But…
At this early stage, should we SCer’s be a little bit concerned about the Fremantle Dockers? Traditionally one of the laughing stocks of the league, 2010 saw the Dockers actually gain a little respect and be a force of the competition, particularly in the first half of the season. I know coach Mark Harvey is playing down Freo’s disastrous form so far in 2011, but given there are a number of proven and potential SC stars in the Dockers line-up, is their lack of form in the pre-season a genuine concern – was 2010 one out of the box?
The facts are this. So far in the NAB Series the Dockers have lost at home in the first round by 14 points to Hawthorn, and backed that up later that day with a 12 point loss to cross-town rivals the Eagles. Not too much concern there, although Fremantle was probably favourite to progress prior to the first bounce – and would’ve internally expected two wins against that calibre of opposition.
Last weekend however, the Dockers were belted by the Adelaide Crows to the tune of 75pts, 22.9 to 10.6. The Crows aren’t exactly anyone’s premiership favourites, so such a substantial loss has maybe started some alarm bells ringing. It is true Fremantle had some big names out including giant ruckman Aaron Sandilands, Stephen Hill and David Mundy, but many would’ve expected a much tighter contest.
So, what is the fallout in SC terms?
No form line yet on Sandi, who hasn’t played a minute. He will still be the dominant ruckman of the AFL, there seems little doubt about that – having only three effective bench players might actually increase his value, as he may find himself resting in the forward line instead of on the pine in 2011. Forward superstar Matthew Pavlich has only played a half so far, and seems to be happy cruising in to round one. With a slightly quieter year last year, Pav will need to step up again if Freo are to be a force. After averaging 110 pts in 2008, the last two years have seen him average 99 pts per game – as one of the premium forwards in the game (at a price to match), a lot rests on Pav’s shoulders.
The bonus so far – despite the three losses – has been the form of mature-age recruit Tendai Mzungu, who is on every coaches radar. Could he be the next Michael Barlow? Time will tell, but he has certainly shown plenty in the NAB Cup so far. Speaking of Barlow, he comes back from his horrendously broken leg at a price of $564,400 – unbelievably expensive in my opinion, despite averaging 116 in 14 games last year. Too much at this stage, no doubt, especially since he hasn’t made an appearance yet in 2011. Perhaps he is one to watch for later in the year?
Reliable defender Greg Broughton has continued his steady form and seems to justify his hefty price tag, scoring a massive 169 in the abridged Hawthorn game. Another to keep an eye on is rookie forward Viv Michie, who started his SC career well with 149 in the same game and, despite a quiet second match, could be one to watch.
The question remains though – are the Dockers going to be a flash in the pan or we will get a sustained effort from their players again in 2011? And, more to the point, can their stars maintain their point scoring if the team happens to hit a hurdle and goes back into its shell this season? Given that the top three SC scorers in 2010 – Swan, Ablett and Goddard – were all in top four teams, they may struggle somewhat if the team starts to slide.
Early days, I know – but a heavy loss to the Doggies this week and the Dockers fans could rightfully be feeling a little worried. Whether that means you need to reorganize the make-up of your SC team accordingly in up to you, however it’s worth remembering some advice an old punting friend gave me last year…”Never rely on the bloody Dockers. The purple haze will always let you down when you really need ‘em!”