Fremantle and Collingwood kick off Round 23 on Friday night at Patersons Stadium. Fremantle remain a mathematical chance to make the finals and a win will keep their slim hopes alive. Collingwood, on the other hand, will secure the minor premiership if it can beat the Dockers.
The Pies are in absolute cruise control at the moment. Last week’s win against Brisbane was less than convincing, but the Magpies barely moved out of second gear. In fact, it has been much that way for most of the last month. With the clash against Geelong next week, Collingwood will be very keen to ensure the game is a dead rubber.
Given the fact that West Coast has now pushed into the top four, the Magpies would most likely prefer to face the Eagles in the first week of finals at the MCG as opposed to having to play Carlton who always play well at this venue.
The Dockers on the other hand hit a major low last week with a 98 point thumping at the hands of fellow finals contenders North Melbourne. Fremantle was expected to push for the top four this year, however its season has been totally cruelled by injury. This week, the Fremantle injury list has seventeen names on it.
The season has totally unravelled for Mark Harvey and his team. Undoubtedly the Dockers will be more than happy to see the back of 2011 and turn the focus onto the pre-season. However, while the slim chance of September action remains, they have to continue to fight.
Unfortunately, with so many names on the injury list, and with a number of key Magpies returning, it is just about mission impossible for Fremantle this weekend. The Dockers looked devoid of all confidence last week and seemed to have given up hope.
At the Selection Table
Collingwood could bring back Leon Davis, Andrew Krakouer and Ben Johnson this round. Chris Dawes and Sharrod Wellingham both face fitness tests but are likely to be available. Mick Malthouse will be particularly keen to recall Dawes who probably requires a few games before finals to get his fitness base back up to scratch. He is a vital component to the Magpies team and adds so much structure to the side. Lachlan Keeffe has been admirable in his role, but Dawes will significantly bolster the forward line.
The problem for Malthouse is that the Collingwood VFL side has now played its last game for the year. That means a number of fringe players who are missing selection no longer have the opportunity to impress and the risk is that they will lose fitness. A number of players such as John McCarthy, Luke Rounds, Paul Seedsman and Cameron Wood are all pushing strongly for selection. In order to keep their fitness up, Collingwood is likely to hold a number of intra-club matches to ensure all players remain match-fit if required in the finals series.
With potentially five key players returning, finding the room is perhaps the hardest task Malthouse will face. Simon Buckley, Ben Sinclair, Lachlan Keeffe, Tom Young and John McCarthy are the ones fighting for their spots, and all have all being impressive when given opportunities. Ben Reid suffered a bad knock last week, but although he has declared himself fit to travel to Perth, he may be rested on the eve of finals.
The story is so different for Fremantle. With only 25 players to choose from this week, Harvey is in a situation where he doesn’t have the luxury of picking his strongest team. In fact, Fremantle may be forced to select players out of necessity. Kepler Bradley, Paul Duffield and Nick Lower may return to the side along with Jonathon Griffin and Peter Faulks.
However, the big names on the injury list are devastating. Matthew Pavlich and Hayden Ballantyne were added to the list last week, while David Mundy, Antoni Grover, Matthew De Boer, Anthony Morabito and Alex Silvagni are all suffering injuries as well. Aaron Sandilands is also far from 100% as well and is getting a game out of desperation.
Recent History
This is the first time these two sides have met in 2011. The last encounter was in Round 8 last year. It was a highly entertaining match with the Dockers putting up a real fight. However, Collingwood was far too strong and won by a comfortable six goals. Pendlebury polled the three Brownlow votes, Cloke two and Sandilands one.
A look at Fremantle
The Dockers will have to draw on the home crowd advantage and throw caution to the wind if they are to push Collingwood on Friday night. With so many major injuries in every position on the field, Fremantle has to take risks and treat the game as if it were a final. It is a last chance to take something from the season and regain some respect after a massive defeat last week.
Michael Barlow - One positive to come out of 2011 for Fremantle is the fact that Barlow has returned to the side after such a horrific injury last season. It hasn’t taken long for him to regain his touch either. He hasn’t had less than 25 disposals in the last five games. Although his leg hasn’t regained its full strength yet, and he is probably lacking a yard of pace, the good news is that it looks as if Barlow has made a full recovery. A strong pre-season will ensure he is in peak condition for 2012. He picked up 34 disposals when he faced Collingwood last, so expect a big game from him on the big Friday night stage.
Zachary Clarke - Another positive to come out of 2011 for the Dockers has been the emergence of Clarke as a quality backup to Sandilands. Clarke is only 21, but he has versatility and flair and is a very tough match-up for any opponent. He had a great game last week in a losing side, picking up 24 disposals, 12 marks, 13 hit outs and 5 tackles.
Tendai Mzungu - Mzungu had a terrific pre-season, and was seemingly set to break onto the AFL scene before he hurt his knee in a practice match, which resulted in him missing half the year. To his credit, he has fought back from injury and earned his spot in the side. In the last few weeks, he has played a tagging role on gun midfielders and still managed to win a lot of the ball himself. He needs to improve his foot skills and decision making at times, but he seems to be yet another quality mature aged recruit for Fremantle. I expect him to get the role on Pendlebury or Thomas this week.
A look at Collingwood
As I mentioned above, the Magpies have not moved out of second gear over the last month. They continue to do all that needs to be done to continue to win matches and have been playing with an undermanned squad. That said, it does seem the perfect time to send a message to the competition on the eve of finals. A convincing, no mercy victory against an undermanned Fremantle side will send this message.
Alan Didak - I wrote two weeks ago that Didak had returned just in time to regain match fitness and re-cement his spot in the side before finals. He showed some real promising signs last week, picking up 30 disposals (24 of which were kicks). It was his first full game since returning from injury and he looked to be back to full fitness. It was also his best game of the year on the stat sheet which will give him a lot of confidence. With two weeks to go before finals, Didak will be very keen to hit his best form. He could be a real x-factor for Collingwood.
Luke Ball - I think this has been one of Ball’s most consistent and best years in his career. His last month, in particular, has been terrific. Many players have been a bit flat, but Ball has been the real driving force at the bottom of every pack. He has also established himself as a leader in the team. At the end of the match against Brisbane last week, Ball called his teammates together after a lacklustre performance and no doubt provided a bit of motivation. He’ll be particularly important this round as he’ll have to rove off Aaron Sandilands a lot and mark Michael Barlow.
Alex Fasolo - Despite the fact that Fasolo has got a mention in a number of previews over the last month, I can’t help writing about Fasolo. He is this round’s NAB Rising Star, which is just reward for an amazing start to his career. Even with Didak back in the side, it is impossible to displace Fasolo from the side as he continues to have a big say on matches. Last week he kicked two goals from 19 disposals. However, it’s his work rate and intensity around the ball that makes him so valuable. He can’t afford a bad game with so many players trying to force their way into the side, so expect him to have a massive game on Friday night in front of a big audience.
The Wrap Up
I have no doubt that Fremantle will come out full of fire and endeavour after such a disappointing loss last week. Nevertheless, the Dockers simply do not have the personnel available to challenge Collingwood this week.
Collingwood also has a point to prove after a lacklustre effort last week. If it brings its A-game to Patersons Stadium on Friday night, the game could be over very quickly.
Collingwood by 50 points
By David Natoli
Aka DaVe86
