FREMANTLE defender Greg Broughton has been cleared of engaging in rough conduct against Melbourne's Ricky Petterd.
Broughton was reported in the third quarter of the Dockers' 47-point win in Sunday night''s NAB Cup clash at Subiaco Oval for a head-high bump on Petterd.
It was the view of the match review panel that contact was 'inevitable'.
"Both players were moving from opposite directions to contest the ball," the panel said.
"The ball went between the two players, which meant contact was inevitable."
"Broughton braced for contact while Petterd stumbled, which contributed to high contact being made. Broughton did not have a realistic alternative to contest the ball or tackle his opponent."
"The action was not considered unreasonable in the circumstances as; the degree of force was not excessive, the player being bumped was actively involved in the play, the player being bumped would reasonably expect contact, there was no use of the elbow, the player being bumped could reasonably expect to influence the contest and the bumping player did not jump or leave the ground."
FREMANTLE will face North Melbourne in a NAB Cup quarter-final after downing Melbourne by 47 points at Subiaco Oval on Sunday night.
The Dockers set up the victory with a dominant first term before running out 1.13.10 (97) to 2.4.8 (50) winners.
Some off the gloss was taken off the win with defender Greg Broughton to come under scrutiny for his third-quarter bump on Ricky Petterd while Byron Schammer, Adam McPhee and Kepler Bradley suffered niggles during the match.
Rookie Michael Barlow did his chances of being elevated to the senior list no harm with a game-high 29 possessions and four inside 50’s while Paul Duffield (25) and Roger Hayden (23) also won plenty of the football.
Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich and Michael Johnson booted three goals apiece, rookie Clancee Pearce was a busy contributor with 20 disposals and two goals, including a super goal while Des Headland and Hayden Ballantyne kicked two majors each.
Veteran Antoni Grover put in a superb performance, keeping exciting young forward Liam Jurrah goalless.
For the Demons, former Lion Joel MacDonald impressed in his first match for the club but top-two draft picks Tom Scully and Jack Trengrove struggled to have much of an impact, managing just 15 and 11 touches respectively.
Fremantle played with greater intent than their opposition from the outset, winning more of the contested football and the tackle count 15-8 in the opening term.
The Dockers’ relentless pressure forced the Demons into numerous turnovers and they were made to pay as Fremantle slammed on four unanswered goals to go into quarter-time with a commanding 26-point lead.
The margin blew out to 33 points early in the second term before super goals from Brad Green and Aaron Davey and a major from Brad Miller got Melbourne back into the contest.
Dean Bailey’s men trailed by just 15 points late in the first half but their good work was undone when Pearce slammed home a super goal right on the siren to give the Dockers a 24-point advantage at the main break.
Four goals to one in the third term saw Fremantle go into three-quarter time with a match-winning 43-point lead.
FREMANTLE: 0.4.4, 1.6.6, 1.10.9, 1.13.10 (97)
MELBOURNE: 0.0.2, 2.1.4, 2.2.5, 2.4.8 (50)
SUPER GOALS: Fremantle: Pearce
Melbourne: Green, Davey
GOALS: Fremantle: Johnson 3, Pavlich 3, Ballantyne 2, Headland, Mayne, Sandilands, Pearce, Headland
Melbourne: Miller, Petterd, Miller, Morton
BEST: Fremantle: Barlow, Duffield, Hayden, Pearce, Ballantyne, Grover
Melbourne: Macdonald, Jones, Rivers, Davey
INJURIES: Fremantle: McPhee (ankle), Schammer (ankle), Bradley (hip)
Melbourne: Nil
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Nil
UMPIRES: TBC
CROWD: 11,031 at Subiaco
FREMANTLE veteran Dean Solomon has retired from AFL football, effective immediately.
The 30-year-old had planned to play on in 2010 but he was forced into retirement due to chronic problems with his right knee.
"I've seen two surgeons in the last week and the outlook they gave me is I've got zero per cent chance of playing football again," Solomon told a packed media conference.
"Unfortunately, with that advice I had no choice"
"I'll have to have an operation similar to (former Dockers ruckman) Justin Longmuir in the next three years to give me more life in the knee after football."
Solomon said he prided himself on always putting his body on the line during his career.
"Hopefully I leave with my teammates knowing every time I went onto the field I gave 100 per cent and always committed my body in any way I possibly could," he said.
"I never let them down I feel."
"Some disciplinary areas maybe but if there was a 50-50 ball or I had to put my body on the line I'd always do that."
A low point in Solomon's career came in 2008 when he landed a crude blow with his elbow on Geelong tagger Cameron Ling which left Ling with a fractured cheekbone and saw Solomon suspended for eight weeks.
"In my mind that's done and dusted and I'm just going to remember the good things I've achieved," Solomon said.
"A lot of people may remember that incident and bring it up but I hope those people remember the good footy I did play and I was part of a pretty good side at Essendon as well."
Taken with pick 20 by the Bombers in the 1997 national draft, Solomon played 158 games with the Dons and was a member of the club's 2000 premiership side.
He joined the Dockers at the end of 2006 and managed 51 appearances.
Solomon will work with Fremantle's development and coaching staff this season.
FREMANTLE forward Chris Mayne has signed a one-year contract extension with the Dockers which will see him remain at the club until at least the end of the 2011 season.
Taken with pick 40 in the 2007 national draft, Mayne was restricted to just five games last season due to a serious Achilles injury.
But the 21-year-old has shown plenty of class in his 22 AFL games and is set to play a key role in Fremantle's forward line alongside skipper Matthew Pavlich and goalsneak Hayden Ballantyne.
"Chris is an exciting talent and we are delighted that he has committed to the club through to the end of the 2011 season,'' Dockers player manager Brad Lloyd said.
STAR Fremantle recruit Adam McPhee says the opportunity to play through the midfield was a driving force behind his decision to return to the Dockers.
McPhee was originally drafted by Fremantle and played 25 games for the club between 2001-2002 before joining Essendon where he managed 142 appearances.
He also earnt All-Australian honours in 2004 and won the Bombers' best-and-fairest award in the same year.
The 27-year-old joined the Dockers on a three-year deal after being taken with pick three in Tuesday's pre-season draft.
Essendon was keen to retain McPhee but were only prepared to offer him a two-year contract.
McPhee admitted the third year was a 'bonus' but said it wasn't the main reason why he decided to move back to where his AFL career began.
"I'm not chasing the money," McPhee said.
"It's more about how I can get the best out of myself as a footballer."
McPhee said he had become stale at the Bombers.
"I wasn't enjoying my football as much as I should and football is a short time," he said.
"You're here only for a maximum of 10 years if you're lucky, so far I've been able to achieve that, but I really wanted that fresh start now, to get back to enjoying my football and more so from a football perspective I've got a lot of individual goals that I want to succeed in."
"I felt I hadn't achieved that yet and one of those main reasons in coming back, after having a chat to Mark Harvey, was that I wanted an opportunity to play more through the midfield.
"I wasn't confident that I was going to get that at Essendon."
McPhee recently had shoulder surgery but is aming to be fit for the start of the NAB Cup in February.
FREMANTLE ruckman Aaron Sandilands looks set to finish his career as a one-club player after signing a three-year contract extension which will see him remain with the Dockers until at least the end of 2013.
The 26-year-old will be eligible for veteran status for the 2014 season.
The two-time All-Australian and Fremantle's reigning best-and-fairest winner was a dominant force in 2009, recording career-high totals for possessions (348) and hitouts (659 at an average of 32.9 per match).
Sandilands said he couldn't leave the club that promoted him off the rookie list in 2002.
"I've always been really grateful for the opportunity Fremantle gave me to play the game at this level and now is a really exciting time to be at the club," Sandilands said.
"I couldn't see myself turning my back on that."
"We've had a big influx of talented and enthusiastic young players at the club in the past year."
"Along with the other senior players, I believe the future is looking very bright for Fremantle."
Dockers chief executive Steve Rosich said securing Sandilands' signature was a great result for the club.
"It reflects very positively on the loyalty and commitment of Aaron to the Fremantle Football Club, and is a great endorsement of the strategic direction of the club," Rosich said.
"When the 2009 rookie and pre-season drafts are concluded in two-week's time, we will have added 23 players to our list in the past 13 months," said Rosich.
"Aaron is integral to helping those new players and the rest of the playing group achieve the sustained on-field success that we are striving for."
Since making his AFL debut in 2003, Sandilands has played 135 games for Fremantle and has averaged 25.7 hitouts per game.
FREMANTLE tagger Ryan Crowley is on track to return from a serious foot injury in round one next year.
The 25-year-old, who had his 2009 season ended when he injured his right foot in the round six western derby against West Coast, was initially happy when told that he hadn't broken any bones.
However, it was revealed that he had suffered a complicated torn ligament injury similar to the one sustained by Hawthorn defender Trent Croad in the 2008 grand final.
While Croad's playing future is in doubt, having not played at all this year, Crowley has progressed well in his recovery and has won the Dockers' time trials over the past three weeks.
Crowley said he was happy with the state of his foot.
"The foot's fantastic. I couldn't be more happy with it," Crowley said.
"The last little bits of the jigsaw are still to go in before I'm right back into full training,"
"But I couldn't be happier with how it's going at the moment."
Crowley expects to start full training soon.
"If it was up to me it'd be next week but it'll be over the next couple of weeks I think," he said.
"I feel like I'm sort of trying to push it along but they're sort of reeling me back a little bit so it'll probably be two weeks."
FREMANTLE defender Steven Dodd is set to miss the first half of next season after undergoing shoulder and wrist reconstructive surgery.
The 26-year-old didn't miss a game during 2009 but played with significant pain.
Dockers sports science manager Jason Weber said on Monday Dodd's rehabilitation would be a slow process.
"It's hard to say with how his shoulder responds and his wrist. His wrist was a similar surgery to what Hayden Ballantyne had last year and because they take a bone graft out of the hip and place it in the wrist, it does take some time," Weber said.
"Because he's got the whole joint out, it just slows down his rehab."
"Without placing figures on it, I would say he would be outside Round 10, somewhere around that, maybe a fraction earlier."
In some good news for Fremantle, 2008 NAB Rising Star winner Rhys Palmer (knee), Ryan Crowley (foot), Michael Johnson (ankle) and Des Headland (hamstring/calf) are all set to play in round one next year.
Youngster Tim Ruffles, who ruptured his ACL during this year's second western derby, did some light running work on the first day of pre-season training but he is expected to be sidelined for the majority of 2010.
Meanwhile, Alex Silvagni, the nephew of Carlton legend Stephen, former Magpie Danny Stanley, ex-Kangaroo Matt Riggio, Subiaco goalsneak Trent Dennis-Lane and East Fremantle midfielder Kyle Hardingham are training with the Dockers in a bid to get a spot on the club's list.
FREMANTLE ruckman Aaron Sandilands has claimed the Doig Medal as the Dockers' best-and-fairest.
Sandilands polled 132 votes to win the award ahead of skipper and five-time Doig Medallist Matthew Pavlich (112) and defender Chris Tarrant (89).
The award capped off an outstanding season for Sandilands who earnt All-Australian honours for the second consecutive season last month.
The 26-year-old was the AFL's dominant ruckman in 2009, amassing 659 hit outs at an average of 32.9 per game. He also averaged 17 possessions and five clearances per game.
In other awards, Stephen Hill won the Beacon Award as the club's best first-year player, Michael Johnson was named best clubman while Luke McPharlin collected the Past Players and Officials’ Award.
Doig Medal Top 10
1. Aaron Sandilands (132)
2. Matthew Pavlich (112)
3. Chris Tarrant (89)
4. Paul Duffield (75)
5. Paul Hasleby (68)
6. David Mundy (68)
7. Stephen Hill (62)
8. Greg Broughton (52)
9. Garrick Ibbotson (43)
10. Steven Dodd (35)
Other award winners:
Beacon award: Stephen Hill
Best clubman: Michael Johnson
Past Players and Officials' award: Luke McPharlin
Life Membership:
Antoni Grover
Rick Hart
September 11th 2009 14:24
FREMANTLE has re-signed promising youngsters Stephen Hill and Greg Broughton.
Hill will remain with the Dockers until at least the end of the 2012 season after signing a one-year contract extension while Broughton has agreed to terms on a two-year deal which will tie him with the club until 2011.
Taken with the third pick in last year national draft, Hill played all 22 games and earned a NAB Rising Star nomination for his performance against West Coast in round six.
Broughton, a triple premiership player with Subiaco in the WAFL, was selected in the 2008 rookie draft and was elevated to the senior list in March.
The 22-year-old made 15 appearances and finished third in the AFL Players’ Association Best First Year Player award.
Fremantle's player management manager Brad Lloyd said the duo were an important part of the club’s future.
"They both impressed with the way they went about their football in their debut seasons," Lloyd said.
"We see Stephen and Greg as being long-term players for the club."
September 10th 2009 04:48
FREMANTLE midfielder Paul Hasleby has ended a protracted round of negotiations by signing a new one-year deal with the Dockers.
Hasleby wanted a two-year contract but the club stood firm in offering just a 12-month extension.
The 188-game veteran said he was looking forward to next season.
"I'll be starting pre-season training in early November and I'm excited about playing my 11th season with Fremantle," Hasleby said.
"Along with all the senior players, I've really enjoyed working with our young playing group."
"There is a lot to like about the future of the Fremantle Football Club and I'm very keen to be a part of that."
Hasleby was one of the few shining lights for Fremantle this year, playing all 22 games and racking up a team-best 533 possessions after missing all of the 2008 season with a serious knee injury.
FREMANTLE has wasted little time culling its playing list, de-listing six players.
Injury-plagued midfielder Andrew Browne has retired while foward Adam Campbell, Daniel Gilmore, Josh Head and rookies Brent Connelly and Luke Pratt were de-listed.
Browne spent eight years at the Dockers but a poor run with injuries and inconsistency meant he only managed 29 games.
Gilmore played 43 games in six seasons with the club but only made three appearances in 2009.
Campbell joined Fremantle in 2003 but didn't make his debut until 2006 and he went on to play 13 AFL matches, including three this season.
Head, who was a mature-age recruit taken in the 2008 pre-season draft, played the first four games of this year and returned to the side for a further two in round 10 and 11 to take his career tally to nine.
Pratt, a defender from Swan Districts, was one of 11 Dockers players to debut this season but he was omitted after his only match against Carlton in round seven, while Victorian ruckman Connelly spent two years on the club's rookie list but didn't play a senior game.
FREMANTLE midfielder Rhys Palmer is out of the Gold Coast's reach after signing a one-year extension which will see him remain at the Dockers until at least the end of 2011.
The new Gold Coast club can sign 16 uncontracted players - one from each club - at the end of the 2010 season.
The promising 20-year-old, who is currently recovering from knee surgery, won the 2008 NAB Rising Star award and would have been high on their wish list.
Dockers general manager of player development said the club was delighted to have extended Palmer's deal.
"Rhys is the reigning NAB Rising Star and an important part of our long-term future. We are delighted that he has committed to Fremantle through to the end of 2011," Lloyd said.
"Following his surgery earlier in the season, Rhys has been working very diligently on his rehabilitation and we are really looking forward to having him back out on the field next season."
Fremantle also announced that Ryan Crowley, Dean Solomon, Kepler Bradley and youngster Tim Ruffles had signed new contracts.
Crowley, who suffered a season-ending foot injury against West Coast in round six, penned a two-year deal which will tie him to the Dockers until the end of 2011.
Solomon and Bradley agreed to one-year deals, while Ruffles who is expected to be sidelined for the majority of next season after undergoing a knee reconstruction was given a one-year extension on his current two-year contract.
TonyK
Cibbuano
Add Comments
