“Rip this game to shreds”: Why Dogs clash presents as the perfect opportunity for Freo’s Jackson to dominate

This weekend presents as a fantastic opportunity for Fremantle’s Luke Jackson to tear a game to shreds.

The Dockers face the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on Saturday afternoon and it sets up perfectly for Jackson to have a serious impact, according to David King.

Given the presence of Josh Treacy and Jye Amiss up forward, Jackson could benefit by playing on an undersized and inexperienced Dogs defender.

King also sees the ruck match-up against Tim English, and his back-up Rory Lobb, as one that Jackson and Sean Darcy could make the most of when the seventh-placed Freo meet 11th-placed Dogs.

“Last week we went with Tom Green who is going ok but hasn’t ripped a game to shreds (for a while),” King said on SEN Breakfast’s In The Gun segment.

“I’m going to stay on the same theme with guys that are good enough to dominate the competition and we just want a little bit more (from).

“I’m looking at Luke Jackson in a game that is critical to Fremantle’s chances. He’s kicked 11 goals this season, in five games he’s been a multiple goal scorer kicking four doubles and a triple.

“But they’ve been against teams ranked 10th, 11th, 13th, 16th and 18th.

“On the road, against the Western Bulldogs, come over and dominate. He’ll get an opponent, if he plays forward, in Buku Khamis or James O’Donnell. Undersized, inexperienced, he should be able to capitalise.

“And when he goes into the ruck, he’ll get Tim English who is just an average hit-out ruckman just an average hit-out to advantage ruckman.

“I think Jackson could dominate in both facets of the game this week. He’s had some big clearance games at Marvel against North Melbourne and St Kilda.

“I want to see him rip this game to shreds. This is sitting here on the tee and ready to be smashed out of the park.”

Jackson is averaging a career-high 18.4 disposals, 18.7 hit-outs and 3.8 clearances as a forward-ruck for the Dockers in 2024.

He has booted 11 goals this season including three against former club Melbourne in Round 12.

The last time the 22-year-old played against the Dogs in Round 7 he finished with 2.2 from 15 disposals along with nine hit-outs.