Fremantle has announced two changes for their upcoming Sunday match against Melbourne at TIO Traeger Park in Alice Springs.
Forward Michael Frederick and versatile forward Sam Sturt will both rejoin the senior team on Sunday.
Frederick missed the club’s round 11 draw with Collingwood after being subbed out of the previous game against St Kilda due to a concussion.
The 24-year-old, named at half forward, has averaged 13.3 disposals, 3.6 marks, 2.3 tackles, and 1.6 goals per game in his last three matches against Melbourne.
Sturt has been named on the club’s five-man bench along with Michael Walters, Corey Wagner, Bailey Banfield, and Brandon Walker.
Sturt has made only one appearance this season, where he kicked two goals during Fremantle’s RAC Derby loss to West Coast in round six.
Midfielder Matthew Johnson has been managed this week, and small forward Tom Emmett has been omitted.
Fremantle has won two of their last three meetings with the Demons but has never faced them in an official AFL fixture in Alice Springs.
The last matchup against Melbourne was in round 11 of 2023 at the MCG, where Fremantle secured a 7-point victory, with Jye Amiss scoring three goals and Andrew Brayshaw collecting 29 disposals and six tackles.
The match will commence at 11am WST and will be broadcast live nationally on Fox Footy and streamed on Kayo.
The substitute will be announced from one of the five bench players an hour before the game begins on Sunday.
Free-to-Air Broadcast Delay
There will be a delayed broadcast on free-to-air TV in Perth, starting at 2PM WST on Channel 7.
Fremantle fans without a Pay TV subscription can watch the game live at one of Pirate Life’s Perth-based ‘Anchor Venues,’ where they can gather with fellow Freo supporters to cheer on the team.
### TEAM vs Melbourne
**IN:** Michael Frederick, Sam Sturt
**OUT:** Tom Emmett (omitted), Matthew Johnson (managed)
**B:** Heath Chapman, Alex Pearce, Joshua Draper
**HB:** James Aish, Luke Ryan, Jordan Clark
**C:** Jeremy Sharp, Andrew Brayshaw, Hayden Young
**HF:** Jaeger O’Meara, Sam Switkowski, Michael Frederick
**FF:** Josh Treacy, Jye Amiss, Luke Jackson
**R/Fol:** Sean Darcy, Caleb Serong, Nat Fyfe
**INT:** Michael Walters, Sam Sturt, Corey Wagner, Bailey Banfield, Brandon Walker
**EMG:** Tom Emmett, Neil Erasmus, Matthew Johnson
