Fremantle coach Ross Lyon expects Gold Coast to come out firing on Saturday. Source: PerthNow
FREMANTLE coach Ross Lyon has labelled looming rival Gary Ablett as "almost untaggable", as he labelled the Gold Coast clash as a game of "opportunity" for both sides.
The Dockers fly out to the Gold Coast tomorrow ahead of Saturday's showdown with the Suns and will do so minus several of their key players.
The guilty verdict and two game suspension handed down to Nat Fyfe last night added the ball winner to an unavailable list that already included captain Matthew Pavlich, ruckman Aaron Sandilands and forward Kepler Bradley, while Zac Clarke and Paul Duffield are listed as "test".
It could leave Fremantle vulnerable in the longest trip in the AFL and Lyon said Gold Coast would see the game as an opportunity.
"With Nathan Fyfe out, we need to step up," Lyon said. "They'll see us as an opportunity; we see it as an
"I think the first point (is that) we acknowledge Gold Coast have really developed and improved.
"They're on two wins, they're looking to go to three wins, third year development, they've got a lot of their senior players back.
"Last year, we went up there without a deep understanding of them and, really, almost got beaten.
"They'll have belief they can beat us, it's their home turf, they've really grown.
"For us, it's a red alert and we've got to handle the travel well – which we do – but we've got a lot of improvement
in us."
A plucky Gold Coast threatened a boilover against Fremantle in the same round last season, with the Suns holding a 17-point lead at halftime.
The side then closed within a point, before Tendai Mzungu grubbered a goal in the final seconds to secure the seven point win.
West Australian Harley Bennell ran amok in that clash and is in line to return this round after recovering from a minor hamstring strain, while Ablett, who missed last year's game, will also threaten an understrength Dockers midfield.
The game will undoubtedly throw up the showdown between Ryan Crowley and Ablett, the latter of which sparked a furore last season after tweeting, "Crowley is a joke! Play the ball, not the man!".
Lyon refused to confirm the matchup and said the Suns ball-magnet was "almost untaggable".
"I think a lot of teams don't even tag him anymore, he's almost untaggable," he said.
"Do we look to give him some offensive headaches, is he the one we go to, but, then, does Bennell come back for them? They've got (David) Swallow.
"I've been in the business a little while and everyone has an opinion and Gary is entitled to his.
"We really value Ryan, I think he strikes a balance and I think he kicked 18 goals last year, Ryan Crowley.
"He can get forward, he's quite tall, so whoever he goes to, we see Ryan as an offensive threat."
Meanwhile, Lyon said Bradley had recovered well from surgery in Melbourne yesterday, while Anthony Morabito had made it through his first full training with the team.
"It was his (Morabito's) first re-introduction (yesterday)," he said.
"He's been doing a lot of one-to-one and we're keen, at the right time, that Anthony will update you.
"His diet is immaculate, he's looking a million bucks, he's got all his strength and power back and now he's just graduating his footy.
"But it's important that Anthony talks to where he's at, I really don't feel comfortable (talking for Anthony)."
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