Eight reasons to be excited about Fremantle in 2020
Fremantle was one of the big winners at last year’s draft, landing three elite talents inside the top-10. Can Hayden Young, Liam Henry and Caleb Serong help fast-track the Justin Longmuir era in the west?
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As Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir prepares for his first season in charge, there’s reason for the purple haze to have optimism about 2020.
It might be a reset — in some respects — but with three top-10 draftees arriving and Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe leading the charge, why couldn’t Longmuir’s team surprise a few?
Here’s eight reasons the Dockers can look forward to the first year of the Longmuir era.
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1. FRESH START
Ross Lyon in charge of the Dockers clearly wasn’t working and something had to give after the side lost eight of its last 10 games last season. Lyon was sacked and Justin Longmuir has taken the reins as senior coach and will bring a fresh approach. A young, modern coach who has been credited for turning Collingwood’s defence into one of the AFL’s strongest, Longmuir believes in “developing players holistically” and has promised to bring a “new style of play” with a better balance between offence and defence. The Dockers averaged only 72 points a game last season under Lyon — the third-lowest in the league — which makes it hard to win too many games.
2. FIT FORWARDS
On paper, the Fremantle forward line does not look too bad. However, there was little consistency from the group last season due to a raft of injuries. Brandon Matera played 20 games, but only one other permanent forward played more than 12. Jesse Hogan kicked 47 goals from 20 games for Melbourne in 2018 but could manage just 12 games and 13 goals in his first season in purple due to a foot injury. Matt Taberner has shown plenty of promise as a key forward but only managed nine games and 13 goals due to a foot injury. Cam McCarthy (12 games), Travis Colyer (10 games) and Stephen Hill (three games) were similarly struck by injuries which cut their seasons short. If the Dockers can get their forward line fit, it will go a long way to lifting their average score and improving their chances of winning games next season.
3. STABLE DEFENCE
Like the forward line, the Dockers’ defence had some injury issues in 2019. Key defender Alex Pearce managed just 11 games due to ankle injury which sidelined him for the second half of the season, while Connor Blakely (14 games) missed the start of the season with a hamstring. Luke Ryan and Nathan Wilson were each sidelined for the final four weeks of the season, leaving serious holes in a backline group which does not have a lot of depth. However, defensively the Dockers still ranked ninth for scores against last season. With more games out of some of those players – particularly Pearce – Fremantle could boast one of the best defences in the competition next season.
4. FANTASTIC FYFE
Two-time Brownlow Medal winner Nat Fyfe just keeps delivering and leading from the front as captain of the Dockers. Fyfe averaged a career-high 29.1 disposals last season as well as his most clearances (7.5 a game) and most SuperCoach ranking points (120 a game) since 2015. Despite carrying an elbow injury throughout much of the year, Fyfe believed he was able to impact in all 20 games he played and had success working with a pilates instructor which he said will become his “blueprint” going forward. Fyfe rated 2019 his “best year so far” on the field and at 28 years old he remains capable of having a huge impact for many years to come.
4. FOURTH-YOUNGEST LIST
The Dockers were young last year and are now even younger after some experienced players like Aaron Sandilands and Hayden Ballantyne hung up the boots. Fremantle will start next season with an average list age of just 23.86 – the fourth youngest in the competition ahead of only Carlton, Brisbane and Gold Coast. They will also be the sixth-least experienced list, having played an average of just 58.3 games. That suggests there is no shortage of upside within the playing group in coming years.
5. THREE TOP-10s
A large part of the reason the Dockers’ list is so young is they have invested heavily in the draft in recent years. And the 2019 national draft delivered no less than three top-10 selections for Fremantle. Hayden Young (pick 7), Caleb Serong (pick 8) and Liam Henry (pick 9) all joined the purple army with consecutive selections in a major recruiting coup. Young is a strong intercept defender in the mould of Greater Western Sydney star Nick Haynes, Serong is an elite onballer and damaging forward and Henry is a small forward who has been compared to his new Fremantle teammate Michael Walters. Expect all three to play senior football at some stage in 2020.
6. AISH ARRIVAL
Having waved goodbye to Brad Hill (St Kilda) and Ed Langdon (Melbourne), the Dockers were looking thin for a wingman to say the least. But they filled that void with Collingwood’s James Aish in a shock move on the final day of the trade period. Aish had worked closely with Fremantle coach Longmuir at the Magpies and is determined to make one of the wing positions his own at his third AFL club. The 24-year-old averaged 16.5 disposals across 14 games for Collingwood last season. The Dockers are excited by his outside run, ball use and competitiveness, believing Aish can be a big part of their future for years to come.
7. ACRES ARRIVAL
As part of the Brad Hill trade to the Saints, the Dockers did get something back in the form of Blake Acres. Like Aish, Acres is just 24 years old and the Dockers see him being able to play a key role in their side for a long time. Originally from Western Australia, Acres played 19 games for St Kilda last season, averaging 16.2 disposals and 71 SuperCoach ranking points. However, his best season statistically came in 2018 when the midfielder-forward averaged 21.5 disposals and 88 SuperCoach ranking points. Fremantle liked Acres’ run and strong body and see him as a versatile player who could fill a variety of roles, including filling the other wing position.
8. EASIEST FIXTURE
The Dockers have hit the jackpot for 2020 with what Champion Data judges to be the easiest fixture of any side. Fremantle faces double-up matches against three teams that finished in the bottom five positions on the ladder last season – Gold Coast, St Kilda and Melbourne. The Dockers’ two other double-up opponents are Western Bulldogs and West Coast, who finished seventh and fifth respectively in 2019. While there are few easy games in the AFL anymore, Fremantle has certainly been handed a favourable fixture.
CHAMPION DATA SAYS
The Dockers will have every opportunity to make a push further up the ladder heading into 2020 – having the easiest draw difficulty for the upcoming season. They will rely on their youth to get the job done, being the second-youngest side for 2020.
HOW YOUR CLUB IS TRACKING
2015: 1st — 17W, 5L (preliminary final)
2016: 16th — 4W, 18L
2017: 14th — 8W, 14L
2018: 14th — 8W, 14L
2019: 13th — 9W, 13L
TAB ODDS
Premiership: $51
Top 8: $6
Top 4: $17