Freo Fail, Champion Cats Continue
April 27th 2008 05:03
In the lead-up, no one gave Fremantle a sniff against the Cats. The bookies were having none, and the experts were already talking about Geelong’s opponents next week, and could they go the whole season undefeated? All in sundry blatantly dismissive of any possible challenge from the desperately disappointing Dockers.
With 10 minutes to go until half-time, Fremantle led by 38 points and were completely dominating Geelong. You would have been forgiven for thinking that the Dockers were the reigning premiers and undefeated for the season, and that the Cats were sitting on zero wins, four losses.
Fremantle were winning in every department; Sandilands fed the ball out from almost every ruck contest, and the midfielders battled to win majority of clearances. The Dockers showed clean hands and supremely accurate disposals, while Geelong appeared well off their game as they consistently fumbled and missed targets with kicks and hand balls.
The cats were also losing out in hard ball gets and contested marks. Pavlich shone with one-on-one marking, punishing tackling, and strong running – all of which resulted in goals.
The Cats were clearly rattled by the treatment being served out by the Dockers, and just couldn’t get their normal game going. That is, until 10 minutes to go in the 2nd quarter.
In the blink of an eye, Geelong poured on six goals before the major break, and trailed by only two points – 54 to 52. It was the premiers back to their best.
Begin third quarter, and Fremantle came out firing again. They kicked the first goal, but then wasted a couple of chances. Rather than tightening the screws, the Dockers kept loosening the bolts. Until Palmer finished off a great team effort with a quick snap from the pocket. And the lead was 21 points. Then Sandilands took a mark near the square and goaled. It was déjà vu of the first quarter.
With 5 minutes remaining in the third, Geelong had been unable to manufacture an easy scoring opportunity. Ablett, Chapman, Johnson, Bartel, Ling, Mooney, all quiet. Wojinski’s usual flashy, brilliant runs unsighted. But unlike the late onslaught in the second quarter, there would be no Cat heroics late in the third. And the score at the final break was 80 to 55 Fremantle.
What would the fourth quarter bring?
It would first bring a goal from Chapman after marking a pin-point kick from Cam Mooney inside fifty.
Another goal from Steve Johnson would follow – too clever for his opponent as he rounded the ruck contest at a boundary throw-in and snapped. Margin 13 points and closing.
Selwood stepped up and the ball followed him like a magnet. His disposals are always first class, and he found Hawkins one-out, who marked and goaled. Margin 6 points and the Dockers were feeling the heat.
Thirteen minutes to go - could the Dockers hang on?
A succession of Cat hand-balls, a sweet pass from Kelly inside fifty into Mooney’s arms, and his kick would make scores level.
Seven minutes on the clock: Selwood wins the hard ball, and gets the free. He would find Mooney, who in turn finds Hawkins, and his superb hand-ball to Stokes would result in a goal. 8 point Cat lead. You could feel the inevitable beginning to unfold.
But with 4 minutes to go, new kid on the Docker block, Palmer, would brilliantly spin out of trouble in the centre and pass 50 metres to Pavlich in the goal square, who obliged with a six pointer.
In the final moments there would be terrific battles between Scarlet and Pavlich, Ablett and Crowley, and the like. Only sixty seconds left, and Pavlich marks at fifty. His kick looks good all the way…..until it hits the post. The crowd’s cheers turn to groans.
The Dockers would have one final chance from an out-of-bounds on the full. The Freo fans plead for a miracle. Could their team answer the call? The in-coming kick is long, is high. Players converge on the drop of the ball. But tragically for the Dockers, a Geelong player would mark unopposed. And the siren would sound.
It seems that Fremantle just doesn’t know how to win. Endeavour was there. Heart and passion was there. But when the game needed to be won, the Dockers couldn’t deliver.
The fans were left heart-broken. The players and coaching staff devastated. What could have been for the Fremantle Dockers.
And the Geelong band wagon rolls on.
With 10 minutes to go until half-time, Fremantle led by 38 points and were completely dominating Geelong. You would have been forgiven for thinking that the Dockers were the reigning premiers and undefeated for the season, and that the Cats were sitting on zero wins, four losses.
The cats were also losing out in hard ball gets and contested marks. Pavlich shone with one-on-one marking, punishing tackling, and strong running – all of which resulted in goals.
The Cats were clearly rattled by the treatment being served out by the Dockers, and just couldn’t get their normal game going. That is, until 10 minutes to go in the 2nd quarter.
In the blink of an eye, Geelong poured on six goals before the major break, and trailed by only two points – 54 to 52. It was the premiers back to their best.
Begin third quarter, and Fremantle came out firing again. They kicked the first goal, but then wasted a couple of chances. Rather than tightening the screws, the Dockers kept loosening the bolts. Until Palmer finished off a great team effort with a quick snap from the pocket. And the lead was 21 points. Then Sandilands took a mark near the square and goaled. It was déjà vu of the first quarter.
What would the fourth quarter bring?
It would first bring a goal from Chapman after marking a pin-point kick from Cam Mooney inside fifty.
Another goal from Steve Johnson would follow – too clever for his opponent as he rounded the ruck contest at a boundary throw-in and snapped. Margin 13 points and closing.
Selwood stepped up and the ball followed him like a magnet. His disposals are always first class, and he found Hawkins one-out, who marked and goaled. Margin 6 points and the Dockers were feeling the heat.
Thirteen minutes to go - could the Dockers hang on?
A succession of Cat hand-balls, a sweet pass from Kelly inside fifty into Mooney’s arms, and his kick would make scores level.
Seven minutes on the clock: Selwood wins the hard ball, and gets the free. He would find Mooney, who in turn finds Hawkins, and his superb hand-ball to Stokes would result in a goal. 8 point Cat lead. You could feel the inevitable beginning to unfold.
But with 4 minutes to go, new kid on the Docker block, Palmer, would brilliantly spin out of trouble in the centre and pass 50 metres to Pavlich in the goal square, who obliged with a six pointer.
In the final moments there would be terrific battles between Scarlet and Pavlich, Ablett and Crowley, and the like. Only sixty seconds left, and Pavlich marks at fifty. His kick looks good all the way…..until it hits the post. The crowd’s cheers turn to groans.
The Dockers would have one final chance from an out-of-bounds on the full. The Freo fans plead for a miracle. Could their team answer the call? The in-coming kick is long, is high. Players converge on the drop of the ball. But tragically for the Dockers, a Geelong player would mark unopposed. And the siren would sound.
It seems that Fremantle just doesn’t know how to win. Endeavour was there. Heart and passion was there. But when the game needed to be won, the Dockers couldn’t deliver.
The fans were left heart-broken. The players and coaching staff devastated. What could have been for the Fremantle Dockers.
And the Geelong band wagon rolls on.
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