Fremantle Dockers sit on the brink of a top eight position and will traverse the continent to face Gold Coast Suns with the aim of securing a percentage boosting win. Join us at 4.40pm AEST for live scores and commentary from Metricon Stadium.
The Dockers enter this game as outright favourites and have the greater incentive for a win. They currently sit in ninth position on percentage, and the coaching staff would already be chalking up the four points.
The Suns remain winless this season, and in fact are yet to register their first ever win on their home ground.
An over-confident Freo, one that regularly shows flakiness on the road, is just the sort of fixture that the Suns should seek to jump into with some confidence.
The bad news for Gold Coast is that their inspirational skipper Gary Ablett remains on the sidelines and is likely to stay there for another four weeks. That’s a big hole in midfield to fill.
Freo has some genuine talent in middle with David Mundy, Michael Barlow and Stephen Hill but they too have an important omission with Aaron Sandilands, one of the competition’s leading ruckmen.
Off the field, perhaps through frustration at missing some rare playing time, Ablett made his presence felt with a Twitter outburst directed at the tagging tactics of Ryan Crowley.
This week, there won’t be a big need for pushing the envelope, the Dockers midfield is odds on to come out on top.
The Suns may wish to give a run-with role to Karmichael Hunt, who has shown a real taste for the contested ball situations the last few weeks in a team generally brimming with outside runners.
A key match-up will be Nathan Bock on Freo’s key forward, Matthew Pavlich. The Suns will be relying on Bock to keep Pavlich in check because if he breaks the shackles, it will hurt on the scoreboard.
I’m looking forward to seeing Tendai Mzungu matching up on Harley Bennell, two quick, clever flankers, and Adam McPhee on Campbell Brown promises some fireworks.
One to watch out for on the Suns side is young Kyal Horsley, who debuted last week with a match high eight tackles, so there’s a bit of get up and go about the kid.
All the statistics are favouring Freo today and the Suns only hope is to catch them out as they did North last week for one half.
Today it should be a good win to the Dockers by 30 points.
Will Ross Lyon’s Dockers put the clamps on the Suns? Find out from 4.40pm AEST as we cover action with live scores and a blog and if you’re watching, give us your thoughts in the space below.
Stumpy
Roar Rookie
Special K was awesome. I still see him standing on the defensive side waiting for it to happen sometimes when they needed to win the ball. There were times late in the game where i'd like to have seen him smash into the pack and force the issue a little more. The GS were duded with free kicks that ultimately cost them dearly late in the game, but that's football . Btw it was the same umpire that made 3 rubbish calls or non calls that were particularly costly. GS have tonnes of talent and with some of the more experienced players out injured the depth of that talent pool will be greatly tested.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Usually a sign the crowd needs to be louder. Subi crowds don't say baaaaaaall because we think it really was holding the ball, after all :D
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Office banter in Perth would have been .... ....... interesting, to say the least, if Fremantle had slipped up there.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Khunt : 22 disposals, 14 contested possessions. 86% disposal efficiency. 3 marks, 6 clearances, 4 tackles and a goal. I'll send pizza to the bunker Macca and Republican are in, as they hold out to the last and claim he'll never be an AFL footballer
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Confirmation that Nathan Bock suffered a fractured right tibia today, he'll have surgery this weekend.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
I really enjoyed bringing you this game this arvo, Suns fell short, but have won a lot of fans. Freo have avoided the banana skin. Thanks for joining me, I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Suns had 3 of the best players on the field. Bennell had 37 disposals and kicked 3 goals to be best on ground, and he very nearly pinched it for the suns towards the end. Horsley, in only his second game, had 25 disposals and 10 tackles, easily the highest in the game, and you can probably add a few smothers to that, what a find he is for the Suns. Prestia had a fantastic first half, ended up with 32 disposals and 6 tackles. For Freo, Ibbotson had 26 disposals; De Boer kicked 3 goals, all at important times, and Mayne took 7 strong marks and chipped in for 3 goals.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
FT GC 14.3 (87) Freo 14.10 (94) Freo home in a very close game. By the end of the game, it was a matter of the walking dead for the Suns, they barely had any fit players left on the bench, Bock was subbed in the first quarter with a broken leg, Swalls and Brennan were both carrying injuries, so not a lot of experience left out on the field, but they just fought it out till the end. Freo get the four points, but you have to think that we have witnessed a coming of age by the Suns, with so much going against them the whole game, it was a massive effort to get so close.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
GC 14.3 Freo 14.10 Mzungu off the ground, second to play, freo seals the win
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 40 sec to go GC 14.3 Freo 13.10 it's not looking good for suns, it's locked up in the Freo fwd 50, but dockers are holding it up, they'll win it now
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 1 min to go GC 14.3 Freo 13.10 nearly a suns mark, by Lynch, Russell bursting through the middle, 2 bounces, but Freo hold it up, Freo player tries to play on, falls over, surely it's play on!!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 2 min to go GC 14.3 Freo 13.10 What a game Bennell is having - a coming of age performacne! 37 disposals and 3 goals it's only a point the difference, 2 min to go, another ball up, they just need to force it forward,
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 2 min to go GC 14.3 Freo 13.10 Again from the stoppage, Bennell gets it once, then twice, snaps, goals!!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 3 min to go GC 13.3 Freo 13.10 ball forced toward suns 50m arc, but dockers clear, they'll look to slow it down now, stonrg mark to McKenzie, goes long, ball out, but they can't afford to put ball out now, must keep it alive
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 3 min to go GC 13.3 Freo 13.10 I can't help thinking that Freo have had the rub of the green today. Hunt underneath the pack, can't get it out, another ball up
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 4 min to go GC 13.3 Freo 13.10 Horsley working over time to hold up his opponent, what a terrific game he's had acres of space in suns foward line, but freo rebound, and Mayne win the high contact deep in forward line, and 50m for a certain goal! they go 7 pts ahead
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Heck of a game of footy
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 5 min to go GC 13.3 Freo 12.10 Pavlich out of the stoppage, snaps, and he puts Freo back in front!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 6 min to go GC 13.3 Freo 11.10 strong mark to Mayne, right on 50m, he goes a bit wide and finds Ibbotson, he's on around 48m, he'll kick from about 53m, over the pack, hits the behind post
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Suns deserve this ... they can win ... they must win !