Post match: Pies lose thriller. All comments please.

[MatthewBoydFanClub]

We're not strong enough at the contests to win a premiership at the moment. Will the inclusion of Greenwood, Reid, Karnezis and Scharenberg change the equation? I don't think so. So for me it means at least another year of development before we can challenge for the flag. It still worries me how we go when Swan retires. How do you replace a champion when he retires?

A couple of things worried me last night. Do we have to gang tackle all the time? The ball spills out and three Freemantle players are waiting to pick the ball up. We need to have a Collingwood player waiting on the ground for the spills. Also, if we can't claim clean possession we need to lock the ball in the packs without being pinged by the umpires. To beat Freemantle you can't afford to give them any space to move the ball.

The other point is that we are missing the run and carry off half back that we had earlier in the year with Ramsay and Sinclair. Williams doesn't give us the same type of game that either of those two players give us. We desperately need at least one of those players back.

[think positive]

We're not strong enough at the contests to win a premiership at the moment. Will the inclusion of Greenwood, Reid, Karnezis and Scharenberg change the equation? I don't think so. So for me it means at least another year of development before we can challenge for the flag. It still worries me how we go when Swan retires. How do you replace a champion when he retires?

A couple of things worried me last night. Do we have to gang tackle all the time? The ball spills out and three Freemantle players are waiting to pick the ball up. We need to have a Collingwood player waiting on the ground for the spills. Also, if we can't claim clean possession we need to lock the ball in the packs without being pinged by the umpires. To beat Freemantle you can't afford to give them any space to move the ball.

The other point is that we are missing the run and carry off half back that we had earlier in the year with Ramsay and Sinclair. Williams doesn't give us the same type of game that either of those two players give us. We desperately need at least one of those players back.

Good point re the free man, folks used to knock dids for doing that, and yet it's a really good ploy

[Lazza]

We're not strong enough at the contests to win a premiership at the moment. Will the inclusion of Greenwood, Reid, Karnezis and Scharenberg change the equation? I don't think so. So for me it means at least another year of development before we can challenge for the flag.

Totally agree, silly to talk flags when realistically the team is developing very nicely but obviously still not up to the standard required.
I feel so confident that this team will be cherry ripe in 2017 after another year of improvement in 2016. We need that one ingredient lacking here on Nick's, patience!

[mudlark]

Great effort but really 4 out of bounds on the full in the last qtr when possession was hard fought.

Jesse White missing that sitter was very disappointing.

In the end we failed to capitalise in the 3rd when we had control.

Same.Also the 3 goals we conceded at the end of each of the first 3 qtrs,particularly the 2 that Walters kicked with seconds to go ,were frankly,devestating.

[yin-YANG]

[GoWoodsmen]

We're not strong enough at the contests to win a premiership at the moment. Will the inclusion of Greenwood, Reid, Karnezis and Scharenberg change the equation? I don't think so. So for me it means at least another year of development before we can challenge for the flag. It still worries me how we go when Swan retires. How do you replace a champion when he retires?

A couple of things worried me last night. Do we have to gang tackle all the time? The ball spills out and three Freemantle players are waiting to pick the ball up. We need to have a Collingwood player waiting on the ground for the spills. Also, if we can't claim clean possession we need to lock the ball in the packs without being pinged by the umpires. To beat Freemantle you can't afford to give them any space to move the ball.

The other point is that we are missing the run and carry off half back that we had earlier in the year with Ramsay and Sinclair. Williams doesn't give us the same type of game that either of those two players give us. We desperately need at least one of those players back.

For mine, this was a crucial element of last nights game (we have to keep in mind it was 7 bloody points... that's a very very fine line but...). We tackled like maniacs but one thing we failed to do was to ensure the ball didn't come out. I reckon we laid 80 odd tackles and in about 60 of those Freo were able to get a handball or dinky kick away. It meant the game kept moving when it should have been a stoppage.

It's almost a rugby league mentality. You can tackle in league but if you are constantly allowing that team to "offload" the ball you will get smashed. We didn't get smashed last night but we did fail to keep the ball with the player being tackled. A very minor thing, that's easy to fix, that may have had an impact on the result.

[3rd degree]

This one hurt, we had a good crack at them, very impressed with De Goey and Crisp. Langdon really stepped up when it needed to be won and shows he is damn mentally tough. Varcoe is a great link man and really gives us heaps , he never stops trying he pulled us up when a few were dropping their bundles. Elliot had a dirty night but hung tough. Clokey was good early then dropped away. Marley and Faz both stood up, Well done to Witts really worked hard. We needed more out of our big forwards. Keep believing lads kill them glenferrie leaf blowers.

[uncanny]

Lots to like about the effort and output last night. A much closer result than the last two games against the dockers where they owned us. We are building. Looking forward to see how they go against the hawks. The extra day to prepare for this will be handy. It was a tough slog out there. Bring in Reid and Greenwood if they go alright in the VFL and give Seeds and Steele a spell in the twos to regain form.

[Piesnchess]

Until we smarten up a lot with our field kicking, out of bounds six times cost us the game really, we cant yet challenge for the flag, we must get our sloppy field kicking right, ala the piss and pooh, learn from them. !

[Lazza]

Until we smarten up a lot with our field kicking, out of bounds six times cost us the game really, we cant yet challenge for the flag, we must get our sloppy field kicking right, ala the piss and pooh, learn from them. !

True Piesnchess, it is a waiting game with developing teams. Highs and lows. I was impressed with the way in which our guys tackled last night (94 tackles) and the fact that even with error ridden football, the final gap was just over a goal. This was a great effort over there with a home ground advantage of maybe 2-3 goals.
This team is going to be a bloody ripper throughout next year and especially in 2017. Just enjoy the ride mate!! I certainly am.

[Bob Sugar]

Until we smarten up a lot with our field kicking, out of bounds six times cost us the game really, we cant yet challenge for the flag, we must get our sloppy field kicking right, ala the piss and pooh, learn from them. !

Not sure if the numbers agree with me but I reckon our field kicking has improved dramatically on last year, its still not great though.

From what I saw last night we can do some damage come september.

[roar]

Field kicking and goal kicking has improved heaps on last year and with the amount of youth in our team, I expect it to continue improving.

[jackcass]

Broomhead was hardly seen

Harsh DTM, very harsh. Broomy did alright if you watch the replay.

Yeah, think he had 18 possessions, 9 tackles, and a goal. More than Varcoe, De Goey and Elliott, only 1 possession less (and 5 tackles more) than Fasolo.

[Lazza]

Broomhead was hardly seen

Harsh DTM, very harsh. Broomy did alright if you watch the replay.

Yeah, think he had 18 possessions, 9 tackles, and a goal. More than Varcoe, De Goey and Elliott, only 1 possession less (and 5 tackles more) than Fasolo.

Yeah thanks for that.

I sometimes wonder if I watched a different game.......

[jackcass]

We're not strong enough at the contests to win a premiership at the moment. Will the inclusion of Greenwood, Reid, Karnezis and Scharenberg change the equation? I don't think so. So for me it means at least another year of development before we can challenge for the flag. It still worries me how we go when Swan retires. How do you replace a champion when he retires?

A couple of things worried me last night. Do we have to gang tackle all the time? The ball spills out and three Freemantle players are waiting to pick the ball up. We need to have a Collingwood player waiting on the ground for the spills. Also, if we can't claim clean possession we need to lock the ball in the packs without being pinged by the umpires. To beat Freemantle you can't afford to give them any space to move the ball.

The other point is that we are missing the run and carry off half back that we had earlier in the year with Ramsay and Sinclair. Williams doesn't give us the same type of game that either of those two players give us. We desperately need at least one of those players back.

Don't particularly like to see it but inexperienced players get sucked to the contest.

There's also an aspect of a team learning how their teammates play. It's certainly not ingrained into their play yet but once it becomes more intuitive we'll see even greater improvement.