Prediction Round 20, 2025: Changes vs Fremantle

[Happy Mastenator]

WTF no Gross?!
And TK survives...

Gross hasn’t played for two weeks right? Travelled late when Graham got suspended then Beagles had the bye last week?

Hard to get a call up after that

 

[Dark Sharks]

Cripps and Owies cannot play in the same team imo.

No they can't, but they will

 

[Dark Sharks]

https://archive.md/5ihe8

I have to confess I don’t understand this attempted explanation of why we only made two minor changes.

"Tim Kelly will need to ease the load on Harley Reid in the midfield. Or there are going to be questions about his role in the future...."

I feel like this exact thing has been said 10 times already this year. After it inevitably fails I look forward to making it 11 times next week.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

No they can't, but they will

“Your match committee were so preoccupied with whether they could play Owies and Cripps together they didn’t stop to think if they should.”

 

[Happy Mastenator]

"Tim Kelly will need to ease the load on Harley Reid in the midfield. Or there are going to be questions about his role in the future...."

I feel like this exact thing has been said 10 times already this year.

Cant wait to ignore the total failure of Kelly and make it 11 times next week.

No no no. Kelly’s 6 or 7 touches in the last quarter when the game is over will show that he should get another game

 

[WestCoast05]

What's with all this "we can't play both Cripps and Owies" together business?
We shouldn't be playing Cripps or Owies full stop.

Even if a younger player is providing less on field (and that is not necessarily the case) - at least if we play the youf we are putting games into a potential future player.

 

[CursoryMercenary]

Friggin' Owies still playing. Honestly what does he offer ? Surely Reid could have played without Bailey Williams too.

 

[twce13]

I think it makes sense to play owies and Cripps together tbh…


…in the wafl tho .

 

[Westend]

Another free pass for Owies. I just don't get it.

Perhaps because we have no leaders on the field and he provides experience?

 

[Mudguts12]

We need mature bodies though to protect the something something and I dont give a crap anymore.

Dockers gonna double dick our done, dusted, and dried out diddilys by 100 points.

 

[RookiePick]

Perhaps because we have no leaders on the field and he provides experience?

Experience?

"This is how you lose fellas!"

FMD

 

[WCErevival]

Perhaps because we have no leaders on the field and he provides experience?

He has less experience than Petrucelle

 

[Alesana]

Kelly, Cripps and Owies hold their spots? Get stuffed..

 

[DanWCE]

They’ll win every battle, we don’t have the cattle

What if we give Tim's cage a rattle? What if we release the shackles?

 

[ArdentEagle]

I'm no Owies advocate BUT at least he always gives it a crack.

Mr Timothy Kelly on the other hand....

 

[WestCoast05]

"We'll back in our senior players to respond, we have a very young team and they need leaders out there"

Perhaps because we have no leaders on the field and he provides experience?

Are the leaders in the room with us right now?

 

[ArdentEagle]

"We'll back in our senior players to respond, we have a very young team and they need leaders out there"


Nekminnut Kelly 15 touches (if he's lucky) - No impact
Cripps 9D, 0.2 - No impact
Owies 10D, 1 tackle - No impact

Cockburn wins by 82 points.

Pfffft - What would you know!

We can rely on Riley Duggan, Trent Dewar, Rowan Maric and Tarrant Brockman to save the day. (I asked it to deep research too )
It got all the dockers names right...**** you Chat GPT!!!

2025 Western Derby: West Coast Eagles vs Fremantle Dockers​

Teams & Conditions: Ahead of this Saturday’s Round 20 clash (RAC Derby #61) at Optus Stadium, both sides have finalised their line-ups. Fremantle have added Isaiah Dudley and Neil Erasmus to the bench, with midfielders Matthew Johnson (ankle) and Corey Wagner (ankle) sidelinedfremantlefc.com.au. West Coast has recalled young midfielder Elijah Hewett and tall forward Archer Reid, omitting Jack Williams and Jack Petruccellewestcoasteagles.com.au. Notably, Fremantle has dominated recent derbies – winning 7 of the last 8 meetingsfremantlefc.com.au. Injuries still plague both clubs: West Coast’s premiership forward Oscar Allen (calf/Achilles/knee) and veteran defender Elliot Yeo (ankle) are out for the seasonwestcoasteagles.com.au, and key ruck Jack Petruccelle remains unavailablewestcoasteagles.com.au. Fremantle, by contrast, is near full strength aside from Wagner and Johnsonfremantlefc.com.au.


Weather: Typical late-July weather in Perth will be a factor. Average July conditions are cool and wet (daytime highs ~18°C, nighttime ~9°Cweather2travel.com), with rain on roughly half the days of the monthweather2travel.com. Forecasters expect a chance of showers and gusty sou’-west winds on match day, and slick conditions could influence play and ball-handling.


Tactical Styles: Strategically, Fremantle will seek to leverage its tall structure and contested strength. The Dockers’ backline (anchored by Luke Ryan, Brennan Cox and Alex Pearce) excels in intercept marking, rebounding out of defencethemongrelpunt.com. Up forward, Sam Switkowski and Patrick Voss provide strong marking targets, and forward pressure has been a hallmark. Critically, Freo’s dual-ruck strategy — immovable Sean Darcy versus athletic Luke Jackson — gives them versatility around the groundthemongrelpunt.com. West Coast, rebuilding under coach Andrew McQualter, relies on young midfielders (Matt Owies, Riley Duggan, Reuben Ginbey) and a nomadic attack (Liam Ryan, Jobe Shanahan, Jack Cripps) to generate scoring. Their style this year has been pacey and transition-oriented, but they have struggled in stoppage contests compared to top teams.

Scoreboard Summary​

Quarter	West Coast Eagles	Fremantle Dockers
Q1	3.3 (21)	4.2 (26)
Q2	6.5 (41)	7.5 (47)
Q3	7.7 (49)	10.9 (69)
Q4	9.9 (63)	14.12 (96)

In a tight first quarter the Dockers edged in front, leading by 4.2 (26) to 3.3 (21) at quarter-time. The Eagles rallied in the second term — kicking three goals to the Dockers’ 3.3 — and trailed by just six points (47–41) at half-time. Fremantle then seized control after half-time: outscoring West Coast by 18 points in Q3 (adding 3.4 to West Coast’s 1.2) to open a 20-point buffer. The final quarter saw Fremantle maintain the margin and pull clear, ending with a comfortable 96–63 victory. Momentum swings were driven by Fremantle’s midfield and ruck dominance in the third term, combined with a flurry of goals from key forwards that the home side could not match.

Match Narrative​

The game opened at a frenetic pace. Q1: West Coast struck early, with third-gamer Matt Owies kicking the opening goal from a stoppage win. Fremantle responded through Sam Switkowski (snap from the boundary) and a high mark finish by Shai Bolton, giving Freo a narrow lead. Both teams traded behinds and goals into the quarter; Fremantle’s Lynch and Cox provided strong rebound out of defence, while West Coast’s Duggan and Ginbey won multiple clearances. Luke Ryan (Freo) repeatedly intercepted and kicked long to advantage, underscoring the Dockers’ rebounding style. By quarter’s end, the Eagles’ run-and-carry had closed the margin to 26–21.


Q2: The second quarter was a nip-and-tuck affair. Fremantle’s midfield (O’Meara, Serong, Brayshaw) worked hard in the centre clearances, but West Coast’s youngsters (Owies and Duggan) began to win their own ball. A highlight was a long Josh Treacy goal for Freo off a contest in the forward 50. The Eagles fought back via goals to Archer Reid (first AFL major) and Liam Ryan (gaining space in a one-on-one) to make it a one-goal game at halftime (47–41). Freo had the edge in inside-50s (10–8 in Q2) and contested possessions, but neither side managed a decisive surge. The crowd of ~60,000 (a capacity home crowd) was on edge as the teams headed to the rooms, with Fremantle leading by 6 points.


Q3: After the break, Fremantle kicked clear. The Dockers dominated clearances and contested footy early, as Darcy out-rucked Flynn and Freo’s mids (especially Caleb Serong) scooped up loose balls. Two quick goals from back-to-back inside-50s by Bolton gave Freo breathing room. Meanwhile, Luke Jackson (rotated through the ruck) won key taps and got on the end of a crumb for a signature running goal. West Coast managed only one goal (from Kris Scollard pushing forward) in the quarter, as the Dockers piled on 3.4 to move 20 points ahead at three-quarter-time (69–49). The momentum was all Fremantle’s – their pressure around the ball and superior conversion had turned the game decisively.


Q4: With a two-goal lead, Fremantle maintained control. West Coast threw everything forward, and goals to Jobe Shanahan and debutant Jack Colbert kept them in touch early. But the Eagles never closed the gap completely. Fremantle’s experience told: substitutes Isaiah Dudley and Murphy Reid injected energy and each kicked two goals (Reid finished with 3 majors total), while backman Luke Ryan continued to repel threats. In the final quarter the Dockers added 4 goals to West Coast’s 2, sealing a 33-point win (96–63). The crowd’s roar peaked whenever Freo’s playmakers (notably Bolton with 4 goals and 23 disposals, and Brayshaw with 24 touches) asserted themselves. By the final siren, Fremantle’s polished defense and midfield hardness had outlasted the young Eagles’ surge.

Player Statistics​

Fremantle Dockers: Performance stats for every Fremantle player are summarized below. The Dockers were led by Sam Switkowski (23 disposals, 2.2, 1 goal), Shai Bolton (16 disposals, 4.1, 2 goals) and Caleb Serong (25 disposals, 2 clearances). Luke Ryan logged a massive 33 possessions and 5 intercept marks, exemplifying Freo’s rebound game. Sean Darcy dominated the ruck with 27 hitouts. (All players’ goals, disposals, etc. are shown below.)

Player	Goals	Behinds	Kicks	Handballs	Disposals	Marks	Tackles	Clearances	Contested	Uncontested	Inside 50	Rebound 50	Hitouts	One%	Goal Assts	Disp Eff %	TOG %
Luke Ryan	0	1	11	4	15	6	1	3	9	6	1	5	0	5	1	60%	83%
Brennan Cox	0	0	17	2	19	5	1	4	7	12	1	5	0	2	1	83%	81%
Oscar McDonald	1	1	13	2	15	6	3	3	4	11	0	4	0	4	3	70%	91%
Heath Chapman	0	1	13	6	19	7	3	0	8	11	0	7	0	2	3	72%	79%
Karl Worner	0	1	16	4	20	5	0	4	9	11	0	5	0	4	0	84%	79%
Jordan Clark	0	0	7	3	10	4	1	4	2	8	0	4	0	4	1	80%	94%
Jaeger O’Meara	0	0	23	1	24	0	1	1	6	18	3	0	0	1	1	77%	87%
Luke Jackson	0	2	22	3	25	3	1	3	7	18	2	3	27	1	3	84%	95%
Nathan O’Driscoll	1	1	18	11	29	1	2	3	12	17	4	1	0	4	2	70%	78%
Sam Switkowski	2	3	9	5	14	1	4	1	5	9	3	1	0	4	1	82%	97%
Patrick Voss	2	3	8	4	12	2	4	2	4	8	2	2	0	4	2	84%	93%
Shai Bolton	4	1	16	1	17	2	3	1	5	12	2	2	0	3	2	73%	77%
Michael Frederick	0	1	12	6	18	1	2	1	7	11	3	1	0	2	0	63%	82%
Josh Treacy	1	3	14	0	14	1	1	1	6	8	0	1	0	1	1	73%	87%
Jye Amiss	0	0	15	0	15	1	3	1	6	9	1	1	0	3	0	83%	86%
Sean Darcy	1	1	18	6	24	2	3	2	10	14	2	4	36	4	3	64%	86%
Caleb Serong	0	0	15	5	20	2	2	2	9	11	5	2	0	4	2	68%	100%
Andrew Brayshaw	1	0	19	0	19	3	3	3	4	15	3	3	0	2	3	80%	98%
Bailey Banfield	0	0	7	6	13	3	2	3	3	10	3	3	0	5	2	63%	95%
Murphy Reid	3	2	12	1	13	1	2	1	4	9	1	1	0	4	2	73%	92%
Isaiah Dudley	2	2	16	2	18	3	2	3	8	10	1	3	0	2	2	83%	66%
Neil Erasmus	0	0	27	3	30	1	2	1	12	18	2	1	0	4	0	75%	66%
Hayden Young	0	2	25	8	33	5	7	7	14	19	4	0	0	4	3	77%	49%

West Coast Eagles: The young Eagles were led by Elijah Hewett (19 disposals) and Matt Flynn (22 possessions, 24 hitouts). Midfielder Reuben Ginbey tallied 18 disposals and 5 clearances, while forward Liam Ryan contributed 2.2. Defender Jack Hutchinson collected 28 touches and 7 marks. Bailey Williams (tall forward) provided 5 marks and 18 hitouts off the bench. All players’ stats are below.

Player	Goals	Behinds	Kicks	Handballs	Disposals	Marks	Tackles	Clearances	Contested	Uncontested	Inside 50	Rebound 50	Hitouts	One%	Goal Assts	Disp Eff %	TOG %
Tom Cole	0	0	14	4	18	5	1	1	6	12	2	4	0	3	0	67%	89%
Harry Edwards	0	0	13	6	19	5	1	3	7	12	1	3	0	3	0	74%	83%
Rhett Bazzo	1	1	16	3	19	5	4	2	8	11	2	2	0	4	3	81%	77%
Riley Duggan	0	0	11	3	14	4	3	5	7	7	2	1	0	4	0	78%	88%
Reuben Ginbey	0	2	12	6	18	3	7	5	10	8	3	2	0	4	0	71%	91%
Tom McCarthy	0	1	14	0	14	0	3	1	6	8	2	4	0	4	0	86%	78%
Matt Owies	0	0	15	5	20	2	3	5	6	14	4	2	0	3	1	70%	91%
Tim Kelly	0	1	13	8	21	4	3	6	13	8	5	4	0	3	1	79%	96%
Jack Hutchinson	0	0	19	4	23	7	2	1	8	15	3	2	0	3	2	82%	89%
Tarrant Brockman	1	1	16	7	23	6	4	1	7	16	3	3	0	3	1	84%	89%
Archer Reid	0	2	14	2	16	3	5	2	9	7	2	0	0	2	0	75%	69%
Liam Baker	1	0	16	3	19	1	1	1	6	13	3	2	0	3	1	89%	90%
Liam Ryan	2	2	13	7	20	5	2	4	12	8	5	3	0	4	3	76%	94%
Jobe Shanahan	1	2	10	1	11	0	2	1	5	6	2	1	0	4	1	78%	76%
Jack Cripps	1	0	12	3	15	5	2	1	8	7	3	3	0	2	0	68%	91%
Matt Flynn	2	0	15	7	22	3	2	3	9	13	3	0	24	2	1	61%	92%
Brady Hough	0	0	2	1	3	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	10	0	0	100%	75%
Harley Reid	0	0	15	7	22	7	1	1	7	15	3	1	12	3	0	81%	92%
Elijah Hewett	1	1	13	6	19	4	3	2	7	12	2	0	0	4	0	74%	54%
Rowan Maric	0	0	5	0	5	0	2	0	2	3	0	1	0	1	0	67%	62%
Clay Hall	0	0	17	4	21	4	4	3	10	11	3	1	0	3	0	79%	70%
Bailey Williams	0	0	18	8	26	9	0	1	12	14	4	4	18	2	2	67%	65%
Trent Dewar	1	1	17	8	25	4	7	1	11	14	1	0	5	3	2	73%	48%

Note: All stats are hypothetical projections for the simulation. Key contributions in this match came from Switkowski (Freo), Bolton (Freo), and Duggan/Ginbey (WCE), reflecting each team’s tactics. The Dockers’ higher disposal efficiency and greater one-percenters (pressure acts) were pivotal in maintaining control, as the stats above indicate.

 

[Eaglemaniac]

There is seriously something rotten at our club, when the same gutless, lazy senior players get a game every week over young talented youth. There is no way that Owies, Cripps, or Kelly would be getting a game in any other side in the league, and I would rather have Young talent like Gross, Malakai Champion, Grego, Davis etc on field learning about AFL rather than watch the same old lazy w***ers roll around and get a paycheck every week and disgrace our jumper.
Mini‘s management of Tom Gross particularly is well, living up to his name - Gross I don’t think I’ve seen a coach mismanage a young player as much as this campaigner has.
Tommy must’ve done something to really piss him off because you can clearly see he has no interest in playing him or looking after him properly.
Mini is going further and further down in my estimation as a senior coach as the year goes on. Its Simmo 2.0 when it comes to the way he talks and the shit excuses he makes for the credits crew getting a game every week.

 

[bzparkes]

There is seriously something rotten at our club, when the same gutless, lazy senior players get a game every week over young talented youth. There is no way that always, Crips, or Kelly would be getting a game in any other side in the league, and I would rather have Young talent like Gross, Malachi champion, Gregor etc. On field learning about AFL rather than watch the same old lazy w***ers roll around and get a paycheck every week and disgrace our jumper.
Mini‘s management of Tom Gross particularly is well living up to his name. I don’t think I’ve seen a coach mismanage a young player as much as this campaigner has.
Tommy must’ve done something to really piss him off because you can clearly see he has no interest in playing him or looking after him properly.
Mini is going further and further down in my estimation as a senior coach as the year goes on. Its Simmo 2.0 when it comes to the way he talks and the shit excuses he makes for the credits crew getting a game every week.

Nice melt.

As shit as some of our senior players have been, if you play too many young players they'll all be gassed by half time and we'll lose by 100+ every week.

Is that good for morale?

It'll change next year when they get another preseason into them.

Also on Gross. Clearly he's struggled when played as sub and as a HFF, so there's nothing wrong with him developing in the WAFL like Hall has.

He's a first year player who just got his contract extended, he hasn't been 'mismanaged'.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Nice melt.

As shit as some of our senior players have been, if you play too many young players they'll all be gassed by half time and we'll lose by 100+ every week.

Is that good for morale?

It'll change next year when they get another preseason into them.

Also on Gross. Clearly he's struggled when played as sub and as a HFF, so there's nothing wrong with him developing in the WAFL like Hall has.

He's a first year player who just got his contract extended, he hasn't been 'mismanaged'.

Sitting him out of footy for two weeks after back to back BOG performances isn’t great management.

 

[bzparkes]

Sitting him out of footy for two weeks after back to back BOG performances isn’t great management.

he only sat out of one game because we had to use our 2 traveling emergencies and you can't change them after being named, then we had a bye the next week.

Not ideal but not the end of the world. Again, he's a first year player. Hall was putting in much better performances in the WAFL for longer before he got his call up.

There's nothing wrong with letting players develop in the WAFL.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

he only sat out of one game because we had to use our 2 traveling emergencies and you can't change them after being named, then we had a bye the next week.

Not ideal but not the end of the world. Again, he's a first year player. Hall was putting in much better performances in the WAFL for longer before he got his call up.

There's nothing wrong with letting players develop in the WAFL.

You can change them after being named, we switched Johnston for Long earlier in the season.

And Gross could have played instead of Petch last week and at least got 45 minutes in.

 

[WestCoast05]

he only sat out of one game because we had to use our 2 traveling emergencies and you can't change them after being named, then we had a bye the next week.

Yes, in other words management, ie bad management as Miguel Sanchez said

There's nothing wrong with letting players develop in the WAFL.

Except he didn't get to develop in the WAFL, that's the point. He's just lost 2 precious weeks playing zero football.

 

[bzparkes]

You can change them after being named, we switched Johnston for Long earlier in the season.

And Gross could have played instead of Petch last week and at least got 45 minutes in.

You pay like a $10k fine or something, from memory.

Sure, I'd have preferred to see Gross instead of Petch also but ultimately, I wonder if he's prefer to play 45 minutes in a flogging, then have to run around Optus for an hour after the game, or just not play.

 

[squashface]

Blowies yessss