Dockers look forward to a well-earned rest
The West Australian
Ross Lyon has forecast resting a host of senior players on the eve of the finals after Fremantle secured their first minor premiership yesterday.
Fremantle officials will contact the AFL today to ensure they will not breach the league’s integrity guidelines by resting a swag of first-choice players from their final home-and-away match against Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
The Dockers coach flagged they would take the rare opportunity that yesterday’s 54-point win over Melbourne at Domain Stadium afforded his battle-weary line-up, with top spot now guaranteed.
Dockers ponder B team for Power clash
AAP/The West Australian
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon will sit down with his team's medical staff this week to decide which players to rest for Saturday's AFL clash with the Power in Adelaide.
The Dockers are set to rest a host of their best players for the Power clash after wrapping up the minor premiership on Sunday with a 54-point trouncing of Melbourne at Domain Stadium.
Veteran defender Luke McPharlin, skipper Matthew Pavlich and ruckman Aaron Sandilands are at the head of the queue for a rest.
And midfield guns Stephen Hill, David Mundy, Lachie Neale, Danyle Pearce and Michael Barlow could also be given the weekend off.
Nat Fyfe (leg) and Hayden Ballantyne (pectoral) have already been ruled out, while Michael Walters could join them after missing the Demons clash because Of a calf injury.
Dockers still searching for Holy Grail
AAP/The West Australian
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon insists his team's inability to find the "Holy Grail" of scoring in recent months hasn't left his players fragile heading into the AFL finals.
The Dockers' scoring output has dropped significantly in the second half of the season, with some experts questioning whether Lyon's charges have enough firepower to win the flag.
Fremantle kicked 100 points or more in five of their opening eight matches this season, but they have failed to reach triple figures ever since.
Consecutive losses have left their hold on top spot shaky, but Lyon doesn't believe there's anything to panic about.
Lyon's wish to rest Dockers hinges on AFL's 'integrity' rule
AFL.com.au
THE AFL is awaiting a formal request from Fremantle to rest players against Port Adelaide on Saturday, with the League's decision to be withheld until the Dockers' intentions are made clear.
After his side secured the minor premiership with a 54-point win over Melbourne on Sunday, coach Ross Lyon indicated the Dockers wanted to hold an unspecified number of players back from the Power clash to freshen them up for their home qualifying final.
The bid to rest players against Port Adelaide next week hinges on the AFL's interpretation of a rule introduced in 2013 after the Dockers fielded a virtual B-team against St Kilda.
After the Melbourne match, Lyon confirmed the club's desire to rest an unspecified number of players against the Power, but the Dockers will await the League's ruling.
McPharlin calls for Dockers to lift
The West Australian
Veteran defender Luke McPharlin says the Dockers need to improve greatly to translate the minor premiership into the real thing.
The Dockers will finish on top of the ladder for the first time in their history regardless of how they fare against Port Adelaide on Saturday.
Fremantle booted the first 10 goals of the match before cruising to a 54-point win over Melbourne yesterday. It was the first time since round eight they had reached 100 points in a game.
“It’s been a while since we’ve kicked a big score so from that point of view we were happy with the way we moved the ball, the way we executed once we got inside 50m, so that was all positive,” McPharlin said.
Dockers wrap up first minor premiership
The West Australian
Ed Langdon will become the third Fremantle player to make a debut this season when the Dockers host Melbourne at Domain Stadium tomorrow.
Teenager Langdon, the younger brother of Collingwood defender Tom Langdon, was included alongside skipper Matthew Pavlich and midfielder Clancee Pearce.
The injured Nat Fyfe (leg) and omitted pair Alex Pearce and Hayden Crozier made way.
Langdon, Fremantle’s third selection in last year’s national draft, follows Alex Pearce and Lachie Weller as 2015 debutants.
Fremantle defeats Melbourne at Subiaco Oval in Round 22
PerthNow
TOO old. Too defensive. Flag window shut.
They were all said when Fremantle was knocked out in straight sets last season.
One year on, Ross Lyon’s unfashionable but effective unit clinched the first minor premiership in club history with Sunday’s 54-point drubbing of Melbourne at Subiaco Oval.
Lyon concedes his Dockers, the oldest team in the competition, aren’t perfect. There was plenty of simple errors and general sloppiness to underline that.
But if the regular season is about positioning yourself for a tilt then it’s hard to fault Fremantle.
And if Sunday’s assignment was about setting up the ideal finals preparation and giving their self-confidence a boost, then there were ticks on both fronts for the minor premiers.
Peel won’t dare rest on laurels: Shepherd
The West Australian
Coach Cam Shepherd insists Peel are not treating their finals double chance as a safety net.
The Mandurah-based Thunder are preparing for the first final in their success-starved history and are guaranteed at least two games.
They went into the final game needing to win to make sure they held on to third spot, and didn’t disappoint with a comprehensive 16.12 (108) to 9.15 (69) victory over South Fremantle at Bendigo Bank Stadium on Saturday.
Peel will take on West Perth in the qualifying final at HBF Stadium on Sunday.
