Fremantle's Switkowski Predicts Strong Lineup for AFL Pre-Season Derby
Fremantle forward Sam Switkowski is tipping the club will field the majority of its star players during Saturday morning's practice match against West Coast, as competition for places in the team for round one intensifies.
Healthy Squad Boosts Dockers' Prospects
The Dockers enter this phase of the pre-season with a remarkably healthy squad, with ruckman Sean Darcy being the only recognised star unavailable to face the Eagles in Cockburn. Key players including Caleb Serong, Jordan Clark, Luke Jackson, Shai Bolton, and Jaeger O'Meara all participated in Saturday's AFL Origin game and had lighter training sessions on Monday. Attention will now focus on how much game time they receive against West Coast.
With only one other match scheduled to prepare for round one against Geelong—a fixture against Adelaide in Mandurah on February 28—Switkowski emphasised the importance of maximising every opportunity to build match fitness and form.
Competition Drives Team Performance
"If you look into previous years, guys who are healthy, we try to put ourselves out there and take the opportunity to get better as a team and play together," Switkowski said. "You might see a few guys modified, but largely we will get as many guys out there as possible and have a really good hit-out."
Competition for positions has surged following Friday's intraclub game in Bunbury. Murphy Reid was best on ground as a midfielder, Jeremy Sharp impressed after falling out of the team last season, and Neil Erasmus continued his strong form from the end of 2025.
Depth and New Talent Shine
Switkowski expressed admiration for Fremantle's depth this season, noting the impact of new recruits. "The new guys who are coming in are challenging everyone," he said. "We've got about five or six new small forwards and they're all having an impact straight away. It's a really positive thing. Our scratch matches have been really competitive because of that depth. Even when we had A's versus B's sort of look, the B's really challenged the A's, which was really pleasing."
Switkowski's Commitment to Fremantle
Despite being a free agent at the end of the season, Switkowski made it clear he has no interest in leaving the Dockers. The 29-year-old stated he is happy to wait until the club is ready to begin discussions about a new contract.
"The longer my career goes on, I get less stressed about signing quicker, and signing sooner rather than later. When you first start your career, you are always looking for security. But I really believe things will look after themselves at some point," he explained.
"I love this club. There's no other club I want to be at. My purpose here, the longer my career has gone on, is less about personal accolades and money and what I'm trying to achieve myself. It is what I can contribute to this club."
Switkowski added, "We've had our vision for quite some time. Especially since JL has been here since about 2020, I have loved the direction this club is going. I love being a part of it. I'm really excited for what this team can do and where this club can go."
