big bloody buckets of rain. Not that you can't get injured in the WAFL, but it's a little surprising they didn't go around in the twos. However, you'd imagine both will somehow be on managed minutes. Is it the ideal time to restart the validation trial of project JackArce? Up against Jarrod Witts and Ned Moyle in the expected torrential conditions, it just feels that maybe we haven't set Sean Darcy up for success. But we're not conditioning coaches or sport scientists so, who knows. Beyond the project are we making an error going in extremely tall? It failed a couple of weeks back and those conditions were pristine. Maybe the selection committee are backing the courage of their conviction. Not going to lie, as much as we tried to stave it off, the cautious optimism crept up and infected us again over the last couple of weeks. But Saturday is a different kettle of fish.... and given how much rain is forecast, that might be from a literal sense! Matty Rowell, Noah Anderson and Bailey Humphrey give you the impression they'll drink up the wet conditions. We did play well in dampness last week but we may need to swim a few extra training laps before Saturday. But, we're Dockers, we're waterside workers! Aren't storms and overcast conditions the natural enemies of the sun? What are we talking about here... we have the traditional conditional upper hand! And what do we always say at the Restump? If the world floods, it matters not to the duck! Time to wander into the upcoming watery wrestle in greater in depth. So, join us as we take a quick preview dip and a cold plunge in the purple pod pool.Send us a textSupport the show

He looks like he'd use a ladder to pick strawberries! Yet this Murphy Reid character continues to show us all he's never out of his depth. Time to Restump Podcast Freo's paddling of Port.We don't want to jump to early conclusions... God knows we're not doing that injury again. However, a question need asking. Have we ironed out the kinks, rectified the glitches and exorcised the psychological demons?Admittedly there'd be some concerns in the Port Adelaide camp but regardless of their issues, Saturday night Freo was impressive. We weathered the storm on multiple fronts, took all Port Adelaide could muster, before upping our game and returning serve.The numbers escape me, but if memory serves me correctly, and it usually doesn't, we've rarely been good wet trackers. Aren't we often the side throwing everything at an opponent, not getting scoreboard reward and leaving the door open? We reversed those roles on Saturday and it felt a little mature. Our efficiency and skills in the wet were something to behold.And speaking of maturing, while they definitely lifted in the 2nd half, holding our own and not having to rely on Andy Brayshaw and Caleb Serong early, was an important growth.If Murphy Reid isn't leading the Rising Star award... open an investigation! His body of work, his nomination and now absurd 4-goal feat in what were often torrential conditions, should have him at unbackable odds. How can an 18 year old possess such composure and creativity! I'm starting to get nervous about his future and he's here til the end of 2027!Give whoever it was at the club that found Izzy Dudley, a pay rise. He's been in the system 5 minutes and he's doing ludicrous things. Imagine lining up on him… you'd be whispering to yourself, “I'm sorry what you're about to be put through, ankles, but hang in there.” What is he going to produce when he gets a couple more preseasons under his belt? What a tribunal result for the Captain. Our first win ever there? Maybe the AFL saying, ‘we want you to play this fast, brutal, full contact game but make instant decisions, at times while airborne, to protect someone who has no duty of care for themselves. And if you don't defy the laws of physics and gravity and work intellectually at AI speed, you're not playing within the spirit of the game, so we'll penalise you 3 weeks' has realised its own nonsense! Charges aside, Alex Pearce is flying. Who would've thought we'd ever refer to him as a “good for a goal a game player?” He's been in super form and Saturday night was no different. He looks more fluent, comfortable and even nimble. Physically and mentally he must be tip top.The off-field lead ruck battle isn't behind closed doors any more. The 'sharing is caring' arrangement is gone as Luke Jackson is making his intentions clear. And in his current form, it's hard to argue. Isn't possession 9/10ths of the law? However, as good as Jackson is going, he's had a couple of favourable opponents of late. Sean Darcy has to first find some resilience, but there's still a bit to play out.Dare we say it? Have we turned the corner? We still haven't really beaten genuine top 8 sides, but our form feels different, like something has clicked. There's a freer flowing footy style with greater balance and it seems players are more assured of their role. That said, Gold Coast on their home deck where they're virtually unbeatable, will tell us where we're at.We're 6 and 5 and just % out of 7th. Our season somehow feels very much alive and, damn it, if there isn't cautious optimism growing.So, you know the drill. If this written nonsense doesn't fill your quota, then, providing you've no respect for your ears, tune into the pod and supplemenSend us a textSupport the show

How's that saying go? It's better to have and not need, than need and not have? We should be ok; they're not all staying in a hotel together. He can't know all their individual addresses, can he? Time to Restump Podcast the Power threat level!For the first time this year we're going in with an unchanged line up. Is this the consistency and stability we've all been desiring? It does feel a little like foreign territory though because so far this year, we've consistently changed our minds, our players, our effort and intent, our game plan, our ball movement and our form. Maybe the only change we have to deal with this week is the weather.With four wins and six losses and sitting in 15th on the ladder, it's fair to say Port Adelaide aren't travelling too flash. And to add insult to injury, they've now lost the vital Jason Horne-Francis. So, why does this feel like such a danger game? On the back of Port's season and our performance last week, we should be going in quietly confident. Yet, I can't shake this nervous feeling. Do we go at Willie Rioli? He has shown that he's easily rattled. The mental game is as important as the physical game, so why would we not use it to our advantage? He kicked three goals against us in our last encounter but, to be fair, he hasn't been a big historical threat against us…. well at least on the field anyway. Of the six games he has played against Fremantle, he has gone goalless just once. However, he's kicked 3 goals on 3 occasions this year from just 9 games, so he is in pretty good nick.While I'm not sure if we're that sort of team and I really don't know if we have the individuals willing to do so, for the record, I vote we rattle the cattle-truck out of his cage. Get Willie thinking about other things and give his teammates an extra protection task. But does it really serve our purpose? I admit I am a bit of a fan of the theatre of footy.While their form isn't great, Port has beaten Hawthorn and Sydney, so they are capable. And with Zak Butters and Ollie Wines in the middle, Connor Rozee distributing and setting up play make off half back and Mitch Georgiades up forward with Willie Rioli at his feet, you can see how they cause some feeling of trepidation. While we might have a bit more talent across the board, do we have the capability to slug it out in a potentially bruising encounter in the wet? It's difficult to forget we didn't handle the treatment in the pristine dry conditions under the roof at Marvel against the Saints. The rain, should it impact the game, could be the great leveler on Saturday night. The Restump investment club has gone sideways and is in need of a bail out. Can we blame the Trump tariffs? They're being blamed for everything else! But quitting is for cowards and as we always say at the Restump, you're only ever one hot streak away from a full recovery. May the Gods be in our odds.Anyway, it's all about the maritime melee this Saturday night. So, pull on the trackie, bang on a beanie, rug up, grab a cup of coffee and let's have a chat about it further on the pod. Send us a textSupport the show

Given the meaning of Jackson is son of Jack, is it really surprising Luke cuts down beanstalks and takes out Giants for fun? Time to Restump Podcast the magnificent win over the Giants none of us saw coming. I'm not ruling out the possibility our club suffers schizophrenia or has some sort of personality disorder. We never know which version of us is going to appear. In fact, fans should start sending RSVP requests so we get an idea pre-game who is going to show up.Have we seen a better version this year of what we're capable of? We've seen passages, periods and even quarters of that ball movement and connectivity, but not for 4 full quarters and not against that level of formidable opponent. Yeah Ok, we'll take out the first 5 minutes.It felt like all the elements of our game we've been performing individually and sporadically, finally came together as one and predominantly for the duration. Was it flawless? Absolutely not and it probably never will be as perfection is an unrealistic expectation and an all but unobtainable dream. But roll that out week in week out and… hello September!To be fair and for balance though, and in accordance with our former coach's never as good or as bad as it seems policy, the Giants didn't seem at their spectacular best. They were without Josh Kelly, Brent Daniels and Stephen Coniglio, arguably their three best prime movers. However, that is where the balance ends.Whichever way you look at the game, it's all about us. Luke Jackson could have been forgiven for having an off day but he did the absolute opposite. He's been railroaded all week by media and opposing coaches and players and he answered it all by sending an emphatic message about where he wants to be.With the acknowledgement that the ruck is Jackson's best position, where does it leave team JackArce? Did Sean Darcy's problems just get added to? And can we talk about Shai? Or as opponents refer to him as thunder Boltons and lightning. very very frightening! 24 disposals, 12 contested, 8 marks, 417 metres gained and 3 goals 3 from 86% time on ground. Did we contemplate the enormity of what he would deliver in the midfield? We paid unders for him!Elsewhere it was both exciting and encouraging to see Neil Erasmus making some highly positive steps in the right direction, often at times looking like he belonged. And while the sample size is small and we might be going the early call, Cooper Simpson is now best 22. His ball use is heavenly! We'll cross the Brandon Walker bridge when we get to it. We'd be lying to ourselves if we thought we'd put in that level of performance, save our season and give the coach some deserved breathing space in that game against the Giants on their home deck. In fact, we were getting to the point of disbelief that we had such a display in us. However, as joyous and as fulfilling as that whole performance was, this isn't out first rodeo. It feels like we've seen this movie more often than we care to acknowledge and as recent as a couple of weeks ago. So, once again we temper our celebrations and tread with caution because, regardless of results, if we don't regularly deliver that same effort, intensity, ball movement and cohesion going forward, then Saturday counts for very little. However, the path to power isn't a journey of straight forward steps. As long as the trajectory is on positive trend, we can wear the acceptable range of effort backed volatility. Enough of the philosophising and hypothesising! We'll bring the grounding and the balance on the pod but, for just a few moments, let's get the watermelons under the arms, walk up a strut, chests out, breasts out and say how good are we going! We don't win in thatSend us a textSupport the show

Any chance a few of the forwards might get on board the Moose caboose? Time to Restump Podcast the emotional roller-coaster Friday night ride, resulting in a loss to the powerful premiership favourite Pies. Collingwood are deservedly premiership favourites so there is some level of merit in Freo's Friday night performance. However, we just can't do honourable losses any more. While the 14-point margin suggests a closely fought contest, the reality is Freo should have handed out a six-goal belting. How are we so talented in finding unique ways of avoiding victory! What are we playing dodgeball with winning? I mean it is almost impossible to lose a game of football when you clock up near on 30 more inside 50s than your opponents. You hate to think it but… only our beloved Dockers could manage that. The issues aren't exclusive to one area or positional group pf players but, while the forwards didn't exactly help themselves, the delivery to them was atrocious. We strangely went in with a host of talls and it seemingly inspired the mids to sit the ball on their heads! If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought we subbed Blake Acres back in for a game. It literally got to a point where you thought Uber could have delivered the ball more efficiently!I mean we won the centre clearances 21 to 7 which is an absolute smashing! We tripled their centre clearances; we doubled their inside 50s and we yet somehow find just one more scoring shot and lose by a couple of goals. Don't tell me that wouldn't stump the Myth Busters crew!Unable to get the balance right between fast and painfully frustratingly slow play was never going to end well and, again, while the forwards did little to help themselves out, often all going up for the same ball, imagine trying to lead when you don't know what the mids and ball carriers are going to do. In fact, I don't even know if the mids and ball carriers new what they were going to do.It shouldn't have to be applauded but it was comforting to see that, while not at levels we saw against the Crows, the energy and intent was there. However, the turnovers wiped us out and the inability at times to hit simple kicks and handballs when under little to no pressure, continued to destroy us.  Some have suggested the performance was subpar given the Pies rested Pendlebury, De‘Goey, Maynard and Mihocek. But let's not forget Jamie Elliot, Steele Sidebottom, Jack Crisp, Will Hoskin-Elliot and Jeremy Howe were all there. Add Dan Houston, Tim Membrey and Darcy Moore and they pretty much had eight 200 gamers. We're not throwing the towel in because we're only a game and % off the final eight pace. But at the moment, in our current form or lack thereof, a game and % feels like we're a fair way back. AFL logic suggests JL needs a miracle from here to keep his gig going into 2026, but does laying the entirety of the blame on him give the players a free pass? Could a few do with an incentivizing stint back at Peel? Couldn't hurt to send an actual message. We've prattled on here long enough and we're getting nowhere! If you're still a little baffled about Friday night's performance, you're not on your Pat Malone. So, in your Freo fog and your cloud of confusion, bang on your tumultuous togs and join us in the purple pod pool of perplexity. Together we'll all battle through the bewilderment in search of some balance.Send us a textSupport the show

We may be in transplant territory because there are too many pieces of our shattered purple hearts for another band-aid to hold it all together. Time to somehow Restump Podcast that depressing and demoralising Docker performance.In the context of when being in possession of supposed competent and talented lists, it was as incomprehensible a performance as we have ever delivered in our 30+ year history. There is no sugar coating it, spinning it or dismissing it, you simply can't imagine how it could get worse. In fact, you can't even take that ironic positive because, in the most unfathomable manner, we continue to find ways of lowering the bar.We take two steps forward; we take two steps back! What are we a team of Paula Abduls? Framing every second week as redemption round isn't sustainable or conducive to progress. There is something fundamentally wrong at the club that no one seems to be able to definitively put their finger on. But on the back of expectation and a specific strategic plan conveyed by the club, fans and members understandably are outraged and, reactionary or otherwise, have coach Justin Longmuir in the gun. Neesham, Drum, Connolly, Harvey and now Longmuir. We've been in the competition for 30 years and the cause of every crisis has apparently been the coach. How's that worked out for us?There is no doubt Justin Longmuir now finds himself under a level of pressure few could ever conceive but, after such a performance there shouldn't be anyone at the club not looking inward. However, while emotions run high, it would be remiss of everyone to not remember Damian Hardwick being under comparable pressure in 2016. After being in the top job at Tigerland for 7 years, the Tiges finished 13th with 8 wins and that came off the back of an elimination final loss the previous year. It had Richmond fans, members and the media calling for his head. The board responded by backing in their process and they double downed on Hardwick. We all know what happened over the next 4 years. Are the two situations comparable? Those who have made up their mind on JL will say no, and that is their prerogative. Whether we like to acknowledge it or not, us fans are victims of the overrating of our list at the time by the Fremantle administration. They were far too optimistic with their projections with such a young side, which remains the case. In 2022 we had an average age list of 24.1 years. Four years later we have an average age list of 24.5 years. However, despite the reality, it's an emotional game and many fans, irrational or otherwise, now don't contemplate reasoning other than the coach is entirely to blame. And that is understandable given the Fremantle football club put it all out there in 2022. We preach accountability, don't we? It will be interesting and very telling, how Simon Garlic handles this situation.Everything about footy is subjective. The validity of our opinions today is determined only by time.Does any of this ease the onset depression we're all suffering from Friday night? Probably not. No stranger to adversary, but the club is in a deeper hole than it usually finds itself in. The problem is the only way out is to climb a ladder! We don't know where we go from here, but if our venting and ranting provides some type of vicarious frustration outlet on the pod… you're welcome. Send us a textSupport the show

Rock paper scissors, the universally utilized tool that has decided the course of action for the world's most complex problems for generations. Time to Restump Podcast the meeting of old friends, now Saintly foes at Marvel.We'll get to the changes this week but, first and foremost, they are absolutely irrelevant. All we need to concentrate on is that we pick up this Friday night from where we left off last Friday night. If we bring that same level of effort, that desire and intensity, the Saints will need a prayer. However, while that may be the case, we're still thrilled to get Luke Jackson back in the team, lining up alongside and synchronizing with Sean Darcy, to once again relaunch team “JackArce.” Should we spare a thought for poor Rowan Marshall? He could be in for one hell of a day.Unfortunately, we can't fit 24 players into 23 positions, so the very unlucky Oscar McDonald has had to make way.  On the Saints side of the ledger, we see young West Aussie and Claremont kid Hugh Boxshall, getting the call up to make his debut. We wish him well, but not too well.We lock horns with our beloved former coach Rosco Lyon once again, but there is no time for emotional sentiment or pleasantries! We simply need to focus, put on our game faces and, if we're running past the Saints dugout, probably our ear muffs after the hearing impairment suffered by poor Hugo Garcia last week!  There are no crisis meetings, robust conversations and interventions required at Cockburn! The poor downtrodden West Coast chaps have fallen off the cliff and into the abyss. Does that mean it's time for the Chief to churn out another supportive Neighbourhood Watch chapter? Let's hope not!And speaking of things we hope aren't there, but are, the Restump Investment Club is gathering steam. The weekly multis and term deposit bets are in once more.Two Friday night big stages in a row! It must be some sort of record for us? We made the most of last week but it'll count for absolutely Bo Didley if we revisit old but recent habits, tomorrow night. Not exactly long until bouncedown but if you haven't got paint to watch dry, grass to watch grow or a messy sock drawer to tidy, feel free to waste 30 plus minutes with us on the pod. Send us a textSupport the show

Was it the ANZAC spirit? Was it JL's expletive ladened spray or did the penny finally drop? Whatever the case, we need to back Friday's superb win up with more of the same. Time to Restump Podcast the season turning stoning of the Crows.It was a magnificent ANZAC Day, a victory you had to be thrilled by. However, mixed emotions are understandable. Where has that effort and intensity been? What we delivered on Friday night against a talented Crow's outfit would have beaten Sydney and Melbourne and made a game of it against Geelong. We should be at a minimum 6 wins and 1 loss and sitting equal top on points. However, let's ease up on the negative. We're not West Coast Eagle supporters, so we don't live in the past. We enjoy the now and hope Friday was the beginning of fulfilling our season's hopes.From the first bounce we were well and truly on! We made the Crow's life extremely difficult being very stingy with any space, rarely allowing them a possession without pressure. It was a sight for sore purple eyes!It felt a well-oiled Freo machine had turned up and clicked into gear and when Josh Treacy got on the end of that one step, upright splitting, 55 metre bomb early on, you nodded in acknowledgement and thought this might be our night.Shai Bolton tore them to bits; Freddy found his mojo and even former defender turned part time ruck and forward, Oscar, got in the party. Switta's numbers were not huge unless you look at the pressure acts column where there was a big fat game high 24. The mids were as good as we all know they can be. Andy Brayshaw isn't human. 86% game time as a mid… and he has ten touches in the final quarter! Caleb with his 10 clearances and ridiculously hardworking 15 ground ball gets and then Youngy glides around delivering his silver service. The criticisms of Matty Johnson were overdone. Sure, he made a few errors but he's obviously been instructed to back himself in and go and his positives substantially outweighed his negatives.But down back was where it was at. Tex Walker and Riley Tilthorpe are vital cogs in the high scoring Crow's wheel and keeping them under control was going to be the difference. Hats off to the defensive collective but particular Brennan Cox for his work on Tilthorpe and Captain Pearce for Walker.The last quarter could have gotten a bit shaky but it wasn't through a lack of effort and a dropping of intensity on our part. We simply didn't take our chances as we kicked 5 points. Having run out comfortable winners, we can live with that.But it all means nothing if we don't bring that same bag now on a weekly basis. We've been in this exact position previously; we've seen this movie before! So, we're not out of the woods just yet, but if was a pretty good place to start the exit.Enough of the appetizing written stuff, lets go for the verbal main course and continue the Crow banquet. If you haven't had a full celebratory feed and you've got room for some more, by all means put on your elastic waist purple pants and join the Freo feast on the pod. Send us a textSupport the show

Sometimes you have to abandon decorum and just let go with a frenzy of f-bombs! Did the message get through? Time to Restump Podcast the cancelling of the Crow show. Is JL fed up? Has he snapped or has the gravity of the situation and the panic set in? While we all don't know what happens behind closed doors, a public expletive riddled outburst seems uncharacteristic, albeit justified. Will it shock the players into gear? Time will tell.So, once again we find ourselves in the familiar position of atonement. But this Crows outfit isn't exactly an opponent easy to make amends on. And what if we do right last week's wrongs? We've seen this movie many times before, so it becomes as much about subsequent weeks as it does Friday night. However, let's concentrate on the now. With Darcy Fogarty out of the Crow's line up it makes it a more appealing contest for us but they have plenty of scoring power to cover for him. While we've indicated we'll be more focused on tightening up on our defence, we're going to need to make good on that. The Crows are averaging 108 points a game with Walker, Tilthorpe, Rankine, Rachele and Keys all regularly hitting the scoreboard.There is an anomaly in there though, the 161 points against Essendon skews the average a touch and they have softened the last 3 weeks kicking down to 80 points a game. But you just can't overlook their firepower, knowing how poor defensively we have been. At the same time, however, they're letting in 82 points a game so you can score against them.So, our defensive focus aside, this is effectively two handy scoring teams but with defensive deficiencies. Adelaide are 1st in offence and we're 5th although that may have something to do with us playing West Coast, Richmond and Melbourne so far. Adelaide are 9th in defence, we're 11th. James Aish, Jaegar  O'Meara and Bailey Banfield have felt the axe while Chappy returns who we drastically missed last week. Corey Wagner rightfully gets a recall and after getting a ton of it in the WAFL, Quinton Narkle finally gets to make his debut. The Chief isn't copping the accusations we upset the Footy Gods last week and Jojo is hiding out at Rottnest! The Restump Financial Hole Digging is getting bigger but that isn't a reason to stop throwing good money after bad! It kind of feels like we have arrived at a line in the sand occasion with this game. And there's no better time to meet such a challenge than on Anzac Day. We've got a very tough, what you imagine will not only be season defining but coach deciding 6 weeks ahead. For so many reasons we simply cannot deliver another less than acceptable performance.About 24 hours until bouncedown… do you really want to waste one of them listening to our noise?Send us a textSupport the show

It really hurts us to say it, but they have broken our trust. What's that line about being able to place more trust in curried egg sandwiches from the petrol station? Time to Restump Podcast Saturday's purple heart break. A vital component in the building of trust is consistency. Without it, by its very nature, trust cannot exist. Yet, ironically the only area of consistency we can trust the Freo Dockers in, is inconsistency. Once again, Freo has fooled many of us on the back of what we knew and acknowledged were soft victories. How did we think the consistent, less than substandard performances were behind us? Prior to Saturday we stated how poor our defensive efforts have been, and have been against the least offensive teams! Yet even so we could not fathom being unable to convincingly beat the Dees. Are we overrating the list? Do we have a team of talented players that do not comprise a genuinely talented team? Or is the list still not ready or equipped to handle the relentless rigors of AFL football? Yes, Sean Darcy is severely underdone and Heath Chapman's absence hurt us. But they weren't reasons for getting rolled by a zero and five team.  Whatever the case we had 15 players with 80 or more games of experience, 11 of them with beyond 100 games under their belts out there on Saturday. So, there is no excuse for that lack of intent, the unwillingness to compete at the contest or the failure to chase and tackle. They're called non-negotiables for a reason! They're all prerequisites for being on an AFL list.Fresh off signing a long-term deal, you wonder what is going through Andy Brayshaw's head? Next to no one went with him in that final quarter when the game was there to be taken. Caleb Serong was monstered by Jack Viney who was magnificent in his role. Where was the help for him? Did anyone cause Viney any discomfort? Did anyone attempt to block Viney for Serong? The “Sack the Coach” crew have predictably come out of hibernation as its their easy go to answer for everything. But if you think 80+ gamers aren't bringing the basics unless the coach drills it into them, then the problem probably isn't entirely with the coach. And four quarters of the basics wins that game! That been said and to be fair to the coach doubters, Justin Longmuir now inevitably finds himself under immense pressure as another of this type of performance warrants putting everything on the table for questioning. With the ominous fixture ahead, things need to change overnight and for more than a week or two for JL not to be in a more precarious position than he unfortunately is right now.Is it overdue for an actual example to made at the selection table? More often than not, players have seemingly been given the opportunity to respond and rectify a poor performance the following week, and have usually done so. But given the continual sporadic nature of the same poor performances occurring, maybe they've used up all their redemption chances? There has seemingly been a reluctance to cut other than the usual suspects. What did our former coach Rosco say? “Execute one to educate a thousand.”Yes, we will regroup as we always do and we will go again. It is emotionally taxing and it is frustrating, at times excruciating and demoralising. But while we're in for a long and often painful season if Saturday is indicative of what is to sporadically turn up, this is football and Fremantle is our team.This isn't everyone's first grief counselling rodeo. We've all been here more times than we care to recall. So, you know the drill. Join us as we search for answers, for reasoning and for purpose. Let's work through the pain on the pod once more. Send us a textSupport the show

It's JT's constitutional right to bare arms! Time to Restump Podcast the exorcising of the Demons. The Dees are zero and four so, in theory, this shouldn't be a danger game for us. And to be honest, when you look at how mentally and physically depleted they are, even from a superstitiously purple perspective, it kind of isn't.They're horribly out of form, there seems plenty not right internally and they're seemingly dropping players to make confusing statements. They've pretty much just dropped their recognised forward line what appears to be predominantly based on panic. Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Jack Jack Viney in the middle being fed by Max Gawn made you feel a little uneasy yesteryear. But, while they're still highly productive in their own right, they're far from their premiership year selves and they don't seem to have the same on field support network around them. It's leaving the task up to too few. While they have 2026 Fremantle forward Kozzi Pickett out there, they look a touch fragile in the scoring department and with him and defender Steven May under injury clouds all week, their defence might be a tad shaky as well.Is this the dreaded research based arrogant confidence rearing its ugly and unwanted head again? We all know hubris is the downfall of man, but it really is difficult to feel unassured again this week.  That all probably says more about where Melbourne is at, rather than it does about our ability to put them away with ease.On the flip side of Melbourne's woes, we're in pretty decent shape and maybe, to further rub salt into the Dee's wounds, we've brought in Oscar McDonald to face his former Demons. While we're on an upwards trend, we're probably not playing as well as we appear. We're 10th in the league for defence and other than Geelong in round one, we haven't as yet played any team that is top eight for offence. So, while banking the four points is the primary concern, this is an opportunistic game to tune up our system, put some much needed emphasis on tightening up our defence and stack on a few percentage points. The Restump Investment turned Salvage Operation Club is back again. We've unsurprisingly struggled but Jojo has built his term deposit bank to $400. The inevitable fall is getting bigger!If you're looking for a good listen this good Friday, what can we tell you, your GPS coordinates are way off. However, if its 30 life wasting minutes of purple prattle you are after, we've got you covered! So, come right in, bring your ears and make yourselves at home. Send us a textSupport the show

Never reel in or repress the passion, Paddy. We‘ll take measures to mitigate your celebratory risks! Time to Restump Podcast the victory in the Valley. It was a wonderfully picturesque setting, a great festival atmosphere and more importantly an enjoyable victory. It is amazing the difference a win makes and what it adds to a weekend such as Gather Round. Sadly it has been soured by an absurd and selective penalty to Paddy.We'd be lying to ourselves if we thought pre-game the win wasn't essentially a formality. As dangerous as that thinking is, quite simply the Tigers, understandably, just aren't anywhere near it at the moment, but give them a few years and we wont be so dismissive of them. From that perspective it really was a case of us, beyond the 4 points, having little to win and much to lose and maybe that philosophy played its part at times. Our skills early weren't at a level we'd expect or hope, we weren't active enough to compete and win the ground ball and we probably gave the Tigers too much space.Did we make some errors at the selection table? We went in quite tall in deference against a Richmond forward line consisting of many step ladder enthusiasts. The Maurice Rioli's and Steely Greens were too quick and nimble for us early. Did we, knowingly or unknowingly, get away with it because of our opponent and the inevitable result? Seeing Hayden Young wander across the 50 and sink goals was a sight for saw eyes. While we stepped it up last year, goals from midfielders hasn't been something we've excelled at so far this season. Having a beyond fifty metre goal kicking weapon is a vital piece of the puzzle. Welcome back Hayden and please don't get injured ever again! By all reports, thankfully Sean Darcy got through unscathed but he was blowing up a long way from home. Again, was it a mistake not playing Reidy? But then we don't get Vossy's team and fan lifting enthusiasm as he would have probably made way for Reidy. Karl Worner deserves a bit of a mention for what was his career best game. He'd been a bit shaky with possession in recent weeks a but made every post a winner on Sunday going at about 90% efficiency. Good to see rookie listed players scrap and fight for their position and succeed.Is there a competition developing between Murphy Reid and Josh Draper for who has the cleanest ground ball hands at Freo? For his size, Draper is doing remarkable things.It's pretty exciting seeing what Shai Bolton is and going to bring us. It isn't surprising but it is nice to see him deliver it. His midfield minutes are as valuable as what he's doing up forward. Josh Treacy is going from strength to strength, Vossy is creating all sorts of mostly valuable chaos for those near him and Freddy is having a ripper season to date. Sammy Switkowski eased back in with little impact and while things aren't working for Jye Amiss at the minute, it'll come. But he is dragging a good opponent and contributing to the collective.All in all, it was a win to celebrate but not get carried away with. It was a win that just needed to be obtained, banked and moved on from. You get the feeling that was how it was treated and next week against the Dees, while a little different in nature, we should roll out a replica of yesterday. Send us a textSupport the show

Are we getting too far ahead of ourselves to think the only danger may be resisting the infectious party atmosphere of the Barossa Valley for two days? Time to Restump Podcast the Tigger tussle! Arrogant confidence doesn't sit well with us so, considering we're playing in the Barossa Valley, let's call it Dutch courage. Whatever you want to call it, the reality is whichever way you look at, dissect and simply think about Sunday's clash, its difficult to find a way we get beaten.I know, I know, I'll jinx us and tempt fate, but to be honest even with all those factors thrown in, if we can't beat a side consisting of Tiger cubs, what are we even doing?We've recorded the pod prior to final teams being released but as far as squads go, Richmond has 17 players listed that have played under 50 games. We have 7. Right there that pretty much tells you all you need to know. Even if complacency somehow crept in, we'd right it before it was too late, wouldn't we? And that's not being deliberately disrespectful to the Tiges, its just that that is where the two teams are at. Welcoming back Sean Darcy and Hayden Young just makes you take a comforting sigh. They, along with Sammy Switkowski, have been gigantic outs and their absence has had substantial negative ramifications on how we've played as a team. Dear God, Universe, Source… whatever…. please allow them to remain injury free. In other news, with Geelong's Bailey Smith flipping a fan the double birds, the question needs to be asked. Should Harley Reid be fined for incitement and the normalising of poor behavior? As predicted, the Restump Investment Club has rapidly transitioned into a savage operation. However, lack of ability has never proven a hurdle to continue trying so the weekly muti and term deposit bets are back. Sunday morning, we eat Tiger meat on toast for brunch at 10.35am. But before then, if you're looking to waste 40 minutes of your life then feel free to throw it away with us guessing, investigating, estimating, hypothesizing about our rumble against Richmond. Send us a textSupport the show

Not sure how he causes opponents nightmares. You wouldn't be able to sleep once you find out you're playing on Freddy! Time to Restump Podcast Freo's kenneling of the Dogs.It has come at a cost but it was the test we needed and one we passed. Sure, we've got plenty of work to do because we can't rely on scoreboard efficiency and Alex Pearce final quarter heroics every week, but line up our first four matches and you can see the improving trendline. The defensive unit returned to that cohesive, well-oiled and supportive collective. Yes, Sam Darcy was almost unstoppable, but it was simply his ridiculous ability and sometimes you just have to tip your hat and acknowledge a performance. Luke Ryan was back to his much-needed best, Heath Chapman went up a gear or two, we saw continual growth in Josh Draper and some Brennan Cox form that had been absent so far this year. Alex Pearce was absurdly good especially in that final quarter, Clarky continues doing Clarky things and both Worner and Wagner complimented the group seamlessly. They were all under extreme pressure in that final term and obviously held firm.Its probably safe to say if there were any Caleb Serong and or Andy Brayshaw cobwebs or rust, it has well and truly been removed. Oxymoronic it may sound, but they were typically phenomenal. It is going to be difficult to not entertain the co-captains arrangement when the time comes.Is there anyone still in the ‘critical of Luke Jackson's recruitment' camp? If so, what are you doing with your life? His influence and importance is undeniable and the last thing we needed was a pinging of his hamstring. On the wings, albeit a tad wayward at times, O'Driscoll was impactful and Jeremy Sharp's rejuvenation was welcomed. We only hope Disco's ankle isn't a long termer. Up forward we're seeing a dominant Josh Treacy, a building Bolton, a devastatingly exciting Dudley and a Freddy that is making opponent's heads spin. Jye is getting there but doing some hard Yaka, Paddy Voss has a physical presence with room for improvement and workhorse Bailey Banfield is meaningfully contributing. But beyond all that we're getting better synergy and connection. They're working as a unit much more efficiently than they have previously this year, and without that, the dogs beat us.If there is one overriding strategy that coach Justin Longmuir should have in big black bold letters on the whiteboard each week, it would read – ‘Get the ball in Murphy's hands.' It is absurd to think that isn't an exaggeration especially when you know he's 18 years of age and played 4 games. His final involvement yesterday defeating two opponents to get the ball out of bounds and then kick the sealer…  call the cops, he's under age and can't be doing those type of things already! We've got the season back on track at 2 and 2. We're off to Gather Round to play the Tigers in the Barossa Valley and then the Dees at the MCG. They're both more than winnable matches that we just simply have to get done. But before then, enough of the purple-tinged rose-coloured celebratory musings here! There's too much more to discuss so pour yourself a pint, pull up a pew, put up your pegs, press play and partake in the pleasing four-point party on the pod. Send us a textSupport the show

Andy Brayshaw to notch up 150 games in almost even time. He's more resilient than Rory Lobb's hair dresser. Time to Restump Podcast the Dockers and the Dogs.The magnificent Andrew Brayshaw brings up game number 150 on Sunday and he's done in ridiculously quick time. He's played 149 of a possible 156 since his debut, which is remarkable considering thee combative role he plays and how hard at it he is. And had Andrew Gaff decided to be a good citizen and not a thug, Andy would have played 152 of 156 games.  His durability, resilience, his ability to play at a high-level carrying injury and his consistent form are rare traits. Add those to his leadership qualities, and you couldn't think he won't and shouldn't be Freo's next captain.But individual accolades and milestones aside, we've got a game to win against the Dogs on Sunday and it starts with getting the distraction out of the way. For whatever reason, Rory Lobb has shaved and coloured a lobster into the back of his head. In a round-a-bout way you can't help but give Lobby a nod of acknowledgment. He's took all the Lobster stuff last year in good humour, he's found his feet as a defender, he's pretty valuable to the dogs in that position and yet he hams it up and doesn't seem to take life too seriously. That said, hopefully he has a nightmare of a match on Sunday.This game is a tricky one and its extremely difficult to draw a bankable form line through either team. An injury depleted Dogs beat North Melbourne, lost to Collingwood and beat Carlton by a point. An injury depleted Dockers lost horribly to Geelong, brought intensity and effort but didn't play that well against Sydney and then probably didn't play too much better but put away a hapless West Coast.It's confusing because we know we're better than what we're showing, but even after last week you could suggest we're playing well below that. Add that to fact we've barely beaten a top eight side in our last 26 games and, to be honest, anyone's guess is as good as anyone's. So hey, don't look at us for guidance!The second week of the Restump Podcast Investment Club is in and while the multi's fell a leg short last week, the term deposit bets are off and running. Could these shenanigans last longer than the two weeks we predicted? Probably not but hey… its only money!Despite winning last week, this is a must win game. If we're 1 and 3 heading into Gather round, followed by an away game at the MCG, life will get a lot tougher than it is right now. C'mon Freo, the time is now, let's kennel the dogs, crack the Lobster and pick up the 4 much needed points and get our season back on track.A quick pod is a good pod apparently so wrap your purple laughing gear around these 30 minutes if you're looking to chew up some time between now and Sunday.Send us a textSupport the show

Murphy Reid could be the first dual purple role citizenship recipient. We haven't seen skills and smarts like that since David Mundy got the tap on the shoulder! Time to Restump Podcast the brushing aside of the Eagles.We celebrate the win and welcome the four points but we left a lot score out there and the questionable skills remained on display. You get the feeling that while it was enjoyable, after the dust settled, it was more of a relief than it was a thumping return to form.The return to form of Caleb Serong was a sight to behold, but to be honest, there was no reason why he shouldn't have against such opposition. And right there lies the mixed feelings when reviewing and assessing Sunday. You want be thrilled and elated by a win, but after the first two weeks Sunday's performance had to be about method and process rather than score. Had we lost that game, the season was over but despite our form in rounds one and two, what West Coast were able to serve up and where they're at as a club, the result was pretty much a formality. But you can only take out of it what was served up. Yes, we saw the Caleb Serong and Andy Brayshaw we have come to know and love so well. Luke Jackson put in a staggeringly good performance, Jai Amiss found some footy and space between the big sticks, the Captain ensured Oscar remained in his trash can, we got to enjoy Izzy Dudley's polished debut and, amongst some extremely ordinary ball use, we got to see some super smarts and some silk in the form of Murphy Reid. So, we take the positives and a measured approach to the value and the meaningfulness of the victory. Maybe not as pronounced and maybe there has been some improvement, but the reality is you couldn't watch that game and not understand how poor west coast eagles are and you surely can't think the issues from round one and two have evaporated. We've obviously got plenty of work to do but the four points on Sunday gave a shot of life to our season. The Bulldogs next week will be a formidable opponent and it will tell us where we are and what to make of yesterday.Jojo took umbrage at the AFL's pathetic post-game AI generated image so we'll see what his beef is about. And the Chief is disappointed at the lack of support for Caleb Serong and the lackluster retaliatory effort after Harley's Reid's cheap shot.We love and cherish a derby victory and we hope it has delivered some much-needed confidence for the team. Is it the embryonic stage of trend change? That remains to be seen.So, grab your microscopes, put on your lab coat, bang on the safety goggles and come with us as we put yesterday under the Bunsen burner. We'll further dissect our first win of the season to find and celebrate the positives while trying to find the missing ball use formula. Send us a textSupport the show

We don't advocate for or condone any form of violence. That's why only air rifles should be permitted. Time to Restump Podcast the upcoming bird cull.Nothing says setting the right example and raising the standards like encouraging your fan base to collectively perform childish gestures. There is support of your player and there is arrogant entitlement.There is no tomorrow for us if we somehow find a way to lose on Sunday. Six times in our history we have kicked off the season zero and three and the closest we've finished in any of those occasions is 11th. Is the overlooking of Liam Reidy a bit puzzling? It would seem the appropriate occasion to provide him with some more exposure and development, considering he wouldn't exactly be up against one of the premier ruckman in the competition.  The retention of Neil Erasmus is a positive as it provides him the exposure and opportunity to improve his craft, something Reidy could have benefitted from.Izzy Dudley makes his debut which is exciting and thankfully he wont be the sub. Jye Amiss notches up 50 games, looking to find some form with the help of his forward colleagues, and the whipping boy Bailey Banfield takes to the field to turn out a well deserved 100 games.For those who don't mind a sneaky wager, we've started the Restump Investment Club. We're starting with a bank and seeing what we can turn it into with a mixture of high and not so high risk wagers on the weekend's footy.  There are many ways to the poor house and the Restump Investment Club may well be the quickest, so it's definitely not financial advice.It's all on the line Sunday. We just have to win and win we will. Positive affirmation and visualization because we can't contemplate the alternative. A quick game's a good game so join us for this short 30 minute Sunday semi-preview. The Restump Pod might disappear off the earth if the unthinkable happens.Send us a textSupport the show

Are we tapped out? Do we have any emotional investment currency left to continue the deposits in the purple bank? Time to try and Restump Podcast the shattered pieces of Sunday's spectacle against the Swans.Well, that wasn't the most pleasant Sunday arvo we've ever had! It's difficult to think we put in that sort of performance, and not only on the back of last week against Geelong, but we had the Cold Play song! Cold Play indeed. Did the wrong people get the wrong messages.Ugly is in the eyes of the beholder, but winning ugly and losing ugly are poles apart. The ability to win ugly is the sign of a good team, whereas losing ugly, like we did last week against Geelong and for much of Sunday's game, tells a completely different and worrying story.It's not the losing that has Freo fans outraged. We can deal with loss standing on our heads. No one can endure the hardships of losing like we can. But there's losing and there's losing. It is the way we're losing that has gutted us. Something is missing and it feels psychological, possibly communicative. There is a loss of the connection and cohesion we saw often last year. There is little fluency in our play, there appears a self-preservation aspect at times and, while unintentional, there seems some dismissiveness about our form and results in the pressers and interviews. Maybe repetition breeds unwitting complacency?Suggesting calm because it's only round two is a little ignorant. For a team who is now at a stage all us fans and the club believe it is, “its only round two” is a damaging excuse of the past. And hanging our hat on the fact that we, unlike last week, brought intensity this week... I'm sorry, but that actually should be a prerequisite for every player, in every single team, in every single game, and not something to be praised for.To be brutally honest, the scoreboard flattered us at 1/4 time. Will Hayward kicked two behinds and Tom Papley kicked one. We were competitive but by no means did we have a genuine four goal lead. The spectacle was such that had we fallen over the line to win, the same questions and fears would be there, albeit with a sigh of four-point relief. We don't have a hard edge, an ability to dig in and wrench back momentum and then we don't have the capacity to put teams to the sword when we do have the ascendency. To give us some sort of reasoning for the performance, I'd like to make a point that we were up against last year's grand finalists. But against us on Sunday there was no Errol Gulden, Callum Mills, Robbie Fox, Luke Parker, Justin McInerny, Harry Cunningham or Logan McDonald. Admittedly we have a few important outs but weight of numbers tells a story. We've obviously got some serious issues that require sorting out and rectifying in rapid time. Last year 13 wins were required to make the finals and 15 wins were needed to finish top four. We've now got two less games to get it done, if we're to play in September. To try and end on a positive note, Jaegar O'Meara did a pretty handy job on Isaac Heeney and has started the year in very good fashion. Josh Treacy is doing everything he can, even if he ended up in the ruck. And if we want the ball being handled cleanly and efficiently and delivered on a silver platter, get it to Murphy Reid. Lastly, give us a Chad Warner over a Shai Bolton and Kozzy Pickett every day of the week, although we'll gladly have them all.Well, we want to put this behind us as soon as we can but we can't move on until we've worked through the grief counselling. Let us once again, start the healing. So, if you haven't buried Sunday and blocked it from your consciousness, join us on the therapeutic pod as we try to clear out the negative eSend us a textSupport the show

It's official, Murphy has taken the number one Reid position in WA. Time to somehow Restump Podcast whatever that demoralising display was on Saturday. A tale of two reads… ReidsHas there been a more soul-destroying performance from our Freo boys? Admittedly there are plenty to choose from over our 30+ year history but this one might top the list.You can scream game plan, structure, process, player talent, coach and yeah they all contributed. But if you turn up to round one mentally absent, nothing of the former will make any difference. The question is how? How, in one of our most important seasons in some time, did we turn up to round one switched off? Where was the willingness to work, to put in, to apply pressure, lay tackles? Ending the first quarter minus 15 tackles across the board and minus 10 tackles in our forward fifty is all attitude and it set the disappointing tone for the day.Yes, there was a substantial crew out but we had more than enough talent on the park to even just be more than mildly competitive. Winning the game was a little optimistic but a near on 15 goal belting is and was inconceivable and unacceptable. If this type of round one performance had of occurred in 2023 or 2024, you'd be shattered, but a little more willing to rule a line through it and move on. And while that is what we'll all inevitably do, with the position the club is now at, the preseason they had, and the expectations they have conveyed, it's a little difficult to simply say “it's just round one” and move on. These types of performances aren't conducive to a team that believes they're on the cusp of success. Given it was blatantly evident the mindset of the collective was distant and not necessarily on the task at hand, it is difficult to comprehend or articulate accurate reasons why. Is it the messaging? A lack of true motivational influence? Are there no consequences for poor performance?From 16 away round one games in our history, we've lost 12 of them. However, Saturday was our second worst defeat in opening round. Is there something in that to shed some fraction of light on the deep reasons for the incomprehensible performance? Probably not.But for the moment and to give us all a break from the depression, let's not gloss over the remarkable feat from Murphy Reid. It was a stunning highlight on a dark day but to see a debutant do that… we've got an exceptional one there.For such an unanticipated and inexplicable performance, we don't have the answers. However, that doesn't mean we can't throw around preposterous points of passionate perception for personal placidity. Anything short of an appropriate response next week is unacceptable. It is after all round one and we will all move on. (See, I told you we'd all inevitably get there)So, while we offer no enlightenment, feel welcome to therapeutically vent with us as we try to make some semblance of sense about Saturday, to save what little sanity we have left.Send us a textSupport the show

A brown paper bag cannot be passed under to he who has no table. Time to Restump Podcast our round one clash against the hard working, cost-of-living crisis fighting, dually employed Catters.  It's been a brutal preseason and we're probably not in as good a shape heading into round one as we had all hoped. Have to say it feels we're a little undermanned heading down to the cattery without Sean Darcy, Nat Fyfe, Hayden Young, Michael Walters, Sammy Sturt and Shai Bolton and it's made what was already a difficult task, substantially tougher. But it's time to focus on who is there to get the job done rather than who isn't!  One man who will be looking forward to skinning a cat is debutant Murphy "Bruce" Reid and you get the feeling the smooth moving, good ball using, sharp thinking, smart decision making, Freo loving, Western Australian adopted youngster isn't suiting up because of the above-mentioned outs. Bruce has made every post a winner since arriving at the club and he made it impossible to be left out of round one. Let's hope Mr and Mrs Reid have come around to the purple way of life!  The interesting but also understandable omission is the sporadically played Neil Erasmus.  Admittedly he hasn't set the world alight and he didn't exactly do his selection prospects any favours in the recent scratchy against Melbourne, but with so many mids out maybe he could have benefited from some exposure and opportunity.  Whatever the case when you take a look at the side the cats are putting on the park, it's an ominous assignment. There aren't too many, if any, weaknesses in their line up and year in year out they seem to find a way regardless of their Morris Finance and the like personnel at their disposal.  The drugs policy is once again smack bang in the conversation. Has the AFL become an enabler? Are we now behind the eightball on the issue? We have a chat about it and try to hash out a way forward. Just a thought, but how about we give zero tolerance a go?  The Luke Jackson whispers just won't die. Surely there is zero chance of his departure? Could Chad Warner be on the verge of delaying his trip home and sign on at the Swannies for a well-paid two years?  Plenty to discuss and preview but a quick game is a good game. We'll attempt to keep it short sharp and to the point but guarantees of no wandering, digressing and rambling just cannot be provided.So, if you're looking for some nonsensical noise to make up a few moments before we castrate the cats, you couldn't have turned up at a better time. Purple up and get involved.Send us a textSupport the show

Strategically vanilla and ice in the veins… and no, not that type of ice! We're Fremantle, not a certain other club up the road. Time to Restump Podcast the beginnings of a plentiful and prosperous period.There's an uncomfortableness about going in to a new season with serious confidence as a Fremantle supporter. It just doesn't sit right; it is a difficult feeling to adjust to. Sure, we think we've been confident before at this time of year, but it really has been excitement, passion and hopefulness masquerading as confidence.Yes, famous last words, but this year feels markedly different. There is justifiable genuine confidence. We're going in with actual achievable expectations rather than nervous aspirations. We're in pretty good condition, we're hitting the historical rule of thumb age and experience conducive to deep September action, there is a definite buy in from the player group and our pre-season has been productive and strategically beneficial. Can we win the premiership? Possibly. Would that be the goal? Definitely. Should our expectations align with our goal? Absolutely not. Realistic expectations, from our perspective, should be a minimum of a top six finish, more so a top four and then it is game on from there. Expecting to win the premiership comes with an attached overconfidence and arrogance. They are too ridiculously tough to win and there is too little between the final top four, possible top six teams, whoever they may be, to have such expectations.So, lets get into it and dive a bit deeper into the purple depths. •Andy Brayshaw declaring Fremantle is his home.•JL's contract, that isn't a contract.•Luke Jackson rumours.•What we learned from the preseason. •Youngsters on the up.•Murphy “the more valuable” Reid.•Disco isn't dead, it looks back in a big way.•Darcy and Pearce – is their health a worry?•The Neighbourhood Watch. Is it dead and buried? All those talking points to discuss and we'll find out where Jojo has been and how big is his damaging carbon footprint. We're armed with confidence and enthusiasm but we need to remain measured. It's a fine line between justified anticipation and unhelpful hysteria. So, for the first time in 2025, unfortunately our nonsense is back. If you're desperate enough to plug in and partake, by all means you're most welcome, after you get yourself checked out because you're obviously not well. Season 2025… here we go.  Send us a textSupport the show

Hopefully Jaren was assessed elite in the antagonism and niggle category at the various draft camps! Time to belatedly Restump Podcast the new list additions and catch up on all the latest purple proceedings. So, with the conclusion of the trade period and drafts and our participation in the preseason supplementary selection period netting Quinton Narkle, the Freo folk list looks all but finalised for 2025.  To be honest, maybe it's just us, but, with all due respect to what appears a very handy crew of draftees we recruited, the draft wasn't as interesting or as intriguing this year for us. Don't get me wrong, we're very happy to keep adding to the future, but at Fremantle in this precise point in time, its all about the now.It was always going to be difficult for any draftee to pinch the spotlight after picking up Shai Bolton in the trade period. And even Quinton Narkle coming in to, at the very least, fatten the depth couldn't remove any genuine Bolton focus. That said, we are a lot more excited about Murphy Reid being here than he and his family appeared to be. I don't know if the Murphy family had a dog, but there is a fair chance they had just gotten word that it had died moments before Murph had his name read out! No, of course we're only being ridiculous, he'll be fine and it would have been the paralysing shock of the moment that caused his, let's say subdued, reaction.You have to be happy with the addition of Quinton Narkle, Charlie Nicholls has no doubt been selected with a degree of project prospect in mind and Aiden Riddle appears some sort of replacement pick for us unfortunately losing Maxy Knobel. However, we're more excited about the prospect of the new Carr model pulling into the Cockburn parking lot! We hold a hopeful flame Jaren Carr is more than a chip off the old engine block and that he shares his uncle's values. Are we going to see shades of yesteryear? Is there a new agitator in town?Plenty of other Docker data to get through so, if you're showing summer deficiencies in your purple levels and you need to boost your consumption, we're a short-term synthetic hit right here. We're neither a safe or effective option but hey, we don't enforce listening mandates! You'd think we'd be all out of nonsense just writing this podcast episode blurb, but you'd be mistaken! Unfortunately, there is plenty more absurdity so, if you can't find a better option, feel free to tune in.Support the show

Unfortunately, we subscribe to the adage “You always finish what you start.” So, with the Odd Bods done, we've got the Even Stevens to complete. Time to Restump Podcast part two of the Buy Sell Hold 2024 report.Sometimes you can get caught up in and conflicted by your ideological values. Yes, we believe you should finish what you start, but having completed part one two weeks ago, devoid of reasoning, we've delayed until tomorrow what we could have done yesterday. However, if only our nonsense was worthy, we'd suggest all good things come to those who wait. But while time and tide wait for no one, it does little to stop the inevitable delivery of the mediocre. Thankfully, sewing confusion often serves as a pass generating act of distraction. So, enough of that later!Now that you're bamboozled and suffering a headache, hopefully you've forgotten we're late with the completion of the 2024 Buy Hold Sell report. So, let's get into it. With the list predominantly settled, we've got around twenty even Stevens, many of which write their own report. Is anyone in their right mind really not buying Andy Brayshaw, Hayden Young or Jordan Clark shares? Is Jye Amiss' stock wrongfully depressed after his handy but wayward kicking year? What is Jaegar O'Meara's current valuation? And, for that matter, are Sean Darcy's injuries impacting the financial decisions? Some tricky investment strategies need to be undertaken.There's plenty of other Docker data dropping. The fixtures are out for 2025 containing plenty of purple positives and it must be said we're not displeased the Roos are exiting Tasmania and entering WA.The Bell has rung time on Peter's purple career. In a literal sense Papa Smurf could fill his shoes, but metaphorically speaking and from a professional perspective, Aaron Sandilands's size 18 feet would still leave plenty of room. An astute, often necessarily ruthless, asset at the club will be missed and extremely difficult to replace. All that and way too much more gibberish that no one asked for. So, feel free to join us as we purple up the airwaves and prattle on about our favourite Freo football faction.Support the show

As the dust begins to settle on the purple player peddling period and the list starts to take shape, it's time for the annual bank balance breaking, farm losing, homelessness generating Restump Podcast Buy, Sell, Hold investment strategy report.Some say the annual Buy Sell Hold Restump Podcast report has become a much-anticipated piece of forward financial planning market analysis, not unlike Warren Buffett's annual letter to shareholders at Berkshire Hathaway. Thankfully at the Restump we don't value accountability whatsoever, so we don't have to prove beyond fictional hearsay that some people said anything of a sort. To be brutally honest, if you're not into consistently averaging down and if you're not willing to be a patient bottom drawer investor, its debatable if this report is for you. As we always say at the Restump, there are many ways to the poor house, but our Buy Hold Sell report is probably the quickest route. This year we're splitting the report into two jumper number parts, part one The Odd Bods and part two The Even Stevens. It is a loosely researched report in which we place an investment recommendation on individuals. We ponder questions such as, has Sammy Sturt's persistence paid dividends and what value do we place on his potential upside? In what will surely be his final year, Fyfe is a difficult buy. But does he pull one out of the bag and create one final big value retrieving trade? Is Jimmy Aish at the financial report career crossroads, are buyers and holders going to get opportunity to grow Will Brodie stock and could Oscar McDonald be the bargain buy of the year? So many scenarios, so many unnecessary opinions, so many needless questions and so few right answers. But it is all fun and games until the administrators are appointed, your liabilities are sold like the tradeable commodity they are and the baseball bat wielding debt collectors knock at your door.At the end of the day, it's only money and you can't take it with you when you leave this spinning space rock. So, join us as we throw around a bunch of Arthur Ash in a feeble attempt to compile something with some semblance of a capital growth and income generating Freo financial future fund. Truth be known its probably just an excuse to talk Fremantle Dockers.Support the show

We had to pony up a bit more cheese than we had hoped, but Shai isn't the only one smiling now. Time to Restump Podcast the momentous occasion of the second coming of Bolton.It's been too long between Bolton drinks at Freo. While he may have only managed two games for the purple in 1999, we can't undervalue the work Shai's Dad, Darren, did for Fremantle off the field in 1998!We've struggled to land a true top line forward from many attempts over our thirty-year history, so this is a pretty pivotal moment for the club. It feels like we've taken a substantial step towards the promised land, and without playing a game. It really is starting to feel like we're getting our ducks, or rather docks, in a row. Obviously one player doesn't deliver you success, but at this particular time and in this particular team, Shai Bolton does seem a serious piece of the purple premiership puzzle.  There has been the odd speed bump along the way, but the build has been rather methodical. The draft work has been impressive and, despite the abuse the club has copped at times from fans and media, the list management has been superb. There comes a time when you must pull the trigger, move the chips to middle of the table and go all in. With the window starting to open, landing the versatile Bolton, fulfilling a desperate area of need and, dare we say, putting the finishing touches on the long-term build, is our superbly timed pulling of the trigger. We all know there are no guarantees, there are only efforts. But we've done the hard yards, Lord knows we've done the hard yards, so it is time to release the Kraken, take a genuine run at it, hope for a bit of luck and maybe, just maybe, in the near future, we'll finally get to experience the ultimate success. We all have our thoughts and opinions on Shai Bolton himself and what we coughed up to get him. It now matters not, because the deal is done, and you're kidding yourself if you're not at least even secretly excited about his arrival. We can agree, we can disagree and we can agree to disagree, but don't bite off your nose to spite your face if you're holding a negative position. Don't do yourself a disservice and be that guy! We're potentially entering unchartered waters, you only get to win a first premiership once, you want to live it, you want to be immersed in it, so you want to get on board the Bolton Bandwagon and enjoy every enthralling moment.While not nearly as exciting or entertaining, meanwhile you're free to join us on the pod as we annotate, celebrate and possibly over-exaggerate the often-balletic Bolton. Support the show

In terms of trades over the first five days of trade period... how's the serenity? But we're about to get to the nuts and Boltons of it. Time to Restump Podcast the purple appraisals, possibilities and prognostications.While there has been little movement at the station, it is difficult to believe Shai Bolton won't be lining up in purple in 2025. The very good, potentially over the odds, offer of pick 10 and 18 will suffice once the theatrical Mexican standoff subsides. Are two first rounders overs or tote odds? The overwhelming consensus, which Jojo is a part of, is “pay it and get the deal done.” But some of us, on some level the Chief, tend to lean towards a more play hardball, conservative number.Yes, we're at the pointy end of the build of which a Shai Bolton adds a shedload of upgrade. There isn't a Freo fan in their right mind that can't wait to get him in. But, from a different perspective, possibly a greedy one, I'm more a roll the dice on Bolton and hope he lands for less, go to the draft with one top end pick and trade the third into 2025 ensuring we're in an un-out-biddable position for Chad Warner next year.All we've heard all year and particularly post-season from fans and media is, “we've got more than enough talent to on the list to be challenging now”. While I agree in part, I think they were a year or two short on the now. Can you have it both ways? If you think we have we got enough talent on the list, but then say throw the two first rounders at Bolton, does your Bolton request cancel out your former claim? Personally, given we were probably a Josh Treacy and or Alex Pearce injury away from the top, or near the top four, I'd be willing to risk losing Bolton in favour of going to the draft with one high end pick this year and securing Warner next year. I'm a pick 10 and pick 30, take it or leave it Tiges! But that is just me.  Then again what is too much? If Shai Bolton came in and we secured our maiden premiership in 2025, we've stolen him! If we have a similar season, make the finals, win one and get knocked out… how will we view it? It's a gamble now that only hindsight will eventually tell us the answer. However, having a belief we're potentially paying overs, not necessarily for the player, but for what it may restrict us doing elsewhere, and being super excited to get that same player in, can co-exist. Do we entertain taking on a Baker? And how much dough is that going to cost us? I'd suggest Baker is more your bread-and-butter type player that doesn't add anywhere near enough of an upgrade for what it would cost to bring him in. To be honest, if Freo brought him in it would go against the grain and I doubt they'll contemplate it. However, as West Coast, albeit momentarily, but ironically baked their deal, Baker suddenly became available so, we thought we butter talk about it. It's the yeast we could do! Ok enough of that nonsense… wind it up, it's almost past our bread time!All beliefs and opinions aren't wrong until they are, so we stake our claims, we share our sentiments and live in hope until our nonsense is inevitably disproven and it all comes crashing down. So, if only because too much purple prattle is never enough, while we wait for the imminent Bolton trade to formerly drop, feel free to join us on the podcast for the deep, often off the rails, Docker discussion.Support the show

Watching finals from the side-lines, celebrating award winners and saying goodbye to purple soldiers. This emotional roller coaster can get knotted! Time to Restump Podcast the assortment of sentiment.As Fremantle fans, you'd think we'd be acclimatised to watching September from the side-lines… I mean we've done it 22 times in the last 30 years! But watching the finals this year and knowing how close we were to being a part of it… we've developed an itch that needs a scratch! We need a fix; we need a September transfusion; we need a finals injection to get the purple bloodstream pumping! But we'll bide our time, do the hard yards once again and hope this time next year outcomes will be different. Meanwhile, again at this time of year, we have to undertake the unenviable task of waving goodbye to numerous Docker diehards that dug deep over the duration. We sadly say sayonara and send off soldiers some who never saw any action, all of them devoid of September success.The often unjustly maligned Matty Taberner, the ever-ready Ethan Hughes, the always jovial Josh Corbett, the sky scraping Sebit Kuek and the couldn't quite get there Conrad Williams. All five deserve gratitude, but especially Tabs and Hughesy. They got everything out of themselves, emptied their tanks, they were part of the journey and played vital roles at times. Thanks fellas and enjoy whatever comes next in life.To move to a brighter note we celebrated the Doig medal awards last night. Now it is safe to say it wasn't exactly a short a night and awards weren't rare. And not to diminish the attached prestige to any accolade, but it seemed if you attended the gala and went home without some sort of medal or acknowledgement, you were stiff! But there is a lot to be said for professionalism and attention to detail and it was truly a magnificent night. If only we could be as thorough on the field as we were off it! There were no surprises, Caleb Serong and Andy Brayshaw were always going to deservedly quinella the Doig and it was just a matter of which order. The only shock that could have occurred on the night was if Josh Corbett didn't win the best good bloke award! Never going to happen.Josh Draper won the “stood out like a Beacon for all the right reasons” award. It was great to see, it was thoroughly deserved and we're all pretty excited for him and us going forward.Lukey Ryan won the Mi Casa Property Boutique Award. He got the most wins for metres gained in a single quarter, more than any other player. Don't quote me on it as it hasn't been confirmed... but I think he wins a house, courtesy of the magnificent Mi Casa crew.Awards, delistings, finals, trades… plenty of purple to prattle on about. So, if you're in need of a dose of docker drivel, drag up a davenport, dial in and dwell on our dubious determinations. Enough of the nonsensical alphabet games… let's get into it! Join us in the purple pod pool, the water is warm.Support the show

The day started at 10.30am in WA and at 7pm Sunday evening when it finished, we were flat as tacks and emotionally exhausted. Time to Restump Podcast the season ending loss to Power from Port.We were doing the finals hokey pokey all day! We had one foot in, we had one foot out! As Fremantle fans we're well acclimatized to the seasonal emotional roller coaster, heck we even handle it for 80 consecutive minutes at times… but enduring eight hours on the mental anguish causing metaphoric carnival ride, well that was a new bag.Quite frankly the game mirrored our season. We're good, but we're just not that good yet. We're good, but we can't be good enough for long enough yet. Unfortunately, we couldn't handle the pressure Port consistently applied. The relentless pressure caused us to fumble and double grab everything and it led to perceived pressure which saw us unable to be clean in uncontested situations. We missed simple handballs, simple kicks, simple shots on goal. Three or four times we saw highly damaging two goal turnarounds. We saw no forward pressure. We went -4 in the first quarter and -5 in the 3rd quarter for tackles inside fifty. It ended up 17 to 9 in Port's favour. We saw silly undisciplined acts from Jordan Clark and Liam Reidy that both led to simple Port Adelaide goals. When you've previously lost six games by 13 points or less, we should know better!But all those factors are part of the make up of why we're not that good yet. However, as disheartening as it was to let slip an opportunity that was there for the taking, there is a reluctant comfort there for the taking as well. We're seriously close to challenging. For rounds 22, 23 and 24 there was no Alex Pearce, no Michael Walters, no Sean Darcy and probably most detrimentally no Josh Treacy. Yet in those games we pushed and had chances to beat Geelong, GWS and Port Adelaide, three of the top final four sides. I'm happy to repeat my belief, we're very close!But as we all know, being very close doesn't feed the Bulldog. Getting it done does and we simply couldn't. It hurts like a bugger right now and will do as we watch the September action from the sidelines. But we tidy up a few things, maybe go shopping for a gun or two, come back a year older, a year more experienced and with another pre-season under the collective belt and half those narrow losses might be top four propelling wins. While I'm sure he'd trade it for 8th place on the ladder, Marshy Skates got out of Sunday with the $50 spend at 2 Brothers Foods, taking out the season finale of the Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition. We've only scratched the surface of our healing, so there is much more to work through on the pod. Let's work collectively on our grief, our pain and our anguish. There are questions to be asked, tough calls to be made and break throughs to be had. So, let's all pull up a purple couch, lay back and let the therapeutic conversational healing begin. Support the Show.

It was a legitimate honourable loss, ironically delivered partly by a dishonourable act. We're going to have to hit ole Rosco Lyon and Rory up for favours! Time to Restump Podcast all the purple palaver.Another lethargic start to a game has once again hurt us. We're so close, but we are where we're supposed to be because genuine really good sides don't consistently have lapses or make certain mistakes. But the reality is, we're good enough to challenge, if we simply tidy up a couple of areas.The Giants are a hot side and, as the competition's in form side, should arguably be premiership favourites. They were at full strength, revved up on their home deck and incentivised with a top four spot. Admittedly, we had finals to qualify and play for, but we were on the road and without our best key forward, our lead ruck and our best key defender. The performance was mostly admirable.While few were a bit wide of thee mark, Andy Brayshaw again left no uncertainty surrounding how much of a priority his valuable signature is. Caleb Serong had a monster of a day especially under thee heavy tagging tactics of Toby Bedford and it was magnificent to see Sammy Sturt put in a ripper.Bailey Banfield has copped some unfair criticism at times, but you can't defend his brain snap. To be so undisciplined at such a pivotal moment with so much on the line, is unforgiveable. But Paddy Voss gave away a dumb 50m penalty which, directly or indirectly, however you assess it, resulted in a goal to the Giants. It wrongfully didn't carry the same scrutiny because it wasn't in the final minutes. Jye Amiss missed 2 absolute sodas in the 3rd quarter, put another one out of bounds on the full and also missed Luke Jackson with a simple kick. Brennan Cox was seemingly on another planet on occasions and Jordan Clark and Brandon Walker watched Brent Daniels run amok all day. There are many moments throughout a game that deserve the same frustrated response that Bailey Banfield is suffering. Beyond that, once again the game against Geelong last week and the game against the Giants on Saturday really should have determined whether we made the top four or not, not whether we made the eight. Six games we've lost by 13 points or less and in five of them we were leading at three quarter time. There is a bit more to blame than Bailey Banfield idiotically giving away a 50m penalty.So, its all down to the final three games of the final round of the season for us. With the two games that can partly determine our fate on Sunday prior to our game, we'll know if we can make the eight or not before the first bounce. We need our former coach, Rosco Lyon, to get his Sainters to repeat their effort and result against Carlton which they delivered against Geelong on the weekend. And/or if Rory Lobb can repay some of what he owes us by sandbagging his teammates, allowing the Giants to prevail, then we're in with a live chance. Hawthorn aren't losing to North Melbourne so we can rule a line through that. So, if Carlton and the Dogs both win, its goodbye 2024. If one or either of them lose, its all up to us to turn the Power out. One minute Shai Bolton has requested a trade, next minute, apparently, he hasn't. For that to occur, it means he is surely going to. It is difficult to think he's not going to be in purple next year, but we walk away if the price is overs.Unfortunately, the Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition didn't get up on the weekend, but it will absolutely be running for our final home and away season game. It'll be your final chance to snare a freebie spend at 2 Brothers Foods.Plenty of goings on at the Cockburn club, so bring your opinions and rumours and make them heard. Join us in the purple conversational pool pod, the water is warm. Support the Show.

Are we Reidy for Saturday morning fever? Disco is back! Yes, I know… it couldn't be lamer… but we're trying cut the tension surrounding this game, of which there is virtually no tomorrow! Time to Restump Podcast the stress against GWS.This isn't the position we had envisioned! We had aspirations of a lengthy September; we had no intention of playing a game with potentially no tomorrow in August. Ok to the mathematical letter of the law, its not exactly a no tomorrow proposition, but its as close as we can get without it being one.And now with our season teetering on the edge, to save it we must, without our best forward, our best defender and our lead ruck, come up against a rampaging, pretty much full-strength Giants outfit, spearheaded by the Coleman medal favorite and ex Fremantle full forward.It is ‘backs to the wall' stuff for us purple people! However, looking back at the eleventy squillion times in our history when we've been in similar ‘backs to the wall' situations and seeing them result in a requirement of structural maintenance for the wall, I just can't gather the confidence I was hoping to fill up on. Hope, desire and dreams we've got plenty of, but confidence is a little scarce. But in a roundabout way, it could amount to a situation where the pressure is sort of off and expectations aren't all encompassing, and that can, at times, lead to some favourably unexpected outcomes. Yeah, that sounds more comforting… let's run with that. Pressure is off and play with the freedom!While it probably would have been preferable last week, it's wonderful to see Liam Reidy get a debut. He's deserved a gig and while we can't saddle him with lofty expectations, we can only hope he goes well. We'll even barrack for and celebrate a halving of the contest.And is the insertion of the Disco and the enthusiasm he brings, the shot in the arm the team needs? He's had a really tough year and while we probably thought we would see an O'Driscoll this year, we were thinking Emma rather than Nathan. Tear up the wing Disco, and if you get the opportunity, celebrate your hardest and get the boys on board! Another day, another prospective coach escapes the West Coast Eagles' clutches. It's tragically sad what that once proud, eternally pretentious and ever still arrogant club has become. We reach across the aisle, give them a consoling pat on the back, a “hang in there” whisper and wish them all the best in the Neighbourhood Watch segment.  We're nearing season's end of the Mi Casa Property Boutique meters gained competition, so keep a look out for it on our social media pages sometime Friday, throw in an entry and you might find your way into a free $50 spend at 2 Brothers Foods. Let's get into it on the pod and see if we can find a way in to somehow slaying these menacing Giants. Support the Show.

Three quarter time we're sitting top four with a guaranteed finals campaign locked in. Half an hour later we're clinging on to September for dear life! Time to Restump Podcast the Cat scratching.That season jeopardising last quarter loss to Geelong on Saturday was soul destroying, but to be honest, it probably isn't the game we should be mad about. Admittedly, for whatever reason, we didn't show up for half the first quarter and we again worryingly ran out of legs late in the game, but under the circumstances, we performed pretty admirably against a very formidable outfit.That result was always a chance of happening but we shouldn't have been in the position that such a game carried so much importance. Our frustrations should apply to the early Derby, the Collingwood draw and the loss to Essendon last week. They're the opportunities we let slip that puts us in the precarious position we now find ourselves in.The fact is after quarter time on Saturday we outscored Geelong which was a pretty decent feat. Remove our current best key forward, our current best key defender, our lead ruck and our most experienced and senior small forward, and we're vulnerable against anyone.That isn't giving a pass to the crew that was out there Saturday though, because there is no excuse for mindset. Knowing the unfortunate situation of what was on the line, its difficult to think you couldn't be fired up and ready to unleash at the first bounce.The selection of Matt Taberner seemed an odd one but there are obviously reasons we are unaware of. However, with the inclusion of Paddy Voss at the expense of Josh Treacy and the knowledge that Sean Darcy was doubtful, it's puzzling why you'd go for Taberner in front of Liam Reidy, which was our known possible area of need.  But selection issues and missing guns aside, we had our opportunities to win the match but we butchered several moments. We had no mid forward connection, which is somewhat understandable given the upheaval of our forward line. But frustratingly and most disappointingly, we applied little to no forward pressure as Geelong consistently walked the ball out of defence with the greatest of ease.   As mentioned, it's left us in a very precarious position. The fact we've virtually only beaten one genuine top eight side all year, it tragically feels more likely than not that we miss September, given we have to win one of our two remaining games against the Giants and Port Adelaide. Destiny is in our own hands, but it feels like she's saying stop touching me up and put me down! But we're resilient, glass half full, adversity enduring eternal optimists. We don't know how to do things the easy way! We subscribe to the theory that if you're not dead, you're not done and that's all the chance we need. Congrats to Josie Price on taking out the Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition on the weekend. Jeremy Sharp, who did show up in the first quarter, got the business done for her and Josie now takes off the $100 jackpot from 2 Brothers Foods. Anyway, let's get into the pod and see where the purple prattle goes. We're all doing it tough, we're all a little distraught at the horrible prospect of missing finals so we need to talk it through. Join us if you're looking for a support network, because we do!Support the Show.

It can't have gotten far, it was just with us! Geez, you can't take your eyes of opportunity for a second! It's time to Restump Podcast Sunday's demoralising top 4 departure.Sunday at the MCG felt very historically Fremantle-ish. Destroying pivotal moments and golden opportunities! Just when we had the chance to almost lock down some valuable top four real estate, the Essendon Bomber Bank said, “sorry, we're not financing that” and the deal fell over.It really hurt because it was another game that we've let slip. The two games in South Australia were slightly different bags, but the early West Coast loss and the Collingwood draw had filled our allowable debacle quota. Letting Essendon run us down from four goals behind… is a step too far and could have horrifically dire consequences in relation to September participation.The game was quite deceiving. Our rare accuracy and efficiency were clouding the reality. The fact is, we weren't travelling that well early in the game. Just 10 inside fifties in the first quarter to Essendon's 18 was disguised because we kicked 4 goals 1. We were scoring every second entry, but so were the Bombers who kicked 5 goals 4. Did the 9-point quarter time margin not set the alarm bells off?Was there a sense of complacency? Were we out there thinking a mirrored performance from the previous week against the West Coast Eagles would unfold? At half time we'd gone inside 50 two less times than we did in the first quarter, but again we were accurate and efficient kicking 5 goals neat. Compounding our potential complacency was Essendon kicking 1 goal 2… but they went inside 50 fifteen times. If Essendon started scoring, we were in strife.The penny seemed to drop in the third quarter as we got our game going and got it on our terms. Clearances, contested possession, inside fifties all turned in our favour. But for all our dominance we didn't necessarily make the most of it.The final quarter was a disaster. They steam rolled us and, disappointingly, we showed little to no fight. We reverted to the first half form, getting beaten in contested and uncontested possession and they took 16 more marks than us in the final term alone. We made just one centre clearance and that was where the game was lost. It was a game we should have won with the personnel we had but the experienced and steadying hands of Alex Pearce and Sonny Walters at either end of the ground, were noticeably missing. And if those ‘numbers on a page' readers think we don't miss Nat Fyfe… maybe now they'll change their tune. It's a devastating loss and one that may prove fatal in terms of September this year but, bigger picture-wise, let's not forget where we are and where we were this time last year. (15th for those playing at home) We're an exceptionally young side of substantial talent. As far as premiership windows go, ours is only just starting to open.   We've got the Cats, Giants and Port to come in the run to the finals. Those three teams in their current form probably pose the toughest test any side has to endure in these final three weeks. We're only a win and % out of 9th…. we probably need to win two of our last three.Anyway, lets get into it on the pod and break it all down further. So, if you're looking to make sense of it all…. point us in the right direction because so are we! Problems shared are problems halved and you can't solve them without talking about them. Let's start the chit chat. Support the Show.

Someone has some tidying up to do after throwing all the toys out of the cot! To be fair to Harley, he did make it a great entertaining Derby. Time to Restump Podcast the Eagle's grand final loss.It was far from the iconic demolition derby but we saw a return to some highly entertaining derby spite, plenty of antagonism and several subsequent flareups. In this new world of sanitised and scrutinised football, it was probably as close to the great derby era as we're ever going to get.Whatever you think of Harley Reid, he brought enough hostility and created enough friction to turn what have been lifeless, often dispirited, recent derbies into something most of us were thrilled by. The high and mighty finger waggers, will look down their noses, make tut tut sounds, cry 'unnecessary' and self-righteously suggest bigger fish need frying! Let the purists stew in their own joyless existence! The rest of us know thoroughly enjoying the moment and the journey and remaining focused, can all co-exist.It was the win and the game we needed. A 100-point belting wouldn't have helped us from a mindset perspective. We needed the kitchen sink thrown at us, we needed to wear the pressure and be made fight tooth and nail. Admittedly West Coast are in wooden spoon territory but the game was played at a level far above and beyond that. Personally, I'd go as far as to suggest it was up there with our best wins of the season.There was a professionalism about it, about how we assessed it on the run and then went about rectifying it. To endure the heat that West Coast brought, be near on four goals down, click up a gear, take back the ascendency and then put them to the sword, was super impressive and it can only put us in good stead going forward. It shed some light on a few questions that were lingering above our heads. Could we turn a game under extreme duress? Would we be able to insert our game style in the face of that level of pressure? Yes, again it was West Coast and they weren't going to be able to sustain their first half pressure for the full game, but they did a better job at it than we all probably thought they would.Andy Brayshaw is back to his 2022 form and Caleb Serong was just absolutely absurd! His clean ball handling skills are Lachie-Neale-like! And while Hayden Young might be the silky-smooth left foot deliverer, another ridiculous 12 big tackles show he's not afraid to get down and do the hard stuff.Down back the crew continues to perform and now the forward line is entering well oiled machine territory. Josh Draper was rightly recognised with a Rising Star nomination. The mind boggles where he is going to be in a few years! Even our wings look super solid with Sharp and O'Meara. We've become a serious team. There are no heroes or egos, everything is team oriented, team first. Players seem willing to do the hard yards today without personal reward. Consistent individual team orientated based effort across the board, sees everyone have their day, but not necessarily on the same week. The acceptance of that and the willingness to work for the greater cause, is paramount to achieving ultimate success.The Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition failed to go off as Tommy Emmett took the fourth quarter and was shown no love by participants. That means there is a $100 spend at 2 Brothers Foods this week against the Bombers.Enough of this rambling here, lets get into it on the pod as we go through Saturday night's Derby in depth. So, if you're still ginned up and looking to non-violently fight anything clad in blue and gold, put on the purple mitts and join us in throwing metaphorical haymakSupport the Show.

Is it true the West Coast Eagle's coaching position is now being advertised on Gumtree? Time to Restump preview Podcast our retribution seeking Derby. We miss the golden Derby era! It was a time when rivalry really meant something, when flying the colours and playing with club pride were the objectives and the four points was secondary want. However, let's not revive it Saturday night. As we hone in on what should be a final's campaign in a month's time, we need to avoid suspendable situations at all cost. Let's view the AFL tribunal like prospects around the country are viewing the West Coast Eagle's head coaching position – places no one wants to be in!After the deplorable performance we put in against West Coast back in round 6, we do need retribution. But it's a bigger fish to fry, greater good type retributive prospect we should be viewing it as. There is a top 4 position and a double chance on offer and that needs to be the sole focus. And I'm not going to lie, I have some concerns about us getting through the game unscathed. West Coast have suddenly abandoned their “play the kids” policy and brought back a host of veterans. It has “nothing to lose” vibes about it and cheap spiteful acts may be on their strategic whiteboard. Can they goad us into something we don't want to be involved in? We have to fly the flag and back up our teammates, but we have to be retaliatorily measured. They kind of have us at disadvantage, if that is the path they choose.Unfortunately, Sonny Walters has pinged a hammy and will spend time out and we know Alex Pearce is done for four or five weeks. That's a decent amount of experience to go out when you realise their replacements are Tommy Emmett and Josh Draper. In fact, over the four players we show a 343 games and 359 goal deficit.But the reality is, winning on Saturday night is simply mindset, it's intent. If we turn up in the right frame of mind, apply the intensity that we have in recent weeks, the result should take care of itself. If we fail to do that, do we really deserve to play finals?The Mi Casa Property Boutique Metres Gained Competition will be back for the Derby so keep an eye on our social media and throw in an entry. You might score a $50 spend from 2 Brothers Foods. Regarding the result, Brett, or Brent or Brad McDonald or McDonnell is a little too overconfident for my liking but, I guess this episode of the Neighbourhood Watch segment also oozes cautious arrogant optimism.Strategically speaking, it is a little difficult to be meaningful analytical about this upcoming game, so it's a preview pod with more nonsense than the usual amount. So, if you're partial to palaver and pointless prattle, part with a portion of your presence, pull up a pew and plug this 40-minute parcel into your Lords and Peers. By all means. take the plunge and join us in the purple opinion party pool.Support the Show.

A Doig medal, an All Australian, a Simpson medal and lead DJ at Covid Club 150. Time to Restump Podcast Lukey Ryan's 150th in the demolition of the Dees.The defensively versatile Luke Ryan has put together a remarkable 150 games and played them at a ridiculously consistent high-end level. He's been the mainstay, showing incredible durability, playing 150 of a possible 160 games since his debut in 2017, and at 28 years of age, there's another 100+ games in him yet.His services were barely required Sunday as we tore a hapless Melbourne Demons team apart in the middle, softening the reliance on the defensive unit. Without a Max Gawn and a Christian Petracca, there was little to no resistance in the midfield and around the ground at stoppages.While without any doubt we performed superbly, producing a connectivity enabling chains of play we have only dreamt of and been striving for, our lack of an opponent had some say in it. There is something that is just not cricket at Melbourne. We took 21 marks inside 50 and our average prior to the game was 12. A total of 24%, nearly one in every four of our marks were inside 50! That is an insane stat. We usually go around the 12%, or one in 8 or 9 marks inside 50.We went +31 in the clearances when we average +7 all year. Centre clearances we were +9 and we usually go around +2.4 mark.The Dees had a Jack Viney and a Clayton Oliver in there. They rolled Trent Rivers and Tom Sparrow through there. These are far from fringe players so there is plenty of merit in our performance. But you don't put up numbers like we did against these types if there aren't additional underlying issues. Max Gawn and Christian Petracca are influential greats but they weren't that big of a difference. Something is a tad off at Demon land. But we got to play our game and hone our drills. We banked another four points and added 3% which may or may not end up vital. Top 4 is ours if we want it. It was magnificent to see what is now the full-blown arrival of Josh Treacy. Lets remember, while the Dees were off in the middle they still had a Steven May and a Jake Lever. Neither of them caused Treacy any grief.Message sending Sonny Walters was back causing havoc and putting in a complete and well-rounded game. Never write off champions!  I'm willing to bet right now that Andy Brayshaw is a shoe-in for next captain. He's back to his 2022 best, with big moment and game influential acts. If anyone wants that bet, get in touch with me!It was one of those one in all in, same page, individual role playing performances that produces stunning results. The Dees may not have put the pressure on us but its still a win we should take great confidence out of.The injury to the captain is a devastating one and hasn't arrived at the ideal time. He was in scintillating form and leaves shoes impossible to fill. Lets hope the time frame is good news. While we sit in the top 4, we are only a game and a half out of 9th. So, the words 'No Complacency' should be put in bold on the white board down at Cockburn this week, as we head towards the derby!We ran into a few time hurdles so the Mi Casa Property Boutique Metres Gained competition didn't get up last weekend. It'll return for the Derby.It was a thoroughly enjoyable game to watch but it's an interesting game to assess. Ross Lyon's “never as good or as bad” line seems highly appropriate.Anyway, let's get into a bit more depth on the pod and see what noisy nonsense eventuates.Support the Show.

Jet lag? What about the jet leg! Any hope of a few extra first-class business seats, AFL? Time to Restump Podcast the ever-treacherous Tassie trip.There is a reason why 2 wins separate positions 2 and 13 on the ladder. It's that type of remarkable year where the difference between most teams on any given day is negligible. A year, rightly or wrongly, in which the AFL's equalisation endeavour army will be patting themselves on the back.We had the opportunity to almost secure a top 4 finish but couldn't get it done. However, as far as losses go, this one wasn't in the soul destroying, therapy requiring category. It was almost acceptable. I said almost! Ok, maybe understandable is more appropriate than acceptable. But with understanding comes acceptance…  you get the point.Quite simply there was too much Hawk Torque for us. They matched or bettered our intensity and endeavours and, more importantly, they took their chances, whereas we didn't. We had the opportunity to put the game away in the third quarter and it felt like we went all in. +36 poss', +12 contested poss', +8 clearances, +11 marks… we were dominating the so-called ‘premiership quarter.' But for all our dominance, 10 scoring shots to 4 for the quarter, we only outscored Hawthorn by 16 points. The inaccuracy fever re-infected the freo folk with Jye, Vossy, Freddy and Caleb falling victim and it proved fatal.We'd thrown our best punch and in Fast and Furious analogical speak, we mistimed hitting the nitro button.The Hawks took the ascendency in the final term and were beating us at our own game. That said, again we had our chances but the story of the day continued. We failed where it counts most, inaccurately kicking 1 goal 3 to Hawthorn's 5 goals 1.It was a tight, hard fought, defence orientated contest all day and, in God's country, as the final siren drew near, we were left with nothing other than a prayer that went unanswered.The Hawks have now won 8 of their last 10 games, they've won 60 of 80 games at York Park and over the last 7 weeks they're top 4 for centre bounce clearance wins and number one in the league for scoring from them. They're very far from your typical 13th placed team and they deserve credit for what they're doing and for their win over us. We'll get out of Tassie, regroup and reset for the Dees this week. Rabi Rchy is snacking on his 2 Brothers Foods $50 spend after winning the Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition on the weekend. Jye Amiss may have kicked inaccurately, but inaccuracy doesn't compromise metres! On this occasion, the usual therapeutic 50 minutes post-loss is unnecessary. However, some reasoning, some realigning rationale and some sobering sounding sentiments can't hurt, can it? But we're not the gate keepers of public opinion! So, feel free to join us, disagree with us, converse with us and share the ever-emotionally erratic expedition all us Freo folk forever fancy. Support the Show.

A strong leading, pack busting, ground covering, contested mark taking, accurate goal kicking forward! Who here is not shedding a joyful purple tear? Time to Restump Podcast the Tiger taming. Saturday night wasn't our best performance. It is more than fair to say it wasn't polished or pretty…. but we're not on a catwalk in Milan! Sometimes you just have to get the business done and we'll take an ugly four points over a pretty loss every day of the week.The Tigers are 18th on the ladder for a reason. They're in an ‘end of a dynastical era' situation and with a substantial injury and aging list and a new first-time coach, it is understandable they're severely struggling. But there were enough former premiership players in their team on Saturday night, along with a Taranto and a Hopper, to offer up some resistance. On some level they dragged us down to their level, as can be the case.One guy who wasn't entertaining anything other than a top shelf showing, was Josh Treacy. Career best 5 goals, 9 big grabs, almost 500 metres gained, numerous contests and even a stint in the ruck! He is on a ridiculous growth trajectory, so much so, that the re-signing of Logan McDonald with Sydney during the week, barely raised a fleeting interest from us Freo folk. Through his form this year, our 2020 Rookie Draft pick (yes that's right, our rookie pick) has said, “what do you need Logan for?”But he couldn't do it all on his own! As we know everything starts in the middle and there was a future captain in there who was back to his 2022 best. Welcome back, Andy Brayshaw! He's been going superbly, but Saturday night he was back to monster status.The return of Heath Chapman and his contributions and the growth in Matty Johnson is something else. Hayden Young's seemingly now regularity in hitting the scoreboard, Sam Switkowski's high level consistency and a return of Freddy doing Freddy things are all vital parts, the sum of which adds to the reason why we're sitting in the top four.We've grown as a club and become a tighter unit. That Tigers outfit and the occasion, coming off a big win against the Swans, once would have troubled us. In fact, as near as last year it would have caused us some level of trepidation. But there is a dependability about the group now, a belief in desire and effort and a trust in each other. It is showing on the field and in the results.The jackpot went off in the Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition and Russ2468 on twitter took home the $150 spend at 2 Brothers Foods. We rewire, replumb, restump and reset back to $50 this coming week.We're a bit late with the pod this week and, truth be known, we're probably the exception to the ‘better late than never' rule. So, if you haven't moved on to the Hawks game, by all means bung these 50 minutes in your Lords and Peers. It'll cost you an hour of your life, you'll learn nothing and chances are you'd be better off without it but is that a risk worth taking? Of course it isn't but what's life without risk?Support the Show.

And he turned to his detractors and said, “Write me off at your peril. In the near future, I see no Swan song.” Time to Restump Podcast that magnificent win against the Bloods.It is difficult to fathom that everything across the board would all come together on a Saturday in Sydney against the Swans. There was no early lethargy and no lapses, there were no holes in the game plan or deficiencies in executing it. Oddly enough, given our seemingly vulnerable backline, there was no missing piece of the puzzle.It was as if there was a foreign subconscious connection over the entire group, a highly infectious energetic positive presence. The deep selflessness and the sacrifice of the individuals, produced a pure purple magic we've previously only seen sporadically.From the coaching committee to the players, to the runners, the book only consisted of the single page and everyone was on it. Internally, there wasn't a hint of trepidation about the gigantic shoes Josh Draper and Hugh Davies had to fill, or the ominous and understandably overwhelming task they were both asked to perform. How they both carried themselves, shouldering such responsibility, it is now easy to see why! The poise and the composure of Josh Draper and his, dare we continue to say it, Michael Johnson-like versatility, brings a joyful and nostalgic tear to your eye. And then the currently undersized but competent and competitive Hugh Davies in just his second game…. shut your face! Yeah, he made a bit of a blue with his loop short kick to Clarky, but we're putting it down to the ghost of Blake Acres.   Quite simply we cannot sing the praises of the two young defenders highly enough. Up forward with Josh Treacy, Jye Amiss and Luke Jackson we may have Triple J. But down back with Draper and Davies…. we've now got a great pair of Double D's!But while talking defenders, we should throw some love Corey Wagner's way. He is proving pivotal and probably performing above all hopes. JL, Bell, Wallsy and whoever else deserve a congratulatory pat on their collective backs for plucking him out of obscurity. And we can't leave off without giving the “we should've known” nod of respectful acknowledgment to the old man in the middle. When the old dogs are Fyfe dogs, they can always learn new tricks. Plenty were stamping his retirement ticket in recent weeks, but how often do we all have to learn that you just don't write off champions, especially of Fyfe's calibre? The team first oriented work he did on Isaac Heney…. we don't win the game without it. We could bang on about everyone because it was that type of team performance, but let's put the cap on the purple pencil and pick it up on the pod. If you're not done reminiscing about Saturday, you're not on your own. So, feel free to join us as we sing the praises of our purple players and prattle on for an hour about that splendid, surely September securing success over the Swans. Support the Show.

We were all Sarim Akhtar on Saturday. Unfortunately, if only as a coping mechanism, it's time to somehow Restump Podcast that, double negative intended, catastrophic calamity.I know it was a morning start time in WA but it wasn't in Victoria… did we really need to be the dog's breakfast? They should have already eaten!At the Restump we always look at every game with a wholesome holistic approach, we try to find balance, we search for the positives, we look for silver linings. There isn't even a shadow of a slight subtle greyish hue of a line here.We were simply out-worked, out-muscled, out-thought, out-coached and out-strategised. It wouldn't surprise us if Champion Data's analysis showed Sonny Walters was in our best players in the second half!At some point we have to contemplate the real possibility that our form, or at least our recent form, has a degree of inauthenticity to it. It feels as if there is a lack of integrity in many of our performances that is disguised by our often, opposing team factor driven wins.For mine the games where we truly showed our capabilities were against Carlton, Port Adelaide and Sydney. Ironically, we lost all three, but it wasn't due to lack of effort or intensity. Umpire decision, a momentary brain fade and inaccurate kicking respectively, were the cause for the losses. But the fact is, we were genuinely as good as our opponents all day.On Saturday, admittedly from the cheap seats, it appeared to be a severe lack of application and intent. There was a lethargy in our endeavours. It seemed no one really wanted to do the hard work. We have been trying to increase our outside run and carry, quick ball movement game and it looked spectacular at times when it came off, but everyone wanted to be on the outside. If it wasn't the third or fourth type of similar performance we've delivered this year, we'd call it an anomaly, rule a line through it and move on. But by the very definition, a bunch of outliers can't exist. Quite simply, the Dog's without Aaron Naughton and Sam Darcy, the two tall forwards leading their goal kicking, managed their highest score of the year kicking 23 goals against the statistically number one defensive team in the league. It is beyond inexplicable.If only our goal kickers were as accurate as Jojo's “Kiss of Death” abilities! His pre-game ‘Losing no Sleep Over' player this week was Rory Lobb. Yeah, great work Jojo, you're about 6 and zero!The Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition has jackpotted for the second successive week after the Captain Alex Pearce was abandoned by the punters. So, there's a $150 spend at 2 Brothers Foods up for grabs this coming week.Let's start the pod and see if we can make heads or tails from Saturday's debacle to salvage something, anything, from the wreck. We understand if you're all purpled out but we need some closure before we move on. So, if you're in despair and struggling for purpose, come along and we'll all attempt to heal together.Support the Show.

Our post bye game form isn't the Dog's breakfast we perceive and an AM start in WA doesn't hurt! Should we Lobby the AFL for more byes? Time to Restump Podcast the Saturday morning dog fight. For some reason we're all of the belief we're still in holiday mode or we're jet lagged when we turn up after the bye and consequently our form isn't flash. However, we're misleading ourselves because we're 8 wins and 7 losses from our 15 post-bye games.So, we've got a 53% post-bye win strike rate which is about 8 percentage points greater than our overall historical win rate of 45%. Does that suggest we're better coming off the bye?Fractions and odds and percentages aside, every game is its own bag and that includes tomorrow at Marvel against the Dogs.After not putting a foot wrong in his two quarters from his last two games as the sub, Corey Wagner unfortunately makes way for the return of Matt Johnson, who is a really good in.With Aaron Naughton and Sam Darcy out of the Bulldogs, maybe we took the opportunity to strengthen the midfield depth?The Dogs have some quality ins though with Corey Weightman back in since sustaining the arm injury against us 7 games ago. They also have brought back Ed Richards who adds some heat to their midfield in both defensive and offensive manners. And they lose Alex Keith which is a positive for us.Front and centre on the team strategy white board should be, “avoid playing to Liam Jone's strengths”. Whoever is on him at any given stage needs to lead him away from the action.The Dogs were seemingly flying but they got opened up last week by the Lions. Without two of their three tall timber goal kickers, too much pressure fell on to Jamara Ugle-Hagan's shoulders. Corey Weightman will no doubt alleviate some of that pressure but they're not the same side without Naughton and Darcy.This is a very winnable game and it gives us the chance to pt a little mini space between us and those outside the eight if we do grab the four points here.Jojo couldn't let another Rory Lobb moment pass quietly so he has apparently gone gimmicky again. He wouldn't divulge what he's done but we'll evidently find out tomorrow before the game.And if the cost of living is biting, study up and an enter the Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition. We have a jackpot so there is $100 spend at 2 Brothers Foods on offer or a $200 spend if you go one of the two specials, Bailey Banfield or Rory Lobb.Bounce down is not far off so we better get into it. Big second half of the season starts now so feel free to come along for the ride. You'll learn nothing, you'll throw 40 minutes away and you might even be lesser for it but what if that isn't the case? Can you really take that chance?  Support the Show.

And Melbourne thinks it's the world's best at lockdowns! Somewhere, probably outside a golf course, there'd be an angry Dan Andrews. Time to Restump Podcast the dismantling of the Dees.Eighties kids will remember John ‘Hannibal' Smith saying “I love it when a plan comes together” at the end of the A-Team episodes. It is easy to have visions of Justin Longmuir doing the same at the conclusion of Sunday's game in Alice Springs.While you're not being absolutely honest with yourself if you're not acknowledging Melbourne's physical or mental inadequacies on the day or the fact they've got some real weaknesses at times, 90-point beltings still have to be earned. However, it was the manner in how we achieved it which was so encouraging and it was the adherence to the system which was confidence boosting.It was simply a joy to see the back six get unconditional trust. It set the tone for the day, kickstarting the system we want to play, which we got to see in all its glory.We found the ideal tempo balance, we took the first option and we ran in waves to support. Whether there was a lack of in-your-face pressure from the Dees or not, the forward line showed great functionality and we created efficient mid forward connectivity. More than anything else on the day though, most importantly, we found our accuracy and that makes life easier for everyone.Sammy Switkowski just played his career best games. Relentless across the four quarters, he's now put two superb performances together on the bounce. Is Sammy Switta about to deliver in spades what he has consistently given us in patches? We're in good shape if he brings that every week from here in.Welcome Back Nev! Jye Amiss got amongst it early, slotted his first goal, got a shot of confidence in the arm and went on to kick three more, seeing off the accuracy monkey from his back. He teamed up with his tall timber mates, Josh Treacy and Luke Jackson, and together, working cohesively, they easily kicked more than Melbourne's entire score.Hayden Young's signature to the end of 2027 proves to be a  great move because his stock continues to sky rocket. We can't sing Heath Chapman's praises enough, Jordy Clark is a lock for All Australian and should probably be coated up alongside his captain Alex Pearce.Was the performance of the Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy combination, otherwise known as team JackArce, the first step to showing the naysayers how it may operate? Let's not forget Sean Darcy is still way underdone and the bye probably comes at the wrong time for him. The reality is you can't leave anyone out for praise. There were simply 23 serious contributors on the day that were all on the same page, all performed their roles and all had an influence on the result.They can go into the bye now enjoying the well-earned rest knowing they're in 6th position, knowing JL's system works and knowing if they bring the endeavour, the intent and the smarts they did Sunday to every remaining game, they'll be playing finals.  We've got a jackpot in the Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition after Hayden Young was overlooked so when it returns in two weeks' time there will be a $100 spend on offer from 2 Brothers Foods.Freo's form has been a difficult read over the last five or six weeks but Sunday's performance just saw us take a step in the right direction. We're going to get much tougher and more engaged opponents in the run home but that has to be the base performance. There are now two weeks off so lets gets this nonsense out of the way. While the negative is there is no Freo footy now for a fortnight… at least the airways will get a Support the Show.

It should have been 4 points, it was looking likely to be zero points, so we'll grab the two points and get the hell out of Dodge! Time to Restump Podcast the two-point Pie heist.Like so many previous occasions, our beloved Fremantle Dockers have left us with mixed feelings. It was a game against a very depleted side that we should have won. It was a game that was looking like we were going to be on the end of a five-goal hiding and yet it was a game we somehow salvaged something from the wreck. Can you be disappointedly grateful?Were the final seven minutes a case of us finally clicking into gear, or was it Collingwood's recent and in game adversity catching up with them? It is probably a little of both but does that seven minutes and salvaged two points cloud the reality? It's a matter of opinion, its open for interpretation and discussion. We've significantly upped our handball game over the last half a dozen weeks but we're struggling to find the right balance. We hit our season high handball numbers on Friday night, but against a team that thrives on applying pressure, it may not have been the ideal occasion to do so. With errant and poor decision handballs we nearly sold as many teammates into trouble as Mi Casa Property Boutique sells homes! Jye Amiss needs some purple love and support. The poor kid looks mentally broken, suffering a serious and bizarre case of the yips. His confidence had taken a beating in recent weeks and upon missing those two shots at goal by a long way, it was shattered. He went into his shell and barely got another touch all day. One man who is at the opposite end of the scale and usually the opposite end of the ground, cannot put a foot wrong. Captain Alex Pearce did his job down back and then went forward to show them how it's done up there. Sometimes you momentarily put results aside to admire and celebrate a very rare moment in this game. Alex Pearce's goal and his dedication to Cam McCarthy was one such special moment. We're precariously placed in 9th. Seven of our remaining twelve games are against current top eight sides, five of them against top four sides. We really could have done with that extra two points on Friday! It's a tough run home, so we can't let any more opportunities slip through our purple fingers.After winning it three times in a row, The Mi Casa Property Boutique competition has turned into “guess how many metres Luke Ryan will get,” so it's getting a revamp. It is unconfirmed, but apparently the Neighbourhood Watch segment is returning and there will be a lot of the usual repartee to endure.So, if your cautious optimism is starting to wane and you're confusingly disappointedly grateful, then you're amongst likeminded purple people here. Join us as we try to crack the conundrum, unravel the riddle and attempt to put together the pieces of the purple puzzle in this hour of who knows what!Support the Show.

No one wanted to lose Lachie Schultz but the fan's reaction at the time was way over the top! Who is offering up a 1st rounder to get him back? Time to Restump Podcast the Friday night Pie fight.It wasn't necessarily in a Don Corleone type of manner but Collingwood made us an offer we couldn't refuse, and they probably didn't have to! If only to stoke some retaliatory fire it is worth mentioning, albeit with some cherry picking embellishment, that Lachie whined that he felt disrespected, he cried victim and he packed his bags, took his bat and ball and went home! As we said at the time, it's disappointing to see him walk out the door but he was never irreplaceable and we're extremely comfortable replacing him with Collingwood's first pick this year.  Enough water has gone under the Lachie bridge now so it's time to bind together and invoke the George Bush's drum beating war cry, “You're either with us, or you're with the Collingwood terrorists.” I know… I was surprised Bush said that as well, but it's true… take my word for it and don't look it up. Lachie chose the terrorists so the sympathy time is over!The Blake Acres back of the head punching Lachie Schultz shenanigans aside, this game is a huge opportunity for us to peg one of the wins back that we shouldn't have lost recently. Collingwood are travelling ok but now is the time you want to get them, so we have to take advantage of it.Jordan DeGoey, Tom Mitchell, Jamie Elliot, Will Hoskin-Elliot and Jeremy Howe are all absent. That's a shedload of talent and experience. Further advantageous for us is the fact they're playing 2 debutants and a further four players have a total of 15 games between them. We welcome back Sean Darcy and combined with Luke Jackson, it looks a powerful and versatile combination that should prove far to superior for Darcy Cameron and Mason Cox.Corey Wagner also makes a well-earned return but we lose Freddy to concussion and unfortunately for Paddy Voss, for team balance and nothing more, he steps aside.We're going in as $1.72 favourites and, when you look at the two teams on paper, it is difficult to argue that shouldn't be the case. But on paper, goal accuracy doesn't enter the equation! We've had two horror weeks in front of the big sticks… hopefully Friday night is the exception to the philosophical rule that things come in threes!Don't forget to take a stab in the dark in the Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition. It is free to enter and you can win yourself a $50 spend at 2Bros. Look up the competition post on our socials and remember entries close at 5.10pm Friday night.It's less than 24 hours until Andy Brayshaw puts a bit of hurt on the back of the Blake Acres head cowardly punching Lachie Schultz, so we better get on with it! If you're looking to knock off 40 minutes between now and bouncedown… by all means come along for listen but only if you have low expectations.   Support the Show.

You thought covid was contagious! Inaccuritis is a coordination destroying mental contagion, leaving sufferers incapable of performing simple tasks. Time to Restump Podcast the point kicking epidemic. Call in a priest, this evil presence needs exorcising! Or it may be as simple as tapping David Mundy on the shoulder again and saying, “Dave, come down and show these guys how it's done.”The last two weeks we've kicked 13 goals 33 behinds. We've never been a great goal kicking side but this is beyond anyone's comprehension! Have we got Zac Dawson down there running goal kicking drills? I mean who is taking all our shots on goal…. Nat Fyfe? (Sorry Fyfey, low blow)It's a genuine contagion and when the rot sets in, it sets in. The pressure builds and then every player subsequently taking a shot at goal has the desperation demons in his head. Jye Amiss' radar is so far off its almost sinister! We know Nat Fyfe has never been a great kick but he's lining up 30 metres dead in front and hitting spectators on the wing! And Paddy Voss at the moment, like Crash Davis said in the movie Bull Durham, “couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat.” While the numbers are tragic, there are also great silver lining positives to come out of them. Accuracy is predominantly the extent of our game problems. While it's not easily rectifiable, it isn't an unfixable deficiency. And again, while inaccurate, if you consider the scoreless shots and the out of bounds on the full, we generated 13 scoring shots from sources other than the forwards. It is something that has been pronounced in recent weeks suggesting an intentional move, so we're developing.  On top of the inaccurate doom and gloom we did go over there, matched and bettered a similar highly defensive game from the Saints, we kept them to 55 points and we came away with a much needed 4 points. The continual improvement of Matty Johnson coinciding with more midfield time, the goal kicking wingman Jeremy Sharp, Jordan Clark continuing his All-Australian form and the emergence of Brandon Walker are just some more of the positives to come out of the game and reasons to remain upbeat. But at the minute the inaccuracy is a difficult pill to swallow. We got away with it this week but it cost us in more ways than one last week and will do going forward if we don't rectify it. The reality is we're only 4% from 6th place so, as Rosco always says, “Its never as good or as bad as it seems.”After going back-to-back in the Mi Casa Property Boutique competition, Luke Ryan has now gotten the most metres in 12 of the total 40 quarters Freo has played this year. He is as safe as the houses the Mi Casa team buy and sell for their clients!So, with no jackpot to speak of, there'll be another 2 Brothers Foods $50 spend this week when we come up against Lachie Schultz and his Pies.Enough of the carry on here, let's get into the pod to dig deeper into the catastrophic kicking, talk through the mental problems and come to a real solution-based outcome. Who are we kidding… we can only offer more nonsense but come along for the listen anyway. Support the Show.

It's the first time in our history we've less than 5 indigenous players on the list. But that doesn't mean 3 isn't good quality company. Time to Restump Podcast the Saturday night scrap against the Saints.For a club that is known for its adoption and celebration of indigenous culture and its rich history of numerous indigenous players, we have recently seen a sharp decline in numbers down at the purple Port. For our entire history leading up to the start of 2024, we have averaged over 7 indigenous players per year and, as mentioned, we've never had less than five on our list. However, with the departures of Joel Hamling, Liam Henry, Nathan Wilson and Roy Benning at the end of 2023, Sonny Walters, Alex Pearce and Conrad Williams are carrying the indigenous representation load. Albeit from across the aisle, we reunite with Ross and say hello to Henry Saturday night in a must win game against the Saints. Our former coach has obviously had enough of his team's wayward form, swinging the axe, making six significant changes.Out goes Seb Ross, Liam Stocker, Jack Hayes, Hugo Garcia and the two goals a game forward against Freo, Tim Membrey.While it appears down at Cockburn central we are going in with an unchanged line up, we do have some interesting emergencies. Will Liam Reidy be a late in to make his debut and give Luke Jackson a chop out in the ruck? Whatever the case, let's hope all the goal kicking radars got a tune up during the week.Should be a very close game. Both teams are extremely similar in regards to offensive and defensive numbers and its incredibly difficult to get a genuine handle on the form of both clubs. The Mi Casa Property Boutique Metres Gained Competition is back for the weekend. A $50 spend from 2 Bros Foods is up for grabs or $100 in the ongoing Bailey Banfield special. Check our social medias Friday for the competition post. Apparently, the teams that do little to no traveling, think getting across the Nullabor every second week is no big deal because a few guys get to travel in business class. No doubt they're the same VFL clubs who have complained about having to travel to Marvel stadium!The remaining fixtures are out and, surprise surprise, we've been handed a bunch of dead zone timeslot games beginning WA morning times! Anyway, plenty to talk about but let's focus on the task at hand, which is, in a good-natured way, giving Liam a little lip and showing the Lyon no love. The pod isn't going to preview itself so let's get into it and look for a path to the four-point bank. Support the Show.

Seems inaccuracy is contagious! We wanted to prove a point against the Swannies but did we need to prove up 15 of them? Time to Restump Podcast the frustratingly wayward walloping we were handed by the Swans.I can't remember being in a game we were in up to our eyeballs, yet simultaneously couldn't have been further out of. We matched or bettered the classy Swans in nearly every aspect of the game except where it most counts, the scoreboard.Obviously, it was evident the tragic passing of Cam McCarthy had a severe impact on the group. But it didn't seem to materially effect on-field performance. Had there been a lethargy or a lack of intensity you'd understandably attribute it to the sad situation. But the players showed little to no signs of such and only stumbled going forward and around the big sticks.The Swannies excelled in decision making and composure, areas where we were drastically deficient in. They brought a superbly crafted plan to the table that involved shutting down Jordan Clark and curtailing Luke Ryan's influence and they executed it to perfection.While many of our scoring opportunities were under pressure and from low percentage positions on the ground, you can't offer up excuses for simple set shot misses from the likes of Jye Amiss, Sam Switkowski, Freddy and Paddy Voss to name a few. Caleb Serong couldn't make the distance of about 45 metres. Fyfe, Amiss, O'Meara and Sharp all had shots on goal that went scoreless.It was a mental contagion. The rot snowballed into such a state that players began shirking the responsibility. Bailey Banfield had a mark 35 metres out and kicked it 50 metres to Jeremy Sharp in a worse position. Fyfey, who was having a nightmare of a kicking game, was so unwilling to take the kick 25 metres out directly in front, he handballed to a teammate under pressure.The Swans rightfully should be flag favourites and we did more than enough in almost every measurable category on the ground to beat them. We simply broke down forward of centre, as we so often do against highly competent teams. Missed gettable goals, overuse of the ball forward of centre, poor decision making and that severe lack of mid forward connection and cohesion continues to bring us undone.Is Luke Ryan keeping an eye on the Mi Casa Property Boutique Metres Gained Competition? He had 13 possessions to ¾ time and then went into overdrive with 13 in the last quarter to almost double his metres gained with 321 in the last quarter. Thommo Thomason took off the $150 jackpot spend from 2Bros with a 245 metres prediction. It'll be back next week starting from $50 once again. Enough of this claptrap here! Let's get into the podcast and dig a little deeper, call in the biomechanists, the shrinks, the podiatrists even and anyone else that can help get to bottom of the wayward goal kicking woes! There are no wrong answers so join us with your suggestions.Support the Show.

What was the conversation? “Wait a minute, if you're here and I am here… then who is….?” No worries fellas, JT had it covered! Time to Restump Podcast the trouncing of the Tigers!Even if it was a wounded, former beast, it was extremely satisfying putting away a side by near on ten goals. It is something we rarely, if ever do so, to bank 9% and the four points… we'll gladly take that.The Tigers might be from Tigerland but they aren't the Tigers of old and in the first half they weren't very strong or very bold. To be brutally honest, we should have put the game to bed in the first half and all got on the deadly treadlies and wound down. They got their act together in the third quarter after they had lulled us into a sleepy stupor and they threatened to make a game of it. (Maybe we were on the treadlies, metaphorically speaking) However, we're a team that can now seem to right the ship on the run and we clicked into gear and put them to the sword. We are though still leaving the door open and who knows what a better opponent may have done.    How good is our predominant left foot, but right foot goal kicking, inside mid going? Hayden Young is out of control inn a good way! And when you've got a Caleb Serong going about his top-drawer business, a future captain in Andy Brayshaw and a Matt Johnson who can step inside and belong, the middle is taken care of and it enables us the absurd luxury of having a sub by the name of Fyfe!Luke Ryan is a speed reader. He's finished reading a book while others are still looking at the cover. It is as if he can precisely predict the play and put himself in the exact position he needs to be. He along with Jordan Clark would have to be All Australian favourites! They didn't give the Tiges a look in yesterday.Up the other end of the ground, there's a guy who is, in his own words, kicking snags and taking clunks. Josh Treacy has 18 snags to his name he's now in the top ten in the Coleman. Four goals neat on the weekend… that's absurd! We don't kick with that level of accuracy at Fremantle…. who does he think he is!All in all, we got the result most of us probably thought we would but the game against West Coast a couple of weeks back just sowed a little bit of doubt in our minds. But while we kicked a big score, won by a space and seemed to do it on the bit, the Tigers are genuinely wounded. So, we'll run with an appropriate Ross Lyon classic, it's never as good or as bad as it seems.Caleb Serong was surprisingly friendless in the Mi Casa property Boutique metres gained competition this week and therefore it has jackpotted again. That means there'll be $150 spend at 2 Bros Foods up for grabs this Friday night when we take on the likely Joel Hamling included, Swans. Enough waffling on here! So, join us for more waffle as we look at the game in a bit more depth and chat about everything purple. Support the Show.

I mean, we're already over there… it'd be negligent to not test the water, wouldn't it? Let's get to the nuts and Boltons of it, contracts are transferable! Time to Restump Podcast the upcoming Tigger tussle! Let's not call a spade a pointy diggy thing… space in the Tigers' recovery centre is tighter than the housing market! Tom Lynch, Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper, Dion Prestia, Noah Balta, Jack Graham and Jack Ross are all jostling for rehab real estate, so it is safe to say anyone who plays Richmond at the moment is getting them at the right time.However, we shouldn't poke the Tiger with a short stick. As wounded and depleted as they may be, they found a way to devour the Swans in round four without a Jacob Hopper, a Dustin Martin, a Dion Prestia and a Dylan Grimes.But season 2024 we're taking down animals like we're on a game hunting tour. Yes, the eagles escaped our clutches this time around, but we've feasted on Crows, Lions, Kangaroos and Dogs. It's our AFL animal slaughter safari strategy and the Tigers have entered the kill zone.We've made just the one change with the very unlucky Paddy Voss going out and being replaced by Jye Amiss. Paddy didn't put a foot wrong but he has suffered the consequential desire for team balance.Richmond have lost Jacob Hopper as mentioned, and they've suffered a further hit with Jack Graham succumbing to injury. There are almost 1,000 games of experience from numerous players in the Tiger's best 23 that they're missing. We inexplicably dropped a game against the Eagles that we couldn't afford and we need to make that back at the Tiger's expense. They may have some on-field holes to fill but they'll run out with 11 players possessing a combined 19 premierships. So, it is safe to suggest they have enough quality and experience out there to potentially cause us some concerns. The Mi Casa Property Boutique metres gained competition has jackpotted. There is a $100 voucher from 2Bros up for grabs and if you opt to chance it in our Bailey Banfield special it could be upped to $200. Get involved on the social media posts. We've played at the MCG just 6 times in the last 3 years for 2 wins and 4 losses. Sunday is the first of just two home and away games at the venue the AFL generously blessed us with so we need to start a winning trend there.Does Jojo need to apologise? Two weeks ago, he said exactly what Sammy Draper has ridiculously been hauled over the coals for. The question will be asked of him. If you've had enough of this nonsense here then don't tune into the pod because there are probably shedloads more of it in there. But as we always say at the Restump, lack of ability isn't an excuse to not attempt to put out better quality nonsense. Support the Show.