Preview Round 2, 2025: Dockers vs Swans @ Optus Stadium

[The King!]

Hope we continue with our improvement. A win would be a massive boost to our confidence.

Outs: Jmac, Papley, Paton, Melican
Ins: Bice, Cleary, Mclean, Sheldrick

What happened to Melican

 

[Drizzy]

If serong plays in the mid we will win

 

[Drizzy]

Fremantle in and outs most likely

In:Walters, Bolton
Out: Banners(omitted), switta (injured)
Don’t think Fyfe will be ready
Darcy and young need more time unfortunately
Also don’t think we can have worner Chapman Draper Pearce Cox all in the same team we are to slow.
Cox played not too good but they won’t omit him
So if Fyfe is ready maybe the go Fyfe for worner and Chapman plays a full game and Fyfe sub

 

[The King!]

Fyfe is still about? Thought he retired 3 years ago.






Probably carve us up now, but that’s a Sunday problem

 

[Nuggetz]

What happened to Melican

groin injury

 

[Wheresbuddy]

Fremantle in and outs most likely

In:Walters, Bolton
Out: Banners(omitted), switta (injured)
Don’t think Fyfe will be ready
Darcy and young need more time unfortunately
Also don’t think we can have worner Chapman Draper Pearce Cox all in the same team we are to slow.
Cox played not too good but they won’t omit him
So if Fyfe is ready maybe the go Fyfe for worner and Chapman plays a full game and Fyfe sub

We've had a few bizarre intrusions today but yours is welcome. I think your team will bounce back hard, if for nothing else, to try and convince Chad that Freo is a premiership threat.

 

[caesar88]

Outstanding work Dubai Quacker! Hopefully the Swans give me reason to Elaine my way down the aisles of Optus

 

[bedford]

And you still can this year without getting abused unless you make a derogatory comment

Who would want to

 

[Millky95]

If serong plays in the mid we will win

It really is that simple he will destroy us

 

[ShireSwan]

The Key Details:

Sydney Swans (0-2) vs Fremantle Dockers (0-1)

Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth

Date: Sunday March 23

Time: 6.10pm AEST

Weather: The long range forecast suggests hot (33 degrees) and sunny.

Preamble

Under Ross Lyon, Fremantle games were fundamentally unwatchable.

Dour, defense-oriented slogs were the norm.

Thankfully, with Justin Longmuir taking charge, Freo’s game style has livened up a bit. Scoring is now an objective and recruitment of Shai Bolton is part of the ongoing shift towards more free-flowing, corridor-oriented footy.

Swans versus Freo games have actually become fairly open, free-flowing, entertaining affairs. And with Sydney likely to be fielding 21 skinny half-back flankers plus Tom Papley and a sub, that trend looks set to continue.

Both sides are, however, already under a bit of pressure.

Dean Cox’s reign isn’t off to a great start. Two frustrating losses, featuring some absolutely comical game-turning clangers, coupled with an abundance of skill-errors and a terrible injury toll isn’t the start Big Cox would have hoped for. The media hasn’t yet turned its spiteful gaze towards the Sydney coach (after all, they have Voss and Hinkley to feast on). Instead, Ryan O’Keefe (still with a rather large axe to grind) has been delighted to do David King’s job for him and put his size 11 boot into the hapless Swans.

If the Swans do go 0-3, expect a few media pundits to start to mention the names Dean Cox and John Longmire in their dispatches.

As for Freo, expectations are high. The traditional March cries of “Flagmantle!” dominate office water cooler discussions in Perth.

An utter decimation by Geelong in Round 1 (to the tune of 78 points) has, however, dampened early season optimism and Freo will doubtless come out firing for this one.

The Teams

This is kinda what the Swans currently look like (minus the trophy):

View attachment 2252117

Things already looked grim before the Lions game. But with Lewis Melican seemingly doing a groin and Justin McInerney getting a 3 week holiday courtesy of the AFL after deciding to prove that skinny half-back flankers can be “brutes”, the unavailable list has grown to highly problematic proportions.

Thankfully, Riley Bice stepped up and will maintain our skinny half-back flanker quota, after an impressive debut outing.

Tom McCartin will likely have to shift back into a severely depleted defence, to accompany Joel Hamling, the 6 foot 4 premiership defender that Horse Longmire spent a year trying to turn into a VFL standard half forward.

As for who comes in, Dossa McLean, Pete Ladhams and Gus Sheldrick were all mentioned in the coaches’ post-game presser. Sid Mitchell seems to have fallen off the radar, but is still an option. Caiden Cleary’s nose issue has reportedly resolved and he is also available for selection.

Coaches under pressure tend to take a conservative approach and its somewhat unlikely we’ll be seeing any more debutants this week.

As for Freo, ask any Dockers’ fan who their most important player is & they’ll probably plump for Jeff Farmer or “Pav”. Those that do actually have a clue will, however, tend to nominate Hayden Young – their smooth moving skinny half back flanker cum midfielder. His absence was extremely noticeable in the Geelong game. Much like the Swans missing Errol, Freo without Young lacked composure and a player capable of putting the Sherrin on a platter for the forward line.

Sam Switkowski goes out injured, which is also a blow to the Dockers.

Shai Bolton will, however, make his debut in purple and is likely to be introduced to Samuel Wicks.

The Verdict

Sydney has a few bogey sides. Freo isn’t one of them, but the Swans face a tough ask travelling to Optus with a very limited player pool to choose from.

The biggest threat – Freo are a very good stoppage / clearance side. Luke Jackson, Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw and Jaeger O’Meara are capable of dominating that aspect of the game. And the Swans can’t really regard it as a strength, especially with Heath Grundy seemingly playing on ankles borrowed from a late-season Isaac Heeney.

Both sides will be desperate to avoid an early season crisis.

Expect it to be a tight game, but Sydney to scrape home courtesy of an Ollie Florent goal after the siren and the POTY thread to be dominated by 5 votes O.Florent.

Post Script

Keep an eye out for caesar88 in the Optus crowd. He’s promised to unleash some new dance moves, with a 70’s disco revival rumored to be on the cards. The Justin McInerney apology video will be released pre-game on the Optus big screen.

First rate preview starter. Well done sir.

 

[Donza]

Freo now unsure on ruck roles after changing plans mid-game

How Fremantle handle the Luke Jackson’s time in the ruck is one of the big questions this year and coach Justin Longmuir admits he changed the plan to use him as a forward when Geelong started dominating.

thewest.com.au

 

[wills2g]

I’m surprised in the game day and autopsy thread that everyone thought Hanily had a good game

He was always closest to where I was sitting and he gave Zorko a tonne of space

I’d thought Cleary in for Hanily would be a no brainer

Or we keep Hanily in, Hayward plays tall for McCartin going back and bring in Cleary

We will be short up front but its not like Chol from Hawthorn is a world beater forward and their smalls just zip around creating havoc

Maybe we can do the same, just go small against freo backline

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Juzzy officially out now the club have accepted the suspension

 

[Kiama Chris]

Desperately need a proper second ruck so Amartey can be a proper FF. Not sure if McLean is 100% so maybe Ladhams gets a run.
McCartin goes back to replace Melican.
Mitchell would be a one-for-one replacement for McInerney but I suspect we will leave Bice in the team as he did well and use Mitchell as the sub.
Travelling Emergencies McLean, Sheldrick.
Happy return to Freo for Hamling!
My guess:
FB: Paton McCartin Rampe
HB: Blakey Hamling Roberts
C: Lloyd WarnerCh Florent
HF: Papley Ladhams Campbell
FF: Jordon Amartey Hayward
Foll: Grundy Heeney Rowbottom
I/C: Wicks Bice WarnerCo Hanily
Sub: Mitchell
Emergencies: McLean Sheldrick

 

[Bloods86]

I’m surprised in the game day and autopsy thread that everyone thought Hanily had a good game

He was always closest to where I was sitting and he gave Zorko a tonne of space

I’d thought Cleary in for Hanily would be a no brainer

Or we keep Hanily in, Hayward plays tall for McCartin going back and bring in Cleary

We will be short up front but its not like Chol from Hawthorn is a world beater forward and their smalls just zip around creating havoc

Maybe we can do the same, just go small against freo backline

Probably a bit tough to judge a 2nd gamer on Zorko. Wasn't polished at times but effort was there around the contest.

Would be dropping Paps before him.

With Jmac, Melican out and others like Hayward, Paton not doing well, I'd think he should be safe.

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Why is it assumed Melican is out? All we know is that he was sore.

 

[Syd]

Juzzy officially out now the club have accepted the suspension

Probably better than sending in our lawyers who would have gotten the suspension commuted to Life.

 

[Donza]

Why is it assumed Melican is out? All we know is that he was sore.

Whenever I see someone walking with Ice strapped to their leg via shrink wrap. I assume the worst.

I think it was more than sore.

 

[Donza]

Desperately need a proper second ruck so Amartey can be a proper FF. Not sure if McLean is 100% so maybe Ladhams gets a run.
McCartin goes back to replace Melican.
Mitchell would be a one-for-one replacement for McInerney but I suspect we will leave Bice in the team as he did well and use Mitchell as the sub.
Travelling Emergencies McLean, Sheldrick.
Happy return to Freo for Hamling!
My guess:
FB: Paton McCartin Rampe
HB: Blakey Hamling Roberts
C: Lloyd WarnerCh Florent
HF: Papley Ladhams Campbell
FF: Jordon Amartey Hayward
Foll: Grundy Heeney Rowbottom
I/C: Wicks Bice WarnerCo Hanily
Sub: Mitchell
Emergencies: McLean Sheldrick

IMO Paton will be nowhere near a swans side for a bit.
He was yanked by Cox (settle) so hard (oh behave) after he did that punch that led to a goal.

I'm interested to see what happens with CC.

 

[Bloods86]

I’m surprised in the game day and autopsy thread that everyone thought Hanily had a good game

He was always closest to where I was sitting and he gave Zorko a tonne of space

I’d thought Cleary in for Hanily would be a no brainer

Or we keep Hanily in, Hayward plays tall for McCartin going back and bring in Cleary

We will be short up front but its not like Chol from Hawthorn is a world beater forward and their smalls just zip around creating havoc

Maybe we can do the same, just go small against freo backline

On form, I think Hayward would be lucky to be in the 22.

But he'll stay in.

Geelong flogged them with Cameron (4 goals) and Neale (1) as keys. Several mediums and smalls went to town too.

I'd bring in Sheldrick, gets Warner and Heeney forward a little more. Cleary as an extra to roll through up forward and in the middle.

A KPF/ruck* to support Amartey (and relieve him of ruck duties) with McCartin going back.

Fwd line:

Campbell Amartey Cleary
Hanily KPF/ruck Hayward

Corey probably plays wing a bit to relieve Lloyd/Florent, with Jmac out, but still plays forward a bit, Chad/Heeney to rotate through fwd line as medium options.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

IMO Paton will be nowhere near a swans side for a bit.
He was yanked by Cox (settle) so hard (oh behave) after he did that punch that led to a goal.

I'm interested to see what happens with CC.

If you get subbed off in a losing side, you rarely play the following week.

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Coxy will be on SEN WA Breakfast tomorrow morning

Audio:

 

[Syd]

Audio:

McCartins role will change week to week, great way to develop consistency.

 

[kelpie_X]

IMO Paton will be nowhere near a swans side for a bit.
He was yanked by Cox (settle) so hard (oh behave) after he did that punch that led to a goal.

I'm interested to see what happens with CC.

I hope you are right

 

[Donza]

McCartins role will change week to week, great way to develop consistency.

I think thats a roundabout way of saying he's playing back this week.