Fremantle won't only pick locals as Brad Lloyd backs in club's ability to retain players
FREMANTLE is likely to further bolster an already top-class midfield at Wednesday's pre-season and rookie drafts.
Fremantle
Don't miss out on the headlines from Fremantle. Followed categories will be added to My News.
FREMANTLE is likely to further bolster an already top-class midfield at Wednesday's pre-season and rookie drafts.
On Monday the Dockers unveiled developing ruckman Michael Apeness, as well as tall utility Alex Pearce and nuggety forward Brady Grey, whom the club selected at last Thursday's national draft.
The three interstate imports will undergo two days of initiation, followed by a meeting with senior coach Ross Lyon when the boss returns to work again on Wednesday.
Dockers management will now consider their final selection choices at the AFL rookie land pre-season draft.
PRE-SEASON AND ROOKIE DRAFT GUIDE
Fremantle's newest draftees are all diverse in what they offer the Dockers, who played off in the club's first ever grand final this year - the 15-point loss to Hawthorn.
Apeness is a convert from professional rugby where he was on the Melbourne Rebels' youth list and played alongside the nation's newest No.1 draft pick Tom Boyd.
Apeness made his own decision to switch to AFL after his experience at a professional sports club.
He is a power-marking forward and ruckman who could ultimately be moulded into a replacement for Dockers champion Matthew Pavlich as the superstar approaches his inevitable retirement somewhere into the next year or so.
"I had a stint with Melbourne Rebels and after enjoying the professional environment, I realised I had some opportunities in footy, so I decided to come to footy," Apeness explained.
"I really missed (AFL) footy."
Apeness was a big second-rower in his rugby days and was also used in the line-out, which he believes has added quality to his ability to take big pack marks.
He said sharing the forward line with Boyd allowed him the chance to showcase his talents as the top draft pick always attracted the opposition's best defender.
Dockers development chief Simon Lloyd described Apeness as an "aggressive" overhead marking target.
"We definitely see him as a tall, mobile ruckman-forward and (he) can really take a big clunk as well," Lloyd said.
"Probably the best thing for us as well, he is very aggressive in the air.
"The rugby background as well can put on a lot of pressure and he's a strong tackler."
Lloyd would not commit to recruiting local products on Wednesday, with the club having full confidence in its player retention record with imported recruits.
GUMBLETON READY FOR FRESH START
He said list management decisions will be finalised on Tuesday ahead of the rookie and pre-season drafts at 8am (WST) on Wednesday.
"Over the next 48 hours the list management team are meeting and to be quite honest, I've got no answer there," Lloyd said.
"They will meet and they'll work out what they want to do and we'll go from there.
"Retention is something that is facing all AFL clubs. We have a retention committee that really works hard on making sure that our players are Fremantle Dockers players for life.
"It is important and if you do have a home grown (player) it is a lot easier to keep them in the state, but we do have a lot of players particularly coming through our first, second and third years that are very happy here and gone in with host families from the start and now living with players.
"We really try to set up the right environment."
Lloyd unveiled a versatile and elite running tall in Pearce from Tasmania as well as his long time close mate Grey, who only converted from a state youth soccer background to play Aussie Rules in 2013.
Grey is expected to emerge into an opportunistic small forward and tough nut inside midfielder as he settles at Fremantle.
He played with Tassie Mariners at under-18s level as well as the latter half of this season at senior level with Burnie Dockers in the Tasmania State league and in the losing grand final against South Launceston.
Pearce is tall and lean expected to develop into a speedy winger or creative defender with enormous endurance running capacity.
AFL rival’s bold plan to poach Swans star
While an AFL rival expects a star Swans midfielder to see out his contract at Sydney, the club says it will “certainly monitor the situation”.
Trading places? How the biggest AFL deals will get done
Almost every AFL club is poised to get busy this trade period. See who your club is looking at, who they should be chasing and how they will get their deals done in our ultimate guide.