By Frank Ienco reporting for AFANA from Sydney
Fremantle’s chances of playing Finals football in September appear all but over after they succumbed to a 28-point defeat at the hands of the Sydney Swans in their Heritage Round clash at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The 11.23 (89) to 9.7 (61) loss leaves the Dockers two games outside the top Eight with only eight rounds to play and with a difficult month ahead of the them. The Swans built their win from a dominant midfield display and they won every quarter, however poor kicking again in front of goal kept the result in the balance for far longer than it should have. The win, which keeps Sydney in the finals race, was also significant to celebrate the achievement of star indigenous forward Michael O’Loughlin. O’Loughlin’s match was his 261st for the club, overtaking former South Melbourne star John Rantall to become South Melbourne/Sydney’s all-time games record holder.
Sydney and Fremantle arrived at the SCG sitting tenth and eleventh respectively on the table with a 6-7 win-loss record. Despite heady pre-season predictions of finishing inside the top Four, both clubs knew a loss would be detrimental to their hopes of just staying alive this season. The Swans were buoyed by the return of their two most influential players, full-forward Barry Hall and Irish defender Tadhg Kennelly, while small forward Adam Schneider was also back. With all the focus on O’Loughlin, it was easy to forget the achievement of former St. Kilda and Hawthorn ruckman Peter Everitt who was playing his 300th total game, including pre-season, State of Origin and International Rules games, to qualify for AFL Life Membership; while team-mate Sean Dempster was playing his 50th game. The Dockers forward stocks were also boosted by the return of Chris Tarrant from a club-imposed suspension, while giant ruckman Aaron Sandilands was also back.
With the Swans wearing an old South Melbourne guernsey and the Dockers donning a blue and white number as a nod to the influence of WAFL club East Fremantle, the greatest throwback to this weekend’s 1970s theme was the wet and greasy conditions, which would bring with it a rough and tumble match. With rain coming down intermittently throughout the afternoon, the game turned into scrappy contest as both sides were forced to come to terms with the conditions. The Swans were the first to do
this, and fittingly it was O’Loughlin to kick the first goal of the match when he marked a Schneider pass before kicking straight from 50 meters. The visitors replied in the 12th minute through Jeff Farmer, who benefited from a free kick for a high tackle right in front of goal. Incredibly, it would be the last major of the term, as despite the even contest, Sydney had the better of the opportunities yet failed to capitalize on them, Jarred McVeigh and Ryan O’Keefe among the Swans forwards to miss shots at goal. While the Dockers had not been broken apart, they would have been the happier side going to quarter time only trailing by three points 1.6 (12) to 1.3 (9).
Sydney again got off to a positive start in the second quarter when Hall, who had spent time on the bench during the first term and is expected to be nursed through the season, goaled from 45 meters out from a set shot. But as they did in the opening term, Fremantle provided an instant reply through star forward Matthew Pavlich, who himself had been quiet in the first quarter. The Swans were still dominating possession and territory when Ryan O’Keefe snapped a great goal from meters out. But with rain pouring down, the Dockers began to match the Swans across the ground in intensity and were making the most of their chances. Tarrant bagged his first from a set shot before Des Headland goaled on the run to give Fremantle the lead for the first time in the match.
As they had been over recent weeks, the Swans were woeful in front of goal and should have had the Dockers on the ropes. The home side scored three more behinds before Schneider proved his worth to the side, finally breaking the drought at the start of time-on. Despite being outplayed for most of the term, Scott Thornton kept Fremantle when he kicked true from 50 out. To their credit, Sydney was making better use of the wet conditions, which were suiting their tactic of playing numbers around the ball. They were dominating the middle of the ground, winning the clearances 24 to 13 and having the general run of possession. But even accounting for an extra seven scoring shots and the general run of play, Sydney only led by two points at the main break, 4.11 (35) to 5.3 (33).
Fremantle would have been full of confidence at the start of the second half, knowing an even run of possession could swing the favor back their way. Indeed, Farmer put them back in front early in the third quarter when he took a comfortable chest mark before converting from 30 meters out right in front. However, it would be the Dockers who would miss crucial shots at goal that would come back to haunt, with former captain Bell missing one shot on the run he would have otherwise normally converted.
For two sides playing for their seasons, the third term would again prove to be the Championship Quarter. With the Dockers tiring as a result of the conditions, Sydney finally made their dominance reflect on the scoreboard. On the start of time-on and the Swans registering another behind, David Mundy made a crucial mistake from the result kick-in. The poor kick fell straight to Brett Kirk, whose snap goal set a chain reaction that would ultimately decide the match. From the very next center bounce a long ball inside 50 gave Tim Schmidt the opportunity to soccer through another major. A goal to Jude Bolton and another to O’Loughlin after the siren capped off a brilliant nine-minute spell for the Swans, who led by a commanding 8.17 (65) to 6.6 (42) at three quarter time.
By the time Hall kicked Sydney’s ninth goal at the sx minute mark of the final quarter, the match appeared to be over. But as they did in last year’s preliminary final, the Dockers were making a gallant effort despite appearing to play behind the eight ball. Goals to Pavlich and Dockers veteran Shaun McManus kept the visitors in the game and when McManus snared his second a few minutes later, the former East Fremantle player was leading an unlikely Heritage round resurgence, Fremantle closing the gap to just 15 points at the mid-way point of the quarter. But Sydney were themselves the masters of the second half heroics and in front of small home crowd, with numbers were affected by the weather, maintained their composure. A questionable free kick against Dockers defender Antoni Grover, who had otherwise played a solid game on Hall, gave the Swans spearhead his third, before a goal to Ryan O’Keefe put the match beyond doubt. With the conditions taking its toll on weary bodies, the match fizzed out in its final stages. A missed shot by Pavlich after the siren capped off what was ultimately a miserable day for Fremantle, Sydney eventually grinding out the 28-point victory.
While the win was far from spectacular, largely due to the weather, Sydney would have been more than pleased with their intensity and commitment. Their dominance at the stoppages, particularly in the centre of the ground, ultimately proved decisive. Nik Fosdike, somewhat surprisingly topped the possession count with 26 touches; Nick Malceski (22 disposals) played one of his best games, while co-captain Brett Kirk (24 disposals) put another standard star performance. Despite concerns on Hall’s groin and how the Swans will manage it, there were encouraging signs today (3 goals, 5 marks, 8 disposals). Sydney coach Paul Roos will still have worries on the Swans conversion rates in front of goal, but at least today they returned to doing the basics well.
Fremantle, meanwhile, will now need a similar run home as they encountered last season to make the finals, where they won their last nine regular season matches to storm into the top four. They face an uphill battle though, starting with a home match against a confident Kangaroos side at Subiaco next Sunday afternoon, before matches against Adelaide (away), Geelong (home) and then a local derby against West Coast. Sydney returns to the SCG for another Sunday afternoon fixture next week when they play host to Carlton.
Fremantle: Farmer 2, Pavlich 2, McManus 2, Tarrant, Headland, Thornton.
Best- Sydney: Kirk, J. Bolton, Malceski, O’Keefe, Goodes, Fosdike.
Fremantle: Pavlich, McManus, Bell, J. Carr, Headland
Injuries- Sydney: Nil. Fremantle: Nil.
Reports- Nil.
Umpires- Rosebury, Wenn, Jeffery
Attendance- 25, 493 @ the Sydney Cricket Ground
Fremantle’s chances of playing Finals football in September appear all but over after they succumbed to a 28-point defeat at the hands of the Sydney Swans in their Heritage Round clash at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The 11.23 (89) to 9.7 (61) loss leaves the Dockers two games outside the top Eight with only eight rounds to play and with a difficult month ahead of the them. The Swans built their win from a dominant midfield display and they won every quarter, however poor kicking again in front of goal kept the result in the balance for far longer than it should have. The win, which keeps Sydney in the finals race, was also significant to celebrate the achievement of star indigenous forward Michael O’Loughlin. O’Loughlin’s match was his 261st for the club, overtaking former South Melbourne star John Rantall to become South Melbourne/Sydney’s all-time games record holder.
Sydney and Fremantle arrived at the SCG sitting tenth and eleventh respectively on the table with a 6-7 win-loss record. Despite heady pre-season predictions of finishing inside the top Four, both clubs knew a loss would be detrimental to their hopes of just staying alive this season. The Swans were buoyed by the return of their two most influential players, full-forward Barry Hall and Irish defender Tadhg Kennelly, while small forward Adam Schneider was also back. With all the focus on O’Loughlin, it was easy to forget the achievement of former St. Kilda and Hawthorn ruckman Peter Everitt who was playing his 300th total game, including pre-season, State of Origin and International Rules games, to qualify for AFL Life Membership; while team-mate Sean Dempster was playing his 50th game. The Dockers forward stocks were also boosted by the return of Chris Tarrant from a club-imposed suspension, while giant ruckman Aaron Sandilands was also back.
With the Swans wearing an old South Melbourne guernsey and the Dockers donning a blue and white number as a nod to the influence of WAFL club East Fremantle, the greatest throwback to this weekend’s 1970s theme was the wet and greasy conditions, which would bring with it a rough and tumble match. With rain coming down intermittently throughout the afternoon, the game turned into scrappy contest as both sides were forced to come to terms with the conditions. The Swans were the first to do
this, and fittingly it was O’Loughlin to kick the first goal of the match when he marked a Schneider pass before kicking straight from 50 meters. The visitors replied in the 12th minute through Jeff Farmer, who benefited from a free kick for a high tackle right in front of goal. Incredibly, it would be the last major of the term, as despite the even contest, Sydney had the better of the opportunities yet failed to capitalize on them, Jarred McVeigh and Ryan O’Keefe among the Swans forwards to miss shots at goal. While the Dockers had not been broken apart, they would have been the happier side going to quarter time only trailing by three points 1.6 (12) to 1.3 (9).
Sydney again got off to a positive start in the second quarter when Hall, who had spent time on the bench during the first term and is expected to be nursed through the season, goaled from 45 meters out from a set shot. But as they did in the opening term, Fremantle provided an instant reply through star forward Matthew Pavlich, who himself had been quiet in the first quarter. The Swans were still dominating possession and territory when Ryan O’Keefe snapped a great goal from meters out. But with rain pouring down, the Dockers began to match the Swans across the ground in intensity and were making the most of their chances. Tarrant bagged his first from a set shot before Des Headland goaled on the run to give Fremantle the lead for the first time in the match.
As they had been over recent weeks, the Swans were woeful in front of goal and should have had the Dockers on the ropes. The home side scored three more behinds before Schneider proved his worth to the side, finally breaking the drought at the start of time-on. Despite being outplayed for most of the term, Scott Thornton kept Fremantle when he kicked true from 50 out. To their credit, Sydney was making better use of the wet conditions, which were suiting their tactic of playing numbers around the ball. They were dominating the middle of the ground, winning the clearances 24 to 13 and having the general run of possession. But even accounting for an extra seven scoring shots and the general run of play, Sydney only led by two points at the main break, 4.11 (35) to 5.3 (33).
Fremantle would have been full of confidence at the start of the second half, knowing an even run of possession could swing the favor back their way. Indeed, Farmer put them back in front early in the third quarter when he took a comfortable chest mark before converting from 30 meters out right in front. However, it would be the Dockers who would miss crucial shots at goal that would come back to haunt, with former captain Bell missing one shot on the run he would have otherwise normally converted.
For two sides playing for their seasons, the third term would again prove to be the Championship Quarter. With the Dockers tiring as a result of the conditions, Sydney finally made their dominance reflect on the scoreboard. On the start of time-on and the Swans registering another behind, David Mundy made a crucial mistake from the result kick-in. The poor kick fell straight to Brett Kirk, whose snap goal set a chain reaction that would ultimately decide the match. From the very next center bounce a long ball inside 50 gave Tim Schmidt the opportunity to soccer through another major. A goal to Jude Bolton and another to O’Loughlin after the siren capped off a brilliant nine-minute spell for the Swans, who led by a commanding 8.17 (65) to 6.6 (42) at three quarter time.
By the time Hall kicked Sydney’s ninth goal at the sx minute mark of the final quarter, the match appeared to be over. But as they did in last year’s preliminary final, the Dockers were making a gallant effort despite appearing to play behind the eight ball. Goals to Pavlich and Dockers veteran Shaun McManus kept the visitors in the game and when McManus snared his second a few minutes later, the former East Fremantle player was leading an unlikely Heritage round resurgence, Fremantle closing the gap to just 15 points at the mid-way point of the quarter. But Sydney were themselves the masters of the second half heroics and in front of small home crowd, with numbers were affected by the weather, maintained their composure. A questionable free kick against Dockers defender Antoni Grover, who had otherwise played a solid game on Hall, gave the Swans spearhead his third, before a goal to Ryan O’Keefe put the match beyond doubt. With the conditions taking its toll on weary bodies, the match fizzed out in its final stages. A missed shot by Pavlich after the siren capped off what was ultimately a miserable day for Fremantle, Sydney eventually grinding out the 28-point victory.
While the win was far from spectacular, largely due to the weather, Sydney would have been more than pleased with their intensity and commitment. Their dominance at the stoppages, particularly in the centre of the ground, ultimately proved decisive. Nik Fosdike, somewhat surprisingly topped the possession count with 26 touches; Nick Malceski (22 disposals) played one of his best games, while co-captain Brett Kirk (24 disposals) put another standard star performance. Despite concerns on Hall’s groin and how the Swans will manage it, there were encouraging signs today (3 goals, 5 marks, 8 disposals). Sydney coach Paul Roos will still have worries on the Swans conversion rates in front of goal, but at least today they returned to doing the basics well.
Fremantle, meanwhile, will now need a similar run home as they encountered last season to make the finals, where they won their last nine regular season matches to storm into the top four. They face an uphill battle though, starting with a home match against a confident Kangaroos side at Subiaco next Sunday afternoon, before matches against Adelaide (away), Geelong (home) and then a local derby against West Coast. Sydney returns to the SCG for another Sunday afternoon fixture next week when they play host to Carlton.
Final Score-Goals- Sydney: Hall 3, O’Loughlin 2, O’Keefe 2, Schneider, Kirk, Schmidt, Bolton.
Sydney 1.6 4.11 8.17 11.23
Fremantle 1.3 5.3 6.6 9.7
Fremantle: Farmer 2, Pavlich 2, McManus 2, Tarrant, Headland, Thornton.
Best- Sydney: Kirk, J. Bolton, Malceski, O’Keefe, Goodes, Fosdike.
Fremantle: Pavlich, McManus, Bell, J. Carr, Headland
Injuries- Sydney: Nil. Fremantle: Nil.
Reports- Nil.
Umpires- Rosebury, Wenn, Jeffery
Attendance- 25, 493 @ the Sydney Cricket Ground
Article last changed on Saturday, July 14, 2007 - 6:04 PM EDT
