Karl Marks

Yes, he does and he also confiscated much of Carlton’s ball before redistributing it. Bloody marksist! Time to Restump Podcast Sunday’s tough win over those bold and brazen Blues.

There'd be numerous schools of thought in regards to the game. One is we were horrid for much of it. No, that’s far enough.. we stunk it up for a half! We were beaten up around the ball, we relentlessly fumbled, played unintelligently and we couldn't execute under the Blue's pressure.

Then there's the counterview. The above happened, but we hung in there, took the hits, regrouped, started playing as a team rather than individuals, began to play a style conducive to the conditions and piled on a 10+ goal 2nd half to run away for a near on 5 goal win.

As a rate of all round improvement and growth of the collective, I lean towards the latter. Sure, that type of performance probably doesn’t cut it deep in September, but did we get a truer picture of where we genuinely are? Recent years, we didn't have the physical and mental capacity to win like we did yesterday, or our earlier games against the Pies, Hawks and co this season.

Yesterday was another for the “not as good or as bad as it seems” files.

When a team, injury depleted or otherwise, has nothing to lose, they release the shackles and play with a dangerous freedom. While we didn’t handle it well, their pressure was off the chart for arguably 3 quarters. It forced us into our old self-preservation, dump kick and hospital handball traits. Old habits hey? But now we do have the capacity to rectify things in game.

Karl Worner must be on cloud nine. He was magnificent at times yesterday, showing up when it was most vital. His defensive smothers and big marks in the final term played no small part in the win.

Andy Brayshaw had a rare mare and Caleb Serong was shut out for 3 quarters. Then when we started playing for each other and running protection rackets, everything changed. Serong’s last quarter 9 touches, 6 of them contested, turned the momentum.

Clunker Treacy played one of his best games. He was a focal point at times all over the ground, kicked 3 ripping goals of his own and to do it when the midfield was being belted, is even more meritorious.

Do we win without Jaegar O’Meara superbly performing the job he was handed mid game to shut down George Hewitt? I have my doubts.

Tragically we saw Hayden Young go down with a groin injury and, depending on severity, it has to cast some concern over our full September potential.

However, old man Fyfe did a fair bit of timely damage in the WAFL on the weekend. Was it coincidence? Is this the sentimentalist’s dreamer? Could this be the universe delivering the unthinkable?

With now 14 wins, we’ve all but secured a final’s berth. However, celebrations should be on hold because we still need one more victory to certify it, so the door to devastation is still slightly ajar. We still all suffer the scars sustained from our uncanny ability to secure an end of a season slump!

For sick and twisted, almost perverse theatrical purposes and in the manner of how we do things in the most unconventional but weirdly entertaining way at Freo, there is a part of me that would love it to come down to our final encounter against Lobby and his Dogs in round 24.

Oh c’mon, how does anyone think like that! Let’s just get it done against Port this week.

The depth we dive to talk everything Freo, is deeper than the hole West Coast have dug themselves into. So, if you want to consume Docker drivel and disregard the safety level, bang our noisy nonsense in the seashells on the sides of your skull and we’ll all overdose on the purple together.