Live: Kangaroos in huge hole as Dockers flex muscles in second quarter

It’s been a goal-less first few minutes of the third term in Bunbury, but the Dockers have sorted that out with another one on the break.

Alex Pearce spoiled an attack from the Kangaroos at one end, and then they basically went coast-to-coast, with a long kick inside 50 to Sam Switkowski in too much space. He kicked the goal, and the lead is out to 61 points.

As if things weren’t a little tough already, North Melbourne are a man down on the bench.

Riley Hardeman came off after a big collision in the first half, and now the defender has been ruled out of the game.

• Inside 50s: 26-21 Frem

• Clearances: 23-16 Frem

• Centre clearances: 11-8 Frem

• Contested possessions: 62-50 Frem

• Uncontested possessions: 133-113 Frem

• Marks inside 50: 9-3 Frem

• Tackles: 20-20

Well, that set of stats looks a lot more like the game so far.

The Dockers are controlling contested possessions, and they are getting out and sorting the uncontested ball as well.

The clearances have gone Fremantle’s way 15-6 in that second term, and the centre clearances have been 8-4 to the Dockers.

The big crowd doesn’t have a huge response to that emphatic quarter from the Dockers.

Maybe they’re still processing it all, like the Kangaroos.

Freo kicked 9.1 to 2.2 – and it could have been more.

It’s not even that the Dockers have a huge lead in inside 50s, they are just scoring goals at a very rapid rate whenever they do go in.

Not sure what Alastair Clarkson will do at half-time, but he’ll have to pull a few levers here to get his team back in this.

The Kangaroos have no answer right now.

The Dockers are just ripping out an elite second quarter here.

Jye Amiss took a mark inside 50 and converted from 40, and then Luke Jackson turned up again and slotted his second of the day.

We’re still a few minutes to go before half-time, and the Dockers are on 82 points. The lead is 45.

I’m running out of ways to say the Dockers are playing well at Bunbury.

They have so many ways to score. The turnover is the main one, but then they just scored one from a forward 50 stoppage, where Mason Cox just casually flicked it down into the path of Hayden Young, who completed a set move by snapping from the top of the square.

The Dockers are absolutely flying right now, and even when they are put under pressure, they can turn it right round in seconds.

A great physical effort by Isaiah Dudley led to a counter-attack from Freo that led to a long kick to 50 for Josh Treacy to mark close to goal.

Rather than take his time and kick the set shot, however, he decided to handball from his knees to Dudley! The ball spilled off hands and went over for a behind.

Fremantle’s handball game is growing by the minute here. If things don’t change, this lead could grow much bigger.

This is getting out of hand for the Kangaroos.

We’ve had half a quarter of football, and the Dockers have now booted six goals to two!

Josh Treacy has added his second of the day, and then Luke Jackson earned a free in the right forward pocket.

His kick from a not-too-easy angle did not look like the kick of a ruckman. Straight through.

There may be a wind component here, but the Kangaroos are being swept away right now. They desperately need to stem the flood.

Sudden switches of momentum are very common in today’s AFL, but this has been quick.

The Kangas were on the charge, but their inability to keep hold of the ball is killing them.

First a turnover led to a goal from Neil Erasmus, and then a centre clearance for Freo saw Luke Jackson get the handball receive, lope forward and chip to Patrick Voss.

His kick swirled in the breeze, but it went home – and now the Dockers lead by four goals.

The Dockers were under pressure, but they managed to force another turnover.

Turnovers have proven their best pathway to goal so far, and they did it again here, bursting down the wing, and a kick long to 50.

The ball came off hands, Patrick Voss ran on to the ball and handballed clear to Sam Switkowski, who nailed it on the run.

Ok, here we go!

North are lifting here, and a forward 50 stoppage led to a free to George Wardlaw, who caught the Dockers holding the ball.

He slotted the kick, and the margin is back to six points.

The Dockers had a chance there at one end but couldn’t find the way to score.

Now the Kangaroos have gone downfield, and a kick to near the square saw Alex Pearce slip over, and Jack Darling stood and took the grab.

He curled the kick home, which will burn twice over for Freo fans as the former Eagle gets the major.

That was needed for North, and the lead is back to two goals.

That took just 28 seconds!

The Dockers showed their tall and small options there.

A clearance, and a long kick from Andrew Brayshaw went to a contest – Josh Treacy half-fisted it up in the air, it bounced and Isaiah Dudley sped through and flicked it home off the outside of his right boot.

Great start for the Dockers, and the lead is now out to three goals. North will need to respond.

• Inside 50s: 12-12

• Clearances: 10-8 North Melb

• Centre clearances: 4-3 North Melb

• Contested possessions: 30-24 Frem

• Uncontested possessions: 66-66

• Marks inside 50: 5-1 Frem

• Tackles: 11-7 Frem

I wouldn’t have expected those numbers given what we’ve seen, but the key number is the marks inside 50.

The Dockers have too many options inside the arc right now – if that doesn’t change, this could be a long day for North.

The siren sounds, and the Dockers lead by a tick over two goals.

They were put under pressure late in the quarter, but a couple of fumbles from North and composure from Freo’s back six saw things off.

Fremantle is definitely playing better right now, and it’s a good thing that Charlie Comben has come back on after passing his HIA.

But the mix of targets that the Dockers have up forward is causing all sorts of bother for the Kangaroos.

They need to find a way of stopping Josh Treacy in particular – we’ll see how they go in the second term shortly.

This is frustrating if you’re a Kangaroos fan.

Luke Parker was taking a kickout, and he went short, only for Murphy Reid to step around a defender and take the mark close in. He went back and kicked the goal, and the lead is out to 14 points in time on.

It’s been a funny old start, with the Dockers controlling a lot of the game but finding themselves level with North.

But the last passage of play showed why the Kangaroos have concerns down back.

Patrick Voss (whose guernsey is already ripped and needs a replace) had a free on the wing. He thumped it long inside 50, and Josh Treacy was like the immovable object, going in front to take a mark at the second attempt.

He kicked the goal to put Freo in front again – Charlie Comben is off the ground having a HIA. If he can’t come back, then that will be a big blow to North.

This is a big turnaround, as North hit the front!

A kick from the boundary in the right forward pocket to the hotspot didn’t have a chance for a mark, with Mason Cox a little overexuberant with his fair shoulder to Nick Larkey.

The Kangaroos spearhead converted from the goal square, and North leads by a point.

Well that was a 60-90 seconds. The Dockers were dominating, and Josh Treacy had a set shot from the right side of 50, only to spray it wildly right for out on the full.

The Kangaroos took advantage, and Luke Davies-Uniacke kicked from 50, it came off hands, and Cooper Trembath was there for a lovely soccer finish.

North have their first major.