Anatomy of a season

by LES EVERETT Fremantle Herald

THE veil was lifted at Subiaco Oval last Saturday night. We waited for the Dockers to falter but they didn't, and by night's end we were thinking about football again - not bloody reports, not bloody directors, not bloody Andrew Demetriou. But we'd better not bask in our Fremantle glory. Let's have a look at the players who made up the list in 2001.

Daniel Bandy - Played 17 games but never seemed to get started in 2000. Freely touted as trade bait. I say keep him and use him properly.

Peter Bell - Must be made captain in 2001. Will be a more damaging player in the right midfield mix.

Heath Black - Had a good year and now has a great chance to take on a leadership role in a new Dockers era.

Brad Bootsma - Season stifled by a knee injury. A positive, mature and direct player.

Leigh Brown - Had a tough year but remains unflappable. Versatile and inventive.

Adam Butler - Spent two years on the list without playing a senior game or establishing himself as a league player for South Fremantle.

Matthew Carr - A success story. Strong mark, creative, versatile and kicks both feet. Capable of plenty of improvement.

Ashley Clancy - Injuries and illness haven't been kind. Finished the year looking sad and sorry on the Subi bench.

Troy Cook - Battled his heart out again in 2001 although part of a somewhat dysfunctional midfield.

Ben Cunningham - Showed great signs in round 22. He's the little goal kicking type the team needs.

Brad Dodd - Will miss most of 2002 due to a knee reconstruction.

Simon Eastaugh - It took a while for the match committee to release he was what they'd recruited him for. A valuable, experienced, intelligent addition to the team in the second half of the season.

Brendon Fewster - Continues to frustrate because he is so capable. A project for the team psychologist.

Adrian Fletcher - A wonderful ball winner and is capable of taking great high marks. There's still a role for him.

Antoni Grover - There are a few players of his type on the list. Injuries didn't help but he's certainly not at the front of the queue.

Robert Haddrill - Surprise packet. Strong overhead mark and a tough type who grabbed his opportunity.

Paul Hasleby - Another member of that midfield. By standards other than those he set for himself he had a good year. A bit of zip in his kicking would round things off nicely.

Anthony Jones - A highly disciplined player who showed his worth by snuffing out Darren Jarman last week.

Dale Kickett - Sets the standard for commitment. Still valuable given the right role.

Steven Koops - Another unproductive, injury riddled year. Adds unpredictability and toughness to the forward line but still has bad habits that need ironing out.

Justin Longmuir - Has a fantastic year and is one of a group of young players who must change the culture of this team. A confident, smart and talented big man.

Troy Longmuir - Injury stuffed up his season and his enthusiasm was missed.

Daniel Metropolis - A knee reconstruction after the last WAFL game put the seal on a sad season.

Shaun McManus - Played every game and brought up his century. Set a high standard in endeavour but poor disposal plagued him.

Adam McPhee - Made good progress with the Bulldogs and hardly put a foot wrong when brought into the AFL. A versatile player who gives hope for the future.

Clem Michael - Didn't play in 2001 and it's important he's not seen as a saviour. Could turn out to be an important player but there has been a tendency for his rating to rise with each game he doesn't play.

Tony Modra - Gave us some moments and now he's gone. Always did his best and never lost his cool.

Jason Norrish - Found it difficult to make an impact but finished the season well last week.

Shane Parker - Finished the season in great shape after seeming to struggle for confidence earlier in the year. A marvellous example to his team mates.

Matthew Pavlich - Has shown he can do it in attack and defence. Will have gained a lot from the year and is one of the youngsters who can lead the team out of the wilderness.

Ashley Prescott - Showed his worth at times before injury came and put an end to things.

Daniel Schell - Might just be an attacking answer. I seriously suggest a summer at the Murray Couper goal kicking academy.

Andrew Shipp - Another unproductive season interspersed with untimely injuries.

Dwayne Simpson - Workmanlike for the Sharks and got a couple of half chances late in the year for the Dockers. Was a lithe and brilliant junior but now has a totally different body shape.

Scott Thornton - Had the day of his footy life last Sunday when his ball handling and kicking for the Bulldogs were outstanding in a big game. Promising.

Luke Toia - A season that began badly got worse and he's had to think of things other than football during his recuperation.

Keren Ugle - Making his way as a player and has good goal sense. Needs to improve his ability to actually get the ball.

James Walker - Struggled at times this year with his skills but seemed to work his way through.

Clive Waterhouse - Nothing went right in 2001. And we missed him.

Brad Wira - Finished a dark season on a bright note last week.

Dion Woods - A real find. He's quick, chases, kicks beautifully and is clever with his handball.

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