Round 15 - Fremantle v St Kilda

Sunday July 7 at Patersons Stadium



In: Tom Lee, Tom Hickey, Ahmed Saad, Josh Saunders, Lenny Hayes

Out: Nick Riewoldt (Soreness), Justin Koschitzke (Soreness), Jimmy Webster (Omitted), Seb Ross (Omitted), Sam Dunell (Omitted).

Overview:



While champion midfielder Lenny Hayes' return will warm the hearts of all St Kilda supporters, the loss of captain Nick Riewoldt is just as significant. Justin Koschitzke's absence will be felt too; the Saints will have to make do with an undersized forward line, and hope its array of zippy small forwards can do some damage on the large ground at Subiaco.

Sunday's match looms as a huge challenge for the Saints, who will be hoping to put last week's disappointing loss to Richmond behind them, and would love to take a big scalp against the odds. But the Dockers will be keen to a disappointing result of their own, having been comprehensively beaten by Geelong at Skilled Stadium last week.

While coach Scott Watters has indicated the development of St Kilda's young players remains one of the club's greatest priorities, he will certainly be relieved to see midfielder Lenny Hayes making a return. Hayes will provide great leadership for the Saints' young midfielders, but also gives St Kilda some physical maturity around the ball. Fremantle's matches tend to have plenty of stoppages - you can expect Hayes to be competing fiercely in plenty of them.

St Kilda has played its last five games in Melbourne; the trip to Patersons Stadium will be the first of the year, having played West Coast at Etihad Stadium in round 11. The Saints fell 13 points short of a win the last time the two sides met. It was the first occasion Fremantle coach Ross Lyon came up against his old side. While the Dockers got the four points last year, the Saints had a terrific record against them before that - beating Fremantle eight times in a row.

Sunday's clash will see two opposing game-styles go head-to-head. Though the Dockers are arguably the best defensive side in the competition - it has conceded less points than any other team this year - the vast expanses of Patersons Stadium should suit the Saints, who love to run and carry the football. St Kilda has taken the third-most bounces this season, while Fremantle has had the second-least. St Kilda will once again try to take the game on, and run the Dockers off their legs. If they're to win, they'll need to make the most of their chances - something they were unable to do when they had the upper hand against the Tigers early last week.

Stat focus:

Fremantle has conceded the fewest points of any side this year

St Kilda has scored the fifth-least points of any side in the competition, while Fremantle has scored the sixth-least.

Fremantle ranks second in the league for tackles. Michael Barlow and Matt de Boer lead the way in this area - they are in the top ten for tackles this year.

Barlow also leads the Dockers in handballs. He has had the ninth-most of any player in the AFL. Jack Steven has had the most of any Saint - he ranks 15th in the league for handballs this year.

Nick Riewoldt's aerial power will be missed this week. He leads the league in marks. Docker Luke McPharlin has taken the third-most in the AFL, while teammate Michael Johnson has taken the eighth-most.

Former-Docker Dylan Roberton has had the seventh-most rebound 50s, while former-Saint Zac Dawson ranks 11th in the league for one-percenters.

Injury list:

St Kilda:

Sam Fisher (toe) Season

Adam Schneider (hamstring) 1 week

Dylan Roberton (ankle) Test

Sam Gilbert (knee) 4-5 weeks

Daniel Markworth (knee) Season

Beau Maister (hamstring) 5-6 weeks

Jason Blake (calf) 1 week

Jackson Ferguson (knee) 6 weeks

Fremantle:

David Mundy (calf) Test

Michael Barlow (jaw) Test

Matthew Pavlich (achilles) Test

Aaron Sandilands (hamstring) Test

Max Duffy (knee) Test

Craig Moller (quad) Test

Anthony Morabito (knee) 2 weeks

Paul Duffield (calf) 2 weeks

Sam Menegola (knee) 6 weeks

Jonathon Griffin (knee) Season

Kepler Bradley (knee) Season

Last week:



St Kilda 8.7 (55) defeated by Richmond 17.17 (119)

Fremantle 7.2 (44) defeated by Geelong 11.19 (85)

What they say:

(Fremantle coach Ross Lyon on Wednesday)

"I know they're a proud group and watching them against Richmond for a long period of time, they were a real threat. If you add Hayes in, potentially a couple of others... if their best get going, they'll lift their kids.

Their top six are still outstanding... No-one respects Lenny (Hayes) more than myself. If he got going he'd be dangerous, so we might give him as much difficulty as we can."

What we say:

(St Kilda coach Scott Watters on Sunday)

"We're asking young kids to be leaders. Brodie Murdoch played on Deledio for most of the game (last week) and did a reasonable job... so I'm asking him to step up really early in his career. (The same goes for) Jack Newnes and Jimmy Webster."

Running hot:

St Kilda: David Armitage

The tough midfielder was St Kilda's leading possession-winner last week, and will be critical to his side's success in the middle of the ground. Given the Dockers' habit of out-muscling teams around the ball, Armitage will be doing his best to ensure Fremantle's ball-winners are hit hard when they get possession.

He leads the Saints in tackles this season, ranking 19th in the AFL overall.

Fremantle: Michael Walters

In last week's match, where Fremantle could conjure only seven goals, Walters kicked three of them. He has kicked 23 for the season, despite missing three games. Walters was arguably the most damaging small forward in the first eight rounds of the season before he got injured. With limited opportunities last week, Walters looked back to his dangerous best.

Watch out for:

St Kilda: Clint Jones

While Scott Watters hasn't used Jones in his customary tagging role for the entirety of 2013, the blonde midfielder was back to his best last week, restricting Richmond's Trent Cotchin's influence after quarter time and racking up plenty of the ball himself. Jones appears a chance to line up on one of Fremantle's key ball-winners - perhaps Nathan Fyfe.



Fremantle: Aaron Sandilands

The 211-centimetre giant is yet to play this season, but will be given every chance to prove his fitness ahead of Sunday's match, with Fremantle coach Ross Lyon indicating yesterday Sandilands would be named in the squad. Sandilands could prove a serious headache for St Kilda's defence, which is undersized in the absence of a number of key defenders.

Last time they met:

Round 4, 2012 at Etihad Stadium

St Kilda 11.13 (79) defeated by Fremantle 14.8 (92)

Disposals: Hayes (30), Barlow (30)

Goals: Koschitzke (3), Mzungu, Clarke, Mayne, Anthony (2 each)