The preseason gets underway for two more clubs on Thursday night, as the Fremantle Dockers take on the Melbourne Demons. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:00pm (AEDT).
The Dockers have had a very quiet off-season, and it’s hard to get a read on how this club is travelling heading into their first hit out.
Apart from a minor injury complaint for star midfielder Nat Fyfe, the club has stayed relatively unscathed, and have named a strong squad for this match.
Matthew Pavlich and Luke McPharlin have both been named to play, joining the likes of Hayden Ballantyne, Michael Walters, David Mundy, Chris Mayne, and Michael Johnson in the squad of 29.
Melbourne made a couple of splashes over the off-season, bringing in experienced campaigners Heritier Lumumba and Jeff Garlett, along with young prospects Sam Frost and Ben Newton.
However they have been hit by injuries, with high draft pick Christian Petracca suffering an ACL injury, Jack Trengove suffering a reoccurrence of his foot injury, and Jeremy Howe struck down with a hamstring complaint.
Melbourne will have a lot of first-gamers, with Lumumba, Garlett, Frost and Newton all set to play their first games in the Demons jersey.
Father-son selection Billy Stretch will get his first taste of AFL football, while young key forward Jesse Hogan gets his chance to impress the coaches as he looks to cement his spot in the Demons’ best 22.
Prediction
Like any preseason game, this is near impossible to predict. Generally younger teams will feel like they have more to play for in these situations, but I can’t go past the Dockers in Fremantle.
Dockers by 22.
Join The Roar for lives scores and coverage, as well as post-match highlights from 7:00pm (AEDT). If you are following the action live, be sure to share your thoughts on the match in the comments below.
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
FULL TIME Fremantle take this clash by 18 points, but there were certainly good periods for both teams in this clash. Melbourne had the better of it in the 1st and 3rd quarters, but the Dockers 2nd quarter won the game for them. Both coaches will have plenty of positives to take out of this clash.
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
BEHIND DOCKERS 1' Stephen Hill has a fly at the footy, and almost brings in the speccy. Nathan Jones now wins the footy, but he turns the ball over looking for Kennedy-Harris. Silvagni picks it up and has a go, but this one smacks into the post. Fremantle 0.9.7 61 Melbourne 0.6.7 43
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
1' Replays suggest that Chris Mayne's shot may have hit the post, but they don't seem to concerned with any review. Fremantle just chipping the footy around their defensive half. Fremantle 0.9.6 60 Melbourne 0.6.7 43
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
GOAL DOCKERS 2' Tommy Sheridan with a 10 metre pass to Chris Mayne on the 50. He goes for the set shot, and he squeezes it in!! That should do it. Fremantle 0.9.6 60 Melbourne 0.6.7 43
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
4' Melbourne with the footy now, but it's another poor kick from Dawes that turns the footy over, and the Dockers can rebound. Mayne has the footy 80 from home, and he goes inside 50 looking for Pav, who eventually gets the footy, but his shot on goal is intercepted by Cross. Fremantle 0.8.6 54 Melbourne 0.6.7 43
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
BEHIND DOCKERS 5' Melbourne's hurried kick out of defence goes out on the full, so the pressure is right on at the moment. McPharlin and Johnson combine outside 50, and the former has a ping at goal, but it's just off to the left. Fremantle 0.8.6 54 Melbourne 0.6.7 43
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
7' The Demons struggling to get any momentum through the midfield, as Johnson is playing a great floating role across half back at the moment. Lumumba now gets them clear, but Tyson kicks it straight to a Docker. Fremantle 0.8.5 53 Melbourne 0.6.7 43
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
9' Paul Duffield is in the hands of trainers, and it looks very much like a dislocated shoulder. Meanwhile, the Dockers have the ball pinned in their attacking 50. Spurr sends the ball towards goal, and Pavlich claims a mark, but Taberner definitely got a hand on it first. Fremantle 0.8.5 53 Melbourne 0.6.7 43
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
BEHIND DEMONS 11' Melbourne showed some good build up, but a poor kick from Dawes turns it over. Lumumba now takes an intercepting mark, and he sends the Demons forward. Kent now has a go from outside 50, but this one is rushed through. Fremantle 0.8.5 53 Melbourne 0.6.7 43
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
12' Dockers going forward now, and it's Blakely to send them inside 50. Clarke has a fly at this one, but the ball is punched out of bounds. Fremantle 0.8.5 53 Melbourne 0.6.6 42
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
13' Melbourne have had the run of this quarter so far, but the Dockers get the first goal against the run of play. Melbourne have the ball moving towards their end slowly here, but a Dockers free kick stops the chance. Fremantle 0.8.5 53 Melbourne 0.6.6 42
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
GOAL DOCKERS 14' Matt Taberner wins a free kick right on the 50, and he's setting up for the shot. Not much angle to speak of, and the kick is dead straight!! Fremantle 0.8.5 53 Melbourne 0.6.6 42
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
15' Jeff Garlett takes a mark on the lead, but his set shot is short, and there's a free kick for the Dockers in the marking contest. Demons probably should be in front. Fremantle 0.7.5 47 Melbourne 0.6.6 42
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
16' Another free kick for Melbourne, as the Dockers kick the ball directly into their own point post, but Salem has also sent the football out of bounds on the full. Fremantle 0.7.5 47 Melbourne 0.6.6 42
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
18' Lumumba has some space around the 50, and he goes to the pocket looking for Dawes. He has Johnson hanging all over him, but he still takes a very strong mark. His set shot goes across the face, but Mark Jamar goes up and takes a very strong pack mark. He's only 10 from goal, but he's shanked that kick so bad it's missed everything. Fremantle 0.7.5 47 Melbourne 0.6.6 42
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
FOURTH QUARTER START 20' Secondary ball-up to begin the last quarter. Now Mzungu working hard in the contest, but he can't get the footy clear. Freo wins a free now, and they send the ball long looking for Mundy. He slips at the key moment, and Garlett comes away with the footy. Fremantle 0.7.5 47 Melbourne 0.6.6 42
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
THREE QUARTER TIME Much better from the Demons that quarter, as they have pulled this one back to only a 5 point deficit at three-quarter time. Although there's nothing riding on this game, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Demons go on with this one. You just feel like they've got more to play for.
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
0' McPharlin with a turnover in the middle of the ground, and the Demons go forward quickly. It's a big up and under from Hogan, but Silvagni stands his ground at the drop and takes a very courageous mark. Fremantle 0.7.5 47 Melbourne 0.6.6 42
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
BEHIND DEMONS 2' Hogan spills a mark on the lead, and Silvagni is willing to concede the point. Dockers 0.7.5 47 Melbourne 0.6.6 42
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
BEHIND DEMONS 3' Suban sends the Dockers inside 50, and McKenzie is very lucky not to be pinged down back. Lumumba now wins the footy on the wing, and the Demons go forward. Now Hogan marks on the lead, and he'll have a chance to get the Demons back within a point. He's on a 45 degree angle, 40 metres out, and he's left it out to the right. Fremantle 0.7.5 47 Dockers 0.6.5 41