The Crows and Dockers have met 32 times. Adelaide leads the ledger 19 wins to 13. Fremantle has won three of its past four matches. The Crows have won five of their last seven, but haven’t claimed consecutive wins since Round 5-6.
The defensively-minded Dockers have conceded 711 points this season – only Sydney has conceded fewer scores (697). Fremantle is ninth in scores for (865 points). Adelaide is fifth in scores for (918) and has improved its defence recently, ranked eighth for scores against (868).
Sunday’s game at Patersons Stadium will be a battle of two capable contested ball teams. Fremantle wins 40 per cent of its total possessions in contested situations. Only Gold Coast (42.7%) has a higher percentage of contested possessions. The Crows can also win a contested ball, ranked (equal) first in contested possessions (173) in Round 11.
The Dockers are the No.1 contested marking team in the AFL, while the Crows are third. Freo ruckman Aaron Sandilands (22) and captain Matthew Pavlich (19) are ranked No.1 and No.3 in the AFL, respectively, for contested marks. Crow James Podsiadly is fourth with 18.
The Dockers game style is conducive of contested marking. They aren’t afraid to kick to a contest – ranked No.2 in the competition for long kicks.
Adelaide is ranked fifth for inside 50ms per game (54.7) – the highest average of any team outside the top four.
The match-up could see two of the game’s most effective ruckmen go head to head. Sandilands leads the League in hit-outs to advantage (115). Crows ruckman Sam Jacobs, who will need to overcome a hip injury to play on Sunday, is third (93).
Attacking defender Brodie Smith is ranked No.1 for long kicks (61) and metres gained this season. He’s also No.2 for rebound 50ms (54). Matthew Jaensch is third in the AFL for effective kicks (120).
David Mundy is Fremantle’s leading possession winner (249) this year, while young star Nat Fyfe has won the most clearances (50) at the club.
Defender Michael Johnson is also an influential player. Johnson leads the Dockers in marks (71), kicks (148), uncontested possessions (145) and rebound 50ms (50).
Freo midfielder Danyle Pearce has generated more inside 50ms (61) than any player in the League in 2012. Teammate Stephen Hill is fourth (52) – three fewer than Crows acting co-captain Rory Sloane (55).
Sloane has averaged 30 possessions, seven clearances and six tackles in his last two games against Fremantle.
South Australian Matthew Pavlich (20) leads Fremantle’s goalkicking this season. Hayden Ballantyne is second on 15 goals. Pavlich also leads the Club in goal assists (nine).
Crow Taylor Walker has kicked four or more goals in five of his last six matches against Freo at an average of 3.8 per game.
The Dockers have only lost one game at home, against North Melbourne, this season. The Crows have only lost one game on the road, to Carlton at the MCG in Round 10. Adelaide’s most recent win at Patersons Stadium was against West Coast in Round 23 last year.
