Anything and Everything Fremantle
Archive for August, 2012
Three come in to squad
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in Team Selections
No one is out of Fremantle’s team to face North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, but three players have been added to the squad.Running defender Dylan Roberton, ruck/forward Zac Clarke and young midfielder Cam Sutcliffe are in the squad of 25, which will be trimmed to 22 at 2.30pm (WST) on Friday.Jon Griffin remains out of the team after being a late withdrawal before last Saturday’s match against Richmond.
Clarke is coming off a strong performance in the WAFL with 22 disposals and 30 hitouts for East Perth playing most of the game in the ruck.
Freo assistant and senior development coach Simon Lloyd said Clarke was close to best on ground.
“He dominated the game in the air and won a lot of ground balls,” Lloyd said.
“We were pleased with Zac’s tackling and follow up efforts. He showed great agility at ground level.”
Purple-blooded Crowls wasn’t going anywhere
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Ryan Crowley says the reason he decided to sign a two-year contract extension to stay at Fremantle was a simple one for him.
“I’ve been here since I was 17, since I was a little kid,” he says.
“I’d like to think I bleed purple now.”
The 28-year-old tagger is enjoying, in his opinion, the most consistent season of footy in his 135-game AFL career.
What he’s done consistently throughout 2012 is shut down a list of star midfielders who between them have won numerous Brownlow Medals, club best and fairest awards and All-Australian jumpers.
While his future has been the subject of much conjecture throughout the season, Crowley never saw himself in anything but purple.
“I was never going anywhere,” he says.
Contract extension for Crowley
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in Contracts
Fremantle’s Ryan Crowley has agreed to terms for a two-year contract extension.
The 28-year-old, who has played 135 games for Fremantle since being recruited from the Calder Cannons, was signed through to the end of season 2012 and has now committed to the club through to the end of the 2014 season.
“Ryan has had really solid season so far and we are very pleased that, on the back of that, he has committed to the club for a further two years,” said general manager of player management Brad Lloyd.
“He’s a highly regarded member of the playing group and integral to our aim of achieving sustained success.”
Wells and Pavlich may be risked
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Both North Melbourne and Fremantle have key selection decisions to make on reigning best and fairest winners ahead of Sunday’s showdown at Etihad Stadium.
Never has a Roos-Dockers clash been so keenly anticipated or had more on the line, with the result set to shape the finals in a way no other match will in the run home.
Taking that into account, Fremantle is stuck in a dilemma over whether to risk captain Matthew Pavlich, while the Roos are in a similar position with running machine Daniel Wells.
Wells’ calf injury, sustained against Essendon nine days ago, has responded better than first predicted to treatment and it’s understood the Roos are confident of getting last year’s joint club champion up for Sunday’s match.
The Roos could even name Wells in the extended 25-player squad to give him every opportunity before making the call.
”Because we play on Sunday, it enables us to give Daniel extra time to prove his fitness after missing last week,” Roos football manager Donald McDonald said yesterday.
”But we won’t be making a call on him until later in the week.”
AFL satisfied with late inclusion
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
The AFL will take no further action against Fremantle after today receiving a detailed summary from the club surrounding the late withdrawal of Jon Griffin before last Saturday’s round 21 match against Richmond at Patersons Stadium.
Griffin was replaced in the selected 22 by Aaron Sandilands after official team sheets had been lodged 90 minutes before the start of the game. This can only occur in the event of an injury or illness to a player that is not pre-existing.
AFL General Manager Football Operations Adrian Anderson said the AFL had received a medical certificate on Griffin’s condition from the club medical staff, along with a copy of his MRI Report, which were submitted to the AFL’s Medical Commissioners.
The MRI Report indicated an acute adductor strain which the club doctor stated occurred during the team warm-up.
Coaches’ votes
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Fremantle unwittingly embroiled itself in controversy by bringing in Aaron Sandilands as a last-minute inclusion against Richmond, but the move paid off with the 211cm ruckman outstanding in his comeback game from ‘turf toe’.
Sandilands replaced Jonathon Griffin in Freo’s team 10 minutes before last Saturday’s match at Paterson’s Stadium, with Tigers coach Damien Hardwick later questioning whether the change was “in the spirit of the game”.
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon responded to Hardwick’s comments by saying Griffin had been replaced after suffering a “bona fide” injury in his pre-match warm-up, having “tweaked” his groin.
But the AFL told AFL.com.au on Monday Fremantle was facing a fine if it could not satisfactorily justify the extent of Griffin’s injury.
Even if Freo is fined, it may be money well spent given Sandilands racked up 18 possessions and a game-high 33 hit-outs and nine clearances against the Tigers, in his first match since round 11.
Bring on the Roos
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Chris Mayne says the prospect of facing a hot North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium with Fremantle’s finals destiny likely hinging on the outcome of Sunday’s clash is what the game is all about.
A Freo defeat would open the door for fast-finishing Carlton to nab the final spot in the eight with victories over Gold Coast (Metricon) and St Kilda (Etihad).
Win and Ross Lyon’s men can book their spot in September with a win over lowly Melbourne at Patersons Stadium in round 23.
“It’s going to be an enormous challenge for us, but that’s why you play footy,” Mayne said of the clash with the Kangaroos’, who can all but confirm a home final with a win.
“You want the challenge and you want to be able to go over to Melbourne, to Etihad Stadium, where we have played well, and take on a team that is contending for finals.”
Remember the titan?
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in Miscellaneous
Oh how quickly we forget.
There has been much speculation and opinion from various social media channels over the past few months that the Fremantle Dockers are a better side without Aaron Sandilands.
The same Aaron Sandilands that has not once, not twice but three times been deemed worthy by a panel of AFL experts to wear the coveted All-Australian jumper.
The same Aaron Sandilands who won the 2009 Doig Medal and finished runner-up in 2010.
The same Aaron Sandilands who people not long ago believed the team could not win a game of footy without.
The stats are there to back this claim.
Between Sandilands’ first All-Australian year of 2008, right up until mid 2011, the club played seven games without him and lost them all by an average of 54 points.
I was in shock says Lyon
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Ross Lyon has passionately defended Aaron Sandilands’ last-minute inclusion to the team in Saturday’s 22-point win over Richmond after Tigers coach Damien Hardwick questioned the integrity of the move.
The three-time All Australian was an emergency, but an injury to selected ruckman Jon Griffin in the warm-up saw Sandilands play his first game since round 11.
Hardwick said in his post-match media conference that, although the late change was within the rules, it wasn’t in the spirit of the game.
When asked if he thought Sandilands’ inclusion was legitimate, Hardwick said: “I think everyone knows the answer to that question.”
Lyon vehemently denied the accusation.
“There was no ruse here, so if anyone’s calling us liars, they want to be really strong and have strong evidence,” he said.
“I was in shock myself.
Lyon backs Pav for Roos
012 years
by DockerNow.com
in News
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon is confident Matthew Pavlich will be available for next Sunday’s crunch game against North Melbourne, despite the skipper battling a long list of niggling injuries.
Pavlich held his lead in the Coleman Medal with three goals in Saturday’s 22-point win over Richmond, but he received treatment throughout the match for groin, hamstring and Achilles tendon complaints.
The star goalkicker also appeared to suffer a corked calf in a marking contest midway though the first quarter but played out the match, helping drive Fremantle back into the top eight for the first time since round eight.
Lyon said Pavlich had been in doubt for Saturday’s match all week after experiencing hamstring and Achilles tendon tightness following last Saturday’s loss to Adelaide at AAMI Stadium.
“It’s a credit to Matthew; he finds a way. He didn’t train all week,” Lyon said.
