Who Would Win: Fremantle's Inaugural Team vs Port Adelaide's Inaugural Team
The early years for the Power and Dockers were a bit of a struggle, especially for Fremantle, but both teams have had recent success. The Power won it all in 2004 and the Dockers had their best year ever in 2006, and will be even better in 2007. But here are the teams that ran out for the two clubs for their first ever AFL games. What would happen if those two teams could play, who would win and would Scott Cummings kick a lot of goals?
The difference between the two teams might have been Cummings. The Dockers never had a good full forward in their early years but the Power had someone who could put a score on the board. O'Reilly wasn't a big factor for the Dockers after they brought him over from Geelong but he would have been a good player to try on Cummings, probably the Dockers only option.
Lade was always a solid player, even in his first year of AFL, and if he was also in the forward line along with the many skilful smalls the Power had then the Dockers might be in for a bad game. But the Dockers did have a lot of run from their backline so they would have that advantage.
The Dockers couldn't score many goals, while the Power had a very solid backline. Paxman would have been able to defeat his opponent and Mead and Heuskes would have been very competitive against the other talls that the Dockers had up forward. There was always a lot of pressure on Mann and he never had any help in the forward line.
The only way the Dockers would win was if they got most of the ball in the middle. They had the big Burton, but his height would have been no match for the tag-team of Primus and Lade. Allan and Watters were at the end of their careers, and while Bell would become one of the most famous and successful players from Fremantle's inaugural team at the time the Dockers were not impressed. The best the Dockers could do in the middle was a draw, if they were lucky.
With dominance at both ends the Power would have won this fictitious matchup easily. Even when the Power did play Fremantle for the first time in the AFL, and the Dockers had the advantage of being in the league a couple more years than them, the Power defeated the Dockers. That was a Fremantle team in 1997 that also included Parker, Hunter, Bandy, Black and Callaghan but they lost to the Power by 15 points.
Of interest are the players still running around who were a part of the Dockers' or the Power's inaugural teams. Bell went to the Kangaroos and eventually back to Fremantle. Lade, P Burgoyne and Wilson are still there for the Power.
Fre FF Winston Abraham, Chris Groom, Gary Dhurrkay
Pow FB Donald Dickie, Stephen Paxman, Adam Kingsley
Fre HF Craig Burrows, Peter Mann, Quenton Leach
Pow HB Adam Heuskes, Darren Mead, Michael Wilson
Fre C Tony Delaney, Ben Allan, Jason Norrish
Pow C Peter Burgoyne, Brayden Lyle, Stephen Carter
Fre HB Dale Kickett, Todd Ridley, David Muir
Pow HF Shayne Breuer, Brendon Lade, Fabian Francis
Fre FB Scott Chisholm, Stephen O’Reilly, Jamie Merrillo
Pow FF Brent Heaver, Scott Cummings, Shane Bond
Fre Foll Matthew Burton, Peter Bell, Scott Watters
Pow Foll Matthew Primus, Josh Francou, David Brown
Fre bench Brendan Krummel, Phil Gilbert, Scott Edwards
Pow bench Ian Downsborough, Damian Squire, Darryl Poole
The difference between the two teams might have been Cummings. The Dockers never had a good full forward in their early years but the Power had someone who could put a score on the board. O'Reilly wasn't a big factor for the Dockers after they brought him over from Geelong but he would have been a good player to try on Cummings, probably the Dockers only option.
Lade was always a solid player, even in his first year of AFL, and if he was also in the forward line along with the many skilful smalls the Power had then the Dockers might be in for a bad game. But the Dockers did have a lot of run from their backline so they would have that advantage.
The Dockers couldn't score many goals, while the Power had a very solid backline. Paxman would have been able to defeat his opponent and Mead and Heuskes would have been very competitive against the other talls that the Dockers had up forward. There was always a lot of pressure on Mann and he never had any help in the forward line.
The only way the Dockers would win was if they got most of the ball in the middle. They had the big Burton, but his height would have been no match for the tag-team of Primus and Lade. Allan and Watters were at the end of their careers, and while Bell would become one of the most famous and successful players from Fremantle's inaugural team at the time the Dockers were not impressed. The best the Dockers could do in the middle was a draw, if they were lucky.
With dominance at both ends the Power would have won this fictitious matchup easily. Even when the Power did play Fremantle for the first time in the AFL, and the Dockers had the advantage of being in the league a couple more years than them, the Power defeated the Dockers. That was a Fremantle team in 1997 that also included Parker, Hunter, Bandy, Black and Callaghan but they lost to the Power by 15 points.
Of interest are the players still running around who were a part of the Dockers' or the Power's inaugural teams. Bell went to the Kangaroos and eventually back to Fremantle. Lade, P Burgoyne and Wilson are still there for the Power.
Fre FF Winston Abraham, Chris Groom, Gary Dhurrkay
Pow FB Donald Dickie, Stephen Paxman, Adam Kingsley
Fre HF Craig Burrows, Peter Mann, Quenton Leach
Pow HB Adam Heuskes, Darren Mead, Michael Wilson
Fre C Tony Delaney, Ben Allan, Jason Norrish
Pow C Peter Burgoyne, Brayden Lyle, Stephen Carter
Fre HB Dale Kickett, Todd Ridley, David Muir
Pow HF Shayne Breuer, Brendon Lade, Fabian Francis
Fre FB Scott Chisholm, Stephen O’Reilly, Jamie Merrillo
Pow FF Brent Heaver, Scott Cummings, Shane Bond
Fre Foll Matthew Burton, Peter Bell, Scott Watters
Pow Foll Matthew Primus, Josh Francou, David Brown
Fre bench Brendan Krummel, Phil Gilbert, Scott Edwards
Pow bench Ian Downsborough, Damian Squire, Darryl Poole
