Fremantle star Nathan Fyfe starred in the Dockers win over Port Adelaide. Picture: Daniel Wilkins Source: PerthNow
RECORD breaking Fremantle coach Ross Lyon is in a privileged position to consider resting some of his star Dockers ahead of next month's finals after thumping Port Adelaide at Patersons Stadium.
The Dockers secured at least a third-place finish with the most home-and-away qualifying wins in the club's history and travel to Melbourne for next Saturday's clash with Lyon's old outfit St Kilda when vital finals play-makers could be rested and freshened ahead of a looming clash with Geelong in a fortnight.
A casualty from Saturday night's imposing win over eighth-placed Port is classy utility Nick Suban who suffered a hamstring strain in his right leg during Freo's opening term blitz and looks certain to miss the Saints clash.
Lyon and his advisers must now ponder prospects of resting as many as seven of their regular guns that have been serviceable in all 21 qualifying engagements this season.
Despite a near best-afield four goals fiery small forward Hayden Ballantyne should be a front-runner to have a week off ahead of a potentially gruelling finals series.
The gutsy sharpshooter was troubled with his nagging right shoulder problem that he dislocated deep into last week's whopping win over Melbourne at the MCG but ran out the game.
The Dockers finished their 12 Perth engagements with 11 home ground victories as the league's tightest defensive unit obliterated Port 21.8 (134) to 9.6 (60).
Fremantle's 12-goal trouncing follows a 95-point demolition of struggling Melbourne at the MCG last Sunday a week after smashing Greater Western Sydney in Perth by a record winning margin 113 points.
Freo had effectively secured the victory at the long break with a 55-point lead and Port with just one goal.
Superstar forward Matthew Pavlich was a beneficiary from Fremantle's supremacy around the ball in another vital match-conditioning and fine-tuning outing in his comeback from a three-month layoff through mid-season after Achilles surgery in April.
The big power forward improved the longer his Dockers dominated and booted four goals from his 18 possessions and eight marks.
Just how Lyon and his medical staff refine their troops ahead of next month's finals with rests over the last qualifying round at Etihad is certain to emerge as major consideration ahead of team announcements on Thursday.
Indefatigable follower Ryan Crowley, All-Australian defensive candidate Michael Johnson, Matt deBoer, full-back Zac Dawson, ace forward Chris Mayne as well as utility pair Tendai Mzungu and Danyle Pearce are the Dockers who have played every game so far this season.
The Dockers are expected to swing crucial key defender Luke McPharlin, nuggety half-back Clancee Pearce and big ruck force Aaron Sandilands back into the starting line-up against the Saints to fine tune their injury-interrupted late preparation to the finals.
Gifted defender Garrick Ibbotson is not expected to be considered for selection as he continues to overcome effects of a nagging calf strain.
Freo sealed their double-chance top-four finish with a blistering opening and four goals in 16 minutes between Ballantyne and zippy Michael Walters bagging two each on the run and a clear dominance around the ball up field.
The match-up of the night was relentless tagger Crowley running alongside in-form Port play-maker Travis Boak.
Crowley added another scalp to his impressive season of big wins over trump opposition star players with Boak held to 17 disposals while the hard-core Docker also racked up 17 touches and hammered home a first term goal.
Another strategic one-on-one assignment though was last season's WAFL Sandover medallist Kane Mitchell running with dashing Dockers midfielder Stephen Hill.
Hill spent most of his time operating from a half-back flank, but never with the floppy haired Mitchell far away and Port veteran tagger Kane Cornes renewed acquaintances in a minding role on former teammate Danyle Pearce.
FREMANTLE 5.4 10.4 15.7 21.8 (134)
PORT ADELAIDE 1.1 1.3 4.4 9.6 (60)
BEST: Fremantle: Ballantyne, Neale, Fyfe, Johnson, Clarke, Pavlich, Crowley
Port Adelaide: Gray, Westhoff, Lobbe, Cornes, Wines,
GOALS: Fremantle: Ballantyne 4, Pavlich 4, Walters 3, Clarke 2, Sheridan 2, Barlow 1, Crowley 1, Neale 1, Hannath 1, Johnson 1, Sutcliffe 1.
Port Adelaide: Schulz 1, Ebert 1, Neade 1, Wingard 1, Mitchell 1, Monfries 1, Young 1, Gray 1, Moore 1.
INJURIES: Fremantle: Suban (hamstring), Ballantyne (shoulder)
Port Adelaide: Ebert (hamstring soreness), Carlile (cut eye)
REPORTS
Fremantle: Nil
Port Adelaide: Nil
UMPIRES: Dean Margetts, Jeff Dalgleish, Shane McInerney.
Crowd: 35,565
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