SSP rookie hopefuls Liam Serong, Sam Stubbs to continue pre-season training block at Fremantle Dockers

Fremantle will continue to trial a pair of rookie hopefuls when pre-season returns at Cockburn this week.

Gippsland Power tall Liam Serong, the younger brother of Dockers star Caleb, and Perth forward Sam Stubbs started training at the club last month in the hope of earning a spot on the list as part of the Pre-Season Supplementary Selection Period.

The West Australian understands 18-year-old Serong will train until March, while mature-ager Stubbs, 25, is also set to get a decent block to impress.

There’s one spot available on Fremantle’s list ahead of the SSP deadline on February 15, but they could still choose to keep it open for the Mid-Season Rookie Draft.

If Serong is unsuccessful, he’s likely to return to the Power with the NAB League outfit getting permission to play him as an over-ager because of his injury-interrupted draft year.

As revealed by The West Australian in late November, the 193cm key-position player had attracted Fremantle’s interest with the club keen to invite him to training if he was overlooked in the draft.

He’s rated as a naturally gifted athlete with good skills and a great set of hands, but was limited to a handful of NAB League games in a stop-start season.

He finished the year with a best-on-ground performance for Warragul in the Gippsland competition’s under-18s grand final in front of Fremantle list boss David Walls.

“He’s a little bit different to the other two (Caleb and Hawthorn tall Jai),” Gippsland Power’s talent manager Scott McDougal said.

“He’s more of a marking tall key-position player... a naturally gifted athlete.”

Mid-sized forward Stubbs has kicked 41 goals in 31 WAFL appearances and won the Demons’ leading goal-kicker award last season with 23 to catch the eye of Freo recruiters.

Fremantle had also shown a bit of interest in tough East Fremantle utility Jed Hagan, asking the AFL for special permission to get him on as a third SSP train-on

Hagan has since joined Port Adelaide’s SANFL side after his shock draft snubbing.

Ex-Perth and Geelong midfielder Quinton Narkle is hoping for an AFL lifeline at Richmond where he’s been since last month, otherwise a WAFL return is on the cards with Perth, South Fremantle and Subiaco among those in the mix.