Australian Football

Match Report

Fremantle has moved into the top four with an impressive away win against Carlton at Docklands stadium on Saturday night. The game was a relatively tight affair for the first three quarters and only 10 points separated the two sides at the final change. But the Dockers put the foot to the floor in the last quarter, kicking five goals to one to run out the victors by six goals.

The win enable Fremantle to enter the top four at the expense of Essendon, who were thrashed by Collingwood, and opened the door to the possibility of a top two finish, with Hawthorn and Geelong also dropping their round 19 matches.

In a game that was slightly higher scoring than would generally be expected of teams coached by Ross Lyon and Mick Malthouse, the architects of the win for the Dockers were Nat Fyfe (30 disposals), Michael Walters (four goals and 17 touches) and Hayden Ballantyne (3.3 and 17 possessions). The Blues were well served by Heath Scotland (31 possessions), Zac Tuohy (three goals and 16 touches) and Kade Simpson (30 disposals).

The loss was a huge body blow to the Blues' top eight chances. They are now two games behind eighth-placed Port Adelaide, which had a miraculous last-minute win against Adelaide. Carlton's last month of home and way football is made up of matches against the Western Bulldogs, Richmond, Essendon and Port Adelaide. If the Blues can win the first three of those, the final match against Port could well determine which of those two teams squeaks into the finals.

Fremantle's final four games are against GWS (home), Melbourne (away), Port Adelaide (home) and St Kilda (away). Three of those four sides occupy the bottom three places on the ladder, and a top-two finish is well within the realms of possibility for the Dockers.

GOALS
Carlton: Tuohy ;, Garlett, Henderson 2; Watson, Rowe, McLean, Judd, Armfield
Fremantle: Walters 4; Ballantyne 3; Hill, Neale, Suban 2; Sandilands, Mzungu, Barlow, Pearce

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Carlton: Scotland, Robinson, Tuohy, Simpson, Judd, Gibbs
Fremantle: Fyfe, Walters, Ballantyne, Barlow, Neale, Pearce, Crowley

BEST -THE SUNDAY AGE
Carlton: Scotland, Tuohy, Simpson, Robinson, Judd
Fremantle: Fyfe, Walters, Ballantyne, Neale, Barlow, Mundy

INJURIES
Carlton: Carrazzo (foot)
Fremantle: Ibbotson (TBC) and Taberner (TBC) replaced in selected side by Sheridan and Sutcliffe; C Pearce (right calf)

SUBSTITUTES
Carlton: Kane Lucas replaced Andrew Carrazzo during the second quarter.
Fremantle: Tom Sheridan replaced Clancee Pearce in the fourth quarter.

UMPIRES: Meredith, McInerney, Mollison

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Brian Taylor, Luke Darcy, Matthew Richardson, Cameron Ling