.:We Have the Passion:.

Playing teams into form - RD 7

By Matt K

The lights are dimmed, they’re playing Manilow. They’re going to bring up the lights, and ask us to leave soon. When we do, we should take our bloody football club with us. It’s going to be a sad week, with a big loss to Melbourne and a faux State of Origin game to watch.

It was a first half of grace, skill and passion. It was modelled around the coach’s tactics and nous. It was beauty, on 36 legs. The second half, of course, was made of the need for better draft picks. It was like weaning a baby off a dummy – ‘you can have it one last time, but we’re throwing it away after that!’ And, in that vein, I hope we never see that ever again from the Freo footy club.

The lunch in the Swan Valley was pretty good, thanks for asking – the Sicilian beef burger with roasted capsicum was unbelievable, and the wines were sublime – I’m a red man myself. Scores were received via SMS, and the half time score was enough to tide me over until we had finished. I’m glad, because my mate’s wife would have been wearing my mud cake if I had still been eating.

Do you have the Passion?

By Kapow(BigFooty.com poster)

This young fella who lives in Queeesland and only ever gets to see them play at the Gabba has the passion for the Fremantle Football Club. He addresses a letter to to the FFC which was posted on Bigfooty.com. We thought is worthy of posting on our homepage. It follows below:

Dear Fremantle Football Club

In light of the recent match I thought I might take some time out to send you all this email. I'm an 18 year Queensland university student on the Sunshine Coast and have lived here for most of my life apart from a short time in Melbourne. I've followed this club passionately and loved it like a father. As such I have only been able to see a select handful of games over the years, 10 to be exact and at each one I've followed this club with ruthless passion and endeavour.

Most of the time I've made more noise in my army of one then the entire row I've been seated in, usually filled with Maroon or some other colour foreign to the Purple, Green, Red and white. Infact in 2004, when I was 15, I won the Woodford Junior Citizen of the year award. The title of the speech I gave that night: Purple, green, red and white oh what a lovely sight! All of which in spite the fact that the only people in the crowd who had even heard of the town of Fremantle were my family in the audience.

Over the years as supporters on a whole we have put up with quite a lot but shrugged it off and kept that passion alive. The dark years leading up to 2003 it was all about that light at the end of the tunnel and the thought that 'one day this club is going to have a premiership and on that day I can die a happy person'. I remember on two such occasions we were playing up here at the Gabba in 1999 and 2000, both times we lost by over 100 points.

On one of those occasions we were down by 100 points at halftime. But still I personally sat there and thought about what lies ahead. That some day this club will make a proud history for itself and that I can walk into a crowded and passionate AFL bar and say I support the mighty Fremantle Dockers without someone scoughing or saying 'you poor bastard'. That one day I could say it and get the respect of other passionate and proud clubs.

When the time came in 2003 for our first finals match the hype was intense, even up here in a footy isolated area. I remember putting on my jersey and scarf when I was 14, taking the radio in to my room (as we didn't get that game live) and cheering loudly when we kicked those first two goals. But then of course it turned sour.

Broken but determined I looked forward again under the thinking 'every club has to go through it's share of heartache before a flag, that's what makes it so special'. 2004 and 2005 came and, well, I can only imagine the feeling of despair amongst the other Freo faithful. But still there was that glimmer of hope and that nagging passionate thought "some day".

Dockers snatch defeat from the Jaws of Victory V Demons

By wehavethepassion

The Demond record their first win of the season beating the Dockers 17.17 (119) to 15.23 (113) over coming a 51 point half time deficeit to win by 6 pointsd. Yes you read right the Demons were behind by 51 points and staged their best ever comeback in 150 years to win.

The the first half the Demon midfielders were non existent with Rhys, Ibbo,Foster and Solly were dominant and drove the ball to the forwards in Pav,Tarantino & Wizza. Big Bird had the better of Jamar & White.
Our back half with Drummy, Barru, MichaelJ & Doddy held firm.

What happened in the most of the third quarter was a repilca of the last 10 mins of the second Q V Cats the demons began to run their front running misfielders- Bruce, Maclean,Green, Davey & Moloney began to get the ball and run. All of a sudden they had 6 unanswered goals and the lead was back to 20points.

Where was the leadership from the experienced heads of the Dockers. Pav and Solly stood up and manufactured two late goals to extend the lead to over 5 golas at three Q time.
Two goals is a run so wha thappened in the third Q is mystifying.

Still on square 1- Demons V Dockers

By Matt K

When you expect to be slaughtered, a 1 point loss is quite good, except for the reactions it causes – sweaty armpits, loss of vocal ability, increased profanity, and the possibility of abusing the closest person. My member buddy, however, she went quiet. Real quiet – scarily so. It’s the kind of quiet one’s wife gives when you use her favourite quilting as a dog bed, and her latest scrapbooking effort as a placemat. It’s akin to using a policeman’s tie as a bottle opener. Dangerous, at the very least.

Geelong was very good, in parts. But then, they have been very good for a while, since they started that brand of footy that they play. We almost had ‘em, but alas, it was not to be. Some sparkling efforts from Sandi, Pav, Belly and Ibbo – the only players letting the side down may have been Josh Carr in getting reported, and a couple of forwards not helping Pav. Oh, and whoever told the boys to slow up in the second quarter. Hawkins. Milburn. Johnson. Chapman. Ablett. Mooney. Wojinski. That’s what the scorer was doing for the next 13 and a half minutes. From 39 points up, to sweet bugger all, Freo had a lot of work to do.

Anyway...

FreoMOB welcomes Docker Supporters to Demons' Away Game Function

By FreoMOB

Yes you can watch the game at home or go to the local pub but will you be watching it with other passionate Dockers supporters overlooking the home of the Dockers at Freo Oval?

If you haven't experienced a MOB function here is a perfect opportunity to do so. We want to see more Docker members and suporters come and experience our Away game Functions. Make a day of it in Freo with the Markets, Fisherman's Wharf, Cappacino strip, Shopping etc.

Its on from LIVE 12 noon(WST) Sunday 4th May at SFFC Function Centre Freo Oval.Watch all the action on the Freomob's HUGE Cinema Style Screen

The MOB members' draw is on again with $100 up for grabs . As you know MOB members have to be present and financial to win.

Footy Food and a full bar at CLUB Prices. MOBsters are free while non- MOBsters pay $5.

Raffle(1st prize a $50 Bunnings voucher, 2nd prize two bottles of wine) & Winning Margin tickets and much more more

Doors open from 11.30pm be early to secure your seat.

Don't be caught home alone or at the pub with oppostion supporters. Come out and show the PASSION and be a part of the Dockers biggest supporter group - THE FreoMOB SUPPORTING FREMANTLE COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Dockers LOSE to cats by a point

By wehavethepassion

In agame that most thougth would be walk over for the undefeated 2007 premiers the Cats they got a rude awakening. The Dockers came out with the true ANZAC spirit and
took it up to the Cats from the start however they lost by a point 13.11 (89) to 13.10 (88)88). The Dockers opened up with ferocious tackling and man on man footy which unsettled the Cats. The Dockers should have made better on the quarter kicking 3.6 to 1.1 with 2 posters and Pav running into an open goal and spraying it wide

Harvey had the match ups right around the ground with Josh blanketing Bartel and Second Chance doing likewise on Ablett, the Dockers held sway in the midfield thruSolly, Belly, Rhys and Ibbo and Big Bird Dominating the ruck and around the ground. The Dockers carried on early into the second Quarter going out to a 39 point lead. The Cats clicked into action at the centre clearances and also thru some turnovers from the Dockers kicked 6 unanswered goals in ten minutes to go into half time 2 pints down 8.4 to 8.6. Joel Selwood and Joel Corey were beginning to get their hands on it in the Cats midfield.

Round 6 Vs Geelong

By Matt K

It’s not the fall that kills you... Or so they say. The sudden stop to the Fremantle losing streak has to happen this week. Geelong are a team that’s still searching for their best form, and yet they find themselves at 5 – 0. They are seemingly unstoppable, yet this week they must be stopped. How? Well, that’s a very, very good question.

Led by Ablett, Bartel, Selwood and Harley, the Cats took care of Sydney to the tune of 42 points. The problem the 15 other clubs face is, of course, that they have players ready to come back into the squad! Mark Thompson has hinted at blooding some youngsters, seeing as they’re in a position to do so. Interesting.

The team from last week will probably see some changes – there would have to be, after a loss like that. Having found themselves down by 2 goals at quarter time, there was plenty of room for improvement. Luckily, young Rhys Palmer stepped up in the last quarter and inspired some team mates. Unfortunately, the umpires weren’t as inspired, and they forgot the rules at fairly crucial and inconvenient times.

Heads We're Dancing back at Flyby Night Club

By FreoMOB

Dockers Slip to 1-4 but Show Some Spirit

By wehavethepassion

The Dockers showed a much great hunger for the contest against the crows than they did last week V Tigers going down by 17 points 12.16 (88) to 10.1 (71).

They were only 4 points behind early in last Q but 5 consecutive thrusts forward came unstuck due to poor skills and allowed the Crows to kick vitial goals going the other way.

Young Mayne was a late withdrawal with Ibbo coming in for him. The Dockers opened up with Macca on McCleod and Wizz on Johncock. Both moves prove less than successful with McCleod finished up with 34 touches and two goals late in the game.

Even though we won the clearances 7-6 and the tackle count 21-8, the Dockers are still to win a first Q. It was great to see the Dockers first goal scored by Clayton Hinkley with his first kick in the AFL. The young man showed something today and is definitely a player of the future.

What was disturbing was besides every Crows player having at least one touch by Qtime, the Dockers had MCarr, Elvis & Solly without a touch and Josh, Second Chance, Wiz and Macca only having two each.

Kicking two goals in a half of footy is not up to scratch!!

Round 5 Vs Adelaide 2008-A trip to a 3rd World Country.

By Matt K

The boys get to see poverty, famine, and mullets in their trip to South Australia this week. The Fremantle players are no stranger to AAMI Stadium, with games there roughly twice a year since 1995, a finals game there in ’06, and a WIN in round 16 last year under our belts.

This is a real challenge for Freo, who couldn’t overcome a hapless Tigers outfit at Subi in the battle to see who could lose the game. The odds must be pretty highly stacked against the team – at the time of writing, they’re at $2.95 to win...

Mark Harvey, after the game against Richmond, told the press a few things – he said that he’d make changes, and he held true to his word. Harvey and his assistants over the week have said that form is what would warrant selection.