Fremantle’s bid for a home qualifying final continues in Perth against GWS Giants on Sunday. Join our live blog for scores and commentary from 4.40pm AEST.
The simple assumption about this match is the Dockers will slaughter the Giants.
That the team with just one win this season will be comprehensively dominated by one of the most ruthless teams in the AFL.
However to rush to such thoughts would be to ignore what GWS has produced in the past few weeks.
The win over Melbourne last week at home is hardly anything to brag about, but it represents the culmination of a few strong weeks by the Giants.
In Round 18 GWS gave Collingwood a huge scare at the MCG, which followed a competitive effort against Essendon the week prior.
The shining light for the Giants this season has been key forward Jeremy Cameron.
The 20-year-old is equal second in the Coleman Medal, trailing West Coast’s Josh Kennedy by five goals.
For the Dockers, this match is important from multiple perspectives.
Their gun key forward Matthew Pavlich returns from suspension, and coach Ross Lyon will be looking for him to elevate Fremantle’s attack to elite standards.
The return of the Dockers’ captain should mean less attention paid to Michael Walters, Hayden Ballantyne and Chris Mayne.
This could be a huge factor as that trio already make up the top three goalkickers at Fremantle.
Another crucial factor come finals time will be percentage.
Fremantle and Sydney are the only teams who have had a draw this season, so the percentage difference between these two teams could decide which non-Victorian team gets a home qualifying final.
Although the Dockers trail the Swans by a game and almost 20 percent, Fremantle’s run home involves the bottom three teams and Port Adelaide at home, while Sydney has the other two teams in the top three, a resurgent Collingwood and St Kilda.
A dominant Dockers victory would set their season up very nicely.
Australian Rules
Guest
Allan - go for it!
Stavros
Guest
They got blitzed in the second half, no doubt about that, but it doesn't change the fact that they will be a good team in 2-3 years. You can't see that because you don't understand sport.
John Ryan
Roar Pro
You must have watched a different game to the Perth Reporters,GWS remain a joke,and it aint going to change
Allan
Guest
31,000 turned up to watch that ? Surely one of the WAFL teams would have put up a better fight ?
Dinny Navaratnam
Roar Guru
FULL TIME Fremantle 24.13.157 GWS 6.8.44 Statement game from the Dockers. Showed they can put on quick goals. The quality of the opposition wasn't great but the Giants weren't as terrible as the score line suggests, although the last quarter wasn't great. Mundy was quite good in the first half while Suban racked it up. For the Giants Ward led from the front while Cameron was able to beat multiple defenders at times. He took advantage of the space in the forward line but with only 30 inside-50s for the Giants he had limited opportunities
Dinny Navaratnam
Roar Guru
4th quarter 1.09 Fremantle 24.13.157 GWS 6.8.44 Attendance: 31, 390
Dinny Navaratnam
Roar Guru
4th quarter 1.09 Fremantle 24.13.157 GWS 6.8.44 GOAL FREMANTLE Quick snap from the throw-in and Neale snaps a goal. He's had a good game
Dinny Navaratnam
Roar Guru
4th quarter 2.27 Fremantle 23.13.151 GWS 6.8.44 BEHIND FREMANTLE Lee Spurr kicks to Sutcliffe who marks just inside 50m. He goes to take a shot but passes back to Spurr who had run inside 50. He kicks a point
Dinny Navaratnam
Roar Guru
4th quarter 5.30 Fremantle 23.12.150 GWS 6.8.44 BEHIND GWS Whiley wins a free after copping one in the back. His shot from outside 50m is rushed through
Dinny Navaratnam
Roar Guru
4th quarter 6.18 Fremantle 23.12.150 GWS 6.7.43 GOAL FREMANTLE Sandilands in the middle handballs to Sheridan who kicks it to Pavlich on the lead. He goes back and kicks his second
Dinny Navaratnam
Roar Guru
4th quarter 7.07 Fremantle 22.12.144 GWS 6.7.43 GOAL FREMANTLE Walters runs along the boundary and places it very well for Crowley running back into goal. He sends the margin over 100
Dinny Navaratnam
Roar Guru
4th quarter 8.38 Fremantle 21.12.138 GWS 6.7.43 BEHIND GWS Smith kicks to space in an open forward line. Mzungu leads the race and gets the ball but slips under pressure from Cameron. He handballs to Johnson who disguises his tap through for a rushed behind well
Dinny Navaratnam
Roar Guru
4th quarter 10.30 Fremantle 21.12.138 GWS 6.6.42 BEHIND GWS The kick in to Cameron goes over his head. Mzungu gets the ball and is tackled. He gets done for holding the ball. Wilson hits the post
Dinny Navaratnam
Roar Guru
4th quarter 11.34 Fremantle 21.12.138 GWS 6.5.41 GOAL FREMANTLE Mohr outbodies an out-of-touch Sandilands but can't hold on to it. Pavlich crumbs, handballs to Mayne who gives it to Sutcliffe. He kicks the goal
Dinny Navaratnam
Roar Guru
4th quarter 12.13 Fremantle 20.12.132 GWS 6.5.41 GOAL FREMANTLE Walters kicks to de Boer just outside 50m. He handballs on to the running Clarke who slots another
Dinny Navaratnam
Roar Guru
4th quarter 12.48 Fremantle 19.12.126 GWS 6.5.41 GOAL FREMANTLE The Dockers have had periods where they've put on goals quickly and this looks like being another. Danyle Pearce couldn't mark in the forward line but Clarke was there to collect, got around one, handballs to Barlow who put it through
Dinny Navaratnam
Roar Guru
4th quarter 13.12 Fremantle 18.12.120 GWS 6.5.41 GOAL FREMANTLE The Dockers doing their best to entertain the crowd. Crowley pumps it in deep and Pavlich ran onto it off the back of the back. He takes a swing at the bouncing ball but barely gets a toe on it. Luckily Mayne is there and he kicks it out of the air
Dinny Navaratnam
Roar Guru
4th quarter 16.20 Fremantle 17.12.114 GWS 6.5.41 GOAL FREMANTLE Brilliant contested work from the Dockers, led by de Boer. Fyfe gets on the end of it and kicks the goal
Dinny Navaratnam
Roar Guru
4th quarter 17.30 Fremantle 16.12.108 GWS 6.5.41 Suban has had plenty of the ball today but his kicking hasn't been great. His shot at goal hit the behind post on the full
Dinny Navaratnam
Roar Guru
4th quarter 18.50 Fremantle 16.12.108 GWS 6.5.41 GOAL GWS The ball goes over Mzungu and Dawson as Cameron takes a great mark. Positioned himself well and kicks the goal