Fremantle Docker's inaugural Captain and Father of Collingwood's Ed, Ben Allan, joined Ash Brazill and Tim Gossage to preview Derby LIX tomorrow night and how each side is shaping before the first bounce.
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[Music] I'm not so sure. I'm not so sure he should be playing that song. I think he might have changed camps, albeit he's got a connection to the Fremantle Football Club, but he is now somewhat of a magpie due to the exploits of his son. Ben Allen joins us, of course, and aims synonymous to WA and names synonymous to Fremantle and names synonymous to Derby. Beno, appreciate your time. Hey Tim, how are you going? Good to have a chat? Yeah, so Ash Brazel is also with us. Are you excited about this Derby? Are you a bit like Scotty and me this week going, okay, how do we try and extract some interest in this game? I know there's plenty at stake for Fremantle in particular. What's your vibe going into a Derby like this? I think that's a point, Tim. There's something at stake for free over there. They've set their season up so well. They look like to me that they're really getting their form at the right time of the year, which is so important. Getting through July in the cold months of Melbourne and Perth, to a certain extent, is really important. I think free going to be going full throttle because I think they've seen all the supporters have seen. This is a year that anything can happen. Yeah, and earlier in the year, though, they came terribly unstuck in a Derby. Do you just think there was a mindset thing? When you look back at that game, and they were never in it. It was seven goals to nothing, and it was they were chasing their tail from that point onwards. A kid called Harley Reid came on to the scene and said, "Freo, who? What is your vibe on how much they'll learn from that?" Well, I think everyone's aware of them mulligan or two. It was a strange result. I thought halfway through the year when Justin gave in a bit of a public date with how they were playing was really smart. I think they've gained a huge amount of confidence, particularly from that Sydney win. How long ago was that maybe a month ago? They're probably thinking, "Yeah, are we good enough? Are we good enough?" But then when you take on Sydney and win, they've been given a huge amount of confidence, I think. I think they're in to this, up to their eyeballs. Not just the Derby, but the season. Their risk profile was sensational. You look at the young guys that they've got in. Brad and Walker Chapman and Jordan Clark, they're 21, 22, and 23. Their midfield is going as good as anyone. I think that's the crux of the team. Caleb Sarong's in brilliant form. His stoppage work, I think, is in the top handful in the RFO. We saw it last week. He gets Melbourne, how strong he was inside, but with Bray Shaw and Hayden Young, those three. If anything happens to one of them, I think they might have a bit of an issue, but those three, I think, are stronger, and they've got such good balance amongst them. They're not the same type of players, so that's the key of the team. I think those three midfielders. Hey, Ben Ashbrasel here. I've actually done the opposite to you. I've gone from Collingwood to Friggo, and you've always gone through now. Your son's playing at Collingwood. But when you are on a weekend, this is just a random question out there. We're not talking to the actual Derby at the moment. Do you still watch Friggo? Or are you more invested in the players' games? Of course, I watch Friggo Ash. You've been here. I've started living further long. I'm apt to see how well they're going. I mean, you probably weren't even born when the first Derby was created all those years ago, which makes Tim and I feel really old, but that's another story. It's very hard to throw that 30-year history away. Of course, I call on the family at Collingwood. Blood-stick, the more there's no question, but there's a soft spot for Pre-O, of course. How's it going, mate? He had that taboo game over here, and then to much the surprise of Ben, he was out of the team not long after. What's his situation at the moment? He's got OK. He missed last week with a little niggle, didn't play in the reserves, but he'll play in this week. It's been interesting for Collingwood reserves, because obviously the amount of injuries that the league teams have has filtered down to the two. So it's been a difficult year for them, but I think in terms of development, he's still tracking the right way. All righty, you know Don Pike well, you know him very well, and the speculation continues to grow that until Don Pike officially rules himself out on the running that he might still put his head up to be in the coach of the West Coast, he goes, "Can you see it then? Can you see it?" Well, he is talented. He can do everything, but you know, once he's committed to that CEO role, he's committed to that. Tim, I was just thinking, just out of interest with his step. What number do you think is coming out? 54? 959, 59 is this? OK, 59. Have you done everyone? No, I reckon I've missed three or four maximum. OK, well, there won't be too many officials or media people like you that have done everyone. So you're the man that we should be talking about about the history of the dirty. Yeah, it's a lot closer than many people. It's got his waves, you know, with the domination when they, you know, was set up club against Fremantle, and that hurt initially the numbers, and then Fremantle goes through a surge of dominating. Now we're seeing, you know, again, Fremantle with that upset last time with West Coast Wing, it's a little bit bizarre, but I do think it will be, I think they will. I have used this word a lot this week, Ben, I'm going with it again. I think Fremantle will spiffle a gate West Coast, I don't know, I think it'll get really ugly. I think you see when you've got the other thing I didn't talk about was how well Sean Darcy and I think Luke Jackson are combining everyone was commenting on that, you know, why would you need two ruckmen and, but you get two ruckmen of different types that they are and that can work so well together and that's a huge asset for them. You look at Melbourne last week and you can't believe that Grundy was there for a year and all of a sudden Melbourne haven't had a ruckman and they're just exposed hugely in the clean area of, you know, of stationary contests and contested balls. So, you know, Darcy and Jackson, they're a great year, aren't they? All righty, really quickly, who, last question, we've only got 30 seconds, Ash, who wins the Glen Dining Alan medal? Did I say it right? Yeah, that's Ben, well, Ben Alan is named after him. So, the Glen Dining Ben had him tripping. I just said it wrong before. Who wins it? Hey, you know, you know I don't have a vote, Ash, but, um, definitely for me, I'd say the favourites Caleb's the role. Yeah, all right. Are you presenting tomorrow? I'm presenting the Doc at Home Games, Jim. Oh, of course. All right. All right. It is. I've got mail. I don't know who's voting on it, but I've got mail at Scott Cummings. If it is, look out for a random result. Oh, appreciate your time. Enjoy the game tomorrow. Thank you. Good on you. There's Ben Alan. Oh, it's good to chat with him.
