Melbourne are building on their undeniably talented list, with key youngsters starting to fulfil their potential.
Last time Fremantle lined up against the Demons, Max Gawn had 30 hit-outs, Jesse Hogan only touched the ball nine times, and 2008 number one draft pick Jack Watts didn’t exert much influence, as Freo recorded a comprehensive 54-point victory.
Fast-forward 10 months, and much has changed.
The Demon’s round 15 fight-back against Adelaide at the MCG typified a team that won’t go quietly into the night.
Ball Use: Ranking fourth in the AFL for average disposals per game, Melbourne prefer to hold onto the ball and wait for opportunities to move forward. Their actual ball usage, however, leaves something to be desired, as they rank fourteenth for effective use. Fremantle will need to be patient, and wait for Melbourne to give-up the ball.
Forward Line: The Demons’ forward line houses a number of formidable names, with Hogan likely to attract plenty of attention from key defenders Zac Dawson and Sam Collins. But Fremantle need to be alert to the threat of livewire small-forward Jeff Garlett, who bagged four-goals against Adelaide. Watts will drift forward from midfield during the match, which will stretch Fremantle’s tall stocks down back.
Second Quarters: Melbourne have kicked 66 goals in second quarters this season, but have only won six of 14, indicating they are getting caught out committing numbers forward. Fremantle need to withstand the Melbourne onslaught and exploit the limited numbers left in defence. Against Adelaide, Melbourne kicked eight goals in the second term, yet only managed seven across the other three quarters.
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Key match-ups:
Dawson v Hogan: Zac Dawson will need to be on his toes against the big lead-up forward Jesse Hogan, who has averaged 2.4 goals per game in 2016.
Griffin v Gawn: Jonathon Griffin has stepped up in the absence of the injured Aaron Sandilands, and will be challenged again when he lines-up on the number one ruckman in the AFL. Max Gawn averages more than 40 hit-outs a game this season, and is one of the reason’s Melbourne rank second in centre clearances this season.
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