Injured Freo ruckman Aaron Sandilands said a physical battle with GWS big man Shane Mumford would be embraced by teammates Zac Clarke and Jonathon Griffin.
Sandilands said Freo know what to expect when lining up against Mumford, and that he possesses a challenge that you want to face as an AFL footballer.
“You know you’re in for a good battle when you’re up against him,” Sandilands said.
“His follow up work around the ball is really strong, so we’ll try to match him in those areas.
“He likes to compete and you want to play against the best and you enjoy those kinds of challenges.
“We’ll put a plan in place to take him on as he’s one of the best ruckmen in the competition.”
Sandilands said his input hasn’t been diminished since being sidelined with a rib injury, and that he enjoys the responsibility of helping his fellow ruckmen from a coaching perspective.
“I’m always there for advice but I try not to pester them too much,” he said.
“Both ‘Griff’ and Zac are pretty good at asking questions and asking for advice.
“We also have Simon Eastaugh, who’s a great coach himself.”
Griffin and Clarke have shared ruck duties in Freo’s past two games, but Sandilands said it wouldn’t require a long period of adjustment for the two big men to play alongside each other, especially given their experience in the system.
“I don’t think it takes too long (to form a ruck duo),” Sandilands said.
“It’s up to the individuals and how things go.
“Those guys have been in the squad together for a fair amount of time and I think they’re gelling pretty well.”
