Richmond assistant coach Andrew McQualter provides ‘Roar Vision’ with a snapshot of the main attributes of Fremantle’s game ahead of this Sunday afternoon’s clash between the two teams at the MCG.
Key match-up – Martin v Fyfe
“They’re both spending a little bit of time forward (this season), and are both great players of the competition. I’m sure at some stage on the weekend they’ll line up on each other, and it’ll be pretty good to watch, I reckon.”
Sandilands’ hit-out dominance
“It is quite extraordinary (his hit-out numbers) . . . For years people have been trying to figure out ways (of combating his hit-out dominance), but Freo have been a strong clearance team every time ‘Sandi’ plays. So, (it’s) really difficult to stop, but we’ve got a few things we’ll come up with to try and negate it.”
Clearance strength
“It’s a real strength of theirs, and something we’re going to have to prepare really well for and be able to combat, because ground position’s so important. From centre bounce, a lot of the time there’s even numbers in front of the ball. So it’s such a critical area.”
Ability to restrict opposition transition
“I know Ross (Lyon), and his philosophy is based around defence . . . They’re a really strong defensive team if they’re able to set it up. A lot of it’s through their forward and midfield. So they’re a tough team to play against and move the ball against . . . They’re very good at restricting the fast-ball movement . . . they can slow you down. So that’s going to be a challenge that we’ll have to deal with.”
Improved forward line
“(Cam) McCarthy’s obviously a really important player for them, and then (Matt) Taberner came in last week and was able to get on the scoreboard. (David) Mundy’s playing a little bit forward as well. They’ve been able to put that into their game and it’s working for them . . . So there are some challenges for our backs.”
