Can the Fremantle Dockers catch the Cats off guard at Domain Stadium?
The Fremantle Dockers take on Geelong at home on Friday night and both teams will be coming into the match off a loss. Freo went down to Melbourne by 32 points last week in Darwin, while Geelong surprisingly got beaten at home by the Swans.
I was impressed with Freo newbie Sam Collins last week in defence. He started off a little bit shakey but really worked hard in the second half. He has a great build to be a big, strong defender and with a little bit more experience, I think he will rip up the backline.
Geelong will be looking to re-ignite their spark with a win this week, after losing their last two matches. Patrick Dangerfield has labelled the Cats’ recent form “mediocre” and said they “haven’t proven anything” this season. I know he must be a little frustrated however, addressing the team in a negative way isn’t going to help their confidence.
Fremantle Dockers looked a bit flat last week. Obviously they are rebuilding their team, and I have been impressed with the energy that the newer players have been bringing to the team. They seemed to be improving from week to week however, they looked a little bit out of sorts against Melbourne. And the hot/muggy weather is no excuse! (According to Coach Ross Lyon)
Lachie Neale was the top possession getter for Fremantle last week, and they will need him to have a big game this week against the Cats. I would like to see Stephen Hill have more of an impact around the ground, he is super quick and loves a run. Geelong have Dangerfield and Joel Selwood running through their midfield which will be a tough contest for Freo, so the Dockers will need to make sure that all of their disposals are effective, and they need to deliver in front of goal.
Matt Pavlich usually stands up in the forward line when he plays at Domain Stadium, the crowd really help him to lift. As does Hayden Ballantyne. Ballantyne only kicked one goal last week however, I expect him to fire up this week. Matt Taberner will also be one to watch. He is usually quite reliable in front of goal (with the odd unruly out of bounds on the full…) so as long as he takes a few marks inside Fremantle’s forward 50, I think he will have a positive impact.
It is going to be a tough one for Freo this week, not going to lie. The Dockers need to make sure they remain in a good headspace, stick to the basics and make their possessions count. They need to play their own game and play smart footy.
Unfortunately, I think Geelong will be out to redeem themselves this week and will be very hard to beat. I hate to do this, I am tipping Geelong Cats to beat the Fremantle Dockers by 15 points. A tip I will happily get wrong if the Dockers can upset the Cats!
Let us know you #AFLFreoCats predictions at @TweetPerth @EmmaLianaPayne
