Lyon’s task to regenerate Dockers
The West Australian
Ross Lyon faces the biggest challenge of his coaching career, but it is one that also represents significant opportunity for he and Fremantle.
The challenge is the one that Lyon was about to face at St Kilda when he departed for Fremantle — the need to regenerate a list that has been very good for several seasons, but has missed its best chance at premiership glory.
Back to drawing board for Freo forwards
The West Australian
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has staunchly defended the club's young talls, saying a perceived lack of development is not to blame for not having a ready-made replacement for skipper Matthew Pavlich.
Matt Taberner was recalled for last night's preliminary final against Hawthorn at Domain Stadium, but failed to have any impact in the gut-wrenching 27-point defeat that ended the Dockers' grand final dream.
Battle plan not to blame: Lyon
The West Australian
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has defended his game plan and conditioning regime after the minor premiers last night crashed out of the finals in what is almost certain to be club legend Matthew Pavlich’s final game.
Star Nat Fyfe played injured in a brave physical display, but the superhuman effort was to no avail as the reigning premiers won a gruelling preliminary final by 27 points at Domain Stadium to reach their fourth successive grand final.
The Dockers will be haunted by a missed set shot by Chris Mayne in the first quarter and a costly dropped mark by Tom Sheridan in the last as the visitors produced a burst of six unanswered goals in the first half to clinch the 15.4 (94) to 10.7 (67) victory.
Brownlow Medal 2015: mathematics say Docker Nat Fyfe will beat out Matt Priddis
The Age
For Robert Nguyen, Monday night's Brownlow Medal count will have a decided aspect of de ja vu about it.
You might remember Nguyen from the lead-up to the 2014 count. He's the young Perth whiz who devised a statistical model to predict the winner of the Brownlow and was writing a university thesis on it.
Umpiring did not cost any team a place in grand final
The Age
Let's get one thing clear from the start. Umpiring didn't cost either Fremantle or North Melbourne their preliminary finals.
Both the Dockers and Kangaroos did more than enough to blow their chances through wasted opportunities and errors, and were both overrun by better opponents.
But that shouldn't let the umpires of either game off the hook. Because these were two games in which over-officiousness ruled, certainly impacting on momentum at crucial stages, and drawing far too much attention to the three blokes on the ground who should be attracting the least.
End of an era for Fremantle
The West
Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich and defender Luke McPharlin may have played their last games for the club.
McPharlin walked across Domain Stadium with his wife and was choking back tears after the team lost to Hawthorn.
Pavlich emerged in tracksuit pants and his club polo top with his parents, wife and children to have photos taken on the field after warming down.
Matthew Pavlich is yet to make a decision on his future but is a wanted man
Herald Sun
MATTHEW Pavlich is adamant he has made no decision to retire despite being offered full-time roles in the media next year.
The six-time All Australian has been widely tipped to retire at 33 but will spend the next few weeks contemplating whether to play on.
His management has been preparing for his life after footy - with an immediate transition into media and business - aware he could still postpone that move by a year.
Pavlich is seen as a natural media performer who would easily slot into a role into a role with Fox Footy or Channel Seven in Perth.
Nat Fyfe set to be next Fremantle Dockers captain
Perth Now
BROWNLOW Medal favourite Nat Fyfe is poised to captain Fremantle as early as Round 1 next season and lead the devastated Dockers into a new era.
Coach Ross Lyon has anointed Fyfe as a skipper-in-waiting, also forecasting the best midfielder in the competition could play in attack next season.
Fyfe, 24, is in line to become Fremantle’s eighth and second-youngest captain, behind Shaun McManus, as the Dockers farewell their veterans.
Sydney Swans poach club great Brett Kirk from Fremantle as assistant coach
The Daily Telegraph
BRETT Kirk made his name as one of the Swans’ most courageous players and greatest leaders. Now he’s returning to the SCG to take up a position on the coaching panel.
Kirk has spent the last three seasons working as an assistant coach at Fremantle under Ross Lyon and was alongside the Dockers coach in Friday night’s preliminary final thriller against Hawthorn. He was co-captain of the Swans from 2006 until he retired at the end of the 2010 season.
Fremantle Dockers star Nat Fyfe to have leg surgery
AAP
FREMANTLE midfielder Nat Fyfe will have a plate inserted into his troublesome left leg after fracturing his fibula in Friday night’s AFL preliminary final loss to Hawthorn.
Fyfe was troubled by inflammation in the leg during the last five weeks of the season, and disaster struck early when he clashed legs with Hawthorn’s Brian Lake.
Fremantle Dockers stalwarts Matthew Pavlich, Luke McPharlin expected to retire
Perth Now
FREMANTLE champions Matthew Pavlich and Luke McPharlin are expected to announce their retirements this week.
Dockers chief Steve Rosich expects decisions from Pavlich, the Dockers greatest ever player, and McPharlin, the club’s finest defender, to be formalised early this week.
Pavlich and McPharlin look certain to retire after the club’s exit in Friday night’s preliminary final defeat to reigning premiers Hawthorn.
A golden opportunity lost: This was the year Fremantle should have won the flag
AFL.com
ROSS Lyon had all the answers in what was an utterly compelling media conference following Friday night's preliminary final defeat to Hawthorn, but the hurt was plain for all to see.
Fremantle might have made a Grand Final in 2013, the second year after Lyon's shock defection from St Kilda, but it is 2015 that the Dockers will rue a golden opportunity lost.
They enjoyed a great run into the Grand Final two years ago but in reality, they were the second best team for the year. Hawthorn, which lost just three matches, was the deserving and rightful premier.
Dockers to trade 'aggressively' to add top-end talent
AFL.com
FREMANTLE will be "proactive and aggressive" during the free agency and trade period in order to bolter its list with top-end talent, according to Dockers CEO Steve Rosich.
After winning the minor premiership for the time in its history, Fremantle's season came to an end on Friday night with a 27-point loss to two-time reigning premiers Hawthorn.
'My boys win and lose together': Lyon defends Sheridan after costly error
AFL.com
FREMANTLE coach Ross Lyon consoled Tom Sheridan with a cuddle after the young defender's horror mistake cruelled the club's flag hopes.
The Dockers were on track to book a spot in the premiership decider after closing to within nine points of Hawthorn early in the final quarter of Friday night's preliminary final in Perth.
But Fremantle's hopes of victory evaporated when Sheridan dropped the easiest of marks in defence and Cyril Rioli snapped a goal from the ensuing crumb.
