Such an important match for the Fremantle Dockers coming up this afternoon as they hit the road and arrive to the MCG to take on the top of the table Collingwood. We’ll have live scores and commentary from the game from 1:45pm AEST
It’s seems from here on in, every game for the Dockers is do or die, especially when they hit the road.
Most pundits are expecting the Dockers to win four of their remaining five games at Patersons Stadium (the Derby against West Coast looks unlikely).
But that will only get them to 10 wins and in reality you need about 12 wins to make the finals in 2012.
So they need to steal two wins on the road to give them a chance. Will that be happening today? Well, it’s highly unlikely.
The front up against the top team of the competition right now – a team that is undefeated in ten and has gone about their business rather quietly, which is strange for a club that is so large.
What’s interesting is the Fremantle Dockers, not normally a good travelling team, has actually won three of their five games interstate in 2012. That includes a very good performance against Sydney in Round 2, but also a poor effort against Hawthorn in Launceston a month ago.
Matthew Pavlich has been playing a lone hand up forward, while the constant switching of players in the midfield isn’t really giving much stability to the team. Plus, there’s the injuries – Nat Fyfe is still out, Stephen Hill and Zac Dawson are a week off, and that jolly giant from Mount Barker Aaron Sandilands won’t play the rest of the season.
For Collingwood, they were expecting a tough time last week against the other WA team, West Coast. Boy, did they get that.
It was a match fitting of a Grand Final preview – it was tough, end to end footy that never let up.
Whether this means the Pies could be a little flat for this match is a possibility. However, there is enough talent in the side that they should get past the Dockers with relative ease today.
It’s great seeing Nathan Brown in that back line along with Harry O’Brien and Ben Reid, the midfield is warming up nicely with good performances of late from Dane Swan and Dale Thomas.
The forward line has been a little up and down in the last few weeks with a lot of focus on Travis Cloke and Chris Dawes. Cloke last week booted five – tick. Dawes kicked two behinds – cross. In fact, the Pies won with just four goal kickers last week. While that’s not a positive, it’s seems to be an aberration with the Pies generally sharing around goalkickers most of the season.
Meanwhile, Collingwood will also know in the back of their mind the Dockers aren’t a side that usually plays the full four quarters – it’s something that was very noticeable last week against Essendon when they failed to kick a goal in the final quarter and get run down by the Dons.
Collingwood will go in as heavy favourites for today’s game and rightfully so. A lot of interest will be surrounding the debut of Irishman Caolan Mooney – we’ll keep an eye on him throughout the match (likely to start as the sub)
Can Fremantle surprise everyone or will the script go to plan for the Pies? Join us from 1:45pm AEST for all the action from the MCG as Collingwood take on Fremantle.
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
FINAL | Collingwood 15.17 107 def. Fremantle 12.6 78 As much as Fremantle managed to stay around the 25-35 point range for most of the second half, they were never getting back into the game. Collingwood dominated most of the match, especially in the first quarter and a half of the match - they were ruthless and it really did look as if Fremantle would struggle to score a goal all game. Dane Swan, Dayne Beams, Dale Thomas, Jarryd Blair all leading from the front and the goals were shared around well today. For Fremantle, not too many winners on the field. Matthew Pavlich and Hayden Ballantyne tried their hardest, while Luke McPharlin was always under attack in defence, but it could be more a game plan issue with the Dockers. A convincing win, even if it doesn't show on the scoreboard, by Collingwood today - it's now 10 straight wins and they'll stay on top of the table by the end of the weekend. Thanks for joining me today. I'll be back again tomorrow for the match of the round between St Kilda and North Melbourne from Etihad Stadium - that's from 4:40pm AEST tomorrow. See you then.
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
FINAL | Collingwood 15.17 107 def. Fremantle 12.6 78 Quarter by Quarter Collingwood 3.2 6.7 10.13 14.17 Fremantle 0.2 2.6 6.6 12.6 Goalscorers Coll (8) – Chris Dawes 3, Tyson Goldsack 2, Dane Swan 2, Travis Cloke 2, Jackson Paine 2, Dale Thomas 1, Dayne Beams 1, Simon Buckley 1 Fre (6) – Matthew Pavlich 5, Chris Mayne 2, Zac Clarke 1, Greg Broughton 1, David Mundy 1, Clancee Pearce 1 Player Stats Dane Swan (Coll) 21 kicks, 22 handballs, 19 contested possessions, 8 marks, 7 tackles, 8 clearances, 8 inside 50’s, 12 score involvements, 2 goals Michael Barlow (Fre) 14 kicks, 23 handballs, 31 contested possessions, 4 tackles, 7 clearances, 4 rebound 50’s Jarryd Blair (Coll) 19 kicks, 13 handballs, 15 contested possessions, 8 tackles, 9 clearances, 7 inside 50’s Dayne Beams (Coll) 19 kicks, 13 handballs, 13 contested possessions, 5 inside 50’s, 1 goal Team Stats Disposals: Coll 378-364; Contested Possessions: Coll 160-151; Disposal Efficiency: Coll 76%-71%; Tackles: Coll 100-87; Clearances: Coll 45-32; Inside 50's: Coll 69-33; Time In Forward Half: Coll 50%, Fre 30%, In Dispute 20%; Tackles Forward 50: Coll 27-5 (2nd Half 18-3)
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
FINAL | Collingwood 15.17 107 def. Fremantle 12.6 78 Dale Thomas finishes off with a second goal near the siren. Got the handball from Caolan Mooney - that got another rapturous yell from the fans. That's it. Final siren. The Pies have come away with another win. Not a massive margin in the end, but they were never really a chance to get run down. Fremantle's horrible first half coming back to bite them. Even though they were close by the end of it, they didn't have enough of the footy forward. Final margin 29 points to the Pies.
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
Q4 1:01 left | Coll 14.17 101 | Fre 12.6 78 Probably the last chance for the Dockers in the game - Greg Broughton has the shot from just on the 50m arc. Long ball is going well - GOAL! They've kicked 10 straight since half time!
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
Q4 1:42 left | Coll 14.17 101 | Fre 11.6 72 Marley Williams gives the ball off to Chris Dawes and now the big man has his third goal of the match - leading goal scorer for the game. They've shared it around pretty well today.
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
Q4 2:57 left | Coll 13.17 95 | Fre 11.6 72 Free kick against Sam Reid on Matthew Pavlich again. High contact called from the ump. A chance for the Pav to have 5 goals next to his name - never in doubt. The margin's back to 23 points again.
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
Q4 3:48 left | Coll 13.17 95 | Fre 10.6 66 Again, Matthew Pavlich and Hayden Ballantyne working hard up forward. Both of them not really getting the footy in that passage, but did some good one-percenters to eventually get it onto Clancee Pearce - snaps a goal.
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
Q4 4:32 left | Coll 13.17 95 | Fre 9.6 60 The crowd's gone up... Caolan Mooney's got the footy at half forward - great run, not so great bounce.. Goes to the goals... ooooooooo... it's short. But Chris Dawes is there, he gathers and kicks the goal.
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
Q4 5:25 left | Coll 12.17 89 | Fre 9.6 60 Dayne Beams has a quick snap on goal from the top of the 50m arc... but it bounces across the face and out of bounds. Ball in, free kick to the Pies - Beams has got the footy again. Kicks from 35m out - stabs at it, and hits the post!
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
Q4 6:31 left | Coll 12.16 88 | Fre 9.6 60 50m penalty to Jon Griffin. Brings him about 70m out from goal. Kicks inside the arc, Mayne manages to get boot to ball along the ground... bouncing, bouncing... goal. He gets his second goal of the afternoon for Freo.
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
Q4 6:50 left | Coll 12.16 88 | Fre 8.6 54 Dane Swan now up to 38 possessions (20k 18h 15 cp). Clearly the best on ground today. But he's had plenty of support.
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
Q4 7:30 left | Coll 12.16 88 | Fre 8.6 54 44891 the crowd figure today. It's the most to see a Collingwood vs. Fremantle game in AFL history. When the Pies are winning, they'll go out and support their team, no question about that!
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
Q4 10:23 left | Coll 12.16 88 | Fre 8.6 54 A hold of the arm against the Pies, Matthew Pavlich will take the free kick. His tally looks pretty good today as he kicks his fourth. 13 kicks, 6 handballs, 9 contested possessions and 4 goals is a good day... just a shame he didn't have much support elsewhere. And keep in mind the Dockers have only had 28 inside 50's (14 scoring shots)!
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
Q4 11:05 left | Coll 12.16 88 | Fre 7.6 48 Jamie Elliott has a shot on goal on the boundary line... it's gone to the other pocket, but it's rushed through by the Pies. From the kick in, turnover. Dale Thomas has it in the pocket, sets it up to Jackson Paine... who marks it right on the goal line. Easy kick on goal - converts!
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
Q4 13:30 left | Coll 11.15 81 | Fre 7.6 48 Mick Malthouse (former Collingwood coach) says Caolan Mooney is the quickest footballer he's ever seen over 30-40m. Let's see if we see any of that this arvo. Maybe not now that it's a bit greasy. He's tackling well!
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
Q4 14:26 left | Coll 11.15 81 | Fre 7.6 48 The substitution has been made for Collingwood - the Road Runner is on! Caolan Mooney is on, Travis Cloke is off for the last 15 minutes. And Mooney's won a free kick with his first passage of play!
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
Q4 15:29 left | Coll 11.15 81 | Fre 7.6 48 Travis Cloke now gets his second of the afternoon. Got some help from Simon Buckley, who created the turnover at half forward. Eventually given to Cloke, snaps and goals!
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
Q4 16:40 left | Coll 10.15 75 | Fre 7.6 48 Well, you can't knock the Dockers skipper, nor Hayden Ballantyne. They've both worked pretty hard all day today. Ballantyne kicks to centre half forward out in front of Pav. He goes back from 45m out and kicks a consolation goal. His third.
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
Q4 17:40 left | Coll 10.15 75 | Fre 6.6 42 Alex Fasolo has an adventurous attempt on goal from hard up on the boundary line. In the end, he kicks to the pocket and finds Travis Cloke. But his kick misses - just a behind
TheSportsFreak
Roar Guru
Q4 18:20 left | Coll 10.14 74 | Fre 6.6 42 Dayne Beams sets a tough task for the pack at half forward. The crumbs to Sharrod Wellingham... gives it a fair old ride!!! Ooo, hits the post. Just the behind