The Dockers are optimistic that skipper Alex Pearce’s knee injury scare is nothing major, though young gun Murphy Reid is at risk of missing another week with a nasty injury.
Fremantle completed a clean sweep of its home games on Friday night, winning by 24 points against Adelaide to clinch the minor premiership.
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It was the Dockers 12th win of the season from 12 appearances at Optus Stadium, with an average winning margin of 38 points per game, including an ‘away’ victory against West Coast.
Pearce played out Friday night’s clash after a knock to his heavily-strapped left knee in the third quarter but appeared hampered thereafter.
Freo coach Justin Longmuir said post-match he expected the 31-year old defender to be good to go for the club’s final home and away match against Carlton.
“He just looks like he got a knock on it,” Longmuir said.
“Sometimes you get a stinger to the front of the kneecap and it hurts for a little bit and he was able to run it out.
“By the end of the game he was fine and he’s fine in the changerooms, which is a relief.
“We’re on an eight day break, right? If he’s right to go, he’ll play.
“He’s had a week off last week – we don’t really want to go week off, week on and another two weeks off.
“If he’s right, which looks like he will be, he’ll play.”
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However, there’s concerns for Reid after he copped a blow to the testicles against Melbourne last week.
“It’s going to be touch and go for next week,” Longmuir said of the second-year star.
“He’s had some specialist advice. We’ll see how he goes this week.
“It’s not going to be long-term but if it costs him another week, so be it.
“He’s played a lot of footy for us and I don’t think another week will hurt him. He’s OK, it’s pretty much a corky.
“Shows how tough he is – everyone talks about his skill but to play through that last week was a really tough effort. Played with it three quarters, pushed through it and had an impact for us in the second half – he’s a tough little bugger.
“If he needs another week, he’ll give it to him. But we’d love him back as well.”
Justin Longmuir spoke after his side’s win over Adelaide.Source: FOX SPORTS
Longmuir believes the Dockers’ unbeaten home record should fuel their belief heading into finals but warned they cannot rely on home-ground advantage to deliver their first premiership.
Fremantle’s win over Adelaide further strengthens their position at the top end of the AFL ladder, claiming just their second minor premiership since joining the AFL in 1995.
Longmuir said the prospect of playing finals at home could provide Fremantle with an important boost, particularly with the club’s supporters creating a powerful atmosphere at Optus Stadium.
“I think it should fuel our belief, and our crowd gets behind us, but we’ve got to give them something to get behind,” Longmuir said.
“And I think the way we played tonight, we gave them something to get behind, and they got behind us, and it adds something to our energy, and surely it distracts the opposition a little bit.”
Only Hawthorn (nine points), Carlton (14) and Hawthorn (15) got closer to the Dockers in Perth this season than the Crows did on Friday night.
But Longmuir was adamant the Dockers could not afford to become complacent about their home record.
“The home-field advantage is not going to get it done for us, and we can’t go into the finals expecting that it’s going to get it done for us,” he said.
“We need to make it happen, so it won’t be talked about internally.”
The win over Adelaide came as an important response to Fremantle’s disappointing loss to Melbourne last week, with Longmuir particularly pleased with how his players returned to the fundamentals that drove their successful season.
“We’ve set our season up. That’s the way I look at it. You know, it’s a good achievement,” he said.
“Really proud of the players, of how they bounced back after last week.
“But we set our season up. We’ve put ourselves in a good position. So that’s probably how we’ll look at it.”
Longmuir said Fremantle’s recent inconsistency had centred on physicality, work rate and their ability to play together, but those elements returned against the Crows.
“We wanted to get back to the things that have got us into this position,” he said.
“Our physicality has been inconsistent, our non-negotiable work rate’s been a little bit inconsistent. Playing together has been a little bit inconsistent. So we got back to doing that tonight.”
Longmuir also viewed the win as valuable preparation for September, with Adelaide having won nine of its previous 12 games before Friday night.
“They don’t allow uncontested marks. They defend one-on-one and force you to a contest,” he said.
“So that element of it was finals-like, I guess.”
The Dockers will face another strong test against Carlton next week, with the Blues having lost just twice in their past 12 matches.
“I would rather that prep going into finals, and I think it will hold us in good stead,” Longmuir said.