Former Fremantle Dockers teammate says young players will lean on experience of Nat Fyfe at end of season
Fyfe was not named in the Dockers' team to take on Carlton at Optus Stadium on Sunday and will instead return from his latest injury setback in Peel Thunder's clash with Claremont at Revo Fitness Stadium on Saturday.
The 33-year-old injured his calf during a half-time warm-up during his team's round 17 win over St Kilda.
Justin Longmuir could take an unchanged side into the match against the under-fire Blues, with no omissions named in the Dockers' preliminary squad on Thursday afternoon.
The Dockers continue to take a cautious approach with captain Alex Pearce, but say the full-back is on track to overcome his shin injury in time to play Port Adelaide next Saturday night.
Fyfe injured his hamstring early in his first WAFL appearance of the season, against South Fremantle in round two. Fremantle threw him in at the deep end the next time they needed to return him to the side, by bringing him straight back in as the substitute.
He will return on managed minutes against Claremont.
The cautious approach this time around comes with the club on track to play finals for just the second time since 2015.
Michael Walters' retirement leaves Fyfe as the last remaining player from the Dockers' only grand final appearance in 2013. Former Fremantle defender Ethan Hughes said the club's young players will lean on the veteran's finals experience late in the season.
'I feel like they would rather have him coming in for the last couple of weeks, just to try and get some match fitness into him first,' Hughes told The West Australian.
'That element of him having played a lot of football and some finals football in the past is really going to help that side grow.
'Even just his leadership and voice coming from the bench or just assisting guys getting set up in the high-pressure moments, I think that's really going to help the group.'
Defender Brandon Walker is one of three potential inclusions and could play just his third game of the season and first since he suffered a serious shoulder injury against Sydney in round two.
In-and-out backman Josh Draper has also been added to the extended bench, alongside midfielder Will Brodie, who has been in the football wilderness since early 2023.
Former Fremantle player Adam Cerra will not face his old club. He has knee soreness and will sit out, alongside key forward Charlie Curnow — who will have surgery for a knee injury — and retired club great Sam Docherty.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Fremantle Dockers made a decision to recruit more mature aged players and it totally changed their depth
Fremantle believe they're now reaping the rewards of their decision to bolster the list with more mature-aged players, with footy boss Joe Brierty saying they have made a huge difference to both the depth and strength of the team. The Dockers will enter Sunday's game against Carlton with an unchanged line up and having won nine of their last 10 matches despite Alex Pearce, Nat Fyfe, Corey Wagner and Matt Johnson being unavailable. Fremantle struggled to cover for injured players in the last month of 2024 and lost four matches in a row. Brierty said it had been important for the club to constantly recruit elite young talent through the draft, but also understand they would need mature bodies around them. Pat Voss, Isaiah Dudley, Oscar McDonald and Wagner have all played key roles since joining Fremantle as mature-aged additions, on top of their group of high profile recruits. 'In the last three or so years, the fact our list has been fairly young has meant we've wanted to look to do those things and top up with mature-aged players,' Brierty explained. 'We've got Wagner and McDonald and O'Meara that sit in that bucket and the SSP has been a really good process for us to bring players in and assess them under our eyes. Voss and Dudley are only 21 as well so they are definitely at the infancy of their playing career, but it's a horses for courses in understanding your list needs. 'Going into the draft you're wanting to use your early picks as much as you can but also be taking your opportunities at the back end of the draft or SSP. 'Depth is an aspect of the modelling of our list and what we look like from an age demographic and having a real strong cohort from that 21-28 year old demographic. 'The majority of the group are sitting in that bracket of their footy careers where they can show their wares at AFL level. When they're needed to come in and play a role, their ability to execute that is quite strong.' The Dockers are among a logjam of teams fighting for positions in the eight and must continue to win to keep their September dreams alive. Carlton can't play finals and have lost five of their last six games. They will enter Sunday's game having lost Coleman medallist Charlie Curnow for the rest of the season with a knee injury, midfielder Adam Cerra due to knee soreness and retired former captain Sam Docherty. Flynn Young, Lewis Young and Francis Evans have come into the team as their replacements But the Blues still have a potent midfield led by dual Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps and have been a strong clearance team despite their ladder position. The wet weather which has hit Perth all week is expected to continue on Sunday which will make the game even more contested. Brierty said the Dockers won't fall into the trap of underestimating Carlton, saying the squad is acutely aware of how much talent is still on the Blues' list. 'We've got to acknowledge they've got some match winners across the ground and obviously their ability to transition the ball is a real strength,' he said. 'We're still chasing four quarters of really consistent footy. The ability to win stoppage and lock the ball away in our forward half when you're coming up against the likes of De Koning and Cripps and Hewett (is important). 'There's definitely some ball winners in there that can take control of a game. I'm sure it's going to be a fierce contest and we are ready for what's to come.'
West Australian
a day ago
- West Australian
Where Fremantle Dockers' finals hopes sit ahead of clash with Carlton Blues
Fremantle have officially hit the business end. And the task is now simple — just keep winning. The high-flying Dockers — who have won nine of their past 10 games — jumped above Greater Western Sydney into sixth on the ladder on Thursday after the Giants were belted by the Western Bulldogs. But the Dogs' victory means Justin Longmuir's side is likely now needs to win three of their remaining four games to play finals. That run starts with a clash with Carlton at Optus Stadium on Sunday, which they will enter as heavy favourites. Fremantle then take on Port Adelaide, reigning premiers Brisbane and the Bulldogs in the final month of the season. According to Champion Data, that is the eighth hardest run home of any side. The Bulldogs' stunning 88-point win over the Giants means their blockbuster round 24 match against the Dockers is already looming large as the one set to decide both teams' finals hopes. If Luke Beveridge's side had lost, the Dockers would have almost certainly made finals by winning just two of their four remaining matches, taking the heat off their end to the season. It means Fremantle fans should be right behind the Bulldogs' opponents across the next two weeks — and that includes West Coast. The eighth-placed Bulldogs play battlers Melbourne off a 10-day break next Sunday, before they take on the last-placed Eagles at Marvel Stadium. Beveridge said they are not looking any further than that clash with the Demons. 'It is that cliché about just the next opponent. We have got Melbourne at the 'G on a Sunday, which is a fair way away now, so we have a bit of time to think about it, which is not always a good thing,' Beveridge said. 'We really don't look much further.' GWS are the only top-nine team the Bulldogs have beaten this season. It's the stat most likely to haunt them as they try to pip the Dockers in the race to the finals. 'We understand the criticism around not necessarily being able to eek our way further up the later and beating some teams above us,' Beveridge said. 'We understand that, we have got to own up to all of that.' The Giants' defeat brings them back down into the pack. They could have cemented their place in the Thursday night blockbuster. 'The Bulldogs felt like they were playing for their season and clearly we weren't,' coach Adam Kingsley said. 'We'd prefer it didn't happen, but we have got an opportunity to respond. I don't think that (the performance) is us, and it hasn't been us for a long time, but it was tonight.' Fremantle star Hayden Young's return has helped turbocharge their run to the finals. He told The West Australian earlier this week the team's best football was good enough to beat any of their rivals at the top end of the ladder. 'We beat top of the ladder (Collingwood) last week, so it just proves to us that, you know, when we can play our brand for longer, we can beat anyone. And we keep believing in that and keep working on those few areas about not falling away,' Young said.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Dog and Dogga all smiles as Sean Darcy hits his straps
Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy is finally pain free and ready to hit the tail end of the season with a bang - and his dog couldn't be happier. The Dockers (13-6) have won nine of their past 10 matches to put themselves in the mix to nab a top-four berth with just four games will start as hot favourites in Sunday's clash with Carlton at Optus Stadium, and follow-up wins against Port Adelaide (away), Brisbane (home) and the Bulldogs (away) would almost certainly net them a prized double chance come finals endured soft tissue injuries to go with knee and ankle complaints across 2023 and 2024, and there were more questions about his durability following a slow start this year. But the 27-year-old has built nicely over recent weeks, and importantly is now pulling up well from games."It wasn't great before," Darcy said of his next-day soreness following matches. "My dog didn't like me too much the next day after games. I wasn't taking him for walks too much. "I'm pulling up a lot better now, and that's a credit to our rehab staff and our strength and conditioning staff." The ruck combination of Darcy and Luke "Dogga" Jackson, which has come under heavy scrutiny in the past, is starting to pay big dividends. The evolving nature of the relationship means that when Darcy is in the ruck, Jackson often spends time as a big-bodied midfielder, giving Fremantle an X-factor. "I love the big fella. We're quite close off field as well, which makes it a bit easier," Darcy said. "We're pretty selfless, both of us." One quandary Darcy has encountered this year is the big question of who he should hit it to when he's competing for a ruck tap. Hayden Young, Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong and Shai Bolton are all A-grade midfielders, and Jackson is just as hungry to receive the ball when he's part of the engine room. "I've got to keep them all happy - that's half the battle," Darcy said with a laugh. "But no, we're a pretty selfless group. If we're winning, that's the main thing." Young, playing just his second match back from hamstring surgery, won the Glendinning-Allan medal as best afield for his 23-disposal, three-goal display against West Coast last week. "I had some chats with him in rehab, and that's a pretty dark place when you have multiple surgeries or multiple repeat injuries," Darcy said. "He put his head down, and he worked, and you saw what kind of player he is." Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy is finally pain free and ready to hit the tail end of the season with a bang - and his dog couldn't be happier. The Dockers (13-6) have won nine of their past 10 matches to put themselves in the mix to nab a top-four berth with just four games will start as hot favourites in Sunday's clash with Carlton at Optus Stadium, and follow-up wins against Port Adelaide (away), Brisbane (home) and the Bulldogs (away) would almost certainly net them a prized double chance come finals endured soft tissue injuries to go with knee and ankle complaints across 2023 and 2024, and there were more questions about his durability following a slow start this year. But the 27-year-old has built nicely over recent weeks, and importantly is now pulling up well from games."It wasn't great before," Darcy said of his next-day soreness following matches. "My dog didn't like me too much the next day after games. I wasn't taking him for walks too much. "I'm pulling up a lot better now, and that's a credit to our rehab staff and our strength and conditioning staff." The ruck combination of Darcy and Luke "Dogga" Jackson, which has come under heavy scrutiny in the past, is starting to pay big dividends. The evolving nature of the relationship means that when Darcy is in the ruck, Jackson often spends time as a big-bodied midfielder, giving Fremantle an X-factor. "I love the big fella. We're quite close off field as well, which makes it a bit easier," Darcy said. "We're pretty selfless, both of us." One quandary Darcy has encountered this year is the big question of who he should hit it to when he's competing for a ruck tap. Hayden Young, Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong and Shai Bolton are all A-grade midfielders, and Jackson is just as hungry to receive the ball when he's part of the engine room. "I've got to keep them all happy - that's half the battle," Darcy said with a laugh. "But no, we're a pretty selfless group. If we're winning, that's the main thing." Young, playing just his second match back from hamstring surgery, won the Glendinning-Allan medal as best afield for his 23-disposal, three-goal display against West Coast last week. "I had some chats with him in rehab, and that's a pretty dark place when you have multiple surgeries or multiple repeat injuries," Darcy said. "He put his head down, and he worked, and you saw what kind of player he is." Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy is finally pain free and ready to hit the tail end of the season with a bang - and his dog couldn't be happier. The Dockers (13-6) have won nine of their past 10 matches to put themselves in the mix to nab a top-four berth with just four games will start as hot favourites in Sunday's clash with Carlton at Optus Stadium, and follow-up wins against Port Adelaide (away), Brisbane (home) and the Bulldogs (away) would almost certainly net them a prized double chance come finals endured soft tissue injuries to go with knee and ankle complaints across 2023 and 2024, and there were more questions about his durability following a slow start this year. But the 27-year-old has built nicely over recent weeks, and importantly is now pulling up well from games."It wasn't great before," Darcy said of his next-day soreness following matches. "My dog didn't like me too much the next day after games. I wasn't taking him for walks too much. "I'm pulling up a lot better now, and that's a credit to our rehab staff and our strength and conditioning staff." The ruck combination of Darcy and Luke "Dogga" Jackson, which has come under heavy scrutiny in the past, is starting to pay big dividends. The evolving nature of the relationship means that when Darcy is in the ruck, Jackson often spends time as a big-bodied midfielder, giving Fremantle an X-factor. "I love the big fella. We're quite close off field as well, which makes it a bit easier," Darcy said. "We're pretty selfless, both of us." One quandary Darcy has encountered this year is the big question of who he should hit it to when he's competing for a ruck tap. Hayden Young, Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong and Shai Bolton are all A-grade midfielders, and Jackson is just as hungry to receive the ball when he's part of the engine room. "I've got to keep them all happy - that's half the battle," Darcy said with a laugh. "But no, we're a pretty selfless group. If we're winning, that's the main thing." Young, playing just his second match back from hamstring surgery, won the Glendinning-Allan medal as best afield for his 23-disposal, three-goal display against West Coast last week. "I had some chats with him in rehab, and that's a pretty dark place when you have multiple surgeries or multiple repeat injuries," Darcy said. "He put his head down, and he worked, and you saw what kind of player he is."
