Anything and Everything Fremantle
Archive for October, 2010
Dockers rewarded with three MCG games
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Fremantle’s surge up the AFL ladder in 2010 has seen it rewarded with three matches at the home of football next season.
The finals-starved Dockers didn’t play a home and away match at the MCG this year, and faced Geelong in its sudden death semi-final in September.
Mark Harvey’s side, perhaps unfamiliar with the ground, was blown away in the first term and was eventually beaten by 69 points.
But the AFL has revamped next year’s fixture, with one constraint to ensure all clubs must play at least once at the MCG.
Fremantle, on the back of its fifth-placed finish, has earned more than the compulsory one outing and will play regular-season games against Richmond (round seven), Hawthorn (round 11) and Melbourne (round 13).
“Fremantle performed a lot better in 2010 and accordingly have some games there against some tenant clubs,” AFL broadcasting, legal and business affairs manager Simon Lethlean said.
Fremantle’s 2011 Fixture
114 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
The Fremantle Dockers are scheduled to play at least seven potential sell-out home games at Patersons Stadium in the 2011 Toyota AFL season.
The first of the blockbusters, confirmed in the 2011 fixtures released today, is a round two night match against Geelong on Saturday 2 April, which is also Fremantle’s annual Starlight Purple Haze Game.
The other blockbuster home games include a Friday night clash against reigning premiers Collingwood in round 23, and games against fellow Victorian powerhouse clubs Carlton, Essendon, Hawthorn and St Kilda plus a round 18 derby against West Coast on Sunday 24 July at 2.40pm.
Freo, which opens its season with a night game against Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday 26 March, has also retained its annual Len Hall Game on Anzac Day.
The Len Hall Game against the Western Bulldogs at 6.40pm on Monday 25 April coincides with both the Easter long weekend which runs through to Tuesday 26 April and the school holidays.
Hasleby bites bait to coach
014 years
The lure of a high-performance coaching role with South Fremantle was the bait that convinced retired Docker Paul Hasleby to continue his playing career at the WAFL club next season.
Hasleby, 29, has signed with the Bulldogs under a deal where he will fill dual playing and coaching roles in the wake of his recent AFL retirement.
His coaching responsibilities will involve working with the club’s promising youngsters in a mentoring capacity under senior coach John Dimmer.
He is also aiming to finish his level three high-performance accreditation next year with an eye to a potential coaching future in AFL ranks.
Hasleby, who has only committed to a one-year deal but has not ruled out playing in the WAFL for two seasons, said the prospect of the high-performance role rather than his personal connections to the club led to his decision to join the Bulldogs.
His manager, Anthony van der Wielen, is a board member at South Fremantle, while close friend Kris Miller plays with the Bulldogs.
Lions first up for Freo
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle face the longest trip in football and a showdown with Brendan Fevola to kick off their assault on the 2011 premiership.
And West Coast have been denied the chance to mark their 25th season in the AFL by playing Richmond, their first opponents when they debuted in 1987. The Eagles host North Melbourne at Patersons Stadium instead on Sunday, March 27.
The AFL will release the 2011 fixtures on Friday.
Fremantle play Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday, March 26, when Fevola and fellow power forward Jonathan Brown should be raring to go coming off injury-ravaged seasons as the Lions set about redeeming themselves for a dismal 2010 when they finished 13th.
It shapes as a searching test for a Fremantle defence that coped without Chris Tarrant for the second half of 2010, but had both Tarrant and Luke McPharlin available and in form when closing down Brown and Fevola to break a 15-year drought at the Gabba this year.
Brown kicked just one goal, while Fevola booted three as Fremantle survived a late Brisbane surge to win by 13 points in round seven.
Freo to face Hawks and Eagles in NAB Cup
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle will play West Coast and Hawthorn in round 1 of the revised NAB Cup at Patersons Stadium on Sunday 13 February, 2011.
AFL Chief Operating Officer Gillon McLachlan today announced the six divisions for round one of the revised 2011 competition, where the AFL’s 16 clubs, plus newcomers Gold Coast and Team GWS, will be placed in six pools.
Each club will play two matches in their pool against the other two sides, with all round one matches being shortened games, comprising two 20-minute halves across a three-hour window for the three matches.
Fremantle Dockers chief executive officer Steve Rosich said the club was satisfied with its 2011 NAB Cup draw.
“We are also pleased that our request to the AFL to play the new pre-season format at home has eventuated,” he said.
“It is a new and innovative format and will provide a unique challenge for our coaching staff to manage the players’ game time over two matches on the same day.”
Fremantle members will be advised in due course about priority ticketing procedures for the three-game event on Sunday 13 February, which is likely to be a sell-out.
Murray Browne – Member-elect Director Candidate
414 years
Hi all,
Again the time has come when Fremantle Dockers members (last 3 years) can vote for a non-WAFC nominated person to sit on the Fremantle Board for the next 2 years.
As one of those nominees, (the first of 13 listed on the ballot sheet), I am looking for as much support as I can get.
I have accepted nomination for the position of Member Elected Director because I am keen to make an effective and valuable contribution to the future of the Club.
I am an inaugural member of the Club and as a continuous member I have enjoyed the development of its rivalry with other AFL participants and the development of its current strong financial and membership position.
I have always been impressed by Fremantle’s desire to be a family-friendly club and with further strengthening of membership, if elected I would work hard to ensure this vision is not lost.
My role would be to look at proposals from the perspective of all stakeholders including members, sponsors, players and supporters.
Gary Louis – Member-elect Director Candidate
014 years
Hi Readers,
Gary Louis here, another of the 13 strong candidates.
I have been following the discussion over the past few days and provide the following comments and feedback.
Uniforms – whilst I was fond of the old playing strip, I think the new gear looks pretty sharp. The feedback received over the coming months by the club from its members will be a good barometer for whether or not the song or other traditions should be changed (see comments to follow) and more importantly the consultation process leading up to any decisions being made.
One thing not considered or at lease mentioned is that with the change in uniforms, brings an increase in income to the club through the purchase of new merchandise. It was not that long ago that Fremantle as a club was heavly in debt, and whilst not necessarily suffering the fait of other AFL clubs with forced mergers or the fear of folding, this revenue will hopefully contribute to the clubs success and solvency well into the future.
Students of the game
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
As featured in the latest edition of Docker Mag
Some Fremantle Dockers have struck the perfect balance beteween life on and off the field – they go to university. Analysing opposition game plans isn’t the only form of study these players do. Story: Costa Kastanis
The average lifespan of an AFL footballer’s career is 3.9 years. With this statistic in mind, it is no wonder that players are looking for ways to ensure their own well-being long after their careers have ended.
One of these avenues is tertiary study. The Fremantle Football Club currently has 10 players involved in an academic degree at university. Some of these players were already studying before they were drafted, while some have begun degrees during their AFL career.
Dianne Stewart – Member-elect Director Candidate
114 years
My name is Dianne Stewart and I introduce myself as a candidate in the upcoming member election.
Yes, I’m that Victorian candidate, let’s address that issue up front. I am born and bred in Perth, have followed Freo from the very beginning but also find myself living and working in Melbourne for the last three years. The interstate members have a real ‘duty’ to be super-active in their club membership because there’s only a small number of us whereas in Perth there’s always someone else to help out. So I’ve joined the cheer squad, I make the banner each week we have a game, I travel to every eastern states game to help with the banner, and if you came to the semi-final this year at the MCG, I was the lady that handed you an inflatable Dockers hand as you came in the gate.
But you’re not electing me to be the ‘Head Cheer Leader’ but a Director…so on that note, I hold a senior executive position in my work and hold a Company Directors Diploma so I’m no chump in the board room either. I have a voice at the board room table and have been a board member on a national sporting board before.
Results of Jumper and Logo Survey
114 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
The results are in and the numbers crunched to the Jumper and Logo survey mentioned here (and e-mails, FDFC Facebook, Twitter, other forums, etc).
The results were:
- Almost 800 responses over two weeks
- Majority were existing Fremantle Dockers supporters (lots of matches attended and/or watched on TV), although 20% attend a couple of games per year or less
- Two thirds of people prefer the Traditional Jumper and Logo design
- Two thirds of people who do not attend Fremantle matches and do not watch any Fremantle matches on TV, prefer the traditional jumper and logo. If these are the target market the club is going after, we’ve got the wrong branding.
- The majority of comments from people who preferred the Traditional Jumper or Logo were extremely passionate (“The club fights for 16 years to be called “Dockers”, then removes the symbol of a Docker”), whereas many comments preferring the new Jumper or Logo were almost non-committal (“Bold and simple. Like it rather than love it”).
Snapshot of numbers and charts available here:
(This is from the person who is running these surveys):
‘For what it’s worth, a more detailed summary is available here (PDF).
Thanks to everyone that responded, great stuff.
I sent this to the club a couple of days ago, no response as yet.
I’ve heard the club has apparently received a 50/50 response to the jumper and logo changes – 50% like the changes, 50% don’t. That is quite amazing if it is true. If you like changes, you’d have to be pretty excited about them to contact the club with your support, surely? I haven’t seen that type of support for the changes anywhere yet (Internet, work, family, people hanging around the place).
Make sure you continue to e-mail, facetweet, write and call the club voicing your opinion. They need to see what we think, as well as read about it on the Interweb (valuable exercise that this is).’
