In a crushing loss to the Western Bulldogs that will cost them more than the four points, Fremantle displayed some grit before running out of soldiers.
The Dockers had pulled within striking distance at the halfway point, propelled by three goals from Josh Treacy in the 18-year-old’s best performance at AFL level, before being cruelly derailed by injury.
Nat Fyfe, Sean Darcy, Griffin Logue, and Brennan Cox were all unable to complete the game, and the Western Bulldogs booted away for a 28-point victory at Optus Stadium, 13.15 (93) to 9.11 (65).
Aaron Naughton, a West Australian, dominated the competition with 13 marks, including five contested grabs and a last-quarter speccy, but let himself down with 1.5, showing that he has the potential to become anything.
It was the Bulldogs’ first victory at Optus Stadium and their first triumph in Perth since their spectacular upset victory over West Coast in the 2016 elimination final.
At halftime, the Dockers were leading the supply fight and had won the clearance battle 38-32.
As they trailed by 16 points at the break, they were forced to regret some careless ball handling moving forward.
Tim English’s superior marking allowed Rory Lobb to express his displeasure with Cox’s delivery at one point, while the fans groaned in response to Treacy’s turnover in the second stanza.
Fremantle depended on some particular genius to keep them connected. Since the kid is not known for his finishing, Andrew Brayshaw’s 40-meter banana goal from deep in the forward pocket brought some shock value to the first-quarter highlight.
Liam Henry complied with coach Justin Longmuir’s directive to unleash his Indigenous players’ flair in the second term with a fantastic solo performance.
It started with a score to help tie the game, then Henry toe-poked the ball to himself like Brayshaw before taking it up and snapping it firmly.
In the second quarter, the Bulldogs won five of the six centre clearances to put pressure on the defense of the visiting team.
There was a lot going on in terms of midfield tactics, with Marcus Bontempelli’s decisive goals for the Dogs in the second quarter keeping Fyfe and Tom Liberatore quiet in the first half.
The Dockers gained momentum in the third as Fyfe became more involved in the game, but they were also their own worst enemy as Michael Walters, Brayshaw, and Lobb missed easy opportunities.
With two important set shot goals, Treacy demonstrated how it’s done to his more seasoned teammates. However, the Bulldogs were able to maintain their lead in the last interval thanks to a pair of majors from an unrestricted Liberatore.
Liberatore enjoyed some more freedom after the main break and kicked his side’s only two goals of the third period, threading a set shot from an acute angle and snapping accurately from a stoppage, while being restricted to just three kicks and eight disposals by Caleb Serong.
CARNAGE
In the last quarter, the Dockers lost three players in a span of two maddening minutes when Darcy tore his hamstring, Fyfe dislocated his shoulder, and Cox appeared to have broken a bone.
With Logue already out of the game due to a concussion, Fremantle was forced to fend for itself for the remainder of the game without any significant defenders that were known to them.
Logue courageously returned with the flight in the third quarter before being crunched by Naughton. Both athletes originally suffered setbacks, but Logue came out on the short end and was removed from the contest after failing a concussion test.
The opportunity for unfortunate defender Alex Pearce to play his first senior game since round one opens up with Logue and Cox expected to miss Saturday’s home game against Gold Coast.
BONT AND FYFE Superstars Although Fyfe and Bontempelli didn’t face off frequently, there would have been plenty of pride at stake as the two-time Brownlow medalist faced up against the favorite for this year’s award.
Matt Taberner, the team’s offensive leader, missed some time due to an ankle injury, so Fyfe spent some time up front. However, it was Bontempelli who had the biggest influence on the scoreboard with two of his signature raking left-foot bombs from beyond the arc in the second period.
Although Caleb Serong’s focus slowed Bontempelli in the second half, he still finished with 27 disposals, seven clearances, and 2.2 points, while Fyfe’s night ended with 18 disposals and seven clearances.
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