Anything and Everything Fremantle
Archive for July, 2011
WAFL Watch: van Berlo attacks
013 years
Fremantle stopper Jay van Berlo is regarded as one of the most professional players at the club, so it comes as no surprise that he has been able to carry out plans to become a more offensive player this season.
Regarded as an effective small defender or midfield tagger, van Berlo has been working in the WAFL to develop the attacking side of his game, with the results clear to see in round 17 of the State competition.
The 22-year-old was Fremantle’s WAFL player of the round following his performance against South Fremantle, finishing with 18 possessions and four inside 50s in his team’s 17-point win.
“With the way that West Perth is playing, Jay has had the opportunity to play on a wing and also midfield and he’s showing more proactive positioning at stoppages,” assistant coach Simon Lloyd said.
“He has spent a lot of time working on his skills and we’re seeing that with his finishing work.
‘Fyfe the knife’ a cut above the pack
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
At some stage during Sunday’s western derby, Fremantle’s Nathan Fyfe might find himself tackling West Coast ruckman Dean Cox.
Only four years ago, Fyfe was a cox himself.
Much has been made of Fyfe’s rise from obscurity to be one of the AFL’s hottest young properties, not the least the fact that, in 2007, the then Year 11 student couldn’t even force his way into the Aquinas College first XVIII.
Aquinas director of sport and 2005 South Fremantle premiership captain David Gault has copped his share of good-natured “stick” over Fyfe’s non-selection.
“Don’t worry, I’ve had plenty of people come up to me and say ‘gee, you guys really must not have known what you were doing’,” Gault chuckled.
Freo name Carlton Mid Derby squad
013 years
The “cagey” selection moves Mark Harvey predicted at this morning’s Carlton Mid Derby media conference have begun, with Freo adding four players to its squad for Sunday’s crucial clash with West Coast at Patersons Stadium.The returning-from-injury Nick Suban, omitted pair Ryan Crowley and Jayden Pitt, and the yet-to-debut mature-ager Peter Faulks are the additions to the squad of 25.
As expected, the injured Roger Hayden is out, while Aaron Sandilands remains on the sidelines as he recovers from a toe injury.
Freo’s final 22 will be announced on Friday afternoon.
Suban is a logical structural replacement for Hayden, but he has only had one game back at WAFL level since breaking his leg in round 4 against North Melbourne three months ago.
First-year player Pitt hasn’t played AFL since round 8, ironically against West Coast, while Crowley lost his spot in the team when omitted for the game in Sydney.
Dockers derby game plan was ‘leaked’
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Fremantle coach Mark Harvey has thrown a bombshell into the build up to Sunday’s western derby by claiming that Fremantle “intelligence” was leaked to West Coast before the round eight derby.
West Coast broke a four year drought by beating the Dockers, using the win as a launching pad into a strong run of form which has propelled them into top four contention in this AFL season.
But in a tense Western Derby media conference at Patersons Stadium on Thursday morning, Harvey claimed the Eagles had the jump on Fremantle’s planning for the game.
“The interesting part of these games is that you have got your own game plan and how that holds up. Sometimes you rely on match ups and sometimes you rely on planning and strategy of pulling the opposition game plan apart. So we will see in time.”
Dockers’ young gun puts Eagles on edge
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle youngster Nat Fyfe’s quest to establish himself as an AFL superstar gained another boost on Wednesday when West Coast ruckman Dean Cox labelled the 19-year-old as the Dockers’ most important player.
Fyfe, in just his second season, is on track for All-Australian honours this year after averaging 26 possessions a game to go with his 13 goals.
For years, it has been Matthew Pavlich and Aaron Sandilands who carried Fremantle’s hopes and fortunes.
But Cox believes Fyfe has taken on the mantle of the Dockers’ barometer, labelling the 186cm marking machine as the man to stop in Sunday’s crunch western derby at Patersons Stadium.
“Fyfe’s been in fantastic form. He’s been Fremantle’s best player from an outsider’s perspective,” Cox said.
“He’s just really versatile.
“He can play forward, he’s great in contested situations, he can take a mark and he can push forward and kick goals. (He’s) very damaging, so we’re going to have to cut him out.”
Eagles, Dockers licences hot topic at meeting
013 years
WAFL presidents will question West Coast and Fremantle officials over their stance on the licences of WA’s two AFL teams at a meeting next month amid fears they could be relinquished.
The issue will rear its head at the meeting provisionally scheduled for August 8 in the wake of AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson reiterating a desire from the league’s governing body to overhaul the licence structure of the State’s powerhouse clubs.
_The West Australian _revealed in February this year that AFL supremo Andrew Demetriou wanted the WA Football Commission to give back the licences for West Coast and Fremantle, effectively increasing his administration’s control over WA football.
Dockers got under our skin, says Goodes
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Sydney co-captain Adam Goodes has no doubt niggling tactics from some Fremantle players got under the skin of some of his teammates, leading to undisciplined play, and he now fears other teams might try similar tactics.
The Swans conceded eight goals from free kicks on Sunday, as well as giving a number of 50-metre penalties and, for the first time in a long time, numerous players became involved in a melee that spilt over the boundary line in the third term. During that quarter, Fremantle punished Sydney, kicking six goals in 14minutes, effectively sealing the game.
Sandilands an “outside chance”
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich says the club will maintain a no-risk policy during Aaron Sandilands’ recovery from a toe injury, with the star ruckman only an “outside chance” to play in Sunday’s Western Derby.
Sandilands has missed six of Fremantle’s past seven games and is rated a 50-50 chance to return for the high stakes derby by coach Mark Harvey after suffering a reoccurrence of his turf toe condition three weeks ago.
Pavlich said with seven games to play before a potential finals campaign, now was not the time to take risks with the three-time All Australian.
“He’s an outside chance, but like any of our top echelon of players we’re not going to risk him, especially this time of the year,” Pavlich said from Fremantle Oval on Wednesday.
“He was in the gym with me this morning just doing some stuff, which included testing it out a little bit.
“But it’s not until he gets out there and does a full training session that we’ll be able to make a call on it. We might leave it to the last minute.”
Freo top 6 for club membership
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
The Fremantle Dockers have placed sixth in the competition for membership, after the AFL today released the final membership numbers for all AFL clubs as at 30 June.
Freo, which also occupies sixth position on the current AFL home and away season ladder, moved up two places after an eighth-placed finish last year.
The club’s membership total of 42,762 is a seven per cent increase, or 2,908 members, on last year’s membership level figure.
More than 650,000 fans became a member of their AFL club of choice in season 2011, the highest figure in competition history.
Aided by record membership increases for 10 clubs and the addition of a 17th team, the AFL’s final combined membership figure at the June 30 deadline was 650,373 – up from 614,251 last year.
AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou thanked fans for their support.
Morabito ‘no chance’ of 2011 return
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle coach Mark Harvey has ruled a line through the chances of Anthony Morabito playing later this year despite the dynamic midfielder being ahead of schedule in his recovery from a knee reconstruction.
The former No.4 draft pick has been eased into a running program over the past two months after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in a routine training drill in December.
Speaking to 6PR last night, Harvey said although the club was happy with his progress, Morabito was no chance of lining up for the side regardless of whether they make the finals or not.
“We are probably going to be more conservative with him,” he said.
