TonyK
CibbuanoDockers upset Swans
April 25th 2009 14:41
FREMANTLE has opened its account for 2009 with a 21-point win over Sydney at Subiaco Oval on Saturday night.
The Dockers got the early jump and answered every challenge thrown at them by the Swans, eventually prevailing 18. 13 (121) to 16.4 (100).
The win ends a tumultuous week for the club which was under heavy scrutiny after the embarrassing loss to St Kilda and then forced to endure a Ku Klux Klan controversy and Matthew Pavlich trade talk
Midfielder Rhys Palmer sent a scare through the Dockers' camp early in the final term when he collapsed to the turf in pain clutching his right knee.
He was carried off the ground by two trainers but Fremantle’s worst fears were allayed when last year’s NAB Rising star winner shook off the injury to walk unaided around the boundary.
Pavlich had his best game for the season, finishing with 27 possessions and three goals while David Mundy and Luke McPharlin also chimed in with three goals apiece.
Aaron Sandilands was influential in the ruck with 18 possessions, 46 hit outs and one goal while Garrick Ibbotson won plenty of the football.
For Sydney, co-captain Brett Kirk was instrumental in his side’s second half comeback and finished with 27 possessions and 12 tackles in his 200th game. Jude Bolton (28 disposals) tried hard all night while Adam Goodes booted three majors.
Fremantle coach Mark Harvey indicated earlier in the week that his side intended to play a more attacking brand of football against the Swans and his players delivered as they slammed on the first three goals of the match in the opening six minutes.
The Swans finally got on the board through Goodes but the Dockers kicked another three to go into quarter-time with a 26-point lead.
The Dockers continued to win the contested football and apply relentless pressure all over the ground in the second term as they kicked five goals to three to open up a commanding 42-point advantage at the main break.
With Kirk leading from the front, the Swans lifted their rating in the third term and started to win more of the football at the stoppages.
They managed six goals for the quarter but were unable to reduce the deficit to less than five goals with the Dockers answering every challenge.
Trailing by 37 points at three-quarter time, the Swans needed a big last quarter and they got off to an ideal start with Goodes and Heath Grudy kicking truly to reduce Fremantle’s lead to just 25 points.
The Swans threatened to run over the top of the Dockers but a brilliant goal from McPharlin after three bounces halted Sydney’s momentum and ensured Fremantle went away with their first premiership points of the season.
FREMANTLE: 6.4, 11.9, 16.10, 18.13 (121)
SYDNEY: 2.2, 5.3, 11.3, 16.4 (100)
GOALS: Fremantle: Mundy 3, Pavlich 3, McPharlin 3, Johnson, Peake 2, Schammer, Thornton, Hayden
Sydney: Goodes 3, Jolly, Mattner, Jack, McVeigh, Shaw, Thornton, Buchanan, Grundy, Barlow, Meredith, O'Keefe
BEST: Fremantle: Pavlich, Mundy, Hayden, Solomon, Ibbotson, Sandilands
Sydney: Kirk, Bolton, Buchanan, Shaw
INJURIES: Fremantle: Palmer (knee)
Sydney: Ablett (shoulder), Bird (shoulder)
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Nil
UMPIRES: Margetts, Dalgleish, Chamberlain
CROWD: 32,884 at Subiaco
The Dockers got the early jump and answered every challenge thrown at them by the Swans, eventually prevailing 18. 13 (121) to 16.4 (100).
The win ends a tumultuous week for the club which was under heavy scrutiny after the embarrassing loss to St Kilda and then forced to endure a Ku Klux Klan controversy and Matthew Pavlich trade talk
Midfielder Rhys Palmer sent a scare through the Dockers' camp early in the final term when he collapsed to the turf in pain clutching his right knee.
He was carried off the ground by two trainers but Fremantle’s worst fears were allayed when last year’s NAB Rising star winner shook off the injury to walk unaided around the boundary.
Pavlich had his best game for the season, finishing with 27 possessions and three goals while David Mundy and Luke McPharlin also chimed in with three goals apiece.
Aaron Sandilands was influential in the ruck with 18 possessions, 46 hit outs and one goal while Garrick Ibbotson won plenty of the football.
For Sydney, co-captain Brett Kirk was instrumental in his side’s second half comeback and finished with 27 possessions and 12 tackles in his 200th game. Jude Bolton (28 disposals) tried hard all night while Adam Goodes booted three majors.
Fremantle coach Mark Harvey indicated earlier in the week that his side intended to play a more attacking brand of football against the Swans and his players delivered as they slammed on the first three goals of the match in the opening six minutes.
The Swans finally got on the board through Goodes but the Dockers kicked another three to go into quarter-time with a 26-point lead.
The Dockers continued to win the contested football and apply relentless pressure all over the ground in the second term as they kicked five goals to three to open up a commanding 42-point advantage at the main break.
With Kirk leading from the front, the Swans lifted their rating in the third term and started to win more of the football at the stoppages.
They managed six goals for the quarter but were unable to reduce the deficit to less than five goals with the Dockers answering every challenge.
Trailing by 37 points at three-quarter time, the Swans needed a big last quarter and they got off to an ideal start with Goodes and Heath Grudy kicking truly to reduce Fremantle’s lead to just 25 points.
The Swans threatened to run over the top of the Dockers but a brilliant goal from McPharlin after three bounces halted Sydney’s momentum and ensured Fremantle went away with their first premiership points of the season.
FREMANTLE: 6.4, 11.9, 16.10, 18.13 (121)
SYDNEY: 2.2, 5.3, 11.3, 16.4 (100)
GOALS: Fremantle: Mundy 3, Pavlich 3, McPharlin 3, Johnson, Peake 2, Schammer, Thornton, Hayden
Sydney: Goodes 3, Jolly, Mattner, Jack, McVeigh, Shaw, Thornton, Buchanan, Grundy, Barlow, Meredith, O'Keefe
BEST: Fremantle: Pavlich, Mundy, Hayden, Solomon, Ibbotson, Sandilands
Sydney: Kirk, Bolton, Buchanan, Shaw
INJURIES: Fremantle: Palmer (knee)
Sydney: Ablett (shoulder), Bird (shoulder)
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Nil
UMPIRES: Margetts, Dalgleish, Chamberlain
CROWD: 32,884 at Subiaco
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