In the latest episode of The Purple Patch, Duck & Oz run through the matchups they are looking forward to in Freo’s clash against the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.
The Purple Patch is the official Fremantle podcast that comes out every Friday and previews the game each week.
Hosts Duck and Oz, from The Purple Reign podcast, are two of the club’s biggest fans and provide great insight to each game from a fan perspective.
Nat Fyfe v Marcus Bontempelli
This is the pièce de résistance of midfield matchups.
It seems every time Fyfe comes up against someone who’s Fyfe-like, he just lifts. Last time Freo played the Bulldogs, Fyfe had 30 disposals and Bontempelli had 22. Fyfe has had a week off with his elbow infection so hopefully, he’s fresh and ready to go.
This is what we know about Bontempelli – he’s a freak. He’s 193cm and 93kg, he’s ranked third in total clearances, fourth in total metres gained and fourth for total score involvements. He’s an aerial threat, he runs all day, he’s clean by hand and foot and he’s booted 11 goals this season.
Fyfe is 190cm and 92kg, so they’re evenly matched. Further to that, Fyfe is currently ranked number one in contested possessions per game, fourth in clearances and has collected more than 30 possessions in nine games this season.
Both players have the ability to influence the game with their strengths and it would be a fascinating matchup if these two brutes are allowed to go head to head. We think Fyfe takes the choccies as he helps guide Freo to victory in a see-sawing contest.
Darcy Tucker v Jack Macrae
Tucker is 183cm and 83kg, and we think he is an ideal run-with player to counter Macrae. According to Champion Data, Tucker is ranked above average in effective disposals at 14.2 per game, disposal efficiency at 73 per cent and pressure acts at 19.6 per game. This is where the true value of Tucker shines through, he’s clean with the ball in hand and he influences scoring chains at 4.4 score involvements per game. He’s also quick and good at nullifying players such as Macrae.
Macrae is 191cm and 85kg. He runs through the midfield and he should have been admitted to hospital with leather poisoning throughout the course of the season! He’s had nine games of more than 30 touches, most notably his 42 disposals against Collingwood in round four.
He ranks second in total disposals and third in effective disposals, which makes him such a valued asset through the middle. He’s also kicked three goals on a couple of occasions, so Fremantle need to be careful there.
Michael Walters v Caleb Daniel
This isn’t necessarily a ‘matchup’ as these two guys are unlikely to play on each other, but we’re including them here as we think they’re key to their team’s chances.
A big game from Walters is needed, if he can go forward a bit more that would free Fyfe up in the middle as well as maybe Connor Blakely and Andrew Brayshaw.
At Marvel, we know it’s going to be a quick game and we have few big ruckmen in the team - so if ‘Sonny’ can kick more than two, Freo are a big chance.
Daniel’s drive and run from half back is very important. He’s a big handballer who gets involved in a lot of chains of play. Fremantle don’t mind if someone over possesses a bit as it means they can set up their zone and lock things down, so even if Daniel has a big game numbers wise, Freo will be looking to make sure he has a limited impact on the outcome.
