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The Dogs that have kicked off 2016 with a big win against the Dockers, they were fantastic from the start keeping the Dockers goalless until midway through the second quarter.
It was fast paced footy that the Dockers just couldn’t run with and in the end it was not only the wide variety of scoring options but just a flood of midfielders that caused the Dockers undoing.
They just didn’t have the ability to go with the Dogs which may change when Harley Bennell is back for the Dockers, it was also obvious that Nat Fyfe was well below his best in the loss.
Either way it’s a perfect start for the Dogs and it’s the first time the Dockers have lost a first round match under Ross Lyon, and it was their lowest score of all time against the Dogs.
Final score
Bulldogs 15.13.103
Fremantle 5.8.38
This match between the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle Dockers is shaping as one of the games of the round this Easter long weekend. Join The Roar before the first bounce at 1:10pm (AEDT) for live scores and commentary.
These two sides have big expectations for 2016 and for the Dockers it could be their final role of the dice with an ageing squad. They have, however, added some quality youngsters this year, although they have already put a line through new recruit Harley Bennell for Round 1.
It was the Dogs last year who excited us with an entertaining brand of free-flowing football. They possess an A-grade midfield that is only going to get better with the inclusion of Tom Liberatore, and the battle of the midfields today is a tantalising prospect.
Michael Barlow, David Mundy, Aaron Sandilands and reigning Brownlow Medallist Nat Fyfe will go head-to-head with Lachie Hunter, Jackson Macrae, Tom Liberatore and Will Minson in a battle which should decide this match.
Throw in the excitement of each team’s forward line – players like Michael Walters, Jake Stringer, Hayden Ballantyne and the powerful Tom Boyd – and we could see an exciting, free-flowing game.
The impact of losing Stewart Crameri on the Dogs will be intriguing; powerful mid-sized forwards don’t grow on trees and he played a crucial hand in the Bulldogs’ attack last year with 32 goals for the season.
This game will come down to whether the Dockers can restrict the Bulldogs’ scoring power at Etihad Stadium.
Ross Lyon’s teams have copped criticism for never hitting the scoreboard enough, and you would think he will have worked on that in the off-season to provide Fremantle with the ability to compete with high octane sides.
The Dockers hold the recent dominance over the Bulldogs winning five of their last six clashes, and the last meeting was no exception, Fremantle recording a 13-point win. Nat Fyfe was the catalyst in that game, claiming the three Brownlow votes following a 30 disposal and three goal performance.
Prediction
The Bulldogs only get better with the addition of Tom Liberatore and they were pretty slick under the roof last year, winning eleven of their 13 matches at Etihad.
Bulldogs by 10.
Be sure to join The Roar from 1:10 (AEDT) to follow all the action with our blog and live scores as the Fremantle Dockers and Western Bulldogs get their season underway.
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