Connor Blakely expects the Fremantle playing group to be up and about for this Saturday night’s RAC Derby 50 at Optus Stadium.
The midfielder said that, regardless of their opponent this week, the playing group was hungry to bounce back from the disappointment of consecutive losses.
“I think after the couple losses that we’ve had over the past few weeks, if it was against the Eagles or anyone else, we’ll be looking to come out this week and play our best football,” Blakely said.
“They’re a pretty successful team and we want to get up and play finals…we haven’t won a derby since 2015, so there is a little bit more feeling behind it but at the same time, it’s still just another game of football.”
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Fremantle could receive a boost in the ruck department with Aaron Sandilands and ruck/forward Rory Lobb both in a race against time to be fit for the clash.
Blakely said he’s seen positive signs from the pair on the training track.
“I’d love to see (Sandilands) back, I was told he trained really strongly on Saturday, he had a big session and he did really well there,” Blakely said.
“He’s been building really nicely over the past couple of months. It’s been a real slow and cautious process with him, but it seems like he’s back to nearly full fitness and, hopefully, he’s available for selection.
“(Rory is) similar to Aaron as well, we’re not too sure if he will come back this week or the next week. Similar to Aaron, he’s been training nicely so he could be in the mix as well.”
Blakely believes Sandilands is capable of making his return straight back into the AFL without needing to build his match-fitness in the WAFL.
“It’s always quite tough, the strength and conditioning staff give us our best chance to come back and play senior football straight away. In saying that, there will be nothing wrong with him coming back through the WAFL,” Blakely said.
“We do train really hard in the rehab program they set out for us and Aaron is a really hard trainer, so he would be ready to go.
“From what I’ve seen, he’s had a couple of solid weeks of training. If he came straight back in, I’m sure he’ll be able to run out the game.”
Blakely denied Freo's confidence had taken a hit after consecutive losses to Melbourne and Carlton.
“We just went away from the things that set us up really nicely at the start of the year,” Blakely said.
“We had a review a couple of weeks ago and we we’re going to the very end (in games) but on the weekend, obviously for the last five minutes or so, we let ourselves down.
“There are a few processes that we’re going to go thorough and the things that we need to work on.
“It doesn’t affect the confidence, we go into every game feeling confident. We just have to get back out on the training track, review the game well and go from there.”
