Hayden Ballantyne says Sydney can be beaten as preliminary final looms

YES, the Swans have some superstars — but they can be beaten, warns fired-up forward Hayden Ballantyne.

AFL - Fremantle Dockers vs Port Adelaide Power, at Patersons Stadium, Perth. Photo by Daniel Wilkins. PICTURED- Fremantle's Hayden Ballantyne marks

HAYDEN Ballantyne has adopted a proven philosophy from AFL legend Leigh Matthews ahead of the Dockers qualifying final showdown with Sydney on Saturday.

Matthews famously declared ahead of leading his Brisbane Lions to a historic first premiership victory against the odds over then competition-trendsetter Essendon that “if they can bleed, you can kill it.”

Ballantyne’s approach to prospects of an upset win on the road to claim a crucial home preliminary final is that the star-studded Swans are only “human” and can be beaten.

The Dockers will sweat on Ballantyne’s recovery this week from his ongoing back and hamstring problems that require constant medical attention and methodical recovery treatment for the opportunist scoring source to keep playing.

Star defender Michael Johnson is also battling nagging back and left knee problems to be fully fit to take on the powerhouse Swans forward battery.

But Nat Fyfe will return from two-week suspension.

Sydney will be significantly bolstered to confront the Dockers with returns from Lance Franklin, Josh Kennedy, Ben McGlynn and Mike Pyke.

He’ll be back: Lance Franklin is expected to face Fremantle in the preliminary final this week. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“Obviously they’ve got some absolute superstars up there and we’ve got to show them a lot of respect,” Ballantyne said.

“But they’re human as well, so they can be beaten.”

The Dockers staked second straight top-four and double chance finish with a courageous eight-point victory over Port Adelaide in Perth on Saturday on the back of a blistering second-half four goals from Ballantyne.

The firebrand small forward had managed only four disposals and failed to score up to half-time in a tight-checking lockout from Port back-pockets specialist Jarman Impey.

A critical scoring potency influx in the past three engagements highlights Fremantle’s late season refinement ahead of another genuine premiership shot and coincides with a return from Ballantyne’s small livewire small forward partner Michael Walters as well as big Matt Taberner in tandem with captain Matthew Pavlich as another marking target around goals.

Significantly, increased forward firepower with successive scores in excess of 100 points against reigning premiers Hawthorn when the Dockers bagged 17.8 (110), then Brisbane with 106 from 15.16 and 16.9 (105) against Port has also unleashed Pavlich to spend time in the midfield.

Ballanyne flags prospects of the champion veteran taking the occasional stint on the ball through this month’s finals campaign.

“He’s the skipper, he can do what he wants really,” Ballantyne told radio 6PR after Saturday’s win.

“He’s a big body and once he gets the ball he’s very hard to tackle and once he locks his legs in, no-one can move him.

“So it is a bit of weapon for us.”

Ballantyne remains a crucial scoring and forward zone pressure component in the Dockers highly regarded defensive efficiency and a weapon in vital attempts to curb Sydney’s powerful on-ball battery of Kennedy, McGlynn, Kieren Jack, Dan Hannebery and Luke Parker.

Nat Fyfe will be back in the frame for the Dockers.

But the feisty goal-shark warns his Dockers will not get away any lapse in their defensive intensity as they did when leading Port by 38 points 12 minutes into the last term against Port when Ballantyne had booted third and fourth majors to virtually seal the deal and fourth spot.

The Dockers had booted an impressive nine unanswered goals after actually trailing by 12 points six minutes after half-time.

Port then turned on their revered strong finishing qualities and slammed on five unanswered goals and closed to within a whisker of taking fourth spot away from the Dockers.

Ballantyne conceded that fatigue may have been a factor in the slowdown, but any repeat will be costly in the cutthroat nature of finals.

“You can’t move on after that,” Ballantyne said.

“That was the only disappointing for the day I think.

“I thought we fought hard all day and maybe just ran out of legs a little bit, I’m not sure.

“It’s something we’re going to have to review and fix up because other teams in the top four won’t be letting us win like that.”

Originally published as Hayden Ballantyne says Sydney can be beaten as preliminary final looms