FREMANTLE has claimed its best win of the season to stay in touch with the top eight while condemning 2022 grand finalists Sydney to four straight losses with a 17-point victory at the SCG on Saturday.
Dockers ruckman Sean Darcy was brilliant with 18 disposals including 14 contested possessions and nine clearances with 44 hit-outs, fuelling the visitors' 49-36 clearances dominance, as they won 16.7 (103) to 13.8 (86) to improve their win-loss record to 4-5, while the Swans slump to 3-6, having lost six of their past seven games.
The triumph was the Dockers' first at the SCG since 2011, while they recorded back-to-back 100-point games for the first time since 2016, with lively small forward Lachie Schultz booting four goals and recruit Luke Jackson kicking three, while Josh Treacy, Jye Amiss and Michael Frederick added two each.
Darcy's dominance helped Fremantle win centre clearances 20-9 and enjoy 61-44 inside 50s for the game, while their tall forwards managed 12 marks inside 50 compared to Sydney's five. Caleb Serong (33 disposals), Andy Brayshaw (31 disposals) and Jaeger O'Meara (27 disposals) were Fremantle's leading ball-winners with the latter having eight tackles too.
Sydney were not helped by losing co-captain Callum Mills to a calf problem early in the first term while Logan McDonald ended the day on the bench, compounding the Swans' injury woes with Dane Rampe, Sam Reid, Paddy and Tom McCartin already sidelined. Lance Franklin was kept goalless by Alex Pearce, while Tom Papley was relatively quiet in his 150th game, but ended up with two goals including a late consolation.
SWANS v DOCKERS Full match coverage and stats
Errol Gulden was outstanding for the Swans with a career-high 39 disposals and two goals but they had few winners, leaving coach John Longmire with plenty of headaches.
Sydney raced ahead early with the first three goals of the game, but Fremantle were having plenty of inside 50 entries, only for its method to let them down with Aaron Francis intercepting at will.
Bailey Banfield ended Sydney's run with Fremantle's first major before Treacy produced a highlight with a strong aerial mark over rucks Darcy and Tom Hickey at centre half back.
Fremantle pulled clear with an excellent second term, kicking six goals to two, with 8-1 centre clearances for the quarter. The Dockers' method improved too, capitalising on their inside 50 dominance (33-15 in the first half) with 5-0 marks inside 50 for the term.
Nick Blakey and James Rowbottom gave up 50m penalties in quick succession leading directly to two Fremantle goals which didn’t help Sydney's cause, while Michael Walters returned the favour with Robbie Fox converting to keep the Swans in touch, trailing by 13 points at half-time.
Fremantle threatened to blow the game apart early in the third as they moved 25 points clear with Jackson booting his third and setting up another, but Gulden almost single-handedly kept the Swans in the contest with 15 touches and two goals for the quarter.
The Dockers seemed in control until goals late in the third from Gulden and Isaac Heeney, followed by Papley's snap early in the fourth - after sub Nat Fyfe's casual marking attempt was spoiled - saw the margin trimmed to nine points.
But Fremantle got steadying goals from Treacy and Amiss, both coming from marks inside 50 followed by Schultz's dribbler as the Dockers navigated their way to a crucial victory.
Warm reception for Buddy after last week's boos
After being booed by sections of the Collingwood crowd last week, Lance Franklin's reception from the home SCG crowd was always going to be interesting and the four-time Coleman medallist received a big cheer upon his first mark of the game early in the second term. There were no jeers or boos throughout the contest, although that was largely expected from a supportive home crowd combined with Freo's small traveling fans. There weren’t many opportunities for the boo boys anyway with Franklin relatively inconspicuous, well blanketed by Alex Pearce, spurning a golden opportunity from a mark 15m out when he played on and was immediately pinged holding the ball.
Jackson boots season-best three goals
Off-season acquisition Jackson was the subject of heavy criticism in Perth earlier this year after a slow start to life at Freo but the 21-year-old is starting to find his groove, producing his best goals return in purple with three majors. The 2021 Rising Star was utilised primarily up forward, but also running through the midfield at times. However, he had most influence in attack, booting two second-quarter goals as Freo pulled ahead, while he added another early in the third before shrugging off three Swans defenders to set up Michael Frederick's major from the goal square. He finished with 17 touches, six score involvements, seven marks and 11 hit-outs.
Fyfe the over-qualified sub yet again
The Dockers utilised two-time Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe as the sub for the second successive week, introduced at three-quarter time and making a handy impact to guide the visitors to victory. Fyfe showed initial rustiness, leading to Papley's goal, while he took time to adjust to the pace of the game, caught in possession a few times before finishing with six disposals and two tackles. He played a mix of midfield and forward, not hitting the scoreboard, but creating a good contest leading to Schultz's sealer. Whether he's ready for a full game next week remains to be seen.
SYDNEY 3.1 5.2 9.5 13.8 (86)
FREMANTLE 1.1 7.3 12.4 16.7 (103)
GOALS
Sydney: Gulden 2, Heeney 2, Papley 2, McDonald, Rowbottom, McInerney, Fox, Campbell, Lloyd, McLean
Fremantle: Schultz 4, Jackson 3, Treacy 2, Amiss 2, Frederick 2, Banfield, Switkowski, Hughes
BEST
Sydney: Gulden, Parker, Warner, Lloyd, Heeney, Francis
Fremantle: Darcy, O'Meara, Schultz, Jackson, Serong, Pearce
INJURIES
Sydney: Mills (calf), McDonald (ankle)
Fremantle: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Sydney: Marc Sheather (replaced Callum Mills in the first quarter)
Fremantle: Nat Fyfe (replaced Neil Erasmus at three-quarter time)
Crowd: 28,927 at the SCG
