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Battle of the bottom two

By Mr Dandalooa

This weekend is rival round and Fremantle Football Club take on arch-rivals the West Coast Eagles at Subiaco Oval.

Dockers skipper Mathew Pavlich is reportedly confident he will lace his boots for Saturday’s Western derby and with giant ruckman Aaron Sandilands almost certain to start.

Pavlich has been out injured with a calf-injury for the past three matches, but is keen to get his team back on track if he is deemed fit to play.

Des Headland, who was reportedly in an alcohol-fuelled incident at the weekend which involved police, looks unlikely to play with his hamstring still giving him grief, and Byron Schammer looks to stay out with his calf injury.

Chris Tarrant is poised to play after jarring his knee against the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night where he appeared to kick the ground during the match.

Pavlich reckons Tarrant’s scans came back with a good result and appears to be moving pretty well, with the team crossing fingers about his return.

The Dockers need to get some respectability back on their record, and at the bottom of the ladder, are hoping to get the same result as the last four derbies, which they have won.

With the Eagles just one game ahead of the Dockers, the derby is expected to be an even contest.

But with West Coast only one game ahead of the bottom-placed Fremantle, and a number of personnel changes in both camps, Pavlich said it was sure to be an even contest.