Fremantle coach Ross Lyon can’t wait for Saturday to try and take revenge against Richmond, the team which handed the Dockers their first loss of the AFL season.
Fremantle remained a game clear on top of the AFL ladder with a 42-point win over Carlton at Domain Stadium on Saturday, but the Dockers couldn’t shake the lowly Blues until the final quarter.
It was enough for Fremantle to improve to a 13-2 record after round 16 and remain four-points clear of West Coast and two ahead of Hawthorn. They did, though, lose small forward Hayden Ballantyne to a shoulder injury.
Richmond beat the Dockers in Round 10 and Lyon can’t wait to get a chance at redemption against the Tigers on Saturday.
“We know that Richmond are a really massive challenge at the MCG,” he said.
“We are excited about that, we can’t wait to get on the plane and they knocked us over here (in Perth), so we understand what they bring to the table.
“It’s a big challenge but you can’t sneak around in league football, you have to earn your position.
“I don’t think it hurts us (to play Richmond again so soon). It’s exciting.”
It’s a different story for Freo’s round-16 victims Carlton, with coach John Barker just hoping to be competitive against Hawthorn in round 17.
Carlton might have ended up losing by 42 points against Fremantle on Saturday night, but for three quarters it was a strong showing against the league-leaders.
The Blues now have the unenviable task of facing a rampant Hawthorn on Friday night at Etihad Stadium.
“So that looks like it’s going to be a solid challenge next week, but again, the boys get to learn,” Barker said.
“It’s not just about learning, we need to go out there and play and play in a manner that befits the Carlton Football Club.
“We know what we value on field, we got that right for three quarters (against Fremantle) and we need to get that right for four quarters next week, to be competitive.
“We don’t have much of a choice with our list in terms of who we play (because of injuries), so I think everyone understands where we are at; we know where we are at and we just have to make the most of the situation we are in and keep driving these boys to higher standards.”
