00:00Well, hi, I'm Mark Stephens, and welcome to Zero Hanger HQ here in Melbourne in Cremorne
00:05for another episode of The Outer Wing, brought to you by Tab Touch.
00:08Real punters play here, as usual, on the other side of the country.
00:13Digby Beecham, that great journo, he's ready to go.
00:15Let's bring it on.
00:18Could a mullet with tightly tapered sides reduce wind resistance,
00:22allowing for faster acceleration off the mark?
00:25Now that's something to think about.
00:31What are you really gambling with?
00:33Well, Diggers, Frio, we've talked them up every week.
00:36I've still been a little bit sceptical because the Dockers are the Dockers,
00:39and it's hard to get that out of my mind, the history of the club.
00:43But after going to Brisbane and putting the Lions away with so much to play for for the Lions,
00:48even I'm coming around, what was your take on that?
00:51It was a massive win.
00:53It's simply professional again, Steve-O.
00:55Great to chat.
00:55Good morning to you.
00:56Look, they continue to get it done, don't they, Fremantle?
00:59And look, this was the challenge.
01:01They hadn't been to the Gabber and one in about a decade.
01:04We knew that Brisbane were a little bit vulnerable given the injuries and the form.
01:09But Fremantle had their foot on their throat early on.
01:12And then in that third quarter, there was just distinct separation, professionalism.
01:16And it was interesting to hear Josh Dunkley earlier this week talk about Fremantle,
01:20saying from a Brisbane perspective, it's the best side they've encountered this season.
01:24So I think that's a big tick for Justin Longmuir and his men.
01:27Well, they're so even, aren't they?
01:29And the three-pronged attack, I mean, who's taking credit for that, to setting this up?
01:33Because they move to the right spots, don't they?
01:35They don't get in each other's way.
01:36There's other clubs, your players flying at similar balls.
01:40Yeah, that's spot on, Steve-O.
01:42And didn't we speak, it was about 13, 14 weeks ago, and we, you know, as a bit of a
01:46season preview on the outer wing,
01:48and we were talking about Fremantle and would Justin Longmuir release the handbrake?
01:52Well, I think the answer to that is a definitive yes, and you can understand why, because the, again,
01:57I know we're touching on it, and we seem to touch on it every seven days, is the weapons forward
02:02of centre.
02:03And it's not just the three tools, but they're in rear nick, no doubt about that,
02:06and Amos, Tracy, and Voss, but it's those mid-range and smaller forwards getting to work,
02:12their ability, as you said, to work for each other.
02:15They defend when they haven't got the ball.
02:18They're ticking a lot of boxes.
02:20You know, Jai Amos was one that we touched on, didn't we?
02:22How was he going?
02:23Is he doing enough?
02:24He's kicked 30 goals.
02:25He's equal fifth with Nick Watson on the Coleman medal leaderboard.
02:29Josh Tracy's kicked 28.
02:31I think if you were to say Josh Tracy's an All-Australian right now, everyone would agree with you.
02:36Who knows?
02:37Jai Amos might yet win the Coleman medal.
02:39He could do it.
02:39He's creeping up on everyone, and I haven't been his hugest fan,
02:42but I've certainly come around to he's so clean as far as finishing.
02:46The thing about the Dockers, they've got gears, haven't they?
02:48They sort of hang around in neutral for a while, go to that old Docker stuff,
02:51chip, chip, chip, Luke Ryan type style, and then they just let it go, let it rip.
02:56Yeah, they do.
02:57It's a bit of rope-a-dope, isn't it?
02:58They sit there, and they'll be involved in an arm wrestle with you,
03:01and we spoke about this seven days ago, Steve,
03:04and then when they slip themselves, they've got gears that not many other sides have got,
03:08and to be fair, only one other side has seen it and been able to conquer it this year.
03:12That's Geelong in round one, and I think, in fairness, respectfully,
03:16to the Cats, who are a very good side,
03:18they were extenuating circumstances behind that result down there in GMHBA's stadium.
03:24So, look, Fremantle, as a unit, as a collective, they've got it all.
03:30They really, really have.
03:32They've been able to get over some pretty daunting opposition at stages this season,
03:36minus some key personnel.
03:38We know that Young's missed some football, Sarong's missed some football,
03:41the skipper, Alex Pearce, has missed.
03:42He was back on the weekend.
03:43Very, very good.
03:45But all in all, they're building, and they're building to something pretty special.
03:48Yeah, they should have won that game in Geelong.
03:50That's a long time ago, but thanks for reminding me.
03:52I mean, they were all over the Cats, weren't they?
03:53It was just a few little things went wrong.
03:55So that was a sign of things to come.
03:57They probably should be unbeaten.
03:58Now, Bunbury, take us through life in Bunbury footy.
04:02What's the ground like, the dimensions, the trip-down diggers,
04:05I assume, as a kangaroo, you'd be heading down there with your scarf on
04:10to watch the Dockers play down there?
04:12Looking forward to heading down there.
04:14Look, Bunbury's about, let's look, just under two hours southwest of Perth.
04:19It's a really, it's a big, big country town,
04:22but they love their football down there.
04:24And one thing we are going to appreciate this weekend, Steve,
04:27is some beautiful weather.
04:28The forecast for Bunbury is about 19, 20 degrees, light winds,
04:32hands over with the ground.
04:33It's undergone a massive refurbishment.
04:35We saw it last year.
04:36We've seen it with the Matildas down there.
04:38It's the premier ground in the southwest.
04:41And the Southwest Football League,
04:43it's the best league outside the Waffle here in this state.
04:48So the facilities down there are great.
04:50The grounds, it's perfect.
04:52Drove past it the other day, actually, and it looks in pristine condition.
04:55And look, the weather last weekend was so bad down there in the southwest
04:59that they had to cancel a race meeting in Bunbury on Sunday because of wild winds.
05:03Winds are in the vicinity of 120 kilometres an hour.
05:07There will be no excuses this weekend.
05:09It is going to be picture perfect for football.
05:12Well, it's ideal for the Dockers, isn't it, travelling down there?
05:15You'd think, look, they should get the job done,
05:18but north, they're dangerous, aren't they?
05:19And we saw them last year, Galvanise.
05:21They made it a bit of a trip away.
05:22A boys' trip to Perth.
05:26We all like a boys' trip.
05:28I've seen you in action.
05:29They were good in their two games.
05:30They were good in their two games here, Steve-O, weren't they?
05:33Look, they beat West Coast,
05:35and they just came up short against Fremantle at Optus Stadium the following weekend.
05:38So, look, is it a banana skin game for Fremantle?
05:41Possibly.
05:42You know, they've got over to Brisbane, then they've got to get back to Perth.
05:45They'll drive down, I dare say, on the bus later this week,
05:48spend the night down there, get ready for Saturday,
05:50and they might have an eye on the bye the following week.
05:53But one thing that we are appreciating with Fremantle, Steve-O,
05:56and I dare say you agree, is their professionalism.
05:58You see them even after the win against Brisbane on the weekend.
06:01It's like, yep, that box has ticked onto the next week.
06:04They're very, very matter-of-fact at the moment.
06:06And there's selection pressure as well.
06:08Hayden Young, the man that you love so much,
06:11surely he comes back in.
06:13So, who misses out?
06:15Well, Matthew Johnson tweaked that hamstring, Steve-O,
06:18last week against Brisbane, and he was very, very good, wasn't he?
06:21Nutted Lockie Neal early and then found some of the football himself.
06:25So, look, he's listed as a test, but with the bye upcoming,
06:28you would have thought that Fremantle would err on the side of caution there.
06:32Some will say they might do the same with Young,
06:34but he's in and around training, has been for a couple of weeks.
06:37So, I'd like to think that Hayden Young's ready to rock and roll.
06:39So, it might be a light for light there.
06:42Brennan Cox is also listed as a test.
06:44He knocked that knee last week.
06:46We've spoken about his importance to the Fremantle back six.
06:49So, he's a watch, but Young for Johnson looks to be one
06:52and a bit of a watch on Cox later in the week.
06:55And just finally on the Dockers, I'd like to ask you, Diggers,
06:57who would you least like to lose from that team?
06:59They have had a pretty good run as far as the top-end talent.
07:02Young's been out, but Tracy or Jackson?
07:05For me, Jackson is the energiser.
07:08He's the guy who's getting it all done.
07:10If they lose him with injury, touch wood, that won't happen.
07:13But will it derail him?
07:16Well, I'd like to think no, but I'm with you.
07:19He's the man at the moment, Luke Jackson.
07:22He's in rare, Nick.
07:23Now, if you were to lose Tracy, you've still got two big boppers in Boss and Amos
07:27and two big boppers who are in really good Nick.
07:29You could bring in, say, an Oscar McDonald.
07:31You could poke him down there, and all of a sudden,
07:33you've still got those three tall forwards and that system that you like.
07:37If Luke Jackson was to go down touch wood, that's not the case.
07:40Then it rests with Sean Darcy, who we did see back in the Waffle on the weekend,
07:45which is good, and Mason Cox, but they're not Luke Jackson.
07:48So, yes, I'm with you.
07:49Luke Jackson is the one.
07:51Well, diggers, that's a free-o.
07:53They should get the job done this week down in country WA.
07:58That'll be a big game.
08:02You win some, you lose more.
08:05For free and confidential support, call the number on the screen or visit the website.
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