Brilliant Freo earn a home prelim

Saturday September 7, 2013

FREMANTLE has emerged as a genuine premiership contender after invading Geelong's Simonds Stadium fortress and scoring a 15-point win in a gripping and fiery qualifying final on Saturday afternoon.

Having gone into the game as outsiders, the Dockers were 20 points down early in the second quarter, before they hauled themselves back into the contest with a five-goal run that handed them a four-point lead at the long break.

FREMANTLE has emerged as a genuine premiership contender after invading Geelong's Simonds Stadium fortress and scoring a 15-point win in a gripping and fiery qualifying final on Saturday afternoon.

Having gone into the game as outsiders, the Dockers were 20 points down early in the second quarter, before they hauled themselves back into the contest with a five-goal run that handed them a four-point lead at the long break.

Ross Lyon's men then survived a torrid second half and scored the greatest win in their club's 19-season history, 12.15 (87) to 9.18 (72).

The result vindicated Lyon's decision rest a host of key players when Freo played St Kilda at Etihad Stadium in round 23.

After losing to the lowly Saints by 71 points, the Dockers brought back 11 key players for their clash with the Cats.

Saturday's game – the first final held in Geelong since 1897 – was littered with spot-fires.

There was no opening bounce after Cats forward James Podsiadly was handed a free kick for high contact from Fremantle defender Zac Dawson.

And the niggle continued even after the final siren, with Ryan Crowley exchanging words with Joel Selwood and midfielder Steve Johnson as the players were shaking hands.

It was only Fremantle's second win at Simonds Stadium in the club's history, and the Dockers became just the second team to defeat Geelong at the venue since round 21, 2007.

"It was really obvious that it was a great effort and really pleased for the players that they created an opportunity," Lyon said at his post-match press conference.

"We want to be anywhere, anytime team and this is a significant challenge and they got it done today

"We get a week to review sharply, prepare really well and stay incredibly focused."

Midfielders Michael Barlow (32 disposals and three goals) and Nathan Fyfe (25 disposals, seven clearances) and defender Lee Spurr (28 touches, 10 marks) were among the heroes for Freo, who have earned themselves a week's rest and a berth in the club's first  home preliminary final at Patersons Stadium.

Crowley was among a number of other Dockers players who played a crucial role in the result. He started on Geelong midfielder Mathew Stokes but gave his team a big boost by limiting the impact of Johnson after the Cats maestro had gathered 12 possessions in the first quarter.

Barlow was Fremantle's leading goal-scorer, while Matthew Pavlich proved dangerous at times but finished with 2.3 when he could easily have booted four or five goals.

However, Freo might be without Dawson for its preliminary final after he was reported for striking Podsiadly and also jumped in the air to bump Selwood in the head during the final quarter.

It was a case of history repeating for the Cats, who were also bundled out of last year's finals series by the Dockers.

Having lined up without key forward Tom Hawkins, who was a late withdrawal after suffering a recurrence of his back soreness, their forward line struggled so badly that Geelong finished with less than 10 goals for the first time since 2008.

"I didn't think it was our lack of scoring that was the issue," losing coach Chris Scott said. "We certainly had enough chances. We kicked a lot of points.
"It was the fact that the other way they were able to get some really easy goals, and in a low-scoring arm-wrestle that's very costly."

Andrew Mackie gave the Cats his usual great service from half-back, while fellow triple premiership players Jimmy Bartel and Joel Corey were solid performers.

Defender Cameron Guthrie, who was one of the late inclusions when Hawkins and Taylor Hunt (ankle) were ruled out, also played one of the best games of his career.

Paul Chapman started his 250th game as the substitute, and he put his stamp on the match when he entered the fray, but he and his teammates won't want to remember this afternoon.

When the game was on the line in the second half, Geelong badly missed the skill and leadership of veteran backman Corey Enright, who was subbed out of the game at half-time after suffering a knee injury.

Enright appears likely to miss the Cats' semi-final against Collingwood or Port Adelaide, which will be played at the MCG on Friday night.

GOALS
Geelong: Podsiadly 3, Johnson 2, Corey, Vardy, Motlop, Duncan
Fremantle: Barlow 3, Pavlich 2, Hill 2, Walters, Ballantyne, Spurr, Sandilands, Mayne

BEST 
Geelong: Mackie, Bartel, Corey, Guthrie, Taylor,
Fremantle: Barlow, Fyfe, Spurr, Mundy, Pearce

INJURIES 
Geelong: Hawkins (back) replaced in selected side by Walker, Hunt (ankle) replaced in selected side by Guthrie. Enright (knee)
Fremantle: Silvagni (soreness) replaced in selected side by McPharlin, Suban (ankle)

SUBSTITUTES
Geelong: Paul Chapman replaced Corey Enright at half-time
Fremantle: Tom Sheridan replaced Nick Suban in the third quarter

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Stevic, Pannell, McInerney

Official crowd: TBC at Simonds Stadium

McPharlin an emergency, but expected to play

Thursday September 5, 2013

Luke McPharlin’s return has not been confirmed, with the champion defender named as an emergency for Saturday’s qualifying final against Geelong at Simonds Stadium.

Fremantle made ten changes for the match with the bad news being the loss of defender Michael Johnson with a calf injury.

Stephen Hill, Nick Suban and Michael Walters, who all missed the round 23 game against St Kilda have been named.

Also coming back into the side are rested stars David Mundy, Lee Spurr, Hayden Ballantyne, Chris Mayne, Zac Clarke, Zac Dawson and Nat Fyfe

Clancee Pearce comes out of the team with an Achilles injury while Jack Hannath, Alex Forster, Jesse Crichton, Josh Mellington, Hayden Crozier, Matt Taberner, Josh Simpson, Craig Moller and Peter Faulks have all made way for the returning players.

Fremantle’s general manager of football Chris Bond said McPharlin, who flew with the team to Melbourne, was still a chance to play.

“At the moment we will just see how he pulls up tomorrow and we're expecting him to play and we will finalise the team closer to the game,” he said.

Bond said Johnson’s injury was not serious but erred on the side of caution.

“It's nothing that's major, he's just a bit tight in the calf and we didn't want to risk it. He wasn't capable of playing and getting through training so we're sure he will be able to get through training next week,” he said.

Bond added that the returning players were 100 per cent.

“They all got through training over the weekend and trained really strongly again today,” he said.

“There are no issues from that end and they're already to go.”

The other emergencies, Hayden Crozier and Jack Hannath both travelled with the team.

Source: fremantlefc.com.au

Fremantle Team Qualifying Final v Geelong
B	Spurr	Dawson	Duffield
HB	Suban	Silvagni	Mzungu
C	Mundy	Barlow	Hill
HF	de Boer	Mayne	D Pearce
F	Ballantyne	Pavlich	Walters
R	Sandilands	Fyfe	Crowley
Interchange
Sutcliffe	Clarke	Sherridan	Neale
Emergencies
McPharlin	Hannath	Crozier

 

In: Mundy, Spurr, Dawson, Ballantyne, Suban, Hill, Mayne, Walters, Clarke, Fyfe