Anything and Everything Fremantle
Archive for November, 2011
Dimmer quits South Fremantle, Hasleby in
012 years
WAFL coaching ranks are in turmoil after four-time premiership coach John Dimmer dropped a bombshell by quitting South Fremantle just as his recent player Paul Hasleby was finalising his bid for the vacant Claremont job.
Hasleby has been appointed to the Bulldogs coaching job on a two-year deal, the club revealed this afternoon.
Hasleby had to move swiftly given that Claremont are likely to appoint their new coach tomorrow.
Triple East Perth premiership captain Jeremy Barnard is the other main candidate to take over the reigning premiers after Simon McPhee moved to St Kilda.
Hasleby completed his final interview with Claremont today just as Dimmer was resigning after eight seasons and two premierships with the Bulldogs.
Lloyd: Draft focus on list model
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle will go into Thursday’s NAB AFL National Draft as one of only three clubs with at least three picks in the first 30 selections.
While new club Greater Western Sydney has a monopoly on the early picks with eight of the first 10 and 11 overall inside 30, Freo will have picks 16, 20 and 29.
The Brisbane Lions were the other club to have at least three in the top 30 with picks eight, 12 and 30.
Fremantle general manager of player management Brad Lloyd said the club had turned its list over considerably over the past three years with 32 players being added in the National, Pre-season and Rookie drafts during that period.
But he added that there were still a number of list management positions that needed to be filled.
“We need some tall defenders and some key forwards but we also need to bolster our midfield as well,” he said.
Members deliver Freo Dockers a new club song
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
The result of the Fremantle Dockers’ club song member poll was confirmed at tonight’s Annual Members’ Meeting, with Ken Walther’s Freo Way To Go, the reworked version of the original club song, announced as the winner.
More than 33 per cent, or 8700 of the club’s 26,000 eligible voting club members participated in the poll, which opened on Tuesday 25 October and closed at 5.00pm yesterday.
The club’s objective was to arrive at a list of alternate songs, including the current song, for the members to consider in an appropriate process.
The song poll was overseen by Computershare, an independent and internationally recognised company that has run the club’s member-elected polls since 2007.
The high level of interest in the process was confirmed by the number of visits to the club’s website, where people could listen to all four songs.
In the four weeks the song poll was open the website’s song page had 91,878 views.
Kersten plays the waiting game
012 years
Last Thursday Shane Kersten was a second-year apprentice painter and decorator, an Essendon supporter from way back, and an admirer of the on-field achievements of Brendan Fevola.
This Thursday, he will become to be one of the top picks in the AFL draft – and what will make him standout is he is won’t be going to GWS.
Where he is going, no-one seems to know, although with elements of Fevola in his own game – strong hands, an eye for goal and blistering pace over 20m – then Brisbane, Fremantle, Essendon and Richmond will all know his name and draft number.
Lyon says ‘no’ to Davis
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Leon Davis will not play at Fremantle next season after coach Ross Lyon emphatically denied his club would chase the former Magpie.
Speaking after Fremantle’s first full training session on Monday, Lyon said pursuing 30-year-old Davis would compromise its policy of playing youth.
Davis sensationally quit Collingwood last month, saying he wanted to live in either his hometown of Perth or that of his partner’s family, Adelaide.
The dual All Australian half-back spoke with Port Adelaide earlier this month, but Lyon took Fremantle’s hat out of the ring.
“I can categorically say we have no desire to take Leon Davis,” Lyon said.
“He is a highly decorated player, All Australian last year and we’re very respectful of Leon’s talent.
Longley leads young Dockers
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
WA basketball great Luc Longley is this weekend chaperoning eight young Fremantle players in Melbourne as part of a bid by the club to shore up its leadership future.
Alex Silvagni, Hayden Ballantyne, Michael Barlow, Nat Fyfe, Greg Broughton, Stephen Hill, Nick Suban and Anthony Morabito are part of an inaugural leadership program inspired by a bequest by a late Dockers supporter.
The RCR Tomlinson-Jeff Hogan emerging leaders experience is expected to become annual.
The schedule has included sessions with Longley, a three-times NBA champion with Chicago and passionate Dockers fan, and dual Geelong premiership captain Tom Harley. The group also attended last night’s NBL match between Perth and Melbourne.
Hogan, who had mentored some young Dockers before he died last December, left money to the club through Perth engineering company RCR Tomlinson, where he was a director. He asked for the introduction of a scholarship program.
Fremantle Dockers torn between Shane Kersten and Josh Bootsma
012 years
Fremantle is torn between two local products for its No. 1 pick at this Thursday’s national draft, with South Fremantle youngsters Shane Kersten and Josh Bootsma both firmly in the club’s sights.
The Dockers are almost certain to have Kersten’s name pencilled in for their opening selection, with the 18-year-old revealing he has met with the club twice most recently in the past fortnight and was told “if I got my body right, I’d be in the mix to play early on next year”.
Fremantle theme song expected to be replaced
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
After 17 years, the worst theme song in the AFL is expected to be replaced tomorrow.
Fremantle Dockers members have been voting on a new theme song for the club, with the ballot closing tomorrow and the winner to be announced on Tuesday.
Sportingbet Australia has installed Eskimo Joe’s Freo version as a hot favourite at $1.55, with the existing version the rank outsider at $7.
“Nothing is going to compete with Richmond’s famous ‘yellow and black’ line, but punters are confident that Eskimo Joe can come up with a quality replacement,” Sportingbet Australia’s Bill Richmond said.
Hill No.2 bolts into view
012 years
West Perth wingman Bradley Hill says he’d love to join Fremantle at next week’s draft and play alongside his brother Stephen, but would also relish the opportunity to go head-to-head as an opponent.
Hill is one of the draft’s biggest bolters after testing brilliantly at the AFL Draft Combine. The 18-year-old broke the beep test record, then ran the second fastest time ever for the 3km time trial.
Those efforts came after he’d already placed fifth for the 20m sprint and 10th in the 30m repeat sprints. The athletic brilliance prompted AFL Talent Manager Kevin Sheehan to elevate Hill into his top 30 draft prospects.
Fremantle have three picks inside 30 – 16, 20 and 29, then don’t re-enter the draft until number 58. Hill is unlikely to still be available by then.
Many clubs have expressed interest in the wingman but West Coast and Gold Coast are the only clubs to have interviewed Hill twice. The Eagles have picks 23 and 28 while Gold Coast have 25.
Roger’s glad to be back home
112 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
While his exploits at the club over the past decade see him considered one for life, Roger Hayden is glad to officially be a Fremantle Docker again.
The 30-year-old has joined the club’s development coaching staff under senior development coach/assistant coach Simon Lloyd.
He will work closely with the younger players and assistant coach Todd Curley and the Fremantle defence.
“I’ve always wanted to be part of the club, so as soon as I found out a position was open I leapt at it,” Hayden said
“It’s good to be back.”
After announcing his retirement as a player on 31 August, Hayden had initially planned to take some time off to spend with his family.
“I had planned on enjoying some time with my family, but after the position became available, I had a chat with the wife and family and they said I should give it a go,” he said.
