Fremantle Dockers v Gold Coast - Round 6

When and Where - Saturday 5 May, 2.40pm (WST) bounce down, Metricon Stadium

Perth Broadcast information

TV: Live from 2.30pm on Fox Footy and Channel 7

Radio: Live 2.30pm 720 ABC and 882 6PR

For the AFL national broadcast schedule, click here

Form-line

Freo - Rd 1 - W, Rd 2 - L, Rd 3 - W, Rd 4 - W, Rd 5 - L
Gold Coast - Rd 1 - L, Rd 2 - L, Rd 3 - L, Rd 4 - L, Rd 5 - L

The medical room

Freo - Nat Fyfe is out following news he will require shoulder surgery, while ruck giant Aaron Sandilands misses his second game in succession with a calf injury.

Gold Coast - The Suns’ midfield has been hit hard by injury with superstar Gary Ablett (knee), Michael Rischitelli (ankle) and Brandon Matera (foot) all unavailable. Youngster Josh Toy returns, however.

Who’s hot

Freo - Ryan Crowley: Crowley is performing his tagging role nicely, shutting down three star midfielders in the past three weeks. But he’s also managed to be more than handy in an attacking sense, kicking four goals from five matches and gaining more than 20 disposals twice.

Gold Coast - Kyal Horsley: The former Subiaco star and Sandover Medal runner-up made a brilliant AFL debut last week, collecting 19 disposals and eight tackles. Freo assistant Michael Prior on Horsley: “He kicked it inside 50 seven or eight times last week in his debut and he’s one we’ll really have to watch closely.”

X-Factor

Freo - Jonathon Griffin: Griffin was solid in his first game of the season last week and will again be called upon to lead Freo’s ruck in Sandilands’ absence. Gold Coast will be mindful of Griffin’s best-on-ground effort when the two sides met in round 15 last year when he had 26 possessions, 30 hitouts and two goals. Prior said last week has given Griffin a lot of confidence. “We expect more game time in the ruck for Jon this week.”

Gold Coast - David Swallow: Without Ablett and Rischitelli in the line-up, the classy Swallow will be the most dangerous midfielder in the Suns’ team on Saturday. The number one pick in the 2010 National Draft is averaging 24 disposals per game and must fire if Gold Coast is to have any chance of winning its first game of the season.

Key match-up

Ryan Crowley v David Swallow: Crowley has shut down Daniel Rich, Nick Dal Santo and Chris Judd in the past three weeks and should play on young Suns’ star Swallow on Saturday. This is a match-up that will bear a huge impact on the result of the game.

Stats that matter

- Fremantle is fifth in contested possessions with 738
- Gold Coast is 14th for contested possessions with 708 (Ablett has accounted for 79)

- Fremantle is seventh in clearances with 198
- Gold Coast is 15th in clearances with 182 (Ablett has accounted for 37)

- Matthew Pavlich is only five goals shy of 500 in his career
- Jon Griffin plays his 50th AFL game

When they last met

Round 15, 2011, Patersons Stadium

Fremantle 3.2 7.2 13.5 17.10 (112)
Gold Coast 4.1 7.5 8.8 9.8 (62)

GOALS
Fremantle: Pavlich 3, Mzungu 3, Ballantyne 3, Fyfe 2, Griffin 2, Lower, de Boer, Johnson, Mellington
Gold Coast: Ablett 3, McKenzie 2, Stanley, Wilkinson, Fraser, Matera

BEST
Fremantle: Griffin, Broughton, Mzungu, Fyfe, Pavlich, Ballantyne, Silvagni
Gold Coast: Ablett, McKenzie, Stanley, Bock, Swallow

INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
Gold Coast: Sam Day (knee), Nathan Bock (arm), Zac Smith (face), Sam Iles (foot)

SUBSTITUTES
Fremantle: Ryan Crowley replaced by Josh Mellington at three-quarter time
Gold Coast: Daniel Gorringe replaced by Brandon Matera in the second quarter

Reports: Nil
Umpires: McBurney, Wenn, Keating
Official crowd: 28,646 at Patersons Stadium

Fremantle saluted champion skipper Matthew Pavlich in his 250th game, overcoming a slow start to beat Gold Coast by 50 points at Patersons Stadium.
The Suns were led superbly by Gary Ablett - and they gave the home side a significant scare in the first half - but Fremantle finished strongly, kicking nine of the game’s last 10 goals to win 17.10 (112) to 9.8 (62).

Pavlich booted 3.3, had 25 possessions and was chaired from the ground by teammates Luke McPharlin and Antoni Grover in his milestone game.
Ruckman Jonathon Griffin took his chance with both hands, finishing a dominant first half with 18 possessions, 16 hit-outs, six inside 50s and two goals. Big second half performances from Ballantyne, Mzungu and Stephen Hill took the game away from Gold Coast, while de Boer set the example with his attack on the ball. Pavlich and Nat Fyfe contributed all day.

Toyota AFL Dream Team

Freo - Jon Griffin: Griffin’s 155 Dream Team points the last time these sides met was Freo’s highest individual score of the 2011 season.

Gold Coast - Trent McKenzie: The long-kicking Sun scored 122 DT points when these sides met in round 15 last year. He’s had a quiet start to 2012, averaging just 47 points, but Gold Coast will look to get the ball in his hands at every opportunity and utilise his substantial kicking skills.

Where Freo can win it - Do not underestimate the winless Suns

Freo assistant coach Michael Prior says the absence of Ablett and Rischitelli doesn’t mean Freo can take the young Suns lightly.

“Without those players, Gold Coast still kicked 5.2 from their centre-bounce clearance work,” Prior said.

“There are still some key players we’ve got to watch out for in their midfield, like Dion Prestia, David Swallow and Kyal Horsley, who made a good debut last week.”