The result of Fremantle’s clash against the Western Bulldogs could well be influenced by which talented midfield group gets the upper hand on Sunday, according to Matthew Pavlich.
Much has been made of the speed and rebounding ability of the Bulldogs but Pavlich said their ball winners and midfield clearance specialists were not to be overlooked.
“Their clearance work in the midfield I think is slightly underrated,” Pavlich said.
“(Tom) Liberatore is back in there and they have a couple of other really talented young midfield players.
“A lot is talked about their bounce and skill level but they’re highly talented in the midfield group and they work very hard as well.”
While Pavlich was aware of the threat that the Bulldogs present, he said Freo’s midfield possesses similar strengths and that it should make for a must-see game of football.
“We feel our group does the same and works very hard offensively and defensively,” he said.
“So for the fans out there it should be a good game of footy.”
The midfield match up will be crucial to deciding the outcome of Sunday’s game, but Pavlich said he’ll have to remain aware of the attacking prowess of the Bulldogs defenders.
“It’s been talked about for a long time, the way they use the ball out of the back half,” he said.
“It might allow us an opportunity at some level to score but at the same time, we have to be on red alert for their ball use and bounce out of the backline.
“We’re excited by the challenge.”
