Fremantle will look for continued improvement as they aim to build momentum against a resurgent Port Adelaide side on Saturday, according to senior coach Ross Lyon.
After an early season slump and injuries to key players, Port Adelaide have steadied in the past three weeks with impressive wins against Melbourne and Collingwood before just falling short against the Western Bulldogs last week.
Port sit one game outside the top eight and Lyon said Freo know what to expect from their opponents on Saturday.
“Port Adelaide are vying for finals and turning up,” Lyon said.
“We know their midfield is really strong and it’s going to be a tough challenge.
“They’re a hungry team and we look forward to accepting the challenge.”
Talking points: Rd 13 v Port Adelaide
It’s not just Port’s potent midfield that present a challenge on Saturday but also that of their play across halfback.
Port currently rank fourth in the AFL for defensive rebounds, averaging 41.2 per game, and this comes as no surprise to Lyon, who said the Power possess a talented defensive group.
“The best teams have really great bounce out of halfback,” he said.
“They have (Hamish) Hartlett down there, Jasper Pittard and (Jared) Polec is back up and running.”
Lyon keen to "continue experiment"
Despite Freo looking forward to testing their recent form against a quality opponent like Port Adelaide, Lyon said Freo wouldn’t let results dictate the improvement within the team.
“We’re building and we’d like to continue that momentum,” he said.
“(But) you can’t let results define your improvement.
“You can win and go backwards, and you can lose and go forward.
“If you’re giving everything you’ve got and you fall short, it’s a really good position to be in because it’s easy to identify the areas you need to improve.”