This 2015 AFL premiership season is set up to be the closest season in recent memory, or is it?
Sure the only thing that separates seventh-placed Hawthorn from twelfth-placed North is percentage, and teams that weren’t even expected to compete with their opponents are managing to pull off incredible wins, but there is one question that no one has been able to find the answer to so far this season and if no one can than this AFL season may be decided very early on.
Who can beat the Fremantle Dockers?
Fremantle was given an incredibly difficult draw this season, yet you wouldn’t be able to tell with the way they have played. The dockers so far are eight wins and zero losses. So far this season they have played Port Adelaide, Geelong, West Coast, Sydney, Essendon, Melbourne, Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne and they have been able to handle these teams with absolute ease.
They are the absolute powerhouse of the competition. Their defence is keeping their oppositions to an average score of 62 points a game which is the best in the league, and their forward line lead by their captain Matthew Pavlich is kicking goals with extreme efficency.
But Fremantle’s biggest asset is definitely their midfield, they easily have the best in the game. Fremantle is also given a huge boost by their best player Nat Fyfe. Fyfe, who is only a very young player, is now known as the best player in the league.
The main quality that he has that makes him stand out from the rest of the pack is his ferocious attack on the footy. Every contest he throws himself at the ball and usually wins it. Fremantle also have arguably the best coach in the AFL, Ross Lyon.
Lyon’s style of football is extremely hard to defend and makes teams focus for the full four quarters. Any lapse in concentration results in a huge momentum shift into Fremantle’s favour. Fremantle are so skilled in so many areas and it makes them an incredibly difficult team to play against. So the question still remains, who can beat Fremantle?
Well I believe that there is only one team that has any chance to beat Fremantle and that is reigning premiers Hawthorn. Although they are four wins and four losses this season I still believe that their best football is not only beautiful but an incredibly difficult one to play against.
They have an explosive midfield which can take over games, a solid defence which has proven it can take the firepower that Fremantle has and they have forward which has the ability to kick a winnable total.
It may not be Hawthorn that are able to tame the beast that is Fremantle but lets just hope that someone is able to, so that this season isn’t just after it began.
Minz
Guest
They did just flat turn off in the second half against Port, and the Swans (as well as West Coast). I don't know if a full game at their best is physically possible though!!
bryan
Guest
OK,the MCG is a very big stadium,but there is pretty much a "critical mass" when it comes to crowds. Every home game draws close to capacity at Subi--& that's around 40,000,not really a "boutique" venue. At Derbies where it is a WCE home game,most of that crowd will be Eagles supporters howling for blood! :) Gee,Freo were so terrified that they lost to Hawthorn,(including Buddy) by 15 points in the 2013 GF. The "mighty" Swans,(including Buddy) lost the 2014 GF to the Hawks (without Buddy) by 63 points--what was their excuse? The Dockers lost in 2013 because they couldn't kick straight--no excuses!
Paul W
Guest
"and they have been able to handle these teams with absolute ease". Three minutes to go and scores are level against the Dogs with no ruckman !! Only a miss kick by Murphy and fumble by Wallis stopped the momentum. Then a couple of inexperienced pieces of play let Freo in. I would have thought that was a pretty good scare.
Balthazar
Guest
Was fairly widely reported at the time. And you can check the stats if you like. In another thread, Swans fans seem to have reacted badly to Hawks fans dismissing last week's result as the Hawks playing badly. And yet in responses to this article, I see both the Swans played badly against Freo early this year and the Hawks apparently played badly against Freo in round 21 last year. Hmmm......
Nik
Guest
Irrespective of crowd size, they simply just don't play at the MCG very often - only twice this season!
bryan
Guest
"Don’t forget Lyon GF record sits at 0-4." Using that logic,Carlton would be a front runner for the GF---Oh ,wait! They've sacked Mickey Malthouse!
jax
Guest
Not quite, WC could and if they kicked straight they would. Freo would go in as favourites and rightly so. Anything can happen in a Derby no matter the ladder positions. I feel the same about any other Derby in the country, they do throw up surprises. Not a should in sight. Swans were favourites might be a better way to put it
Mitcher
Guest
'Of course' you would say that.
WhereIsGene
Guest
Freo will never be favorite to win the premiership so long as they are won at the MCG. They have to break their duck sometime so who knows perhaps this is the year, but they could go 24-0 and still be sweating bullets because they know their MCG record is woeful. I think a reason's because the club has so little experience playing in front of huge crowds, you could see how terrified they were in the first half of the 2013 GF.
Brian
Guest
Ease up its May. Geelong in 2008 went through a whole season losing 1 game before the Grand Final and didn't win it when it mattered. Don't forget Lyon GF record sits at 0-4.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Interestingly, if Hawthorn are eliminated by another side in the finals series, Freo may actually be able to go the whole year without playing them in Victoria (the Hawthorn home game with Freo this year is played in Tasmania). About the only way I can see a Hawthorn vs Freo match in Victoria is if it's the grand final.
Paul D
Roar Guru
I think “should” is a bit strong – that’s like saying WCE “should” have beaten the Dockers in the last two derbies…oh wait. Hawthorn were very, very good in 2014. I think a lot of us underestimated how good they were.
jax
Guest
I tend to agree but the Swans lost one they should won last year also.
Paul D
Roar Guru
I reckon if Freo can get another shot at the GF they won't muff it this time. You have to lose one to win one, etc.
Titch
Guest
September...
jax
Guest
Swans, Hawks and West Coast have the best chance of beating Freo. When it's all said and done there is only game that you need to win (assuming you make it that far) and that is the GF and who knows what will happen between now and then? I can't see Freo not earning two home finals and their place in the GF. Whether or not they can capitalise on it on the big day is the big question. It's look more and more like a Sydney v Freo GF for mine and Sydney will not be a pushover.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
This team is better than Drossy's 2009 Saints but plenty of footy to be played yet..
Shady
Guest
I think we're all forgetting the round one clash between Port and Fremantle, was very close and could have gone 2 ways. Fortunately for Fremantle it went their way and as we all know unfortunately for Port Adelaide it was the start of what's going to be a long year for their supporters.
New York Hawk
Guest
Still too early to tell. Hell, after round 1 we were going to go undefeated! I still think the Hawks can take Freo until they prove me otherwise. They may have beaten us last year in Perth, but we played terribly and didn't lose again. I don't think they can beat us in Melbourne. I do hope we don't have to play them in Perth in a QF though....
Damo
Guest
Father Time, Injuries, Luck.