The prospect of a midfield clash between the Fremantle Dockers and Gold Coast superstar Gary Ablett is mouth-watering but senior coach Ross Lyon said the Suns outfit consists of more than just the dual Brownlow Medallist.
Ablett gathered 34 disposals and a goal in the Suns 61-point win over Essendon last week, but despite a dominant performance Lyon said Freo would take a team approach as opposed to “tagging” the champion midfielder.
“We haven’t tagged for a while, but we’ve had people be accountable,” Lyon said.
“It’s been proven in numerous teams and in numerous games that it’s not all about one player.
“I’m sure Gary will play well but we hope as a collective that we play well enough to beat him and the Gold Coast Suns.”
Meet Lucas, Freo's Purple Haze Star
Gold Coast dismantled Essendon with their run and carry in round one, beating the Bombers in running bounces by a total of 17 to 5, led by Adam Saad (6) and Jarrod Harbrow (5).
Stifling the running game will be a priority for Freo on Saturday, but Lyon said the Suns possess more challenges than merely their pace and running ability.
“Clearly they’ve got real speed,” he said.
“They’re putting on really good forward pressure.
“They’ve a strong midfield, a mobile ruck and are coached by a very astute coach.
“We’ve got some challenges on that front.”
While the myriad of challenges presented by the Gold Coast are well known to Lyon, he remained adamant that the game would be won based on Freo’s own performance, not just the negation of the Suns.
“We’re focused on improving our footy,” he said.
“You can know the opposition inside and out, but if you don’t deliver what you need to deliver.
“It doesn’t matter what you know about the opposition, you need to be able to play.”
Tickets are still available for Saturday's game via ticketmaster.com.au or 1300 135 915.
