Fremantle will play their fourth pre-season game of the year this weekend in what the AFL are referring to as "Round 2" of the NAB Cup. This week they take on Mick Malthouse, or Carlton as they were formerly known, at Etihad Stadium. "Round 2" of the NAB Cup sees the games return to a more traditional system of two teams playing each other but with a new set of fruity rules which aren't really worth mentioning because the umpires aren't that likely to enforce them correctly anyway.
After mixed fortunes so far in the pre-season, Fremantle have brought in a bit of grunt to make sure Carlton don't use the game as an exercise in trying to take out key players in one of the main contenders for the flag. Matt deBoer, Ryan Crowley, Michael Johnson, Luke McPharlin and Hayden Ballantyne are back into the side after avoiding going to Adelaide with Stephen Hill and Michael Barlow being protected. Matthew Pavlich will miss the game, staying home for the birth of his kid, partly because he wants to be there and partly because he doesn't trust his wife alone with the all those shepherds and wise men. Anyways, these are the blokes who will be going.
Fremantle
Hayden Ballantyne, Zac Dawson, Jayden Pitt, Garrick Ibbotson, Danyle Pearce, Nathan Fyfe, Nick Suban, Matt De Boer, Michael Walters, Tom Sheridan, Jonathon Griffin, Tendai Mzungu, Ryan Crowley, David Mundy, Hayden Crozier, Luke McPharlin, Tanner Smith, Kepler Bradley, Lachie Neale, Zac Clarke, Cameron Sutcliffe, Lee Spurr, Michael Johnson, Jack Hannath, Paul Duffield, Jesse Crichton (EMG), Clancee Pearce (EMG)
Carlton
Andrew Walker, Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs, Kade Simpson, Matthew Kreuzer, Kane Lucas, Robert Warnock, Mitch Robinson, Chris Yarran, Brock McLean, Jeremy Laidler, Sam Rowe, Eddie Betts,Lachie Henderson, Dennis Armfield, Tom Bell, Marcus Davies, Nick Duigan, Jeff Garlett, Frazer Dale, Michael Jamison, Levi Casboult, Zach Tuohy, Simon White, Andrew Carrazzo, Aaron Joseph (EMG), David Ellard (EMG)
The game kicks off on Saturday at 4:40PM Freo time. You can watch it on Foxtel or listen on the ABC Radio or that one where Howard Sattler berates people for no particular reason.