It’s part and parcel of life in the AFL, especially when coming up against an old team.
A former Bulldog, Joel Hamling admitted to getting a bit of attention from his old teammates in Saturday’s night’s win at Domain Stadium.
But the 24-year-old defender was instrumental in the backline, keeping Travis Cloke goalless with five intercept marks and seven spoils.
“There were a few cheeky sledges throughout the game,” Hamling said.
“They’re all good mates of mine.
“On the field we go hard and we go to war, but off the field we’re all good mates as well.”
Hamling credited the younger players and small forwards as Fremantle broke through for their first win of the season.
“We had really good youth and excitement come through, it would have been a good spectacle for the fans,” Hamling said.
“I think we used the ball really well, and the mosquito fleet up forward really got out the back on the Bulldogs and we took it from there.”
Fremantle will look to take their momentum into this Saturday against Melbourne and the MCG.
“Melbourne are a really good side as well," Hamling said.
“We need to be at our best, we’ll review the game throughout the week.
“There are a few things we’ll train on that we need to get better at, but it’s a really exciting time.”
