Anything and Everything Fremantle
Archive for February, 2011
Mzungu a must
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
He was unlucky to have not made Dr Dream Team’s preliminary squad, but Tendai Mzungu’s performances for Fremantle in the opening round of the NAB Cup have ensured he will be in my side when round one rolls around.
In only a matter of minutes last night, Mzungu did enough to – at the very least – be added to my squad. Depending on the next few weeks, he might even find himself in the Doc’s best 22 come round one.
In the first game against Hawthorn, the 24-year-old picked up 14 touches and even kicked a goal. In the next game against West Coast, he picked up another nine disposals. The way he played, though, said more than his decent possession tally. He looked like he belonged.
The Doctor knows that NAB Cup matches can, at times, be overrated in terms of their relevance, but Mzungu’s effort should see him on your radar for your Toyota AFL Dream Team.
Freo Dockers touchdown in Kalgoorlie
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
The Fremantle Dockers have landed in Kalgoorlie for their three-day 2011 Telstra AFL Community Camp.
Fremantle’s travelling party includes Captain Matthew Pavlich, Aaron Sandilands and Senior Coach Mark Harvey, who have been joined by a mix of senior players and new recruits.
The group will be based in Kalgoorlie, travelling to surrounding regional communities to spread the AFL’s message and Fremantle’s “purple passion”.
The camp is a great way for the club to meet members, supporters and football fans of all ages in the Goldfields area and provides the chance for grassroots participants of Australian Rules football, including players, umpires, coaches and administrators, to learn from the best by getting a rare insight into what is needed to compete at the highest level.
The best chance for locals to meet the players and see them in action is at Digger Daws Oval from 5.00pm onwards today. The players will conduct a NAB Superclinic for children aged 5-12 years before some of Freo’s development coaches take the Goldfields Talent Academy for a training session.
Wednesday and Thursday will see the travelling party head out to local schools in and around the Goldfields region, including Kambalda, Boulder and Coolgardie to address students on the rigours of playing AFL, living a healthy lifestyle and pursuing their dreams.
Stay tuned to fremantlefc.com.au for more stories, video footage and pics from Freo’s visit to the Goldfields.
Drums are beating over Mzungu
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
After Fremantle’s first game against Hawthorn last night, the Dockers hierarchy had pencilled in Tendai Mzungu’s name for the first match of the home-and-away season.
After the second match, against West Coast, Mzungu had been inked in.
The mature-age recruit, who looks as much like a rapper as a footballer, looks set to continue the Dockers’ outstanding strike rate with mature-age players following the recruitment last year of Michael Barlow and Alex Silvagni.
Mzungu, who turns 25 in two weeks, turned in the perfect audition last night, with sparkling performances in both losses to Hawthorn and West Coast.
He looked totally at home at the elite level after being collected with selection No.39 in last year’s national draft following his best-and-fairest season with Perth.
Dockers to play at Hands Oval
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Although their side may have turned in a disappointing NAB Cup performance at the weekend, Fremantle Dockers supporters in Bunbury could have been forgiven for celebrating.
That’s because the AFL yesterday confirmed that Fremantle, who suffered consecutive defeats at the hands of the West Coast Eagles and Hawthorn in Perth on Sunday, will play a pre-season match at Hands Oval for the second time in three years.
The NAB Challenge fixture, that is likely to be scheduled for Saturday, March 5, is expected to attract thousands of people.
When Fremantle played Carlton at the ground in 2009 a sell-out crowd of 10,000 witnessed a Dockers victory with many more locked outside.
Harvey unconcerned by early Fremantle exit
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle coach Mark Harvey says he is not concerned following his side’s opening-round exit from the NAB Cup on Sunday night, despite falling to unfancied Hawthorn and West Coast outfits at Patersons Stadium.
The highly-favoured Fremantle will instead turn its attention to the NAB Challenge series after a 14-point loss to Hawthorn was followed by a two-goal loss to cross-town rival West Coast.
Harvey said there were up to 12 players missing from Fremantle’s preferred line-up across the two matches on Sunday, and he would expect his side to play its best football closer to round one of the season proper.
“It’s what sort of weight you hold your first game in … we’re trying different things at this stage,” the coach said on Sunday night.
“We haven’t played a practice game before this, and you find out a little bit about your playing list.
“We don’t go through to round two, but so be it.
Freo defence in good hands: McPharlin
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Fremantle defender Luke McPharlin is confident his side can assemble a competitive back six in 2011, despite losing star stopper Chris Tarrant to Collingwood.
Tarrant, who had notched consecutive top-10 finishes in Fremantle’s best-and-fairest award since reviving his career as a full-back, returned to the Magpies during last October’s trade period in exchange for NAB AFL Draft selections 43 and 55.
While it was a bitter pill for Fremantle to swallow, McPharlin said the club had recruited well and still had the personnel to combat the AFL’s best power forwards.
“It’s a significant loss for us to lose a key back like Tarrant, but we’ve got some young guys coming through – Peter Faulks and (Tendai) Mzungu, who’s been pretty impressive – and obviously Antoni Grover’s still around,” McPharlin said from Fremantle Oval on Thursday.
“I think we’ll be able to put a competitive defence together.
NAB Cup squad named
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Team Selections
Fremantle has named it’s 29-man squad for the NAB Cup round 1 encounter with Hawthorn and West Coast on Sunday February 13 at Patersons Stadium.
The AFL’s new triangular series format will see Freo take on both the Hawks and Eagles in back-to-back games comprising of two 20-minute halves each.
The Freo Dockers will be wearing the club’s new purple home jumper for both matches.
Captain Matthew Pavlich and ruckman Aaron Sandilands have both been named, but the club has indicated that their game time would be managed.
The match will also give Freo fans a chance to see a host of the club’s new recruits, including Tendai Mzungu, Jon Griffin, Viv Michie, Josh Mellington, Jack Anthony, Peter Faulks and Nick Lower.
Fremantle’s first match, against Hawthorn, bounces down at 5.50pm and is followed by a game against West Coast at 6.55pm.
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FREMANTLE
3. Byron Schammer, 6. Greg Broughton, 8. Nick Suban, 9. Adam McPhee, 10. Rhys Palmer, 12. Jon Griffin, 13. Tendai Mzungu, 14. Antoni Grover, 15. Ryan Crowley, 16. David Mundy, 18. Luke McPharlin, 20. Viv Michie, 22. John Anthony, 23. Chris Mayne, 24. Dylan Roberton, 25. Josh Mellington, 26. Kepler Bradley, 27. Justin Bollenhagen, 28. Peter Faulks, 29. Matthew Pavlich, 30. Zac Clarke, 31. Aaron Sandilands, 34. Nick Lower, 36. Alex Silvagni, 37. Michael Johnson, 41. Paul Duffield, 44. Jesse Crichton, 46. Clancee Pearce, 47. Jay van Berlo
NAB Cup role for Pav and Sandi
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle will announce its squad for Sunday’s NAB Cup opener against West Coast and Hawthorn at Patersons Stadium on Thursday, with star ruckman Aaron Sandilands and captain Matthew Pavlich both set to play a role.
Fremantle assistant coach Barry Mitchell said the pair would play, but their game time would be managed.
“They will play a part in the game,” Mitchell said.
“They are seasoned players…(but) it’s no good them burning themselves out at this stage of the year.”
Mitchell said the club was pleased its two matches were back-to-back and the players would go into their first competitive hit-out for the year fit.
“The guys have trained well, so we’re happy with how we’re going in terms of fitness,” he said.
“For us it’s good that we play one after the other – it’s one less thing that we have to worry about – but it’s going to be interesting to see how it does work out.
“I think teams will adapt to it pretty well – I don’t think it’s a massive difference.”
Hill over the moon
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Star Fremantle midfielder Stephen Hill will be released from modified training during the NAB Cup and is in no doubt for round one of the season proper, according to midfield coach Barry Mitchell.
Hill, whose training load has been eased since returning from the Christmas break, has been part of an expanding group of Fremantle players not taking part in full training.
However, Mitchell said the 20-year-old would play late in the pre-season and the club had no personnel concerns ahead of its NAB Cup opener against West Coast and Hawthorn at Patersons Stadium on Sunday.
“We’ll have more than enough players to fill 29 spots,” Mitchell said from Fremantle Oval on Wednesday.
“(Hill) is going along well. We’re very confident he’ll be there round one [and] he’ll play parts of the NAB Cup or Challenge.
“He’s just been looked after a little bit. He has covered so much ground in his first two years. He’s obviously a very important player to us, but [we’re] very confident he’ll have a similar year to the first two that he’s had.”
Ready to be Mayne man
113 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Exciting Fremantle forward Chris Mayne has two reasons to enter his fourth AFL season confident that he can stay injury-free and consistently deliver on his obvious potential.
The injury-plagued youngster has completed his first full pre-season since joining Fremantle at the end of 2007 and the shin, foot and groin problems that have followed him are gone.
He also received a massive vote of confidence from his teammates last December when he was voted into the club’s leadership group after just 36 AFL games.
The 22-year-old said he was honoured to be recognised for his leadership ability, but it is the clean bill of health that has revived his self-belief ahead of the new season.
“Working really close with the fitness staff and the physios, we’ve finally found a program that works for me,” Mayne told afl.com.au.
“Other years I haven’t had a full pre-season and then sometimes I’ve been a bit worried – am I fit enough, are my skills under pressure, under fatigue good enough?
