Race for places in Fremantle Dockers’ best 22 heats up

LIVEWIRE Fremantle forward Chris Mayne says increased depth means competition for spots in the Dockers’ best 22 will be fierce.

Chris Mayne (right) says competition for spots in Fremantle’s line-up will be fierce. Pic

LIVEWIRE Fremantle forward Chris Mayne says increased depth means competition for spots in the Dockers’ best 22 will be fierce.

The early flag favourites and reigning AFL runners-up launched a potential season of redemption with a brutal 70-point demolition job on finals contender Collingwood and now host emerging force Gold Coast Suns in Perth on Saturday.

Expansion of depth in playing talent with claims from rising young midfielders Hayden Crozier, Tom Sheridan and eventually a highly-anticipated comeback from Anthony Morabito, and returns from Nick Suban, Garrick Ibbotson and Clancee Pearce - as well as the arrival of Colin Sylvia from Melbourne - has created fierce competition for starting spots around Fremantle.

Ruckman Zac Clarke is also on the verge of a comeback after he completed his first game of the new season with Peel Thunder last weekend in recovery from a lengthy knee complaint.

Clarke, 24, is likely to be recalled for Saturday’s clash with the Gold Coast in Perth and Ibbotson could also be rushed back into the Dockers starting 22 off the bench or as substitute with Peel having the WAFL bye and no other playing option to build critical match conditioning and ball-touch.

Mayne, 25, is one of the game’s most ferocious exponents in critical forward line pressure to lock the football into scoring zones and is an almost assured first-team selection choice in hard-nosed coach Ross Lyon’s insistence on relentless defence all over the ground.

But the tireless forward refuses to take his starting spot for granted despite bagging an efficient 37 goals and just 12 behinds last season and ranking as the league’s top tackler inside his forward 50m arc.

The controversial acquisition of WAFL club Peel as an alignment and virtually a Fremantle reserves team adds greater weight to fringe dwelling Dockers pressing claims for inclusion in the seniors each week, according to Mayne.

“We love the amount of players that we have available to play, right from the rookie list players that are pushing to get selected to get on the list to the first year players and are all pushing at training to make sure they are available for selection,” he said.

“The best thing about having Peel as the second club is that we can all play together and practice our game plan and practice the way that we want to play and then out selection on the players that are playing in the main side.

“When you’re fit and available it can only then create more pressure on spots in the team.

It makes players playing in the side play harder to keep their spot on the bus and that’s what we want to do.

“No-one ever wants to give their seat up on the bus.

“If you’ve got 22 hungry players each week trying to deliver that, it’s always going to be a good thing for you.”

Mayne will retain his priority to providing imposing forward line pressure to opponents with an equal importance to remain a primary scoring source in Lyon’s call for increased potency this season.

Lyon laid down the gauntlet to his potential premiership unit to add at least two goals a week to Fremantle’s scoring and an average in excess of 100 points an outing.

“Ross has spoken about us needing more goals to be in the top four and reach clubs like Hawthorn,” Mayne said.

“It was really good on the weekend seeing the midfielders getting forward and kicking goals and still seeing our forwards still working really hard to put the scoreboard pressure on as well.

“Last year we had a few games like that as well and it doesn’t guarantee is going to be the same thing as well.

“Each team is different and each game is different.

“It is only Round 1, but you would love to play consistent football like that and that’s we aim to do.”