Here we go, a big Saturday night fixture between two 2023 finals hopefuls. One is currently in the eight and looking to solidify their position, and the other just outside and needs to keep pace with the chasing pack. Fremantle will be looking to hold their form at their home ground, and the Bombers will use this indicator as to their credentials this season, as a win in Perth (against Fremantle at least) is a bloody hard thing to do, and really signals the strength of the team.
Both teams are strong through the middle. The Bombers may be without big man Sam Draper, but still had a very good Andrew Phillips in the ruck, as well as midfield contingent of Stringer, Merrett, and the returning Parish. With Sam Durham and Nic Martin on the wings. It is a lethal unit.
The Dockers have their own raging on-ball squadron as well, with big Sean Darcy one of the competition’s best ruckmen. Then at his feet are the likes of Serong, Brayshaw, O’Meara and this guy named Fyfe does alright.
Both teams have their stars at each end, but I feel the better matchups are at the Bombers’ attacking side of the field. Peter Wright, Stringer (when forward), Weideman and Langford matching up against the likes of Brennan Cox, Ryan and Pearce.
Fremantle would’ve been feeling the loss last week and looking to get themselves back in the hunt and remind not just everyone, but themselves, that they’re actually a good football team. The Bombers enjoyed the bye last week after a stirring win over Carlton to reap further misery on the Blues. A beautiful thing for Bomber fans. Their team are building a nice patch of form, which is what sees them firmly in the top eight at the start of this round.
But enough preamble, lets breakdown how this game unfolded
First Quarter
Fremantle are now known poor starters. The Dockers have only won a single first quarter in 2023 and this game was no different. The Bombers had two clearances and set shots on goal inside the first two minutes.
Essendon looked far too slick for the Dockers for most of the first quarter. Their ability to find targets out of defence and transition the footy was first-class. Outside of Sean Darcy, it was a struggle to find many clear winners for Fremantle. And that was more just because you could clearly see him trying his guts out to give his teammates an option and first use. His opponents were still doing plenty of their own damage.
The problem for the Bombers though, or perhaps the strength of the Dockers, was that there wasn’t really any damage on the scoreboard. The Freo defence was holding strong and giving their midfield and forwards a chance to get into the game.
Then it came. Fremantle managed to force a forward half turnover when Phillips tried to kick a short one through the centre. Know your role Andrew, ruckman kick long or handball. Then they got the next centre clearance, and one of the smartest marks you will see by Michael Walters, who kicked truly, and Fremantle somehow finish the quarter in front after being outplayed for 70%+ of it.
Second Quarter
Phillips and Stringer decided they were playing backyard rules in the early part of the second quarter linking up for the first two centre clearances.
However, outside of that and a nice bit of play on the nearside wing, this quarter looked more like the footy Fremantle wanted to play. They started linking up much better through hands and applying serious pressure in their front half which worried the Essendon defenders into costly mistakes.
Luke Jackson had himself a nice patch and Liam Henry was getting busy on the wing as the Docker built their lead beyond 20 points.
The Bombers finally got a decent chance to put the Fremantle defence under pressure and capitalised, but the Dockers’ ability to get meaningful centre clearances finally burnt the Bombers and Walker kicked the quick response.
The scoreline read 8.7.55 to 5.333 when the halftime siren blew and it was clear that Fremantle had taken the ascendancy after the Bombers had the better of them for the first 20 or so minutes.
Third Quarter
Fremantle continued their dominance after halftime and slammed two goals on in minutes to put the Bombers under serious pressure of getting blown away.
Stringer then reached into his bag of tricks and pulled out a ridiculous goal. Tracking toward the boundary, kicking it off the ground on his opposite boot, bouncing truly on the goal line. Remarkable.
Other than that moment the Bombers simply could not break through the stingy Fremantle defence as Cox, Ryan and Clark propelled them forward.
Fremantle were really flexing their muscles, forcing their game style on the Bombers in this quarter. Much like the Bombers in the first, they had the dominance of play, but the Dockers were able to put it on the scoreboard in a meaningful way.
Fourth Quarter
The Bombers needed to get things moving quickly in the fourth quarter if they wanted a shot at forcing the upset in this game. Fremantle was not going to let them turn the game easily. Halfway through the quarter, they had only managed to bring it back to 28 points.
The Dockers were holding them at bay, but they also weren’t looking very dangerous going forward. They seemed to have decided they needed to save the game; a very dangerous decision. A missed 50-metre penalty to Wright might’ve just saved their bacon.
They then did what they do best and got themselves a centre clearance goal and then one to Serong put the result beyond doubt.
Now Let’s get into The Stuff that mattered
The Best Stuff
All of the ruckman!
Seriously loved what every ruck brought in this game.
From the young Bryan being brought in late and only in his sixth game – he seriously competed and had great endeavour. He had some good wins early, but like with any young player, he faded a bit as the game went on and was eventually subbed, but Bombers fans should be wrapped with the game from the youngster.
Phillips was probably the best tap ruckman on the ground and had a strong presence in the air. A senior campaigner, and at his third club, Phillips has found his spot as a second ruck behind Draper at the Bombers, but stepped up superbly in his absence in this game. Outside of that one bad skill error in the first quarter.
Then we have the Fremantle rucks. Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson. This is what Melbourne thought they were getting with Gawn and Grundy, only Fremantle got the ultimate tandem with ten years left of potentially playing together. They could seriously dominate this competition for that long if they stay together and stay healthy. Other teams, be warned.
Darcy returned to the ruck in this game, as mentioned, and resumed business as usual. One of the few Dockers to turn up from the first bounce and locked in a great duel with Phillips. Jackson played mostly forward and did it to perfection. He took a quality defender, he presented, he contested and he hit the scoreboard. Save an extra long fingernail of an Essendon defender on the mark outside fifty, and he would’ve had four goals. And maybe a new TV.
Liam Henry
Henry got the points over Martin in the battle of the wings tonight. Both are not known for their defensive capabilities, but Henry ran rampant as he provided the key link-up for the Dockers transitioning the football out of defence. He recorded a personal best in terms of disposals that saw him pass his previous record early in the last quarter and then just keep going and going and going. Henry spoke well after the match about his focus shifting to staying involved in the game without the ball and working back to support his teammates which is a great lesson for any footballer.
The Fremantle Midfield
We mentioned them earlier, remember? We talked that one of the engine rooms would get on top and that would go a long way to deciding the game. Well, we can say comfortably that Fremantle midfield got on top in this one. Led brilliantly by Serong and Brayshaw, and supported by O’Meara and Fyfe, you only have to look at the tackling numbers to see which unit was willing to work both ways. The Freo mids’ numbers showcased the pressure they applied to their Essendon counterparts.
The real key factor that separated the two midfields in this game was efficiency. Fremantle just used the ball better from clearance and looked dangerous going forward. Their clearances felt more impactful, and the scoreboard indicated just that.
The Good Stuff
The Bombers Midfield
Sure, they were beaten, but they were still good. Plenty of positives to take out for the Bombers in this one. Parish came back in like he had never left and Durham was good on a wing. Merrett continues to play a captain’s game and did his 2023 All-Australian chances no harm. Hobbs and Martin also played good supporting roles.
Mike Wazowski!
My three-year-old heard me say Switkowski and immediately said “Wazowski?” so now that’s what he will be known as in this household. Either way, he is the heart and soul player that every team needs. Just all effort and when he finds a bit of the footy, good things will happen. You can see the reactions from his teammates as they realise he’s playing a good game and the way that lifts them. Real x-factor built on grit and determination. Pair him with his mates in Walters, Shultz and Frederick, and you can see the backbone of the Fremantle forward line.
The Not So Good Stuff
Sash-ay away.
Essendon, fix your damned constitution or whatever you have that says you have a red sash on every jumper. It is incredibly stupid and ruins any attempts at a decent clash guernsey. It also unnecessary. There only one other sash team, and they don’t wear red, and the only other team wearing a similar red match it with white! You’re not losing your identity if you change your jumper slightly. And if you think something like that is what matters, everyone can tell you exactly why you haven’t won a final in so bloody long.
No One On The Mark?
In the second quarter, Fremantle was looking like they were starting to take control of the game. A quick kick flung out of congestion and Nic Martin marked the ball up forward inside fifty. Strangely, every Fremantle defender just left him once the mark was taken and it was a good seven seconds before anyone approached the spot of the mark. By then, the umpire indicated that it was too late. Those extra metres proved costly, as Martin clearly ran past the spot of the mark and kicked truly without a play-on call. Defenders wanting to defend is fine and pushing back is a good intent to have, but someone has to man the bloody mark! It literally cost them a goal.
The Other Stuff
If you don’t mind umpire?
A Fremantle-supporting Mongrel wanted it known that holding-the-man hadn’t been paid in about five years, prior to the one paid against Cox in the last quarter tonight.
Jake Stringer would also want an explanation from the men in lime green after a passage of play in the third quarter. Stringer was tackled by Pearce without the ball at the top of the goal square following a marking contest. Then, just seconds later, the ball was skied back to the top of the square and Stringer took a clear mark which was called play on. The umpire gave an excuse of a Fremantle player getting a fingernail on it, but it was a poor excuse.
Good game from Andrew McGrath. One of the few Bombers who continued to try throughout the game and gave them real drive off half-back. He won some good defensive contests as well, which is a real sign of a quality half-back when you can do it going both ways.
Speaking of great halfbacks, Luke Ryan just keeps on keeping on. Spoiling, marking and generally intercepting, the Freo defender is one of the most consistent defenders in the game. His 31 disposals and seven intercepts controlled the flow of the footy in the back half for the Dockers.
Just one of those “almost” games for Jake Stringer. Got a bit of the footy, and had a few shots on goal. But his shots didn’t come off and his clearances didn’t lead to scores. Can’t fault the effort. Things just didn’t fall his way in this match.
The Wrap
Fremantle
A very strong and needed win for the Dockers. It was a good response after a poor couple of weeks of football. This puts them outside of the top eight by percentage (with Adelaide still to play). They got Sean Darcy back and got Luke Jackson into some serious form, but have a slight concern with skipper Alex Pearce. Their mosquito fleet is tenacious and surgical with the ball in hand.
The Dockers have a somewhat tough run home. They play all of the Bulldogs, Port Adelaide, Collingwood, Brisbane and Geelong (in Geelong) in the final nine rounds. They also get a percentage-boosting game against the Eagles. But if the Dockers make it into the finals from here, they are going to have earnt every bit of it.
Essendon
A disappointing night for the Bombers. They started well, but just couldn’t maintain it once Fremantle settled into the game. They gave themselves some late hope, but when you put yourself in those situations everything has to go perfectly for you, and they couldn’t maintain that level. The Bombers came down to earth in this game, but did regain Darcy Parish and Jake Kelly.
The Bombers have their own interesting run home. They host both SA teams back-to-back and will need to go 1-1 before making their own trip down the highway to Kardinia Park to play Geelong. A date with Dogs at Marvel after, and then a run of games against teams outside of the eight before finishing against Collingwood. They don’t have to do anything outrageous to make the finals from here, but they have to be dependable and consistent. Not words readily associated with the club for a decade.
