I’ve been a fan of Josh Treacy for a while now.
To see a young fella embrace the physical aspects of the game, crash and bash his way to every possession he collects, and have the composure to go back and slot goals is all too rare, even at the elite level.
It is no coincidence that Freo leapt back into finals contention along with the ascension of Treacy into the upper echelon of AFL forwards in 2024… because that is where the young man now finds himself.
For me, he is one of the most important players at Fremantle, and maybe in the league.
When you watch Treacy play, there is no questioning that he has all the tools to become an excellent forward. Not a good one. Not even a very good one. But one of the absolute best of his generation.
This may seem like hyperbole, and undeserved praise at this point of his career, but my guess is that the people who think that way haven’t really been paying attention to the way Treacy goes about his football. He is a throwback to a time when key forwards were not just thrown into the goal square because they were tall. I’d take him over players like the King Brothers, Peter Wright, or other big blokes who are in their respective sides for their height and reach.
Josh Treacy is in the Fremantle side because he has both of those, as well as a healthy dose of mongrel.
And you simply cannot teach mongrel. Players either have it (Treacy), or they don’t (the head-dropping King Brothers).
It’s what makes the loss of Treacy, stemming from a posterior cruciate ligament injury against the Bombers, all the more damaging. You know the Dockers have gone 12-7 with Treacy in the team, right? After watching the way they flailed about against Essendon after Treacy went down, I don’t think they have anyone to fill the void he leaves behind
I don’t think they’ll make finals without getting him back.
They play Geelong, GWS, and Port Adelaide in the run home. They’ll need to win at least one of those games to secure their finals place… and I am simply not sure they can.
In terms of influence, Treacy is like a slightly watered-down version of Wayne Carey, and how he changed the way North Melbourne attacked through the 90s. For those who watched Carey play, you’d know that is just about the highest compliment you can get, as a player, but the signs are there. The strength, the physicality, the great hands, the goals… Treacy is doing everything you could possibly need from a young forward.
My hope is that Treacy gets back to lead Freo into September, but PCL injuries are tricky, and just as it seems as though they’re right, they’re not.
Putting it out there – I’m tipping Freo to fall out of the finals, in large part due to the knee injury to Josh Treacy. But hey, what would I know, right?
I await that comment from Freo fans.
As always, massive thanks to those who support this work. It is a labour of love for me, and having you guys as members of the site basically keeps me going. So sincerely… thank you – HB
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