Carlton midfielder Blake Acres is worked up, not daunted, by his first journey again to the Optus Stadium cauldron since leaving Fremantle.
The 27-year-old spent three seasons with the Dockers earlier than transferring to Ikon Park throughout final 12 months’s commerce interval.
Perth crowds could be famously hostile to former gamers returning to face Fremantle or West Coast in opposition colors.
Ex-Dockers tall Rory Lobb was relentlessly booed and heckled by the Freo trustworthy when he performed for the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium in spherical six.
However, Acres’ exit was far much less acrimonious than what Lobb went by means of and the Blues’ operating machine stated he was wanting ahead to going through the Dockers.
“I caught up with those boys when they were in town (Melbourne) over the weekend (to play the Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium),” Acres informed AAP.
“I caught up with a lot of them so it will be fun.
“I converse to them on a regular basis nonetheless however eager to get the choccies over them although.
“They’ll (Dockers fans) be stoked to have me back.
“I used to be solely there a brief time period so there most likely will not be a lot to it.
“I’m looking forward to get back in front of the old home family and being at Optus Stadium again.”
Carlton head west after two confidence-boosting victories over Gold Coast and Hawthorn to offer them an out of doors probability of sneaking into finals.
Despite a depressing run of eight defeats in 9 video games earlier than smashing the Suns, the Blues are solely a game-and-a-half exterior of the eight.
Carlton’s attacking kind that nearly earned them a 2022 finals spot has returned, they usually have mixed it with a robust defensive plan.
During their horror stretch, the Blues struggled to attain and had been bereft of confidence when transferring the ball.
“There’s been a really big focus on our team ‘d’ (defence) and being able to press the ball carrier,” Acres stated.
“On top of that, we’re finishing our scores and our opportunities now so it makes it easy to defend when you’re not defending for 20 minutes at a time; you’re spending two to three minutes, goal, and get back to the centre bounce and go again.”
Fremantle will probably be as determined as Carlton to maintain their finals hopes alive following a disappointing defeat towards the Bulldogs final Saturday.
Despite beating final 12 months’s grand finalists Geelong and Sydney, in addition to Melbourne on the MCG, the Dockers are 7-8 and have been unable to recapture the consistency they displayed final season.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
