Fremantle survives a scare to topple Blues for crucial win
It’s not a game Fremantle fans are likely to look back on with great fondness, but it was an important win nonetheless, as their boys survived a Blues barrage in the first half to claim the win in wet and wild weather at Optus Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Carlton’s pressure was ferocious in the opening two stanzas, but the Dockers romped home with 11 goals to two in the second half to finish up 15.4 (94) to 10.7 (67) victors.
While the game was won in the later stages, I’d like to begin this report by shining the light on just how strong and imposing Carlton were in the early goings.
It’s been a while since Blues fans could sit back and be proud of their side’s pressure and intent, so the opening term would have been a pleasant surprise in this one.
Led by skipper Patrick Cripps and George Hewett, the Blues gave Freo’s mids a proper spanking to open the game.
Cooper Lord had the job tagging Caleb Serong and was giving him fits, while Cripps, Hewett, and Tom De Koning used superior size and strength to tally a lopsided clearance count that led the visitors to the first four goals of the game through the boots of Ashton Moir, Blake Acres, Jesse Motlop, and Francis Evans.
It was a metaphorical punch to the gut (which felt somewhat literal at the time) that left Freo reeling. Even when they nabbed their first through unlikely scorer Oscar McDonald, the Dockers still looked miles off the pace.
It looked like the home side might have awoken from their slow start when key big men Josh Treacy and Pat Voss combined for the back-to-back goals to end the first and start the second, but Harry O’Farrell (another unlikely scorer) and Lachie Fogarty gave the Blues a response, and pushed the margin back out to four goals again.
The unfortunate reality was that every time Fremantle conjured a goal against the flow, the rules of the game brought the ball back to the centre bounce, where Carlton had all the ascendancy.
By halftime, the centre clearance count was 11-1 in the guests’ favour. At that point, George Hewett had already amassed 25 disposals. For comparison, Serong was on five…
And most importantly, the Blues maintained a four-goal lead, so unlike recent weeks, they had rewarded themselves on the scoreboard.
Okay Carlton fans, you can stop reading now…
While the first half belonged to the Baggers, the second was a purple onslaught.
Luke Jackson (who, admittedly, was good for all four quarters) led the way on the stats sheet and had significant impact as the Dockers mounted a charge in the third term.
However, there were some smaller tactical moves made by the home side that are worth noting.
Jaeger O’Meara went to Hewett, who managed only 11 touches in the second half after his blistering first. He began beating him to the ball, and it halted a tonne of Carlton’s momentum at the contest.
Sam Switkowski moved closer to the footy, and I don’t know if anything changed with Murphy Reid’s role, but the young bloke certainly got more involved.
It was the rising star candidate’s cool head and clean hands that set up Fremantle’s first goal of the half to Jye Amiss.
Amiss himself (who had his best game in some time), returned the favour ten minutes later when he competed strongly in the air, brought the ball to ground, and let Reid enjoy the spoils with a goal.
That was the third straight to Freo, with a Jackson major in between the two, as the Dockers made their move on the scoreboard.
The third quarter still didn’t feel like they had regained much momentum, but the pendulum well and truly swung when Amiss nailed his second of three goals just before three-quarter time to cut the lead to single digits.
Carlton coach Michael Voss was seething during the fourth as his side was unable to sustain the intense pressure that had spurred them in the first half, and Fremantle began to smell blood in the water.
Sam Switkowski brought them within a straight kick early in the fourth, before Josh Treacy roosted one from distance to give his side a lead they would not relinquish.
All of a sudden Fremantle were the team bringing the heat, and the Blues struggled to cope as the Dockers stormed home, booting seven goals to one in the final term for a 27-point win.
Jackson was magnificent in this one, collecting 27 disposals and a goal to go with 18 hit outs, six tackles, eight clearances, and a game-high 21 contested possession (equal with Cripps).
The Dockers have now won ten of their last 11 matches.
The win was soured, however, with star midfielder Hayden Young subbed out in the first term with a groin injury.
Fremantle will head to Adelaide Oval for a clash with Port next week, while the Blues will look to build on the form they brought to this contest and perhaps spoil the Gold Coast’s top four chances at Marvel Stadium.
A few things caught my eye in this one, so now that the match report is behind us, let’s dig in.
It’s time to recognise Freo’s fourth quarter brilliance
They booted seven goals to Carlton’s one in the final term today, and the week before that they piled eight goals on West Coast.
“But can they do it against a top side?” I hear you ask. Well, we surely haven’t forgotten about how they came back from 22 points down against Collingwood a few weeks ago, or how they completely shut out the Hawks before that, have we?
They also came from 16 down in the final term to beat the Saints, and piled five goals on GWS to hold on for a win.
It’s an impressive fourth quarter record, and it speaks to a team that is maturing.
Two years ago, when the Dockers fell behind, you could basically wrap the game up then and there. Not anymore, though, this Freo outfit has belief.
Patrick Cripps reminds us he is still Patrick Cripps
The dual Brownlow medallist would be the first to admit his own struggles this season, but today was a good reminder that he remains one of the toughest inside mids going around.
Together with Hewett, he flat out bullied Freo’s gun mids, exposing their lack of size and taking full advantage of it.
He and Hewett both finished with 36 disposals for the day, while Cripps also collected nine tackles and nine clearances.
It’s not his skill or his ability to hit the scoreboard I most admire about this dynamic superstar, it’s his sheer power in the contest. At his best, Cripps knows he can go straight through you, and he does it with ferocity.
Hopefully we see a bit more of this to end the season, and he can build into 2026.
The issue Freo will have in September
On the flip side of the above, Fremantle’s midfield had a flaw exposed today. They looked small, and with Serong being tagged, they lacked power around the contest.
This is not something you want to let opposition sides see as you head into a September that will be defined by tough, physical midfields.
Brisbane is the shining example of this, having used their own superior strength to smack Collingwood on Saturday night, with guys like Cam Rayner, Josh Dunkley, and Hugh McCluggage just too big and too strong.
But there are plenty of others as well. Bontempelli and Liberatore aren’t likely to take it easy on you, nor are Rowell, Anderson, and Miller.
The Crows have Dawson and Soligo, the Cats have Smith and Dangerfield, you get the picture.
Fremantle’s midfield prides itself on being clean, well-drilled and smart. In September, that stuff often goes out the window, and the game becomes more about who is stronger.
The Dockers need to find a way to make sure they don’t see another lopsided clearance count like the one they saw today, because it could be their undoing in a final.
And finally, here are some quick hitters for your Sunday night:
- Matt Carrol looked like Tom Stewart for half a game in this one. I like how he’s progressed through the year.
- Hayden Young not getting his body right is a true shame for a Freo side that look primed for a finals run. Hopefully it was largely precautionary and we see him back soon enough.
- The positive for the Dockers is Corey Wagner should return next week. While he’s not got the same status as Young, Wagner has been an important cog for Fremantle this year and will be a welcome addition.
- Jacob Weitering tried hard in this one, but couldn’t contain Fremantle’s three-headed monster all by himself. Voss, Treacy, and Amiss kicked three apiece, combining for nine. Solid mathematics, there.
- Harry McKay seemed to enjoy having a bit more space inside 50 with Charlie Curnow out, but I’m not sure that he should be calling for another wrap-around handball anytime soon.
- Cooper Lord as a tagger is worth persisting with. There’s an argument to be made that having him play a defensive role actually offers you better balance than a guy like Adam Cerra playing as a third ball winner.
- Josh Treacy’s pressure is something else. There isn’t another key forward in the league that runs as hard as this bloke defensively.
- Murphy Reid getting involved changed the game. His ability to find space and use the ball well is such an exciting prospect for the Dockers.
Alright, my wife is yelling at me for taking too long now, better run. Seeya!
