Tim Gossage - Fremantle temperature check | AFL Nation Caller (09.07.26)
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How does this segment introduce Tim Gossage and the Fremantle vs Sydney preview?
Now, back to Whiteley.
This is Waitley. It's Adam White filling in for Gerard on this Thursday. We started the program today previewing tonight's game between Fremantle and Sydney with Adam Simpson. So I thought we'd kind of finish the morning with a local perspective. And there's no bigger name in Perth than Tim Gossage. He's kind of like the mayor, the premier, all sort of wrapped up into one. But he's also got a real feel for what's happening in the footy world. So he's the perfect person to speak to on Waitley. Goss, welcome.
Oh, Whitey, thank you very much, yes. Well, what about Simmo? Double dipping today because he was on your show, he's on our show on a Thursday. Doesn't give us as much heavy lifting and deep dive stuff with us as he does on Waitley, but, you know, that's all right. We understand where we stand. He's no longer one of us. He's up stumps and left town.
That's right, exactly. So would this be Fremantle's biggest ever home and away game tonight, do you reckon, over their history?
Good question. I mean, the bottom line is probably... a side of a big derby when derby's meant something. They don't mean as much at WA. It's not like the showdown does in Adelaide. So, yeah, probably. I mean, it's high stakes. I mean, they don't want to go back-to-back losses, and in particular back-to-back losses to two teams from New South Wales. But the bottom line is that I think they shore up top spot by winning this one. It'll give them predominantly a two-game break. And I know top spot's not much difference to second spot, but I I think they've been the best team in the competition. And I think tonight will reaffirm that. And I think they need that affirmation, that reaffirmation. Because all of a sudden, they have one loss to the Giants.
And all of a sudden, people go, oh, we've seen this before with Fremantle. But I'm pretty sure the boys are up and about for it. It's only a short break. They've made a couple of changes at selection. One forced. Probably, yes. And, look, Sydney at their very best. They're going to be entertaining. And we know what Sydney did when they were here earlier in the year. They beat West Coast by over 100 points.
Yes, and it is an unusual game because it is a top-of-the-table clash. But when you've got Sydney in second, 10 points clear of third, which means Fremantle are 14 points clear of third. Yes. The bounty on tonight's more bragging rights than actual ladder placement.
Yes.
Coaches won't say that, absolutely.
Why does Tim Gossage think tonight could be Fremantle's biggest regular-season game?
But I reckon players do. And I reckon Fremantle genuinely, forget about their supporters who think they've already won the flag. But the bottom line is, I think the playing group believe that they're the best team in the competition and they want to sit atop of the ladder. They win tonight against the leader of the chase pack. As you said, they're two games clear. They can't drop out of the top two, basically. So, stakes are high. Absolutely stakes are high. And I reckon you see a solid rebound after a pretty flat performance. It wasn't a bad performance against the Giants, but it was a flat performance. And we saw Sydney bounce back after their Brisbane loss as well.
What's it like in the town? For those that are listening from the eastern side of the country, what would the split be? Purple versus blue and yellow these days?
Oh... It's certainly levelling up. Forget about membership numbers and stuff like that. West Coast have a bizarre amount of members and I don't know whether they're pets, dogs, cats. I don't understand how it all works out. Fremantle, I think, has passed 70,000. Pretty damn fine numbers. It did start a little later than West Coast. I reckon we're probably looking at 55, 45. I reckon we started, yeah, I think it's a lot, well, put it this way. West Coast supporters have gone a little bit quiet. And Fremantle fans are very much, well, they have been sick of being put in the corner. They've been sick of being put in the corner over a long period of time. Now that they're winning, they certainly do.
What would a Fremantle win mean for top-of-the-ladder positioning and breaks?
They're the better team. They have the better squad.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
How does this segment introduce Tim Gossage and the Fremantle vs Sydney preview?
0:00–2:25
2
Why does Tim Gossage think tonight could be Fremantle's biggest regular-season game?
2:25–4:04
3
What would a Fremantle win mean for top-of-the-ladder positioning and breaks?
4:04–10:44
4
How does Tim describe the atmosphere in Perth and the purple vs blue-and-gold split?
10:44–11:05
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Whateley
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