Fremantle are taking extraordinary measures to manage a grueling schedule of three consecutive six-day breaks, with the Dockers set to fly back to Perth on the midnight horror straight after tonight’s clash against the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium.
Midnight Flight Back to Perth
The match against the Bulldogs is scheduled to begin at 7:30pm EST and finish around 10:15pm. However, instead of staying overnight in Melbourne and flying home on Saturday, the players will hurry to the airport to catch a flight departing shortly after midnight EST, landing in Perth at approximately 3am WST.
Fremantle and their crosstown rivals West Coast Eagles are always keen to minimise time spent interstate, but the Dockers were forced to stay overnight in South Australia after their wins over Adelaide and Collingwood at Gather Round due to Adelaide airport’s curfew. With no such restrictions at Melbourne airport, the Dockers can return to Perth immediately and begin recovery for Thursday night’s game against Hawthorn.
Recovery Challenges
The Hawks will have an extra day to prepare for that match after drawing with Collingwood at the MCG on Thursday night. Fremantle have been facing the consistent challenge of playing teams with more recovery time in recent weeks, compounded by a series of short weeks.
Last week, Carlton had a nine-day break before facing the Dockers and used their fresh legs to erase a 41-point deficit and turn it into a 14-point loss for Fremantle. Players often struggle to sleep after games, so the Dockers are focusing on getting back to Perth and giving them all day Saturday to resume their normal routines.
Team News
Fremantle are aiming for their seventh consecutive win tonight. They have made one change to the lineup: Pat Voss returns after recovering from illness, while Judd McVee is unavailable after also falling sick.
