TOPIC:

This week we take on the Sharks who have been in pretty good form this season and are fresh off thrashing Subiaco. Didn't think I'd be saying that this season

Be interesting to see if Matt Thompson plays this week after his big collision against Troy Yukich last week.

Fraser Millar who hurt is leg is another that could potentially miss.

Liked Sam Garstones game last week. Thought he was beaten early but kept persevering and got on top in the end and finished with three goals.

Would be nice to have Dene and Spencer White back into the team this week but maybe they might spend another week in the two's building back up to full fitness.

Kurtis Chester and Jarrad Irons are other names who could come up at the selection table on Thursday night.

Should be a good game this one. I don't see why we should fear EF. Sure they are going well but they've suffered a couple of losses and it's a shot in the arm for the comp that they knocked off Subiaco last week. Interestingly we were the second highest scoring team last week which is encouraging.

Both sides strengths are similarly in the midfield so if one side can get on top there it will go a long way to winning on the scoreboard and it should be a great battle in the ruck between Angus Graham and Bristow and Watson with Sam Garstone giving Angus a rest. Garstone and Graham booted 5 goals between them last week, something we haven't seen from our ruckmen for a long time.

If they can reproduce those numbers it gives us a great chance in this game.

Sadly East Freo is one of those ovals that we just dont play well at.
Wins are very rare for us at this venue,we tend to get bogged down on the wide flanks which makes scoring very difficult.

We are coming off a good win and i am mindful that Swans have the worst defence in the comp in letting goals through so im not sure how much we can read into the fact we were the second highest scoring team on the weekend and if we have turned the corner in goal scoring,still a big ? in this area imo.

Still we are coming off a good win and our confidence should be sky high.

This certainly is a big test playing East Freo at Moss st and it should give us a good indication to exactly where we are at.

No we don't even when EF are struggling they usually get us there. I recall one of the best victories in the last 10 years when Ross Young kicked a miracle goal at the members end from the members pocket he had no right to kick. From memory it was a spiral off his right boot. We were about 8 goals down midway through the 3rd qtr and made a remarkable come back. Still EF steadied and looked home with less than 10 min to play but the boys dug deep and got up for a memorable victory.

It might take something like that again but let's hope we ain't 8 goals down at any stage, I don't think we've got the goal scoring power to come back from that sort of margin.

Also worth noting two former Perth champions going head to head in the coaches box and both previously coached the other club. Spalding and Wiley are also former Perth team mates and possibly opponents when Earl started out with Melbourne and Wiley played a couple of seasons with WC.

30+, our overall record against East Fremantle is pathetic.
Overall.. Played 346 games.. won 106 = 30%
At Moss St .. Played 87 games.. won 20 = 23%.
I have never felt confident going into a game against the Sharks.

Brookes, Deene White, Irons, Keast and Leggett all named in the initial squad of 25 but have also been named in the reserves.

Leggett has been named in the starting 18 all though I take little notice of the positions they put the players in as I think its all smoke and mirrors and trying to make sure the opposition doesn't know until first bounce.

Thompson and Millar have been omitted but have been named in the reserves which is interesting as both got suffered game ending injuries last week.

Also named in the reserves squad is Lennon Marlin, Toby Gianatti and Sam Garstone. Surely Marlin and Garstone are oversights or is the club trying to play tricky buggers with East Fremantle match committee.

Adamini, Green and McNamara are all inclusions in the Sharks squad with no outs at this stage.

Mr AFL wrote: Brookes, Deene White, Irons, Keast and Leggett all named in the initial squad of 25 but have also been named in the reserves.

Leggett has been named in the starting 18 all though I take little notice of the positions they put the players in as I think its all smoke and mirrors and trying to make sure the opposition doesn't know until first bounce.

Thompson and Millar have been omitted but have been named in the reserves which is interesting as both got suffered game ending injuries last week.

Also named in the reserves squad is Lennon Marlin, Toby Gianatti and Sam Garstone. Surely Marlin and Garstone are oversights or is the club trying to play tricky buggers with East Fremantle match committee.

TBH i dont know why we bother with guys like Brookes,Keast and Gianatti.

Imo its these types that we recruit that hold us back,if we cant find players in our own back yard equal to or better than these 3 then we are in a sad state of affairs.

What do they bring to the table?
yep probably all good clubmen.
I think its time we reassess the type of recruiting/trades we do because clearly what we are doing now when trying to top up our list is not working.
I struggle to even put these players in the "depth" category.

The reason i bring this up is i'm genuinely worried about the direction we are heading and the non improvement on-field this club makes from one season to the next.

30 plus couldnt agree more Brookes Giannati and Keast are definitely not league footballers...dont know why they keep bothering with them...its staggering why they keep picking them...Would rather try some other key position players ie Mills, Biggs see if they any good...thought they would have brought Spencer White back in after a game in the ressies...also would have brought back Stack.

Toby Giannati has been an excellent pick up. He is one of the few lock down players in the squad and gets a job every week even playing as a defensive forward on occasions. He kept Jukes quiet last week and then went to Rogers for a while when he got off the leash. He's unfashionable and low profile, doesn't get a huge amount of footy but rarely beaten and I really rate him and see him as an essential part of our best 22.