show me:

Former Sun Brodie shines bright at Dockers

3 minute read

Fremantle midfielder Will Brodie has become one of the recruits of the year following a stunning start to his Dockers career.

WILL BRODIE. Picture: Cameron Spencer/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir is confident recruit-of-the-year candidate Will Brodie and Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe can form a formidable midfield duo in the second half of the AFL season.

Gold Coast sent Brodie and pick No.19 to Fremantle at the end of last year in exchange for a 2022 second-round selection and a 2022 fourth-round selection.

The move was essentially a salary cap dump for Gold Coast, with Fremantle emerging as the big winners.

Brodie, who managed just 25 games across five seasons for Gold Coast, is averaging 27.1 disposals and 5.8 clearances in a breakout campaign for the Dockers.

The 23-year-old will come up against Gold Coast for the first time on Sunday when Fremantle travel to Metricon Stadium.

The Dockers will be without Michael Walters (health and safety protocols), Sam Switkowksi (concussion) and Nathan O'Driscoll, who could miss more than a month of action with a foot injury.

Suns forward Jack Lukosius will miss a number of weeks with a knee injury.

When Brodie arrived at Fremantle there were doubts about whether both he and Fyfe would be able to play in the same team together given their similar roles.

Longmuir is confident the two can thrive together when Fyfe returns from injury.

"A lot of teams have two big-bodied mids in their team," Longmuir said.

"There's opportunity for both of them to rotate forward and bring their aerial presence to the game as well.

"There's a bit to work through there before we get Fyfe back, but I think they can play together and complement each other."

Brisbane star Jarryd Lyons is another player who has flourished since being discarded by the Suns, but Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew says it's a two-way street.

"We've got Jarrod Witts and Sam Collins from other footy clubs as well. We're not the only club where players go somewhere else and play well," Dew said.

"Sometimes that's opportunity. Clearly with Will, he was an inside mid predominantly, and we've got Touk (Miller), who was All-Australian last year.

"We've got Matt (Rowell) and Noah (Anderson). Even Dave Swallow, he's our ex-captain.

"The opportunities were pretty limited for Will and we're not here to try and starve guys of a career either.

"We're happy he's actually gone somewhere and having an impact but I think this notion that we're the only club where players move from is false."

Fremantle are riding high in second spot following their stunning 7-1 start to the season.