Fremantle Dockers v West Coast Eagles
AFL Aussie Rules : Australia : AFL Premiership
Venue : Subiaco Oval, Perth
Sunday, 1st August 2010 - Start 16:40 AEST

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The Dockers return to Perth after an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Bulldogs. They know that another loss will see them drop right out of contention for a top 4 berth and will be gunning for this derby victory.

The Eagles turned to a joke in the second half against Carlton last week and should struggle badly in this clash.

Fremantle Dockers (5th, 11-6) Form : WWLWL

Freo were flogged by the Dogs last Sunday and have a week to find a way to hit back. With the Dogs ahead of them by percentage you can expect the Dockers to come out as hard as they have all year in this cross-town derby that sees them desperate for a win.

The defence is run of the mill for the Dockers but even worse in recent weeks with the more experienced players missing and the likes of Jesse Crichton and Dylan Roberton getting starts. If these youngsters play again this week it could be a task for the Dockers but you would expect veterans like Antoni Grover and Luke McPharlin to lead the way against the likes of Mark LeCras and Josh Kennedy.

The middle is where Freo should win this match. With Paul Duffield, Paul Hasleby and Greg Broughton running through the centre you can expect the Eagles to find it far from easy. The plus for the Dockers is the types they have that can rotate through the centre. Nick Suban, Rhys Palmer and Matthew De Boer use the ball well and can offer relief for their bigger name midfield colleagues. Expect the cleaner Dockers side to dominate through the middle.

Up forward the Dockers have many options. Matthew Pavlich is a star and he is without doubt Freo’s first choice target. However with the likes of Adam McPhee and Michael Johnson also playing as tall forwards it could be tough for the young Eagle defenders to withstand the potential onslaught. Expect the smaller Hayden Ballantyne and Stephen Hill to offer a bit around the 50m area when it comes to the more extraordinary stuff.

West Coast Eagles (16th, 4-13) Form : LLLWL

Just when you thought the Eagles were back they put in a shocker last week at home to Carlton. After a good first half that saw them lead by 4 goals they forgot to turn up in the second half and were comprehensively flogged. Pride is all they have to play for in this one against their rivals but I don’t think that will be enough.

The defenders like Brad Sheppard, Eric Mackenzie and Will Schofield showed that they can play well but only in patches. They along with their colleagues held the Blues to only 4 goals in the first half but allowed 11 in the second. Their consistency will be thoroughly tested on Sunday when they face the irrepressible Pavlich, and if they afford Pavlich too much attention his teammates are likely to step up and contribute.

The middle for the Eagles went missing after half time last week. Matt Rosa and Matt Priddis who are usually the barometers for the Eagles did not have their best games and as a result the team suffered. A lot of expectation is placed on them along with Andrew Embley and they need to regularly perform or the Eagles will falter. Expect the Selwood brothers, Adam and Scott to have a fair crack in the middle but I am not sure toughness will be the Eagles’ biggest worry.

In the forward line West Coast have not a lot except for two guys that can defeat anyone when everything clicks. The men are Kennedy and LeCras. The problem is that they went from having career best games two weeks ago to not showing too much last weekend. While they are still young there is time to find consistency but when discussing this particular game it is hard to see them both being at their best on the same day. Quentin Lynch and Andrew Strijk will need to offer a bit on the side also for the Eagles to be competitive here.

The Betting Verdict

Freo should be way too strong here

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

Take Freo on the Tribet at Centrebet.
Take them to win by 16 or over at 1.76 (Medium-High Stakes)