The Fremantle Dockers have come away from the MCG with a two-point victory against the Melbourne Demons to make it back-to-back wins.
It was a tight contest in the first quarter with only Melbourne’s poor kicking putting them behind, being down by three at the end of one.
Both teams traded goals up until about ten minutes to go in the second quarter when Melbourne put on a spurt of five goals in a row, led by Jeff Garlett who ended with three and was manic with his pressure up forward early.
Lachie Neale kicked one after the siren to bring the margin back to 21 points but it looked like Melbourne were going to run away at half time.
Things changed big time in the third quarter. Fremantle kicked seven goals to nothing and had blown the game wide open. Neale was instrumental in the comeback, kicking four goals for the game along side fellow midfielder David Mundy who kicked three.
The final term was nothing but chaos. As you would have hoped Melbourne got back into the game and even hit the front late on when Viney took a strong contested mark to put them up by three with two minutes to play.
Cam Mccarthy kicked the winner with a minute to play as the ball spilt out the back and he got his boot to the ball to put the away side ahead. James Harmes had a long range shot with seconds left to play but only managed a point.
The suspensions of Jesse Hogan and Jordan Lewis are still costing the team as they both may have changed the result of the previous two weeks.
It looked all doom and gloom after the first two rounds but you must give credit to Ross Lyon for bringing in the youth and turning things around with Fremantle now two and two, with a strong push looking possible.
Final score
Melbourne Demons 15.14 104
Fremantle Dockers 16.10 106
Don Freo
Guest
13 of those disposals were contested too. That is monstrous.
Steve J
Roar Guru
Big game this weekend against the erratic kangaroos Almost beat the Cats and Dogs, flogged by West Coast and GWS The Roos say they are building with youth and a trip to Subi will be a learning experience for Pruess, Turner, Simpkin and Garner. Goldy v Sandi will be good to watch, but the Roos should have their work cut out trying to contain Fyfe, Neale, Mundy, S Hill and B Hill. Blakely did a great job blanketing Jones on the weekend and Ross seems to have found the right role for him. Expect him to take on Ziebell this weekend Looking forward to this, if Freo go 3-2 it'll make the Derby the following week even better!
Steve J
Roar Guru
14 disposals, 5 marks, 4 of which were contested. Thats what I like to see from the big fella. Clunking some contested marks. 53 hit outs was nice, feeding the mids some quality ball. Spencer was quite good around the ground, held his own and kick some nice goals. Would do well as a number one ruck for another team if he and Gawn can't play in the same side. Hawks always keen to buy players
Don Freo
Guest
Wrong again.Grey was a rookie...because of injury. Delisted, reliated, elevated... Balic and Hughes showed form...were picked. Why do you bother? You don't know the club or its players. I suppose if you keep criticizing, it gives me a chance to explain Freo a bit more. There are many that need the info.
SmithHatesMaxwell
Guest
If they were ready then they would have played round 1. They only got a game when Lyon had exhausted every other option. Even last year, young players only played because of injuries. Lyon still found every reason to play experienced players even thought the season was a lost cause from early on.
Don Freo
Guest
Old, slow and 3 Brownlow votes. If he looked that way to you, it says much about you.
Ken
Guest
53 hit outs against Jake Spencer, who has played about 5 minutes in the ruck. Sandi looks old and slow.
Ken
Guest
Who is the supposed top 8 team, Melbourne?
Don Freo
Guest
These blokes are ready now because of Ross' nurturing. Some would have played more last year but for injury (Balic, Hughes, Grey) and "Ross's recruiting" has been astute and signals Freo as a "destination club". So, in short, anon, everything you have been bleating about has been wrong.
SmithHatesMaxwell
Guest
Neale was elite last year. He was fantastic in 2015 too and close to an AA.
SmithHatesMaxwell
Guest
"Some of the pundits must be eating humble pie after writing off Rosco and the boys after round 2." Vindication for me. Dawson, Sutcliffe, Suban, Pearce were liabilities last season and the season before. The fact they started round 1 of a rebuilding season after going 4-18 the previous season was pure madness. The previous game plan has been torn up. Basically now it's run hard into space, look to move the ball through the middle of the ground, take risks -- basically the opposite of what how Lyon's team has played for the past 18 months and throughout his 10 seasons of coaching in fact. Such an unrefined game plan works right now because he has such a supremely talented midfield with Fyfe, Neale, S Hill, B Hill, Mundy, Walters, Sandilands plus they're no longer let down by serial underperformers like Dawson, Suban, Sutcliffe, etc.
dontknowmuchaboutfootball
Guest
I reckon Kersten's really warned into it. He played his best game for us yet. Slotted an important early goal and had a hand in a couple of others, took a couple of solid contested grabs and came up the ground for a very important spoil on the boundary line in the last few seconds to help kill off Melbourne's chances of snatching the win. Wouldn't want to oversell it, but with the "sharing the load" strategy of rotating our best mids through the forward line, I'm feeling like our attack has gone from lamentable to serviceable and getting close to dangerous. Seven unanswered goals in the third.
dontknowmuchaboutfootball
Guest
You sure Still gave one away? I know Son Son did. Was right in front of us, and I could see it unfolding in slow motion before our eyes. There was an inevitability about it.
Don Freo
Guest
Be fair. Petracca is a gem. They will be top 4 by season's end. Remember, they did play Freo...my tip for top (Melbourne 2nd) and the only team to beat the premiers in their last 9 games...and they've done it twice. The Dees only lost to this Juggernaut (well, maybe just a JuggleNaut at this stage) by 2 points.
Don Freo
Guest
The barbie's getting rusty.
Don Freo
Guest
Why don't you grow one? Mind you, your style looks just as good. McCarthy's haircut might just be the worst of all time.
Don Freo
Guest
Ballas, Pearce, Apeness, Clarke, Bennell, Ryan... Gawn would not have made any difference against Sandi, Lewis would not even get a game at Freo. Hogan's absence is cancelled out by Alex Pearce's absence. Nup. That made no difference at all.
Don Freo
Guest
Sandi for me Tom. His work on the ground is stunning...oh...and just the 53 hit outs.
Tom from Perth
Guest
The game against Richmond will be a huge test. If (when) we win the next 3 I'll give us a strong chance against Richmond, provided we keep improving a bit every game as the team starts to gel. Richmond will start as favourites obviously though, assuming they keep playing well and Dustin keeps on killing it. But it's always nice for Freo to start as the underdogs! Yeah Brad gave 100m away (so a goal) for umpire abuse. Stephen gave 50m for not handing the ball back quick enough. If we had of lost those moments would have been pivotal in hindsight. Ross had words with them at half time and they didn't make the same mistake again
Tom from Perth
Guest
Yeah but he seemed to get worse as the season progressed, so I think a lot of it was mental. He's come back from injury reasonably quick in the past.