Lachie Weller looking forward to sledges from former Fremantle teammates in Perth ‘home’ game

DOCKER-turned-Sun Lachie Weller is looking forward to hearing what his former Fremantle teammate have to say on Saturday when Gold Coast hosts the Dockers in a Perth “home” game.

Gold Coast co-captains Steven May and Tom Lynch after the win over Carlton.

GOLD Coast’s hopes of stealing the cash and the points at Perth Stadium have been dashed with a late surge of ticket sales to the Fremantle faithful set to deliver a bumper crowd.

Dockers memberships did not secure access to the clash with the undefeated Suns, who are the home team at Perth’s new stadium, having sold the fixture for a figure believed to be $600,000.

Ticket sales had been slow until the Dockers’ upset of Essendon last week prompted renewed interest.

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It was announced on Friday that the top tier of the new stadium had been opened, which suggests there will now be a crowd of close to 40,000.

Suns coach Stuart Dew, taking a leaf out of opposite number Ross Lyons’ standard tight-lipped pre-game style, said the Suns would simply carry on with what had secured them their opening two wins of the season and both JLT Challenge games.

“We haven’t had any tricks in the four games so far and we’re certainly not going to try and pull a rabbit out of a hat,” he said.

First-year Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew.

“We’re looking for consistency and effort from our whole group.”

The clash will see players from both sides taking on old mates for the first time.

Foundation Sun Brandon Matera, who played 101 games for the club before returning home to Perth in the off-season squares off against new Sun Lachie Weller, who expects a fiery welcome from his old mates at the Dockers in his 50th game.

When asked who he expected the chief protagonist to be, he had no trouble identifying cheeky forward Hayden Ballantyne.

“I’ll love to see what he has,” he said.

Weller spent three seasons with the Dockers, playing 47 games, before requesting a trade to Gold Coast, where he spent his teenage years while his brother Mav, now at St Kilda, was a foundation player.

He said he had no nerves taking on his old mates in front of a crowd known to give opposition players a hard time, especially ones who once wore their colours.

“I’m really excited. It’ll be good to see a few of the boys, but it’s just another game of football,” he said.

Docker turned Sun Lachie Weller. Picture: Alix Sweeney

“It’ll be a bit of fun, good to see them out there and see what chirp they throw at me.”

Weller, who the Suns traded away pick two in the draft to secure, said he had slotted in well at the Gold Coast because the Suns under Dew were developing a similar style to the Dockers.

“I think Stuey’s message, he’s harping on defence a lot, and coming from Fremantle they’re quite a defensive team,” he said.

“It’s been good for my transition because I feel like I know a fair bit already in that department.’’

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Originally published as Lachie Weller looking forward to sledges from former Fremantle teammates in Perth ‘home’ game