Unofficial Preview Dockers VS Swans - Preliminary Final

[Wizard]

I think as long as we can bring the intensity from the first bounce we will be fine, with the week off i am cocnerned about the first quarter. We seem to struggle coming out of the blocks after a break so that is my main worry.

 

[Dark Wee]

Would actually hope they do get desperate and play him. He will blow up in the 2nd quarter and if they get any injuries they will be a man down.

This didn't bother them last week.

 

[Purple Jesus]

This didn't bother them last week.

They were playing Carlton, who finished 9th last week.

 

[heypenny]

I think as long as we can bring the intensity from the first bounce we will be fine, with the week off i am cocnerned about the first quarter. We seem to struggle coming out of the blocks after a break so that is my main worry.

Yeah, I'm a little concerned about the opening quarter too. It took time to adjust to the intensity in the Geelong final and a lot of our boys have only played one game in three weeks. If we can lead at half time, I'm sure the combination of the crowd and the back to back finals by Sydney will give us the boost to hold on. Similar to the Crows in the final against us last year.

 

[sij1981]

I feel nervous.... Yet I should be confident.

With the Squad Freo have available is good enough to beat the swans. Even though the swans have a few players in their 22 out, they should be underestimated.

I reckon it was destiny for Freo to make this years grand final. This is the 1st time Ever in our history that everything has fallen Freos way.

Think of it... Freo have the week off for the rest, Were playing at Subiaco in front of 43,000 rabid dockers fans, Swans are battered and bruised after a month of brutal football playing some tough opposition. We should win this if We have performed the same way and Effort just like our previous 17 wins in 2013.

Destiny is in our hands. I can feel it.

Were close. So close to this AFL Premiership I want it more than ever.

SO CLOSE to a GF first !!!

 

[Spoken4]

He's played a few in reserves I think. I agree he will be underdone but he has a bit of Kepler to him. He's quite awkward and has a good pair of hands. Will need to be watched

No way he will be up for the frenetic pace of a preliminary final. Will be a liability for them if he plays.

 

[Danny Cullen]

Been nervy for two weeks now.

All I know is we need to kick straight. Last time v Sydney cost us. Pav's misses v Geelong.

Must take our chances.

 

[Boppo]

Ladies and gentlemen, take your seats put your feet up and witness the Matthew Pavlich extravaganza live on Saturday night.

 

[DMan 11]

Man, the tension is finally getting to me - just watched the league teams segment sirengate posted on the media thread and just felt really awkward seeing them all tip freo.
I hate even thinking about Sydney getting up but if there was ever a case for a 'backs-to-wall' performance it's this week for the swans..

My head says freo with all the common sense stats pointing in our favour but I know that means jack when 2 teams run out to battle on Saturday night, my prediction is sydneys endeavour, heart and experience will push them further than most media types expect.

I still think we're a great chance to push through that and hope RTB has everyone mentally tuned in and switched on.

This is worse than Christmas as a 12 year old....

 

[sij1981]

LRT has flown over. Could add an extra challenge at both ends

looks like last minute change is he emergency?

 

[WWSD]

The Dockers this year have had one of their best season in their history. Thanks largely to the improvements from the likes of Spurr, Barlow, Crowley, Ballantyne, Ibbotson, D.Pearce, C.Pearce, Suban, De Boer, Walters, Mzungu, Mayne, Clarke, Johnson and co. Those players probably don't get the credit they deserve outside of the Fremantle football club. They might not be the most skilled players, but they give it their all each week and are hugely important to the Fremantle team.

I know they've all been very good contributors this year and it's why Fremantle is playing off in a Preliminary final against Sydney on Saturday Night. There hasn't been any standout players for Fremantle this year, rather it's been an even contribution across the board from your entire team.

I reckon this current Dockers team is in super touch. Good luck tommorow night!

Tip: Fremantle by 22 points

 

[Arcassius]

I appreciate the sentiment - but am amused by some of our players being heralded as 'not the most skilled, but they contribute' .. I think what a lot of observers fails to realise is that a lot of those players *are* skilled - they've just been underrated their whole career, or not been developed to their potential - which they are now finally realizing.

Media observers love to say we have a team of workhorses, no real skill just well drilled. That one line shits me to tears - when you see Ballas run around 3-4 players like they are road cones, Walters do one handed grabs and outmark key defenders in the air, our players are just unknown to East Coasters... that's all it's ever been.

 

[Wizard]

Ladies and gentlemen, take your seats put your feet up and witness the Matthew Pavlich extravaganza live on Saturday night.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man!!!

 

[Wizard]

Ballantyne, Ibbotson, D.Pearce, Suban, Walters, Mayne, Clarke, Johnson and co.

They might not be the most skilled players

Like your thoughts and the general feel of your post but i need to pull you up on the above.
All very highly skilled footballers.

 

[estibador]

To be fair though, I see plenty of interviews with our own players where they mention we aren't the most skilful group so have to rely on great effort and workrate.

I don't believe that's true and I bet neither does RTB, but it's part of our glorious leader's brainwashing technique to stop his players getting lazy.

 

[melbournehammer]

To be fair though, I see plenty of interviews with our own players where they mention we aren't the most skilful group so have to rely on great effort and workrate.

I don't believe that's true and I bet neither does RTB, but it's part of our glorious leader's brainwashing technique to stop his players getting lazy.

actually most of the east coast does realise how good you are. gerard healy has banged on and on about freo for about four years. arguably it has been your failure to reach the heights that he has been talking about prior to this season which led some to write you off. Personally I have thought for some time that Pavlich is one of the most criminally underrated players in the competition, but when you got fyfe, mayne, mundy, hill, barlow to run through the midfield so you didnt need to play him forward and in the centre square at the same time it became obvious just how good you are.

However, anyone who watched the finals last year knows how close you were - you really should have beaten the crows and now having beaten geelong twice in two seasons in finals (and beaten them in the white strip in freo a couple of times as well IIRC) its obvious to all the depth of quality in your squad.

Downplaying skill is sometimes a way of saying we have to work really incredibly hard (circa swans 2005-06) but I'd be surprised if anyone thought you werent actually one of the top six teams in the comp skill wise

 

[yakamoto]

The planets, if not the stars, have aligned for us this finals series. A few weeks ago someone contributed a whatif piece along the lines of whatif Johnno had scored with the last kick against Sydney and whatif Mayne's poster against Essendon had been a goal. In retrospect one can claim that either of the above would have caused us to send a full strength team over to play St Kilda followed by a Qualifying Final at home against Geelong. Who knows how the latter may have turned out from the point of view of result and injuries.

 

[arrow_dactyl]

This is the truth folks. We could not be in a better position than this. All this nervousness is unsettling, relax, we are going to win this comfortably. 25 points minimum.

That's why i'm nervous everything is going our way, we've been called as heavy favourites, constantly being hyped up by the media, we're set up for a big fall if we lose, i'm more concerned about the ramifications of losing then the actual loss itself, i would've taken a prelim appearance at the start of the year

 

[stormee]

Spending my weekend in a place without access to tv, internet or radio for work

WORST. EVER.

 

[arrow_dactyl]

Spending my weekend in a place without access to tv, internet or radio for work

WORST. EVER.

WHY?! didn't you plan on the Dockers making the final or something

 

[stormee]

WHY?! didn't you plan on the Dockers making the final or something

I have no choice in the matter really. I'm recording it on the IQ and will watch when I get home. The saving grace is that I have flights, accom and a number of spots for a ticket in the GF ballot, so if we get through I'll just have to content myself to watching that live.

 

[VolgaBoatman]

I have no choice in the matter really. I'm recording it on the IQ and will watch when I get home. The saving grace is that I have flights, accom and a number of spots for a ticket in the GF ballot, so if we get through I'll just have to content myself to watching that live.

I'm sure someone can play the radio over the phone if necessary !

 

[Harry Reems]

Spending my weekend in a place without access to tv, internet or radio for work

WORST. EVER.

 

[stormee]

I'm sure someone can play the radio over the phone if necessary !

Yeah I've sorted out some score updates so that'll have to tide me over, all good, these things happen.

 

[MaCCa343]

We should win this easy, peasy, lemon squeezy. My biggest fear is if one of our boys, #Ballantyne, gets reported for something and missed the GF.