FIVE TALKING POINTS FROM COACH’S PRESSER
1. Has the Optus Stadium surface contributed to Luke Dahlhaus’s injury?
“It’s a good correlation except that we’ve only been on there once. We’re not allowed to train there, we’ve only played a game there and the players found it quite good and it was quite good in the lead up to the game. After not having any games there for a period of time, rain in the build up and only being on there for a shortened game, I’d be staggered if we could draw the conclusion that Optus Stadium was the issue.” 2. What have you made of the Dockers so far this year? “I think they’ve been competitive in all their games. I think they’ve shown a capacity to fill some gaps with key defenders out. I was at Fremantle when David Mundy, Michael Walters and Nat Fyfe were there. I’ve got a high regard for them. I think they’re playing with great competitiveness at the moment. I don’t think two wins for the season is reflective of the way they’ve played across the season.” 3. Is it right Stefan Okunbor will play in the scratch match this weekend?
“That’s my understanding.
He’s certainly trained well enough to play. We haven’t locked down yet who is available yet and who isn’t. My observation of him at training over a long period of time has been that he looks ready to me but he had a ruptured achilles, so it was a serious injury. He’s healed like the terminator ... it’s been a remarkable recovery and the way he’s trained has been pretty impressive.” 4. Does this truncated season open doors up for younger players?
“Everyone is in a situation at the moment where it’s later than you think in your career and you should be taking the opportunity while it is right in front of you. It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen next year. If those guys get their chance, I don’t think they should necessarily play with a pressure of playing for their spot on a list, but to some degree that is the environment in which we work. What I do know is if list sizes are reduced and some guys need to go back to the second-tier, approach it the way Sam Menegola did and dominate the WAFL and get your chance again and come in and prove you can be a good AFL player.” 5. Have you spoken to Gary Ablett at all?
“I haven’t spoken to him. It’s really private that situation and he needs the space to prioritise the most important things in his life, which he’s doing. We’re confident it could open up that he could come back and play with us. That’s very much the plan at the moment, but if anything changes in his personal life, which means he can’t come, that’s what will happen. There won’t be one second of discussion to the contrary.”