Anything and Everything Fremantle
Archive for February, 2012
Lyon names first squad
012 years
Ross Lyon’s first official match as Fremantle coach could see up to seven players pull on the purple jumper for the first time.
The 30-man squad for Sunday’s NAB Cup round 1 fixture against West Coast and Essendon at Patersons Stadium includes former St Kilda defender Zac Dawson.
He has been named along with draftees Lachie Neale, Hayden Crozier and Tom Sheridan, and rookies Lee Spurr, Sam Menegola and Haiden Schloithe.
The onus of leading the backline will fall on Dawson and second-year player Peter Faulks in the absence of key defenders Luke McPharlin, Antoni Grover and Alex Silvagni.
There’ll still be plenty of star-power and experience out on the park for Freo, however, with captain Matthew Pavlich, Aaron Sandilands, Stephen Hill, Hayden Ballantyne and 2011 sensation Nat Fyfe all named in the squad.
Freo will play two shortened matches against the Bombers and Eagles comprising of 20-minute halves across a three-hour window.
Mundy in doubt for season opener
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle best and fairest David Mundy is in doubt for the start of the home and away season as he battles to recover from the leg injury he suffered midway through last year.
Mundy has barely been seen at Dockers training this year and had already been ruled out of the start of the NAB Cup. But this morning, coach Ross Lyon revealed the star onballer was battling to be ready for the round one game against Geelong too.
“He’s in rehabilitation. He clearly had some setbacks,” Lyon said.
“He had a significant operation and had a setback. He’s around here today in rehabilitation, sort of running and jogging. He’s still a way off.
Trial rules confirmed for NAB Cup
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
There will be four trial rules played during Sunday’s NAB Cup match at Patersons Stadium between Fremantle, West Coast and Essendon.
Freo will play two shortened NAB Cup matches against the Bombers and Eagles comprising of 20-minute halves across a three-hour window.
West Coast and Essendon will compete in the first match, which begins at 4.45pm.
Fremantle’s first match, against Essendon, is scheduled to get underway at approximately 5.50pm, with the clash against West Coast set for approximately 6.55pm.
Trial rules for the pre-season competition are outlined below, however, the final round of the NAB Cup competition will be played with Premiership Season rules to allow clubs sufficient preparation for the Premiership Season. The NAB Supergoal will still be a feature of the NAB Cup Grand Final.
Backs to the wall
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle will take a significantly depleted backline into Sunday’s NAB Cup openers against West Coast and Essendon, with coach Ross Lyon declaring key defenders Luke McPharlin, Alex Silvagni and Antoni Grover are unlikely to be available.
McPharlin, who played 20 games last season as Fremantle’s primary key defender, rolled his ankle at training last week and missed the club’s intra-club hit-out last Friday night, with Silvagni and Grover also rested.
While Grover trained well on Monday, all three missed the club’s main training session at Patersons Stadium on Wednesday morning.
“The intention is none of them are training, so I think they’d be unlikely,” Lyon said on Wednesday, with Zac Dawson, Peter Faulks and potentially Adam McPhee and Michael Johnson the players Fremantle will turn to in defence.
Lyon said he was keen to select first-year midfielder Lachie Neale on Sunday, with the South Australian clearly the standout draftee on the track this pre-season, while mature-age recruit Lee Spurr and No.16 draft pick Tom Sheridan should also play.
Not so fast for Dockers tyro
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle’s Anthony Morabito is likely to start the home-and-away season building match practice in WAFL ranks as he continues his comeback from secondary knee surgery.
The 20-year-old was shielded from any potential collisions during yesterday’s training session at Fremantle Oval.
He spent some of the 90-minute session with the main group before running laps while teammates did drills focused on ball movement and reading the play around marking contests.
Morabito is expected to play a part in the latter stages of the NAB Cup in his first competitive hit-out since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee 15 months ago.
However, the club’s ongoing plan to treat Morabito’s recovery cautiously suggests they could hold off on selecting him for round one.
He debuted in round one, 2010, and played 23 of a possible 24 matches that season before injuring his knee.
Players set to head to Esperance for the 2012 Australia Post Community Camp
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Next week the players are off to the white sandy beaches and picturesque surroundings of beautiful Esperance for the Fremantle Dockers three-day 2012 Australia Post AFL Community Camp from Tuesday 21 February to Thursday 23 February.
The visit to Esperance, located on Western Australia’s southeast coast, about 725km from Perth, follows last year’s trip to Kalgoorlie.
Before that, the club had spread the purple passion to the South West (2010), Broome (2009), Albany (2008) and Northam (2007).
The annual Community Camps are a great way for the club to visit regional areas of Western Australia and meet members, supporters and football fans of all ages.
The camp also provides the chance for grassroots participants of Australian Rules football, including players, umpires, coaches and administrators, to learn from the best by getting a rare insight into what is needed to compete at the highest level.
‘I let Freo and family down’
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Michael Johnson concedes he suffered a crisis of confidence last season, and there were times when he didn’t warrant a spot in Fremantle’s injury-ravaged team.
He goes so far as to say that he let himself, his football club and his family down in a forgettable season that saw him average his fewest disposals per game (14.5) since his debut season of 2005.
But the 27-year-old has undergone a transformation since the arrival of new coach Ross Lyon, and 2012 is shaping as a year of redemption for the talented utility.
He has lost five kilograms, cut his skinfolds significantly and shaken a groin injury that has hampered him for two years.
And to underline his fresh approach to his football home of the past eight years, Johnson is preparing for a return to the backline, where he played the best football of his career in 2006.
“The last couple of seasons I’ve let myself down and my family and the club, but I know that with this playing group I’m going to be striving to be the best player I can be,” Johnson told AFL.com.auahead of Fremantle’s NAB Cup openers against West Coast and Essendon on Sunday.
Matthews talks up Freo revival
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
AFL legend Leigh Matthews has singled out Fremantle as the bottom-eight bolter set to storm into finals contention in 2012.
He also dispelled any thoughts it would take the Dockers time to warm to the coaching style of new boss Ross Lyon, claiming the change would add fresh impetus inside the club.
He felt Fremantle had been cruelled by a long injury list last season and should not be underrated.
“They had a lot of injuries last year and dropped from being top third to outside the eight,” Matthews said.
“On that basis, and assuming they can get those players fit again, for the team most likely to get out of the bottom eight and back into that top third, Fremantle are the most likely to play finals and potentially even get into the top four.
Young Dockers in black and blue
012 years
East Perth have bolstered their playing stocks with two promising young Dockers in today’s allocation of interstate AFL players to WAFL clubs.
Second-year Docker Jayden Pitt will swap his Demons jumper for the black and blue after asking to be moved due to a lack of opportunity at Perth, while excitement machine Hayden Crozier also became a Royal.
The draft-style allocation saw Peel Thunder once again choose a mature-aged interstate player – 24-year-old Dockers rookie Lee Spurr – with the first pick, as predicted by thewest.com.au.
Jack Anthony poised for re-birth at Fremantle under Ross Lyon
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle wildcard Jack Anthony is poised for a re-birth under Ross Lyon, with the new Dockers coach confirming the 2011 outcast is part of his preferred forward set-up.
Anthony, who played four times in his first season at Fremantle under Mark Harvey, teamed with fellow talls Matthew Pavlich and Kepler Bradley for the Freo white team in Friday night’s intra-club hitout at Patersons Stadium.
While the onus will be on the former Magpie to impress during the NAB Cup to ensure he is part of Fremantle’s 22 for the first-round showdown with Geelong, Lyon confirmed he saw the three-pronged attacking set-up as a trial run.
