Roar Guru
Fremantle have proved too fast, too classy and too determined for the visiting Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium, winning their Saturday night clash by 54 points.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Fremantle 16.12.108
Western Bulldogs 8.6.54
The Fremantle Dockers look to continue their unblemished run at the new Perth stadium against the Western Bulldogs. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog from 8:15pm AEST (6:15pm (AWST).
The Dockers are developing an early fondness for their new home ground, having recorded two wins from two games there, in a reasonably positive start to the season.
With Nat Fyfe showing signs of his best, Alex Pearce demonstrating he belongs at this level, and Matthew Taberner emerging as a serious talent, it’s been a pretty good start to 2018.
They are however coming off a frustrating loss in terrible conditions to the Giants in Canberra.
The Dogs of course had a notoriously bad start to the year, but have recovered somewhat in the last two weeks.
They still have a number of players yet to run into form, but they’re getting output from the likes of Caleb Daniel, Mitch Wallis and Easton Wood.
The Bulldogs of course haven’t played this venue before, but their interstate record has been a little patchy ever since that marvellous 2016 premiership.
In fact, their win over the Eagles in that year’s finals series is their only one in Western Australia since 2010.
The conditions this evening may be a little wet, which poses a challenge for the Dogs’ running and linking style of game.
At selection, the Dockers are losing a bit of experience, with defenders Michael Johnson and Tommy Sheridan replaced by Ed Langdon and debutant Taylin Duman.
The Bulldogs have made a number of changes, mostly forced; Lachie Hunter, Bailey Williams and Jack Redpath miss with injury while Shane Biggs has been dropped after a poor start to the year.
They’re replaced by Zaine Cordy, Lukas Webb, Patrick Lipinski and Tom Boyd, the latter two for their first games of the season.
Prediction
The Dogs still have too many frailties to expect them to beat a solid outfit like Freo interstate.
Fremantle by 25 points