Fremantle training notes: Peel recruit Toby Cossor takes on Docker’s big ruck guns after invite to training

INTO THE FIRE Victor George Kailis Oval, Fremantle HQ, is a long, long way from Myrtleford, but that’s exactly where Toby Cossor found himself on a sunny Friday morning in late January. The 207cm Peel Thunder recruit is fresh from a year with the Ovens and Murray League club in northeast Victoria - where Gary Ablett Snr once played before he joined the Cats - and was on Friday asked to join in the Dockers’ match simulation. Dockers ruck Aiden Riddle was restricted to training drills as he recovers from an ankle sprain, so Cossor was sent straight into the heat of the ruck battle with AFL giants Sean Darcy, Luke Jackson and Mason Cox. The 20-year-old, who also had a stint at VFL club Box Hill, made a decent fist of it too during the four 20-minutes quarters of match practice. “I was telling him he competes really hard. He just got thrown out there pretty much. (Told) just play footy. He’s going to be exciting player and he’s got good effort,” Jackson said after the. hit out. Just what Fremantle’s ruck division will look like by round one is still a work in progress, with Cox prominent on Friday, Darcy playing only the opening quarter, and Jackson switching between palming hitouts and receiving them as an inside midfielder. The other train ons were Floyd Burmeister (GWV Rebels) and Kyelan Sanders (Peel Thunder). MAESTRO MURPHY Murphy Reid has spent more time in the midfield so far this pre-season and he was again immersed in the action on Friday, along with Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw, Jaeger O’Meara, Matt Johnson, Neil Erasmus and Luke Jackson. Reid, the AFL’s Rising Star in his debut season in 2025, was a little too adventurous at times, run down by a super quick Michael Fredericks, failing to hit the target at times, and giving away an undisciplined 50m penalty. It’s January right, so he can be forgiven. But what was the old saying: train like you play. Fredericks looks in ripping nick and was one of the standouts across half forward. YOUNG TALENT TIME Hayden Young spent long stints at full-forward, as he did in the last match simulation, rotating through the midfield. Rotating mids through attack is nothing new - it was a go to for Freo last season - so expect more of the same, but Young’s longer stints there are intriguing. The Freo key posts all stood up times, Josh Treacy, Patrick Voss - fresh from an animated muscle flex at an AFL photo shoot on Thursday - Jye Amiss and Charlie Nicholls. Nicholls, 19, who enters his second AFL season after being picked up in the 2024 national draft, took one strong contested mark and converted and will push hard for an AFL game at some stage this season. ON A WING AND A PRAYER A prediction: Heath Chapman to have a big season. But in what position? He has primarily played at half back but the Dockers have long wanted to play him on a wing. Nathan O’Driscoll and Jeremy Sharp have been the regulars but are yet to firmly plant a stake in the ground to make it their own. O’Meara and Corey Wagner both spent time on wings on Friday. SCERRI ON TOP Northern Bullants small forward Chris Scerri and versatile Murray Bushrangers big man Zac Harding are the front runners for the final spot on Fremantle’s list. Scerri in particular did not do his chances any harm with a number of standout moments on Friday. STATUE-ESQUE The AFL will tighten its “stand” on the mark rule this season and AFL players’ willingness to learn quickly was on show on Friday. Most of the players were virtual statues when asked to stand on the mark. INJURY LIST The Dockers rehab room is a relatively lonely place to be at the moment. Cooper Simpson is on light duties with a sore hip, Sam Sturt is progressing well from a knee reconstruction and Riddle is easing his way back to a full work load. Sharp limped off the field, albeit towards the end of match simulation, and Alex Pearce did not take part, rested after a trip to Melbourne the previous day for an AFL photo shoot. One interested onlooker was club great Michael Walters. Always among the most enthusiastic and loudest Dockers during pre-season training, he retired towards the end of last season and no doubt is missing his mates.