Anything and Everything Fremantle
Archive for November, 2010
Versatility key for Freo draftees
113 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
It’s hard to pinpoint a best position for Fremantle’s newest NAB AFL Draft recruits, but that is precisely the club’s intention, according to assistant coach Simon Lloyd.
Fremantle used its three selections at last week’s draft to snare Jayden Pitt, Viv Michie and Josh Mellington – three tall, versatile youngsters that the club believes can potentially play midfield, half-forward and half-back at the top level.
Their selection is part of an ongoing list management strategy to stockpile versatile players with elite skills and running ability that Lloyd hopes will make Fremantle one of the hardest AFL teams to match up on.
“The versatility’s really important for us, particularly with the changes in interchange rotations,” Lloyd told afl.com.au.
“That’s one of [senior coach] Mark Harvey’s greatest strengths, seeing where the game’s moving, so we’ve chosen players that aren’t locked into specific roles but have a fair amount of versatility.
Hill bids for more time in midfield
113 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Stephen Hill has set himself the challenge of nailing down a permanent midfield role at Fremantle next year and overcoming the close scrutiny of the AFL’s best taggers.
A slightly stronger, older but considerably wiser Hill concedes that beating tags will be one of his biggest challenges in 2011 after opponents identified him as the Dockers’ most dangerous ball carrier in the latter half of last season.
His spectacular football earned him fourth place in the club’s best and fairest. It also earned him match-ups against the AFL’s toughest taggers, culminating in a round-19 lesson from expert North Melbourne stopper Brady Rawlings when Hill was kept to just seven possessions.
Hill admitted that that game and several others were invaluable learning experiences he would take into next season.
“It was a pretty tough day,” he said of the clash with Rawlings. “Brady is experienced and is a good player and he had help from the team as well.
“I couldn’t get into the game. If it comes around again next time I am sure I will have a lot of help from my teammates.
Dockers keep an eye on Monaco
113 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
West Australian youngsters Justin Monaco and Blayne Wilson will train with Fremantle and West Coast respectively over the coming weeks in the hopes of earning a rookie spot in their home State.
Despite the young defenders going into last week’s national draft almost certain to find their way onto a senior list, both were overlooked and will have to rely on a chance in next month’s pre-season and rookie drafts.
Fremantle are expected to take young key position players in the rookie draft, with Monaco’s rebounding defensive abilities sure to bring him into contention.
The Eagles, who can take Wilson in either draft due to the de-listing of Ashley Hansen, are nearly certain to take the Peel defender after only adding four youngsters to their list last week.
Meanwhile, Fremantle are still poised to snare Collingwood forward Jack Anthony in the pre-season draft. The 22-year-old is training with the club and has agreed to terms should he end up at the port club permanently.
The only danger appears to be the Gold Coast, who hold the first pick in the pre-season draft but are yet to commit to any player. Coach Guy McKenna is believed to be a fan of Anthony’s after the pair worked together during McKenna’s time as a Collingwood assistant.
Former Fitzroy junior player drafted at Pick 44
013 years
Former Fitzroy Junior Football Club player, 18 year old Viv Michie (pictured left representing the Fitzroy Colts in the Fitzroy heritage jumper) has been drafted by AFL club the Fremantle Dockers with Pick #44.
Playing with the Oakleigh Chargers last season, Viv is a lightning fast midfielder with a good overhead mark and above average endurance. He represented Vic Metro in the Under 18 Championships for 2010, averaging 16 disposals and two goals. Noted for his good kick and good nous around goal, Viv looks likely to play a role as a tall half-forward for the Dockers.
Viv started playing in the Under 11s in 2003 and was awarded Best on the Ground in the Under 12 Premiership in 2004.
In 2006 Viv won FJFC’s James Doughney Club Champion of the Year Award, the youngest player ever to have done so.
Viv was selected to play in the YJFL representative teams in every season he played and made the YJFL Under 15 touring side which visits Queensland each year. Once he became a regular at the Oakleigh Chargers his appearances with the Fitzroy Colts were very limited, but he played for Fitzroy whenever he could.
Viv is the second Fitzroy Junior Football Club player in the modern era to be drafted by an AFL club, following the drafting of Jasper McMillan-Pittard at #16 in last year’s draft by Port Adelaide.
Fremantle Dockers star David Mundy refuses to set season goals
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Fremantle club champion David Mundy has refused to set a finishing goal for the club in 2011, claiming it would be “ludicrous” to make any bold predictions this far out from the start of the season.
The Dockers finished sixth last season and surprised many with their sudden rise up the ladder. But while a position in the top four seems the next logical step, Mundy warned fans and critics not to get carried away.
“Every year, every team goes out there to do the best they can, but a lot of things can happen like injuries, form and how other teams go,” Mundy said today after joining his teammates at training for the first time since the end of last season.
“How many times has that happened over the history of the league where a team has come out and said they’re going to finish top four?
“I think to put a final goal in place now is ludicrous. We have just got to go out there and play our game as best we can each weekend and hopefully guys stay on the park as long as they can and the rest takes care of itself.
‘Pitt can play AFL footy next year’ – Dockers coach Mark Harvey
013 years
Mark Harvey is refusing to be bound by conventional opinion that says Fremantle’s raw top draft pick Jayden Pitt isn’t capable of playing AFL football next season.
Despite Pitt’s junior coaches saying the slender 18-year-old doesn’t have the body for the rigours of AFL football next year, Harvey pledged to throw him into the deep end during the pre-season and decide for himself.
Pitt, a 189cm utility taken by the Dockers at pick 20 in Thursday’s national draft, weighs just 72kg. While praising his tremendous skills, his former coaches in Victoria believe he needs to develop for an extended period in the WAFL.
But Harvey has been rewarded for showing remarkable faith in his youngsters over the past two seasons.
Stephen Hill weighed less than Pitt when he came to the club two years ago and managed to play all 22 games in his debut campaign in 2009.
Nat Fyfe also appeared under-prepared but was a significant contributor in his 18 games in his debut season this year after a show of faith from Harvey.
Shocked Mellington heads west
013 years
Fremantle didn’t subscribe to the theory that Josh Mellington was an outside draft chance after selecting the Benalla forward with their third pick last night.The 17-year-old was the toast of the North East town after the Dockers used pick No. 56 on the 188cm, 76kg star.
Mellington didn’t rate his draft chances highly and was tipped to go to Sydney Swans at pick No. 73 in The Border Mail Phantom Draft.
“It’s a great honour to go anywhere,” the Murray Bushrangers graduate told The Border Mail last night.
“I haven’t been to Perth before.
“I’m speechless at the minute. I don’t think it’s sunk in properly yet.”
Fremantle used its first selection on Geelong Falcons forward Jayden Pitt (No. 20), its second on Oakleigh Chargers forward-midfielder Viv Michie (No. 44) and its third on Mellington.
What the club says
013 years
Fremantle recruiting manager Brad Lloyd says his club emphasised clean disposal by foot at the 2010 NAB AFL Draft.
Draft summary
“We’re pretty excited about the guys we could bring in. We targeted guys who could kick the footy well.
“Jayden Pitt is a really exciting talent. He’s got a light body at the moment and he’ll need a little bit of time but he runs and carries the ball really well and has elite foot skills. With a few years [of] development he’ll be a really good player for our footy club.
“There won’t be huge expectations on these boys in terms of playing senior footy next year, but most of our list played senior footy at some stage last season. The thing about Mark Harvey is that he’ll give them opportunities like we saw with guys like Dylan Roberton, Stephen Hill and Jesse Crichton last year.”
Selection No.20: Jayden Pitt (Geelong Falcons)
Player profile
“I really just saw a lot in his footy smarts throughout the year. He’s a really intelligent footballer, he kicks the ball really well and his athleticism is good so with some development he can be a pretty exciting footballer for us.
“Jayden played at 68-69kg this year so there won’t be huge expectations on him.”
More youth for Freo Dockers
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in New Recruits
The Fremantle Dockers have injected more youth to their side following the AFL Draft on Thursday.
Jayden Pitt, Viv Michie and Josh Mellington were all added to the senior list after being picked with selections 20, 44 and 56 respectively.
Jayden Pitt is an 18-year-old from the Geelong Falcons who has an uncanny ability to win the ball, along with blistering speed and precise handballing skills. He can react to the play like a veteran and was an All Australian in the 2010 NAB AFL Under 18 Championships, averaging 18 disposals and kicking eight goals during the carnival..
Viv Michie is also 18 and is from the Oakleigh Chargers. He is a lightning-fast midfielder with a good overhead mark and above average endurance. He represented Vic Metro in the Under 18 Championships for 2010, averaging 16 disposal and two goals.
Seventeen-year-old Josh Mellington, from the Murray Bushrangers, possesses a strong mark and is a long-running player who often finds his way to goal. He kicked 38.16 in 15 matches for the Bushrangers this year and also has an impressive defensive game, tackling strongly inside attacking 50.
The club looks forward to welcoming these talented youngsters to Fremantle Oval early next week.
Suns move on Anthony
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
By Kim Hagdorn
New AFL franchise Gold Coast could extend their recruiting splurge from an historic national draft into December with a late and surprise bid for disgruntled Collingwood utility John Anthony.
Gold Coast will pluck eight of the country’s finest young talent inside the first 13 picks at their first full national draft and an option to take up to 11 young guns overall.
But it has emerged that Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna is investigating not using all draft picks and keeping a place available on his inaugural list for the enigmatic Anthony.
