Anything and Everything Fremantle
Archive for August, 2010
Senior players will thrive: McPhee
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Fremantle utility Adam McPhee has backed his senior teammates to thrive on a rare chance to play in September after the club secured a home elimination final on Friday night.
Key Fremantle players Aaron Sandilands (four finals), Matthew Pavlich (four) and David Mundy (three) were crucial in Friday night’s six-point win over Carlton, hitting form ahead of a do-or-die final next week.
McPhee, who has played in just three finals in his 188 games with Fremantle and Essendon, said Sandilands’ return was vitally important for the side and the giant ruckman was poised for a big September.
“I think he’ll thrive on it, like a lot of senior players at this club – they’ve been waiting a long time to play final finals footy,” McPhee told afl.com.au after the game.
“Even myself, we’ve probably all played 10 years and haven’t played too many finals.
“We don’t know when that’s going to happen again, so they’ll thrive on it and make the most of it.”
Foot injury forces Ballantyne out
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Hayden Ballantyne will miss Saturday’s elimination final after suffering a foot injury in Friday night’s win over Carlton.
A series of scans has confirmed that Ballantyne fractured a bone in his left foot.
While the injury does not require surgery, he will wear a moon boot for six to eight weeks.
Win just a warm-up: Harvey
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Fremantle coach Mark Harvey says his young players will benefit from Friday night’s finals-type clash with Carlton as they prepare for the club’s first September campaign since 2006.
Fremantle secured a home elimination final with a thrilling six-point win over the Blues at Subiaco Oval, with Hawthorn shaping as its likely opponent next Saturday.
Harvey said the group’s many young players, who played key roles on Friday night, would enter next week’s do-or-die final with a better understanding of what they will come up against.
“Particularly for the 10 first to second year players that we had play tonight, if they’re lucky enough to play next week, well we need to see how they handle a finals game,” Harvey said after the match.
“There was a lot in it and [it was] very taxing. The benefit of playing on a Friday night is that we probably have the opportunity to have an eight-day break.
Ruffles has knee surgery
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Tim Ruffles has undergone surgery on his right knee, which he injured in last weekend’s game against Hawthorn.
The knee reconstruction was carried out on Thursday and Ruffles was discharged from hospital yesterday.
The 19-year-old will spend several weeks recovering from the operation before undertaking the appropriate rehabilitation program.
The timing of Ruffles’ return to playing in season 2011 will be determined once he has completed the rehabilitation program.
Fremantle earns home final
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Match Results
Fremantle 3.4 8.6 11.11 13.15 (93)
Carlton 4.2 6.2 7.6 13.9 (87)
GOALS
Fremantle: Hill 2, Mayne 2, Pavlich 2, Walters 2, Johnson 2, Ballantyne, De Boer, Morabito
Carlton: Garlett 3, Henderson 2, Simpson 2, Waite 2, Betts, Ellard, Murphy, Scotland
BEST
Fremantle: Hill, Sandilands, Pavlich, Johnson, Mundy, Ibbotson, McPhee
Carlton: Murphy, Gibbs, Simpson, Grigg, Garlett, Judd
INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
Carlton: Carrazzo (hamstring strain)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: McBurney, Chamberlain, Ryan
Official crowd: 39,376 at Subiaco Oval
Freo money flows
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
It’s not every week that a team is sensationally backed after copping a 116-point belting.
But that’s the case with Fremantle, which has been the subject of a huge betting plunge to beat Carlton at Subiaco Oval tonight.
The Dockers, missing eight key players, were smashed by Hawthorn in Launceston on Saturday. But all the big names are back.
“The support for the Dockers is quite amazing. They have been backed from $1.75 into $1.65, with Carlton drifting from $2 to $2.20,” TAB Sportsbet’s Gary Davies said.
The money on the Dockers has come as a surprise to Davies.
“We have taken six times as much money on Fremantle as we have Carlton and as a result had to trim the Dockers up,” Davies said.
In a week full of betting activity, rumours – which proved correct – that Brisbane Lions skipper Jonathan Brown would miss tomorrow night’s clash against Sydney sparked a betting frenzy on the Swans.
Giant standing on the shoulders of NFL
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Aaron Sandilands will run out against Carlton at Subiaco tomorrow night wearing boots made for American gridiron players.
It’s not that the AFL’s tallest player is doing anything special to protect a foot injury which kept him out of the past three matches as Fremantle prepares to make up to a dozen changes to the side humiliated by Hawthorn last week.
At 211cm and 122kg the Dockers’ ruckman has found the best way to cover his oversized body is to order everything online from the United States, size-18 footy boots included.
Purple army hopeful of home final
114 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
“We put ourselves in a position where we can control our destiny, a lot of clubs can’t do that.”
So said Dockers coach Mark Harvey.
Is he a genius or could he have made the biggest mistake of his coaching career by resting up to eight key players for what turned out to be a hiding of biblical proportions at the hands of the Hawks in Launceston last week?
Harvey’s tactic was an attempt to freshen up the players ahead of this week’s game against Carlton.
If it wins against the Blues, the Dockers will secure a home final.
WAFL watch: Mayne man
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in WAFL
Just two Fremantle players were involved in round 22 of the state competition, with a host of WAFL regulars sent to Tasmania to take on Hawthorn last Saturday.
Nonetheless, the form of Des Headland and Chris Mayne attracted great interest as the important forwards worked their way back from injury and into senior contention.
Headland hasn’t played at AFL level since injuring a knee in round four, but the 29-year-old has now completed three WAFL league games and half a reserves match on the comeback trail.
Senior development coach Simon Lloyd said Headland had followed a detailed rehabilitation plan to now find himself in contention for Friday night’s clash with Carlton.
“His game time’s increased each week and he played considerable game time this week and pulled up really well,” Lloyd said.
“He’s getting through training well, and he now comes into the mix, which is great.”
Ten in for Freo
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Team Selections
Retiring Fremantle champion Paul Hasleby is among 10 changes to Fremantle’s team for tomorrow night’s crunch game against Carlton at Subiaco Oval.
The 29-year-old midfielder was a late withdrawal from last weekend’s game and announced on Monday that he would be hanging up the boots at the conclusion of this season.
A video will be shown on the big-screen before and after the game celebrating Hasleby’s decorated career.
Freo fans are encouraged to get to Subiaco early to watch the tribute to one of the club’s best and most loyal servants.
In a huge boost for Freo, ruckman Aaron Sandilands is fit again after missing three games with a foot injury.
And the seven players rested in round 21, including captain Matthew Pavlich, will all return this week.
The other players back in the Freo fold are experienced trio David Mundy, Roger Hayden and Adam McPhee, and youngsters Stephen Hill, Anthony Morabito and Nat Fyfe.
