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Forwards the key to Fremantle's revival

Matt Pavlich could finish his storied career with the wooden spoon. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Roar Guru
4th May, 2016
15

Heading into Round 7 with no wins just a season after finishing minor premiers isn’t an ideal situation, but it is where the Fremantle Dockers sit at the moment.

But while some people are calling for mass changes, it really isn’t all doom and gloom.

Everyone knows that the Dockers will play a defensive style of football and there isn’t anything wrong with that to a certain point.

But in modern football you have to be able to capitalise on inside 50s by putting a score on the board – and this is where Fremantle struggle.

While their back six is well equipped, their midfield has weapons and they have depth in the ruck, if you look at their forward line for the last number of years it just doesn’t look right in terms of structure.

No matter your style of play you need at least two key forwards to help distribute the workload and the Dockers don’t have this yet.

Everyone knows Matthew Pavlich has carried that forward line for a long time and during this period they have tried Chis Mayne, along with resting ruckmen to fill at least a second key spot, but it hasn’t worked.

When you look at their current list their isn’t many options for someone to partner Pav.

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The only real option at the moment is Matthew Taberner.

With Pav’s career winding down, the Dockers need to give Taberner the rest of the season up forward to see if he is worth keeping.

It is also well known that out of sorts GWS key forward Cam McCarthy is wanting to head home to Western Australia and the Dockers need to do anything within the ethics of the code to get this kid in purple in 2017.

On the back of a strong team ethos of defence and the already established Hayden Ballantyne and Michael Walters as their small forwards, getting a partner for Pav and recruiting one more for when he retires has to be way up on the priority list.

Having played just 32 games since debuting in 2013, with 26 goals to his name in these games, Taberner could be a good prospect but even if he isn’t, the Dockers need to find out as soon as possible so they don’t dig themselves into too deep of a hole.

So if they can establish a stringer forward structure, with their strength across the rest of the ground the Dockers should avoid a massive rebuild.

Could having more weapons up forward help the Dockers or are their problems deeper? What are your thoughts Roarers?

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