Fremantle vs Melbourne - Subiaco - Sunday Twilight
Fremantle -4th- 10-5- 119.05%
Melbourne - 11th - 5-9-1 - 88.98%
Fremantle's grip on fourth position was significantly loosened last week when they suffered a 19 point loss to Richmond at Etihad Stadium.
This week they return to their home fortress and take on a Melbourne side that is a notoriously poor traveller so they should bounce back and record their 11th win of what has been a very impressive season.
Melbourne had been struggling for the best part of eight weeks but an impressive all the way win over Essendon last week was the perfect tonic in a week where Jim Stynes once again provided some fantastic inspiration.
The Dockers have welcomed back Chris Tarrant into an extended squad, so for there sake, let's hope he plays as he will need to string some games together leading into an exciting september campaign for the club.
Fremantle will obviously have to make do without Barlow, but it is in defence where they have had some concerns lately.
McPharlin, Tarrant and Grover missing has put pressure on them of late, but it hasn't really been the key posts that have let them down, with Mcphee, Silvagni and Hayden handling that ok.
At times under pressure they have struggled with ball use, with their disposal efficiency in the back half of the ground the fourth worst in the AFL.
Their offensive power cannot be questioned, they score more often then any other team when they go inside fifty, and have a large spread of options in attack with a lot of midfield goals as well.
They need to just tighten up a bit defensively, as only Carlton have conceeded more points amongst the current top eight.
Melbourne would have been delighted to have scored 19 goals last week. Much has been said of the young midfield brigade they have coming through, and also the quality defenders the club is developing.
When people query them, it is their development of players in attack.
Jack Watts has had a solid month, Brad Green was exceptional, and the immediate impact of Liam Jurrah and Colin Sylvia was significant.
Those two, Jurrah in particular will be better for the run.
Stephen Hill and Rhys Palmer need attention for the dees, Palmer's clearance work in the past fortnight has been excellent, whilst Stephen Hill is arguably the game's best user of the ball by foot.
Expect Moloney to follow Palmer closely much as he did with Lenny Hayes a fortnight ago, Stephen Hill is the difficult one, hard to see an immediate option for him.
Brad Green is one of the more intelligent forwards in the game and he will enjoy the space at Subiaco, Tarrant if fit is the man who should get first crack, then probably Silvagni as second option.
Hayden might get a go at Jurrah who is deceptively good in the air, and Hayden from the outside at least, appears to be one of the better match ups for him.
Melbourne are another side that relies on efficiency. Despite all that has been said about their forward line they score from 30% of forward entries which is number two in the AFL.
They are however last for average inside fifties and at times this is due to a tendency to over posess the footy.
If you get caught doing that at Subiaco you are dead and buried.
Another important thing to do on the road is start well, and the Dees have had problems with first quarters all year, having won just four, if the Dockers get them early, they are no chance.
Melbourne are a side that has earnt some respect. The win loss record might not be pretty, but this is an improved line up with a number of quality youngsters, but compared to this Fremantle side they still come up short.
The Dockers have a top four spot on the line and will have too much run and too much spread of talent to lose to a Melbourne side that hasn't enjoyed getting on a plane in recent years.
Fremantle by 35 points.
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