LAST TIME: Fremantle 12.16 (88) d Brisbane Lions 10.5 (65), round 14, 2011 at Patersons Stadium
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It is hard to get an accurate read on Fremantle, with Ross Lyon's men notching a brilliant win over Geelong in round one but backing that up with a disappointing effort against the Sydney Swans, falling 45 points behind at one stage. Saturday's clash against the 1-1 Brisbane Lions is an ideal chance to get back on the winner's list, with the expected return of star midfielder David Mundy a significant boost. The Lions will be without injured Brownlow medallist Simon Black (hand) but they will be buoyed by the return of inspirational leader Jonathan Brown.
THE FOUR POINTS
Fremantle
1. Michael Barlow had 19 disposals in the second half against the Swans, so how much will a full game from the star onballer improve Fremantle? Sandilands dominated the Swans in the ruck to have 53 hit-outs, and it is likely he will have both Barlow and clearance specialist David Mundy, who is returning from a serious ankle injury, roving his taps on Saturday.
2. Has Fremantle found the right mix with its key position players yet? Tall forwards Kepler Bradley, Jack Anthony, Zac Clarke and Matthew Pavlich combined for two goals against the Swans, with Chris Mayne booting four. In defence, Antoni Grover and Alex Silvagni have been overlooked in the opening two rounds, with the latter playing as a forward in the WAFL.
3. Former Fremantle coach Mark Harvey, now an assistant coach for the Brisbane Lions, returns to Perth this weekend in an intriguing sub-plot to Saturday's match. How will the triple Essendon premiership star be received by the Freo faithful, who were shocked by his axing, and the players themselves?
4. The issue of Stephen Hill and taggers keeps surfacing in the midfielder's fourth season. The left-footer was among Fremantle's best against Geelong in round one, but he made a slow start against the Swans, winning just two possessions in the first half with Rhyce Shaw tailing him. He recovered to finish with 18 possessions and nine clearances but continues to drift out of games too often.
Brisbane Lions
1. Just how much impact will Jonathan Brown have in his return? The Lions' skipper is notorious for big first-up performances after an absence - most recently kicking four goals on a wet night to help his team get over North Melbourne in a low-scoring affair last year.
2. During the week Brown described Simon Black as the hardest Lion to replace. With the Brownlow medallist set to miss up to four weeks with a broken hand, the young midfield will have to get their hands dirty and fill the void. That means more responsibility for Redden, Rich, Rockliff and Polkinghorne.
3. Last year Matthew Pavlich put in a Herculean performance when the teams met in the west, notching 28 disposals and kicking five goals to get his team home. Daniel Merrett or Matt Maguire will get Pavlich when he goes forward, but when the Fremantle captain moves to the midfield, the Lions will have to get creative with no obvious match-up.
4. Matthew Leuenberger had a terrific 2011 to move himself to the second bracket of elite ruckmen around the AFL. In Aaron Sandilands, he comes up against the benchmark on Saturday night, and his impact could not only enhance his own reputation, but go a long way towards giving the Lions a fighting chance.
Prediction: Fremantle by 35 points
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
