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Byron Schammer of Fremantle is bumped from the ball by Mark Lecras of West Coast during the AFL Round 18 match between the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers at the Subiaco Oval. Slattery Images
The AFL’s perennial underachievers Fremantle recorded their first win in Melbourne since 2007 on Sunday with a 44-point win over Essendon. The week before the Dockers knocked off Adelaide, who infamously held them to just one goal in a game last season. So what’s changed down in Freo?
Indeed, a lot seems to have happened in a short period of time for the Dockers, who finished last season in 14th with just six wins all year.
Only a few months ago people were talking about coach Mark Harvey getting sacked after Fremantle received a ‘difficult’ early season draw which hypothetically could have left them 0-4.
Instead, they’ve already knocked off two of last season’s finalists, and in some style.
It has caught plenty of us by surprise, especially the Freo faithful who entered 2010 with muted expectations.
But, like so often in the past, Fremantle fans have now got their hopes up. Lets hope for their sake, the Dockers can fulfill those expectations and not just set them up for a sudden fall from grace.
For now, there are plenty of positives for the Dockers and the immediate impact of 22-year-old recruit Michael Barlow is one. He’s been simply stunning to the point it is hard to believe nobody thought to pick him up earlier.
Of course, Essendon actually did have a look at him after the 2009 season but decided against signing him, which had a certain irony about it as Barlow went onto collect 34 disposals against them.
Also giant ruckman Aaron Sandilands appears to have taken a step up into the next bracket of players, offering Fremantle not only an advantage at stoppages but also around the ground.
There’s plenty of others who’ve impressed, but what is noticeable is a shift in Fremantle’s footy.
As is the way in the modern game, tackling pressure is crucial and the Dockers appear very aggressive and intent on ensuring they’re in their opponents faces.
Small forward Hayden Ballentyne fits that bill perfectly for your modern day nuisance, but he’s also a smart player, like a lot of Freo’s recent recruits.
Fremantle also seem less reliant on Matthew Pavlich and more inclined to move the ball on at all costs to whomever is available, as was seen perhaps in excess early when they spurned several chances once inside 50.
They scored a lot of goals through the centre corridor on the weekend and appear more direct.
There also appears to be some positive attitudinal changes amongst the Dockers camp, who two years ago set an unwanted record for losing the most AFL games in a row after leading at three-quarter time (which surely must have left some mental scarring).
In their two AFL matches this season, Fremantle have finished strongly and ran over their opponents, when in the past they may have ummed and erred and attempted to hang onto their lead.
And coach Mark Harvey also positively added: “We got challenged and the game was in the balance at half-time and we were able to withstand that.”
Indeed, considering the turnover of players at Fremantle Oval in the last few seasons it appears this group has little association to that Dockers tag of the perennial underachievers.
Of course, we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves with tough assignments ahead against last season’s Grand Finalists, Geelong and St Kilda, in Rounds 3 and 4.
But Fremantle refreshingly appear focused on just that, next week, rather than blowing their own trumpet after their drought-breaking win.
That’s another positive change which suggests this club is heading for better times and any Dockers fan will be happy to hear that after years of false-hope and frustration.
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