The making of a team

by LES EVERETT

IT took nine seasons, three coaches, 198 games, 107 players and countless heartaches for Fremantle to make it into the AFL finals for the first time.

training first final

Peter Bell, Matthew Pavlich & Paul Hasleby feel the passion of the fans on their way out to training last Tuesday night. Photo by Les Everett

The efforts of everyone involved up until this time have added to this first glimmer of success but there's no doubt the team of 2003 has the ingredients of skill, poise and confidence seen only fleetingly in the past. Coach Chris Connolly is at pains to explain the 2003 Dockers are team still very much in construction but it is worth looking at the make up of this group.

In the modern AFL system players don't just wander down to training looking for a game, though there's still a remote chance of such a romantic entry into the system.

The system is set up to provide clubs with the chance to have their day in the sun but draft picks must be used wisely, trading must be canny, wisdom must be shown in the rookie draft and success only comes with a large dollop of luck.

So let's look at the Dockers who have made an impact in 2003, when and how they got here and where they came from.

1995

Shaun McManus: An outstanding junior, he won the Larke Medal at the AFL 18s championships and played in East Fremantle's premiership team in 1994.

Shane Parker: Picked up as a pre-draft selection by the new club from Subiaco. It's safe to say he would have been on no shopping lists. A recruiting coup.

1996

Steven Koops: A star for the Northern Territory in the 1995 AFL 18s division two championship (WA was also in division two). The nephew of West Perth legend Bill Dempsey also played colts with West Perth in 1995 and was a Fremantle zone selection.

1998

James Walker: The sixth choice at the 1997 draft after achieving 18s All-Australian status and starring for North Ballarat in Victoria's elite under 18 competition.

1999

Antoni Grover: A late replacement in WA's 1998 18s team. He was elevated from the Fremantle rookie list and made his AFL debut in round 21 of 1999 on the night Tony Lockett said "farewell" to WA.

Justin Longmuir: Country boy from Koorda who was an All-Australian in 1998 and chosen at two at the national draft (Des Headland was one).

2000

Troy Cook: Fremantle gave up draft selection 34 to get the former Perth player from Sydney where he had been under the eye of Damian Drum. Originally from Carnarvon.

Paul Hasleby: Northampton boy who took a classical career path to the AFL which included WA 16s selection; the Larke Medal when WA won the 1999 18s carnival and a league season with East Fremantle that year when he won the Lynn Medal and the Herald Medal. Chosen at two in the 1999 draft.

Troy Longmuir: Justin's older brother was a WA 18s representative in 1997 and chosen that year by Melbourne at 21 in the draft. Came to Fremantle in a trade deal for draft choices 19 and 63.

Matthew Pavlich: Played SANFL league football for Woodville-West Torrens and was selected in the SA state team in 1999. An SA 18s representative in 1998 and 1999 he was, like Hasleby, overlooked at the 1998 draft but chosen at four in 1999.

2001

Peter Bell: The first player chosen for the original Fremantle squad was dumped after two games in 1995 and went on to play in two premiership teams and win a fairest and best award for North Melbourne. An outstanding junior who also had a league season with South Fremantle in 1994 when he won the Hughes and Herald Medals. Returned to Fremantle in a deal which saw the club give up Jess Sinclair and draft picks six and 37.

Matthew Carr: East Fremantle junior star who was picked up by Collingwood at 64 in the 1995 draft. Didn't play a senior game for the Magpies and was then chosen by St Kilda in the pre-season draft of 1998. He played 28 games for the Saints and came to Fremantle in a trade for Craig Callaghan.

Robert Haddrill: Perth youngster who was placed on the rookie list in 2000 and made his AFL debut in round 15 of 2001.

Roger Hayden: Rejected by WAFL clubs East Fremantle and Perth, he played Sunday league in 1999 before trying his luck with South Fremantle. Placed on the Fremantle rookie list in 2001 and made his AFL debut in round 15 of 2002.

Scott Thornton: Chosen at 66 in the 2000 national draft after playing for Victoria at 18s level.

Dion Woods: Played league football for Perth in 2000 and for the WA 18s. Considered too skinny by most recruiters he was chosen with draft pick 51 by the Dockers. Fremantle had that choice because it traded Greg Harding to West Coast for Daniel Metropolis and the draft pick.

2002

Trent Croad: Part of Fremantle's aggressive trading after the awful 2001 season. The club gave up draft selections one, 20 and 36 to get him and Luke McPharlin.

Jeff Farmer: A state 18s and South Fremantle colts player for WA in 1994, he was famously swapped to Melbourne by Fremantle for Phil Gilbert when the new club was putting its list together. Traded back for draft choice 17.

Paul Medhurst: Put his talents on display in the 2001 season for Claremont when he was the WAFL's leading goal scorer and played well in the finals. Ignored by all he was still available when Fremantle's draft choice at 56 came up. The Dockers got that selection by trading Daniel Schell to Adelaide.

Luke McPharlin: The grandson of an East Fremantle player played just one colts game for the Sharks prior to being drafted at 10 in 1999 by Hawthorn. Came home as an add-on to the Croad deal.

Graham Polak: Outstanding junior who played for the Australian under 17s team against Ireland in 2001 and was earmarked as an AFL player from an early age. His late father Don played for East Perth and his brother Troy was drafted from Perth to North Melbourne and trained with the inaugural Fremantle squad. Fremantle used selection four to grab Graham at the 2001 draft.

Troy Simmonds: Traded from Melbourne for Daniel Bandy who was on-traded to the Western Bulldogs.

Aaron Sandilands: People kept their eye on the East Fremantle youngster because he was tall. Fremantle popped him onto the rookie list last year just in case he turned out to be good as well as big. He did.

Luke Webster: The captain of WA's 18s team in 2000 has taken a torturous path into the AFL. He seriously injured a knee at the 2000 carnival, came back to play in East Perth's 2001 premiership team and was added to the Fremantle rookie list in 2002. He underwent his second knee reconstruction last year but again fought back to make his AFL debut in this season.

2003

Des Headland: The number one draft pick in 1998 after playing WA 18s and league football for Subiaco. He played in a premiership team for Brisbane but wanted to come home and Fremantle used draft picks three and 19 to snare him.

Byron Schammer: Highly rated SA junior. The Dockers were very pleased when he was still around when their first pick at last year's draft (13) came around. Larke Medal winner in 2002 and Australian captain for an under 17 international series.

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