Anything and Everything Fremantle
Archive for July, 2010
Dockers look to dispel doubters
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
On previous occasions it has been enough for Fremantle to simply make the finals, but with the club in a better position than it has ever been after 16 rounds, Dockers fans should expect nothing less than a tilt at the premiership in 2010.
If Mark Harvey and his men are serious about their premiership credentials, then they must beat the Bulldogs on Sunday and put themselves in pole position for a crucial top-four spot.
The Dockers have been the great underachievers of the national competition having made the finals only twice in 16 seasons. Time after time, their fans have had their hopes raised by a promising season, only to be dashed by Fremantle’s inability to back it up.
In the first eight years, when it should have been capitalising on draft advantages, it was battling in the lower reaches of the ladder, finishing no better than 12th. Then in 2003, things looked set to turn around.
In its second season under Chris Connolly, the club finished fifth. A first-up elimination final loss to Essendon at Subiaco was considered a mere slip on an upward slope. But despite winning 11 games in each of its next two seasons, Fremantle failed to figure in the finals again until 2006.
Form fine, as Pav battles minor injury
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
FREMANTLE coach Mark Harvey has revealed that captain Matthew Pavlich is carrying a minor ankle injury but says the star forward is in no doubt for Sunday’s crunch game against the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium.
Pavlich, who was held goalless in Fremantle’s 11-point win over Melbourne last Sunday, didn’t train on Wednesday but Harvey said the injury was nothing major and was being managed.
The coach also launched a strong defence of his skipper’s form, which has waned in recent weeks after a dominant start to the season saw him lead the Coleman Medal race between rounds seven and 10.
“It’s one of those small injuries where you’ve just got to manage it through the week,” Harvey said from the WACA Ground on Wednesday morning.
“He’s just got an ankle niggle, that’s all. He’s managing it, so are we and in time it’ll disappear, so it’s nothing major.
Freo seals Genova Dockers partner club deal
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
The first official AFL partnership to be established in Italy, between the Fremantle Football Club and the AFL Italia’s Genova Dockers, was formally sealed in Genova, Italy on Monday 12 July.
Following on from the official presentation of jumpers at the Fremantle Football Club headquarters in April this year, Fremantle chief operating officer Gary Walton met with Genova Dockers president, Signore Graziano Arnulfo, and club captain, Tommaso Arnulfo.
One of the main talking points was the performance of the Genova Dockers in the AFL Italia League, who are sitting in second place after four rounds of the competition.
Sig Arnulfo spoke of the team’s pride when they ran onto the field to compete in the historic first game of the AFL Italia League in May in their new Fremantle Football Club jumpers.
“The jumpers seemed to give the team a boost and gave a message to the other clubs that the Genova Dockers are here, proud and strong,” he said.
“I think this team spirit helped us to victory in the first ever game of an Australian Rules football league played in Italy.”
The Fremantle Football Club is proud to welcome the Genova Dockers and looks forward to working together as partner clubs.
Chris Tarrant keen to move from Fremantle to Melbourne in homecoming
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Chris Tarrant’s odyssey through AFL football may finish back in his hometown, with the Fremantle defender understood to be poised to sign with a Melbourne club.
A number of clubs in Victoria have been led to believe that Tarrant wants to return to Melbourne for family reasons and will play for considerably less than he is currently earning to do so.
Tarrant is being paid in excess of $400,000 this year, but a figure of $250,000-300,000 for 2011 — or $500,000-600,000 over two years — is the figure several Melbourne-based clubs are basing their calculations and interest on.
Tarrant married model Lauren Strauss in October last year and it is understood they are keen to resettle in Melbourne, with four clubs, among them Carlton and his former club Collingwood, identified as suitable or desirable destinations.
Tarrant spent the best part of a decade in Melbourne with the Magpies, met his Melbourne-born-and-raised wife in the city and his brother Robbie is currently playing with North Melbourne.
A return is not necessarily going to be straightforward. Tarrant’s relationship with Fremantle is healthy, he has played good football for the Dockers in defence over the past 18 months and it remains to be seen what the club will ask for in a trade if, in fact, it does not refuse to deal as a way of trying to retain him.
Highlights – Vs. Richmond – Round 15
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Video
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Bulldogs just another game: Broughton
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Fremantle defender Greg Broughton says this weekend’s clash with the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium will be an important game, but no more important than any other fixture his side will play this season.
The fifth-placed Bulldogs are snapping at fourth-placed Freo’s heels and a win to the Dogs on Sunday would see the teams swap places on the AFL ladder.
But Broughton said Freo’s focus would be to improve on yesterday’s match against Melbourne, in which his side led by 39 points at half-time but allowed the Demons to get back in the game with a poor third quarter.
“We want to work on our game plan and get our game plan right,” Broughton said.
“We know the way we can play. We just need to put a four-quarter effort in.
“That’s what we need to improve on.”
The 23-year-old said goal-kicking was another area that Fremantle would be looking to sharpen up in.
“We missed a few easy shots on the weekend and that’s what we want to improve on,” he said.
McPharlin builds case for defence
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
RETURNING Fremantle defender Luke McPharlin says a stable backline is critical to his side’s chances in the run to the finals as a battle for fourth spot with the Western Bulldogs looms.
McPharlin and Greg Broughton made impressive comebacks against Melbourne on Sunday and the back six should be at full strength against the Dogs this week with the injured Chris Tarrant and Antoni Grover also expected to resume.
In the last six games of the season Fremantle faces five finals challengers and McPharlin said having a full complement of defenders available would be a boost as the side jockeys for a top-four spot.
“It’s critical; we haven’t had our full defence up and going as yet,” McPharlin said after Sunday’s 11-point win over the Demons at Subiaco Oval.
“We’re waiting for Chris Tarrant and maybe Antoni Grover as well, but it’s great for Greg Broughton and myself to come back today.
“I thought Greg was terrific as well and hopefully over the coming weeks we can get back to our strong defence that we started the year with.”
Workloads to be managed: Harvey
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
FREMANTLE coach Mark Harvey says he has players who are “out on their feet” after Sunday’s thrilling win over Melbourne, but he doesn’t expect any of his game breakers to miss matches in the run to the finals.
Captain Matthew Pavlich was held goalless in Fremantle’s important 11-point win, while crucial midfielder David Mundy had five possessions in the second half as Melbourne staged a gutsy comeback.
Ruckman Aaron Sandilands, who still finished with 34 hit-outs, was also not his dominant self around the ground against Mark Jamar, but Harvey said it was not his star trio that he was worried about.
“It’s how you manage your players, because they appear to be off their feet a little bit, particularly the guys who have played the majority of the year,” Harvey said after the match.
“I think those guys (Pavlich, Mundy and Sandilands), they’re mature enough to keep going. I was more making comment about some other guys that we’ve got in our side, not necessarily those guys.
“There are guys who have carried a significant load for the team, but we’re trying to manage that throughout the course of the week.
Fremantle goes fourth
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Match Results
Fremantle 6.3 9.8 10.10 11.16 (82)
Melbourne 1.2 3.5 9.8 10.11 (71)
GOALS
Fremantle: Ballantyne 4, Mundy 2, Hasleby, Duffield, Fyfe, Palmer, Crowley
Melbourne: Bennell 2, Jurrah 2, Davey 2, Johnson, Sylvia, Jones, Green
BEST
Fremantle: Ballantyne, Duffield, McPhee, McPharlin, Broughton, Hill
Melbourne: Davey, McKenzie, Scully, Sylvia, Bail, Green, Jones
INJURIES
Fremantle: Bradley (knee), Roberton (ankle)
Melbourne: Moloney (corked thigh)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Margetts, Rosebury, Dalgleish
Official crowd: 32,816 at Subiaco Oval
