New plan for Lyon’s blanket

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon’s strategy against West Coast has been a constant over the past few seasons — limit the influence of Andrew Gaff, Luke Shuey and Shannon Hurn.

It’s a plan which has helped the Dockers win the past five encounters against their cross-town rivals.

However, Gaff, buoyed by a 69-point win over Carlton last Friday night, says it’s an approach which will be tested at Domain Stadium tomorrow by an Eagles midfield which has embraced coach Adam Simpson’s call for greater versatility.

Gaff averages only 18 disposals in his eight games against the Dockers — his worst record against any side.

But he enters the 41st western derby full of confidence after amassing 28 possessions, six tackles and five inside 50s in the demolition of the Blues.

The 22-year-old seems certain to be afforded close attention by the Dockers.

But Gaff said the Eagles’ ability to swap positions, as well as the form of the midfield group, would hopefully cause some headaches for the Dockers’ strategists.

“We have a couple of guys doing different roles at the moment and that helps,” he said.

“(Opposition) sides have to figure out what happens if we’re all playing in different positions.

“We have a few guys up and going, especially after last weekend, so they’ve got a decision whether they want to go with anyone or one or two, I guess.”

The demolition of Carlton was a positive step forward for the Eagles, who are aiming to defy their recent injury crisis and return to the finals for the first time since 2012.

But Gaff said playing the Dockers was a far greater challenge, acknowledging a western derby was more than a regular home-and-away fixture.

“It’s always a different kind of game, it’s always pretty congested in games against Freo,” Gaff said.

“It’s definitely a step-up in many categories.

“It’s a real finals-like game, so we need to start winning these games if we’re going to take the next step toward September, I guess.”

Possibly working in West Coast’s favour tomorrow is the fact that the fixture is a home game — something the club hopes to emphasise by handing out more than 20,000 free flags.

The flags will be available outside gate 10 from 1pm, with the aim to make things as uneasy as possible for the “visiting” Dockers.

“We like making it uncomfortable for them,” Gaff said.

“The last few years they’ve had the wood over us and we need all we can at the moment to get the wood over them.

“We know that it spurs us on, especially in the last quarter.

“In the Freo home games they boo pretty hard when we’re going well and I’m sure we do the same when they’re going well.”