Docker Neale won’t write off Eagles

Fremantle young gun Lachie Neale has dismissed suggestions West Coast’s weakness is their midfield, declaring the Dockers’ powerful on-ball division is under no illusion about the task awaiting it in Sunday’s western derby at Domain Stadium.

And he has backed All-Australian goalsneak Hayden Ballantyne, who accepted a two-game suspension yesterday for rough conduct on Geelong’s Harry Taylor in last Sunday’s 44-point win at Simonds Stadium.

Ruckman Zac Clarke’s knee was heavily strapped at a school holiday football clinic at Fremantle Oval yesterday and will be tested later in the week. Tom Sheridan (calf) is unavailable after being ruled out for a second week. Neale said the players were not disappointed with Ballantyne, despite the fact he has now been suspended for 10 games in his 108-match career.

“It was just an unfortunate incident,” Neale said. “We’re not angry at him ... he’s probably more disappointed himself than anyone else. We’ve got guys that we think can come in and cover his role and there’s plenty of guys putting their hand up.

“We’re really comfortable that someone will come in and step up.”

Neale also believed they could cover Clarke if he did not recover in time, with Jon Griffin and Jack Hannath on standby.

Neale, the Ross Glendinning medallist in the first derby last year, said his fellow midfielders knew they needed to stay dominant at the clearances and denied it would be easy to handle the Eagles’ running division.

“I don’t think that’s a weakness of their side at all,” Neale said. “They have got a strong midfield, obviously Matthew Priddis — a Brownlow medallist, Luke Shuey, Scott Selwood if he plays, they are a great midfield so we are going to have to bring it again.

“We're going to have to be on our best again and hopefully we are. It’ll be a tough battle.”

Nat Fyfe and David Mundy starred in the wins over Port Adelaide and Geelong, while Stephen Hill and Michael Barlow were influential against the Cats.

“For us, we want to build a really strong midfield with a lot of depth,” Neale said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who can rotate through there — Clancee Pearce and those sorts of guys as well.

“It is hard for the opposition to match up on everyone and they can’t tag Fyfe, Mundy, Hill and Barlow, can they?”

West Coast were dealt a blow yesterday when Selwood was ruled out for at least a month with a fresh injury to his previously troublesome right ankle.