After sitting out Fremantle’s worst performance of the season against St Kilda, Hayden Ballantyne loomed large for the match against Carlton. However, it was not until the last quarter that the enigmatic forward proved his true worth. Having kicked one goal from just five possessions during the first three quarters, Ballantyne looked out of sorts. But, as so often happens with players of his calibre, a couple of moments of brilliance repaid the faith shown in him by Ross Lyon. Ballantyne stood up for two important final quarter goals and narrowly missed a third. He also managed to block Chris Yarran’s path to Garrick Ibbotson just a few minutes from full-time. Ibbotson marked, but couldn’t kick the winning goal, leaving that honour to Lachie Neale.

It’s been a long time since any team ran Fremantle off its legs at Patersons Stadium. But that’s exactly what Carlton did. In an effort to avoid Fremantle’s much-vaunted midfield press, the Blues incessantly switched the ball to the open side. At times, it was risky – one errant kick could easily have turned into a rebound goal. But the Blues’ skills were spot-on and the switch worked time and time again for Simpson, Judd, Murphy, Gibbs, Yarran and Thomas. During the third quarter, the Blues dominated as Fremantle, which was down a couple of players, struggled to keep pace with the players who ran to space. Instead of becoming bogged down in midfield, the Blues owned the wings and flanks and some classy finishing ensured they made the most of their opportunities.

 

While Matthew Pavlich’s night ended early because of concussion, the skipper’s absence was not the only one that cost Fremantle. As Carlton started to outrun the home side, Fremantle was also being hamstrung by the absence of Tendai Mzungu, who appeared to have received a corked thigh. Mzungu spent most of the second quarter and the entire third quarter riding an exercise bike in an effort to make himself available to play, should the Dockers suffer another injury. Carlton, meanwhile, was able to save sub Brock McLean for the final quarter, though he didn’t have the impact Mick Malthouse would have hoped for. Mzungu did return to the ground in the final quarter to play his part, but it was probably the amazing efforts of Nat Fyfe that enabled the undermanned Dockers’ midfield to keep pace with the Blues.

 

At 211cm, Aaron Sandilands can claim he’s got a mismatch regardless of the identity of his opponent. Yet he struggles to take marks in the forward line. In the first half alone, the biggest man in the history of football had two gilt-edged opportunities to take a grab and then slot a goal. The first came about 30m from goal in the first quarter. The ball simply slipped through his grasp. The second was on the behind line during the second quarter. He was under some body pressure, but a player of his size and experience should have been able to take the mark.

 

Last week, West Coast was furious when it had to take to the field against Richmond at Patersons Stadium in its clash strip. Fremantle wore theirs against Carlton by choice. In what appeared a strange move, the home team wore their white clash jumper against the Blues and promoted the game to its fans as one for which they should “wear white on the night”. Just what prompted the promotion was unclear, but the little league game at half-time proved just how difficult it was to distinguish Fremantle’s regular home jumper from the famous Blues’ strip. But if that was the only reason for the change, surely it would have been Carlton that would have been forced to wear an alternate strip?