Fremantle’s fall from ladder leaders after the 2015 home-and-away season, to 16th after 22 rounds in 2016 was the biggest drop in the history of the game.
After four straight years of finals under Ross Lyon, they descended into disgrace.
The speed of the decline was remarkable. This wasn’t a side that gradually fell off the pace, or had periods of momentum but could never quite put it all together. Bang, right out of the gate they were seven goals down to the Bulldogs at quarter time in Round 1, and there was plenty more where that came from.
Gold Coast dominated them in Round 2, they lost a hometown Derby in Round 3, and before we knew it, 0-3 was 0-5 with the season gone, on the way to a 0-10 start to the year.
They certainly had their injury troubles, but those early losses weren’t marred by them. Something was deeply troubled and wrong at the Dockers in 2016. Can they bounce back this year?
Fremantle Dockers’ best 22
| B | Lee Spurr | Joel Hamling | Alex Pearce |
| HB | David Mundy | Michael Johnson | Tommy Sheridan |
| C | Stephen Hill | Lachie Neale | Brad Hill |
| HF | Harley Bennell | Shane Kersten | Michael Walters |
| F | Hayden Ballantyne | Matt Taberner | Cam McCarthy |
| Foll | Aaron Sandilands | Nat Fyfe | Connor Blakely |
| Int | Hayden Crozier | Cam Sutcliffe | Garrick Ibbotson | Lachie Weller |
Emergencies: Sam Collins, Ed Langdon, Darcy Tucker
Let’s look at the good news first.
Nat Fyfe is back after only playing five games last year. He started 2016 as the best player in the league, but Danger signs were starting to emerge in the form of a certain Geelong superstar.
Fyfe will lead the midfield once more in contested beast mode, and will be hoping Aaron Sandilands can also feature in the majority of matches to provide him with gilt-edged service. The big ruckman also hit the park only five times last year.
In their absence, Lachie Neale stepped up with 33 touches a game and was top three in the league for disposals, clearances and contested possessions. He truly was a one-man band on the inside, with the next best contested possession player at Fremantle (David Mundy) over 160 behind him, clearly the biggest differential in the competition.
The inside support of Michael Barlow is gone, but the impressive Connor Blakely should step up again with his third pre-season under his belt, and Fyfe’s return will help everyone else down the chain. Mundy will still be used, but has also been earmarked for a half-back role.
Outside run has always been seen as a weakness of Ross Lyon teams, with his reputation for stodginess and stifling of natural flair for the advantages of structure, discipline and team defence. He’s been unfairly maligned over the journey, but should get to showcase some attacking principles now.
Brad Hill has come across from Hawthorn to join his brother Stephen, and they will seek to run the wings, scything through opposition midfields, calling to mind two bishops on an open chessboard.
Clusters of pawns in the centre are the natural enemies of bishops, and have proven to be Ross Lyon’s preferred method of attack and strangulation over the years. Will he allow his bishops the space they need to be used to best advantage?
Michael Walters was a deserved top three finisher in the Fremantle best and fairest last year, and possesses a deadly combination of creativity, skill and smarts, regardless of what part of the ground he’s operating in.
Freo fans, and the football world at large, will be hoping Harley Bennell can get on the field and return to his best. Few have more talent than he, and it’s worth remembering that five times in his career he’s had 27 or more possessions and kicked three or more goals in the same game.
If Bennell, Walters and the Hill brothers can get up and running, the Dockers will have no excuses transitioning the ball between the arcs and looking dangerous moving forward.
The tall forward trio of Matt Taberner, Shane Kersten and Cam McCarthy have all walked different paths to reach where they are today, and it doesn’t exactly look a premiership line-up.
Kersten improved significantly last year, after looking every bit a VFL-only player across 2014-15, which made it surprising when the Cats were happy to let him go. He’ll lead hard, and has good hands and a strong kick. He’ll be an important player on his long home ground.
McCarthy has had his off-field issues, and is by no means the complete player yet. It remains to be seen how many dimensions he has to his game, and although he kicked 35 goals in 2015, in the last four matches he played that year, he had a combined total of 27 touches, six marks and one goal.
Taberner has looked on the verge of taking the next step for a couple of seasons now, but keeps falling down the stairs instead. In last year’s preview series, I asked “Is Taberner mentally ready to take the next step? Is he hungry enough? Is he desperate enough? Is he willing to attack each contest as if it’s his last?” We’re still waiting for the right answers, but then maybe he’s only got the wrong ones.
The Fremantle defence struggled under the weight of easy ball that headed their way last season, and should find things easier this time around, but still look on the limited side as individuals.
Lee Spurr and Cam Sutcliffe have been doing what they do for years. Michael Johnson only played four matches last season, and his run and carry is as important as his intercept play. Premiership Bulldog Joel Hamling has been added to play full-back, and strikes as a typical Ross Lyon defender.
One of the questions for Lyon will be what balance he strikes between playing the older servants (Spurr, Garrick Ibbotson, Danyle Pearce, Hayden Ballantyne, Zac Dawson) and the younger brigade (Alex Pearce, Ed Langdon, Darcy Tucker, Harley Balic). This will likely be determined by the shape of the season.
The Dockers are going to need a lot of things to go right in order to surge back up the ladder, and while they have some unique tools to do so (particularly in the shape of Fyfe, Sandilands, Bennell and Walters), it feels like a bridge too far, and they’ll be closer to the bottom than the top come Round 23.
Predicted ladder spread: 13th-16th
Predicted finish: 14th
Best and fairest: Nat Fyfe
Leading goalkicker: Michael Walters
All-Australian potential: Nat Fyfe, Lachie Neale, Michael Walters
Rising Star candidates: Harley Balic, Brennan Cox, Sean Darcy and Griffin Logue are the only senior list players eligible – but how many opportunities will they get under Ross Lyon?
Cam Rose’s AFL preview series ladder
14th – Fremantle
15th – Essendon
16th – North Melbourne
17th – Carlton
18th – Brisbane
Lofty
Guest
I just had that translated Thank you AD. That's got to be the best laugh I have ever had on this site. I should try that on a certain blues hater, I think you know which one. Well Done.
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
Christus, du bist ein nervender Schwanz, hey? I dunno what Freo ever did to you, but you're vendetta against them is old. And boring. And frankly getting kinda worrisome.
SonOfLordy
Guest
Ross Lyon is talking about needing 4 years to rebuild -- despite the fact his list has if anything improved since making a preliminary final 17 months ago. I'm not sure why a coach that's into his 6th season at a club and has one of the most stacked midfields in the league at his disposal (with Fyfe, Neale, Walters, Hill brothers being in their primes) needs to be indulged with a 4 year rebuild/excuse for failing. You want players (and the coach) having zero excuses for failing, yet here in Lyon seemingly writing off the next 4 seasons and instilling the wrong mentality in his players. 4 years is an eternity in the AFL. You reserve long term rebuilds for the basket case sides Bolton and Roos took over, not for a team with a stacked midfield that has continuity and it's best players at the peak of their powers. Considering that Lyon wrote off 2016 as a rebuilding year (despite going into the season gung ho about Freo's premiership chances), this will be a 5 year rebuild when all is said and done. And even then there's no guarantee of being a contender after 5 years. 5 years is a lot of faith to show in a coach that has a terrible track record and developing players and teams.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Really? "f - arts" is a trigger for moderation? We're not in church or the 50's.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
I think they've got D.Pearce signed up until the end of next season, so they'd probably want to make use of him if they can, at the very least for this year. I reckon he'd make a pretty good small forward, especially where he might be less prone to highly damaging brain poots. And if we get more the Ballas of 2015/2016, over earlier versions, this year then D.Pearce could be used in a way that fits him and now the team better, with B.Hill, Weller & others providing plenty of run & drive from the back flanks and wing.
Lofty
Guest
You may not agree but i thought D Pearce has lost that yard of pace. There are a few young guys who, if they work hard enough in the WAFL, will get chances over Pearce. I guess this will depend if Ross Lyon continues giving chances to the young guys. Last season he was forced to give them games. Will be interesting to see which way he approaches this year. Looking forward to see how Blakely and Weller go again this season..
Don Freo
Guest
I think any 4 year rebuild talk is pure bluff. I think this is one of our best squads ever...ideally the under 22yo brigade could do with 30 more games in them but they are pulling their weight already. Even if Ross is re-stumping etc, I think we'll all be re-calibrating and expecting finals very early in the piece.
Don Freo
Guest
Oh yeah...I was looking in the pockets and the centre...doing a quadruple take and still didn't see them. I guess eastern states Roarers have rubbed off on me and the only player I can see is Fyfe. On Hill, his best disposal seems to be when he gets it under pressure. (I tipped him for this year's Brownlow.) Very much a Doig chance.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
There's been a fair amount of "4-year rebuild" talk from the Freo footy department. So this would pretty much be the first time in Lyon's senior coaching career that he hasn't had the brief to have the team in contention here and now. Last year Lyon already gave the kids more opportunities and responsibility, so it'd be odds on that there's more of the same this year.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
What do you mean Don by the Harley and Son Son comment? They're there (?). Yeah I'd let S.Hill do his thing, but his pace is a great weapon and I'd rather let someone else get the ball for him, best save his energy for bursts of speed and more occasional dips into the contested congestion just to keep his opponent guessing. Weller and Crozier looked great at half back last year and added some great dash and creativity, so I'd be seeing how they could be fit into that backline where possible. As for D.Pearce, I'd have him in the forward line as a replacement for Ballantyne if needed. He's got that pace and has a pretty good penchant for pulling goals from nowhere (in fact I'd be making it clear to Ballas that Pearce - or someone else - is right in contention for his spot...keep Ballas tightly wound).
Don Freo
Guest
Hey Dal... Do you really want to play the season without Sunny? ...or a fit Harley Bennell? The one I don't want is Stephen Hill limited to the outside. He grows an extra leg wgen under the pack. The oace of Weller or Langdon on a wing and Stephen Hill inside. Notice we all have left Danyle Pearce out. Great competition for spots this year.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Here's a bit of a shot at a starting line-up: B-----Lee Spurr--------------Joel Hamling----------Alex Pearce/ Griffin Logue HB---Lachie Weller---------Michael Johnson-----Hayden Crozier C-----Stephen Hill-----------Lachie Neale----------Brad Hill HF---Harley Bennell--------Matt Taberner--------Michael Walters F-----Hayden Ballantyne--Shane Kersten/Michael Apeness----Cam McCarthy Foll--Aaron Sandilands----Nat Fyfe---------------David Mundy Int----Darcy Tucker----------Connor Blakely------Garrick Ibbotson----Tommy Sheridan Obviously some who may press up include those mentioned before, including Balic, Langdon, Hughes etc, but Uebergang off the rookie list (good chance to be promoted maybe) and Brennan Cox (even though a first year) may get a call up to help with Freo's thinner tall stocks at some stage.
Cameron Rose
Expert
Haha, well observed Dave. I was very pleased to read those quotes from Hardwick.
Freo As
Guest
We are sooo going to kill it this year.
dave
Guest
I'm not one for stats or reality my optamistic outlook for Freo is based around the dog affect theory. If you look at the Doggies the last couple of years their list is solid but does not inflict the same fear as say the GWS list. However it was obvious the dogs had some good harmony within the team.The way they play for each other and the team is fantastic,In the finals series it escalated and they looked impossible to beat which they were. Now for Freo trying to recreate the feel good vibe has done the following.Remember we need some tall players. Got Mcarthy home from a place he was obviously hating.He showed signs as a forward in a team containing Patton and Cameron. Got two local tall lads who wanted to come home who are apparently best mates. Reunited the Hill brothers who will now have to fight it out amongst themselves every weekend to see who gets the bigger portion of the sunday roast. From what I hear Logue is going to be a great team man. Whatever happened last year regarding the captancy is now history,We now have one of the top 3 players in the league as our captain. All the team sports Ive ever played have been more successful when the team is full of mates that talk amongst themselves about how to get better. I think Freo's recruiting has targeted this and will soon start to emulate the Doggies for team spirit.
Sausages
Guest
Certainly an injection of hope given the recruitment over the summer, yet I sense it doesn't result in an injection of too many more wins this year. They're a long, long way off.
Don Freo
Guest
Kieren?
Don Freo
Guest
I feel guilty now. Sorry Zac! I think Dawson still has a role to play but I think it might be depth (a la Silvagni) now rather than first picked. Pearce, Collins, Johnson and Hambling are ahead of him now. The thing about Zac is that he has been the defensive co-ordinator with the Ross method down back. The problem last year was that the cattle were in the injured pen. He may still figure but I suspect he may be surpassed.
Don Freo
Guest
Sandi is an elite runner, gets to position always theough his reading and smarts. His missed games are collision not soft tissue. He has 2 or 3 more years.
dave
Guest
Go on Cam put the tiges in your 8.I dare ya. Actually Freo/Richmond supporters are quite similar,every year we will predict our teams to do big things and after years of training we have both become almost immune to massive disappointments. Just on the Tigers I noticed Hardwick may have read one of your articles and is planning on using the strategies. However instead of saying something cool like release the guns he said I want them to play like children.hehe