Coming into the 2023 AFL season, if you looked at the fixture and saw you were scheduled to face Fremantle at Optus Oval, you could be forgiven for thinking that it would result in a loss.
After all, it was perceived as one of the toughest road trips in the game and Freo were expected to be right in the mix for the flag this season, after making the big steps to improve in 2022.. However, after six weeks of the season, that perception is changing rapidly. Firstly, last year’s wooden spooners paid a visit and left with four points, and now the Western Bulldogs have sauntered into town and given the Dockers a bit of a touch up.
Maybe Optus Oval is becoming a happy hunting ground for the opposition?
The Dogs used a combination of manic forward pressure, great defensive structure, and forwards that can actually hold a mark to gain the advantage over a Fremantle team that looked lost on their own home turf.
Rory Lobb attracted the type of attention you’d expect in hostile territory, but had his moments against his former team, whilst Jamarra Ugle-Hagan did what nobody in purple could do and took marks inside fifty.
In the end, it was a very solid 49-point win on the road for the Dogs, who now move to 3-3 and breathed life into their sputtering season.
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