What AFL record are Fremantle Dockers on course to smash as midfield resurgence continues
Fremantle Dockers coach Justin Longmuir described the heated summer as the highlight of the Docker’s pre-season, but with their reworked mid-field, they are on course for a new AFL record for the highest total clearance differential.
Ahead of Port Adelaide's 2024 clearance differential of 2.8 a game and 33 over the past 12 games, is the Fremantle Dockers’ average 8.9 more than their opponents weekly and a total of 107 more over their 12 games.
In the history of the league, no team has ever finished a season with a total clearance differential greater than 200, but Fremantle just might this year and by so doing, break the Western Bulldogs' 2022 record of +182 at an average of +8.3.
The reformation of the Fremantle Dockers midfield, began back in the summer last season with the decision to shift Nat Fyfe and Hayden Young onball to complement Andrew Bradshaw and Caleb Serong. The move had the club record a differential of -0.8 with Young and Fyfe contributing significant clearance wins, and supporting Serong and Bradshaw to career-high achievements.
Young averages about 4.7 clearances a game, Fyfe does 5.1, while Serong makes about 7.8 and Brayshaw, 5.0.
Earlier this week, Serong told AFL.com.au that he was pleased with the development in the Dockers’ midfield. He said:
“I think as a group, we're really growing and early in the year there was a few new pieces coming in. As a midfield group, it's really exciting what we're getting to.
We've been doing a lot of the groundwork and getting a lot of things right around clearance and clearance numbers and the next thing for us now is becoming really damaging as a group and getting more bang for buck from those.
That's been my focus as an individual and investing in teammates and I feel like the rest of the stuff kind of looks after itself."
Coach Longmuir speaks on more changes for the Fremantle Dockers
During the summer last season, the Fremantle Dockers effected a number of changes midfield and off-field. Off-field, Harry Garland was moved from his role in analysis to opposition coach and Joel Corey from midfield assistant to stoppages.
The changes effected last season have had a tangible effect on Fremantle’s stoppage returns this season.
Now, the Fremantle Dockers leading in stoppages, are working towards generating more scores from there. Coach Justin Longmuir on Wednesday, looked encouraged by that aspect of the game and the role it played in the Dockers’ 92-point win against Melbourne. He said:
"I think we can get a bit more field position at times and I think we can structure up our forwards differently. (But) we kicked four goals out of there last week and had a really good score differential against a really good team, and a really good stoppage team, so there's probably just a few little tweaks in different areas."
Ruck pair Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson’s co-performance looks to put the Fremantle Dockers in an even more advantageous position midfield.
The team has achieved its clearance results thus far and currently ranks 12th in the league for hitouts to advantage and 14th for hitout differential.
During the pre-sean, coach Longmuir told AFL.com.au that the Fremantle Dockers have "all the pieces we need" in 2024 and could make a comeback for their inconsistency last season.
The Dockers have done remarkably well in that regard over the last 12 weeks. Now, the focus is on how well can these changes serve the club and for how long.