Sharks skipper hopes for long overdue win in 200th game

EAST Fremantle’s season might have not gone to plan, but the Sharks will now look to finish on a positive note at ATOM Stadium on Saturday against Perth with captain Rory O’Brien celebrating his 200th WAFL game.

East Fremantle might be heading into the clash with the wooden spoon bound Demons on a 12-game losing streak, but their skipper is one player who can hold his head high for the way he has continued to try and lead the Sharks from the front all season long.

O’Brien could very well be on his way to winning another fairest and best award with East Fremantle that would give him four in five years at the Sharks after he moved from Peel Thunder where he also claimed two fairest and best awards during his 92-game career.

Having also won the 2013 Sandover Medal and represented Western Australia on two occasions on top of the five fairest and bests so far in his career, the 29-year-old will now look to end the season with a win for East Fremantle on Saturday as he reaches his 200th match.

O’Brien has already been inducted into the WAFL 200 Club because of his one season playing in the SANFL with North Adelaide in 2008 to go with what has now been 92 games for Peel, two for WA and 107 with East Fremantle.

Now about to reach 200 WAFL games along with his remarkable personal accolades, O’Brien is a tremendously decorated modern day midfielder and he has earned all the achievements based on his ability to outwork and outrun his opponents.

However, there’s no hiding from the fact that it’s been a disappointing season for East Fremantle.

The Sharks had to go through a tough pre-season with the knowledge that they had blown a chance to make the grand final, and potentially win a premiership, by kicking poorly in the preliminary final against Subiaco.

But the majority of that group came back again and was topped off with the returning Liam Anthony and the signing of Subiaco premiership player George Hampson with East Fremantle then winning five of its first seven games.

However, the Sharks haven’t won since, have seen Brad Dodd replace Steve Malaxos and now need to beat Perth on Saturday to avoid ending the year on a disastrous 13-game losing streak.

O’Brien obviously isn’t happy with the way things have panned out, but is starting to see some positives come through as they get used to the style of caretaker coach Dodd.

“It’s probably a number of things. Obviously the coach resigning when he did had an impact and we had a new coach take over, and we’ve had to change our game plan from what Steve was getting us to do to Brad,” O’Brien said.

“There are probably a lot of guys who aren’t performing at the level they have the last couple of years, and that’s taken its toll, but we’ve been able to blood a lot of young guys that we haven’t been able to do in the past.

“That’s been a big focus of Brad’s, but we are slowly grasping his new game plan and we’ve been able to do it for two or three quarters, but not four. And if you can’t put in a four-quarter performance, any side can beat anyone.”

While the form of himself, younger brother Brock, Jamie McNamara, Anthony, Andrew Stephen, Rob Young, Danny Chartres and Cameron Eardley has been solid this season, the depth at the Sharks has been truly tested with Hampson, Mark McGough and Bradd Dalziell either injured or now retired.

However, the skipper certainly sees some positives in the amount of young players who have received an opportunity at East Fremantle in the second half of the season, in particular those of colts age who will only grow in number looking ahead to 2016.

“Especially the colts players coming in have been exciting. Joe Hebiton and Fraser Perry have played this year and performed well,” O’Brien said.

“Fraser in his debut kicked three goals up forward and Joe Hebiton came in, and played one of the key back roles last time against Perth and was really competitive.

“There is about 15 colts guys who come up into the senior squad next year and there’s no doubt that five or six of them will be in our best 22 ready to go for next year.”