Anything and Everything Fremantle
News
Griffin eases Sandi blow
Jul 28th
Fremantle coach Mark Harvey is confident that ruckman Jon Griffin will be available to take on Hawthorn this Saturday night, softening the continued absence of star big man Aaron Sandilands.
Sandilands and key clearance player David Mundy have been ruled out of the finals-shaping clash at Patersons Stadium, with defender Luke McPharlin also missing through suspension.
Griffin, however, has been cleared of serious damage after being subbed out of last Sunday’s classic Western Derby with a left hip complaint.
After losing to West Coast by one point, Harvey said Fremantle’s season would be on the line every week, but the club could still not afford to rush its two most recent club champions back on Saturday night.
“I’d like to think it’s the week after but it might be the week after that,” Harvey said from Fremantle Oval on Wednesday.
Fyfe like Hird: Harvey
Jul 27th
Fremantle coach Mark Harvey says he can see similarities between young star Nat Fyfe, who extended his contract with the club on Wednesday, and Essendon champion James Hird.
Fremantle continued its enviable recent record of securing key players by extending Fyfe’s contract to the end of 2014, with the 19-year-old enjoying an outstanding year.
Fyfe is in contention for All Australian selection in just his second season and he is considered the frontrunner, alongside defender Luke McPharlin, to win Fremantle’s best and fairest award, the Doig Medal.
Harvey, who played alongside Hird in the 1993 Essendon premiership and mentored the current Bombers coach as an assistant at Windy Hill, said there were similarities between his prized youngster Fyfe and the recent Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee.
“Hird probably played a lot in his first couple of years across centre half-forward and Nathan’s been more across the wing, centre line, but the way he moves and the way he thinks through the game, there’s a lot in common,” Harvey said from Fremantle Oval on Wednesday.
Nat Fyfe contract extension
Jul 27th
Fremantle young gun Nat Fyfe has agreed to a contract extension that will see him commit to the club through to the end of the 2014 season.
General manager of player management Brad Lloyd confirmed today that the 19-year-old, who was originally contracted through to the end of the 2012 season, had agreed to a two-year contract extension.
“We regard Nat very highly both as a person and a player, and we are delighted that he has shown such a commitment to the club,” Lloyd said.
“Nat has had an outstanding start to his AFL career and we see him as being very much a part of the long-term future of the Fremantle Dockers.”
Recruited from WAFL club Claremont, Fyfe was Fremantle’s round two selection (pick 20 overall) in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft.
Originally from Lake Grace, 347kms south-east of Perth, he made his debut in round five, 2010 against Richmond and earned a NAB Rising Star nomination later that season after gathering 23 disposals in Fremantle’s win over the Sydney Swans at the SCG in round nine.
Fyfe has played 34 career games and kicked 28 goals.
Dockers utility Adam McPhee thrilled to reach 200 AFL games
Jul 26th
It has been quite a rocky road with more than its fair share of challenges, but Fremantle utility Adam McPhee believes it has made his impending milestone even more satisfying.
The experienced 28-year-old will play his 200th AFL match this Saturday night against Hawthorn at Patersons Stadium, in what will be another must-win game for the Dockers if they are to keep their fellow finals aspirants at bay.
McPhee began his career with Fremantle in 2001 before moving to Essendon two years later.
He set up camp at Windy Hill for seven seasons and in that time won not only the club’s best-and-fairest award in 2004, but in the same year also snared All-Australian honours and a spot in the Australian international rules team.
After 142 games and 83 goals for the Bombers, McPhee decided to head back to WA and rejoin the Dockers.
Next challenge: Hawthorn
Jul 26th
The next challenge to present itself for the Fremantle Dockers comes in the form of a powerful Hawthorn unit, led by its inspirational skipper Luke Hodge and the brilliant Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin.
The Hawks go deep, with Sam Mitchell playing as well as he ever has at the age of 28, and stars like Cyril Rioli and Shaun Burgoyne well capable of winning games off of their own boots.
What has really revitalised the 2008 AFL Premiers is the development of its third to fourth year players.
Liam Shiels, Shane Savage and Matt Suckling have all been tremendous this year, giving Hawthorn a different dimension and a renewed enthusiasm.
But Fremantle match up well against Alastair Clarkson’s men, as proven by the round 11 encounter at the MCG earlier this season.
On that occasion, Freo outplayed the Hawks for three quarters, only to fall away badly and be overrun in the final term for a 22-point defeat.
Courage under fire
Jul 26th
Deep into the final term of Sunday’s Carlton Mid Derby, Fremantle were all but defeated.
All that was left in the tank was one surge at stealing the most unlikeliest of victories.
That Mark Harvey’s men dug deep into the reserves to come within a matter of inches of winning speaks volumes of the courage this group possesses.
Already reeling from a season in which the club’s physio room at times could have been confused for the neighbouring Fremantle Hospital, the loss of ruckman Jon Griffin in the third term should have been a fatal blow against West Coast’s imposing ruck duo Dean Cox and Nic Naitanui.
Harvey has often said, echoing the thoughts of his mentor Kevin Sheedy, that a lot can be found out about a player when they are thrown onto the big stage in the face of adversity.
That’s exactly what happened to Zac Clarke in his 15th AFL game, when he suddenly found himself thrust into the role of lead ruckman against the Eagles’ twin towers.
Buddy big job for Silvagni
Jul 26th
Fremantle defender Alex Silvagni could take on the giant challenge of stopping Hawthorn star Lance Franklin in Saturday night’s decisive clash after Luke McPharlin was offered a one-match suspension.
McPharlin, who is in All Australian form this season, was charged on Monday with a level one striking offence for collecting Eagle Josh Kennedy high with a forearm in the last quarter of Sunday’s dramatic one-point loss to West Coast.
The offence drew a reprimand and 80 demerit points, but McPharlin had accrued 70.31 carryover points for a rough conduct charge against the Sydney Swans in round 17.
If he accepts the penalty, McPharlin will miss the clash at Patersons Stadium against his former club, making Silvagni the obvious match-up for Franklin.
Franklin leads the Coleman Medal race after kicking five goals against Melbourne on Sunday.
Fremantle utility Adam McPhee, who will play his 200th game on Saturday, backed Silvagni to stop the star Hawk after making an impressive return from injury four weeks ago against the Brisbane Lions.
Round 24 fixture confirmed
Jul 26th
Details have been confirmed for Fremantle’s round 24 fixture against the Western Bulldogs.
The match will take place on Saturday 3 September at Etihad Stadium.
Bouncedown is 2.10pm EST (12.10pm WST) and the match will be broadcast live into Perth on Network Ten.
Round 24
Western Bulldogs v Fremantle
Saturday 3 September
2.10pm EST
Etihad Stadium
The full schedule of Round 24 AFL games is as follows (local time in each case):
Friday September 2
Collingwood v Geelong Cats at the MCG, 7.40pm
Saturday September 3
Gold Coast Suns v Hawthorn at Metricon Stadium, 1.10pm
Western Bulldogs v Fremantle at Etihad Stadium, 2.10pm
Sydney Swans v Brisbane Lions at the SCG, 4.10pm
Carlton v St Kilda at the MCG, 7.10pm
West Coast v Adelaide Crows at Patersons Stadium, 5.10pm
Sunday September 4
Port Adelaide v Melbourne at Adelaide Oval, 2.40pm
Richmond v North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium, 4.40pm
Barlow bouncing back
Jul 26th
If there was a positive to emerge from Fremantle’s heartbreaking loss to West Coast on Sunday night, it was that key midfielder Michael Barlow appears capable of staying fit and returning to his best form.
Barlow, who has faced hurdles in his return from a broken leg this year, was superb on Sunday, finishing with four inside 50s and four clearances, and winning 14 of his 26 possessions in contests.
Significantly, the 23-year-old played four quarters, managing to have an impact in the midfield despite the aerial dominance of West Coast ruckman Dean Cox, who gave his side a 53-18 edge in hit-outs.
Barlow’s first game this season was against Melbourne in round 13, but he missed the following two matches with soreness, casting doubt over whether he could stay fit.
He was used as a substitute against the Sydney Swans in round 17 and had 11 possessions in 25 minutes, with Fremantle surely anxious to see how he would back up that performance in a full game on Sunday.
Fightback encourages Harvey
Jul 25th
Fremantle coach Mark Harvey says he takes heart from his team’s ultimately unsuccessful fight-back against West Coast in a classic Western Derby at Patersons Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
After falling 22 points behind halfway through the final term, Fremantle kicked three goals in five minutes to draw within three points, with Hayden Ballantyne hitting the post with a difficult set shot after the siren in a thrilling finale.
Rather than dwell on the disappointment, Harvey said the narrow loss should motivate his team as it embarks on a difficult run home, with six teams locked in a battle for the final three spots in the top eight.
Asked on Sunday night whether it was one of the most heartbreaking losses he’d been involved in, Harvey replied: “No, in fact the exact opposite to that.”
“I thought they were gallant,” Harvey said of his players. “I thought whatever they could give [they gave].
“I’d like to think that we never know when the end is near, so we keep fighting and we did that.
