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In 2009 and 2010, St Kilda’s manic pressure under Ross Lyon made them impossible to play against. Ultimately, a lack of goal-scoring power cost them a premiership in both years.
2009 was their most dominant season, with two narrow home-and-away losses. They finished 2010 in third spot, suffering six defeats, and there were times that their intense style started to take its toll.
Fast forward four years, and with Lyon now in charge at Fremantle, there are signs after six rounds of the 2014 season that the Dockers are beginning to suffer the same fate.
They trounced Collingwood in Round 1 and Gold Coast in Round 2, and in those two encounters there were signs Fremantle could emulate St Kilda in 2009 and finish this home-and-away campaign on top of the ladder. However, three losses in the past four indicate Fremantle might be jaded by Lyon’s lock-down style.
Other issues include injuries to key players. You can’t make injuries too much of an excuse, because all teams get them, but the two Michaels – Walters and Barlow – are among the Dockers’ best players and not easily replaced.
Hayden Ballantyne also missed the North Melbourne defeat due to suspension, and the lack of goal-scoring options other than Matthew Pavlich was badly exposed.
Ballantyne should return this week, but Walters may be gone for the season and they have to find other avenues to goal. It’s no doubt a sense of frustration that they like the Bulldogs have been unable to nab more key forwards to offer Pavlich support.
Clubs like Sydney and the Roos may have also learnt from Hwathorn’s demolition job in Round 3 of how to break down the Dockers’ game plan.
It’s not in the DNA of either Ross Lyon or his teams to be satisfied with a loss, especially in a grand final, but the Dockers struggled for most of their first 20 years in the competition and may be finding it hard to maintain the focus of last year.
If Freo can find that hardness and restrictive power again, there’s no doubt they will be back in contention, but it’s not a tap and can’t be turned on that easily.
The Dockers find themselves back in a big pack, with three wins and three losses. The loser of this week’s derby with West Coast – who have lost three in a row – will be under the pump. If it’s Fremantle, expect Lyon’s game plan to be put under the microscope.
We know he’s a great coach tactically, but does he have more to his game plan than strong defence and working harder? It looks like we are about to find out from Ross the Boss!
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