Fremantle’s freefall down the ladder in 2016 was truly a sight to behold. There’s still a lot of talent on the Dockers’ list, but how much of a rebound can we expect from the minor premiers turned bottom-four strugglers?
Let’s have a look at the list changes made in the off-season.
Additions: Cam McCarthy (GWS Giants), Bradley Hill (Hawthorn), Shane Kersten (Geelong), Joel Hamling (Western Bulldogs), Sean Darcy, Brennan Cox, Luke Ryan, Taylin Duman, Luke Strnadica (draft)
Subtractions: Chris Mayne (Collingwood), Matthew Pavlich (retired), Michael Barlow, Alex Silvagni, Clancee Pearce, Tendai Mzungu, Matt de Boer, Anthony Morabito, Jack Hannath, Tanner Smith, Sean Hurley (delisted)
What happened last year?
It was carnage from the beginning for Freo in 2016. A 65-point loss to the eventual premiers the Western Bulldogs in Round 1 set the tone for a disastrous first half to the year.
The Dockers had to wait until a Round 11 match with the suspension-ravaged Bombers to taste victory, and they only got to sing the song a paltry four times in total.
Injuries didn’t help, but this was a shocking turnaround from a team that won the minor premiership just twelve months earlier.
What’s changed?
Ross Lyon wielded the axe liberally at the end of 2016, with several former members of the Dockers’ best 22 all sent packing. Combined with the retirement of club legend Matthew Pavlich and the defection of Chris Mayne to Collingwood, it’s going to be a new-look team in purple this year.
The club was active in the trade period, picking up several notable names in Bradley Hill, Cam McCarthy, Shane Kersten and Joel Hamling, but also forfeited several draft picks too, leaving them somewhat thin on young talent.
Like many other clubs, Fremantle will need to decide whether the slightly better results they can achieve now with these older players in the line-up is worth taking away the experience from the younger talent.
The verdict
If any club had recruited Nat Fyfe in the offseason they’d be a candidate to rise up the ladder, and given Fremantle endured essentially an entire season without him in 2016 he may have that same impact.
But while Fremantle had a strong trade period, most of the players they’ve brought in still have something to prove. They could rise a lot higher, but for now they look like a team just on the outer.
Prediction: 11th
Jon boy
Guest
Dawson,Johnson,D,PearceToOld Sam Collins did not put a foot wrong in 2016 10 years younger .Will probably head back to victoria end of contract
Don Freo
Guest
No. It's just something commentators have decided. Ross just has a lend of lazy journos.
Don Freo
Guest
Do you think Logue didn't play? You're funny with how little you know. Now you have Zac keeping out a key forward. Zac the swingman!
Don Freo
Guest
Word for word my thoughts, Balthazar. Agree on Danyle Pearce and Dawson...as do all Freo folk. It's only Eastern staters who don't know what Freo has. Freo is a side with good experience in their Under 21yos. They are key drivers in Freo's top 22 now. A closer look would rewrite this preview. Stirling, you wrote, "but also forfeited several draft picks too, leaving them somewhat thin on young talent." Griffin Logue was highly sought after. Freo got him in the first round. Sean Darcy was in the next round...Mumford with brains. Blakely, Weller, Langdon, Hughes, Cox, Logue, McCarthy, Neale, Alex Pearce, Collins, Apeness...not young? What did Freo not do with youth?
SonOfLordy
Guest
"It’s pretty obvious to me, for example, that Dawson is only playing because poor Alex Pearce has suffered a stress fracture in his leg. Alex will be back probably after the first third of the season. I also don’t think Danyle Pearce will necessarily be first choice this year. " I wouldn't be so sure of that. Any tall player can fulfill Dawson's role. He's literally robbing games from a young player like Logue. This is a long 4-year rebuild. Lyon will not win a premiership this year. Finishing 8th and playing Dawson 10, 15, 20 games only sets the club back further. Last year was a total write off from round 3 on, yet Dawson played the first 8 of 9 games (Pearce was injured in the 9th) and played the first 16 of 19. Pretend that Dawson is out injured. What would the club do to cover Dawson? "Freo’s real problems this year I sense will be in the back half. As they were last year. That is very much a work in progress. The JLT games are showing their opponents are not getting the ball into their forward half as much but are scoring fairly freely when they do so." Geez. When you have a 31-year-old player -- who wouldn't get a game at any other club, who has abysmal decision making and horrible disposal -- playing a key role in your defence (in a rebuilding phase of the club no less) then no wonder Fremantle has such woeful defence. Lyon has to start thinking out of the box and even trial Taberner down in defence if he doesn't want to develop Logue. Lyon has to be bold for once. When Mark Harvey rebuilt Fremantle in 2009, he reinvented the career of Chris Tarrant by moving him to defence. Lyon seems to want his cake and eat it too right now. He wants the amnesty from criticism and scrutiny, plus the excuse to fail and experiment that a 4 year rebuild brings. Yet he doesn't want any of the short term pain that taking risk accompanies. Not that playing Logue or Taberner in place of Dawson would be much of a risk. At worst it's a push, but at least you're getting 20 games in a young player rather than 20 games into a 31-year-old, low-skilled fringe player.
Balthazar
Guest
I think this is an article that has a few inaccuracies. What "several draft picks" did Freo forfeit? I can't see how trading pick 3 to get McCarthy and Logue could be seen as anything other than a big win for Freo - McCarthy is hitting his straps nicely (6 goals the other night doesn't suggest to me that he will "take some time to readjust"). Logue in time will become that tall rotating through their midfield and half back line they have desperately needed for years. I don't understand the bit about being conscious of balancing time between veterans and young players either. Seems to me the writer missed the whole of season 2016, when all the club did was bang games into their young players. It's pretty obvious to me, for example, that Dawson is only playing because poor Alex Pearce has suffered a stress fracture in his leg. Alex will be back probably after the first third of the season. I also don't think Danyle Pearce will necessarily be first choice this year. But you don't get rid of players of the skill and creativity of Michael Johnson without a very good reason to do so. Hill has not been brought in as a small forward. He has been brought in as a link player between the defensive and forward halves, to deliver the ball in to players like Walters and (fingers crossed for his imminent return) Bennell. He has never played a similar game to Ballantyne or Walters. He has immediately improved the accuracy of Freo's ball movement and allowed his brother to play with more freedom too. Freo's real problems this year I sense will be in the back half. As they were last year. That is very much a work in progress. The JLT games are showing their opponents are not getting the ball into their forward half as much but are scoring fairly freely when they do so. The midfield, which includes a few players who can rotate forward and back - including Harley Bennell who weirdly doesn't even get a mention - is very, very strong indeed.
mattyb
Guest
Has RTB said he's doing a four year rebuild,that seems a bit long. It's not like the Dockers are as sorrowful as say Carlton. I wouldn't be surprised if they climb up the ladder as quickly as they've dropped down and make the eight this year.
SonOfLordy
Guest
I'm getting a lot of mixed messages from Ross Lyon. He claims this is a four year rebuild, but I was baffled by the inclusion of Zac Dawson yet again on Friday night against Carlton. Ross Lyon and the club has basically claimed for themselves a four year amnesty from criticism and scrutiny by saying that it will take four years to rebuild. I think four years is a tad excessive when you have an incredible midfield of Fyfe (possibly GOAT), Neale (AFL possession king), Mundy (2015 AA), Sandilands (top 3 ruckman), Stephen Hill, Brad Hill, Walters rotating through the midfield. This is a STACKED midfield and the entire midfield except Brad Hill has several years experience playing alongside each other. This is a jelled midfield that knows each other inside and out. Okay, so Ross has claimed his four year amnesty from scrutiny by saying the next four years is about rebuilding. Okay, fine. I'll take this statement at face value. The way to go about a long-term rebuild is to cut the deadwood that won't be at the club in the medium term and get games into your young draft picks -- especially your high draft picks. This is a long- term, four year rebuild? Yes. Are Freo going to win a premiership in the next 1-2 years? No. Do you play fringe players that won't be at the club in the next 1-2 years? No. Why? Because that would be robbing games 20 games per year from one of your young draft picks. That's why I couldn't believe seeing Zac Dawson line up on Friday night. This is a guy who was a fringe player at 25, yet here he is 31, out of contract at the end of the year, in a club that is into year one of a four year rebuild and robbing game time from a young player. Dawson wouldn't get a game at any other club, has horrible decision making and is awful with the ball in hand. The only thing he can do is follow a defender and punch the ball. Lyon can’t have it both ways. He’s talking about a 4 year rebuild but then playing guys like Dawson when they are not part of the future and part of the current problem. I would look at guys that are barely in the best 22 like Dawson, Sutcliffe, Clarke, Suban, Ballantyne and only play young players in place of them. This is a 4 year rebuild remember and what Harvey did in 2009 was far more drastic. Ibbotson is borderline, but I’d play him for 10 games to see if he can recapture his form of two years ago. There’s no use in finishing 9th if this is a legitimate 4 year rebuild. If the young players flounder when given responsibility — then you can put Dawson or Suban or Sutcliffe back in. Dawson offers nothing and I’d like to see Logue down back all season if possible. How many players light it up in the WAFL, only to struggle when called up to the senior team? Play the guy and get games into him. Johnson probably has one season left. Impart some of that knowledge and experience. Move it along. What’s Lyon waiting for? The core of Freo is as strong as any of the league, and with that guidance young players will learn quickly. Dawson’s job is to punch the ball. Logue is a better athlete, faster, can jump higher. Get him playing on a full forward and give him instructions to do ONE job and he’ll learn more through that for one season than wasting time getting lighting it up in the WAFL. As the season progresses give him more responsibility. There’s no way Logue playing Dawson’s role can do worse than Dawson. Worst case scenario for Fremantle this season is to finish 8th but have guys like Dawson and Sutcliffe playing 20 games each.