First of all, I wanted to acknowledge the great man, fellow Mongrel Nicholas Sluggett who debuted a great idea of a “live style” review last week. Documenting things as they happen, rather than a full-style all-in recap.
This idea seemed to go greatly, so like all ideas with promise, I’m borrowing it and attempting to throw my own twist on things to see if this is something readers like.
Now, I enjoy a beer while watching the great game, I enjoy several, in fact. So I thought “How about a live review, where I note, the game as it plays out, while also including any other musings that may pass through my brain during the action”. Aside from salt and vinegar, is their a better combination than beer and footy?
Not in my book
So, as I sit here armed with a few cold beverages… let’s begin.
Pre-Game thoughts- 5:47pm
West Coast are doing it tough, like they have the past few seasons, and their extensive injury list is once again a factor. Hopefully, they come out with guns blazing, in their biggest game of 2023 (in my opinion) purely due to the retirement announcements of their previous captain Shannon Hurn and current skipper (and Port Adelaide’s favourite player) Luke Shuey. The outstanding service from both players is respected duly by the AFL world, not just those in WA.
As I’m writing this, my phone alerts me to the fact that Jack Petrucelle will miss through illness, Luke Foley comes in. Hopefully, the Eagles can bring the heat in this contest.
For Fremantle, they go in pretty confident, but while injuries have also let them down, I actually believe that the Dockers season has been worse than the Eagles. Fremantle will not only miss the finals by some margin but also lost their first-round pick to Melbourne for Luke Jackson. This team was supposed to contend this year. Footy, huh?
Anyway, I’m expecting Jye Amiss to dominate in this one and perhaps race into the lead of the Ron Evans medal. He is my pregame pick for the Glendenning-Allan medal. West Coast also unfortunately will not have their most recent recipient Ashley Sampi available, with the 39-year-old (who has reportedly also attracted attention from Geelong) having just landed from the shoulders of Adem Yze. I expect Freo to win this game convincingly, however, the Eagles will make them work for it.
Time to put my son to bed.. stay tuned
Bouncedown (Beer 1)
After a touching tribute to fallen police officer, Constable Anthony Wood, we are ready to go.
Hewett vs Young and Serong to Kelly at the opening bell in the guts – love it !
17:45: Not sure if he is conserving energy, but it’s strange to see Darling corral his opponent so early. Normally, he attacks the ball carrier until he runs out of gas after halftime.
16:35: Good to see Bailey Williams free to play. He provides a contest and has improved vastly. I still remember him almost knocking himself out on a ruck bag pregame against my Suns. Hough a VERY late withdrawal with illness. Jack Williams in
15:10: Great grab by Oscar Allen, a goal square grab isolated on Pearce, who looked to be gazing at the lights of the stadium… first goal Eagles.
13:43: Fremantle’s poor disposal early is encapsulated by a poor handball from Liam Henry that gets his teammate in strife. The Eagles Are moving the ball very well early. A McGovern switch off an intercept gets Jumaine Jones a shot at goal. Henry another turnover 90 seconds later.
10:35: (Beer 2) Eagles caught on the counter but an outstanding effort from Luke Foley on Minairo Fredrick causes a throw in – back with the flight, eyes on the ball… textbook effort
9:12: Bad advantage taken by Cripps on a Gaff rundown (first since 2017, I’m told) resulting in a minor score, or a coveted seven-point play, as Tim Kelly goals with a classy finish to push the advantage out 2.2 to 0.1
6:07: Matthew Johnson gets the Dockers on the board with a bustling clearance and goal from 50m. Classy stuff. Hopefully, it helps keep him in the side as he has been either subbed in or out in seven matches.
5:38: Two quick goals as Schultz crumbs a forward 50 entry after a Luke Jackson give-and-go from the centre clearance.
5:21 Three in a minute as the Dockers are getting silver service from Jacko. Bailey Williams has to watch the follow-up work, as no ruck is more dangerous in open field than Jackson. To illustrate the point, Jackson takes a mark inside 50 a minute later – luckily just a minor score
1:40: Just realised Elliot Yeo is playing… unlucky free kick paid to Freo as Hewett was breaking from half back. Amiss to shoot from the goal line and I’d expect Tom Cole to unfortunately miss next week after a dumping tackle. Amiss could go down in history as one of the best set shot kicks in the game, I believe – if I could describe it in one word it would be “surgical”
Walters gives away a free kick for a “dangerous tackle” to Alex Witherden, though it was about as vicious as being licked by a staffy puppy
Quarter time sees Fremantle hold a 14 point lead with Luke Jackson leading the way, for West Coast – Elijah Hewitt and Luke Foley have been standing up under siege – West Coast mids need to tighten up and get some possession football back. Pressure was good early, but dropped once Jackson removed his finger…
2nd Quarter (Beer 3)
19:30 Outstanding effort once again from Luke Foley, gets crunched dropping back, but is unafraid of the unknown.
18:20 Luke Jackson once again gets forward to take an uncontested mark inside 50 and capitalises for maximum damage, as his opponent Bailey Williams was in another postcode.
13:40 Fremantle go coast to coast following a “rare Gaff turnover”. Luckily, Walters snicks the post from straight in front. Freo are looking deadly on the counter-attack, with Serong and Brayshaw lifting.
12:25 Jeremy McGovern just ducked off to grab a lotto ticket after nailing Josh Corbett with a beautiful bump in a marking contest – play on, apparently. Fredrick does the work of the footy gods by nailing a shot from distance moments later, the margin out to 28 points.
9:35 Noah Long was unfortunate not to capitalise after a free kick that would make Premier League supporters riot. Margin sits at 33 points
7:50 Great rebound from a deep forward 50 Fremantle attack, Noah Long keeps his feet to take the uncontested mark
6:25 Jackson is once again vital, palming down to Schultz for a clearance goal. Three Votes – lock it in… Walters adds another – this is getting very ugly now
4:55 (Beer 4)
Surely West Coast have few more options to throw in. Harry Barnett?
SPS looks to be carrying something, a few extra kgs perhaps. Nothing against him at all, but he looks out of shape.
1:15 Is this the norm for Yeo, having to sit at half-back just so his body lets him carry on? Unfortunate decline, as he was the prototypical hybrid player…
Freo boot their 10th consecutive goal to put this game to bed.
0:00 Gaff loads up from 65m out, and his wobbling torp pretty much indicates how the Eagles have gone in the second quarter. 51 points is the margin, as we go to the half-time break.
Half Time Thoughts
Fremantle is firing on all cylinders, fans will be hitting the streets of Perth after a few cans of Lobster Tears. West Coast are playing for pride now. As much as they WANT Harley Reid, this team NEEDS Daniel Curtin. Ginbey, Hewett, Hough, Chesser, Culley, West… the midfield is ok – they just need to play football… Be brave, be brazen, go get your guy.
Love the highlight package and interview with Shuey, it’s almost forgotten that he had to overcome the loss of his sister in his rookie year, a lot of West Coast fans (including myself- as a former supporter) remember all the speculation of his Melbourne return.
Quarter 3 (Beer 5)
19:00 Like a true rookie, I prioritise the review over a bathroom break, just to see Hewett nail Jackson in a great tackle, only for him to get up and set Amiss up for another snag.
16:19 Schultz is on fire with 4.2 from 18 touches, pushing Jackson for BOG honours
15:00 Liam Henry wins a free kick but yet again, his disposal lets him down after Gaff tries to break 59 tackles. 63 points Dockers
13:00 I wonder why they even bother trying to review the shots that go over the post… either shine light up, or make a post go right to the roof.. (if this ever happens, you heard it here first)
10:25 Walters is unlucky not to get a free from a front-on contact spoil… the umpires have been horrific in judging these aerial contests.
5:42 James Aish goes BANG from 50m after what could be passed off as a “tactical drop” and throw from Karl Worner. Greg Clarke warming up for WC.
3:15 Eagles absolutely robbed from a walk-in goal due to a stupid free kick call, Allen gets foot to the ball yet gets done for “contact below the knees” O’Meara goals shortly after. Jaegar has gone forward in recent weeks, proving a handy target inside forward 50 with his upper body strength.
0:00 Erasmus on the buzzer adds more fuel to the oil fire. Fremantle are +14 in clearances, having their way with the Eagles, who look in need of a major list turnover in the offseason. The margin sits at 95 points with a quarter to play. The Eagles have kicked four behinds since quarter time
Quarter 4 (Beer 6) Eagles NEED to make a statement here
19:30 A promising start with uncontested ball ends up with an unforced WC turnover, leading to Switkowski winning a 2v1… Training drill stuff now with Erasmus setting up Aish, who misses badly.
Tactical substitute has been made
Subbed Out:Corona
Subbed In: Balter Cloudburst
Q4: 15:50 (Beer 7)
Seems a change in “alcoholic lubrication” has done the world of good, as Andrew Gaff uses the Jason Dunstall favourite – dribble kick, to stop the run of 14 straight Fremantle goals.
14:47 The “world of joy” lasts for moments, as Greg Clarke is finally injected into the foray, as Tom Cole sustains yet another injury
12:00 Sturt goals to set a new career high. Dockers fans, do any of you play the new game, Gridley?. I’ll shout anybody a coffee that can beat resident mongrel Jimmy Ayres… he’s an absolute encyclopedia. Old school fans, you would be shocked to hear- I used the inaugural Docker, Andrew Wills twice in three days…
9:44 Unfortunately, this is the Eagles’ worst performance of the season. If they are 100% serious, they need to make massive changes with elder statesmen, if they make cuts now they save themselves years of treading water.
7:16 Oscar Allen’s shoulder gives out once again after carrying the Eagles forward line for the whole of 2023….
4:30 WC doing an absolute disservice to Greg Clark… from watching him in the WAFL I can wholeheartedly say he will still charge on with his head cut off, he is that exact type of player that the Eagles need.
3:12 “99 problems and Schultz is one” classic line from Pavlich, as the three-figure margin teeters. I’m not sure what an “acceptable margin” is, but triple figures ain’t it…
Amiss (the boy who looks like he has never slept) kicks his fourth….. Surgical
1:27 (beer 8)
0:00 Game over, as Jack Williams goals – cutting the margin to 101pts, handing Freo the biggest win in derby history. And now they’re blasting that horrific song across Optus Stadium…
For Fremantle. Luke Jackson was prolific but also supported by his usual dynamic duo of Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw, while Jordan Clark also merits mention with 28 disposals at 100% efficiency. Throw in the career-best five goals from Lachie Schultz and you could suggest it was the best performance the Dockers have put up in 2023- albeit against a limited opposition that never looked like it after the first five minutes.
For the Eagles, they had some players that had their moments, however, not much more than that. Two weeks remain before they can call an end to the season and begin the long and arduous rebuild they need.
That will do it for me. Hopefully, you enjoyed this light-hearted look-in and this review was (unofficially) sponsored by Corona and Balter
Like this content? You could Brett a coffee… or a stubby. I reckon, given he downed eight of them while doing this review, he’d be pretty pleased to get one back
