Source : the age
All the pressure was on the Dockers as they desperately tried to avoid being the second top-of-the-ladder side in as many seasons (after the Crows last year) to bow out in straight sets.
And in the Cats, they faced a proven finals foe that was never going to give in.
That’s exactly what makes the Dockers’ 14-point win so impressive.
Steve Barrett (Fremantle) and Marc McGowan (Geelong) run their eye over every player in from this semi-final.
Fremantle
(3) Caleb Serong: Predictably had Oisin Mullin for company, and eventually quelled the tag in a fine – and anticipated – return to form after he was below his usual standard against Hawthorn. His magnificent 55-metre goal in the fourth quarter all but sealed a preliminary final berth. 7.5/10
(5) Heath Chapman: Struggled to contain Ollie Henry, especially in the third term when the Cats were gathering steam, and his decision-making was shaky at times. He did salvage his night with a strong finish. 5.5/10
(6) Jordan Clark: One of Fremantle’s few bright spots in their qualifying final meltdown was industrious against the Cats, his old side. He generated tremendous run out of defence, racking up 621 metres gained and wasting almost none of his 25 touches. 7/10
(8) Andrew Brayshaw: One of the Dockers’ prime movers through the middle, his performance won’t create headlines, but he was as consistent as ever across four quarters and used the ball smartly. 7/10
(9) Luke Jackson: When Fremantle needed something special, their “Unicorn” delivered. After running amok in ruck in the opening term, he was becalmed in the second, before unleashing a match-winning third quarter for the ages. The big fella booted two goals for the term and contributed to three others. Titanic. 9/10
(10) Shai Bolton: The Dockers needed a bright start, but they couldn’t have dreamt of a better one than what their exciting No.10 crafted, twice bursting away from Bailey Smith in the middle and booting two goals in the opening 80 seconds. He continued to give Geelong fits, even when the disciplined Mark O’Connor ran with him. 8.5/10
(13) Luke Ryan: Had his hands full with Patrick Dangerfield at times, but still managed to consistently provide plenty of drive and run out of the back half for Fremantle. 6/10
(16) Murphy Reid: When he’s at his best, this young gun’s poise and creativity are off the charts. His playmaking was elite, especially in the first half, fashioning a fine bounceback from an under-par showing against the Hawks. 7.5/10
(17) Judd McVee: Called up to replace the injured Brandon Walker, he didn’t have much of an impact aside from a few glimpses in the second stanza. 4.5/10
(18) Mason Cox: He crashed packs, booted a goal, got in faces and provided occasional ruck relief for the rampant Jackson. He did his bit. 4/10
(20) Patrick Voss: What a return to form following his qualifying final shocker against Hawthorn. He booted four majors, exerted himself on the contest and ensured Tom Stewart’s hands were kept full. His goal right on three-quarter-time was massive. 8/10
(21) Oscar McDonald: He covered plenty of territory and his intercepting was important in the first half. He went to Ollie Henry in the fourth quarter, but generally had less impact as the evening wore on. Still, this was a better night for him than the rough one he had a week earlier against Jack Gunston. 5/10
(23) Karl Worner: He provided defensive pressure at the contest with calmness when exiting the backline was in his hands. His disposal efficiency was 100 per cent – you can’t ask much more than that from your half-backs. 7/10
(24) Jye Amiss: Thrashed by Tom Barrass a week ago, he was unsighted for long stretches against Geelong. He slotted an important goal in the second stanza and had a real crack. He was kept under wraps for most of the game by Jack Henry, but still managed 2.1 from his three kicks. 4.5/10
(25) Alex Pearce: His intercepting and decision-making on the last line was sound, as was his attack on the contest. His direct opponent Shannon Neale probably just took the honours, though. 5.5/10
(26) Hayden Young: That long goal he kicked out of the centre ball-up was one for the ages – as was his whole second quarter when he helped the Dockers get on top at stoppage. He had a game-high nine inside-50s to go with 556m gained. One of Fremantle’s real game-breakers. 8/10
(28) Neil Erasmus: He was solid on his wing, where he often found himself matched up with Jeremy Cameron. His ball use was sound and he played his role. 6/10
(32) Michael Frederick: He nailed a nice goal on the run during the Dockers’ sizzling opening-quarter surge, then another huge one in the fourth. In-between he was often unsighted, whether on a wing or at half-forward. 5/10
(34) Corey Wagner: The recalled utility was strong at the contest, mixing time on the wing with stints forward of centre. His tackling was immense but his ball use iffy. He made some amends with a magnificent long kick into attack for a strong Amiss mark and goal against the grain in the third quarter. 6/10
(35) Josh Treacy: Following his stinker against Hawthorn, the spearhead was much better against Geelong. He booted an important goal in the third term to restore Fremantle’s lead, while his powerful contested marking was a feature. 7/10
(39) Sam Switkowski: He provided his customary forward pressure and was involved in a number of the Dockers’ scoring chains. 5/10
(43) Isaiah Dudley: The little goalsneak bobbed up with two goals in a second-quarter cameo, but his disposal was rushed and imprecise at other times. 5/10
(44) Matthew Johnson: Bravely overcame a massive knee to the back from Dangerfield to have an impact after half-time. He spent some time in the centre-square as Fremantle tried something different during the Cats’ flurry. He followed a huge one-on-one win against Ollie Dempsey with a calm kick to Frederick for a crucial late goal. 6/10
Geelong
(2) Jay Polkinghorne: Dished the handball that led to Shaun Mannagh’s second-quarter goal, but had a quiet night overall. 1/10
(3) Bailey Smith: He was part of a beaten midfield early, but worked tirelessly and made his mark with his tackling before setting up consecutive goals to give the Cats their first lead in the third term. Won plenty of the Sherrin. 8.5/10
(4) Tanner Bruhn: Had a challenging night following Dudley around in defence, but fought back to have a better second half. 5/10
(5) Jeremy Cameron: Cameron’s night summed up his season. He still kicked two goals, but he has struggled to impact games like he did last year. 5/10
(7) Shaun Mannagh: Played a key role in keeping Geelong in the contest in the first half when few other Cats were firing. He generated several opportunities for himself and others, and even won four first-half clearances. 7/10
(9) Max Holmes: Looked poised to have a big second half after a strong finish to the second quarter, but his second game back from his ankle setback was largely muted by his standards. 6/10
(11) Mitch Edwards: Welcome to the finals cauldron. He hurt his pinky finger in the first quarter, but the flogging he received from Jackson would have been most painful of all. 3/10
(14) Connor O’Sullivan: He grabbed nine marks, and generally held his own in defence, even when the Cats were under siege early. 6.5/10
(17) Lawson Humphries: Like many Cats, Humphries had a slow start, but he warmed to the task and ended up being one of his team’s top contributors, using the ball neatly and repeatedly cutting off Docker forays. 7/10
(21) Ollie Wiltshire: Found space inside 50 to mark and goal in the first quarter, but was unable to have much of an impact. 3/10
(28) Ollie Dempsey: The All-Australian Cat couldn’t break loose for his typical game-breaking moments, but never stopped trying. 5/10
(30) Tom Atkins: A night to forget for the rugged Atkins, including conceding the last free kick and goal to Voss that sealed Fremantle’s victory. 2/10
(32) Gryan Miers: Miers’ work-rate spike in the third-quarter comeback, but where was he in the first half? Geelong needed more from him. 3/10
(33) Shannon Neale: Took a strong grab in the opening quarter and bobbed up for a pair of goals in the second term, including his 50th of the season, but was largely unsighted after half-time until a late goal. 5.5/10
(34) Oisin Mullin: The Irishman has become a very reliable AFL footballer who can be trusted in the biggest of matches. As always, he was strong defensively, but also won his share of the ball. 7/10
(35) Patrick Dangerfield: The champion Cat might not have been his match-winning self from a week ago, but still had some terrific moments, including an early 50-metre strike. “Danger” remains a force. 7.5/10
(36) Ollie Henry: The Cats’ best forward, and possibly best player, with a career-high five goals, including to keep them alive in the final term. He never stopped presenting and mostly finished his work. 8.5/10
(38) Jack Henry: Had a series of shaky first-half moments, including slipping to concede an easy goal to Cox. Improved in the second half and had EIGHT intercepts, but it wasn’t his best performance. 4/10
(39) Zach Guthrie: Guthrie was caught out of position a few times in the first half, but that wasn’t always his fault. Intercepted well and was very good in the third-quarter fightback, including two touches in one passage that led to an Ollie Henry goal. 7/10
(42) Mark O’Connor: Was used through the middle on occasion when the tide was against Geelong, and was solid without playing a major role. 5/10
(44) Tom Stewart: A rare finals downer for Stewart, who conceded two goals to direct opponent Voss in the opening quarter and was later outmarked by Treacy. He had nothing like his usual impact. 4/10
(45) Brad Close: He had two direct goal assists, including a clever pass to Shannon Neale, but went missing for large chunks of the game. 5/10
(46) Mark Blicavs: Another veteran Cat who struggled. Chris Scott used his star utility in his usual bevy of roles to try to get him going, including in the ruck against Jackson, but Blicavs didn’t fire a shot. 4/10
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.
