Posts tagged News

Feisty Fremantle forward Hayden Ballantyne has matured as a player this season, according to teammate Chris Mayne, as he prepares to renew hostilities with Geelong on Saturday night.

Ballantyne kicked two goals and was a key player when Fremantle beat the Cats at Patersons Stadium in round one, but he is remembered best for a series of spiteful clashes against the reigning premiers.

Champion defender Matthew Scarlett struck Ballantyne with a glancing left hook in the teams’ season opener and gifted the Fremantle forward a goal, earning a three-week suspension.

Ballantyne was also banned for two matches for striking Paul Chapman.

The niggly tactics used by the 25-year-old have been toned down since he served a one-week suspension for striking Richmond captain Chris Newman in round 11, and his football has steadily improved.

(more…)

David Mundy says Fremantle is refocusing on the beginning of a new season – the AFL Finals Series.

Fremantle will play Geelong this Saturday night in an Elimination Final at the MCG.

“Playing finals is a massive goal of ours and we’ve been able to achieve that this year, so that’s great.” Mundy said.

“The season starts again.”

Mundy said Freo were confident the team’s game plan would stand up in finals footy.

“We’ve been applying ourselves really well, sticking to our game plan and hitting our KPIs,” he said.

“We’re not afraid to go anywhere or play anyone.

“We’re fully confident with what we are doing at the moment, and we just need to replicate that over in Melbourne.”

(more…)

Anyone who thought the Fremantle Dockers were going to give anything but their best against Melbourne on Saturday night obviously had not been listening to a word Ross Lyon said throughout 2012.

Many outside of the club believed Freo could have ‘managed’ the round 23 result to get an elimination final at home against West Coast, as opposed to travelling to Melbourne to face defending premiers Geelong, which the side will do at the MCG on Saturday night.

But that would have gone against all the values Lyon has instilled into his team.
On a weekly basis, the word ‘effort’ bobs up in his pre and post-match media interviews.

The senior coach always demands his players give “100 per cent effort, 100 per cent of the time”.

“We’re an anywhere, anytime team”, he said leading up to the match against Melbourne last week.

(more…)

Fremantle key defender Luke McPharlin is unlikely to play any role in his team’s finals campaign after suffering a right hamstring injury against Melbourne on Saturday night.

The important backman, who has been in All Australian form, was ruled out of next Saturday night’s elimination final against Geelong at the MCG and is in doubt beyond that.

He pulled up when changing direction early in the third quarter and was substituted immediately with coach Ross Lyon confirming the injury on Saturday night.

Lyon said McPharlin would have been a candidate to be rested against Melbourne if the club had chosen to manage players, but he had no regrets about selecting the veteran.

“You pay a price and you move on and you get going,” Lyon said after Fremantle’s 61-point win, which left it in seventh spot.

(more…)