Anything and Everything Fremantle
Archive for February, 2012
Neale stands up for Fremantle
012 years
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has praised draftee Lachie Neale after the teenage midfielder made an impressive start to his AFL career in Sunday’s NAB Cup matches against Essendon and West Coast.
Neale, who was selected with pick No.58 in the 2011 NAB AFL Draft, has been one of Fremantle’s standout performers this summer and he took that form onto Patersons Stadium for the club’s opening pre-season matches.
The South Australian kicked two goals in his team’s 36-point win over Essendon before a quieter match against West Coast and Lyon said he had slotted in well against AFL opposition.
“He did (look comfortable),” the coach said on Sunday night. “I suppose we’ve been a little bit bullish about him.
“In the second game he faded, but that was to be expected and it would have been easy to sub him out but we just kept him going.
“He’s just put another step in the right direction.”
Neale impresses Toyota AFL Dream Team coaches
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Young South Australian Lachie Neale gained the attention of Toyota AFL Dream Team coaches around the country with his performance in Freo’s first NAB Cup match against Essendon at Patersons Stadium tonight.
Neale gathered six disposals and kicked two goals on his way to 37 Dream Team points. It was an outing sure to make him a very popular pick before the season gets underway.
The 18-year-old could only manage 21 points in the next match against West Coast but that was a much harder contested game than the first.
Neale’s fellow South Australian Lee Spurr made his first Freo appearance in the match against the Eagles and scored 19 Dream Team points.
Freo captain Matthew Pavlich was excellent in his only match tonight, gaining 52 Dream Team points against the Bombers.
Nat Fyfe was also prominent in his only appearance with 34 in the match against Essendon.
Fremantle downed by Eagles
012 years
FREMANTLE 0.0.1 0.1.4 (10)
WEST COAST 0.1.5 0.4.6 (30)
GOALS
Fremantle: Mellington
West Coast: Cox 2, Weedon, Shuey
BEST
Fremantle: Duffield, McPhee, Pitt, Crowley, Broughton
West Coast: Hurn, Cox, Masten, Stevens, Stevenson, Shuey
INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
West Coast: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Farmer, Dalgleish, McPhee
Official crowd: 27,581 at Patersons Stadium
Freo starts with a bang
012 years
ESSENDON 0.2.1 0.3.2 (20)
FREMANTLE 1.2.5 1.7.5 (56)
GOALS
Essendon: Hille, Monfries, Dell’Olio
Fremantle: Neale 2, Suban (super goal), Duffield, McPhee, Pearce, Pavlich, Mellington
BEST
Essendon: Jetta, Dell’Olio, Hibberd, Carlisle, Monfries
Fremantle: Neale, Ballantyne, Fyfe, Hill, Pavlich, Sandilands
INJURIES
Essendon: Nil
Fremantle: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Farmer, Dalgleish, McPhee
Crowd: 27,581 at Patersons Stadium
Dockers’ Fyfe pain free and primed
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Last year, a simple overhead mark or laying a strong tackle would make star Fremantle midfielder Nat Fyfe wince in pain.
But after undergoing shoulder surgery and doing months of rehab during the summer, Fyfe is finally pain free and primed for a big AFL season.
Fyfe’s shoulder popped out of its socket several times last year, leaving the 20-year-old in massive pain and restricted in some of his movements.
Amazingly, Fyfe still managed to feature in 21 of Fremantle’s 22 games, averaging an impressive 25 possessions and booting 18 goals to only narrowly miss out on All-Australian selection.
The 186cm winger made it through last week’s intra-club hit-out unscathed, and his shoulder will get another good test in Sunday’s NAB Cup games against West Coast and Essendon at Patersons Stadium.
Early depth test for Freo
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle forward Matt de Boer says the club will have its depth tested early in the NAB Cup, with a host of key players set to miss Sunday’s opening matches against West Coast and Essendon.
Midfielder Michael Barlow has soreness in the leg he broke more than 18 months ago and is not expected to play until later in the pre-season, while David Mundy (ankle) is in doubt for the club’s season opener against Geelong on March 31.
Other key players not selected for Sunday’s NAB Cup triple-header are Luke McPharlin, Alex Silvagni, Anthony Morabito, Kepler Bradley, Antoni Grover and Jon Griffin.
New recruits Lachie Neale, Tom Sheridan, Hayden Crozier, Lee Spurr, Haiden Schloithe and Sam Menagola have all been named, meanwhile, and will be given opportunities.
“The younger boys are jumping out of their skin to get out there,” de Boer said from Patersons Stadium on Friday.
“We’ve got a lot of good talent and it’s good to test our depth so early and on a big stage here at home.
Barlow’s leg still sore
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Michael Barlow was a surprise omission from Fremantle’s squad for Sunday’s round one NAB Cup clashes against West Coast and Essendon after suffering soreness in the leg he broke.
He could miss up to three weeks of pre-season matches as the Dockers adopt a safety-first approach with his rebuilt left leg.
“He has got some soreness in his leg,” football manager Chris Bond said last night.
“It is nothing major. We are expecting to take things easy with him for two to three weeks.
“We are expecting him to play at some point later in the NAB Cup.”
The Dockers named a 30-man squad for their first hit-outs of 2012, with star veterans Matthew Pavlich and Aaron Sandilands set to play in the two shortened games.
Kepler Bradley and Alex Silvagni, both with sore calf muscles, and Jesse Crichton (toe) were left out.
Paul Roos says Fremantle coach Ross Lyon won’t be worried about the expectations on the Dockers in 2012
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Former Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos says new Fremantle leader Ross Lyon isn’t feeling the weight of expectation that has accompanied him on his shock move west.
Lyon rocked the AFL world last September with his defection to the Dockers after five years in charge at St Kilda.
The coaching coup – Lyon boasted 76 wins and four draws from 121 games in charge at the Saints – has led to Fremantle being widely touted as likely finalists and flag contenders in 2012.
Banished Docker answers Lyon’s challenge
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Suspended Fremantle forward Michael Walters has wiped almost 40 seconds off his best 3km time trial time, but his battle with skinfolds is likely to see him banished from the club until late in the NAB Cup.
Fremantle sent Walters back to his WAFL club Swan Districts on January 20 after he failed to heed warnings about his fitness and weight.
Coach Ross Lyon said the 21-year-old’s training performances had improved but he still had other work to do before he’d be welcomed back.
“There’s a uniform benchmark that every club would use,” Lyon said. “If you don’t meet it, we give you all the support and encouragement but there comes a cut-off date where you’re not getting there, like young Walters that went back to Swan Districts.
“We certainly support all our people but we challenge the behaviour and the door is open for everyone to conform to the expectations.
‘Too late’ to cancel stadium at Burswood
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
The State Opposition has conceded it may be unable to reverse Colin Barnett’s decision to build WA’s major stadium at Burswood even if it wins the next election.
Labor has consistently said it believes a new stadium should be built at Subiaco or East Perth because the 2006 Langoulant report found those sites would be about $300 million cheaper than the Burswood option.
But deputy Opposition Leader Roger Cook yesterday acknowledged that the stadium project might have progressed too far by the time West Australians go to the polls in March 2013 for his party to change the location.
“We have to see where the contract process is up to at the next election,” Mr Cook said.
