Every story is made up of the basic elements, the Who, What, When, Where and Why.
The outcome of a football game is no different, and here are some of the key factors that could dictate how the story unfolds in Fremantle’s clash with Collingwood on Friday night.
Who – Travis Cloke
Collingwood’s imposing key forward has had a difficult 2016, struggling to find form and having been omitted on two occasions, a notion that would have seemed implausible in recent years. Cloke was named to face Fremantle on Friday night and will need to overcome a Freo side who he’s struggled with during his career. Cloke averages only 12.5 disposals against Freo, his second lowest against any team in the AFL, and hasn’t managed to find the goals consistently either, having kicked only 18 in 12 games. Freo could look to send reliable one-on-one defender Zac Dawson to quell Cloke but it may also be an opportunity for first year player Sam Collins to display his size and strength.
What – Stoppage work
In what could be cold and wet conditions on Friday night, clean possession may be hard to come by so whoever can get the upper hand when the ball is in dispute will be well on their way to securing a win. Fremantle will look to take advantage of their ruck and midfield group against Collingwood, who are missing a number of key contributors, which is reflected statistically so far in 2016. The Magpies rank 18th in the AFL in clearances and stoppages per game with 32.4 and 20.2 respectively. This isn’t solely the responsibility of the midfielders, as Collingwood haven’t been able to get first hands to the ball in the ruck contests with only 31.9 per game (17th). Freo’s Lachie Neale could play a big role in the middle, as he is currently third in the AFL with 91 clearances.
TABtouch 22: Freo go big for Pies clash
When – After the game
While all of Freo’s focus will be on Friday night against Collingwood, a win against the Magpies will see them take a four-game winning streak into their bye week before heading up to Darwin to face Melbourne. The period of rest following the Collingwood game will provide a key opportunity to get a number of injured players back into the fold, and to be in that situation while riding a wave of momentum would be a breath of fresh air in an otherwise unlucky year so far.
Where – Home of Football
Fremantle will play their only game at the MCG in 2016 on Friday night and their first since David Mundy’s famous goal against Richmond in round 17 last year. Not only will players have to adjust to the wider playing surface of the ground but also the sheer enormity of the stage for those yet to experience ‘the home of football’. Four of Freo’s players (Blakely, Collins, Tucker, Weller) are yet to play at the venue, but given how well the young brigade have played this year, and senior coach Ross Lyon’s “anywhere, anytime team” philosophy, the stage shouldn’t be too big for the youngsters.
Why – Litmus test
Both Fremantle and Collingwood have faced adverse conditions in 2016, in a season that could easily be defined with two words…”Injury list”. Freo currently have 19 players listed on the injury list while Collingwood have 10 in comparison, they are missing big names such as Taylor Adams, Alex Fasolo, Dane Swan and Jamie Elliott to name a few.
Friday night will provide a good test for both teams and provide an opportunity for their younger players to face an opposition in a similar situation in prime time.
