The bye round always gives idle hands a chance to wander over a keyboard outlining thoughts on the current playing list and their futures. Of course, having attended all but one Freo game so far this year hopefully gives me a tad more credibility than the Hackdorn when it comes to these things!
1 - Luke Webster - I'm sure every Freo fan has their fingers crossed that this solid clubman's synthetic knee holds together. It's a modern day mystery why Luke has never managed to become a regular - after all, he was one back in the halcyon days of late 2006 and has few weaknesses in his game. If he can return productively, he deserves a year-by-year contract as he still has something to offer.
2 - Josh Carr - The mighty niggler's powers have faded somewhat alarmingly in 2008. Whilst he still wins the ball well enough, his disposals lack the impact they used to have and the umpires seem hyper alert to his potential wrongdoings. Still in the best 22, but lacking sparkle that he needs to recover.
3 - Byron Schammer - Fumbles and slips over far more than is acceptable for an AFL footballer. But plays with the heart and spirit of a man twice his size, and is always trying. I think Byron's best role in the team in future is as an inside ballwinner, especially as Josh Carr is ageing and the fact that his outside disposals can err on the average side.
4 - Paul Hasleby - oh, how we have missed him in the middle...especially since his two and a bit quarters in the NAB Cup was the Hasleby of old and not the slightly hobbling version with back and OP problems. Has seemed to mature during his rehab, and with good reason. Hase will be our midfield general when he returns, and it is he who will have chief responsibility for getting our engine room going.
5 - Ryley Dunn - the forgotten man of the Fremantle list has finally gotten a chance to strut his stuff, and has been relatively impressive in doing so. Shows promise as a defensively minded link man across half forward, an area we have struggled with for a little while now. Needs the body to hold up, to learn to get into games when the ball isn't necessarily coming his way, and to kick goals in addition to assisting. On balance, deserves another contract.
6 - Dean Solomon - has become a proud purple heart very quickly, and is an important component of the team. Has played anywhere and everywhere this year, usually well but occasionally less so (on Jonathan Brown). Does need to stop his kicks going excessively high in the air, as well. Still, he's the kind of player that some of the younger utility options need to try and emulate before he retires in a few years.
7 - Brett Peake - began the year in shocking form, but has recovered somewhat lately. His cause isn't being helped by not playing on the wing, his obvious role and still an imposing one when he's on the run. Brett will never be a great tackler, but his kicking has deteriorated and it's hurting his status to the point where he's now a fringe player best used against the running teams only. Still required though.
8 - Shaun McManus - the one remaining thread tying the entire history of the FFC to date together. But because the speed of the game has gone past him and his clangers have cut more deeply than ever, the time has come to close that book. If anyone deserves a proper farewell appearance, though, it's our beloved Shaunimac...I think Round 22 on a Friday night beckons.
9 - Matthew Carr - another loyal warrior who just couldn't keep up with the blistering pace of the opening rounds of this season. Still, his roles in the team have been capably assumed by others and the prospect of a coaching career means that we may not have seen the last of him around Freo.
10 - Rhys Palmer - not since a somewhat stocky boy from Northhampton burst onto the AFL stage in 2000 have we seen such an incredible level of talent delivered so early in a Docker's career. Yes, it is an indictment on our midfield that the owner of the bouffant mohawk has so quickly become our prime clearance winner and the only person who can read Sandi's taps - and his kicking has gone down in quality as his relative lack of conditioning has caught up - but boy, if he can learn to cope well with heavy tags, we will have another superstar!
11 - Des Headland - another one missing in action for large swathes of the season, and another omission that stings thanks to our glaring lack of long kickers inside forward 50 ever since. It is true that DJ tends to helicopter the ball in field kicking also...but few things inspire the purple army more than a running shot and goal from Dessie when he's on song.
12 - Brock O'Brien - was hailed as a potential star after his inclusion for the "second eleven" game against Port last year. I doubt terribly many were still thinking that after he played on Austin Wonaeamirri in the Melbourne disaster! That said, Brock is that rarity for Freo - a young defender. As such, he needs to be nurtured because he does have excellent attack on the ball and his unprepossessing style could work well for us in years to come.
13 - Luke Pratt - hasn't played, so I'll leave the comments to the WAFL regulars.
14 - Antoni Grover - despite not being ideally suited to playing full back, Groves has managed to make himself into one of the best in the league through sheer determination. If anything, his ability has gone up even further this year as time and again he has repulsed opposition attacks. The scary thing is that at 28 he is probably at the height of his powers...is there any sort of successor on the horizon?
15 - Ryan Crowley - that unfortunate knee injury during the International Rules in 2006 seems to have permanently put the brakes on Ryan's previously fast speed. Consequently he has carved out a new niche as the team's prime tagger, a role which more often than not he has carried out with surprising distinction. Perhaps needs to punish his opponents a little more on the scoreboard than he currently does, but after a wobbly start he has earnt a place at the core of the lineup for the years ahead.
16 - David Mundy - at the crossroads. Has done very little of note this season to live up to the heights he reached during his first two seasons, where time was warped at will and his ball use was delightful. Now, he looks slow and disinterested to tackle the opposition midfielders running past (although the damage was done when he and Steven Dodd appeared to change places at half back and midfield). I know he can reach the sky again, but does he want to be a Docker for life or not?
17 - Mark Johnson - an experiment which failed in Round 1, basically. That's not to say that Mark has not played professionally, imparted important wisdom simply through being at Freo, or that he didn't deserve to play 200 AFL games. But to persist any further with him would be like Daniel Metropolis and Jarrad Schofield all over again. His time has passed, if it ever really arrived.
18 - Luke McPharlin - Ahhhhh. I try very hard not to have a "favourite Docker", but when Supermac is in full flight it's very difficult to hide the truth. A brilliant CHB, especially now that he has finally stopped placing his hands on his opponents' backs. And a handy switch option up forward when required (which seemed to be every week for a while there). Sadly for everyone, Luke is a delicate flower who often needs nursing to make it through. In his favour is the fact that he's younger than the other two members of our triumphant trio down back.
19 - Clayton Hinkley - given that Palmer and Mayne have had stellar introductions, young Clayton has taken things more slowly. Never mind - he's still much too lightly built for the tough stuff anyway. Has looked the goods during his limited game time, though - generates possessions going forward and has been a surprisingly effective forward target too. Very promising.
20 - Chris Tarrant - began the year in terrible touch, and I feared the media were going to do a Trent Croad on him. But thankfully, his time back in the WAFL enabled Taz to rediscover his spark and he finally looks at home as a Docker. He works tirelessly to lead and mark, and his dodgy set shot kicking has actually improved noticeably (but will never be brilliant!). Still has a couple of good years left to help us.
21 - Heath Black - I somehow doubt Heath's penchant for giving away free kicks and 50m penalties would be quite so noticeable if he played where he should...across half forward and not half back. Personally I think he's far from washed up, because we need his booming left foot to break the lines and the last game he played seemed to see a lift from him. I'll be upset if the club does break his contract because he still offers something.
The back half of ze list, tomorrow!