Gary Buckenara analyses Fremantle’s list after the 2019 season
Fremantle sacked Ross Lyon and brought in Justin Longmuir but don't be fooled - this isn't your typical club that has just axed its coach. Gary Buckenara reveals why the Dockers can bounce back quickly.
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Don’t be fooled by the departure of Ross Lyon — Fremantle isn’t in as much trouble as you’d expect from a club that has sacked its coach. There is potential to bounce back quickly next year.
I wrote last year if the Dockers didn’t make finals this season then the club would make big changes ahead of the 2020 season and we’ve seen that to some degree, with Lyon and chief executive Steve Rosich moved on but sweeping changes won’t be made to the playing list.
That tells me the club believes it has the makings of a finals side capable of challenging for the premiership in coming years, it just needs a go in a new coaching direction to rejuvenate the group.
I also see a lot of positives in the list.
I have rated 10 Fremantle players as A or B-graders, which is a solid building block, while there are five players who are aged 21 or under with the potential to reach that level (scroll down to see the player breakdown). If the Dockers get the development of these players right — Griffin Logue, Adam Cerra, Andrew Brayshaw, Brennan Cox and Sam Sturt — that would give them 13 A or B-graders on the list in the next 2-4 years (this number excludes Bradley Hill who has requested a trade to St Kilda and David Mundy who is in the final year or two of his career) to launch an assault on the finals and possibly the premiership.
How can I be so optimistic about a team that missed the finals, was so inconsistent and sacked its coach? Here’s why.
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The team’s overall performance improved this season but struggled with inconsistency, which can in part be attributed to bad luck with injuries. Jesse Hogan, Alex Pearce, Stephen Hill, Rory Lobb, Nathan Wilson and Connor Blakeley are all key players who missed large portions of the season.
Fremantle has a combined 31 C-grade and developing players on its list, which explains why their form dropped away when those key players were missing. There is some depth on the list but at the moment, it’s young and inconsistent.
That large number does, however, mean the next 2-3 years are crucial for the club’s development. Can these players improve enough to elevate the team into a finals and premiership contender?
The Dockers also didn’t get much return on investment from big-name recruits Jesse Hogan and Rory Lobb due to injury but expect them to bounce back and have a big impact in 2020. They will form a really dangerous forward group with Michael Walters and Brandon Matera at their feet.
The Dockers’ on-ball brigade is still good enough to compete with the best with Nat Fyfe, S. Hill, Blakely, Walters, Mundy and another pre-season into emerging stars Brayshaw and Cerra. But Bradley Hill will be a huge loss — he’s an A-grade player who has only further enhanced his reputation as one of the game’s best wingmen during his four years at Fremantle.
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LIST NEEDS
The departures of Hill and Langdon leave the Dockers short on running power, so they’ll need to find players with good endurance and who use the ball well. If Hogan can’t get his body right next year then Matt Taberner will really need to step up and become the key forward target the Dockers have hoped he would become for the last few years. He’s shown some signs in the past but hasn’t quite been able to have that breakout consistent year.
LIST BREAKDOWN
A: Nat Fyfe, Rory Lobb
B+: Joel Hamling
B: Nathan Wilson, David Mundy, Connor Blakely
B-: Michael Walters, Alex Pearce, Jesse Hogan
C+: Brandon Matera, Darcy Tucker, Cameron McCarthy, Stephen Hill, Luke Ryan, Sam Switkowski, Reece Conca, Travis Colyer, Blake Acres
C: Sean Darcy, Ethan Hughes, Matt Taberner, Brett Bewley, James Aish
C-: Nil
Developing*: Griffin Logue, Adam Cerra, Andrew Brayshaw, Brennan Cox, Sam Sturt
Developing: Mitch Crowden, Hugh Dixon, Tom North, Lloyd Meek, Bailey Banfield, Stefan Giro, Taylin Duman, Jason Carter, Lachlan Schultz, Tobe Watson, Luke Valente
Please note: Developing* refers to players aged 21 or under with the potential to become A or B-grade players in the future.
DRAFT STRATEGY
The Dockers need to target quick and classy midfielders in the draft to replace Hill and Langdon. Fortunately, the draft this year is strong in that area and they should pick up three very nice players with their three picks, including two top-10s, inside the first 22 selections.
CRYSTAL BALL
A fit and healthy list to choose from is critical to what Fremantle can produce in 2020. The club has been hit hard by injuries over the past two seasons, which has hampered their ability to reach their full potential and as a result improve the win-loss record. What it has done, however, is give younger players more exposure to senior football. With some good trading and player development over the summer, Fremantle can be a finals contender next year.
Originally published as Gary Buckenara analyses Fremantle’s list after the 2019 season