Dockers go tall for Eagles derby

Updated May 24, 2012 21:23:26

Fremantle is set to throw caution to the wind by playing three ruckmen in Sunday's western derby against West Coast.

Three-times All-Australian Aaron Sandilands and 201cm tap specialist Jonathon Griffin are yet to play in the same side as each other since Griffin's switch to the Dockers at the end of 2010.

Sandilands has been the preferred ruckman over that time, with Griffin only getting a chance whenever the 211cm giant has been injured.

But with the Eagles boasting a formidable ruck duo of Dean Cox and Nic Naitanui, Dockers coach Ross Lyon said he was "more likely than unlikely" to include Griffin alongside Sandilands this week.

And fellow ruckman Zac Clarke is set to keep his spot after being named in a forward pocket in Fremantle's 25-man squad, with Griffin slotted in on the extended interchange bench.

Lyon said the inclusion of Griffin would allow Sandilands to spend more time in attack, where his height could stretch West Coast's defence.

"It will be a threat if we can supply the ball to Aaron in the forward line, no doubt about that," Lyon said.

The Dockers included Griffin, defender Alex Silvagni, Nick Suban, Jesse Crichton and Hayden Crozier, while Dylan Roberton and Garrick Ibbotson were dropped.

The Eagles welcomed back Matt Priddis from concussion and goalsneak Ashton Hams from suspension, with ruckman Scott Lycett also added to the extended squad.

Although the focus has been on the ruckmen this week, Eagles coach John Worsfold said the fight at ground level was just as important.

The Dockers can attest to that after winning the hit-outs 52-25 but losing the clearances 48-24 in last week's 56-point loss to Hawthorn.

Lyon admitted his team's midfield were annihilated against the Hawks.

But he leapt to the defence of 174cm speedster Hayden Ballantyne, who has struggled to hit top form this season after spending more time in the midfield.

Ballantyne's best football has come while playing as a small forward who pinch-hits in the midfield, but Lyon said he was keen for the 24-year-old to continue the experiment of spending prolonged periods on the ball.

"You'll see Hayden in the midfield," Lyon said.

"Kevin Sheedy was all about flexibility in his great teams and we want to build to be a great team, so we need to have flexibility.

"It's easy to look at peoples' failures, but (Ballantyne) was a catalyst for our round one win (over Geelong) and (against) the Saints in the last quarter.

"He's a key driver of our team."

Fremantle tagger Ryan Crowley is expected to get the job on gun Eagles on-baller Daniel Kerr.

Kerr complained earlier this week about the unfair attention he and fellow key midfielders around the league were copping from taggers.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, perth-6000, wa, australia, fremantle-6160

First posted May 24, 2012 21:21:59

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Swans great Kirk receives derby honour

Updated February 03, 2012 17:57:47

Former Sydney captain Brett Kirk has been honoured with the news the best on ground from the inaugural derby between the Swans and new AFL club Greater Western Sydney will win a medal named after him.

The news was revealed at a media launch to mark 50 days until the two teams meet in round one of the season at the Olympic stadium, leaving Kirk humbled.

"What an honour, very proud to be standing here today," he said.

"When I came to Sydney, my intention was to play one game of footy and to be standing here several years later, being bestowed such an honour, would never have been in my wildest dreams."

Kirk played 241 matches for the Swans in a career spanning from 1999 to 2010, and had a key role in the team's 2005 premiership win.

The 35-year-old, who was born in the Giants' catchment area in the southern New South Wales border city of Albury, says he is looking forward to AFL taking centre stage in Sydney when the first derby is contested on March 24.

"I think in years to come, this will turn into a great rivalry," he said.

"There's no doubt over the last couple of years there's been a lot of talk about territory and those sort of things but I think just for the people of Sydney to come along and choose their colours in a sense can only be good for the game up here."

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, sydney-2000

First posted February 03, 2012 17:56:34

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Nicoski celebrates Derby goal

Published:Sunday, May 15, 2011 7:22 AEST

Mark Nicoski of the Eagles celebrates a goal during the round eight AFL match against the Fremantle Dockers at Subiaco Oval on May 15, 2011 in Perth. The Eagles won the match by 33 points.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, wa, fremantle-6160, perth-6000

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Eagles break Derby drought

Updated May 15, 2011 20:50:00

West Coast snapped a seven-game losing streak against western rivals the Dockers with a 33-point triumph in the 33rd edition of the Derby in Perth on Sunday.

The Eagles led from the outset and were never headed despite a handful of challenges from Fremantle, posting an impressive 14.12 (96) to 9.9 (63) victory.

The win also lifted West Coast in to the top half on the ladder, one-place ahead of the eighth-placed Dockers who share a 4-3 record with their neighbours.

Eagles midfield gun Matt Priddis (27 disposals) was awarded the Ross Glendinning Medal for his best on field performance, the first West Coast player to win the award since Michael Braun in 2007 and the 10th in the club's history.

Josh Kennedy booted three goals for the Eagles while Matthew Rosa, Quinten Lynch and Mark Lecras had fantastic outings for West Coast after the late withdrawals of Daniel Kerr (groin) and Andrew Embley (hamstring).

Priddis said his side was not distracted by the loss of the two veterans and stayed on employing their match-winning forward pressure.

"We were very confident the two boys would know their structures and it was a great, hard fought, four-quarter win," he told Grandstand.

"There is a real steel in this group, the guys across the whole squad are very clear with the roles that we play.

"I think that is the real big difference this year, everyone is on the same page.

"We want to create great defensive pressure and we know we will get rewards from that."

Nathan Fyfe along with Aaron Sandilands and David Mundy did their best to inspire the Dockers who were down in intensity after a lacklustre defeat to Richmond in Melbourne last week.

Fyfe said the Dockers were feeling the impact of a long list of key injuries, including Hayden Ballantyne this week, but did not take away from the performance of West Coast.

He agreed a number of young guns like himself and Stephen Hill have been forced to step up more often in what has been an underpowered outfit due to injuries.

"The young guys at Fremantle know we have to take all the responsibility off the older guys and start performing week to week like the Pavlichs, Mundys and Sandliands have been doing for this club for a long time," he said.

"The faster we can perform regularly the better our side will be."

West Coast set up the win with a dominant second term, booting 5.4 to 1.3 despite kicking against a stiff breeze.

The Eagles led by 12 points at quarter-time, but shut down Fremantle's engine room in the second term to take control of the contest.

Fremantle entered its forward 50m just four times for the quarter as West Coast piled on 5.4 from 15 entries.

Lynch and Darling marked everything which came their way, while Priddis was tough in the clinches, tallying 10 touches for the term as the Eagles went into the long break with a comfortable 37-point advantage.

The margin extended to 40 points early in the third quarter and, although a magical goal from Fyfe sparked Fremantle to life, it was only a momentary pulse as the Eagles closed out the win.

Eagles: 14.12 (96) - J Kennedy 3, J Darling 2, M LeCras 2, M Nicoski 2, C Masten, D Cox, L Shuey, N Naitanui, Q Lynch.

Dockers: 9.9 (63) - C Mayne 2, N Fyfe 2, D Mundy, K Bradley, M Johnson, M Pavlich, R Crowley.

-ABC/AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, wa, fremantle-6160, perth-6000

First posted May 15, 2011 19:29:00

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Eagles primed to break Derby hoodoo

Updated May 11, 2011 18:29:00

West Coast skipper Darren Glass is adamant the Eagles now possess the weapons needed to break their demoralising losing run against AFL arch-rival Fremantle.

The Eagles made life miserable for Fremantle in the early days, regularly playing the role of bully both on the scoreboard and in the physical stakes as the Dockers were handed a series of painful Western Derby losses.

But the tide has turned since Mark Harvey took the reins of Fremantle in late 2007, with the Dockers winning the past seven Derbies to narrow the ledger to 18-14 in West Coast's favour.

Although Fremantle is expected to push for a top-four berth this season and West Coast is still in rebuilding mode, Glass is confident the rejuvenated Eagles will be able to more than match it when the two teams meet at Patersons Stadium this Sunday.

"It's probably our best chance in a while," he said on Wednesday.

"I think over the last couple of years they've clearly been the better side.

"I don't think they've got the wood on us.

"I think this side has changed a lot over the last three years.

"Clearly we are a different side to last year so hopefully it can be a different result.

"There's certainly an element of wanting to win the derby.

"It's a big disappointment not having won one for quite some time, so we are keen to rectify that."

West Coast midfielders Andrew Gaff and Chris Masten are in line for a recall after starring in the WAFL last week.

Gaff, who has been used as West Coast's nominated sub for much of the season, tallied 34 disposals for South Fremantle last week, while Masten has now played two WAFL games since recovering from the knee injury he suffered in round one.

"I'd expect them both to be in the mix," Glass said.

"Gaffy was a good contributor for us coming on as a sub anyway ... and Masto has been in great form as well. I'd expect both of them to be thereabouts."

The Dockers will assess the fitness of goalsneak Hayden Ballantyne (hamstring) on Saturday, but Fremantle coach Mark Harvey declared Kepler Bradley (shin) and Nat Fyfe (shoulder) certain starters.

West Coast (3-3 record) has enjoyed a bright start to the season and Glass was confident the side's young guns would stand tall in the heat of Derby battle.

"We've got some game breakers like Luke Shuey (and) Scotty Selwood's a ferocious tackler," he said.

"I think we've got the mix in there for guys to play well in big games."

- AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, wa, fremantle-6160, perth-6000

First posted May 11, 2011 18:12:00

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