Latest news with #NatFyfe
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Fyfe suffers calf scare as Dockers beat Saints
Nat Fyfe's unlucky run has continued, with the dual Brownlow medallist suffering an injury scare while warming up as the sub during Fremantle's thrilling 12-point win over St Kilda in Perth. Saints coach Ross Lyon masterminded a 61-point win over Fremantle eight weeks ago in Melbourne, and another upset was brewing at Optus Stadium on Sunday as the Saints surged to a 14-point lead early in the final quarter. St Kilda dominated the clearances 39-16 across the opening three terms, but Fremantle won the key stat 15-7 in the final quarter to make their move. Ruckman Sean Darcy marked a low ball and kicked truly to start the onslaught. Luke Jackson, Josh Treacy and Isaiah Dudley followed it up with their own set shots as Fremantle shot out to a 10-point lead. The margin was pegged back to just six points with 49 seconds remaining when Mitch Owens snapped truly, but Fremantle won the next centre clearance and Jackson pulled off a stunning mark in attack to ice the 11.15 (81) to 9.15 (69) win in front of 41,600 fans. Fyfe, who only recently returned from a hamstring injury, would have been the perfect option to bring on in the final quarter, but the veteran felt discomfort in his calf while warming up at half-time. "He tried to warm up at half time and he did some run-throughs and then he felt some awareness in his calf," Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir said. "So, not sure whether we could have put him on if we had an injury, but since we didn't have an injury and didn't have any players really flagging, the safe option was to just leave him out of the game. "It's a bit of a concern, of course. But we'll see how he pulls up tomorrow, get it scanned if we need to, and see where it takes us. "But from what I understand, it's pretty minor and we didn't have to bring him on." Fremantle's sixth straight victory improved their record to 10-5 ahead of a challenging away clash with Sydney. St Kilda (5-10) fell further adrift of the top eight, in 15th spot. Saints ruckman Rowan Marshall was superb, winning 10 clearances to go with 21 disposals and a goal. But Dockers ruckman Darcy lifted massively in the final quarter to finish with 41 hitouts, 17 possessions, seven clearances and a goal. Treacy kicked three goals for Fremantle, and Jackson chipped in with two in the last quarter. Longmuir said defender Jordan Clark, who had 31 possessions and kicked a goal, was his team's best. Much pre-match talk centred on whether Lyon would send tagger Marcus Windhager to Caleb Serong or Andrew Brayshaw. The answer was neither, with Windhager released from his tagging duties, and teammates including Jack Macrae, Jack Steele and Hugo Garcia instead left to mind their more highly-rated opponents. Brayshaw tallied 25 possessions and just two clearances, while Serong was restricted to 18 disposals but lifted in the final quarter to finish with nine clearances. Former Docker Liam Henry was loudly booed each time he touched the ball. He answered back with a 'shoosh' motion to the crowd after thrusting St Kilda into the lead with a second-quarter goal. Lyon, the most successful coach in Fremantle's history, was booed by home supporters when shown on the stadium's big screen in the final quarter, in his first match against the Dockers in Perth since being sacked by the club in 2019. Dockers fans were left cheering at the final siren after watching their team escape with another close win. Lyon chatted to former Dockers skipper Matthew Pavlich on the field before the match, and shared a special moment with Fyfe. "I see Pav and there's special feelings. I see Fyfe, we have a hug," Lyon said of his return to Perth. "As I used to say, whether it was Mark Harvey or me, or (Chris) Connolly, or Longmuir when he goes - because we all go, right? - you do your best, and then hopefully you're part of that club's history and it's respected, and you move on." Nat Fyfe's unlucky run has continued, with the dual Brownlow medallist suffering an injury scare while warming up as the sub during Fremantle's thrilling 12-point win over St Kilda in Perth. Saints coach Ross Lyon masterminded a 61-point win over Fremantle eight weeks ago in Melbourne, and another upset was brewing at Optus Stadium on Sunday as the Saints surged to a 14-point lead early in the final quarter. St Kilda dominated the clearances 39-16 across the opening three terms, but Fremantle won the key stat 15-7 in the final quarter to make their move. Ruckman Sean Darcy marked a low ball and kicked truly to start the onslaught. Luke Jackson, Josh Treacy and Isaiah Dudley followed it up with their own set shots as Fremantle shot out to a 10-point lead. The margin was pegged back to just six points with 49 seconds remaining when Mitch Owens snapped truly, but Fremantle won the next centre clearance and Jackson pulled off a stunning mark in attack to ice the 11.15 (81) to 9.15 (69) win in front of 41,600 fans. Fyfe, who only recently returned from a hamstring injury, would have been the perfect option to bring on in the final quarter, but the veteran felt discomfort in his calf while warming up at half-time. "He tried to warm up at half time and he did some run-throughs and then he felt some awareness in his calf," Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir said. "So, not sure whether we could have put him on if we had an injury, but since we didn't have an injury and didn't have any players really flagging, the safe option was to just leave him out of the game. "It's a bit of a concern, of course. But we'll see how he pulls up tomorrow, get it scanned if we need to, and see where it takes us. "But from what I understand, it's pretty minor and we didn't have to bring him on." Fremantle's sixth straight victory improved their record to 10-5 ahead of a challenging away clash with Sydney. St Kilda (5-10) fell further adrift of the top eight, in 15th spot. Saints ruckman Rowan Marshall was superb, winning 10 clearances to go with 21 disposals and a goal. But Dockers ruckman Darcy lifted massively in the final quarter to finish with 41 hitouts, 17 possessions, seven clearances and a goal. Treacy kicked three goals for Fremantle, and Jackson chipped in with two in the last quarter. Longmuir said defender Jordan Clark, who had 31 possessions and kicked a goal, was his team's best. Much pre-match talk centred on whether Lyon would send tagger Marcus Windhager to Caleb Serong or Andrew Brayshaw. The answer was neither, with Windhager released from his tagging duties, and teammates including Jack Macrae, Jack Steele and Hugo Garcia instead left to mind their more highly-rated opponents. Brayshaw tallied 25 possessions and just two clearances, while Serong was restricted to 18 disposals but lifted in the final quarter to finish with nine clearances. Former Docker Liam Henry was loudly booed each time he touched the ball. He answered back with a 'shoosh' motion to the crowd after thrusting St Kilda into the lead with a second-quarter goal. Lyon, the most successful coach in Fremantle's history, was booed by home supporters when shown on the stadium's big screen in the final quarter, in his first match against the Dockers in Perth since being sacked by the club in 2019. Dockers fans were left cheering at the final siren after watching their team escape with another close win. Lyon chatted to former Dockers skipper Matthew Pavlich on the field before the match, and shared a special moment with Fyfe. "I see Pav and there's special feelings. I see Fyfe, we have a hug," Lyon said of his return to Perth. "As I used to say, whether it was Mark Harvey or me, or (Chris) Connolly, or Longmuir when he goes - because we all go, right? - you do your best, and then hopefully you're part of that club's history and it's respected, and you move on." Nat Fyfe's unlucky run has continued, with the dual Brownlow medallist suffering an injury scare while warming up as the sub during Fremantle's thrilling 12-point win over St Kilda in Perth. Saints coach Ross Lyon masterminded a 61-point win over Fremantle eight weeks ago in Melbourne, and another upset was brewing at Optus Stadium on Sunday as the Saints surged to a 14-point lead early in the final quarter. St Kilda dominated the clearances 39-16 across the opening three terms, but Fremantle won the key stat 15-7 in the final quarter to make their move. Ruckman Sean Darcy marked a low ball and kicked truly to start the onslaught. Luke Jackson, Josh Treacy and Isaiah Dudley followed it up with their own set shots as Fremantle shot out to a 10-point lead. The margin was pegged back to just six points with 49 seconds remaining when Mitch Owens snapped truly, but Fremantle won the next centre clearance and Jackson pulled off a stunning mark in attack to ice the 11.15 (81) to 9.15 (69) win in front of 41,600 fans. Fyfe, who only recently returned from a hamstring injury, would have been the perfect option to bring on in the final quarter, but the veteran felt discomfort in his calf while warming up at half-time. "He tried to warm up at half time and he did some run-throughs and then he felt some awareness in his calf," Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir said. "So, not sure whether we could have put him on if we had an injury, but since we didn't have an injury and didn't have any players really flagging, the safe option was to just leave him out of the game. "It's a bit of a concern, of course. But we'll see how he pulls up tomorrow, get it scanned if we need to, and see where it takes us. "But from what I understand, it's pretty minor and we didn't have to bring him on." Fremantle's sixth straight victory improved their record to 10-5 ahead of a challenging away clash with Sydney. St Kilda (5-10) fell further adrift of the top eight, in 15th spot. Saints ruckman Rowan Marshall was superb, winning 10 clearances to go with 21 disposals and a goal. But Dockers ruckman Darcy lifted massively in the final quarter to finish with 41 hitouts, 17 possessions, seven clearances and a goal. Treacy kicked three goals for Fremantle, and Jackson chipped in with two in the last quarter. Longmuir said defender Jordan Clark, who had 31 possessions and kicked a goal, was his team's best. Much pre-match talk centred on whether Lyon would send tagger Marcus Windhager to Caleb Serong or Andrew Brayshaw. The answer was neither, with Windhager released from his tagging duties, and teammates including Jack Macrae, Jack Steele and Hugo Garcia instead left to mind their more highly-rated opponents. Brayshaw tallied 25 possessions and just two clearances, while Serong was restricted to 18 disposals but lifted in the final quarter to finish with nine clearances. Former Docker Liam Henry was loudly booed each time he touched the ball. He answered back with a 'shoosh' motion to the crowd after thrusting St Kilda into the lead with a second-quarter goal. Lyon, the most successful coach in Fremantle's history, was booed by home supporters when shown on the stadium's big screen in the final quarter, in his first match against the Dockers in Perth since being sacked by the club in 2019. Dockers fans were left cheering at the final siren after watching their team escape with another close win. Lyon chatted to former Dockers skipper Matthew Pavlich on the field before the match, and shared a special moment with Fyfe. "I see Pav and there's special feelings. I see Fyfe, we have a hug," Lyon said of his return to Perth. "As I used to say, whether it was Mark Harvey or me, or (Chris) Connolly, or Longmuir when he goes - because we all go, right? - you do your best, and then hopefully you're part of that club's history and it's respected, and you move on."
7NEWS
4 days ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe benched for Fremantle's entire come-from-behind win over St Kilda
Dual Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe has been benched for Fremantle's entire come-from-behind win over St Kilda on Sunday night, clocking up a rare appearance as an unused substitute. The Dockers lost the lead in the third quarter before kicking four unanswered goals in the final term and then holding on for a 11.15 (81) to 9.15 (69) win at Optus Stadium. And they did it all without Fyfe after the veteran, who is facing serious questions about his future beyond this year, sat for the full game. Fremantle were two goals up with just under eight minutes remaining when it became clear the 33-year-old would not be called upon. 'He hasn't moved all day. I wouldn't be surprised if he's not coming on unless required (by injury),' Will Schofield said on Fox Sports. Dockers great Matthew Pavlich described it as 'strange' before Fremantle star Jordan Clark, who had 31 disposals and a goal in the win over the Saints, defended the situation in a post-match interview. 'It's a luxury. I think that's the best place — if we don't need him, we don't need him,' he told Fox Sports. 'Fyfey's role's changed at the club now and he still adds such a great level head, experience, and when he comes on for little bursts he's still got it. 'He would've loved to get out there tonight but selfishly I don't want to put him out there and risk (injury) — I want to keep him for the back end of the year.' The game will go down in the record books as Fyfe's fourth appearance of the season, all of which have involved the substitute role in some capacity. He was subbed on in his first two games of the year then played three-quarters of the Dockers' win over Essendon before being pulled. Fyfe managed just 11 disposals and one clearance, also spending periods stationed in attack to help fill the void left by Sam Switkowski (hamstring), but looked a shadow of the contested beast he once was. Channel 7 commentator Kane Cornes cast doubt about the future of the modern-day great, who comes out of contract at the end of the season. 'There's a big decision for Fremantle. In fact, I don't think it is that big a decision,' Cornes said on The Agenda Setters last week. 'It was sad watching Nat Fyfe on Thursday night. He started as a forward, his first full game in a while. His kick-to-handball ratio is high because he doesn't trust his kicking and his kicking has absolutely deserted him. 'So champion of the game ... shouldn't have been given the two-year contract extension some time ago. We said that at the time and now I think they sit him down. 'If not today, it's got to be this week and just say, 'look, Nat, this group is young, it's dynamic, and unfortunately the role that you play, others have gone past you'. '(Corey) Wagner's gone past you inside. Serong and Brayshaw, we know about. Hayden Young's going to come back. 'And performances like this don't do, I guess, his finish to an outstanding Hall of Fame-worthy career any justice.'
7NEWS
24-06-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Fremantle urged to act on ‘sad' Nat Fyfe situation
Fremantle are being urged to make a decision around champion midfielder Nat Fyfe. Fyfe, who had spent the previous two games as the sub, earned a rare start against Essendon but managed just 11 disposals and one clearance before being subbed out in the final quarter. The 33-year-old spent periods stationed in attack to help fill the void left by Sam Switkowski (hamstring), but looked a shadow of the contested beast that won two Brownlow Medals across a glittering career. The young Dockers are surging up the ladder on the back of a five-game winning streak, but questions are being asked whether Fyfe is in their best team. Led brilliantly by Andrew Brayshaw and Caleb Serong in the midfield, plus support from a host of other players, there doesn't appear any room for Fyfe. Channel 7 commentator Kane Cornes cast doubt about the future of the modern-day great, who comes out of contract at the end of the season. In his limited game time this year, Fyfe has had just eight kicks and 19 handballs, which is the lowest kick-to-handball ratio of his career. 'There's a big decision for Fremantle. In fact, I don't think it is that big a decision,' Cornes said on The Agenda Setters. 'It was sad watching Nat Fyfe on Thursday night. He started as a forward, his first full game in a while. His kick-to-handball ratio is high because he doesn't trust his kicking and his kicking has absolutely deserted him. 'So champion of the game ... shouldn't have been given the two-year contract extension some time ago. We said that at the time and now I think they sit him down. If not today, it's got to be this week and just say, 'look, Nat, this group is young, it's dynamic, and unfortunately the role that you play, others have gone past you'. '(Corey) Wagner's gone past you inside. Serong and Brayshaw, we know about. Hayden Young's going to come back. 'And performances like this don't do, I guess, his finish to an outstanding Hall of Fame-worthy career any justice.' Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir was happy with Fyfe's performance against Essendon when asked about it post-match. 'I thought he ran some really good patterns,' Longmuir said. 'I was really happy with the way he approached the role. I thought some of his physicality through the middle of the ground was great.' Fyfe has played 243 games across his 16 years in the AFL and will go down as one of the greatest players in the modern era. The Dockers host St Kilda at Optus Stadium on Sunday and a win will see them draw level on points with third-placed Geelong.
West Australian
21-06-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Paul Hasleby: Fremantle must follow Aussie cricket team's lead and make tough calls on Nat Fyfe and Sean Darcy
opinion Paul Hasleby: Fremantle must follow Aussie cricket team's lead and make tough calls on Nat Fyfe and Sean Darcy
The Age
17-06-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Fyfe fights on: Why Dockers veteran still has a role to play
There's life yet in the former Fremantle captain's old legs. Nat Fyfe's return to the Dockers line-up as substitute has not only enabled the dual-Brownlow Medallist a pathway back into the side, but also a new and different way to impact. On Saturday night against North Melbourne, the 33-year-old was injected into the contest late in the third term. Fyfe quickly got down to work, setting up a foray forward with a beautifully weighted handpass to Josh Treacy on the wing. As others tired in the wet and heavy conditions, Fyfe's impact on the game grew, collecting eight final quarter touches, his work in traffic and use of hands a feature ending with 100 per cent disposal efficiency from nine disposals. It was a similar story a fortnight earlier when Fyfe was pivotal in the dying stages of the crucial road victory against the Suns, again in the wet, again influencing when the sting had gone out of the contest and the game had opened up. In 2025, Fyfe's 16th and most likely last year, the former captain had the potential to peter out. Knee and hamstring injuries wiped out his first half of the season. His absence allowed increased opportunity and responsibility for youngsters Matthew Johnson, and more recently, Neil Erasmus. His inclusion adds valuable experience in the run to finals to a side which was 18th for average age and experience in the open 12 rounds.
