Australian Football

Match Report

Fremantle served notice that it intends to once again be a major player in this year's finals series with a wonderful hard-fought win against Hawthorn in an uncharacteristically high-scoring match at Subiaco on Sunday afternoon. The Dockers' hold on a top four place had been seen as shaky but they took the lead against Hawthorn early in the third term and went on to record a highly meritorious 19-point win.

Hawthorn started the better of the two sides, kicking the first two goals through David Hale and Shaun Burgoyne but then wasted several opportunities to put a large gap between itself and the Dockers. When quarter time arrived, the Hawks had amassed four goals and seven behinds, with Fremantle's accuracy - the Dockers kicked 3.0 - keeping it within 11 points at the first break. 

The second term would have been one of the most unusual of Ross Lyon's coaching career. Lyon is known for his low-scoring lock-down style of football but his charges and Hawthorn went on a goal-kicking spree in that quarter, with the Dockers kicking 7.3 for the term and Hawthorn not far behind with 6.2. That brought Fremantle within six points of the Hawks at half time.

Matt Taberner opened Fremantle's account with a goal within the first three minutes of the second half, levelling the scores. The Dockers then gained the ascendency, kicking a further five goals for the term, with the Hawks kicking just one. At the last change of ends, Fremantle led by 19 points.

As the last quarter returned to a more traditional low-scoring affair, the Dockers took that margin out to 31 points with goals to Stephen Hill and Matthew Pavlich. David Hale and Jonathan Simpkin kicked the last two goals of the match for Hawthorn but it was too little, too late as the Dockers held on to win by 19 points and maintain a firm hold on a place in the top four.

Best for the winners were David Mundy (33 possessions, six tackles), Michael Barlow (31 disposals and seven marks) and Matthew Pavlich (five goals and eight marks). For the Hawks, Jordan Lewis was outstanding, with 44 disposals and nine marks, while Luke Hodge (28 touches and seven tackles) also played a fine captain's game.

In fourth place, one game behind Hawthorn and one game ahead of Port Adelaide, the Dockers' last two matches of the home-and-away season will be against Brisbane at the Gabba and at home to the Power. The Hawks, who tumbled from top to third with the loss, will face second-placed Geelong at the MCG next Saturday and Collingwood at the same venue in round 23.

GOALS
Fremantle: Pavlich 5; Hill 3; Fyfe, Crozier 2; Sandilands, Walters, Pearce, Taberner, Barlow
Hawthorn: Puopolo 4; Breust, Hale 2; Burgoyne, Hodge, Shiels, Gunston, Simpkin

BEST WATODAY.COM.AU
Fremantle: Mundy, Barlow, Pavlich, Hill, Johnson, Sandilands
Hawthorn: Lewis, Hodge, Puopolo, Burgoyne, Langford, Bruest

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Fremantle: Mundy, Barlow, Hill, Pavlich, Neale, Fyfe, Walters
Hawthorn: Lewis, Puopolo, Hodge, Breust, Burgoyne

INJURIES
Fremantle: Ballantyne (hamstring) replaced in selected side by Taberner
Hawthorn: Spangher (calf tightness) replaced in selection side by O'Brien, Suckling (right ankle)

SUBSTITUTES
Fremantle: Max Duffy replaced Hayden Crozier in the fourth quarter
Hawthorn: Jonathan Simpkin replaced Matt Suckling at three-quarter time

UMPIRES: Margetts, Findlay, Pannell

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Dwayne Russell, Gerard Healy, Alastair Lynch, David King