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Hall of Famer
- Sep 17, 2006
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So this week we make the second of back to back interstate trips, this time heading to Perth to face Fremantle, who will be coming in fresh and rested having had their bye last weekend. Fremantle are currently sitting in 10th and will be looking to get back into 8 and start their charge for the finals. On the flip side we won our first game under McQualter when we finally broke our run of close losses by getting over the Giants when Pickett slotted a goal with 24 seconds left to get a win for the first time in 3 weeks, which has seen us climb up to 13th on the ladder but still a game and a half outside of the 8 with plenty wondering if we're actually back in the fight for the 8 or if this is another false dawn like after we beat the Cats and then proceeded to lose the next 2 games.
The Dockers come into this game on the back of a 4 game winning streak beating Hawthorn Sydney(in Sydney) Geelong & Melbourne(in Melbourne) so will be full of confidence and will be a good chance for us to continue to build momentum under McQualter. We should hopefully be strengthened by the return of Vlastuin who has missed 2 weeks with a bad corkie.
Possible Line Up
B: Broad Balta Grimes
HB: D.Rioli Vlastuin Short
C: McIntosh Taranto Ross
HF: Mansell Baker Graham
F: Ryan Martin Riewoldt
R: Nankervis Bolton Prestia
INT: Cotchin Ralphsmith Clarke Pickett
EMG: Young Banks Nyoun Sonsie
In: Vlastuin
Out: Young (omit) Cumberland (sub)
So the only change I'm predicting is Vlastuin for Young with Noah as the sub also going out. Noah is an interesting one given he didn't really impact when he came on against the Giants in the last, but we all know that at any given moment he can take the game by the scruff of the neck and have a big impact. However at the moment I believe that he just needs to go back to the VFL and play a couple of full games before the bye, where he just goes out and plays and isn't being weighed down by needing to standout at senior level to justify his position in the side.
Fremantle will be missing Sean Darcy who did a hamstring against Melbourne, but have a handy replacement in Jackson to step in to the role, who will be a good match up for Nankervis. The rest of the centre square battle will see Taranto Prestia Bolton Cotchin go up against Brayshaw Serong O'Meara & Fyfe in what should be a great head to head battle and whichever midfield can get on top will have a big say in the outcome of the game. On the wings Clark and O'Driscoll will be good match ups for McIntosh & Ross.
Up forward Jack wound back the clock after a week of talk among both fans and experts that he was all but done after struggling the previous couple of weeks, it won't get any easier for him against a quality opponent in Pearce, while Samson Ryan provided handy support for Jack he'll need to step it up again with Brennan Cox his likely opponent. There are 2 Docker defenders we'll need to be well aware of with Luke Ryan and Hayden Young their intercept defenders who set up the Dockers counter attack from D50. We'll need to continue to with the tweak we seemed to employ against the Giants with us looking to hit up the leading target instead of just bombing it on Jacks head, especially with their intercept defenders I just mentioned who will pick off anything they can.
Down back Balta has had a bit of a breakout season as he has become a more attacking weapon, especially since Broad came back into the side to solidify the back 6. This week he'll get one of the Dockers up and comers in either Treacy or Amiss with Grimes or Broad to get the other. It won't be any easier for our smaller defenders either with Walters Schulz Switkowski & Frederick being dangerous small forwards who can hit the scoreboard if given a sniff. So Daniel Baker Ralphsmith and possibly Short will need to be one their games to ensure the Dockers smalls aren't doing damage when the ball hits the ground.
As far as the result goes the Dockers will be favorites heading into the game, but if we can execute like we did against GWS we should be in with a chance of picking up back to back wins on the road which will then set up a massive game against a stumbling Saints side in what should be Cotchins 300th next week. But lets not get too far ahead of ourselves here, we need to take care of the Dockers if we want to keep our faint hopes of playing finals alive.
I'm tipping this will be a close one if we play like we did last week with it being 2-3 goals either way.
The Dockers come into this game on the back of a 4 game winning streak beating Hawthorn Sydney(in Sydney) Geelong & Melbourne(in Melbourne) so will be full of confidence and will be a good chance for us to continue to build momentum under McQualter. We should hopefully be strengthened by the return of Vlastuin who has missed 2 weeks with a bad corkie.
Possible Line Up
B: Broad Balta Grimes
HB: D.Rioli Vlastuin Short
C: McIntosh Taranto Ross
HF: Mansell Baker Graham
F: Ryan Martin Riewoldt
R: Nankervis Bolton Prestia
INT: Cotchin Ralphsmith Clarke Pickett
EMG: Young Banks Nyoun Sonsie
In: Vlastuin
Out: Young (omit) Cumberland (sub)
So the only change I'm predicting is Vlastuin for Young with Noah as the sub also going out. Noah is an interesting one given he didn't really impact when he came on against the Giants in the last, but we all know that at any given moment he can take the game by the scruff of the neck and have a big impact. However at the moment I believe that he just needs to go back to the VFL and play a couple of full games before the bye, where he just goes out and plays and isn't being weighed down by needing to standout at senior level to justify his position in the side.
Fremantle will be missing Sean Darcy who did a hamstring against Melbourne, but have a handy replacement in Jackson to step in to the role, who will be a good match up for Nankervis. The rest of the centre square battle will see Taranto Prestia Bolton Cotchin go up against Brayshaw Serong O'Meara & Fyfe in what should be a great head to head battle and whichever midfield can get on top will have a big say in the outcome of the game. On the wings Clark and O'Driscoll will be good match ups for McIntosh & Ross.
Up forward Jack wound back the clock after a week of talk among both fans and experts that he was all but done after struggling the previous couple of weeks, it won't get any easier for him against a quality opponent in Pearce, while Samson Ryan provided handy support for Jack he'll need to step it up again with Brennan Cox his likely opponent. There are 2 Docker defenders we'll need to be well aware of with Luke Ryan and Hayden Young their intercept defenders who set up the Dockers counter attack from D50. We'll need to continue to with the tweak we seemed to employ against the Giants with us looking to hit up the leading target instead of just bombing it on Jacks head, especially with their intercept defenders I just mentioned who will pick off anything they can.
Down back Balta has had a bit of a breakout season as he has become a more attacking weapon, especially since Broad came back into the side to solidify the back 6. This week he'll get one of the Dockers up and comers in either Treacy or Amiss with Grimes or Broad to get the other. It won't be any easier for our smaller defenders either with Walters Schulz Switkowski & Frederick being dangerous small forwards who can hit the scoreboard if given a sniff. So Daniel Baker Ralphsmith and possibly Short will need to be one their games to ensure the Dockers smalls aren't doing damage when the ball hits the ground.
As far as the result goes the Dockers will be favorites heading into the game, but if we can execute like we did against GWS we should be in with a chance of picking up back to back wins on the road which will then set up a massive game against a stumbling Saints side in what should be Cotchins 300th next week. But lets not get too far ahead of ourselves here, we need to take care of the Dockers if we want to keep our faint hopes of playing finals alive.
I'm tipping this will be a close one if we play like we did last week with it being 2-3 goals either way.
