Final thoughts
The Dockers get it done
Nathan Buckley looks furious down on the Domain Stadium boundary as his men dejectedly trudge off. “Collingwood are a really good side and we found that out tonight,” says Dockers star Lachie Neale. He was pretty terrific himself in actual fact. “I’ve been in the system four years now and I’m feeling a lot fitter,” he says of his sparkling form.
Let’s be honest, despite the stellar effort of the Pies to really put it to the home side it wasn’t a classic game of footy. Collingwood led by 2 points at both quarter and half time, then scores were level at the final break but the visitors couldn’t quite find a knock-out blow.
Below par on the night, Fremantle still achieved its objective to grind out a win, working their way back into it after the Pies dominated large passages of the first half. They finished +25 on disposals, +10 on clearances, +3 on Inside-50s, +16 on contested possessions, but in a measure of the supreme effort of their opposition, lost the tackle count 67-90.
Best for the Pies were Taylor Adams (29 possessions and a goal), Dane Swan (26 possessions and 10 clearances) and Scott Pendlebury (25 and a goal). Jack Crisp put in a mighty effort on Nat Fyfe and picked up 20 touches and a goal himself while Alex Fasolo (19 and 2) did everything he could with the opportunities he had. Jordan de Goey had a few thrilling moments that will genuinely excite the Collingwood Army.
The winners were best served by Neale (34 possessions, 14 clearances and a goal), Fyfe (32 and 2), Stephen Hill (24 and 2) and the omnipotent Aaron Sandilands, who brought up a half-century of hit-outs to dominate the stoppages. More influential than all of them, in my view, was Michael Walters, whose 4 goals all came at crucial moments - twice he pulled back a goal with under 10 seconds on the clock - and gave his side the sharp finishing edge that can tip a game like this in your favour.
The other big winner tonight was Thursday night football, which continues to be about 8000 times better than Mondays. Year of the fan indeed.
That’s all from us but make sure you stop by throughout the rest of the season for more live AFL action on the Guardian goal-by-goal blog.
Updated
The Dockers win it by 7 points!
Fremantle 12.8 (80) defeat Collingwood 11.7 (73)
Oof, a 50-metre penalty against Hayden Ballantyne here when he kicks the ball forward after a Pies free kick across Freo’s half-forward flank. Moments later Jesse White wins himself a free kick 20 metres from goal on a slight angle and only 2 mins 32 on the clock.
“This might be the biggest kick of Jesse White’s life,” says a typically understated Luke Darcy. He butchers it horribly and cameras trained on Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley subsequently reveal pretty much exactly what you’d imagine.
Soon there’s only a minute left with the ball on the wing. Lachie Neale scrubs it past the middle and out of bounds for Freo. Clancee Pearce hacks it forward further and the Pies miss a chance to rebound before Seedsman is caught holding the ball. Is that the game? Probably. The Dockers are content to chip it around with that 7 point buffer and hold firm. They’re home! That’s desperately hard on Collingwood. They were superb tonight to push the ladder leaders to the brink of a second home defeat but they’ve fallen agonizingly short.
Classic Jesse pic.twitter.com/qwsR6389JP
— Scott (@Scottlb_) June 25, 2015
Dockers goal! 4th quarter (6:15 remaining) Fremantle 12.8 (80) vs Collingwood 11.6 (72)
The Dockers press for another goal from deep inside their 50 but the Pies manage to rush a behind and relieve the stifling forward pressure. Then a lucky break for the Dockers - at least it looks lucky - when Frost concedes a free kick to Walters right within scoring range. Was it a hand in the back? Whatever it was it was soft and Walters has dobbed a team-lifting goal as a result. One more and they might break the back of this spirited Collingwood display.
Walters has four goals now, by the way. He’s been exceptional when his team has needed inspiration.
Dockers goal! 4th quarter (9:34 remaining) Fremantle 11.7 (73) vs Collingwood 11.6 (72)
Now the Dockers get one back when Michael Barlow marks 30 metres from goal and threads his set shot to put Freo back in front. He might have recieved a 50-metre penalty there after Jesse White barreled into him following the mark but he’s done the job from the full distance.
How good is Thursday night football? I think I might marry it.
Pies goal! 4th quarter (10:58 remaining) Fremantle 10.7 (67) vs Collingwood 11.6 (72)
Fresh out of the green vest Seedman now goals to put the Pies ahead! He spoiled David Mundy 25 metres from goal, put the after-burners on and sprinted into the open goal square to belt it home. I think that’s what you call fresh legs.
Pies goal! 4th quarter (11:52 remaining) Fremantle 10.7 (67) vs Collingwood 10.6 (66)
The tackling is fierce tonight. You can imagine a few players having to hit the ice baths after the battering they’ve copped. You don’t have to imagine it though. It’s a free country.
Freo get themselves the definition of a handy point, which puts them 7 points ahead and in with a sniff of extending their lead. They don’t though and instead the aforementioned Elliott springs to life, wheeling around on his left after taking on the man on the mark and stroking a goal just out of Luke McPharlin’s reach. That was wonderful initiative by the Pies gun and didn’t his side need that one?
Dockers goal! 4th quarter (17:06 remaining) Fremantle 10.6 (66) vs Collingwood 9.6 (60)
We’re under way in the final term and the Pies win it forward first through Elliott, who has been disappointingly quiet tonight. Less so was Adam Oxley, but he’s been subbed off during the break and replaced by the pacey Paul Seedsman.
The opening minutes of the term are characterised by stifling pressure and a number of turnovers as both sides struggle to take the ball forward. Finally Pavlich releases a spare man just outside 50 and Lachie Neale sprints forward into the goal square to receive a pass and then hammer home an open goal. First blood to the home side. A 2-3 goal lead could finish this off for the Dockers.
Three-quarter time - scores level at Domain Stadium
Fremantle 9.6 (60) vs Collingwood 9.6 (60)
Strap in people, we’ve got the close one.
Dockers goal! 3rd quarter (0:06 remaining) Fremantle 9.6 (60) vs Collingwood 9.6 (60)
Close but no classic, this game continues to intrigue as the third term wears on. The Pies have held a slender lead for most of the night but never stamped themselves as certain winners. They look like they’re about to hold that lead into the final break but for the second time tonight Michael Walters produces a goal out of nowhere with only seconds on the clock. What a gem he is. That should never have been happened but he slammed it through on his left from 35 metres out.
DeGoey doing the #35 proud #Daicos #Prestigiacomo
— Andy Maher (@MGMaherSEN) June 25, 2015
Pies goal! 3rd quarter (2:56 remaining) Fremantle 8.6 (54) vs Collingwood 9.6 (60)
Finally this third term has come to life and this time it happens on account of another sparkling moment from Jordan de Goey, who shows a lot of toe to run off his man and centre the ball inside 50 to Jarryd Blair. The latter marks 30 metres from goal and has no trouble converting.
Dockers goal! 3rd quarter (6:42 remaining) Fremantle 8.6 (54) vs Collingwood 8.6 (54)
I tempted fate with that knock on Freo’s forwards because Hayden Ballantyne marks 25 metres from goal here after turning his man inside out and duly dobs the set shot. 20 minutes without a goal and now we’ve had two in a minute. I can barely keep up.
Updated
Pies goal! 3rd quarter (6:42 remaining) Fremantle 7.6 (48) vs Collingwood 8.6 (54)
At the moment it looks as though 65-metre Pavlich bombs into a vacant 50 are Fremantle’s best (only?) chance of a goal and as one of those dribbles to the left of goal to level scores, the Dockers have subbed out Hayden Crozier and brought Nick Suban into the game. The latter nearly gifts Collingwood a shot on goal when he ushers the ball out of bounds 35 metres from the opposition goal but the umpires show him mercy.
At the risk of sounding a bit dramatic, I’ve fallen into the same torpor as this game and find myself wondering whether the Dockers are going to hit a target inside 50 for the rest of the night. Maybe they should just aim for tries, running the ball across the line as often as possible.
Finally Collingwood break the deadlock and fittingly enough, it’s the tagger Crisp who gets it after receiving a handball over the top and running into an open goal square.
No goal but I better give you an update! 3rd quarter (12:29 remaining) Fremantle 7.5 (47) vs Collingwood 7.6 (48)
It might be an omen of sorts but the second half starts with Nat Fyfe’s fifth clearance of the game and after a brief period with the ball in dispute Pavlich misses a set shot from 40 metres out. It’s pretty scrappy stuff thereafter, a real battle of wills more than anything approaching a pleasing aesthetic.
Michael Walters tries to twist free of Alan Toovey’s grasp by the boundary just forward of centre but he spins so quickly he can’t even keep his feet. What else can I say? No-one even looks like scoring a goal right now.
That first half in brief
Well, Collingwood dominated the game for sustained periods of time but went to the sheds only the 2 points up. Though it didn’t feel like it, Freo lead the disposal count 195-169, clearances 27-21 and Aaron Sandilands’ ruck dominance has them ahead 33-15 in the hit-outs.
Best for Collingwood so far are Scott Pendlebury (17 touches, 5 clearances, 3 I50s and a goal), Alex Fasolo (12 and 2 goals), and Adam Oxley, who has again done a power of work across half-back.
Though Nathan Buckley will be happy with Jack Crisp’s work on Brownlow favourite Nat Fyfe, the Docker gun still has 15 possessions (8 contested) and 2 goals to his name. Lachie Neale has been even more prolific with 20 touches while Stephen Hill (14 and 2 goals) really stepped up when it counted.
“I’ve asked them to lift their eyes and look a bit deeper” says Ross Lyon of his side’s forward entries and there’s an air of confidence about his half-time comments. That’s where the Dockers will look to improve in the second half because there was no real flow to their linking work across half forward.
Half-time - Collingwood leads by 2 points
Fremantle 7.4 (46) vs Collingwood 7.6 (48)
The Dockers hack it forward again but there’s not enough time on the clock to put together a cohesive forward entry so that’s half time at Domain Stadium. The Pies lead this one by 2 points - as they did at quarter time - but you get the feeling that the home side will come home strong. I’ll be back in a moment with some stats.
Dockers goal! 2nd quarter (0:09 remaining) Fremantle 7.4 (46) vs Collingwood 7.6 (48)
There’s a gilt-edged chance for Lachie Neale to goal with only 20-odd seconds on the clock but he spurns it. Not to worry, Michael Walters roves he pack from the resultant throw-in then ducks and weaves around a pack of defenders to snap an absolute belter on his left. Nathan Buckley will be fuming over that one. It was terrible defensive work from his men.
Pies goal! 2nd quarter (1:04 remaining) Fremantle 6.4 (40) vs Collingwood 7.5 (47)
This is a pulsating and absorbing game of footy right now. Both sides have come alive at the same time and it’s a bit of a shame that that’s finally happened with only a few minutes left before the main break.
The Pies go forward again and after the ball ricochets around a pack at the top of the goal square, Fasolo times his run like Steven Bradbury to gather the crumb and dribble through a goal with only a minute on the clock.
Pies goal! 2nd quarter (4:29 remaining) Fremantle 6.4 (40) vs Collingwood 6.5 (41)
I’ll take one de goey say Pies fans and their much-hyped rookie (Jordan de Goey, unless that terrible pun was lost on you) produces the goods in streaming forward, latching onto a handpass and then stroking a high, looping right foot snap over the umpire’s hat from 45 metres out. Wow, that was an eye-catching goal from the youngster.
Dockers goal! 2nd quarter (5:56 remaining) Fremantle 6.4 (40) vs Collingwood 5.5 (35)
NAT FYYYYFFFFFE!!! He’s failed to dominate this game like we’ve come to expect but the contest comes alive after he launches himself across the front of a pack to take one of those characteristic high marks and then goals from 30 metres out. Now it’s Collingwood on the back foot. The Dockers have been excellent for a solid five minutes now and that’s enough to take the lead.
Dockers goal! 2nd quarter (7:49 remaining) Fremantle 5.4 (34) vs Collingwood 5.5 (35)
Freo nearly pinch another through Matt de Boer but his tumbling punt towards goal swings wide for a minor score. The Dockers look flat at the moment, don’t they? I’m not sure you’d call it a slump - and you’d certainly rather go through it now than the latter half of the season - but they’re lethargic and not all that convincing right now.
Brilliantly, right as I type that, Stephen Hill gets another with a smart left foot snap and the Dockers are back within a point. Ignore me, seriously. Just disregard everything I say.
Dockers goal! 2nd quarter (10:47 remaining) Fremantle 4.3 (27) vs Collingwood 5.4 (34)
Collingwood’s domination continues with another forward entry and a pair of chances shared between the returned Pendlebury and Adam Oxley, neither of whom register a score.
But...the Dockers reload again and totally against the run of play Clancee Pearce drops to his knees as though in prayer to mark 30 metres from goal to set up a chance. I can’t say I would have bet on it but he makes no mistake with the conversion so the Dockers continue to hang in there. Just.
Pies goal! 2nd quarter (13:21 remaining) Fremantle 3.3 (21) vs Collingwood 5.4 (34)
There’s plenty of end-to-end ball movement after the restart but the Pies are doing a pretty good job at flooding back in numbers to stymie Freo’s glacial forward entries. Did I call Jamie Elliott an A-grader before? He’s just dropped an absolute sitter to break the momentum of another passage of attacking Pies football.
They get another chance soon enough and though Elliott’s almost murdered in an acrobatic marking contest with Spurr he’s not awarded a 50 metre penalty so has to take his shot from 15 metres out on a tight angle. No worries. He still kicks it and emphatically so! All this Collingwood ascendancy and Scott Pendlebury hasn’t even made it onto the field in the second term.
Pies goal! 2nd quarter (17:57 remaining) Fremantle 3.3 (21) vs Collingwood 4.4 (28)
Aaand we’re back. The Dockers get the first clearance and almost the first goal after some beligerant work from Hayden Ballantyne to keep the ball moving forward to Matthew Pavlich and then Chris Mayne, who continues to look like Dee Snyder’s make-up-free understudy.
Alex Fasolo’s not going to take it. He marks 35 metres from goal on a slight angle and gives his side the perfect start by nailing the set shot. I hope they leave him forward.
Quarter time - Collingwood lead by 2 points
Fremantle 3.2 (20) vs Collingwood 3.4 (22)
Oof! Lachie Neale misses with a right foot snap similar to Fyfe’s and the Dockers go within 30 centimetres or so of pinching back the lead with a minute on the clock.
That is that for the first term but the Dockers have really pulled themselves back up off the canvas after being pushed around for a good 20 minutes. Ross Lyon will probably fume at the break but he should also be happy with the way his side hauled it back in the last 5 minutes of the term.
Dockers goal! 1st quarter (2:00 remaining) Fremantle 3.1 (19) vs Collingwood 3.4 (22)
Fyfe gets one as well! Was that a throw to get it to him? Only Pies fans care because he’s swung it over his left shoulder with the snap and pulled his side back within a single scoring shot. How shattering for Buckley’s men. They’ve done sterling work to dominate this opening term and might not even end up with the lead at the first break.
Dockers goal! 1st quarter (3:35 remaining) Fremantle 2.1 (13) vs Collingwood 3.4 (22)
Freo finally get a shot on goal through Pearce but it’s a scrambled snap from 45 metres out and breaks left of goal for a minor score. Otherwise they’re struggling still. The Pies rebound effortlessly and then pressure the Dockers defenders like a pack of starving hyenas inside their attacking 50.
Varcoe misses right after a sublime over-the-head handpass by Pendlebury (he meant that, I’m absolutely certain of it) and then a long-range attempt by Dane Swan is rushed through by Spurr. To say the locals are chagrined right now would be a significant understatement though for all Collingwood’s domination the home side’s still only 15 points behind, which isn’t a disaster.
Then a goal! It’s artlessly booted inside 50 and roving a one-on-one contest, Stephen Hill gathers and snaps on his left boot in the one motion and the Dockers snatch one back against the run of play.
I still say he should've changed his name to Travis Barcode, now that he's in black and white stripes. #AFLFreoPies https://t.co/jK0AqiNpCU
— Gigs (@AndrewGigacz) June 25, 2015
Pies goal! 1st quarter (8:17 remaining) Fremantle 1.0 (6) vs Collingwood 3.2 (20)
The Pies continue to press with Cloke marking 55 metres from goal after the re-start. He fancies himself from there, which is perhaps a bit optimistic and Sandilands duly spikes his effort across the line for a minor score. The Dockers, on the other hand, simply cannot get it past the centre of the ground and when they do it’s turned over to intercept King Adam Oxley.
With 10 minutes left in this first term Nat Fyfe’s only got 2 possessions to his name, following an apparent career-long trend for quiet starts after the bye. More lively is Travis Varcoe, who runs down Pearce to win a free kick and seconds later his skipper Scott Pendlebury is marking 35 metres from goal and stroking a perfect drop punt through the middle. Worrying signs for the Dockers. This is Richmond all over again. They can’t get their hands on the ball at the moment.
Pies goal! 1st quarter (13:24 remaining) Fremantle 1.0 (6) vs Collingwood 2.0 (12)
Collingwood has settled beautifully here after the early onslaught. Now Taylor Adams goals after marking 35 metres from goal from Broomhead’s centering pass. They’re really turned up.
Pies goal! 1st quarter (14:30 remaining) Fremantle 1.0 (6) vs Collingwood 1.0 (6)
Collingwood regroup from the early blow and win a deep forward entry of their own from the re-start. As mentioned earlier it’s Jack Crisp with the worst job in football tonight tagging Nat Fyfe.
The young Pie actually gets an unsuccessful shot on goal, perhaps hampered by the thick cloud of smoke covering the ground after the fireworks that accompanied that Acca Dacca prelude to the first bounce. Fan engagement? Not if they can’t see the game.
There follows a lot of scrappy congestion but the stalemate is broken when Tim Broomhead sharks the spillage when Swan snaps at goal and pokes through his own. They’d controlled a lot of the possession leading up to that, the Pies.
Dockers goal! 1st quarter (19:30 remaining) Fremantle 1.0 (6) vs Collingwood 0.0 (0)
To the traditional strains of AC/DC’s ‘TNT’ this game gets away and it’s the Dockers working the first clearance forward via Stephen Hill. Michael Walters latches onto that and with only 30 seconds gone he snaps a beauty on his right boot from 30 metres out. Now that is efficient ball use!
We’re a couple of minutes from the bounce now
And Fremantle win the toss. They’ll kick to...ahh...the right of screen? The Western End!
Pies and Freo up there with the best teams for attacking and defending dangerous areas I50 respectively, will be intriguing. #AFLFreoPies
— Ethan (@ethan_meldrum) June 25, 2015
Contenders or pretenders?
Are Pie fans feeling genuinely confident tonight? Is this side capable of knocking off the top side? Has it overachieved so far? Is it merely taking advantage of a favorable draw? I like the Pies, for what it’s worth. They’ve got a bona fide champion in Scott Pendlebury, which is always a decent start, then a host of A-graders beside him in Jamie Elliott, Steele Sidebottom and Dane Swan. But the thing that I like most is the tier below that, in which there’s such an even contribution across the board.
Travis Varcoe’s been close to a boon after arriving amid widespread pessimism that he’d even make it onto the field. Adam Oxley’s come from nowhere and all of Jack Frost, Jack Crisp (who’ll play on Fyfe tonight), Tom Langdon and Tim Broomhead have shown their class with varying levels of consistency. Pre-season I didn’t think the Pies would make the finals. Now I feel like an idiot. Even Travis Cloke is kicking bags of goals.
But...this is a tough ask tonight.
Our teams tonight
But first, a word from the Fremantle coach. “We tailed off a little bit, more in our scoring,” says Ross Lyon of his side’s efforts before the break. He’s talking about “wellness” and stress levels and also just randomly laughing like some strange combination of Brick Tamland and Tim Robbins’ hippy character from High Fidelity. “We’re looking for a bit of separation tonight,” he concludes. Does that mean we get two Christmases?
There’s no late changes to the two sides.
Fremantle
Lee Spurr, Luke McPharlin, Garrick Ibbotson, Danyle Pearce, Alex Pearce, Cameron Sutcliffe, Stephen Hill, Nat Fyfe, Clancee Pearce, Hayden Crozier, Chris Mayne, Michael Walters, Jack Hannath, Matthew Pavlich, Hayden Ballantyne, Aaron Sandilands, David Mundy, Matt de Boer, Tommy Sheridan,Michael Barlow, Lachie Neale
SUB: Nick Suban
Collingwood
Adam Oxley, Nathan J. Brown, Marley Williams, Alan Toovey, Jack Frost, Tyson Goldsack, Travis Varcoe, Dane Swan, Steele Sidebottom, Jamie Elliott, Jesse White, Jordan De Goey, Alex Fasolo, Travis Cloke, Jarryd Blair, Jarrod Witts, Jack Crisp, Scott Pendlebury, Tom Langdon, Taylor Adams, Tim Broomhead
SUB: Paul Seedsman
Preamble
As Uncle Arthur once said, “Ladies and jellybeans...”
Welcome for the second week running to Thursday night football and tonight’s clash between ladder-leading Fremantle and one of the surprise packets of this 2015 season, Collingwood. This one’s coming to you live from Domain Stadium, though I’ll admit I’m not actually there. In actual fact I’m watching the last five minutes of Home and Away as I type this. Just being honest.
Anyway, this should be a cracking match-up. A couple of weeks back the Tigers showed that the Dockers can indeed be beaten on their home patch and tonight the Pies get a chance to disrupt the Fyfedom of Fremantle.
You can email me on russell.jackson@theguardian.com with all of your comments, quips and predictions. As I say that, Home and Away is done with and the Pies are now out on the ground going through their warm-ups. Let me tell you, it’s some extremely warm-uppy stuff too; handballs; back slaps; tracksuit tops; deep heat. The only thing missing is the sight of dressing gowns. I’ll be back shortly with tonight’s teams.
Russell will be along shortly to take you through this evening’s proceedings in Subiaco. While he makes his way to his keyboard, have a read of his thoughts on the incredible Nat Fyfe at the midway point of the season.
If any moment could serve as a microcosm of Nat Fyfe’s spellbinding first half of the season for Fremantle it must be the miraculous, hypnotically bending goal he potted from the Domain Stadium boundary against Richmond in round 10.
The skilfulness of the kick itself was one thing – Fyfe hemmed in on the boundary with a slither of goal face to aim at and a ‘banana’ his only option – but it was the moments prior that made it one of the cleverest, most instinctive goals of this or any season. He’d stalked his opponent out towards the boundary as the contest demanded but half-way there retreated subtly, simultaneously anticipating where Taylor Hunt’s outlet handball would land and backing off that target, Troy Chaplin, just enough for the contact of Fyfe’s firm shove to come as a surprise to the Tigers defender.
Was it a push in the back? Only Richmond fans could have cared once Fyfe gathered the ball inches inside the boundary, took a quick step back inside the line and stroked a dead-eyed, millimetre-perfect goal from an acute angle. Here was the premier midfielder of the competition combining the endlessly-honed foot skills of Eddie Betts with the un-teachable, urchin street-smarts of Hayden Ballantyne. Poetry and murder within him equally, as Robertson-Glasgow might have put it.
Read the rest of the article here.
