Despite being separated by 10 positions on the AFL ladder, Sunday’s clash still carries significant interest for Fremantle and West Coast.
Freo’s objectives are clear: build form and momentum ahead of the preseason. The Eagles are looking to maintain a home final spot, which could be in jeopardy if they lose to their cross-town rivals on Sunday.
Here’s what to note ahead of the 44th Carlton Draught Derby.
Tickets still available for Sunday's match
The numbers game
5 – The amount of times Eagles forward Josh Kennedy has kicked more than 50 goals in a season. Kennedy currently leads the Coleman Medal with 60 goals. For Freo, Matthew Pavlich has topped the milestone on six occasions.
59 – The amount of goals Pavlich has kicked in 33 matches against West Coast. Behind him are Hayden Ballantyne (19 goals from 10 matches), Chris Mayne (16 from 14) and Stephen Hill (15 from 14).
84 – Fremantle’s average score against West Coast
91 – West Coast’s average score against Fremantle
160 – Fremantle’s highest score against West Coast, in round 18, 2010. On that day, Hayden Ballantyne kicked six goals and Greg Broughton gathered 31 disposals.
39,973 – The average attendance for matches between the two sides.
1,718,828 – The total attendance for matches between the two sides.
Return of the giants
Barring any training setbacks, both Aaron Sandilands and Nic Naitanui will return to the fray on Sunday. Sandliands’ last match was in round three when he suffered fractured ribs and a punctured lung backing into a marking contest with Naitanui. The 33-year-old has stated his desire to play as much as possible before season’s end, and will be carrying no mental demons when the pair meets again. West Coast ruckman Naitanui has been absent since round 12, recovering from a nagging Achilles complaint.
Winning streaks
Fremantle and West Coast have a habit of stringing together winning streaks against one another. Not since 2007 has a side reclaimed derby rights before losing the very next encounter. In round three of that year, coming off a 57-point loss in their last match against their cross-town rivals, West Coast beat Fremantle by 31 points. When the teams next met, Freo claimed victory by 27 points and started a winning streak that would last seven matches. West Coast then won the next three encounters, Fremantle the next six, and West Coast the last two.
Congratulations SOS, Croz
In his seventh season of AFL football, Alex Silvagni will finally play his 50th game on Sunday after a string of injury setbacks have stymied his continuity. The key defender has played at AFL level just 10 times since the start 2014, and faces a stiff task in quelling one of Josh Kennedy or Jack Darling. Hayden Crozier, who is in his fifth season, will also play game 50. The 22-year-old is enjoying his most consistent year to date, having reinvented himself as a creative half-back.
A tall order restored
With Sandilands returning to the side, Fremantle will look to stabilise their key defensive structures. In the ruckman’s absence, Zac Dawson and Sam Collins spent stints in the ruck, while Garrick Ibbotson and Cam Sutcliffe (both 186cm) have filled defensive posts against bigger-bodied forwards. Coach Ross Lyon said on Thursday that Sandilands lacked the match fitness to ruck alone, and would need support from Zac Clarke to tackle West Coast duo Naitanui and Scott Lycett. With no more stopgap solutions, Collins and Silvagni should be settled in the backline.
