A dominant midfield led Fremantle to a morale-boosting 26-point win over the Sydney Swans at Subiaco Oval on Saturday evening.
The Swans stormed home in the last term after sleeping through the previous three quarters of an hour, but a Tadhg Kennelly’s set shot, which hit the post midway through the term halted their momentum, and Fremantle held firm.
Troy Simmonds was poor last week against Adelaide, but did well against Adam Goodes, and his midfield profited from his work, with Paul Hasleby, Matthew Carr, Troy Cook and skipper Peter Bell all doing well.
Fremantle’s backline looked both young and small coming into the match, but Robert Haddrill, Graham Polak, Roger Hayden and Dion Woods all did well, with Haddrill and Polak looking good on Sydney spearhead Barry Hall.
Tall forward Justin Longmuir came back after a good game with West Perth last week and added a target in a Fremantle forward line that was short on scoring last week.
Sydney looked a far better team in the first quarter, having far more of the ball than Fremantle, but they were inefficient going into attack, and it led by just five points at the first break.
Matthew Nicks got the Swans off to a great start with a goal after just three minutes, but Justin Longmuir replied a couple of minutes later.
Hall got his first two in five minutes before the halfway mark of the quarter, but the Swans kicked just four goals for the term, while the Dockers scrambled three.
Signs of what was to come emerged in the second term as Daniel Haines ran through the 50 to score in the first minute, then star recruit Des Headland goaled and the Dockers were up by a goal.
The Dockers made regular sorties into their forward fifty, and by half time they were up by 16 points.
After Paul Medhurst kicked the only two goals of the third term, the Dockers had kicked eight of the last nine goals and Sydney had a big hill to climb.
When Fremantle youngster Aaron Sandilands goaled in the second minute of the last, the game looked as good as over, but the Swans – having not scored since midway through the second - kicked three majors in four minutes to kick life back into their campaign.
FREMANTLE: 3.2, 8.4, 10.9, 12.14 (86)
SYDNEY: 4.1, 5.6, 5.9, 8.12 (60)
GOALS: Fremantle: Simmonds 2, Farmer 2, Medhurst 2, J Longmuir, Carr, D Haines, Headland, Longmuir, Sandilands.
Sydney: Hall 3, Nicks 2, Davis, McPherson, Fosdike,
BEST: Fremantle Haselby, Cook, Bell, Carr, Simmonds
Sydney: Kirk, Hall, Bolton, Nicks, Goodes.
INJURIES: Fremantle: Haddrill (shoulder).
Sydney: Bolton (knee).
REPORTS: None.
UMPIRES: Fusell, McLaren, Margetts.
CROWD: 24,878 at Subiaco Oval.
