No Sandilands, no Fyfe – no hope?
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon knows that is what the punters are thinking, but he wants his players to prove them wrong in Sunday’s AFL clash with Adelaide at Optus Stadium.
The Dockers were dealt a big blow earlier this week when skipper Nat Fyfe failed in his bid to overturn a one-match ban for striking.
And Fremantle’s victory hopes dipped further when ruckman Aaron Sandilands was ruled out on Friday after failing his concussion test by a “wide margin”.
It will be the second-straight game Sandilands has missed, leaving the Dockers with an inexperienced and undersized ruck division.
Sandilands and Fyfe are Fremantle’s most-important players.
And with Brad Hill, Stephen Hill and Harley Bennell also sidelined, Fremantle’s youthful side face an uphill battle to topple Adelaide.
When asked about having no Sandilands and no Fyfe, Lyon was quick to guess the rest of the question.
“No hope?” he asked.
“I’ve heard that one before. It’s a significant challenge.
“We can’t be a midfield group that survives and relies on Sandilands and Fyfe. Because if that’s the case, we’re in a lot of trouble.”
Adelaide are also reeling on the injury front, with key players Rory Sloane, Rory Laird, Tom Lynch, Riley Knight, Brad Crouch, Mitch McGovern and Brodie Smith injured.
But the Crows have been bolstered by the surprise early return of skipper Taylor Walker.
Fremantle have all but conceded their finals hopes are over after crashing to 4-7, with Lyon putting most of his focus on playing the ‘kids’.
Adelaide are 6-5 after two-consecutive losses and can’t afford a slip-up against the Dockers.
Sandilands suffered his concussion two weeks ago when he clashed heads with North Melbourne’s Sam Durdin.
Lyon said it was important not to take any risks with a player suffering concussion.
“When you’ve been around some concussion, they do look a bit doey in the eyes, and a bit glazed, and he certainly looked that earlier in the week,” Lyon said.
“Sometimes they have symptoms of ongoing headaches. I haven’t checked in too much – except flagged early that, ‘Mate, you’d have to be 100 per cent’.
“But we’re going to take no risk. There’s no pressure. He’d have to be bouncing out of his skin to let him go and play, so we’re not at that level yet.”
Bennell will miss a week of WAFL action after feeling tightness in his troublesome calf last Saturday, but Lyon says the issue isn’t serious.