Post match. Pies beat Freo - All comments please.

[Johnson#26]

Great game, one of our grittier wins, great passion and grit, we're a team of goers, and that's what I love to see. Swanny, Burnsy, Leon (magic!), Dids (all class and precision). Josh and Tarks were good, too. Presti struggled with an injury of some sort, it seemed.

The kids might need a rest - Tooves, in particular. But we have ten days to think about it. Goldsack was handy, too, he's a real goer.

But that's what our team is made up of - goers. Very 2002 like.

Meddles was neither here nor there, to be expected. Taz, well, I think it was the right move for all concerned. The best thing is, we have Travis - and Ben Reid is still to come.

One of the sweetest victories!

Heath a corked thigh - Ricky O. Clemo, Licca and Lones all fit for next week, and Bucks may join.

We're second on the ladder (for a night)!

[die4pies]

Heater has a corky and the 10 day rest should be enough.

[DaVe86]

Jonno...what is your opinion of Richard's game...i was actually very happy with it?

[Johnson#26]

I didn't mind it, although I just wish he'd show some more urgency in the way he goes about it. Too often he just looks cumbersome, however, his ruckwork at worst nullified Sandilands, which is nearly as good as a win.

Wonder who MM and co will lean towards at the selection table next week? Bryan or Stretch?

[DaVe86]

Seriously, despite my praise for Guy, Id be bringing in Bryan simply because Paul Johnson is a beast of a man and Guy as a backup ruckman may be a bit light on. Bryan has a bit more raw skill than Johnson so it is a better matchup.

But i think Guy tonight did all necessary to hold his spot

[On the March]

Well done pies!

Best players Swan, Rocca, Leon, Didak, Fraser, Pendles

Still very even. In some way never looked like loosing.

Defence tonight took some time to get organised, Maxwell good second half. We need Clement back.

The draw is good - the finals beckon

Extra special mention for Leon, that goal, that mark.... I was waiting Bruce because they were ......

SPECIAL!!!!!

PS Guy was good and allowed Josh to make more of an impact in second quarter but agree sometimes its too easy for the opposition ruckman

[melliot]

Not a richards fan, but was ok in the ruck, especially against Johnson. Around the ground, he was very ordinary IMO. cost us 2 goals. Can't take a conested mark, even when in favoured postition. Get Bryan back in.

[Snoop Dog]

Seriously, despite my praise for Guy, Id be bringing in Bryan simply because Paul Johnson is a beast of a man and Guy as a backup ruckman may be a bit light on. Bryan has a bit more raw skill than Johnson so it is a better matchup.

But i think Guy tonight did all necessary to hold his spot

Johno / DaVe what game were you watching. Richards got killed. He had 2 goals at least apportioned to him from stoppages. Sandilands also got more of it around the ground.

[DaVe86]

Snoop, never did i say Richards beat Sandilands. He was smacked. So has every other ruckman to compete against Sandilands this year. He is simply too big height wise and size wise. He is a giant. Unbeatable even. But i saw Guy try his guts out tonight and break even a number of times. Sandilands is always going to create few opportunities...theres nothing you can do about that.

But we were not smacked in the clearences...which is also a huge tribute to our midfielders who read sandi well. But if Guy was not competing Sandilands wouldve created 15 goals tonight.

What i liked was that Guy was charging in with a big head of steam and leaping, mostly well timed as well. He ran right through Sandilands in one instance showing how hard he was charging in.

I take my hat off to him

[loki04]

anyone else see Tarrant refuse to shake pendles hand , changed my whole perspective of him after that also on pendles u gotta love him we need more players like him guts skill and flew the flag for ob.
Also thought Goldsack played a great game , maxwell has been beaten badly 2 weeks in a row gutsy player but shouldnt be played on dangerous forwards, Harry was a good match up the times pav got the ball harry was right on his hammer no one would have stopped it.

[melliot]

Sandilands got towelled up by Fraser around the ground. Unfortunately Fraz didn't convert.

[DaVe86]

yep i noticed that Loki....im hoping he just didnt see him, because that was very poor on Tarrants behalf...Pendles held the hand out for quite a while and got no response.

Also totally agree on Goldsack, he is starting to grow on me

[Usurper]

Good to have a win.

Good to have Tarrant on 0.2. He gave a lot of our players a hard time, I was surprised noone decked him.

Great efforts by Burns, Swan, Rocca, Davis, Pendlebury.

Disappointing accuracy by Thomas (but great everywhere else).

Disappointing skill levels displayed in most of the first half.

As for Guy Richards...... I wish he wouldn't just stand around after the ruck contest. He stands there like a stunned mullet and is then surprised when the ball rolls past him. God I hate seeing Sandilands go up and just put the ball where he wants almost every time, it was all they had us with, and it was almost enough.

Anyway, guys are getting tired but we have a 10 day break, and then it's the split round, so looking good.

[punkologist]

Well i wasn't going to boo Tarrant, but after the display he put on tonight I had no problems booing him. He is dirty dog and i'm glad we got rid of him.

Umpire kept them in it in the last quarter, we should have won by more otherwise. That deliberate decision against Didak was one of the worst I have ever seen in my life, along with the one against Medders for a push, when it was brilliant body work (no hands in the bloody back).

Maxy's courage is unquestionable, he is a real tough nut. We had lots of tough players tonight too, medders of course, harry, thomas, swannie, just to name a few all came up with brilliant 1%rs through in and under, body on the line stuff.

Gee it will be great to get Clemo back, and we missed a bit of run once heater left.

Looking good for the second half of the season. I'd just like to see us flog someone, maybe the demons are ripe for the picking??

[ad4eva]

Player by Player analysis
Watching at the ground you get a different perspective to what you do on TV so have a go at me if you disagree with something.

Scott Burns - Continuing the super Scotty Burns form. 26 touches and he earnt everyone of them.

Travis Cloke - Didnt get massive numbers but Travis was alot more effiecent tonight and is starting to get more self beliefe. Some of his pick up's off the ground and slamming them on the boot were very good and hes learning how to use his bulk.

Leon Davis - Perfect forward pocket game. 4 goals, all of them were something out of nothing, opportunist goals. Really good, mature stuff from Leon.

Alan Didak - Still trying to recapture that awseome 2006 form, and we must remember he is coming off knee surgery. Hes just so dangerous in the forward half of the ground.

Josh Fraser - Ran Sandilands around however wasnt as damaging as he would have liked. A solid game from Josh tonight.

Tyson Goldsack - His best game thus far. He backs himself, doesnt mind it tough and goes the spoil in one on one occasions. Hes begining to make it tough for some blokes to slot back in.

Brodie Holland - A much better game tonight and i thought he linked up well. 21 touches. Ran hard and was tough.

Ben Johnson - Another servicable game from Johno however he still hasnt hit his best in 2007. Good game tonight though.

Tarkyn Lockyer - Not his greatest game this season but still very effective and didnt really put a foot wrong. Good game.

Nick Maxwell - Started off poorly. Getting outmarked to easily for a key position backman in the last two weeks. Will welcome the return of
Jimmy. Good second half.

Paul Medhurst - Found it get the ball to talk for him tonight but still kept at it and pushed for it all night and things began to fall his way. That goal assist in the third term was a team lifting goal and i believe he finished with about 4 of them.

Shane O'Bree - 22 disposals and was consistent once again. Ran hard and did his job.

Harry O'Brien - Played one of the hardest match ups in the AFL. He had alot of the ball against him and was beaten on the lead on occasions. However anyone would have been beaten in each of those occasions. Really good one on one. Will be a great learning curve.

Scott Pendlebury - Wasnt at his best tonight however for a second year player to do what he was doing it was really encouraging. He may be classy and love a goal but he also put his body on the line tonight, and has done all season. That mark running back was really good to see. 21 touches. Finding the ball consistently.

Simon Prestigiacomo - Presti had about 3 opponents for the night and beat everyone of them. Was Presti once again. Really good stuff.

Guy Richards - Struggled against the monster and he still lacks the around the ground skills which you need in this type of footy. Improved from last year though.

Anthony Rocca - Without Rocca we wouldnt have won. Contesting and on some occasions marking inside the forward 50 was brilliant. Relieving for him to slot 5.0 too. A mature game from Anthony and we really couldnt have done it without him.

Heath Shaw - Corkie in the first term. We missed his run and rebound 50's. Such an important part of the side now.

Rhyce Shaw - Did some good things, did some ordainary. Got to get those out of his game. Was solid tonight.

Dane Swan - Brilliant. Best on for mine with 35 touches. Was everywhere and was good in the clearances. Followed up with 2 goals and set up a couple aswell. Well done Swanny.

Dale Thomas - His flare is his asset and has pace to burn. Courage and nouse was good however a downer was his effeciency infront of the sticks. Should have finished with atleast 3 tonight. Good stuff with 17 touches.

Alan Toovey - Needs a rest. He's starting to look a bit lost and goes missing for too long. He has been really good in the first half of the year and has probably exceeded his goal for 2007. Just needs a break.