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Fremantle Dockers face forward line shake-up if problems arising from St Kilda loss aren‘t quickly resolved
When it comes to the forward line, the Dockers could do worse than look up Einstein’s definition of insanity, writes ELIZA REILLY.@ByElizaReilly
4 min read
March 20, 2023 - 5:32PM
Four big men. Three of whom aren’t proven in attack. Two goals between them.
One mighty conundrum for Fremantle.
Dropped marks, questionable conversions and terrible inside 50 entries: this was a forward line in disarray at Marvel Stadium on Sunday. But was Fremantle’s performance against St Kilda the basement or the benchmark?
On paper, Nat Fyfe, Josh Treacy, Matt Taberner and Luke Jackson looked like they were going to trouble most backlines in the competition; at least in a couple of pre-season practice matches. That, however, unravelled courtesy of Ross Lyon and his diligently drilled defence.
Together, the aforementioned quartet combined for one mark inside 50, eight tackles and a pair of goals. And of those, Taberner was walked to the goalsquare after St Kilda committed dissent, while Treacy won a free kick.
If the Saints didn’t intercept the ball at the first instance, they ran it out of defensive 50 with ease, leaving too much work to Fremantle’s small forwards.
Taberner’s lone goal against St Kilda came from a 50 metre penalty. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
“It’s the question mark we have internally … what the right mix is with the forward line,” Dockers football operations and performance boss Bob Murphy told SEN on Monday. “(Before the St Kilda game) it had been building really nicely and looked damaging and dangerous.
“This forward group is still finding that water level of when to go, when to stay, reading each other’s body language. There’s a million things that go into that. We want to see a bigger sample size but we had enough supply. The boys will get back to work this week to try and find that alchemy and rhythm to kick a winning score.”
As alluded to, supply wasn’t the issue.
Fremantle won the inside 50 count 65-53, with around 40 of those coming in the second half for a result of two goals.
The problem was height, or an excess of.
Fremantle struggled to make the most of their height advantage. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
Did Justin Longmuir sneak a look at Melbourne’s demolition of the Western Bulldogs at the MCG the night before the Dockers rolled up to Marvel Stadium? Because it was the perfect instance of foreshadowing.
The Dogs unleashed one of the tallest forward lines in AFL history. Former Docker Rory Lobb (207cm), young gun Sam Darcy (208cm), spearhead Aaron Naughton (196cm) and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (197cm) looked menacing on paper.
In reality, they combined for 2.6 and five marks inside 50. And that was against a team without All-Australian defender Steven May.
Taberner (198cm), Fyfe (191cm), Jackson (199cm) and Treacy (195cm) weren’t much better.
That’s because they are somewhat foreign up forward.
Taberner took a few years to develop but has been a constant barring a fair share of injuries. At his best, he can kick seven goals in a game. But those outliers are interspersed by serviceable and sometimes ineffective performances.
Treacy looks like a player of the future. He’s got the frame and physicality to develop into an AFL key forward but he’s not there yet.
Treacy is still earning how to handle his frame and physicality at an AFL level. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images
Jackson was drafted as a ruck and that’s where he has done his best work to date. The Dockers are hoping he can be influential up forward, but the reality is he may soon challenge Sean Darcy for the mantle of No.1 ruck.
And then there’s Fyfe.
An enigma who is undoubtedly one of the best midfielders of the past decade, if not in the history of the AFL, the 31-year-old is being remodelled as a forward.
He showed great potential during the pre-season but looked lost on Sunday. It forced Fremantle to defend the positional switch, especially when a two-time Brownlow medallist was stuck in attack when the midfield battle was in St Kilda’s favour.
“I think Nathan would say the same – it certainly wasn’t one of his more influential games but he’s probably the microcosm of this is a forward line that’s still finding its rhythm and there’s a human chemistry element involved,” Murphy said.
“I think it would be a little bit kneejerk after spending the entire summer and the back end of last year, Nathan preparing as a forward, he’s such a unique talent as we know. I think it just needs a little bit more and to panic and throw him into the midfield would have just been a bit shortsighted, in my view anyway.”
Fyfe struggled for possessions in attack, away from the contest in the midfield. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
Longmuir has also stopped short of declaring a major shake-up of Fremantle’s forward line.
What is clear is that Michael Walters will likely play one more full game at WAFL level before he is deemed fit for selection. Then the Dockers simply must make room for him.
Unless Fremantle reaches the point of no return, Fyfe is undroppable. Jackson is required to back-up Darcy. That means one, if not maybe both, of Taberner and Treacy are expendable.
Is it time to unleash Jye Amiss? The prodigious top-10 pick has been overtaken in the pecking order but he could just be the most natural key forward on Fremantle’s list. In the smallest of sample sizes, Amiss rose to the occasion, hit the scoreboard and led up at the ball carrier.
Or is Sam Sturt the answer? The natural goal kicker is taller than you’d expect at 190cm but he’s versatile. The penny has dropped and he’s now applying the sort of pressure the Dockers have been craving.
It’s going to be a long week of reflection at Fremantle.
But the Dockers could do worse than look up Einstein’s definition of insanity.
and I’d constantly hear about forward craft and a natural forward, and yeah sure. I get that. Makes sense. I think I only really got what that meant when I got to see Amiss play his first game, live. I’d just expected it from guys like Walters, so maybe it didn’t stand out. But watching that skinny little baby out there (ok, against north) it was, oh. That’s a natural forward. That’s good. More of that. Play him when he available. Drop him when he needs a rest, but he’s already got IT. Just needs to get the experience. But then, everything I learnt about footy I learnt from big footy. So maybe not 
