Why Freo will win the premiership

THE OPTIMIST’S GUIDE TO SEASON 2012. PART SIX.

By Alex Wadelton

WHY FREMANTLE WILL WIN THE PREMIERSHIP

By any measures Fremantle have the most successful history in all of Australian Rules football. A perennial powerhouse, they have claimed 42 senior premierships in the WAFL, shared between East and South Fremantle.

Sadly, however, this is a preview for the AFL, where the Fremantle Football Club has been somewhat less successful. Despite the presence of club legends like Clive Waterhouse, Shaun MacManus and Todd Ridley the Dockers remain level pegging with Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney in the AFL premiership stakes.

The off-season, though, has brought about tumultuous change. The shock sacking of Mark Harvey for three-time grand final coach Ross Lyon sees Fremantle as a popular pick for a major rise up the ladder. And then when the really big news hit, that the thirteenth place getter in the 2011 Trevor Barker Medal for St. Kilda, Zac Dawson, would be crossing the Nullarbor as well, the football world was shaken to its very core.

Yes, the Dockers have added the final piece of the puzzle. Whether that puzzle is premiership glory or Yahtzee will be determined in the coming months.

Coaching.

Ross Lyon guided St. Kilda through the second most successful period in their history. Guided by the mantra “first the worst, second the best, third the Royal Princess” the Saints gained two moral premierships before a series of calamitous events saw the Saints fall to their knees. Literally. So, when Freo came a’knocking with a novelty over-sized cheque with lots of zeroes on it, there was no question that Lyon would make the move and the second most successful AFL club from Western Australia would rejoice.

Players to watch.

There’s no doubt that Matthew Pavlich would be considered one of the modern greats of the game if he played for a Melbourne club. All-Australian in the backline, All-Australian in the forward line, and could easily be All-Australian in the middle if he played there enough. But he’s from Freo, so he sucks.

Aaron Sandilands is quite possibly the most dominant player in the league. His feet are bigger than Boomer Harvey. His taps are more precise than Fred Astaire. His body-work is stronger than a Hummer’s. His impact is greater than an Asteroid slamming into a planet and wiping out all of its inhabitants. And his metaphors are more tortured than a Pauline Hanson sentence. But he’s from Freo, so he sucks.

Nathan Fyfe is the future of the Fremantle Football Club, but he’s already playing so he’s kind of the today of the Fremantle Football Club as well, which makes him twice as dangerous, and when you consider he’s played two very impressive seasons already he’s also the recent past of the Fremantle Football Club, which makes him thrice as dangerous. But he’s from Freo, so he sucks.

Tactics.

Knife well-liked coach after the most injury wracked season in AFL history.

Clearly, ruthlessness is now a part of the DNA of Fremantle- a key component of successful clubs.

Prediction.

Fremantle will bring up their 43rd flag with ease.

Next up: Why Geelong will go back to back.

 

Comments

  1. Peter Baulderstone says

    Tell him he’s dreaming.

  2. A Fremantle flag would certainly cause more than a few hissy fits with the Anna Bolics PB.

  3. Go Dockers! :)

  4. I don’t mean to appear unkind Danni but when I watched the Freo / Tigers game last week I think I worked why the Pies excommunicated young Jack.

    I think he will struggle in Freo’s best team.

  5. Danielle says

    Nah he’ll get up i sent him some fan mail recently :P

  6. Richard Naco says

    Now that will truly scare him!

    ;)

  7. Danielle says

    scare?! :(
    it was filled with adoration and a pep talk! :s

  8. Richard Naco says

    “Jeez – I escape as far as I can this side of the Xmas Island Crabbers 1st XVIII, and that loony Magpies supporter is still after me!!!???!!!”

    (rofl)

  9. Danielle says

    ohh lmao! i don’t know where he would get that idea since i seriously only met the bloke once
    and it was for like 3mins lol

  10. Richard Naco says

    Dani,

    That would have been the best three minutes of his life.

    Everything since then has undoubtedly been a complete anti-climax, served with a side salad of the what-if’s.

  11. John Butler says

    Alex, I’m enjoying this series very much.

    And enjoying the too fervent hopes of the Eagles that Freo crash.

    A reaction to the worry that their own efforts last year will be hard to repeat?

  12. Danielle says

    lol doubt that but it was the best 3mins of mine! <3

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