Premiership favourites Fremantle have bounced back from a goalless first half to overcome nearest rival Sydney in a Thursday night blockbuster at Optus Stadium.
The AFL ladder leaders recorded 11 behinds before finally kicking their first major early in the third term, riding the most extraordinary wave to claim a barnstorming 15.21 (111) to 10.13 (73) victory over the Swans.
Josh Treacy finished with four goals to lead the Dockers, who could hardly stop Sydney’s Charlie Curnow (five goals) at the other end but otherwise kept the visitors quiet — especially in the second half.
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“This has just been an onslaught — seven goals four (behinds) in this last quarter,” Luke Hodge said in commentary on Channel 7.
“Everything the Swans threw at Fremantle early they’re getting it back tenfold.”
Brian Taylor said: “They are just unstoppable. It has just been absolutely unbelievable.”
The performance, coming just five days after having their long winning streak ended in a shock loss to GWS, reiterated Fremantle’s standing as the team to beat in September.
“Good luck if you want to come here and win a qualifying final or preliminary final in front of this crowd,” Kane Cornes said.
The Dockers’ goalless first half was just the third such occasion in their history — and on the other side of the coin their 100-point second half was the equal third-highest tally for any half since they arrived in the AFL.
Fremantle captain Alex Pearce surprisingly claimed “not much changed” for the side after half-time.
But the 31-year-old could claim some credit after pulling off a series of clutch goal-saving marks and intercepts.
“We spoke a lot about just having the trust in each other and the freedom to keep playing our way,” he said.
“We weren’t getting reward for our effort, we missed a few goals, a bit scrappy.
“As the game opens up we get a few more looks and we did it. I’m so proud of everyone.”
Sydney’s Nick Blakey said he was disappointed by the last-quarter fadeout and could only tip his cap to the home side.
“We didn’t quite go with them. Far out, some of our players in the first half, our pressure was unreal,” he said.
“We just let ourselves down in the last, pretty flat.”
Sydney laid 40 tackles to 21 in the first half to put the home side under immense pressure.
Tom Papley kicked the opening goal of the match and was a menace for the rest of the first term, but Fremantle were their own worst enemies at times with poor disposal execution.
Their biggest gaffe came when Chad Warner missed a set-shot snap on goal.
Dockers defender Luke Ryan, who had given up the initial free kick after being caught holding the ball, ran up to Warner and condescendingly rubbed his opponent’s hair after the missed snap.
The incident led to Curnow being handed a free kick at the top of the goal square.
Sydney entered the first break with a 19-point edge, and there was just one goal in the second quarter — to Papley — as Fremantle’s stars flailed in front of the big sticks.
It took a defender to finally break Fremantle’s goal drought, with Jordan Clark kicking truly on the run from beyond 50m to get the Dockers’ first major just 49 seconds into the third quarter.
In what became a goalfest of a quarter, Curnow kicked three goals, including two long-range beauties from near the boundary, to keep Sydney’s noses in front.
But Fremantle’s six-goal quarter meant they entered the final change with just a two-point deficit and all the momentum.
Dane Rampe, like Ryan earlier, gave up a silly free kick in the third quarter for rubbing the hair of Jye Amiss.
The Fremantle spearhead missed that set shot, but Rampe gave him another chance early in the final quarter when he held Amiss off the ball.
This time around Amiss nailed the goal, giving Fremantle the lead for the first time in the match.
Curnow kicked his fifth to give Sydney back the advantage, but Fremantle slammed through the next seven goals to put the Swans to the sword.
— with AAP
