Buddy’s Daring Statement on Premiership Hopefuls After Crushing Defeat

Lance Franklin has voiced his displeasure with Fremantle for not demonstrating their finals capabilities in Round 17.

While the Dockers had been on a six-game winning streak, they travelled to the SCG to take on a struggling Sydney side, only to fall short.

As the race for a top-eight position appears to be confined to nine teams, every match result will carry significant weight as the season progresses.

Both GWS and Gold Coast have secured vital victories over the past month, currently placing Fremantle behind them on percentage within the top eight.

In the match, the Dockers were outperformed in clearances, losing 41-32, with the margin narrowing slightly towards the end—this disparity was crucial to Sydney’s 11-point victory.

Franklin believes Fremantle should reconsider their approach of playing ruckmen Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy together, asserting that the tall duo simply “doesn’t work”. Sydney’s Brodie Grundy emerged as a standout performer, amassing 33 hit-outs along with 20 disposals, 12 clearances, and a pivotal goal.

“(Freo) was overwhelmed in the contest. Grundy delivered an exceptional performance, which was significant,” Franklin told the Buddy and Shane show.

“For Fremantle, this is disappointing. They need to be coming to Sydney and securing that win if they harbour ambitions of playing finals.”

“The two rucks don’t complement each other as they should. They probably should have gone with Jackson alone, who could have posed a real challenge to Grundy all over the field.”

“I think they need to review what they do with Darcy moving forward.”

Sydney midfielder James Jordon effectively marked Fremantle’s Caleb Serong, one of the contenders for this year’s Brownlow Medal, restricting him to just 11 disposals throughout the match.

With Serong unable to make an impact, Fremantle faced significant challenges in the midfield, and Franklin suggests that the Swans may have uncovered a strategy to counter the Dockers.

“Moving forward, any team up against Fremantle will be tagging Serong without a doubt; he’s crucial to their game plan, along with Andrew Brayshaw,” Franklin remarked.

“When Serong is able to play freely, Fremantle is usually competitive and has a good chance of winning.”

“I believe opposition teams will take notes from this game and realise that this is how to defeat Fremantle.”

Fremantle will host Hawthorn at Optus Stadium in Round 18, and it’s crucial they clinch a victory to stay in the mix with the teams vying for a top-eight finish.

This upcoming round promises to be pivotal in shaping the ladder, with Gold Coast set to clash against Collingwood and GWS squaring off against Geelong, alongside the aforementioned fixture.

Additionally, the Western Bulldogs will take on Adelaide, while Sydney must secure a victory against St Kilda to maintain their flickering hopes.