Anything and Everything Fremantle
Archive for April, 2011
Fyfe rises in stature
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Exciting Fremantle midfielder Nat Fyfe’s brilliant start to the season is set to be rewarded with a contract extension that will place him beyond Greater Western Sydney’s reach.
The Dockers were keen to move on Fyfe’s contract during the pre- season but he opted to wait until the home-and-away campaign before discussing his future.
Subsequently, his form has been outstanding and it could result in a three-year deal worth $1 million.
Fyfe’s manager Jason Dover confirmed a new deal was on the cards.
“Fremantle are keen to look at an extension,” Dover said. “That would be something we’d be interested in.”
Fyfe is already contracted until the end of 2012 after committing for three years when recruited.
After playing 18 games last season, he has continued to shine and was one of the best afield against North Melbourne on Sunday.
Ibbotson to fill the void
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle substitute Garrick Ibbotson says he is ready to play a full game against the Western Bulldogs on Anzac Day as the side comes to terms with Nick Suban’s leg injury.
Ibbotson made his return from a pre-season ankle injury as the substitute in Fremantle’s 29-point win over North Melbourne on Sunday, replacing Suban early in the third quarter when he suffered a broken fibula in his right leg.
Fremantle expects to be without Suban for eight weeks, and Ibbotson said losing the in-form runner for an extended period was a big blow to the team.
However, after playing 35 minutes in his return game, Ibbotson said he was ready to step in against the Bulldogs at Patersons Stadium and fill the void left at half-back.
“It is a little bit ironic that I’ve just come back from an injury the same game that he goes out and we play pretty much the same position,” Ibbotson said from Fremantle Oval on Monday.
“I have played half-back for a lot of my career and a bit through the midfield.
Upbeat Suban aims for mid-year return
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle is confident young runner Nick Suban will be back playing by mid-season after undergoing surgery for a broken right leg on Sunday night.
Suban suffered a broken fibula in the third quarter of Fremantle’s 29-point win over North Melbourne at Patersons Stadium when teammate Ryan Crowley fell across him while tackling Kangaroos midfielder Daniel Wells.
The 20-year-old was taken straight to hospital after the accidental collision and underwent surgery last night, with a plate inserted in his right leg.
Fremantle football manager Chris Bond said Suban would remain in hospital until mid-week, but the club expected him to be available by the halfway point of the season.
“We’ve spoken to Nick and he’s very positive and upbeat about getting back out playing with his teammates,” Bond said.
“Our medical advice at this stage is that he should be ready to go within eight weeks.”
Ballantyne says more to come
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle forward Hayden Ballantyne says he is still yet to hit peak fitness after an electrifying four-goal performance in his side’s 29-point win over North Melbourne on Sunday.
Ballantyne, whose pre-season was restricted by a lingering foot injury, booted 4.5 and had 25 possessions at Patersons Stadium in Fremantle’s third win of the season.
As he continues to emerge as one of the competition’s most effective small forwards, the 23-year-old said he still had another level to reach this season.
“I’m slowly starting to get fitter and hopefully there’s some form to follow,” Ballantyne said on Sunday night.
“Towards the end of last year I was starting to get a bit of form and I was hoping to start off with that, but the injury took my pre-season away.
“It’s slowly getting there. Each game I feel a bit better and hopefully it just keeps getting better.”
Fremantle too classy for North
013 years
Fremantle 5.6 9.9 14.12 18.19 (127)
North Melbourne 4.3 8.6 9.10 14.14 (98)
GOALS
Fremantle: Ballantyne 4; Mayne 3; Bradley, Fyfe, Hill 2; Palmer, McPhee, Crowley, Ibbotson, Mundy
North Melbourne: Edwards, Harvey, Wells, Ziebell, Swallow 2; Petrie, Atley, Wright, Hansen
BEST
Fremantle: Pavlich, Fyfe, Ballantyne, Sandilands, Mundy, Broughton
North Melbourne: Swallow, Adams, Anthony, Wells, Harvey
INJURIES
Fremantle: Suban (broken leg)
North Melbourne: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Fremantle: Nick Suban replaced by Garrick Ibbotson in the third quarter
North Melbourne: Robbie Tarrant replaced by Cruize Garlett at three quarter-time
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Margetts, Stevic, Dalgleish
Official crowd: 34,779 at Patersons Stadium
Mundy on the rise
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
David Mundy was in a bind. “What should I do, mum?”
That was the question a confused Mundy posed to his mother, Karen, over the phone after months of fruitlessly trying to weigh up whether to stay at Fremantle or return to Victoria.
He was genuinely in search of any advice that would make one of the defining decisions of his AFL career easier.
Mundy had come to love Perth since being drafted to Fremantle in 2003, but he also had plenty of reasons to return home.
His parents and sisters, Laura and Rachael, still lived in Seymour, where Mundy was born and bred, while older sister Kate also remained in Victoria.
Then there was the close band of school mates he had remained close to since he moved west, but didn’t get to see anywhere near as much as he’d like.
Adding to his conundrum was a Perth-raised girlfriend, who vowed to support him whatever his decision, but made no secret of the fact she wanted him to stay in the west.
No kidding in jumper war
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Fremantle Dockers jumper supplier ISC and Perth sports retail king Jim Kidd will square off before the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission tomorrow morning after a bitter row erupted over heavily discounted Dockers guernseys.
And according to a competition expert the retailer has a case.
Mr Kidd and ISC are locked in a dispute over the sports retailer’s selling of Dockers jumpers at $79.95, some $30 less than competitors and the official price charged by the Dockers themselves.
Ibbotson back for Roos
013 years
Fremantle has named utility Garrick Ibbotson to play his first game of the season in Sunday’s encounter with North Melbourne at Patersons Stadium.
Ibbotson, who hurt his ankle in the pre-season and missed the club’s first three games, joins an extended 25-man squad which will be trimmed to 22 on Friday.
Jay van Berlo and Jesse Crichton were also added to the squad.
Senior coach Mark Harvey said Ibbotson, who has been in full training, would be right to go, but he still wasn’t sure whether or not he would use the 23-year-old as a substitute.
“He’s an important player within the team and there are different ways you can look at bringing players back now with the sub rule… so we’ve got to weigh that up seriously,” he said.
But Harvey said using Ibbotson as a sub came with its risks.
Barlow suffers slight setback
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle coach Mark Harvey remains confident Michael Barlow will return this season despite the star midfielder experiencing soreness in the leg he broke last year.
Barlow resumed running duties earlier this year but his playing return will be delayed after feeling recent tenderness in his left leg.
He broke his leg against Port Adelaide in round 14 at Subiaco Oval last season.
The setback is only minor but Harvey says the club’s medical staff wants to take a cautious approach to ensure no further damage will be done.
“There’s a little bit of tenderness in and around the area, but not the direct area,” Harvey said.
“We’ve just got to monitor it.
“I’d like to be able to say he’ll be out on the track next week, but there’s just a delay with him at the moment.
Roos ready to rumble: Harvey
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle coach Mark Harvey has warned his players to be on-guard for a spirited and physical North Melbourne side this Sunday with the Roos left to ponder their heavy loss to Collingwood for two weeks.
North Melbourne travels to Patersons Stadium for the second time in a month, having narrowly lost to West Coast in round one before a crushing 87-point loss to the 2010 premiers at Etihad Stadium a week later.
Harvey said the 0-2 Roos had their backs against the wall early in the season but he expected them to respond this week.
“They’ve had a week to reassess a lot of things,” Harvey said from Fremantle Oval on Thursday.
“I see there’s a media ban on their players at the moment, so there’s obviously something brewing and we’ve got to make sure that we’re ready for that.
“Reality is, they played really well against West Coast three weeks ago now and arguably should have won the game.
