When Gary Ablett comes up against the Dockers, normally it is Ryan Crowley’s close-checking that leaves a mark, but the GC SUNS’ entire midfield had better be prepared for bruising battles across the park when they take on some of the biggest bodies in the game on Saturday in Perth.
This is not about Aaron Sandilands’ near seven-foot frame, but the mids who surround him at stoppages. Nathan Fyfe, Michael Barlow and David Mundy have more in common than just the purple and white Guernsey they wear; all three measure in at 188cm or taller, and tip the scales at 88kg or above. Throw tagger Crowley in, who also meets those marks, and you have, physically, one of the biggest engine rooms in recent memory.
On the lengthy track that is Patersons Stadium, Ablett says his team will need to maintain possession when they get in to open space against the Dockers’ defensive wall in what shapes as a classic contest between size and speed.
“We’ve got to make sure we control the ball and we don’t hand the ball over easy; make sure our kicks and handballs are hitting targets,” Ablett said.
“We have got leg speed within the team and we’ve got to make sure we’re using that on the big ground over there against them.
“They’re a very good defensive side and they make early decisions on the defensive side of things which, in turn, causes a lot of turnovers and allows them to slingshot the ball back.”
Freo showed little rust in overcoming Collingwood by 70 points at Etihad Stadium on the opening night of the season, but the SUNS also made the AFL world sit up and take notice after they recorded an 18-point win over Richmond in an arm-wrestle at Metricon Stadium.
While Ablett was at his brilliant best with 41 touches and two goals, he found plenty of support in the middle with Dion Prestia, David Swallow and Jaeger O’Meara also amongst the SUNS’ best.
The two-time Brownlow Medallist says it will take a team effort across the ground to overcome a Dockers outfit which has won its last 11 matches in Perth.
“We’ve got 18 guys out on the field each week. They’ve all got to play a role for us to win.
“It was a great team effort (the win over Richmond) and hopefully we can do it again this week.
The SUNS are yet to record a win at Patersons Stadium against either the Dockers or West Coast.
