Fremantle appear to be towards the back of a logjam of teams outside the top-eight trying to force their way back up the ladder.
Underrated midfielder Lachie Neale’s exit is a big worry, but it does leave scope for great improvement from several youngsters who have it in them to become bona fide AFL stars.
Every club sings the praises of its own youth, but Adam Cerra and Andrew Brayshaw are worth more hype than most.
In the meantime they have at long last added some genuine star power to their forward line via the trade and free agency period, an aim of this club for the past decade, but even that comes with strings attached.
Jesse Hogan has been stood down in delicate circumstances after a night of heavy drinking, in what Football Boss Peter Bell has pointed out are trying times for Hogan’s mental health.
Question’s have surrounded Nat Fyfe and his elbow in recent weeks, but the 2015 Brownlow medallist is adamant he will play in Round 1, and any team with a midfield led by him, and a forward line including Hogan and the mercurial Michael Walters can do some damage.
While it still isn’t smooth sailing, Ross Lyon has more pieces in place to rise up the ladder than he has for some time.
OUR BEST 22- ROUND 1
NOTABLE OMISSIONS: Brandon Matera (suspension), Jesse Hogan (internal suspension), Griffin Logue (hamstring), Connor Blakely (hamstring), Aaron Sandilands (calf), Harley Bennell (calf), Stephen Hill (quad)
MVP
Nat Fyfe could still make a case to be the MVP of the entire league.
He has some hot competition there, but either way it’s no contest when it comes to his own club.
Fyfe was in Brownlow contention throughout the first half of last year before being suspended against Collingwood at the MCG, and after that his form dropped off slightly.
However, Fyfe is uber-powerful in the contest, possesses clean hands and a good footy brain, and is as good a mark as any midfielder nationwide.
When Fremantle are on top, Fyfe can get forward and hit the scoreboard, so look for his output to improve still further if Fremantle can get back amongst the wins more regularly in 2019.
BREAKOUT
His brother Tom attracted all the headlines last September thanks to an outstanding finals campaign in Collingwood’s undersized defence, but Ed Langdon is one to watch in 2019.
He perhaps already broke out last year, capitalising on injuries to key players to step into a more prominent role in the midfield, where he averaged 22 disposals.
Despite his youth he didn’t tire as the season wore on, and gathered 30+ disposals in two of his final three games.
Now entering his fifth year, Langdon boasts dash and hardness at the contest, and could thrive on the extra space midfielders are set to be afforded.
2018 was already a breakout year but watch for an even bigger jump in 2019.
UNDER THE PUMP
Jesse Hogan might have found himself in this bracket thanks to an early season stutter, and Harley Bennell seems to be perpetually (and therefore never) under the pump, but going into the new season, it’s time for Cam McCarthy to deliver.
He kicked 35 goals in his second year as a Giant, playing sidekick to Jeremy Cameron and Jon Patton, and looked to have the world at his feet.
After a year off from footy and a return to WA, his progress since has been frustrating.
Brennan Cox and Matt Taberner are both on the sidelines to start the seasons, but they have arguably already passed McCarthy.
Rory Lobb and Jesse Hogan is clearly the first choice key forward setup for Ross Lyon, but in Bradbury-esque fashion, McCarthy is almost guaranteed a Round 1 position thanks to Hogan’s recent lapse in judgement.
He has kicked 44 goals from 36 games as a Docker, but his defensive abilities are sometimes questioned, and he doesn’t win a heap of the ball, so goals are his niche and he hasn’t kicked enough in his first two seasons in Perth.
Turning 24 within the fortnight, he might not get too many more opportunities to bed down a spot in this lineup before Fremantle’s patience runs out.
EARLY PREDICTIONS
1. Nat Fyfe will win the Brownlow if he plays 20 games
2. Alex Pearce will end the season an A-grade backman
3. Ross Lyon will be the first to find a way to slow down the new “speeding the game up” rules
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