A combined Fremantle and Port Adelaide team took on Gold Coast in a practice match for non-selected players at Metricon Stadium training oval two on Saturday.

Sean Darcy, Connor Blakely Cam McCarthy, Isaiah Butters, Leno Thomas, Mitch Crowden, Tom North, Luke Valente, Michael Frederick, Lloyd Meek, Taylin Duman, Tobe Watson, Jason Carter, Dillon O’Reilly and Jarvis Pina all played in the match alongside seven players from Port Adelaide.

Fremantle’s head of development Simon Eastaugh ran through how the Freo players fared.

What did you make of the contest?
It was important that we had a four quarter hitout against some really quality opposition in the Gold Coast Suns, who obviously have a lot of depth in their list. We had seven Port Adelaide players make up the numbers in our team, which posed a few challenges.
There are a few areas we need to continue to work on with our players and it’s certainly encouraging that we were able to get through four quarters without any injuries.
Some of our stronger contributors were Sean Darcy and Connor Blakely in particular and Michael Frederick showed glimpses of what he has to offer in the future.
At times, Cam McCarthy, Luke Valente, Mitch Crowden and Tom North made solid contributions.

Obviously great to see Sean back out there playing and getting through the game after his knee injury a fortnight ago?
Sean got through the game well, he had some strong competition in Zac Smith and Peter Wright. From that perspective it was an excellent opportunity to test his knee and see where he’s at. Sean was strong at stoppages, particularly in the second half.

How was Connor Blakely’s day?
Connor led from the front, with his hit around the footy and his enthusiasm and leadership evident. He’s fronted up every week here at the HPC and trained exceptionally hard.

And some good signs from the young mids like Crowden, Valente and North?
They had a lot of midfield time, which was really important. I think we forget how deep our midfield goes and how it’s tough to get a spot. Certainly it is encouraging to see the attitude and their ability to fight back in the second half.

You mentioned Michael Frederick, what are you seeing from him?
He’s showing some rapid progress with his knowledge of our game plan and our execution as a wingman. Today, I thought he took another big step forward with his ability to stay in the contest and really compete against the bigger bodies. He’s only getting better every week.

How are the likes of Isaiah Butters and Leno Thomas progressing up front?
They’re learning what it’s all about, to play against big bodies. They’ve shown some really positive signs, particularly their crumbing in the forward line. Leno’s pressure, tackle and chase has always been a hallmark of his and he’s really starting to bring it to the fore now. Isaiah is really learning what it’s like for the workrate required to compete against running half backs. It’s a two-way game and he’s certainly showing some positive signs and he’s improving each week.

And the backline, what did you make of their day?
They had a pretty tough day today, they had some really stiff competition down there. They probably didn’t play as well as a unit and left some players to battle individually. It’s important that they learn from today, that they really do need to support each other in the air and on the ground and not leave it up to too few to help win that footy back.

How was it working with Port Adelaide today?
They were fantastic and we appreciate their eagerness to combine with us. All of the coaches and players worked really well together to ensure that everybody got to play in their desired roles and had the desired amount of game time. From that perspective, it certainly helped us to be able to have an 18 on 18 game and get the kind of match play into our players that we really needed.