Coach: Mark Harvey
Captain: Matthew Pavlich
Finished 2009: 14th (six wins, 16 losses)
Best and fairest: Aaron Sandilands
Leading goalkicker: Matthew Pavlich (28 goals)
Leading possession winner: Paul Hasleby (533)
NEW PERSONNEL
On-field: Justin Bollenhagen, Jesse Crichton, Nathan Fyfe, Joel Houghton, Anthony Morabito, Dylan Roberton (NAB AFL Draft), Adam McPhee (NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft), Michael Barlow, Alex Silvagni (NAB AFL Rookie Draft)
Off-field: Simon Lloyd (player development coach), Justin Longmuir (ruck coach)
BEST 22
B: Greg Broughton, Chris Tarrant, Antoni Grover
HB: Paul Duffield, Luke McPharlin, Roger Hayden
C: David Mundy, Paul Hasleby, Garrick Ibbotson
HF: Stephen Hill, Matthew Pavlich, Adam McPhee
F: Chris Mayne, Michael Johnson, Hayden Ballantyne
Foll: Aaron Sandilands, Rhys Palmer, Ryan Crowley
I/C: Kepler Bradley, Nick Suban, Des Headland, Byron Schammer
MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER
Ruckman Aaron Sandilands lifted his hit-out, contested possession and clearance numbers in 2009, and capped a superb year with All-Australian selection and a club best and fairest. He is a dominant ruck force and has a presence around the ground, but Sandilands has set his sights on also having a scoreboard impact when resting forward. Ruck stocks are thin at Fremantle below the crucial big man.
UP AND COMER
Chris Mayne enjoyed an excellent debut season in 2008, but stress fractures restricted the youngster to five games in 2009. A well-built medium-sized forward, Mayne’s game is built around relentless pressure in the forward 50 and he looks like playing a key role in Fremantle’s attack both as a third marking option and at ground level.
NEEDS A BIG YEAR
Michael Johnson has been one of Fremantle’s most important and reliable players in defence, but the club needs a tall forward target to stand up alongside Pavlich. An ankle injury ended the highly rated 25-year-old’s 2009, but if he can return successfully in the forward line he will be as important to the side there as he was from centre half-back.
CHANGING TACK
Luke McPharlin will head back to defence where he has played his best football, while Johnson moves into attack - but it is Matthew Pavlich’s return to centre half-forward that will most shape Fremantle in 2010. The skipper averaged 67 goals a season from 2005-2008 and will look to recapture that output after being required in the midfield last year. Rhys Palmer will return to onball duties in a midfield that could include recruit Adam McPhee at times. ‘Combative’ was the key word this pre-season at Fremantle as Mark Harvey looks to instill a contested game style in his young group.
INJURY LIST
Des Headland (hamstring) - test
Brock O’Brien (quad) - test
Jay van Berlo (ankle) - test
Hayden Ballantyne (knee) - 1 week
Rhys Palmer (knee) - 4 weeks
Antoni Grover (knee) - 6-7 weeks
Tim Ruffles (knee) - 8-10 weeks
Scott Thornton (groin) - 8-10 weeks
WHAT THE CLUB SAYS
“We’ve got a lot of improvement left in us. Eighteen months ago our squad was completely rejuvenated and in a lot of respects we’ve had to go back to the fundamentals with our younger players. We’re improving, but there’s still a hell of a lot that we’ve got to get better at to be competitive with the top sides.” - assistant coach Chris Scott
CRYSTAL BALL
A tough early draw is news to nobody at Fremantle - nor is the club’s 0-4 start in 2009 - but a positive start to the season is crucial to Mark Harvey’s men if they are going to take big steps in 2010. The more likely outcome is a modest increase on last year’s six wins, with more games pumped into the club’s talented youngsters as the list matures for 2011.
SEASON OPENER
March 28 v Adelaide at Subiaco Oval
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
