Where and when: Optus Stadium, Sunday April 7, 3.20pm AWST
Last time they met: Optus Stadium, round eight, 2018: Fremantle 13.11 (89) defeated St Kilda 8.11 (59).
After a nightmare week off the field, the Dockers at least salvaged something against the battling Saints, who were all but out of the contest after kicking 1.5 to half-time. Nat Fyfe starred with 36 touches and a monster 13 clearances, continuing his red-hot form.
What it means for Fremantle: Memories of the blistering round one win quickly faded after an ordinary effort on the Gold Coast, and the Dockers need to get back on the winners list to give themselves a buffer before a more challenging stretch of games to come.
What it means for St Kilda: Nobody expected the Saints to sit 2-0 and if they can ambush Fremantle away from home it would frank their form and go a long way to proving Alan Richardson’s men won’t just be also-rans in 2019.
How Fremantle wins: The Dockers pounded North Melbourne’s backline into submission with repeat forward 50 entries, breakneck ball movement and frantic pressure in round one and if they can replicate that effort St Kilda won’t be able to keep up.
How St Kilda wins: Pressure. If the Saints can lock down Fremantle’s ball movement, which is generally a lot slicker at Optus Stadium, they can limit the threat of the Dockers’ dangerous tall forward line and protect a depleted backline.
The stat: Fremantle superstar Nat Fyfe was simply unstoppable last time the teams met, finishing with 36 touches, 25 contested possessions, 13 clearances, eight centre clearances and a goal.
The match-up: Jack Steele v Nat Fyfe
Steele is the equal competition leader for tackles (17) after two rounds and, importantly, has the ability to hurt Fyfe the other way if the Freo skipper doesn’t pay him enough attention. If Steele can’t restrict Fyfe, it’s hard to see St Kilda winning.
It’s a big week for: Ross Lyon
He was toasted for bringing Fremantle’s style up to date with the modern game after round one but a week is a long time in football and Lyon will be under the pump if the Dockers don’t play with that freedom again and beat the Saints at home.
Father Dougals’s Tip: Fremantle by 7. I want to pick the Saints as a surprise upset, but I can’t do it away at Optus. Who do the Saints have to match Fyfe? Well, Jack Steele. Enough said. I have medium confidence in this pick.
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Go Saints.
NO LATE CHANGES
FINAL INTERCHANGES
Fremantle: Adam Cerra, Reece Conca, Andrew Brayshaw, Cam McCarthy
St Kilda: Luke Dunstan, Hunter Clark, Dean Kent, Callum Wilkie
no elbow strapping for fyfe today , the bursa must have settled down
Think he needs to put it back on!
J. Hamling 39
R. Marshall 36
M. Walters 39
L. Dunstan 27
L. Ryan 35
J. Geary 26
B. Hill 35
B. Acres 26
A. Cerra 34
J. Steele 23
T. Duman 31
T. Membrey 22
E. Langdon 31
J. Billings 20
D. Mundy 29
D. Kent 20
C. McCarthy 25
N. Brown 19
A. Pearce 24
S. Ross 18
N. Fyfe 23
J. Battle 15
B. Matera 21
J. Gresham 11
R. Conca 16
C. Wilkie 11
J. Hogan 14
J. Newnes 9
R. Lobb 13
J. Lonie 9
N. Wilson 11
J. Sinclair 9
T. Colyer 11
J. Webster 8
M. Taberner 9
S. Savage 7
D. Tucker 9
H. Clark 7
A. Brayshaw 6
D. McKenzie 5
E. Hughes 4
M. Parker 5
B. Banfield 4
J. Bruce 3
The one time I field Parker and actually need him to score well…
early days
Looking at Dunkley to Marshall this week
dunkley in when his price drops & a couple of dogs mids go down will do me
GO RYAN!
so Mundy decides he can play football this week……..
Quite funny actually , every1 says dont trade on the 1st week & then every1 trades out their “healthy” mid price & premo’s to injury prone players or rookies over the next 2 weeks just because they’re gna loose 20k – 30k of their value
Come on Parker…
At least get past 37 to prove putting you in ahead of Setterfield was the right call.
Up to 28… he’s coming!
46! He’s done it! And with a full quarter to go.
Need 58 from Parker to win Tech. Not looking good.
SUPERCOACH
L. Ryan 78
J. Billings 61
M. Walters 72
T. Membrey 56
J. Hamling 66
R. Marshall 54
A. Cerra 61
J. Geary 52
D. Mundy 53
J. Gresham 51
E. Langdon 49
J. Steele 43
B. Hill 49
B. Acres 41
T. Duman 44
S. Ross 36
N. Fyfe 44
L. Dunstan 36
A. Pearce 42
N. Brown 34
R. Lobb 41
J. Newnes 32
B. Matera 33
J. Battle 32
M. Taberner 30
J. Webster 30
R. Conca 29
D. Kent 28
C. McCarthy 27
J. Lonie 27
E. Hughes 23
J. Sinclair 27
D. Tucker 23
H. Clark 26
J. Hogan 22
C. Wilkie 26
N. Wilson 21
S. Savage 24
B. Banfield 13
D. McKenzie 24
T. Colyer 13
M. Parker 18
A. Brayshaw 7
J. Bruce 16
billings must have been playing midfield thus far
freo’s kicking to hogan is terrible , just bombing it in , they need to slow it down across 1/2 fwd & wait for him to lead into a space
Slowing down when going forward is usually a bad idea…. it gives the opposition time to flood back. Maybe Hogan should start leading earlier?
No use blindly bombing it though. That’s what Melbourne have been doing and what North did today.
No argument there.
Need 146 from Steele and Parker to hit 2300.
Surely?
You’d hope – but it’ll come down to this final term.
walters 109 10 min into the 3rd , might beat lachie neals score
Coming into the match, I needed 203 from Ryan and Parker to hit 2400.
At least Ryan’s holding up his end of the deal.
Up to 180 between them at 3QT – I like where this is going!
They did it. Exactly 203 between them. Thank you, gentlemen!
thats fyfe done for the day , knocked out
Ouch. That’ll ruin a few people’s weekends.
yep on 66 , a lot would have had the C on him chasing league wins
Really bad one too. Hope he is ok. Worried for him for next week.
That’s just great….ruined me in 2 league matches & stopped me just short of 2300
The week I swap Martin to Fyfe he is concussed and out for the game fml. Hope he is ok next week.
To be fair, Martin probably won’t be playing next week, either.
was a bad one , head into head , 2 trainers carried him off , his legs were shot
Going to be a few people affected if they had Fyfe as captain.
Fyfe’s out of the picture. You’re free now, Steele. Go grab a tonne.
Can’t see Fyfe playing next round after that head knock
yeh , ross likes to rest his guns if they’re not cherry , if he gets named next week , he’ll probably probably end up being a late out
Man of Steele is more like Man of Aluminium at the moment.
Oh, please, Mick. CD are doing him in!
Saints could win it from here
Need Steele and Parker to combine for 45 SC in this last quarter to hit 2300.
Can it be done?
L. Ryan
133
M. Walters
106
J. Hamling
78
B. Hill
74
D. Tucker
74
A. Cerra
73
D. Mundy
64
N. Fyfe
63
T. Duman
60
A. Pearce
58
E. Langdon
58
M. Taberner
55
R. Lobb
53
R. Conca
51
B. Matera
47
N. Wilson
44
E. Hughes
37
A. Brayshaw
36
J. Hogan
35
C. McCarthy
29
T. Colyer
25
B. Banfield
17
L. Ryan 133
R. Marshall 88
M. Walters 106
J. Billings 81
J. Hamling 78
T. Membrey 81
B. Hill 74
J. Gresham 81
D. Tucker 74
J. Geary 68
A. Cerra 73
J. Lonie 68
D. Mundy 64
L. Dunstan 62
N. Fyfe 63
J. Newnes 55
T. Duman 60
S. Ross 54
A. Pearce 58
J. Steele 54
E. Langdon 58
J. Webster 53
M. Taberner 55
B. Acres 52
R. Lobb 53
S. Savage 46
R. Conca 51
J. Sinclair 46
B. Matera 47
N. Brown 45
N. Wilson 44
M. Parker 45
E. Hughes 37
C. Wilkie 42
A. Brayshaw 36
H. Clark 41
J. Hogan 35
D. McKenzie 39
C. McCarthy 29
D. Kent 39
T. Colyer 25
J. Battle 36
B. Banfield 17
J. Bruce 28
R. Marshall
88
J. Billings
81
J. Gresham
81
T. Membrey
78
J. Geary
69
J. Lonie
68
L. Dunstan
63
J. Newnes
55
J. Steele
55
S. Ross
54
J. Webster
53
B. Acres
52
S. Savage
46
J. Sinclair
46
N. Brown
45
M. Parker
45
C. Wilkie
43
H. Clark
41
D. Kent
40
D. McKenzie
39
J. Battle
36
J. Bruce
28
steele has gone to walters now that fyfe is out of the game
How is his DT nearly 100 but still at 58 on SC? Grrr!
i think DT don’t penalize clangers
mundy getting plenty of the ball now
Sorry for captaining you. Didn’t mean to jinx you. While I’m at it sorry for picking you at all didn’t mean to jinx you either.
Fyfe and rocky that is.
Billing had 0 points in the last quarter until that final kick…
L. Ryan 157
R. Marshall 110
M. Walters 119
J. Billings 105
D. Tucker 110
T. Membrey 99
D. Mundy 109
J. Gresham 92
A. Cerra 96
J. Steele 85
B. Matera 92
J. Lonie 82
J. Hamling 88
J. Newnes 81
R. Lobb 86
J. Geary 81
B. Hill 81
L. Dunstan 81
A. Pearce 79
S. Ross 79
E. Langdon 77
S. Savage 76
R. Conca 74
J. Battle 74
T. Duman 73
N. Brown 67
M. Taberner 67
D. McKenzie 62
N. Fyfe 63
J. Webster 60
A. Brayshaw 63
C. Wilkie 55
J. Hogan 58
B. Acres 51
E. Hughes 52
J. Sinclair 51
N. Wilson 50
J. Bruce 48
B. Banfield 48
D. Kent 48
T. Colyer 45
M. Parker 47
C. McCarthy 32
H. Clark 47
Champion Data is against Billings . 32 disposals and 2 goals and only 108 points. That sucks.