Who’s pumped for the 2018 AFL season?? I AM! I AM!

Round 1 of the 2018 AFL season is finally here, and holy moly, I’m excited! A fair bit has changed in the Fremantle Dockers camp since last season, we lost some guys (Crozier, Weller etc) and we gained some guys (Matera, Wilson, Brayshaw, Banfield etc) and I can’t wait to see how everything pans out this year. After watching them perform in the JLT series, my hopes are up!

The Dockers take on Port Adelaide on Saturday at Adelaide Oval, and with Robbie Gray out of Port’s line-up, this would be a great chance for Freo to start their season on a high, and try to pinch a win away from home. Gray will miss round 1 due to a suspension that he copped for a bump on West Coast’s Jeremy McGovern in the JLT series. Gray’s suspension is a blessing for Freo, whose defensive line has taken a whack with the news that Lee Spurr will miss 4-6 weeks with a knee injury. Docker Stephen Hill will also miss the Port clash as he is still about a week away from returning from a calf complaint.

A name who has finally been taken OFF Freo’s injury list is Alex Pearce! After suffering two broken legs, and spending a very long time on the sidelines (672 days since his last game for Freo!), Alex is finally ready to get back out there. He has obviously spent a few hours in the gym during his recovery and looks to have packed on a bit of muscle, which is always handy. He showed promising signs during the JLT series and I think he is going to be a bright spark for the Fremantle Dockers this season, and beyond.

Andrew Brayshaw and Bailey Banfield are both set to make their debut’s for the Fremantle Dockers this weekend. They were both very impressive during JLT and showed great skills and energy on the field, and they really felt like a breath of fresh air for Freo. Nat Fyfe appears to be back at his brilliant best and was a stand out in the pre-season games. His name and ‘Brownlow’ are being mentioned in the same sentence around the footy world again which is a good sign!

Now in case it wasn’t already obvious, I’m a pretty hectic Dockers supporter, and I’m not just saying this as a fan, but I think the Dockers are in with a chance this weekend. I’ve seen a light in them that I haven’t seen for a while now, and I think they could definitely cause an upset at Adelaide Oval.

I’m tipping the Fremantle Dockers to beat Port by 5 points! 

Let us know your #AFLPortFreo predictions at @TweetPerth and @EmmaPaynes