Quick Thoughts - Freo vs North
General - This will almost certainly be the worst part of being locked down... I had time to watch this game and I really wish I didn't. The two highlights of this game were the epic Taberner vs Larkey battle for who could have worse hands and drop more easy marks, I'm not even sure who won in the end, maybe Taberner gets the chocolates for fumbling a mark where the first touch was probably after the siren and the 2nd definitely was and still getting it paid, such was the umpires plain acceptance that Taberner fumbling is normal. The other highlight being a ruck contest where neither team had a ruckman, that was pretty cool. Seriously though, this game really didn't have much going for it.
Dockers - They'll take the points. They'll take the form of Mundy. The form of Darcy also a big positive. Brayshaw surviving a tag also a positive but outside that, not a lot of positives really.
Serong - Everywhere and just worked all night. Be surprised if he's not a premium in a couple of years.
Brayshaw - Turner tag early and was well held, lucky for him Mundy was so utterly dominant that he stole the tag, then ragdolled it to the point that North just gave up on tagging and sent Turner to rot up forward.
Mundy - Exceptional. He might be having the best season of his career right now which given the phenomenal career he's had is really saying something. Just enjoy it as long as it lasts for the forgotten member of Freo's best ever players group.
Darcy - Outplayed Goldy by a fair margin. Meek looks just about dead right now.
Fyfe - His ability to put together a positive ratio while playing trash is kind of impressive, I'm not even saying he didn't deserve it because everything he did was contested and brilliant until he disposed of it and then it was horrible watching, especially the goal kicking where he missed 4 shots that I'd be shocked if I missed now and I've been retired for almost a decade now
Ryan - Solid but nothing special. Plenty of quality supply from the North mids as well, just a bit too much sharing.
Walters - It's so sad to watch him these days. Just always flopping and playing for free kicks, has become one of the most unlikeable players in the game which is such a shame because he's a genuinely great player who shouldn't be that. I wish someone at Freo would call him out on it as well, it's not helping the team because the umpires are clearly aware that he's going to flop and dive at every chance and they're not copping it.
Chapman - Stiff game for him, not a lot of supply at him and the ball was leaving D50 very easily so no messing around with it. Didn't think he did anything wrong though so should be playing next week after a good win.
Treacy - Just doesn't seem to be able to get on the end of it. Had plenty of chances and he did some decent things. He does present well but not doing much right now but also a good chance of holding his spot as they keep winning.
North - They were trying a bit this week, most of them anyway, but just not at AFL standard right now in any area really and so the end result remains like this. Hard to see where a win comes from right now, every goal they score just feels like the hardest of work because the forward line is genuinely awful and the midfield, despite some solid names, isn't much better.
Ziebell - Beastly game, looked fine to me when they showed him after the knock so be interesting to hear more on it, wasn't concussion or anything from what I saw just a big knee in the back but he should be fine I'd think (hope!). Just kept getting it and used it really well, especially given they have nothing in the way of bailout targets to kick to so every kick is a hard target.
Powell - Reminds me so much of Jack Macrae in his running patterns and just how the ball finds him. Another one I'd be shocked if he's not a genuine premium in a few years. Looks a really great pick for North and they should continue to feed him midfield minutes.
Cunnington - He was solid, playing forward a lot where he doesn't offer much and I think I'd rather see him dominate the midfield mix and make other guys earn minutes.
Simpkin - One of the guys who needs to earn it, has not been good this year.
Stephenson - Forward a fair bit more tonight but still worked pretty hard to create an option. Would really like to see him take the game on more when he has it, just seems afraid to run with it right now.
Goldstein - Sadly he looks to be winding down pretty rapidly as a player. Just completely off the pace in this game and it's been a very underwhelming season for him. Not sure if he's just given up in a bad side or he's physically done but it's sad to watch after such a phenomenal career.
LDU - Stinker of a game from him. When he was forward early he basically looked like he was trying to prove he isn't a forward and shouldn't be played there and then when they put him on the ball his effort level was so utterly pathetic that he looked like he didn't want to be there either. North's coaches could do an entire film session on his dismal defensive efforts at stoppages. They could do another on him being too lazy to even run and carry or take the game on and kicking off one or two steps. It's so sad to watch such a talented player with so many fantastic raw attributes playing like this, only way to really describe it is he's dogging his teammates out there and the team. I know if I was his coach I'd be highlighting them all at the review and then firmly dropping him this week, was an embarrassing game and he needs to get the message as it's clearly not getting through right now and he's the guy who could be their Petracca/Bont level player if he really wanted to.
Young - Solid again, turned into a decent little moo moo man.
Phillips - Time to give him some midfield minutes, he's not a forward and he looks lost there. Give him a chance and let's see what he's got there. Did do a couple of nice things in his limited chances.