TOPIC:

I've decided to throw this topic up here in the bar because it is the most talked about topic in football here in The West. I heard a caller this morning on a podcast on Sport FM say he believes something big is going to come out about Ross Lyon in the next two weeks that involves a coaching move back to Melbourne. When quizzed by Jack and Clarkey about whether it's just his opinion or he has some intel, this guy said "No comment". For me that is Fremantle's "Get out of Jail Free" card is this type of scenario panning out. Fremantle don't want to blow a million bucks by sacking Lyon at the end of the season. We need more West Australian influence back in Fremantle and rid the club of the Victorian influence. After all we are a West Australian club representing a famous West Australian town and we need our identity back.

I hope James from Scarborough is on the money.

DD, if Freo are to get back a more WA influence in the coaching, who would you be looking at? Sumich is a very experienced assistant and has spent time with the current group before the bust up, Schoefield maybe but he seems entrenched at Port and highly thought of, with the chance of taking over from their current coach, who else with a WA background could fit the bill?

Not really a conundrum DD. As it stands Lyon has a contract till the end of 2020, so barring an change in this arrangement (an agreement between both parties) they are stuck with it until the end of next season. At that stage Freo have the option of terminating his services and also the muppet who was stupid enough to sign him up for 5 years. Nobody gets that sort of contract these days even someone who has actually performed.

good topic, Well raised DD.

I guess for me, if Ross moves, or they terminate his contract who do they get in to coach the dockers? That's probably the only thing stopping Freo from sacking him now and blowing the money. He has done nothing for four years and they are still in a rebuild, and at the end of 2016 when they gave him an extension Ross was very clear about being in contention for a flag by 2020?

I give up
. Exactly what are Freo rebuilding.
Was there something there in the first place. .

Lyon has been at Fremantle since 2012. The players who have been there for that time or the last four or five years have obviously stopped listening to him. Once that happens, the coach either has to change his ways or move on.
Add to that the insane logic in signing up Ballantyne and Sandilands for one more season, and continuously backing Harley Bennell when it was apparent he would never get on the ground , let along play a full game.
Fremantle will never be taken seriously the way they are going. I admire the supporters who stick with them. They deserve better than what is on display right now.

mikeh wrote: Not really a conundrum DD. As it stands Lyon has a contract till the end of 2020, so barring an change in this arrangement (an agreement between both parties) they are stuck with it until the end of next season. At that stage Freo have the option of terminating his services and also the muppet who was stupid enough to sign him up for 5 years. Nobody gets that sort of contract these days even someone who has actually performed.

The conundrum Mike is there is a groundswell of Fremantle supporters that want a change of coach because they have lost faith in the coach but he is one of the highest paid coaches with another year to run. That is the conundrum.

SS I would like to see Peter Sumich as coach and try and get Schofield and or Justin Longmuir as his assistants. What is McPharlin and Pavlich doing? Are they doing their coaching accreditation? Where is Marc Webb? Was an assistant at Peel but employed by Fremantle and coached Subi to a flag didn't he? Start placing a higher value in what's in our own backyard.

If we go back to Fremantles entry into the AFL you would question some of the decisions made and how they went abt the business of being a successful AFL franchise. We can all express our angst with West Coast but as a business model it is pretty good and yes I know there is a cost that very few of us like.

Neesham was a very good WAFL coach and his game style was ground breaking and still mimicked to this day and then the club went through this period of building, rebuilding with 4 years of above average outcomes with the rest being at best GC Suns like!

In recent times look at the players they have kept as opposed to the ones they have lost - Winston Abraham is a starting point through to De Boer and they have kept ..........

Some of the choices with players has been at times perplexing and other times informed but like the rest of the club the gap between good and bad is far to great and seems to be continuing with Lyon.

Fremantle needs get back to being a business behind a sporting franchise and make decisions that support that premise.

Who gets the gig as the next coach is interesting, many on here want a WA born and bred option and the field of candidates seems to be Longmuir, Sumich and perhaps an obscure one ??? Of the othersiders they need to be careful recycling coaches that are good assistants but have shown they were not quite upto it on the big stage.

For me Sumich is the one that I would go for and let him pick his assistants and then team, 3 year term with the KPI being mid table at first year end, mid 8 at second and challenging in the third.

mikeh wrote: Not really a conundrum DD. As it stands Lyon has a contract till the end of 2020, so barring an change in this arrangement (an agreement between both parties) they are stuck with it until the end of next season. At that stage Freo have the option of terminating his services and also the muppet who was stupid enough to sign him up for 5 years. Nobody gets that sort of contract these days even someone who has actually performed.

Anyone taking on Ross the Boss will cost $1m for the first year unless they screw it back to reality.
Why would Ross leave when he gets $1m whether he coaches or not.
The Vic clubs aren't that stupid. Cant see him at Carlton, North or Saints next season.

Hmmmmm. Alan Richardson just pulled the pin at St Kilda. Surely Lyon wouldn't go back there would he?