Round 16 – Melbourne v Fremantle
Pre Match:
• Have had a very busy schedule since the mid-season break, playing three games in 13 days, so it was good to have a few days extra to prepare for the game against Fremantle. Early in the week we concentrated on recovery, then by mid-week started to work on various aspects of our game that needed some attention.
• Fremantle have really turned the corner in recent weeks and their victory against Collingwood in Round 15 was full of merit. We were aware that they would gain some confidence from this, and understood the intensity with which they would approach our clash on Sunday. They still harbour hopes of a top four finish and would view any game at Subiaco as a ‘must win’ if they are to achieve this.
• Only made the one change, with Phil Read included at the expense of the unlucky Chris Johnson. We felt that Phil would be a good match up for the dangerous Josh Carr.
• Critical to beating Fremantle is the ability to stop them switching the play when they win the ball in defence, and this was a focus going into the game. We also wanted to limit the effectiveness of Bell, Josh Carr & Des Headland in the midfield, and keep a lid on Pavlich and Farmer up forward as the statistics suggest that they need to score heavily for their team to win.
• From our perspective, we needed to maintain the high work rate we have displayed for most of the season, and get the ball quickly to our dangerous forwards. A solid start to quieten the pro-Fremantle crowd was also a priority.
During the Match:
• Started okay and managed to lead by one point at quarter time which was a reasonable outcome given that our form was just average throughout the quarter. Lynden Dunn with two goals looked dangerous, but we were concerned with the number of broken tackles and our lack of penetrating run.
• Fremantle opened the second quarter with a goal on the run from Sandilands immediately after the centre bounce, which really lifted their spirits. They dominated for the remainder of the quarter with our defenders, led by Nathan Carroll, Ben Holland and Matt Whelan doing a brilliant job to hold them at bay. It was disappointing that two Fremantle goals came from our lack of discipline - a 50 metre penalty against Byron Pickett and a free kick to Crowley after a clash with Brad Green. Fremantle kicked four goals to our four points for the quarter. At half time, we were well behind the eight ball and really needed to lift our work rate and energy to get back into the contest.
• Despite our poor showing in the first half, the group was confident we could claw our way back into the game. We needed a lift from many players, and had to get a bit of run and attack back into our play. For the first time in ages our tackling was below par, which would have given Fremantle a great confidence boost because they were able to execute their skills with minimal pressure applied. We had to improve in this area.
• We tried harder in the third quarter but couldn’t make the most of our opportunities. We kicked one goal five points, and squandered a number of other chances due to our lack of sharpness. Fremantle by contrast made the most of theirs, counter attacking with more purpose and speed to lead by 34 points at three-quarter time.
• Difficult to win from this situation, given the way that we were playing, but it was important nevertheless to keep working away to take something from the game.
• We battled away in the fourth quarter without making much headway on Fremantle’s lead, and managed to win the quarter by five points. We looked tired, and they had their tails up and the home town crowd roaring. They deserved to win.
Post Match:
• We were aiming for a much better performance than we delivered. Fremantle out worked and out ran us for much of the game. We didn’t put their game under enough pressure, we lacked our usual hardness in and around the contest, we didn’t run hard enough to attack or defend and we failed to use the ball effectively through the corridor and inside 50 when we had possession. We also had too many passengers. When you play interstate it is hard to win when this is the case.
• We were also disappointed with our discipline. Silly free kicks and 50 metre penalties cost us dearly from a scoring perspective, and really gave Fremantle some easy goals.
• We had good contributions from Carroll, Holland & Whelan in defence, whilst James McDonald and Brad Green worked hard in the midfield.
• We did a reasonable job keeping some of their guns relatively quiet, with Bell, J. Carr and Headland having minimal influence on the game. Pavlich and Farmer were also well held. Fortunately for them, a number of their lesser profile players really made strong contributions and this was a big reason why they won the game.
• We have to move on now, attend to our recovery and prepare ourselves well for the game against the Bulldogs next Sunday at the MCG. Today was a timely reminder of what can happen when basics such a high work rate and tackling aren’t to the standard required. What is important now is that we bounce back hard and show that our form versus Fremantle is not our true form. Next Sunday can’t come soon enough for all of us.
