Fremantle coach Ross Lyon won’t unleash any surprises on AFL heavyweights Geelong this weekend – but he will unleash the mongrel.
The Dockers were left fuming last week when the AFL chose to schedule Saturday’s qualifying final against the Cats at Simonds Stadium instead of the MCG or Etihad.
Geelong coach Chris Scott fanned the flames even further on Monday when he predicted the match could turn spiteful given the recent heated history between the two sides.
Lyon tried his best to hose down both issues on Tuesday, claiming he hadn’t even heard Scott’s comments and couldn’t care less about where the game was played.
But the former Saints coach is urging his charges to push it “right to the edge” against the Cats as Fremantle attempt to secure a prized home preliminary final.
“I’m not a trick coach. There won’t be too many things that you haven’t seen before,” Lyon said.
“There won’t be too many surprises.
“The expectation is we go and compete fiercely, push it right to the edge and see where that takes us.
“For a long period of time now, we’ve been able to stand up to pressure, so I’m really confident that we’ll stand up again.
“But talk is cheap. We need to get into action.
“We can discuss suspensions, free kicks, pressure – the only thing that counts for us from here is action.”
Geelong have won 43 of their past 44 games at Simonds Stadium. In contrast, Fremantle have won just one of their 13 matches at the venue.
But the Dockers are quietly confident of causing an upset on enemy territory, and even repainted their field markings at Fremantle Oval in the dimensions of Simonds Stadium to boost their chances of victory.
“It’s got a couple of goal posts, a couple of point posts and white marked boundaries,” Lyon said of Geelong’s home fortress.
“I haven’t seen the ground get a kick yet. I haven’t seen the crowd get a kick yet.
“Great teams play anywhere and win anywhere.”
Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich said the players hadn’t even discussed the venue issue.
“We could be in the middle of Australia and the guys would be up and about and ready to go,” Pavlich said.
“So the fact that all this external noise has been made about where it’s being played hasn’t bothered the group one bit.
“We are just ready to rip in.”
Dockers defender Luke McPharlin, who has missed the past eight weeks with a calf injury, must prove his fitness at training on Thursday if he is to earn a recall.
Fellow defenders Garrick Ibbotson and Clancee Pearce have already been ruled out due to achilles tendon injuries, but Stephen Hill (hamstring), Nick Suban (hamstring) and Michael Walters (knee) are on track to return.
Fremantle rested a large chunk of their best 22 in last week’s loss to St Kilda, but will welcome back Chris Mayne, Hayden Ballantyne, Zac Clarke, David Mundy, Nat Fyfe, Lee Spurr, Michael Johnson and Zac Dawson after their week’s rest.