Anything and Everything Fremantle
Archive for September, 2011
Lyon docks at Fremantle
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Ross Lyon arrived in Perth today to officially commence his duties as the fifth senior coach of the Fremantle Dockers.
After flying in from Melbourne, Lyon will spend the next few days meeting football department staff and other key club personnel.
“I’m really excited about being here at Freo and I want to get across as much as possible as soon as possible,” Lyon said.
“I’m looking forward to meeting everyone, but in the short-term, in particular, with all of the football department staff and other key personnel at the club (the players are on leave).
“What I can say at this early stage is that it is clear that planning for the 2012 pre-season is already well advanced.”
Lyon said he was also keen for his wife, Kirsten, and their three children to set up home and be settled in Perth as soon as possible.
Shaw’s fury at Dockers
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Robert Shaw has launched a scathing attack on Fremantle over last week’s brutal sacking of coach Mark Harvey.
A former football operations manager at Fremantle, Shaw was not surprised Harvey was deposed in such dramatic fashion because of “the way one or two individuals operate”.
The former Fitzroy and Adelaide coach left the Dockers to return home to Melbourne at the end of 2008.
“He (Harvey) has been a victim of what I can only see as basically an ends justifies the means where morality counts for nothing,” Shaw told Melb-ourne radio station SEN.
“Morality, honesty, integrity counts for nothing the way he’s been treated and his family. The ends will justify the means and that is whatever it takes to get a Fremantle premiership.
Ballantyne wins goal of the year
013 years
Livewire Fremantle forward Hayden Ballantyne has salvaged some reward for a disappointing Dockers season, tonight being awarded the AFL’s goal of the year award.
Ballantyne’s prize-winning goal came on a night when the Dockers were having little luck in front of goal, eventually losing to Geelong 13.11 (89) to 10.18 (78) in round two.
The Mandurah product gathered the ball from a Rhys Palmer handpass just behind the centre square before taking possession again off a spoil and finally kicking the goal from 45m on his third possession in the play.
Ballantyne wins the Phil Manassa Medal and a Panasonic Prize pack valued at $9000.
Freo a flag threat? You must be Loony…
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Last Friday night, my mate Loony and I went to the pub and had a debate about footy.
I know, I know…I’ve started this blog in a very similar fashion at least one previous time this season. But this was a little different.
For starters, Loony and I are both Fremantle supporters. And we both agreed that the appointment of Ross Lyon, irrespective of how it came about, would strengthen the club in the long run.
Fremantle likely to target Collingwood defensive coach Scott Watters
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Fremantle’s search for Ross Lyon’s right-hand man will almost certainly zero in on Collingwood defensive specialist Scott Watters.
The Dockers’ cashed-up coaching raid is not yet complete with club officials still in the hunt for a chief assistant to support Lyon.
Watters, who is out of contract at Collingwood after two years as its defensive coach, is known to be high on the Dockers’ hit-list.
His management, Corporate Sports Australia, has already been sounded out about the prospect of a shift back home to Western Australia.
Collingwood coach-in-waiting Nathan Buckley would want to lock in Watters, 42, most likely as midfield coach to replace new Melbourne boss Mark Neeld, as part of his regime next season.
Watters’ work overseeing Collingwood’s defensive strategies, most recently in the absence of some of its key backmen, has won high acclaim within the club.
Remarkably, the inaugural Dockers’ vice-captain is on track to participate in his sixth-straight grand final if the Pies progress through to this year’s decider.
He guided WAFL club Subiaco to two flags among three grand finals (2007-09) followed by success in the Pies’ premiership last season.
Fremantle CEO Steve Rosich vows Dockers will keep blooding youth
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle has told new coach Ross Lyon it wants to continue its recent philosophy of blooding youth, despite Lyon’s reputation for a reluctance to “play kids” in his time at St Kilda.
Lyon handed debuts to nine players this year after St Kilda’s poor start to the season, but most of his time at the club was marked by his unstinting faith in senior players.
Dockers CEO Steve Rosich pledged yesterday the club would retain its conviction in bringing through young players, despite the likelihood of a dearth of early-round picks in the national draft if Fremantle secures Brisbane forward Mitch Clark.
Family rallies behind dumped Fremantle coach Mark Harvey
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Mark Harvey’s son has told of his family’s resolve after the former Fremantle coach was forced to “deal with the fact that he was no longer wanted”.
Trent Harvey, 19, said last Thursday began as any normal day before he called his mother, Donna, on the way home from work and was told the family needed to talk.
“I called mum, the normal routine to see if she needed anything … and she said, ‘You need to come home, we need to discuss some things regarding dad’,” Trent said.
“When she sounded like that, I knew it was pretty serious.
Harvey sacking was ruthless: Pavlich
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
By SportsNewsFirst
Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich says the sacking of Mark Harvey was part of the ‘brutal and ruthless’ footballing industry.
Fremantle players and fellow coaches were left stunned at the swift execution of Harvey on Thursday night, to make way for the appointment of Ross Lyon as his replacement.
After Dockers players met the new coach on Friday morning, Pavlich thanked Harvey for his efforts – despite rumours that some senior players had not been enamoured with the coach’s style towards the end of his reign.
Irate Fremantle fans want Mark Harvey to lead another club
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Outraged Fremantle supporters want sacked coach Mark Harvey to lead another club next year.
In many of the 600+ comments sent to PerthNow by readers so far today, fans have called for Harvey to start afresh in the AFL.
“Go to Melbourne Harves,” said Gazza of Perth.
“Come back to bombers Mark! You are a champ!” posted Bombers of Essendon.
“There are still plenty of more coaching jobs open for you Harvey! The Dockers may live to regret this decision as they were on the way of having a good year, if it wasn’t for injuries. Shock sacking for 2011,” said Jill of Melbourne.
Changes test Freo fans’ faith
013 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Change is supposed to be as good as a holiday.
Maybe not if the vacation is actually a one-way trip to the AFL scrapheap.
The throw-out pile belonging to Fremantle is currently the biggest in the league.
In the space of 12 months, the club’s famous – or possibly infamous – anchor logo, something of great pride to true port footy supporters, has been pulled and turned into what looks like an out-of-shape paper clip.
