Fremantle jump over Roos on AFL ladder

26 Aug 2012, 8:37 pm   -   Source: AAP
Fremantle have crushed North Melbourne to book their place in the AFL finals. (AAP)

Fremantle have crushed North Melbourne to book their place in the AFL finals. (AAP)

Fremantle and North Melbourne are safe for September action but both want big wins next week as they prepare for the finals.

With their finals position finally secured Fremantle will not risk captain Matthew Pavlich when they face Melbourne next week, despite coach Ross Lyon admitting he needs game time.

Pavlich withdrew from the side prior to the Dockers' 53-point victory over North Melbourne.

The win catapulted the Dockers into seventh position on the ladder and a massive win over the Demons could potentially secure a home final.

The official reason for Pavlich's absence was a groin problem after failing a fitness before the game, but Lyon said the star forward was struggling with general soreness and hamstring issues.

"I haven't got a crystal ball but there will be no risk," said Lyon, before admitting he thinks Pavlich needs to play before the finals.

"He needs to play and he needs to train and that is the aim.

"You don't want to be going into a final without having played ideally, so the aim is to get him up and manage what he has got."

Dockers Kepler Bradley and Adam McPhee took heavy knocks during the match.

Bradley had to be subbed out of the game after he began to vomit late in the first quarter, while McPhee was cleared to play.

It was revealed after the match North Melbourne ruckman Todd Goldstein, clearly beaten by Aaron Sandilands and held to just two disposals and eight hitouts, had suffered from food poisoning overnight and had been ill prior to the game.

Although Fremantle held sway for most of the day, the match was still in the balance early in the final term.

When North kicked goals through Brent Harvey and Lindsay Thomas, the Dockers lead was just 10 points and the Roos had momentum.

But it was a catalyst for a Dockers onslaught and Fremantle kicked nine of the next 11 goals.

Rather than focus on the finals, Lyon said the Dockers had wanted to test themselves against a team that had been in strong form, North having won nine of their past 10 matches.

"We have come to improve and test ourselves against one of the form teams of the competition," said Lyon.

"Admittedly they have been up for a while ... maybe they breathed a sigh of relief that they were in the finals.

"We wanted to take care of business and improve and certainly it was pleasing that we did that."

North coach Brad Scott was concerned his players had subconsciously switched off their intensity after Carlton's shock loss to the Gold Coast on Saturday night had secured North's position.

"It was always a concern for me going into this game with an evolving group, an improving group, could we be professional enough to give the same level of effort and work rate we have given over the last three months, and we failed that test," Scott said.

Scott said his team had been "outworked" by the Dockers.

The Kangaroos will face wooden spooners Greater Western Sydney next week and are hopeful key players Daniel Wells (calf) and Nathan Grima (hamstring) will return.

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