#AFLNorthFreo: Can The Fremantle Dockers Knock Over North Melbourne?

#AFLNorthFreo: Can The Fremantle Dockers Knock Over North Melbourne?

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The last couple of weeks have been a little tough for us Dockers supporters…

The Fremantle Dockers have been handed some very disappointing defeats in the last couple of weeks. First the two-point loss to Geelong, and now they come into this week’s clash off a nine-point loss to the Saints last week. The Dockers let both of those games slip through their fingers, unable to hold onto their lead to get themselves over the line for the win.

There were some very promising signs from the Dockers players in both of those games, so it’s disappointing that they couldn’t get the reward for effort by securing the four points. This week they head interstate to take on North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Sunday. The Fremantle Dockers NEED to get themselves back on the winners list, and I am hoping that they can do that this week on the road. Michael Walters had an EPIC game against the Saints last week, finishing with six goals and 32 disposals, so fingers crossed he can replicate that form this week.

Some helpful inclusions have been named in the 25-man squad to take on the Roos this weekend. Connor Blakely returns to the side after being omitted last week for leaving training early and going surfing… Stephen Hill will hopefully return from a calf injury, with the Friday training session being his final hurdle to overcome. Josh Deluca will be welcomed back from an ankle complaint, which he picked up in his debut game against the Cats. Shane Kersten comes back in to replace the suspended Cam McCarthy, while Ryan Nyhuis has also been named in the squad to potentially make his debut for the Dockers. If Nyhuis does play, he will be Fremantle’s seventh debutant for 2017!

Along with McCarthy being ruled out due to suspension, for a tackle which left St Kilda’s Sam Gilbert with concussion, Aaron Sandilands will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a significant hamstring injury in last week’s game. Sigh. The good news is, Sean Darcy has been excelling in the ruck in Sandilands’ absence and can only get better by gaining more game time. He will be pushed to his limits this week when he goes up against North’s Todd Goldstein however, if Darcy’s first two games are anything to go by, I think he will be able to give Goldstein a run for his money.

The Kangaroos have also made some changes to their line-up this week, Jaimie Mcmillian has been ruled out with a finger injury, while Mason Wood and Jarrad Waite are both out with calf injuries. Ben Cunnington, Trent Dumont, Daniel Neilson, Cameron Zurhaar, Brayden Preuss and Jy Simpkin come into the 25-man squad.

Freo have been building their way up to a win so I think this is going to be a close game. I am going to tip the Fremantle Dockers to beat North Melbourne by 10 points!

Let us know your #AFLNorthFreo predictions at @TweetPerth @EmmaPaynes.