Anything and Everything Fremantle
Archive for November, 2010
Freo look to Darling in draft
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Fremantle could face a critical decision on West Perth’s Jack Darling with their first pick in Thursday night’s national draft.
Darling is one of three local prospects in the Dockers’ sights for the pick, 20th overall, alongside Perth midfielder Reece Conca and East Fremantle defender Jamie Cripps.
Barring any surprise “sliders” among players from other States, the local trio are among those the Dockers hope are available.
Conca has been one of the climbers in draft speculation. He could sneak into the top 10 and is unlikely to get past Port Adelaide at pick 16.
Darling, a top-three fancy at the start of the season, has been the big draft drifter on the back of a moderate season and off-field issues.
Darling and Conca are among five players who Melbourne are looking at for their first pick at No.12. But North Melbourne (pick 17), Carlton (18) and Hawthorn (19) are doing late check-ups on Darling as the chances of him being available to them grow.
Grovers keep it in family, first Antoni and now hopefully Cameron
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Cameron and Antoni Grover want to keep the family name at the forefront of WA football.
As East Perth colt Cameron, 18, nervously heads into his first AFL draft on Thursday, he has received advice from his first cousin, veteran Fremantle defender Antoni.
“He called before the state draft camp just for a bit of guidance and that sort of thing,” Cameron said.
There will be an 11-year difference between the pair if Cameron gets a call-up on Thursday, with Antoni drafted by the Dockers back in 1999.
The veteran defender begins Dockers pre-season training next week, adding he will watch this Thursday’s AFL draft with anticipation.
Axed Dockers seek new homes in national draft
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
A collection of Fremantle and West Coast discards have nominated for next week’s national draft.
Delisted Dockers Ryan Murphy and Steven Dodd are among several Freo players looking for a new home while Matt Spangher is one of two ex-Eagles searching for greener pastures.
Key forward Murphy, 25, played in just 48 games since making his debut in 2004. His solitary appearance this year came in the crushing defeat by Hawthorn in Launceston towards the end of the season when coach Mark Harvey rested a dozen key players.
Murphy booted 50 goals for the club during his tenure.
Dodd, 27, played in 101 games for the Dockers after making his first appearance in 2004 also.
The defender featured in every game for the Dockers in 2006 – when the team made the preliminary final – as well as in 2009.
Other Dockers players hoping for better opportunities elsewhere include Tim Ruffles, Ben Bucovaz and Brock O’Brien.
Docker learns lessons from failure
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Fremantle recruit Peter Faulks is set to capitalise on his second crack at AFL level, according to his former VFL coach Peter German.
German said Faulks, who was pre-listed by Gold Coast and traded to the Dockers for pick No. 55, was ready-made to replace Chris Tarrant, despite failing to break through as a Swans rookie three years ago.
”When he was at Sydney, I don’t think he fully understood the commitment and what it really took to be an AFL player,” German said.
”He got a bit homesick and when he came back, I just grabbed him and said, ‘What are you doing?’ He wasn’t sure so I told him to come out to Casey. Our whole focus was to get him back into the system and working on areas of his game that he really needed to improve on.”
German, who also coached Faulks as a junior at Oak Park, was coach of the dominant defender at Casey in 2009 and then at Williamstown last season, where he excelled and was named in the VFL Team of the Year.
Fremantle confident of securing Anthony
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle remains confident it can secure former Collingwood forward John Anthony in December’s NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft despite looming competition from Melbourne, Carlton and potentially Gold Coast.
Anthony has agreed to terms with the Dockers and joined the club’s first- to fourth-year players for the official start to pre-season training on Monday.
Fremantle football manager Chris Bond said the 22-year-old would be feeling at home with the Dockers by the time of the pre-season draft.
Freo refuses to rush Barlow
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle will avoid giving Michael Barlow a recovery timeline as he works his way back from a broken left leg, but the club is happy with the midfielder’s progress more than four months after his debut 2010 season ended abruptly.
Barlow joined Fremantle’s first- to fourth-year players for the official start to pre-season training on Monday, taking part in stationary handball drills and walking laps.
The 22-year-old, who was joined by Roger Hayden and Hayden Ballantyne in the rehabilitation group, has already done some running as part of his recovery, but football manager Chris Bond said the young star would not be rushed.
“We don’t want to put any pressure on him – we’re not going to give him any dates or any times we want him to come back,” Bond said from Fremantle Oval on Monday.
“He’s been moving around on the leg fine and we’ve said all along we won’t rush him.
Anthony can have another 50-goal year, says Bell
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Retired Fremantle Dockers champion Peter Bell says there’s no reason why Collingwood discard John Anthony cannot enjoy another 50-goal season as a key forward for his new club.
The 22-year-old cut ties with the premiers and now has a host of clubs – including Fremantle, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Carlton – aiming to secure the services of the key position player for December’s pre-season draft.
The Dockers need to fill the gaping hole left by veteran key defender Chris Tarrant, who won a trade back to the Magpies at the end of the season.
Anthony asked the club to find him a new home in trade week but the Magpies were not able to find a suitable deal.
Despite kicking 50 goals in 24 games for Collingwood in its charge to the preliminary finals in 2009, Anthony was used sporadically in 2010, featuring in just seven matches for a return of five goals as the club preferred the likes of Travis Cloke, Chris Dawes and Leigh Brown as the power forwards.
Anthony to train with Fremantle Dockers
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
The Fremantle Dockers have sought and been granted permission by the AFL for former Collingwood player Jack Anthony to train with the club.
Fremantle has agreed to terms with Anthony and his management for the 22-year-old to join the club via next month’s Pre-Season Draft.
Anthony, who played 43 games for Collingwood after making his debut in 2008, arrived in Perth yesterday. He will join the first to fourth year players at training at Fremantle Oval on Monday 15 November, when the club officially starts its 2011 pre-season.
The club and Anthony will not be making any further comment.
Anthony on his way to Freo
014 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Disgruntled Collingwood forward John Anthony could start training with Fremantle as early as next week as the Dockers emerged the clear favourite to take the forward in next month’s pre-season draft.
Anthony is believed to be flying to Perth today for meetings with Fremantle that could clinch a deal that would effectively see him swap places with Chris Tarrant, who left the Dockers to return to Collingwood during last month’s trade period.
Anthony played 43 games for Collingwood, and kicked 50 goals in 2009 but faded from their best 22 in their 2010 premiership season, playing just seven games to kick five goals.
The Dockers view snaring a player in the pre-season draft as an important part of their list management model and key position players are a high priority for the club at the moment because of Tarrant’s departure and the advancing years of Matthew Pavlich, Luke McPharlin and Antoni Grover.
The 192cm, 22-year-old Anthony was originally recruited as a defender before playing as a forward in 2008 and 2009 and Dockers coach Mark Harvey is believed to be confident he could be used at either end of the ground.
Sonia Sain – Member-elect Director Candidate
214 years
Hello fellow Freo Supporters,
I am Sonia Sain, a Member-Elect Candidate in the up and coming election.
Many of you may have read my thoughts in the West on Thursday as well as on 94.5fm that afternoon. I was fortunate to be asked for my views, something that not all members have the opportunity to give through these forums. I hope I share some similar views to you as my purpose of nominating for the Board is to represent you – the passionate supporters of the Dockers
We all have different views on the changes made by the Club on our Logo and Guernseys. What we need to remember is that the Club did contact over 26,000 members for their views and only 10% responded – if we want our opinion considered, it is really important that we give it when asked. Please know that I don’t not feel that 2900 was an appropriate response for the Club to use (as well as the surveys conducted at the ground and focus groups) to make the change.
